Still unable to finish its work on a fiscal 2003 budget, the House and Senate passed another continuing resolution, the eighth adopted by both chambers, keeping the government running at fiscal 2002 spending levels until Feb. 20. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) reportedly threatened to pass one last continuing resolution covering the remainder of fiscal 2003 if Congress cannot reach agreement on the budget by the President's Day weekend.
Transportation Security Administration is extending until April 1 the deadline for affected Part 135 operators to implement new security programs under the agency's "Twelve Five" rule, the National Air Transportation Association was told Friday. NATA had been deluged with calls from panicked operators who faced an early February deadline for setting up the mandatory security programs but had not yet seen the final guidance (BA, Jan. 27/35). NATA officials were anxiously awaiting Friday afternoon for written confirmation of the extension from TSA.
DORNIER Model 328-100 and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-77-AD; Amendment 39-13010; AD 2002-26-21) - requires inspecting the electrical wire harness next to the fuel line at the left electric fuel pump for signs of chafing; securing the electrical wire harness to the fuel line using ty-rap; and taking corrective actions, if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent damage to the electrical wire harness, which could result in electrical arcing and an increased potential for fire or explosion. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 100 airplanes on the U.S.
WSI Corporation delivered the first WSI InFlight cockpit weather system for use in a general aviation aircraft. WSI InFlight provides near real-time aviation weather in the cockpit while in flight. The system was developed in coordination with Hampton, Va.-based VIGYAN under a NASA research grant. WSI teamed with Sandia Aerospace last year to bring the technology into the cockpit (BA, June 10/273). The system provides a continuous broadcast of weather information throughout the U.S.
Lance Neibauer, the founder and president of the Lancair kit company, sold the enterprise to Joseph C. Bartels, a Lancair IV-P customer. Neibauer began Neico Aviation, and subsequently Lancair International, in 1985. The companies were early users of advanced composite technologies for the kit-plane market.
Colorado Springs Airport Director Gary Green is retiring May 31 after 15 years of service with the city. Green, who has more than 35 years of aviation experience, helped launch a $200 million capital improvement program for the airport and oversaw the construction of the $33 million North/South runway that was completed in 1991. Colorado Springs plans a national search for a new director and said it hopes to have a person in place by May 31.
National Transportation Safety Board is assisting the Government of Kenya in investigating the Jan. 24 fatal crash of a Gulfstream I turboprop while it was attempting to take off from Busia Airport, some 211 miles northwest of Nairobi. Initial reports said the aircraft hit a pole or post during or shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was carrying a number of senior government officials, of whom at least one was killed, and several badly injured. The aircraft was identified as S/N 158.
CONGRESS KEEPS GOVERNMENT OPEN WITH SEVENTH CONTINUING RESOLUTION - The House and Senate last week passed another "continuing resolution" to keep the federal government operating until Feb. 7 while it attempts to finish work on the fiscal 2003 budget. The government is now in the fifth month of its fiscal year, but Congress has yet to pass an appropriations bill for most federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration.
Aero Club Of Washington elected its 2003 Board of Governors last week. Spencer Dickerson, senior vice president of the American Association of Airport Executives, was elected president. Henry M. Ogrodzinski, president of the National Association of State Aviation Officials, was elected vice president. Warren L. Dean of Thompson Coburn was elected treasurer and Robert C. Land of JetBlue Airways was elected secretary.
ELEVATOR RIGGING CHECKS ORDERED ON BEECH 1900 FLEET - Operators of some 368 Beech 1900, 1900C and 1900D aircraft were ordered to conduct immediate inspections last week to find mis-rigged elevator control systems. Ground tests of rigging procedures on aircraft in Wichita, Kan. prompted the FAA order, which follows the Jan. 8 Air Midwest Beech 1900D crash in Charlotte, N.C. (BA, Jan. 13/19).
MedAire, Inc. won a contract to supply 87 emergency medical kits and automatic external defibrillators (AED) for Air Wisconsin's fleet of aircraft. The contract will enable Air Wisconsin to meet an FAA mandate for airlines to equip with AEDs and emergency medical kits. The MedAire medical kit includes basic life support equipment, bandages, supplies for administering intravenous fluids, CPR masks, and non-prescription medicines for cardiac, respiratory and diabetic emergencies.
HIRSCHMANN FAMILY TAKES JET AVIATION OFF THE MARKET - After trying to find a buyer for the Jet Aviation chain of fixed-base operations and aircraft maintenance and modification facilities for more than eight months, "the shareholders of Hirschmann Industrial Holdings, Ltd. have determined that retaining full ownership of Jet Aviation is the best course of action for driving the company's growth in the decades to come," the company said last week.
