Piaggio's Avanti twin-engine pusher-prop received Transport Canada clearance to operate in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace. "This opens the skies for Avanti operators in Canada and allows them to take full advantage of the aircraft's jet-like performance," said Jim Holcombe, Piaggio America executive vice president of sales and marketing. Piaggio is seeking similar approval from the FAA for U.S. RVSM operations.
HONEYWELL EXECUTIVE TOUTS VALUE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS - Warning that inefficiencies in the national air transportation system cost billions of dollars annually, a senior Honeywell executive called for continued infrastructure improvements and new thinking to make the aerospace industry more efficient.
November 14 - National Business Aviation Association, Business Aviation Forum and Static Display, Meacham International Airport, Ft. Worth, Texas. For more information, contact Benjamin Jones at (202) 783-9266. February 9-11, 2003 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2003, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646 April 23-27, 2003 - National Aircraft Resale Association Annual Meeting, Westin Regina Resort, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Canadian Simulator Manufacturer CAE continued to expand its business base, announcing last week it formed a joint venture with China Southern Airlines to provide aviation training for a number of Asian carriers. The new joint venture is expected to generate initial annual revenues of $12 million (U.S.). The new enterprise, Zhubai Xiang Yi Aviation Technology Co. Ltd., will be 51 percent owned by China Southern and 49 percent by CAE. It will operate from the airline's existing training facility at its Zhuhai flight base in Guandong beginning in January.
TSA last week delayed until Feb. 1 the compliance deadline for operators of aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more to implement approved security programs. TSA in August released a notice calling for a Dec. 1 implementation deadline, but said in a notice published in Friday's Federal Register that many of the 850 operators subject to the mandate were having "a great deal of difficulty" complying with the fingerprint-based criminal history record check requirements. National Air Transportation Association said it was pleased with the extension.
Sabreliner has developed a package that would bring Sabreliner Model 65 aircraft into compliance with equipment requirements for operation in RVSM airspace. The package, developed in cooperation with Rockwell Collins Avionics, includes an ADC-80K air data computer, ALI altimeter, ASI-80 airspace indicators and an upgrade of existing ADC-80K units. Sabreliner is pricing that package at $128,200 through December. It also has a package priced at $166,500 that includes two ADC-87 air data computers, an ALI-80 altimeter and ASI-80 airspeed indicators.
Ken Sowa was named corporate aircraft sales representative at Piedmont Hawthorne. He will be working with the aircraft sales and management teams. Sowa, who has worked for Flight Services Group, Canadair and Learjet, was most recently northeast director of aircraft sales for Jack Prewitt and Associates.
Several aviation leaders on Capitol Hill won re-election last week and are returning to the new Congress, but a shift in the balance of power in the Senate means a change in leadership during a year when Congress will have to address some looming aviation funding and security issues. With Republicans narrowly taking control of the Senate, some familiar faces will reclaim the chairs of key committees, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as chairman of the Commerce Committee and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) back in charge of Appropriations.
The Federal Aviation Administration released guidance that will allow pilots to use the Internet as an officially recognized source for aviation weather reports and notices to airmen. The guidance, Internet Communications of Aviation Weather and Notams (Advisory Circular 00-62), establishes a process for organizations to become a "Qualified Internet Communications Provider" (QICP) and provide aviation weather and Notams on the Internet. FAA's Aerospace Weather Standards Division will display a list of QICPs on a designated web page for public use.
Honeywell was selected to supply its Primus Epic integrated avionics system for the PlaneView cockpit in the Gulfstream G500 and its SPZ-8400 avionics for the G300. The two aircraft were part of an expanded and renamed line of aircraft that Gulfstream unveiled during the National Business Aviation Association convention in September in Orlando, Fla. (BA, Sept. 16/126). The G500 is a 5,800-nautical-mile version of the GV-SP that is designed to compete against the Falcon 7X and Bombardier Global 5000.
Former FAA and TSA executive Adm. Paul Busick (ret.) joined Battelle, a consulting company based in Columbus, Ohio. As part of Battelle's transportation market sector, Busick will focus on security and technical support that the company provides to TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard. Busick, 57, retired from active duty in the Coast Guard in 1998 and was most recently the associate administrator for civil aviation security at FAA.
