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.
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.
