Model HC-C2YR-4CF propellers (Docket No. 2001-NE-48-AD) - proposes to require the reduction of the original hub and blades certifie d service life from unlimited hours to 2,000 hours. This proposal is prompted by a reevaluation by Hartzell Propeller of the original hub and blades service life certification calculations. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent fatigue failure of the original propeller hub and blades, which may result in loss of airplane control.
CINCINNATI MACHINE, which produces automated fiber placement and tape laying systems, has been named to the supplier team for Boeing's Sonic Cruiser aircraft. The company will join an enterprise team headed by Vought Aircraft Industries of Dallas. Cincinnati Machine builds the Viper fiber placement machines used by Raytheon Aircraft in constructing the composite fuselages for the Premier and Horizon business jet.
BIZJET INTERNATIONAL expanded its fixed-base operations in Tulsa, Okla. to include a pilots lounge and weather briefing station. The FBO, a Lufthansa Technik Service unit, also is part of AvFuel's dealer network.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-11555 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.433(c)(1)(iii), 121.440(a), 121.441(a)(1) and (b)(1), and appendix F to Part 121. Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit United Parcel Service to combine recurrent flight and ground training and proficiency checks for UPS pilots-in-command, seconds-in-command, and flight engineers in a single annual training and proficiency evaluation program. Grant, May 15, 2002, Exemption No. 6434C
Docket No.: FAA-2002-12501 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.383(c) Description of Relief Sought: To permit 10 petitioners to act as pilots in operations conducted under Part 121 after reaching their 60th birthdays.
LORRIE SECREST was named senior vice president of the Export-Import Bank's Office of Communications. Secrest has more than 25 years of communications and public affairs experience. She has worked for the FBI and also as the director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Federal Communications Commission.
NAVTECH, INC., of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, won a contract to provide its worldwide managed NOTAMs service and weather system technology to ARINC for its new Direct service for corporate aviation. "ARINC Direct is an extremely important component of ARINC's corporate growth strategy," said Ed Montgomery, ARINC vice president for aviation and air traffic services. "These services to the business aviation community must be executed perfectly to be successful. We see Navtech as a critical partner and the best way to ensure that ARINC Direct becomes successful."
EXECAIRE started a new web service for corporate charter scheduling and booking. The web site, eCharters.ca, will allow users to plan, research and schedule flights online. "With eCharters, all the customer is required to do is log on to the website, specify their origin, destinations and time of departure, and log off - we take it from there," said Kirk Rowe, Execaire's executive vice president and chief operating officer. Execaire has a charter fleet of 23 aircraft, including Citation and Challenger business jets.
CAE plans to open a new training facility in Mesa, Ariz. as part of a 10-year training contract valued at about $50 million (Canadian) that the training provider won from Mesa Air Group. CAE will train Mesa pilots on Bombardier CRJ and Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. CAE will install CRJ200/700/900 and ERJ-145 full flight simulators at the new center. CAE also will operate a CRJ200/700/900 integrated procedure trainer at the new center. Mesa Air Group operates 126 aircraft to 147 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
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.
FAA THIS MONTH released new field guidance to its inspectors aimed at helping to standardize the field approval process. A common complaint about field approvals is that the process can be different from one FAA Flight Standards District Office to another. Dave Cann, manager of FAA's aircraft maintenance division, said the guidance is the "first step" in several designed to improve the process, adding that inspector training and industry guidance should be coming next.
GLEN GROSS was named regional director of East Coast operations at Atlantic Aviation. He will be responsible for operations at six airports and also will serve as the general manager of Atlantic Long Island. With 18 years of aviation management experience, Gross previously worked at Hudson General at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.
ADAM AIRCRAFT GETS ODAR, PLANS DEALER NETWORK - Adam Aircraft was recently awarded organizational designated airworthiness representative (ODAR) status from FAA. The new designation will allow the company to perform its own conformity inspections for manufacturing processes and aircraft parts. The company has appointed two ODARs on its staff: Mike Schumann and Bill Eckler, who is also the manager of quality assurance for Adam Aircraft.
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.
EXECAIRE started a new web service for corporate charter scheduling and booking. The web site, eCharters.ca, will allow users to plan, research and schedule flights online. "With eCharters, all the customer is required to do is log on to the website, specify their origin, destinations and time of departure, and log off - we take it from there," said Kirk Rowe, Execaire's executive vice president and chief operating officer. Execaire has a charter fleet of 23 aircraft, including Citation and Challenger business jets.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8527 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.9(a) and 91.531(a)(1) and (2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Simcom and operators of Cessna Citation Model 550, S550, 552, and 560 airplanes to operate those airplanes without a pilot who is designated as second-in-command. Grant, May 28, 2002, Exemption No. 7487C
CYNDI JENKINS was named charter sales specialist at Automotive Air Charter. She previously worked for Corporate Flight, Inc. and has experience as a corporate travel agent. Jenkins will be based at AAC's headquarters at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Michigan. AAC has a fleet of 21 aircraft.
NAVTECH, INC., of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, won a contract to provide its worldwide managed NOTAMs service and weather system technology to ARINC for its new Direct service for corporate aviation. "ARINC Direct is an extremely important component of ARINC's corporate growth strategy," said Ed Montgomery, ARINC vice president for aviation and air traffic services. "These services to the business aviation community must be executed perfectly to be successful. We see Navtech as a critical partner and the best way to ensure that ARINC Direct becomes successful."
ELLIOTT DEVELOPS NOISE REDUCTION PACKAGE FOR KING AIR 200 - Elliott Aviation won FAA supplemental type certification for a new active noise and vibration control system that it developed with Ultra Electronics for Raytheon Beech King Air B200 aircraft. Raytheon Aircraft had the system installed in two of its demonstrator aircraft and will offer the noise reduction system as an option on the B200, Elliott said.
MIDCOAST AVIATION is trying to raise the profile of its Learjet program by adding new staff and technicians. The company hired Tony Koprivnik as Lear program manager and Dan Smith as Lear program chief inspector. Midcoast, setting a goal to be a "one-stop shop" for Lear operators, has completed 20 12,000-hour inspections on Lear 35s and has about 20 more scheduled for this year. "We want every Lear operator to know that we do Lear here," said Jack Vaughn, vice president of corporate aviation marketing for Midcoast's parent company Sabreliner Corp.
TSA ALSO RELEASED its proposed compliance program for charter operators of aircraft that weigh more than 95,000 pounds. That program could cause problems and force some operators, particularly those flying business jets like the Global Express, to seek alternative means of compliance, sources say. TSA apparently has not yet made a determination on whether it will raise the trigger weight for applicability to 100,000 pounds, which would get the Global Express below the new threshold for complying with the rule (BA, Aug. 19/79).
Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier will begin permanent layoffs of nearly 2,000 employees in October and also plans temporary furloughs of another 2,100 workers in coming weeks as the company drastically reduces production of its line of business jets. Bombardier said 1,980 employees, "including 20 percent of management, will be laid off" at company facilities in Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. beginning in October.
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.
VOUGHT AIRCRAFT selected Resource Management International, Inc. (RMI) to provide engineers and designers on contract to support several programs. RMI, a subsidiary of Trans Global Services, will provide technical personnel to Vought Aircraft through its Arlington, Texas office.
AVIATION GENERAL'S stock began trading on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the new ticker symbol AVGE.OB after the company recieved notification from Nasdaq that it would be de-listed from the SmallCap market.
