Hamilton Sundstrand will start delivering its new propeller systems to the U.S. Navy this month. The contract, valued at $44.5 million, calls for 188 NP2000 propeller system units with an option for 54 more. The Navy conducted a series of flight tests at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., before approving the deliveries. The eight-bladed propeller system will power a fleet of E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft.
While wednesday's biannual meeting between TSA and the GA Action Coalition continued the dialogue with the agency, some of the GA representatives came away with another concern - that TSA is no longer the ultimate authority on civil aviation security matters. Last week a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) exercise took place over Washington, D.C. in which F-16 fighter jets practiced intercepting a Cessna 172XXXXXXX. Senior TSA officials learned of plans for the exercise when they read about it in The Washington Post.
Senate Aviation leaders are hoping to begin consideration of the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill this week. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has indicated plans to offer an amendment providing up to $100 million in funding for general aviation entities that can demonstrate losses stemming from the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (BA, June 2/249). The measure would be similar to a provision included in the House reauthorization bill that also is awaiting full floor action (BA, May 26/237).
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.
V-22 PROGRAM CUTS FACTORY RIBBON, SEEKS TO CUT COSTS NEXT - Two weeks after U.S. Defense Department officials validated the V-22 Osprey's yearlong push to disprove doubts about tiltrotor technology, Boeing officially opened a modern assembly plant in Ridley Park, Pa. that highlights the program's next key challenge - slashing production costs.
The 2003 Vectren Dayton Air Show, featuring the 20,000-square-foot Birth of Aviation Pavilion, will take place July 17-20. The air-conditioned pavilion will display replicas of six Wright flyers, the 1895 Lilienthal glider, the 1896 Chanute/Herring Glider and the 1896 Langley Aerodrome #5. The air show also will have daily performances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Canadian Forces Snowbirds. For more information about the event, visit www.daytonairshow.com or call (937) 898-5901.
National Business Aviation Association named Michael Nichols manager of tax and finance. Nichols will handle tax, finance and insurance issues surrounding aircraft ownership and operations at the federal, state and local levels. He will serve as the liaison to the association's Tax Committee and coordinate the NBAA Tax Conference and Tax Forums. Nichols most recently was manager of industry forums for the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, where he oversaw day-to-day operations of key forums.
INDIGO AXES CHARTER SERVICE FROM MIDWAY TO TETERBORO - Indigo Airlines cut charter flights on Embraer Legacy aircraft between Chicago Midway and Teterboro, N.J., leaving the fate of the 23 planes the carrier has on order unknown. A spokesman from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told BA affiliate Aviation Daily Indigo had no aircraft movements May 30 or June 2, and Indigo said in a taped phone message to customers it "was no longer taking reservations for daily service."
Avjet Corporation is the defendant in a wrongful death suit brought by the parents of Marissa Witham, 22, who died in a Gulfstream III crash March 29, 2001. The aircraft was chartered from Avjet in Burbank, Calif. for a flight from Los Angeles, Calif. to Aspen, Colo. and flown by an Avjet pilot, Robert Frisbie. Witham's parents, Lyle and Laurece Ann Witham, retained Brian J. Panish of Greene, Broillet, Panish & Wheeler to represent them in the case, which began last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Pivotal Power won a contract to supply low-voltage power supplies for Raytheon's Forward-Looking Infrared System. The contract follows previous contracts from Raytheon, including the selection of Pivotal Power's power supply for the Raytheon AAQ-27 wavelength infrared imaging system in production for the U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey.
SAFIRE TO BUILD $40 MILLION FACILITY IN SOUTH FLORIDA - Safire Aircraft finalized a deal to relocate its headquarters and aircraft development facility to Opa-Locka Airport, in a move that could create 1,000 new jobs in Miami-Dade County in the next three years, officials said.
FAA SHELVES CPDLC PROGRAM DESPITE SUCCESSFUL MIAMI TRIAL - FAA halted its controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) program - until recently hailed as an important part of the agency's modernization effort - saying too few users will be helped to justify the planned late 2005 national deployment. Officials recently told Computer Sciences Corp. to stop work on the program's next phase, adding FAA won't expand CPDLC beyond the operational trial site in Miami. American, the airline most heavily committed to CPDLC, criticized the move.
EMBRAER PLANS PRODUCTION PLANT IN FLORIDA - In a move the airplane-maker hopes will raise the visibility of special mission platforms for its EMB 145 regional jet, Embraer last week announced plans to open a production plant in Jacksonville, Fla. Embraer has operated a sales and product support facility in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., since 1979 and in the past few years has added an engineering office in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Nashville, Tenn.
The Aircraft Electronics Association hosted an avionics seminar for Russian aviation delegates. The purpose of the seminar was to gather representatives from repair stations and manufacturers to discuss business and opportunities in the avionics field. "The seminar was mutually beneficial in that it opened lines of communication to key Russian aviation business executives and provided strategic contacts for their interests in the U.S.," said Paula Derks, president of AEA.
Dassault Falcon will build a new flight operations hangar at its location at Teterboro Airport, N.J. The 32,200-square-foot facility will be built on a 2.9-acre lot across from Falcon's headquarters. The facility will house the company's flight operations department as well as the Falcon demonstration fleet. The hangar will be able to hold as many as six Falcons, and an additional 9,700 square feet of office space and 130 new parking spaces will be created.
OPENING DCA TO CHARTER GAINS MOMENTUM IN CONGRESS - Virginia Sens. George Allen (R) and John Warner (R) last week urged colleagues to sign a letter they intend to send to President Bush stating that on-demand carriers that follow approved security programs should be given access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The "Dear Colleague" letter issued by Allen and Warner is the latest in a series of letters generated on Capitol Hill endorsing charter access to DCA.
June 5 - National Business Aviation Association Forum and Static Display, Republic Airport, Farmingdale, N.Y., (202) 783-9000 June 15-22 - 45th Paris Air Show, Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France, +33 1 532 33333 June 27-28 - NBAA 8th Annual Flight Attendants Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., (202) 783-9000 July 29-Aug. 4 - Experimental Aircraft Association 51st AirVenture Oshkosh '03, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis., (920) 426-6523
BUSH SIGNS BONUS DEPRECIATION INTO LAW - President Bush Wednesday signed into law a comprehensive tax bill that would boost the bonus depreciation to 50 percent for property acquired after May 5, 2003 but before Jan. 1, 2005 (BA, May 26/237). The General Aviation Manufacturers Association and other GA groups lobbied hard for the accelerated depreciation, hoping it will jump-start sluggish aircraft sales.
NBAA's Board of Directors was intent on finding someone with strong political contacts to succeed Olcott - who has served as president of the organization since 1992 - and appears to have succeeded with the selection of Longmuir. Before joining United in March 1993, she held several senior posts at the Transportation Department in the George H.W. Bush Administration, including serving as deputy general counsel, deputy secretary and chief of staff to Andrew Card, who now serves as chief of staff at the White House.
