Jet Aviation Basel upgraded its completions equipment with the addition of computer numerically controlled (CNC) wood-milling, laser-cutting and sheet-metal bending machines for the cabinetry and sheet-metal shops. The CNC machines cut and bend honeycomb, plywood and sheet metal. Jet Aviation officials said the machines reduce the number of steps in the processes and ensure consistency and quality.
Members of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry want to make sure their report doesn't end up on a shelf collecting dust, so they've taken steps to keep official Washington focusing on its contents. Commission members were careful to regularly brief Bush Administration and Congressional officials while the report was being compiled during the past year to keep them interested and in the loop. Commission member and former Rep.
BELL HELICOPTER Model 407 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-53-AD) - revises an earlier proposed AD that would have required preflight checking and repetitively inspecting for a crack in certain tailbooms that have not been redesigned and replacing the tailboom if a crack is found. That proposal was prompted by cracking discovered in other areas of certain tailbooms and introduction of a redesigned tailboom with a chemically milled skin, which does not require the current inspections.
Nimbus Group posted a loss of $500,000 for the third quarter ending Sept. 30. Third quarter revenues remained flat from third quarter 2001, totaling $2.4 million. The financial results primarily reflect the operations of Nimbus's wholly owned subsidiary Take to Auction (TTA). However, Nimbus is negotiating a deal, which is expected to be finalized in the next month, to sell TTA for $1.5 million. The proceeds will go to starting operations at Nimbus Jet and developing the company's national air taxi service.
RAAF TO USE KING AIR 350 FLEET FOR TRAINING - The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) signed a $94.9 million deal Nov. 20 to lease a fleet of seven Raytheon Super King Air 350 turboprop aircraft for the next 10 years. The new aircraft will replace an aging mix of HS748 and King Air B200 aircraft currently used to support navigator training for the RAAF's 32 Squadron and the School of Air Navigation at RAAF Base East Sale.
Model P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-46-AD) - proposes to require inspection and determination whether any firewall shutoff or crossfeed valve with a serial number in a certain range are installed and would require replacement of any valve that has a serial number within this range. The proposed AD would allow the pilot to check the logbook and would not require additional action if the check showed that one of these valves was definitely not installed.
Cessna Aircraft issued a warning to its employees last week that additional layoffs are planned next year. The company had about 12,800 workers on the payroll at the end of August (BA, Sept. 9/117), but it implemented some cutbacks about a month ago. As of last Friday, a spokeswoman said the number of people on the payroll is now about 12,000 worldwide and approximately 10,000 in the Wichita, Kan. area where the manufacturer is headquartered.
Model EC 155B helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-26-AD; Amendment 39-12942; AD 2002-22-15) - requires inspecting and adjusting, if necessary, the position of the locking pins on each pilot, co-pilot, and passenger-hinged and sliding door initially and each time a door is replaced. This amendment is prompted by two reports of inadvertent opening of the passenger-hinged doors in flight due to improper adjustment of the door-locking mechanism.
Andrew Rushton was named sales representative for FlightSafetyBoeing. Based in London-Luton, U.K., Rushton will be responsible for sales in northern Europe, Africa and the CIS. He has more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry and most recently worked for BAE Systems as sales manager for the airline total support business unit.
Federal Aviation Administration last week extended the comment period until Feb. 5 on an advisory circular that provides guidance on compliance with the agency's new rules governing Part 145 repair stations (BA, Nov. 18/225). The extension came at the urging of both the Aircraft Electronics Association and National Air Transportation Association, which complained that the original 15-day comment period did not provide enough time to adequately respond to the AC, 145-MAN, Guide for Developing and Evaluating Repair Station and Quality Control Manuals.
REGIONAL FREIGHT CARRIERS FLOCKING TO NEW ASSOCIATION - Just three months after its initial board meeting in mid-August, the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) has more than doubled its membership and is gearing up to represent that segment of the industry in FAA's upcoming review of Part 135 (BA, Nov. 18/225), the head of the association said.
AIRCRAFT EXHIBITS TO BEGIN MOVING INTO NEW DULLES MUSEUM IN MARCH - Historical aircraft - including the B-29 "Enola Gay" and a Mach 3+ SR-71 - will begin moving into the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport in March, about nine months before the new facility is scheduled to open to the public.
Patricia McConnell was named charter manager at Aerodynamics, Inc. She is an FAA-certified dispatcher and worked for the last 11 years at DaimlerChrysler in crew scheduling, dispatch and operations management. McConnell also has worked as a flight coordinator and charter manager at Aviation Group.
Federal Aviation Administration last week extended the comment period until Feb. 5 on an advisory circular that provides guidance on compliance with the agency's new rules governing Part 145 repair stations (BA, Nov. 18/225). The extension came at the urging of both the Aircraft Electronics Association and National Air Transportation Association, which complained that the original 15-day comment period did not provide enough time to adequately respond to the AC, 145-MAN, Guide for Developing and Evaluating Repair Station and Quality Control Manuals.
Regional cargo carrier Alpine Air Express launched a program designed to help companies either expand or start up cargo operations under Alpine's Part 135 certificate. Under the program, Alpine Air would work with Raytheon Aircraft to sell used Beech 1900s or 99s to prospective owners. The aircraft would operate under Alpine Air's Part 135 certificate, and Alpine Air would provide operational assistance, training, and maintenance programs for the new owners.
Kaiserair opened a NiCad battery service shop at its location at Oakland North Airport in California. The shop can service as many as 12 batteries at one time and is equipped with an Aviall analyzer load bank and Aviall Data Acquisition System (ADAS) to provide customers with an analysis and guaranteed performance check. Two technicians, qualified by Aviall, will work in the shop, one of two in California with the capability to service jet aircraft NiCad batteries.
Just three months after its initial board meeting in mid-August, the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) has more than doubled its membership and is gearing up to represent that segment of the industry in FAA's upcoming review of Part 135 (BA, Nov. 18/225), the head of the association said.
Japanese manufacturer Toyota, which has been quietly doing development work on a new single-engine aircraft for at least a decade, is now conducting a survey of aviation professionals to determine what the market outlook for such a new product offering might be.
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.
Presidential Air Corporation acquired Los Angeles, Calif.-based ground maintenance provider Certified Aviation Services. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The completion of the deal follows a letter of intent the companies signed in September. "We are confident that our new alignment with Presidential Air coupled with our contacts in the aviation industry and long history working with most of the major airlines...
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD is investigating fatal accidents that occurred the evening of Nov. 8 involving a Cessna 208 Caravan, N514DB, and an 1124 Westwind, N61RS. The Caravan had departed Las Vegas, Nev. with four persons on board enroute to Flagstaff, Ariz. It crashed near that Arizona city under unknown circumstances. The Westwind also departed Las Vegas and was enroute to Taos, N.M. with two persons on board. Both were killed when the business jet crashed near Taos.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey filled four key slots at her new agency with former colleagues from the National Transportation Safety Board. Robert Sturgell, who served as Blakey's primary advisor at NTSB and coordinated the safety board's recommendations, was appointed senior counsel to the FAA Administrator. Before joining NTSB, he was a flight operations supervisor and a line pilot for United Airlines and has served as an aviation attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm Shaw Pittman.
FAA ORDERS LYCOMING ENGINE BOLTS REPLACED WITHIN 10 HOURS - The Federal Aviation Administration issued yet another airworthiness directive on Textron Lycoming 540 engines last week, ordering operators to replace certain zinc-plated crankshaft gear retaining bolts within the next 10 hours time-in-service or seven days after Nov. 19.
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.
