Model AS332C, L, and L1 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-36-AD; Amendment 39-12934; AD 2002-22-09) - requires, before further flight, inserting statements into the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual prohibiting flight under certain atmospheric conditions. Also, this AD requires inspecting the bullet seal on the multi-purpose air intake (MPAI) to determine the pressure and, if the pressure is less than three bars on one or both of the sides, replacing the P2 pipe with an airworthy P2 pipe within a specified time interval.
Steven Weinert was named division maintenance manager at Keystone Helicopter. He will be responsible for maintenance, repair, refurbishment and overhaul for the 30 twin-engine air medical helicopters under the management of Keystone flight services division. Weinert was most recently president of Flite Tech Consulting Group in Vancouver, Wash.
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-42-AD; Amendment 39-12936; AD 2002-17-51) - publishes an amendment adopting AD 2002-17-51, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Agusta helicopters by individual letters.
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.
A Chinese aircraft manufacturer, AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft Company, selected the General Electric CF34-10A turbofan to power the ARJ21 regional jet airliner the company is developing for use on feeder routes in China. GE signed a letter of intent last week to supply engines for both the 79- and 99-seat versions of the ARJ21. The 79-seat version is scheduled to enter service in 2007, with certification of the larger model to follow. GE said certification of the -10A engine is scheduled in 2005.
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.
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.
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.
LF507 and ALF502R series turbofan engines (Docket No. 2002-NE-21-AD; Amendment 39-12931; AD 2002-22-06) - requires initial and repetitive b orescope inspections of the combustion chamber liner assembly to determine if the combustion liner assembly condition is acceptable for continued operation, requires the removal from service of certain serial number combustion chamber liner assemblies, and provides an optional terminating action to the repetitive borescope inspections.
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.
Maytag Aircraft Corporation, a Mercury Air Group subsidiary, received a six-month extension on a contract from the U.S. government to provide air term inal and ground handling services at Al Mubarek Air Base at Kuwait City International Airport in Kuwait. The contract covers aircraft loading and unloading, cargo screening, passenger processing, baggage handling, security screening and handling of classified information. Maytag has provided the services since August 2000.
Alpine Air Express of Provo, Utah is planning to buy a large fleet of used Beech 1900s and Beech 99s for its regional air cargo transport and logistics service and retained Wells Fargo Securities of San Francisco, Calif. to assist in the process.
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.
Bombardier delivered a "Challenger 800," a 34-passenger corporate shuttle variant of the Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet, to Beijing-based China Ocean Aviation Group, which will use the aircraft to transport senior government personnel. China Ocean Aviation Group also operates a 50-passenger CRJ200 that will be retrofitted with a 34-seat corporate interior.
A Chinese aircraft manufacturer, AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft Company, selected the General Electric CF34-10A turbofan to power the ARJ21 regional jet airliner the company is developing for use on feeder routes in China. GE signed a letter of intent last week to supply engines for both the 79- and 99-seat versions of the ARJ21. The 79-seat version is scheduled to enter service in 2007, with certification of the larger model to follow. GE said certification of the -10A engine is scheduled in 2005.
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.
Canadian Business Aviation Association is holding a Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (DRVSM) information session Nov. 21 in Toronto. The meeting will focus on the proposed introduction of DRVSM in Canadian airspace, concurrent with introduction of DRVSM in the U.S., which is currently scheduled for December 2004. The meeting will be held at the Mid-Canada Mod Center at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and will begin at 10 a.m.
Bombardier delivered a "Challenger 800," a 34-passenger corporate shuttle variant of the Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet, to Beijing-based China Ocean Aviation Group, which will use the aircraft to transport senior government personnel. China Ocean Aviation Group also operates a 50-passenger CRJ200 that will be retrofitted with a 34-seat corporate interior.
CSI Aviation Services, Albuquerque, N.M., recently took delivery of two additional MD82 aircraft on lease from AirFinance to support a CSI contract with the Department of Justice.
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.
FAA PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR USE OF INTERNET FOR WEATHER, NOTAMS - 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.
Canadian Business Aviation Association is holding a Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (DRVSM) information session Nov. 21 in Toronto. The meeting will focus on the proposed introduction of DRVSM in Canadian airspace, concurrent with introduction of DRVSM in the U.S., which is currently scheduled for December 2004. The meeting will be held at the Mid-Canada Mod Center at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and will begin at 10 a.m.
TELEDYNE UNIT BRINGS PISTON-ENGINE FADEC TO MARKET - Teledyne Technologies unit Aerosance has won FAA approval for and is offering a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system for a number of piston-engine aircraft, the company announced late last month during the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo in Palm Springs, Calif. The PowerLink FADEC, the culmination of five years of development, will electronically manage piston-powered engines on general aviation aircraft.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Honeywell is developing a new low-cost multi-function display for piston-powered general aviation aircraft, the company announced late last month during AOPA's Expo in Palm Springs, Calif. The three-inch-high Bendix/King KMD 250 MFD is expected to enter the market in the spring. The unit will use an active matrix liquid crystal display that can display information from several optional sensors, including data link weather, lightning detection, and traffic. The system will allow pilots to switch directly to the map, weather or traffic screens.
