TIME RUNNING OUT FOR CONTRACT EXTENSION AGREEMENT, NATCA SAYS - Air traffic controllers gave FAA until the end of the year to decide if it will extend their contract for two years or enter negotiations for a new contract.
FAA's plan to review Part 135 and other business jet regulations is part of a broader effort to make FAA become a more forward-looking agency that writes rules adaptable to changes in industry, said Nicholas Sabatini, FAA associate administrator for regulation and certification. FAA needs to get a better understanding about where the industry believes the market will be in the future, Sabatini said. As an example, he wondered what Vern Raburn was thinking 10 years ago that caused him to see the market niche for the Eclipse.
Helicopter Association International urged its members to contact their local congressmen opposing a measure in the fiscal 2003 transportation appropriations bill that would prevent FAA from issuing waivers from temporary flight restrictions around large stadiums. While the NFL and other sports organizations have lobbied to keep the TFRs in place, citing security concerns about banner towers, the TFRs cover all aircraft and rotorcraft and could affect traffic in and out of several key airports.
Air Methods Corp. received the necessary financial commitments to complete its planned acquisition of Rocky Mountain Holdings, and the company remains on track to conclude the deal before the Oct. 31 deadline, Air Methods said. Air Methods announced plans to buy Provo, Utah-based Rocky Mountain Holdings in June for $28 million, a deal that would make the company the largest provider of air medical services in the U.S. Rocky Mountain operates a fleet of more than 80 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for both hospital- and community-based services.
Jay Stephens was named senior vice president and general counsel at Raytheon. He was most recently an associate attorney general of the U.S. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Stephens was formerly corporate vice president and deputy general counsel at Honeywell.
FAA will discuss new weather technologies during an informal public meeting scheduled for Oct. 22 during the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2002 in Palm Springs, Calif. The meeting is intended to give the Aviation Weather Technology Transfer Board an opportunity to get aviation weather user input on new technologies. FAA established the board in 1999 to manage the transfer of weather capabilities and products from research and development into operations.
KEY TEST GIVES GREEN LIGHT FOR FAA'S WAAS PROGRAM - FAA has successfully completed a major test of a satellite-based navigation and landing system that has attracted considerable controversy in the past, according to a senior agency official.
CJ Systems Aviation Group was awarded a contract to operate the LifeFlight program based at the St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. The program, started in 1984, serves 12 central Illinois counties. CJ Systems provides air medical service through programs in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, using nine aircraft. LifeFlight will operate two Bell 230 helicopters, six pilots and three mechanics to complete 1,200 to 1,500 patient transports per year.
Air Methods Corp. received the necessary financial commitments to complete its planned acquisition of Rocky Mountain Holdings, and the company remains on track to conclude the deal before the Oct. 31 deadline, Air Methods said. Air Methods announced plans to buy Provo, Utah-based Rocky Mountain Holdings in June for $28 million, a deal that would make the company the largest provider of air medical services in the U.S. Rocky Mountain operates a fleet of more than 80 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for both hospital- and community-based services.
Bankrupt regional aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Dornier has halted production of the 30-seat 328JET. Work will not resume until an investor is found. The 200 remaining staff are being phased into training programs that pay them 80 percent of their current income, with the intention of preparing them for other jobs.
BARRY ECCLESTON, the former executive vice president for business development of Fairchild Dornier, joins Honeywell today (Sept. 30) as vice president, Commercial Aerospace Europe. He will be responsible for commercial activity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before joining Fairchild Dornier, Eccleston was president and chief executive of Rolls-Royce International Engines division. In his new role at Honeywell, Eccleston will report to Lynn Brubaker, vice president and general manager of the company's Commercial Aerospace unit.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-11595 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Sec. 121.434(c)(1)(ii) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit American Eagle to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying pilot-in-command (PIC) while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and a landing when completing initial or upgrade training as specified in Sec. 121.424. Grant, June 13, 2002, Exemption No. 7252A
Model CL-600-2C10 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-93-AD) - proposes to require revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate functional and operational checks of the active and standby actuators of the rudder travel limiter (RTL) system. This action is necessary to prevent a significant latent failure in the RTL, which could lead to a critical loss of RTL function under certain conditions, and consequent loss of controllability of the airplane or structural damage.
