Lancair won Canadian certification for the Lancair Columbia 300. The company also received its second FAA type approval for the Lancair Columbia 350, an all-electric version of the Lancair 300. The 350, which Lancair said will be used as the basis for all future Lancair Columbia models, includes an improved heating and ventilation system as well as new interior components.
METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION DELAYS DECISIONS ON RELIEVER AIRPORTS - Minnesota's Metropolitan Airports Commission has postponed its next hearing concerning the funding and rental rates at six general aviation reliever airports, further delaying action that could have implications on operations at the Minneapolis/St. Paul-area facilities.
The Illinois Appellate Court late last month issued a temporary restraining order preventing further destruction of Chicago's Meigs Field until June 4 after a state court dismissed the Friends of Meigs Field's lawsuit against the city. AOPA had tried to obtain a federal restraining order in U.S. District Court but had been unsuccessful, the association said.
Jeppesen International Trip Planning Services in London, England won ISO 9000:2000 accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization. The accreditation acknowledges Jeppesen's efforts to improve customer service processes and procedures through a time and workload analysis. The company, a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, provides aviation products and services including airway manual charts, flight planning, weather, trip handling and fuel.
At least a couple of senators have indicated an interest in introducing an amendment to a comprehensive Senate FAA reauthorization bill that would provide up to $100 million in relief to GA entities that demonstrate losses stemming from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The measure would be similar to the provision included in the House FAA reauthorization bill that cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee late last month (BA, May 26/239). Both the Senate and House reauthorization bills are awaiting full floor action in their respective chambers
Indianapolis International Airport won the Balchen/Post Award for excellence in performance of snow and ice control, presented at the 37th annual International Aviation Snow Symposium. The airport employs 60 in the Airport Maintenance and Parking departments who participated in the snow removal from runways and taxiways to keep the airport safe, open and operational. Indianapolis had the second snowiest winter in its history with a total of 51 inches from 14 snowstorms between Dec. 1 and March 31.
Flytecomm has released FlyteTrax II, a browser-based, full-motion weather and aircraft situation display system. FlyteTrax II combines graphics, map technology and an integrated flight information display to show en route flight, weather and flight listings in one product. FlyteTrax II uses Microsoft's MapPoint technology to provide nine detailed map options that continuously update aircraft position and flight status. The technology updates the browser without the need for refreshing the entire window.
Bombardier officials received non-binding offers from 15 entities who want to buy the company's Recreational Products division. The large number of interested parties is somewhat surprising since it was known that representatives of the Bombardier family would be among those bidding. A spokeswoman confirmed that the family made a bid but she declined to identify the other groups submitting offers. The bids will be reviewed by a group of independent board members.
CESSNA Models 402C and 414A airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-57-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 2000-23-01, which applies to all Cessna Model 402C airplanes. AD 2000-23-01 currently requires repetitive inspections of the forward, aft, and auxiliary wing spars for cracks, and repair or replacement as necessary. Cessna has performed fatigue and crack growth analyses of the wings of these airplanes, and FAA has evaluated this information and determined that a wing spar modification and inspections are necessary on the Model 414A airplanes as well as the Model 402C airplanes.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation's AutoPowerR System won Transport Canada supplemental type certification on the Bombardier CRJ 100/200 regional jet. FAA STC approval of the full authority automatic throttle system is expected to follow shortly.
Dassault Falcon Jet - Little Rock last week broke ground on a new paint hangar. The facility will add 46,000 square feet to Falcon Jet's paint capacity at Little Rock and will be large enough to accommodate the Falcon 7X, which has an 82-foot wingspan. The facility is slated to be complete in February. "This new paint facility will allow Dassault to increase efficiencies as we prepare for a ramp-up of deliveries for the new Falcon 2000EX," said John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon.
MARQUIS REPORTS STRONG GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER - Marquis Jet Partners, the firm that sells 25-hour blocks of time in NetJet's fractional ownership fleet, reported that revenues increased by more than 350 percent and flight activity jumped 320 percent in the first quarter. The company also noted that nearly all of those who have bought the time have either renewed or migrated directly to NetJets.
