Avions de Transport Regional received a contract from Czech Airlines (CSA) for seven new ATR 42-500s. CSA already operates four ATR 72s and five ATR 42s, but the order is the first from the Czech flag carrier for the ATR 42-500. Delivery of the first three ATR 42-500s is scheduled between March and July with the remaining four coming in 2005.
Bombardier made a successful first flight Jan. 8 of its second Global 5000 aircraft. The flight lasted nearly four hours and reached a maximum altitude of 17,000 feet and a maximum airspeed of 340 knots. The flight took off from Bombardier's Downsview, Ontario facility, where it was assembled.
Three companies are in talks to receive contracts to design anti-missile systems for commercial aircraft, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Jan. 6. BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and United Airlines are leading teams selected to enter final contract negotiations to provide detailed designs for systems to defend airliners against shoulder-fired missiles, DHS Assistant Secretary Penrose "Parney" Albright said in a conference call with reporters.
AN AEROSPATIALE AS 365 N2 was destroyed late last month during a positioning accident at the Santa Fe, N.M. Municipal Airport (SAF). National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot of the aircraft, N291LL, which was operated by Aerowest Helicopters, Inc. and doing business as New Mexico Life Rescue, was aero taxiing the helicopter between a parking ramp and a maintenance hangar on the afternoon of Dec. 27. Investigators said the pilot brought the helicopter to a hovering stop and while turning around the main rotor blades struck the maintenance hangar.
SCHUBACH AVIATION, the San Diego, Calif.-based charter company, added a Bombardier Challenger to its fleet. Schubach operates 13 turbine aircraft, including King Airs, Citations, Learjets and Hawkers.
CIVIL AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS were relieved that the Department of State last week released a rule that removes a certain avionics chip from U.S. Munitions List requirements. The rule, published in the Jan. 7 Federal Register, removes quartz rate sensors (QRS) from the Munitions List when used in civil aircraft. QRS chips are used in standby attitude indicators installed on most turbine aircraft. The chips, however, have long been on the Munitions List because they also are used for military purposes, such as guided missile systems.
GRETCHEN ADIN joined Geotest-Marvin Test Systems as marketing program manager. Adin will develop and oversee the company's corporate branding, marketing collateral and company events. Adin also will be the primary media contact for Irvine, Calif.-based Geotest, which supplies electronic test equipment for aerospace, semiconductor, telecom, medical and other industries. BRADFORD DREW was named vice president of sales for Sentient Jet. Drew spent more than 20 years with American Express Financial Advisors, most recently as group vice president.
AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION President Jim May said the cost of oil is higher than it should be because the government is buying petroleum on the open market to boost the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. During a meeting with reporters Thursday, May said he believes oil prices are $6 to $8 per barrel higher than they otherwise would be because of the government's SPR purchases.
THE EUROPEAN CIVIL AVIATION CONFERENCE, a coalition of transportation directors general in Europe who help set policy for the Joint Aviation Authorities, plans to meet in late February to discuss the regulation of fractional ownership. ECAC is expected to establish a task force that will take an in-depth look at fractional ownership and which could begin its work by March. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, is continuing its outreach to U.S. industry leaders on the issue.
JET AVIATION BASEL recently delivered a second Boeing Business Jet to an undisclosed Middle East customer, the ninth BBJ completion to be done by the Basel facility. The second head-of-state aircraft seats up to 44 passengers and five crew members. It includes a first-class seating area, both forward and aft club seating areas and a forward lounge with two berthable three-person divans, and an array of communications and entertainment systems, including a six-channel SATCOM with CD, DVD, VCR and Airshow 400 systems.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUSTRAILIA N22B, N22S, and N24A airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-43-AD) -- proposes to require inspection of the forward and aft face of the rear fuselage frame for cracks and repair or modification, accordingly. This proposed AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Australia. FAA is issuing this proposed AD to detect and correct cracks in the rear fuselage frame, which could result in failure of the fuselage rear bulkhead and consequent loss of structural integrity.
The Federal Aviation Administration Friday formally okayed the use of enhanced flight vision systems for straight-in Category I instrument approaches below the certain minimum altitudes. FAA published a rule in the Federal Register that will allow, "but not mandate," the use of enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) and other similar technologies to operate below decision height or minimum descent altitude for straight-in-landing instrument approaches.
Federal Aviation Administration last week extended the comment period until March 15 for its proposed new extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) regulations. The proposal, which would place certain restrictions on flights longer than 180 minutes, was released in November and called for comments by Jan. 13 (BA, Nov. 17/217). FAA agreed to the extension at the request of several operators and industry associations, including both the National Air Transportation Association and National Business Aviation Association.
Honeywell has developed a naming convention for its new engine lines to closely align the identification of the engine with its type and performance. The convention will not apply to engines in the field, but will apply to all new engines, including the former AS907 that is powering the Bombardier Challenger 300. The new names will identify propulsion type -- whether turbofan, turboshaft or turboprop -- and thrust class. The AS907, for instance, is now called HTF7000 for Honeywell turbofan in the 7,000-pound thrust class.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will hold its 10th Annual Corporate Aviation Management conference Feb. 24-25 in Anaheim, Calif. The conference will discuss corporate aviation leadership and management issues, such as attracting and retaining qualified flight department members and personnel management. For more information, contact NBAA's Brenda Smith at (202) 783-9267.
DAVID S. BENOFF, who has been maintenance editor of Business & Commercial Aviation magazine since the spring of 2000, is moving to Global Jet Services as vice president, effective today. Global, based in Simsbury, Conn., is a maintenance training company.
JAMES BELL, a 31-year Boeing veteran who has been the company's acting chief financial officer since November, was formally named CFO. Bell previously was senior vice president of finance and corporate controller.
FAA changed the service difficulty reporting (SDR) requirements for repair stations in new Part 145 regulations by reinserting "serious" in its language describing failures, malfunctions and defects required for reporting.
NEW ACTING Transportation Security Administration chief Rear Adm. David Stone has begun to reach out to the general aviation community, meeting with different associations to discuss their views on security issues. Stone, who took over for former TSA head Adm. James Loy in December, met last week with both the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Air Transportation Association.
Air Transport Association President James May supports last week's decision by the Department of Homeland Security to issue contracts to study the feasibility of installing anti-missile systems on the commercial civil aircraft fleet to protect against man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), but he said the industry has concerns about the costs and operational issues of a fleet-wide installation.
SAFIRE AIRCRAFT submitted an application to the FAA for type certification of its new Safire Jet. The application comes as the company prepares to begin assembly of the first prototype this spring. "Filing of the type certificate application marks the first phase of the Safire Jet's certification process," said Safire Aircraft President and CEO Camilo Salomon. "It also represents a significant milestone in the aircraft's development process." The company will build two flying prototypes, a static test article and a fatigue test article.
