Docket No.: FAA-2001-11131 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 61.113(d) and (e) Description of Relief Sought: To permit an individual holding a private pilot certificate with at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time and an instrument rating to conduct point-to-point airlifts of medical. The individual conducting the airlifts would provide transport to checkups and followup hospital visits and receive compensation for concurrent operating expenses.
Aircraft Electronics Association this month urged the Federal Aviation Administration to extend the comment period on draft guidance for complying with repair station rules. FAA drew fire when it released the draft guidance, proposed Advisory Circular 145-MAN, Guide for Developing and Evaluating Repair Station and Quality Control Manuals, on Nov. 7 and set a Nov. 22 deadline for comments (BA, Nov. 11/215).
Pilatus Business Aircraft promoted Piotr (Pete) Wolak to the newly created position of vice president of customer service and Mike Rector to manager of production. Wolak, formerly vice president of customer programs, will oversee customer support, logistics, and programs. Wolak helped develop and implement programs to support the PC-12 fleet, including the Planetrax, Planeworx, and Diagnostix PC-12 support systems announced during the National Business Aviation convention in September. Before joining Pilatus, Wolak spent 14 years with Continental Airlines.
Fastest-Growing aviation organization in the country is the new Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association, which held its first board meeting with a dozen members in mid-August, and now has more than 25 member airlines and more than a dozen vendors who have signed on as associate members (BA, Sept. 9/112).
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, 212, 214B, and 214B-1 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-42-AD; Amendment 39-12941; AD 2002-22-14) - supersedes an existing AD that requires reducing the retirement time for certain main rotor tension-torsion straps on those models and on the Model UH-1 series helicopters. This document contains the same requirements as the existing AD but removes the Model UH-1 series restricted category helicopters and adds the BHTI Model 205A and 205B helicopters to the applicability.
Linda Solomon was named marketing manager for Bii Bearing Inspection, Inc. She will be responsible for planning, market and sales analysis and customer relations. With more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience, Soloman was most recently marketing manager for Accuride International.
Dyncorp named Lt. Gen. Charles J. Cunningham, Jr. USAF (ret.) as director of Air Force Strategic Programs. Cunningham spent 33 years in the Air Force. From 1987 to 1999 Cunningham held executive positions at the Mowell Financial Group and Reflectone, Inc.
National Aircraft Finance Association's annual meeting is scheduled for April 8-11, 2003 at the Westin Resort in Savannah, Ga. For more information, contact the organization at (301) 349-2070 or [email protected].
Artouste III series turboshaft engines (Docket No. 99-NE-33-AD; Amendment 39-12937; AD 2002-22-11) - supersedes an existing AD that is applicable to Turbomeca Artouste III series turboshaft engines with injection wheels part numbers 218.25.700.0, 218.25.704.0, 243.25.709.0, 243.25.713.0, 0.218.27.705.0, 0.218.27.709.0, and 0.218.27.713.0 installed. That AD currently requires smoke emission checks after every ground engine shutdown. If smoke is detected, that AD requires inspecting for fuel flow.
Ron Scheer was appointed director of operations at Thunder Aviation. He will be responsible for operations of all aircraft maintenance services and purchasing. Scheer, a private pilot who has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, holds an airframe powerplant license and joined Thunder Aviation in February as director of maintenance.
Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, 212, 214B, and 214B-1 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-42-AD; Amendment 39-12941; AD 2002-22-14) - supersedes an existing AD that requires reducing the retirement time for certain main rotor tension-torsion straps on those models and on the Model UH-1 series helicopters. This document contains the same requirements as the existing AD but removes the Model UH-1 series restricted category helicopters and adds the BHTI Model 205A and 205B helicopters to the applicability.
FAA is expected to release by month's end a notice formally inviting participation in an aviation rulemaking committee that will take a thorough look at Part 135 and Part 125 regulations to determine whether substantial changes are necessary. The notice is expected to invite 15 industry participants who would represent a broad cross-section of Part 135 and 125 operators. FAA wants to keep the ARC relatively small, but include participants who can speak for a large number of people.
EMBRAER PROFITS, SALES SLIDE IN THIRD QUARTER - A soft regional jet market led Brazilian plane-maker Embraer to report nearly a 22 percent drop in sales and a 27 percent decrease in net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The company had net sales of $580.6 million (U.S.) in the third quarter, compared with $734.4 million in the third quarter of 2001.
Jeff Stahl was named regional sales manager, southeast region, covering Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for CAE SimuFlite. He was most recently senior account manager at Comark Technologies. Stahl, who holds an ATP license, will be based in Orlando, Fla.
MERCURY AIR GROUP POSTS FIRST-QUARTER LOSS - Mercury Air Group, Inc., the Los Angeles, Calif.-based fuel and cargo services provider, posted a first-quarter loss despite a modest increase in revenues.
FAA is expected to give industry 75 more days to comment on an advisory circular that provides guidance on new rules governing Part 145 repair stations. FAA released the AC covering repair station manuals earlier this month, but provided only a 15-day comment period. The limited comment period drew fire from industry groups, and the Aircraft Electronics Association formally petitioned for the extension (see article below).
Despite the shortened "lame duck" session, the Senate late last week still had hopes of passing aviation security legislation that would dramatically expand flight training background check requirements and bar DOT from issuing waivers to a prohibition on flights over sporting events. Senate passage, however, would be little more than a symbolic gesture, since the House is not expected to consider any additional legislation this year.
Models De Havilland DH.C1 Chipmunk 21, 22, and 22A airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-66-AD) - proposes to require checking the airplane logbook to determine whether certain modifications have been incorporated on the airplane and incorporation of the modifications that have not already been accomplished. This proposed AD is the result of the manufacturer performing a design study on the structural integrity of certain parts and reports of service failure of other parts installed on the affected airplanes.
Mercury Air Group, Inc., the Los Angeles, Calif.-based fuel and cargo services provider, posted a first-quarter loss despite a modest increase in revenues.
HOUSE AND SENATE MOVE ON 'CLEAN' HOMELAND SECURITY BILL - The House and Senate moved to transfer the Transportation Security Administration out of the Department of Transportation, arm airline pilots, extend airline war risk insurance protection and extend explosive detection system deadlines, but steered clear of other major aviation security initiatives in their compromise Homeland Security Act of 2002.
The pilot of a Piper PA-28 escaped injury this month despite a dramatic nighttime landing at Richard Arthur Field (M95) in Fayette, Ala. that had friends and family lined up to watch. The initial FAA report said the pilot found the pilot-controlled runway lighting system at the airport was not working when he was getting ready to land on the evening of Nov. 7. Unable to see the runway, FAA's preliminary report said the pilot "called family and friends on cell phone. Friends and city vehicles lined runway with vehicles for light.
Despite the shortened "lame duck" session, the Senate late last week still had hopes of passing aviation security legislation that would dramatically expand flight training background check requirements and bar DOT from issuing waivers to a prohibition on flights over sporting events. Senate passage, however, would be little more than a symbolic gesture, since the House is not expected to consider any additional legislation this year.
Harris Corporation and Lockheed Martin formed a strategic alliance to explore teaming possibilities for providing air traffic management automation, navigation, traffic flow management, communication and weather products. The companies, which announced their agreement this month during the 47th annual meeting of the Air Traffic Control Association in Washington, D.C., estimated a $5 billion worldwide market for domestic and international airspace management products.
