HONEYWELL won FAA approval for a new runway advisory system that can be installed in EGPWS units to give pilots a variety of aural warnings to improve their situational awareness on the ground. See article on Page 60.
CONKLIN & DE DECKER updated its maintenance management software, MxManager. Version 6.0 expands capabilities of alternate part numbers and adds features such as a sales order summary and receiving report. MxManager tracks maintenance, purchasing, inventory, work orders and costs for maintenance organizations. For more information, contact the company at (817) 277-6403 or visit the MxManager web site at www.MxMgr.com.
March 2-3 - ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Aero Engine Life Management Conference, Thistle Royal Horseguards Hotel, London, England, (404) 847-0072; [email protected] or www.asme.org.igti March 15-17 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2004, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 683-4646 March 22-23 - American Association of Airport Executives, ACI-NA, Spring Washington Conference, Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, 703-824-0504, www.airportnet.org
B/E AEROSPACE won FAA supplemental type certificate approval for the installation of its LED-based interior lighting installation on Cessna Citation 500 series business jets. B/E Aerospace previously had secured FAA parts manufacturing approval for the LED lighting system on a range of jets, and the lighting has been installed on Gulfstreams, Challengers, Falcons, Boeing Business Jets, Sabreliners and Merlins. B/E worked with O'Gara Aviation in Atlanta, Ga. on the first Citation 500 installation.
DASSAULT Model Mystere-Falcon 50 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-232-AD) - proposes to require one-time detailed inspections for structural discrepancies of various fuselage attachments; and corrective actions, if necessary, to restore the structure to the original design specifications. This action is necessary to prevent early fatigue, corrosion, or fretting, which could result in structural failure of major components of the airplane and reduced structural integrity of the airplane. FAA estimates that 21 airplanes on the U.S.
Despite passage last year of major legislation providing record high levels of funding for FAA programs, the Bush Administration's fiscal 2005 budget proposal slashes hundreds of millions of dollars from authorized funding levels for Facilities and Equipment programs, some of which were part of the agency's Operational Evolution Plan.
THE AIR ZOO in Kalamazoo, Mich., is opening an interactive aviation museum in May that will include more than 80 vintage aircraft, character actors depicting famous aviators, simulators and amusement rides, Smithsonian exhibits and four-dimensional theaters, which combine three-dimensional films with other special effects. The 120,000-square-foot facility nearly doubles the Air Zoo's space. "The new Air Zoo doesn't just teach people about history, it surrounds them with it," Bob Ellis, executive director of the Air Zoo, said.
DAVID OLSON was appointed vice president and general manager of Goodrich Corporation's Electro-Optical Systems business in Danbury, Conn. He formerly was vice president, business strategy at the facility, which makes optical and sensor systems for aerospace and scientific purposes. He has more than 35 years of optics-related experience, holding positions with Perkin-Elmer, Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon.
The Federal Aviation Administration is hoping to expedite certification approvals and lighten its growing workload under a proposed new rule to establish an organization designation authorization program (ODA) that would expand and standardize the various delegation authorities. The ODA proposal, released late last month, would increase the number of individuals and organizations eligible to hold designation authorization and expand their functions. It also would standardize the function as well as the duration of the certificates.
ASME INTERNATIONAL GAS TURBINE INSTITUTE (IGTI) will hold the Aero Engine Life Management Conference March 2-3 in London, England. Conference participants include representatives from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and General Electric and Rolls-Royce. The conference will focus on lowering costs of engine maintenance by prolonging engine life. Experts will discuss the application of advanced diagnostics to detect wear and monitor vibration in systems.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) cheered a measure passed by Congress that reinforces a ban on aircraft weighing more than 100,000 pounds from Teterboro Airport and ends a dispute that began when Boeing sought permission to land the BBJ there (BA, Jan. 5, 2001/). Congress included the measure in the transportation appropriations legislation that was adopted as a part of a much larger government-wide omnibus spending bill (BA, Jan. 26/35).
A major air traffic control organization, the U.S. controllers union and a senior Democratic congressman have attacked the Bush Administration's move to cut funding for air traffic modernization, but FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said the cuts reflect budget realities while maintaining key modernization timetables. The Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said the reductions are a mistake, and ATC modernization funding should instead be increased.
CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED for the post of FAA chief financial officer, and Administrator Marion Blakey told BA last week she hopes to have the final selection on board within a few weeks. Blakey had announced the hiring of Thomas Bloom as the agency's CFO in November, but before starting work at FAA he decided to take a job with another government agency (BA, Jan. 19/21).
NetJets awarded Raytheon Aircraft a 10-year agreement to provide maintenance for the fractional aircraft ownership provider's fleet of Hawker 1000, 800XP and 400XP business jets. The contract covers full maintenance for the Hawkers and includes options beyond 10 years. The Hawker Service Center in Little Rock, Ark., will provide Hawker 1000 and 800XP heavy maintenance, and Raytheon Aircraft Services in Tampa, Fla. will maintain NetJets' 400XP fleet.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is trying to fill two key jobs in its Airports Division in the Chicago area. The agency is seeking candidates for the Manager and Assistant Manager slots in the Chicago Airports District Office. The manager's job has a salary range of $92,250-$142,993 annually, while the assistant manager's job pays $77,167 to $119,609. For more information, go to: http://jobs.faa.gov.
Eclipse Aviation Corp. named six more suppliers to provide electronic components that will build on its Avio "Total Aircraft Integration" initiative for the Eclipse 500 jet. Avio "delivers a level of integration and safety that previously had been available only in advanced military aircraft and commercial airliners," Eclipse said, noting that it achieves integration through integral, redundant computer systems that monitor and control all aspects of the aircraft.
CAE said US Airways selected it to provide Embraer 170 and Bombardier CRJ200 ground school training equipment that will become part of the airline's integrated training program. The CAE Simfinity integrated procedures trainers and visual simulators are valued at approximately $5 million (U.S.).
JACK WETZEL, a veteran aviation marketer, has formed Wetzel Aviation in Englewood, Colo. Wetzel, who has more than 30 years in the business and significant background in Piper Cheyennes, Beech King Airs and Learjets, is chairman and chief executive. Gene F. Langfeldt, president, has more than three decades of financial and executive management experience, the last 15 of which have been in business aviation.
