TSA GRANTS TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FROM SECURITY RULES - The Transportation Security Administration last week extended the comment period and compliance deadlines on two key security rules covering charter and other commercial operators. The agency published two notices in the Aug.
FAA RESTRICTIONS COULD GROUND HUNDREDS OF AIRCRAFT DURING 9/11 ANNIVERSARY - The government's proposal to impose sweeping temporary flight restrictions next week over the Washington, D.C. and New York metropolitan areas as well as Somerset, Pa., could ground hundreds of aircraft and hamper operations at major general aviation airports including Westchester County Airport, Teterboro, and Leesburg, Va., business aviation officials warn.
Aircraft manufacturers and exhibitors at international aviation trade shows are finding The European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition is a huge bargain compared with events like the Paris Air Show. Cessna Chairman Russ Meyer told BA that Cessna will not attend the Paris Show June 15-22, but the company does plan to send a significant representation of its products and personnel to EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland May 7-9.
PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN LIMITED BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2B, BN-2T, and BN2A MK. III series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-21-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections of the bottom corner of the engine mount bracket for cracks and replacement of any cracked bracket with a new one. This proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for the United Kingdom. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to detect and correct cracks in the engine mount bracket.
BOMBARDIER EARNINGS DROP, BUSINESS AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES DECLINE - Beset by order cancellations, labor strikes and a weak market, Bombardier Aerospace reported a loss of $24.8 million before taxes (Canadian) during the second quarter ended July 31. The poor performance from its aerospace sector forced parent company Bombardier, Inc., last month to reduce its earnings forecast to $0.70 per share from the previous $0.89 (BA, Aug. 26, 94).
Senate Commerce Committee, which didn't act on the nomination of Marion Blakey as FAA Administrator in early August because the Senate recessed a day earlier than originally planned (BA. Aug. 5/57), has scheduled a hearing on Blakey Sept. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Rolls-Royce North America made a number of leadership changes that the company said will strengthen its Corporate Aircraft and Airlines Americas teams. Ian Aitken, who previously held the dual roles of executive vice president - Airlines Americas and president-Corporate Aircraft, is now focusing full time on directing the Corporate Aircraft business unit. Aitken had served as executive vice president-Airlines Americas since 1999 and added the Corporate Aircraft responsibilities in late 2001.
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. said its field service representatives will now have a "Model Specialist" designation, meaning they will demonstrate "particular proficiency in two models specifically, and general working knowledge of the rest of the Falcon family." The adoption of the new model specialist designation "will facilitate quicker technical solutions and reduce aircraft downtime," said Ron Velivis, director of field service.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-364-AD) - proposes to require performing an inspection to determine the serial number on the identification plate on each of the three hydraulic shut-off valve (HSOV) actuators on the left-hand and right-hand hydraulic reservoirs, and replacing an HSOV actuator with a new HSOV actuator, if necessary. This action is necessary to ensure that proper HSOV actuators are installed on the hydraulic fluid reservoirs.
Scott Radcliffe was named vice president of operations at Bii. He will be responsible for manufacturing, engineering and quality assurance programs. Radcliffe has 23 years of experience at Bii, starting on the company's production floor and most recently working as the director of manufacturing.
CHC Helicopter Corporation was awarded a series of contract renewals and expansions valued at $57.6 million (Canadian) to provide helicopter support for operations in the Gulf of Thailand and Persian Gulf. CHC won an 18-month contract from Chevron Offshore (Thailand) to provide a second Sikorsky S-76A++ to be based at U-Tapao, Thailand. The Thai Government Petroleum Authority also contracted for two S76A++ helicopters to be based in Songhkla. In the Persian Gulf, CHC received a 30-month contract to support AGIP Offshore with a primary S76A++ and a back-up Bell 212.