BOMBARDIER appointed ExecuJet South Africa an authorized service facility for the Bombardier Global Express, bringing the total number of designated facilities to seven. Based at Lanseria International Airport near Johannesburg, the 65,000-square-foot Execujet can accommodate up to six Global Express aircraft. The facility also is authorized to provide maintenance for Bombardier's Learjet and Challenger families of 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.
G. SCOTT HUBBARD was named director of the NASA Ames Research Center. Formerly the deputy director for research at the center, Hubbard will be responsible for the center's operations at Moffett Field, Calif. Hubbard is the originator of the Mars Pathfinder mission concept and was the project manager at Ames for the mission.
NEW FAA ADMINISTRATOR Marion Blakey told agency employees last week that she has "great respect for the people here who deliver the goods each and every day to assure the safety and efficiency of the world's largest aviation system." Blakey told her new troops that she puts "a great deal of emphasis on teamwork" and "a unified approach with everyone pulling together" to achieve objectives.
DEADLINE for Part 135 operators to submit their comments on the Transportation Security Administration's proposed compliance program for the "Twelve-Five" security rule is today. Some operators were still receiving their programs for review as late as last week. Like the compliance program itself, the comments are kept confidential. But an industry official noted that although some administrative costs are involved, most companies should be able to meet the requirements of the proposed program without major disruptions to their operations.
GERALD MARTIN was named account executive at Aero Insurance. Formerly the vice president of Great American Insurance Company, Martin has 22 years of experience in insurance operations. He will be based in Addison, Texas.
FAA commissioned a new air traffic control tower at the Orlando International Airport this month that the agency said is the tallest in North America. The 345-foot-tall tower is attached to an 11,700-square-foot base building housing electronic systems and administrative offices. The total project, funded by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, cost $28.7 million.
INNOTECH-EXECAIRE AVIATION GROUP opened an Execaire facility in Toronto that has been approved as an authorized Citation Service Center, permitting the company to work on all Cessna Citation business jet models and series. The new 35,000-square-foot facility includes business and communications facilities for visiting flight crews, plus a full range of technical services: inspections, parts, repairs, modifications, equipment installations, refurbishment and non-destructive testing. The new Execaire facility is one of 24 authorized Citation Service Centers worldwide.
Docket No.: 27502 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.265(d) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Bemidji to provide its pilots with 24 consecutive hours of rest within any consecutive 168 hours instead of within any seven consecutive days. Denial, May 15, 2002, Exemption No. 7767
DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY raised prices for all dipropylene glycol products by three cents per pound for both direct and distributor sales in North America effective Oct. 1, citing increased demand and limited availability of products. "We've seen strong demand for dipropylene glycol products in the second half of 2002. In addition, a forecast for a mild winter suggests that PG production may be lower over the next several months," said Antulio Borneo, marketing executive -Americas PO/PG.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-12255 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.152(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Rogers to operate six Bell 212 helicopters (Registration Nos. N911HW, N911VR, N911KW, N873HL, N811KA, and N212HL; and Serial Nos. 31101, 30998, 30592, 30873, 30656, and 30621, respectively) under Part 135 without those helicopters being equipped with an approved digital flight data recorder (DFDR). Grant, May 31, 2002, Exemption No. 7789
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-W.Va.) this week plans to hold a hearing to discuss progress on management of air tour operations over Grand Canyon National Park. The Oct. 3 hearing comes at the request of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has long been involved in the issue and is said to be frustrated by the impasse between FAA, the National Park Service, the environmentalists and the operators over the issue. Air tour operators maintain that FAA's new GCNP flight restrictions go too far while the environmentalists complain they don't go far enough.