GA groups also have been lobbying House legislators to add a provision to a House security bill that would direct the Bush Administration to develop procedures that would allow Part 91 operators who have incorporated approved security programs to regain access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The provision would be similar to a measure already included in the sweeping aviation security "technical corrections" bill that calls for procedures that would provide for certain on-demand charter operators to fly into DCA.
FAA is proposing to revise Advisory Circular 25.1419-1, Certification of Transport Category Airplanes for Flight in Icing Conditions. The proposed revisions include guidance for certifying airframe ice detection and protection systems on transport category airplanes. Comments on the proposed AC revision should be sent before July 22 to FAA, Attn.: Robert Jones, Propulsion/Mechanical Systems Branch, ANM-112, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Ave. S.W., Renton, Wash. 98055-4056.
WRIGHT FLYER CRASHES IN FLIGHT TEST - A Wright Flyer replica built by the Wright Experience of Warrenton, Va., crashed during a test flight in Midland, Va., injuring the pilot and damaging the aircraft.
Shelley A. Longmuir, a veteran airline lobbyist with high-profile government connections, was selected to succeed Jack Olcott as president of the National Business Aviation Association. Selection of Longmuir to head the association follows a lengthy search that included a professional recruitment firm working with NBAA's search committee and its board of directors (BA, May 12/213). NBAA planned to formally announce selection of its new president this week but released the infomation late Friday after word of the selection leaked out.
CAE Simuflite is starting a maintenance training program for the Gulfstream G500 at its Dallas/Fort Worth training center. The company already offers maintenance classes for the Gulfstream II, Gulfstream III, G300 and G400 aircraft.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association President Phil Boyer last week painted a rosy picture for the outlook of general aviation, noting that some 67 percent of the association's members surveyed remain optimistic about the industry's future. Speaking before the Aero Club of Washington, D.C., Boyer noted that key indicators remain strong, including the fact that the pilot population is at an all-time high of 661,000 and the number of student pilots as well as piston aircraft deliveries has increased.
CJ Systems Aviation Group signed two new contracts with alternative delivery model (ADM) programs at Air Medic One in Perry, Fla. and MedFlight in Pikeville, Ky. The company also renewed its contract with Regional Acute Care Transport in Rockford, Ill. Based at Doctors' Memorial Hospital in Perry, CJ Systems will provide air medical service to the rural community. CJ Systems also will provide critical care transportation for Pikeville Methodist Hospital.
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.
FAA PRESENTS NEW PROPOSALS IN QUEST TO CONCLUDE CONTRACTS - New contract proposals FAA hopes will lead to speedy resolution of protracted labor talks have gone to the agency's unions, and FAA officials say they will exercise their authority to hand the problem to Congress only as a last resort.
Lockheed Martin installed its Common Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) at FAA's new Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility. The system is being used for flight approach and departure air traffic control for the major airports in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Potomac center opened in December 2002 and serves a 23,000-square-mile region that includes parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania. It will handle more than two million flights annually.
Honeywell won an exclusive licensing service agreement to repair Woodward Aircraft Engine Systems aircraft engine fuel controls, propeller components and hydraulic pumps. The agreement covers Woodward-produced fuel controls and propeller components on Honeywell TPE331 engines, fuel and propeller controls on Pratt & Whitney PT6 and PW100 turboprop engines and propeller pitch and overspeed controls on the General Electric CT7 engine.
Cessna awarded the contract to build a new $60 million Wichita Citation Service Center to The Law Company. Located on a 124-acre site leased from the Wichita Airport Authority, the 447,259-square-foot facility will house aircraft service bays, component repair and overhaul shops, a customer business center and office space. The service center construction will start immediately and take about 18 months with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2004.
The National Air Transportation Association named a new chairman and members of the board last week. Greg Arnold, president and chief operating officer of TAC Air, will serve as the new chairman of NATA's board of directors. New board members include Jake Cartwright, president and chief executive officer of TAG Aviation USA, Sally Leible, president of Airport Terminal Services and William T. Greenwell, chief financial officer and partner with Frederick Aviation in Frederick, Md.