AEROSPACE COMMISSION APPROVES FINAL REPORT; DETAILS TO BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK - The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry unanimously approved the commission's final report late last month, clearing the way for its release to the public next Monday (Nov. 18). Instead of being simply a compilation of the commission's interim report findings, the final report will be broader in scope and will include new material on government reform, as well as more detail on workforce and research and development issues, according to Chairman Robert Walker.
Model AS350B, B1, B2, BA, and D helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-37-AD) - proposes to require fireproofing the engine oil tank breather pipe where it passes through the firewall from the engine compartment to the main gearbox compartment. This proposal is prompted by the discovery of a design deficiency that necessitated the installation of a non-fireproof breather pipe.
A new General Accounting Office report confirms fears by airport executives that security spending will take a bite out of capacity expansion projects.
Steve Lassetter joined Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. of Houston, Texas last month as vice president-sales and marketing. Lassetter had been vice president of international corporate aircraft sales/customer support at Fairchild Dornier's Washington, D.C.-area facility in Virginia. Before joining Fairchild Dornier, Lassetter spent 10 years with the AMR Combs/Signature Flight Support team where he held various sales and marketing posts.
Former National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Robert Francis anticipates changes at FAA under the leadership of its new administrator, Marion Blakey, judging from comments he made this month. "As administrator of an organization, she is going to be focusing on running FAA in a way it needs to be run," he said, and "in a way it hasn't been run in a while." Francis was speaking at a George Washington University aviation security seminar, where he called on government and industry officials to reassess their approach to security.
ENGINE PROBLEMS HOLD BACK ECLIPSE FLIGHT TESTING - Eclipse Aviation's flight testing program for the Eclipse 500 remains on hold more than two months after the first flight, as the company continues to address engine problems.
GULFSTREAM OUTSOURCES FACILITY SERVICES TO UNICCO - Newton, Mass-based UNICCO won a five-year contract from Gulfstream Aerospace to provide support for the Savannah, Ga., plane-maker's administrative, manufacturing, completions and services facilities. Under the $41 million contract, UNICCO will staff 80 employees at Gulfstream to assist with building mechanical systems support, equipment maintenance and calibration, ground support including tool management, facilities engineering, space allocation, and subcontractor management.
Meggitt PLC expanded its presence in the aerospace sensor market with acquisition of Lodge from Smiths Group plc. for approximately $50 million. Lodge employs more than 100 people and operates manufacturing plants in Basingstoke and Rugby in the United Kingdom. The company's products are used on a number of engines including Rolls-Royce Trent, RB199, RB211, Pegasus, and EJ 200; Honeywell T55; Pratt&Whitney PT6A; and FIAT/GEAE T64. Its sales for the year ended July 31 were just under $20 million with about $6.2 million in operating profits.
GAO DETAILS AIP SECURITY SPENDING'S EFFECT ON CAPACITY - A new General Accounting Office report confirms fears by airport executives that security spending will take a bite out of capacity expansion projects.
Model S10-VT sailplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-29-AD; Amendment 39-12928; AD 2002-22-04) - requires modification of the engine compartment fuel and oil system and firewall. The AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Germany. The actions specified by this AD are intended to reduce the potential for a fire to ignite in the engine compartment and increase the containment of an engine fire in the engine compartment.
Model HD-E6C-3( ) propellers (Docket No. 2001-NE-43-AD; Amendment 39-12933; AD 2002-22-08) - requires replacement of the current design propeller blade thrust bearing with a new design propeller blade thrust bearing and visual and eddy current inspection of propeller hubs for cracks. This amendment is prompted by reports of fractured thrust bearings observed during disassembly, one or more blades becoming jammed in position during operation, pitch change fork fractures causing loss of blade pitch control, and excessive vibration.
Jim Clark was named regional sales manager, northwest region, at CAE SimuFlite. He was previously the chief instructor for CAE SimuFlite's Gulfstream II/III program. Based in Seattle, Clark was a corporate pilot for 30 years and has worked for CAE SimuFlite since 1995.
TSA last week delayed until Feb. 1 the compliance deadline for operators of aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more to implement approved security programs. TSA in August released a notice calling for a Dec. 1 implementation deadline, but said in a notice published in Friday's Federal Register that many of the 850 operators subject to the mandate were having "a great deal of difficulty" complying with the fingerprint-based criminal history record check requirements. National Air Transportation Association said it was pleased with the extension.
