Hamilton Aerospace Technologies received a contract to provide ground and flight support for Aviation Partners Boeing's B737-300 aircraft. A joint venture between Aviation Partners Inc. and The Boeing Company, Aviation Partners Boeing produces winglets for retrofit on Boeing commercial jets. A subsidiary of Renegade Venture Corp., Hamilton won an FAA Part 145 certificate in May. "Few companies so young could have landed this contract with Aviation Partners Boeing," said John Sawyer, the newly appointed president of Hamilton.
GA SHIPMENTS, BILLINGS SLIDE IN FIRST NINE MONTHS - General aviation plane-makers delivered 1,766 aircraft in the first nine months of 2002, a 16.6 percent drop from the 2,118 through the first three quarters of 2002. Billings also fell 18.1 percent from $10.25 billion through the first nine months of 2001 to $8.39 billion in the same period this year. "The numbers reflect the reality of a weak economy, not just in the U.S., but around the world," said GAMA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
Spectro Oil Analysis Company, Hampshire, United Kingdom, earned additional accreditation from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, expanding the number of its ISO/IEC 17025 in-house test methods to 25. The latest accreditation covered six in-house methods for analysis. Along with its New Jersey-based sister company, Jet-Care International, Spectro Oil Analysis provides engine condition monitoring services, including oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid and chip analysis.
KING AIR CRASH KILLS SEN. WELLSTONE, FAMILY MEMBERS - A King Air crash in northeast Minnesota Friday killed Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), his wife Sheila and their daughter Marcia. Five others onboard, including two pilots and three staff members, also died in the crash.
Spectro Oil Analysis Company, Hampshire, United Kingdom, earned additional accreditation from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, expanding the number of its ISO/IEC 17025 in-house test methods to 25. The latest accreditation covered six in-house methods for analysis. Along with its New Jersey-based sister company, Jet-Care International, Spectro Oil Analysis provides engine condition monitoring services, including oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid and chip analysis.
The Federal Aviation Administration this week will release new rules requiring pilots to present a government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, upon request from government agencies. The rules, proposed earlier this year by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in response to growing security concerns, are intended to enable "a readily available, low-cost way for pilots to carry photo identification," FAA said.
RAYTHEON GETS GPS ANTI-JAM CONTRACT FOR DAE PROGRAM - Two Raytheon Company businesses will develop anti-jamming technology for the Global Positioning System (GPS), the company said this month.
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.
FAA officials expect shortly to release the charter outlining plans for the agency's Part 135 review and hope to organize the first meeting of an industry-based Aviation Rulemaking Committee on the topic in January. Kathy Perfetti, manager of FAA's newly established Part 135 and Fractional Ownership Operations Branch, has been working with industry and already has received a number of expressions of interest from potential participants.FAA plans to invite participation in the effort on several levels.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey continues to meet with the general aviation community, speaking before the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Expo last week in Palm Springs, Calif. In her remarks, Blakey acknowledged that FAA's role is to be "an advocate for commerce and the economic benefits of aviation" and said, "We will never overlook an opportunity to remind our colleagues in the security agencies of the importance of general aviation." But she added that the community must be its own best advocate before TSA.
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.
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.
ADAM AIRCRAFT ADDS NEW JET AIRCRAFT TO LINE-UP - Moving forward with an assertive plan to bring more affordable aircraft into the market, Adam Aircraft of Englewood, Colo. announced plans to add a new $2 million jet to its product line last week. "An affordable business jet fills a huge void in the aviation market," said the company, claiming that "there are approximately 20,000 cabin-class twin and turboprop aircraft that are step-up candidates for the A700."
A King Air crash in northeast Minnesota Friday killed Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), his wife Sheila and their daughter Marcia. Five others onboard, including two pilots and three staff members, also died in the crash.
Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-25-AD; Amendment 39-12905; AD 2002-20-08) - supersedes AD 2000-09-13, which currently requires inspection of the fuel quantity indication system for damage to the insulation of the wiring within the fuel tanks on British Aerospace Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes and requires repair or replacement of damaged wiring.
Models C35, D35, E35, F35, G35, H35, J35, K35, M35, N35, P35, S35, V35, V35A and V35B airplanes (Docket No. 93-CE-37-AD; Amendment 39-12919; AD 94-20-04 R1) - revises AD 94-20-04, which currently requires ruddervator inspections, modifications, and operating limitations on certain Raytheon Beech Models 35, 35R, A35, B35, C35, D35, E35, F35, G35, H35, J35, K35, M35, N35, P35, S35, V35, V35A, and V35B airplanes. This AD is the result of information received from the field on the ability to accomplish and understand the existing AD.
Two Raytheon Company businesses will develop anti-jamming technology for the Global Positioning System (GPS), the company said this month. The Precision Guidance Systems (PGS) unit of Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems division was awarded a contract option worth $1.9 million by the Navy's Space&Naval Warfare Systems Center as part of Raytheon's work on the Digital Antenna Electronics (DAE) program. Under the option, PGS will develop, produce and test DAE prototypes that are compatible with standard aircraft anti-jam antenna systems.
COCKPIT DOORS FOR TURBOPROPS RECEIVE GREEN LIGHT FROM FAA - FAA has approved cockpit doors made by Everett, Wash.-based Cascade Aviation Services for Dash 8 turboprops, and the company is developing doors for Embraer EMB 120s and Fairchild 328JETs and turboprops. Engineers designing cockpit doors for smaller aircraft faced challenges similar to those involved in developing doors for larger jets, said Cascade Vice President-Marketing and Sales Duk King. "Beefing up the weight of the door was the most difficult."
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-06-AD; Amendment 39-12918; AD 2002-21-12) - requires establishing or reducing the life limits of various parts listed in the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance manual. This amendment is prompted by the results of fatigue tests and analysis to determine life limits for various parts. The actions specified by this AD are intended to establish or reduce the life limits to prevent failure of specified parts and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
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. RAC had sales of $451 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up $2 million from a year ago. The Wichita, Kan.-based unit had operating income of $1 million, versus an operating loss of $758 million a year ago when Raytheon wrote off $693 million in connection with its commuter aircraft business and $52 million related to used general aviation aircraft.
Milwaukee officials expect a new ground runup enclosure at General Mitchell Airport will cut noise from engine maintenance runups by 75 percent. The three-sided hangar-like structure was built on a 24-inch thick concrete pad with 157 tons of structural steel and 2,400 acoustic panels. The $4.5 million project cost about $500,000 less than first estimates. Local officials said aircraft maintenance supports 677 jobs producing $26.5 million in wages at the airport.
