National Business Travel Association predicted the costs of business travel will increase five percent next year with the price of business airfares growing seven percent and hotel and corporate car rental rates inching up by two percent.
The Minden, Nev. glider crash that killed former FAA Administrator Donald Engen happened when the pilot used too much elevator while attempting to recover from a spin/dive, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Engen, who was director of the National Air and Space Museum when the July 13, 1999 accident occurred, was sitting in a passenger seat behind the pilot, who was an old friend.
Experimental Aircraft Association is working with FAA and the Transportation Safety Institute to develop materials to train new Designated Airworthiness Representatives. Initial training sessions will begin in March at the FAA's training center in Oklahoma City, Okla. EAA said the effort is designed to "ease the backlog of airworthiness inspection requests for amateur-built aircraft. The number of inspection requests to FAA has grown while the agency's resources have stagnated." EAA said that backlog is hampering the growth of aircraft homebuilding.
A General Accounting Office report on Airport Improvement Program spending confirmed fears among some airport industry officials that increased security spending has come at the expense of other airport projects. The report, available at www.gao.gov, said FAA cut more than $300 million in fiscal 2002 from non-security projects, making room for $562 million in security spending. That sum is 17 percent of the $3.3 billion available this year, and the highest award for security projects since 1982, the report said.
Drew Baker was promoted to vice president of marketing and repair development for Bearing Inspection, Inc. He will be responsible for Bii's marketing worldwide. Baker has worked at Bii for eight years, starting as the engineering manager, and was most recently director of quality and engineering.
Ron Silverman was promoted to regional vice president, client services at TAG Aviation. He joined TAG in January 2000 as director of client services and managed accounts for Eastern regional management clients. Silverman has 18 years of corporate aviation experience and was president of International Aircraft Management in Teterboro, N.J. for 12 years.
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, created like the U.S. Transportation Security Administration after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, named Jacques Duchesneau its first president and chief executive.
Air Methods completed its acquisition of Rocky Mountain Holdings for $33.6 million, making the company the largest provider of air medical services in the U.S. The purchase agreement also includes a $2.6 million earn-out provision, which would be paid over the next several years. Air Methods first announced its intentions to buy Rocky Mountain Holdings, based in Provo, Utah, in June for $28 million (BA, June 17/282). The final purchase price was increased to reflect the increases in Rocky Mountain's net equity since Dec. 31, 2001, Air Methods said.
Rolando Rivera was named manager of Latin American sales for Midcoast Aviation, Sabreliner Corporation and Premier Turbines. A native of Guatemala, Rivera was most recently head of sales in Mexico and Latin America for Bizjet International. He is an A&P licensed mechanic and a general aviation pilot with training on the Falcon and Learjet aircraft series at FlightSafety International and Simuflite.
TPE331 series turboprop and TSE331-3U series turboshaft engines (Docket No. 99-NE-53-AD; Amendment 39-12922; AD 2002-21-15) - requires replacing second stage turbine stator assemblies, Part Numbers 894528-1, -2, -3, -5, -6, -10, and -11, with serviceable turbine stator assemblies. This amendment is prompted by reports of six uncontained separations of the second stage turbine wheels associated with obstructed internal cooling holes or passage in the vanes of the second stage turbine stator which may result in contact and rub into the turbine rotor.
AIR METHODS FINALIZES ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOLDINGS ACQUISITION - Air Methods completed its acquisition of Rocky Mountain Holdings for $33.6 million, making the company the largest provider of air medical services in the U.S. The purchase agreement also includes a $2.6 million earn-out provision, which would be paid over the next several years.
PINNACLE PLANS TO OPEN CRJ FACILITY IN FORT WAYNE, IND. - Northwest regional subsidiary Pinnacle Airlines plans to open a fourth Canadair Regional Jet maintenance facility, in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Model HC-B3TN-5 propellers (Docket No. 2001-NE-44-AD) RIN 2120-AA64 - proposes, for models with blades Part Number T10176H(B,K)-5 or T10178H(B)-11(R) that are installed on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries MU-2 series airplanes, to require replacement of those blades with blades of the latest design. This proposal is prompted by a report of in-flight propeller blade separation that caused a severe out-of-balance condition, damage to the airplane, and resulted in engine shutdown and a safe landing.
Mooney Aerospace boosted its limited warranty on proprietary Mooney-produced parts to three years or 600 hours, whichever comes first. The warranty applies to parts produced for all three Mooney airplane lines - the Bravo (M20M), Ovation2 (M20R) and Eagle2 (M20S). Warranty service can be provided by any of the independent Mooney service centers or by Mooney's Factory Service Center in Kerrville, Texas. Excluded from the warranty are consumables and typical wear and tear.
Digital World Services won a contract to provide TAG Aviation USA its Digital Rights Management software for TAG's aviation manuals. The software ensures the secured distribution of the manuals through digitally-encrypted PDF files on a secured CD. TAG is the first air transportation to use DRM for flight operations personnel. The CDs will be distributed to 600 TAG Aviation employees, including pilots, maintenance technicians and flight attendants.
Model 206A, 206A-1, 206B, 206B-1, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, and 206L-4 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-01-AD) - proposes to require performing a continuity test, and repairing temporarily any unairworthy chip detector, and replacing any repaired chip detectors. This proposal is prompted by reports of poor or no continuity between the insert and the chip detector housing on certain chip detectors. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of a chip detector, loss of a critical component, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Ron Silverman was promoted to regional vice president, client services at TAG Aviation. He joined TAG in January 2000 as director of client services and managed accounts for Eastern regional management clients. Silverman has 18 years of corporate aviation experience and was president of International Aircraft Management in Teterboro, N.J. for 12 years.
A Pilatus PC-12 was substantially damaged Oct. 16 while attempting to make an emergency landing. The aircraft, with two pilots and two passengers on board, had just departed Runway 6 at the Trenton, N.J. Airport enroute to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. when the crew reported an engine failure. The aircraft returned to the airport and made a hard landing and slid off the end of Runway 16. One passenger suffered a minor injury. The PC-12 is registered as N96WF.
RAC OPERATING INCOME IMPROVES, BUT INVENTORY OF UNSOLD UNITS REMAINS HIGH - Operating income at Raytheon Aircraft improved dramatically in the third quarter, but officials acknowledged they have significant numbers of 2002 production aircraft left to sell.
NIMBUS CALLS OFF HORIZONS ACQUISITION - Nimbus Group canceled its agreement to buy Horizons Aviation, the second deal that has fallen through in the last year for the Florida-based company.
Model HD-E6C-3B/E13890K propellers (Docket No. 2000-NE-60-AD) - proposes to require, for certain serial numbers of Model D-1199-2 propeller control units (PCUs) installed, initial and repetitive inspections for below-limit propeller flight idle blade angles, and, as a terminating action, removal of the affected PCUs from service and performance of a complete Major Periodic Inspection when the applicable time-since-new or time-since-overhaul limit is reached, or when any flight idle blade angle is below limits.
Four industry associations last week petitioned FAA to delay the implementation of the agency's rewrite of repair station rules under Part 145 until the agency gives industry enough time to review and comment upon the compliance guidance.
The National Air Transportation Association urged its members to hold off conducting pilot fingerprint checks to comply with new security mandates. TSA mandated fingerprint-based FBI criminal history record checks for certain Part 135 pilots, but has not established the requirements for collector certification or collection standards. While many Part 135 operators are facing a Dec. 6 deadline for completing the checks, NATA said it is concerned that operators will spend time and money on compliance only to find out that their efforts are not valid.
