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.
Model 427 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-19-AD) - proposes to require replacing the hydraulic solenoid tee fitting and tubes. This proposal is prompted by the manufacturer's discovery that tee fittings may be installed improperly and restrict hydraulic fluid flow. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent restricted flow of hydraulic fluid to the flight control hydraulic actuators resulting in loss of hydraulic control, excessive stiffness in the flight controls, and a subsequent forced landing of the helicopter.
Privatair added four aircraft to its charter fleet. A Gulfstream II and Gulfstream IV-SP are based in Stratford, Conn.; a Citation S-II is based in Teterboro, N.J., and a Hawker 125-800 is based in Van Nuys, Calif.
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 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.
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.
Type 912 F, 912 S and 914 F series reciprocating engines (Docket No. 2002-NE-33-AD; Amendment 39-12923; AD 2002-21-16) - requires venting of the lubrication system and inspection of the valve train on all engines. This action also requires venting of the lubrication system of all engines on which the lubrication system has been opened, and any engine on which the propeller has been rotated one full turn in the reverse direction. This amendment is prompted by reports of several in-flight engine failures, all of which resulted in forced landings.
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.
TEXTRON PICKS HONEYWELL'S LORANGER TO OVERSEE MOST BUSINESS UNITSSteven R. Loranger, 50, the president and chief executive of Honeywell's aircraft engine business, joined Textron Friday to oversee the company's manufacturing businesses, including Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter. Loranger was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Textron.
November 4-7 - Flight Safety Foundation/International Federation of Airworthiness/International Air Transport Association 55th Annual International Air Safety Seminar, City West Hotel and Conference Center, Dublin, Ireland, (703) 739-6700 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
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."
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.
Privatair added four aircraft to its charter fleet. A Gulfstream II and Gulfstream IV-SP are based in Stratford, Conn.; a Citation S-II is based in Teterboro, N.J., and a Hawker 125-800 is based in Van Nuys, Calif.
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.
Howard Henry was named customer service manager of aviation maintenance at Piedmont Hawthorne. He will be responsible for customer service, sales support and marketing at the company's corporate and general aviation facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C. Henry has more than 12 years of aviation experience and previously worked in customer service and marketing for Eagle Aviation.
TEXTRON NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE TO OVERSEE LYCOMING ENGINE UNIT - Textron, facing a continuing dilemma of how to resolve a series of crankshaft failures in some of its Lycoming piston-powered engines, last week named a senior Textron executive to oversee resolution of the manufacturing problems at Lycoming and its vendors.
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.
AVIATION GROUPS URGE FAA TO DELAY REPAIR STATION RULES - 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.
FAA CALLS FOR GA PILOTS TO CARRY GOVERNMENT PHOTO ID - 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.
Textron, facing a continuing dilemma of how to resolve a series of crankshaft failures in some of its Lycoming piston-powered engines, last week named a senior Textron executive to oversee resolution of the manufacturing problems at Lycoming and its vendors.
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.
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.
Steven R. Loranger, 50, the president and chief executive of Honeywell's aircraft engine business, joined Textron Friday to oversee the company's manufacturing businesses, including Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter. Loranger was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Textron.
Models 441 and F406 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-18-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 2002-09-13, which currently requires a one-time inspection of the fuel boost pump wiring inside and outside the boost pump reservoir and repair or replacement of the wiring as necessary on certain Cessna Model 441 airplanes. AD 2002-09-13 resulted from several reports of chafing and/or arcing of the fuel boost pump wiring inside and outside the fuel pump reservoir.