National Business Aviation Association says advance registration figures for next week's convention in Orlando, Fla. are within 10 percent of last September's numbers, which translates to at least 25,000 attendees at this year's event, and organizers say that number is probably conservative. A record 1,008 exhibitors, including 150 new exhibitors, will occupy 4,500 booth spaces spread over 900,000 square feet of exhibit area. More than 140 aircraft will be on view at the static display at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
K. Josef Laakso was named chief financial officer at ShAirForce, LLC. He was most recently vice president of global sales finance for Fairchild Dornier, where he managed the manufacturer's regional jet financing and leasing program.
A CitationJet full flight simulator manufactured by NLX Corp. of Sterling, Va. won FAA Level D qualification at the CAE SimuFlite Center at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. The CitationJet simulator is the third of five Level D devices on order from CAE SimuFlite to be delivered, and a Falcon 900B/C/EX Level D convertible FFS and a Falcon 2000 Level D FFS will be delivered in the first half of 2003. The contracts for those simulators were issued while SimuFlite Training International was a part of GE Capital.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-307-AD; Amendment 39-12849; AD 2002-16-10) - requires various modifications of the airstair (main passenger) door specified in certain service bulletins. This action is necessary to prevent failure of the airstair door to open after a landing, which could result in a blocked escape route during an emergency evacuation.
PILOT'S LACK OF TIME IN AIRCRAFT UNDER SCRUTINY IN CALIFORNIA CRASH - The pilot's lack of time in type of aircraft is under scrutiny as a key factor in the fatal crash of an Aero Commander 690A near Bishop, Calif. last month (BA, Aug. 19/80).
While TSA is giving charter operators of aircraft weighing 95,000 pounds or more until the end of September to review proposed compliance guidance on new security requirements, the agency has yet to begin distributing the guidance. TSA plans to use FAA Principal Operations Inspectors to get the material to operators, as it did with proposed guidance for security requirements imposed on commercial operators of aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association vowed to fight apparent efforts of Kent State University officials to close Kent State University Airport (1G3) and redevelop the 300-acre property. Anne Esposito, AOPA vice president of airports, wrote the university late last month that they were obligated to operate the airport for the next 20 years since they had accepted federal grant money to rehabilitate the apron, taxiway and runway. "These agreements are contracts with the federal government that must be honored," Esposito said.
Max-Viz Inc. delivered an EVS-1000 enhanced vision system (EVS) to Total Aircraft Services (TAS) in Van Nuys, Calif., for installation on a customer's Bombardier Challenger CL-601-3A business jet. TAS is working with Max-Viz on a tail-mounted installation of the EVS and expects FAA certification this fall. The EVS uses infrared imaging to improve the pilot's ability to see ground vehicles, equipment, obstacles and other aircraft on ramps, taxiways and runways when visibility is poor. The delivery of the Max-Viz EVS-1000 was the first to an operator customer.
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. said its field service representatives will now have a "Model Specialist" designation, meaning they will demonstrate "particular proficiency in two models specifically, and general working knowledge of the rest of the Falcon family." The adoption of the new model specialist designation "will facilitate quicker technical solutions and reduce aircraft downtime," said Ron Velivis, director of field service.
Regional Jet Flying accounts for 23 percent of flights at American Airlines, 21 percent of United's flying, 37 percent at Delta, 32 percent at Continental and at 26 percent at Northwest, based on data from Bombardier.
Jay E. Bosch was named vice president of engineering at Sinex Aviation Technologies. He will oversee quality assurance and software and network engineering. Bosch most recently worked at Berkley Information Services as vice president of systems development.
Douglas P. Nowinski was named vice president, regional airline accounts at Sinex Aviation Technologies. In his new position, Nowinski, most recently a vice president at AAR Corp., will be responsible for business development and account management for regional airlines worldwide.
LEARJET Model 45 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-167-AD; Amendment 39-12866; AD 2002-17-01) - requires pulling the FOOT WARM circuit breaker located on the copilot's circuit breaker panel, and installing a collar on that circuit breaker. This action is necessary to prevent an electrical short circuit between the pilot's and copilot's foot warmers and the composite floorboards, which could result in outgassing of the faceply material of the composite floorboards, and consequent smoke in the cockpit. The AD is effective Sept.