LANCAIR CLOSES NEW INVESTMENT DEAL; RESTARTS OPERATIONS - Lancair finalized the $55 million funding agreement it announced last month, allowing the company to resume production to fill 173 outstanding orders for its Columbia line of aircraft.
Textron Lycoming named an independent advisory panel to advise on safety, quality and compliance systems and processes at its Lycoming engine unit in Williamsport, Pa. The panel will be headed by Michael J. Dreikorn, a former FAA official who served as deputy division manager of FAA's Production and Airworthiness Division. The action follows the engine manufacturer's problems with faulty crankshafts in some of its engines (BA, Nov. 4/206).
NTSB SAYS ONE PILOT RECEIVED ADVISORY BEFORE DENVER MIDAIR - The National Transportation Safety Board said one of the pilots involved in a fatal midair collision over Denver, Colo. Jan. 25 received a traffic advisory from an air traffic controller shortly before the two airplanes smashed into each other, killing all five people aboard the two aircraft.
Bombardier is kicking off its 500 IndyCar Series sponsorship as the title sponsor of a Texas Motor Speedway event in June. Bombardier last year signed an agreement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. under which the Canadian manufacturer would have a major presence at several races (BA, March 18/133). The Texas Motor Speedway IndyCar sponsorship covers three years. This year's event will be held June 7.
REP. ROGERS TAKES OVER NEW HOMELAND SECURITY PANEL - House transportation appropriations subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), who has taken to task both DOT and TSA officials for TSA's ballooning budget, plans to step into the role of chairman of a newly created homeland security appropriations subcommittee. Rogers became chair of the transportation appropriations subcommittee during the 107th Congress and immediately made his mark with outspoken comments and challenges for accountability from DOT, TSA and FAA officials.
GULFSTREAM REALIGNS SALES FORCE - Gulfstream Aerospace realigned its North American and used aircraft sales teams in a move the company said will help accommodate its recently expanded business jet product line. The company in September announced a slate of new aircraft - some from existing models, some new models or variants - filling in niches that Gulfstream traditionally had not reached (BA, Sept. 16/126).
FAA SUSPENDS FIELD APPROVAL GUIDANCE IN ALASKA, PROMISES FIXES - At the request of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and some of its inspector corps, the Federal Aviation Administration late last month suspended new field approval guidance in Alaska and said it was working to clarify the process nationwide. FAA released the new guidance in September after working with industry groups for years to standardize the process for obtaining field approvals (BA, Sept. 30/147).
Strategic Resource Institute scheduled the 10th Annual FAA Aircraft Registration, Lien & Security Interest seminar Feb. 10-11 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Miami, Fla. The conference will cover a number of legal and business issues such as aircraft registration and U.S. citizenship, foreclosure, repossession, attorney opinions, aircraft title insurance and security interests. The conference also will cover developments relating to the Cape Town Convention (formerly known as UNIDROIT).
Megadata Corporation said FlightSafety International has begun using its Passur FlightPerform technology for the flight dispatch training program. An integrated operations control and management system, FlightPerform is used by airlines at dispatch and station control centers.
GOODRICH SELLS AVIONICS UNIT TO L-3 COMMUNICATIONS - Goodrich Corp. is selling its Avionics Systems business to L-3 Communications Corp. for $188 million cash. The sale is part of the company's push to become "a systems supplier, not a component supplier," a Goodrich spokesman said. "We want to focus on markets where we can be either number one or number two."
Eclipse Aviation told Eclipse 500 customers Friday in Albuquerque, N.M. they could have their deposit money back upon request, because the company will be unable to meet timing or price guarantees in their contract since it decided to change engines (BA, Dec. 2/249). New price for existing customers is $950,000 or $975,000, depending on when an order was received. New sales will have a price of $1.15 million. Eclipse has not yet finalized an agreement with another engine manufacturer, but hopes to complete work on a memorandum of understanding in two to three weeks.
February 2-5 - 14th Annual NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, Anaheim, Calif., (202) 783-9000 February 9-11 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2003, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646 February 17-19 - NBAA Leadership Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 13-15 -- The Associao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG)/ NBAA Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE2003), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000
CHARLES AARON was named helicopter sales manager at Max-Viz. He is a dual-rated helicopter and fixed-wing pilot with more than 16,000 helicopter hours. Aaron also holds an airframe and power-plant license. Based in Portland, Ore., Max-Viz manufactures enhanced vision systems.
