BAE Systems is donating $100,000 to sponsor a new course in embedded controls at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y. Engineers from BAE Systems of Nashua, N.H., several of whom are RPI alumni, will work with RPI professors to help students to design an embedded control system for an 11.5-foot blimp. A spokesperson for BAE Systems said the sponsorship was part of an effort to foster future engineers.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
ASTM FORMS STANDARDS COMMITTEE ON UAV SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE - The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International has formed a new committee that will develop safety and performance standards for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, ASTM announced Nov. 24. The committee includes manufacturers of UAVs and their components, federal agencies, design professionals, professional societies, maintenance professionals, trade associations, financial organizations and academia, according to ASTM.
BOLLINGER NAMED PRESIDENT OF ATCA - Paul P. (Bo) Bollinger, Jr., a veteran airport industry executive, was named president of the Air Traffic Control Association last month, succeeding Gabe Hartl, who retired after 29 years of service with the organization. Bollinger began his aviation career as a line service worker for Central American Airways at Bowman Field in Louisville, Ky. and worked as a management intern while attending the University of Kentucky.
NTSB SAYS COLGAN BEECH 1900D HAD ELEVATOR TRIM PROBLEMS - Investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board into an Aug. 26 crash of a Colgan Air Raytheon Beech 1900D at Yarmouth, Mass., revealed problems with the aircraft's elevator trim system, and the agency continues to scrutinize the system's installation. The fatal flight was the first after technicians replaced both elevator trim actuators and the forward elevator trim cable.
January 11-15, 2004 - AAAE Aviation Issues Conference; Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort, Kauai, Hawaii, (703) 820-1395 March 2-3, 2004 - 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, 2004 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2004, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 683-4646
EMBRAER FORECASTS MODEL 170 DELIVERY INCREASE IN 2005 - Although delays in certification of the Embraer 170 will affect delivery numbers for 2004, the Brazilian manufacturer projected that sales for the 170 family and the Legacy will increase in 2005 while 145 family sales will decline slightly.
ROLLS-ROYCE APPOINTS NEW COO - British engine-maker Rolls-Royce named Steven F. Dwyer as the chief operating officer to be based in Indianapolis, Ind. Dwyer is currently president of Rolls-Royce' defense division in North America, a position that he has held since 2001. He joined Rolls-Royce in 1998 with more than 20 years of aerospace experience with Allied Signal, Textron Lycoming and Combustion Engineering. Dwyer previously served as the vice president of customer operations and also as the vice president of finance for the defense division.
Safire Aircraft named Lee Aerospace of Wichita, Kan. to provide transparencies for the Safire Jet. Lee, a subsidiary of Triumph Group, Inc., designs and manufactures windshields and flight deck and cabin transparencies for a number of aircraft manufacturers, including Bombardier, Cessna, Raytheon and Boeing-Vertol.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., named John Johnson of Texas A&M University in Texarkana, Texas as provost and chief academic officer. Johnson will oversee all academic matters including appointment, evaluation, management and promotion of the faculty, the evaluation and development of curricula and the growth of scholarly research activity. He will report directly to Embry-Riddle President George Ebbs. Johnson's academic background is in the speech and hearing sciences.
SANTA MONICA CHARTER COMPANY SUED BY MICHAEL JACKSON - A charter company based in Santa Monica, Calif. is the latest party to be embroiled in the legal proceedings and media frenzy surrounding singer Michael Jackson.
The Senate confirmed the nomination of James Loy Wednesday as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, a move that was hailed by Ed Bolen, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. "We are very pleased that Admiral Loy has been confirmed," he said. "Throughout his remarkable career of public service, Admiral Loy has demonstrated extraordinary management skills and a tireless work ethic.
After months of partisan gridlock over air traffic control privatization, the Senate finally approved the four-year FAA reauthorization bill, which contains key provisions designed to help the general aviation industry.
A November 17 directive from the Transportation Security Administration mandating much tighter security rules for on-demand, all-cargo carriers is outrageous, unreasonable and in many cases impossible to comply with, according to industry officials. TSA gave on-demand cargo carriers 72 hours to implement an elaborate series of requirements, which included prohibitions on pilots carrying pocketknives and requiring that pilots be physically searched for banned items before they can operate a flight.
JAMES BELL was named acting chief financial officer at Boeing. He was most recently senior vice president of finance and corporate controller at Boeing. Bell joined Rockwell as an accountant in 1972 and moved over to Boeing when the company acquired Rockwell's space and defense businesses in 1996.
TRANSPORTATION TREASURY FUNDING FOLDED INTO HOUSE OMNIBUS - The Transportation and Treasury funding bill, which holds $14 billion for FAA for fiscal year 2004, was scooped into a larger omnibus spending bill filed by the House last week.
DASSAULT CERTIFIES FALCON 900EX EASy - After some unexpected delays in the certification of its EASy flight deck, Dassault finally won certification from the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency for the its newest version of the Falcon 900EX. Deliveries of the Falcon 900EX EASy "will begin almost immediately" from Dassault's completion center in Little Rock, Ark., said the company's president and CEO, John Rosanvallon.
Netjets designated Execaire Toronto as an official service provider in the Canadian city for the fractional aircraft ownership company's Cessna Citation fleet. Execaire, which is also an authorized service center for Citation business jets, will service all Citation models and handle AOG/line service, parts, heavy maintenance and avionics and non-destructive testing.
