Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association and the sports community have been working with FAA and TSA to tighten up the language of a temporary flight restriction put in place Sept. 20 prohibiting flights within a three-nautical-mile radius or 3,000 feet over "any major professional or collegiate sporting event or any other major open air assembly unless authorized by ATC." The TFR effectively quashed the 2001 fall football season for banner towers, but they have been receiving waivers for this season.
Honeywell signed an agreement to team with Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management of Rockville, Md. to provide FAA with Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) hardware and support. FAA expects to award a contract in September for the initial production units and installation at six airports, with options for another 15-40 per year over five years. LAAS is an airport-based ground system that uses Global Positioning System satellites to provide aircraft with exact local navigational data to permit them to execute precision approaches.
Jet Centers selected advertising agency Ackerman McQueen of Dallas, Texas to oversee the launch of a new branding campaign. Jet Centers is a fixed-base operator that provides executive jet services. The company, which has facilities in Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, Tucson, Ariz., Greeley, Colo. and Casper, Wyo., plans to open additional facilities this year. The company recently went public with its stock.
FAA TO STUDY CONTRACTING OUT FLIGHT SERVICE STATIONS - The Federal Aviation Administration is studying the possibility of contracting out flight service station (FSS) services in a move that has raised the concerns of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. FAA is conducting the 18-month study under the provisions of Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76, which directs government agencies to evaluate whether some functions could be outsourced. The study is expected to focus on 58 of the 61 FSS units, excluding Alaskan services.
Arnoni Aviation Inc. of Houston, Texas and Raytheon Aircraft Parts Inventory&Distribution Co. (RAPID) signed an agreement under which AAI will sell Raytheon Aircraft's excess and inactive inventory of parts for Hawker business jets, which includes some 21,000 line items. The inventory for sale, which includes structural components, hardware, consumables, rotables and kits, are listed on AAI's web site at www.125parts.com. For more information, contact AAI at (281) 590-1431.
Gary Freeman was named regional sales manager-maintenance at CAE SimuFlite, covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area and states west of the Mississippi River. He was most recently a regional sales manager at Gulfstream. A certified A&P, Freeman has experience in sales, technical services and as a maintenance technician.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive grounding aircraft powered by Textron Lycoming TIO-540 and LTIO-540 engines, requiring operators to inspect and replace crankshafts before further flight. "This emergency AD is prompted by reports of 17 crankshaft failures in LTIO-540 and TIO engines, rated at 300 horsepower or higher, that were assembled with certain crankshafts that were manufactured using a hammer-forged process," FAA said.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT Model PC-6 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-08-AD) - proposes to require inspection of the aileron assembly for correct configuration and modify as necessary. This proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by Switzerland. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to correct improper aileron assembly configuration, which could result in failure of the aileron mass balance weight. The proposed AD would affect an estimated 35 aircraft on the U.S.
MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT MOONEY IN WAKE OF ROY NORRIS' DEPARTURE - Roy Norris, who took over as top executive of Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures, Inc. last year, wrote off that company's signature Jetcruzer 500 aircraft because of design shortcomings and engineered the acquisition of Mooney Aircraft early this year, left the company this month.
Eclipse Aviation rolled out its first Eclipse 500 six weeks ago amid expectations that a first flight would follow shortly (BA, July 15/21), but the entry-level jet had not made it into the air by the end of last week. A spokeswoman said test pilots have conducted low- and medium-speed taxi tests, and officials still anticipate a first flight this summer. She emphasized, however, that officials do not want to do anything to jeopardize the program by rushing a first flight before they are sure the aircraft is completely ready.
National Business Aviation Association officials, buoyed by the success of a similar gathering in the Chicago area early this summer, have scheduled a Business Aviation Forum and Static Display in November in Fort Worth, Texas (BA, July 1/7).
Garmin Co-CEO Gary Burrell retired last week on his 65th birthday, but is remaining co-chairman and a director of the company. Min Kao, also co-chairman and co-CEO, is continuing as co-chairman and became the sole CEO. Burrell and Kao founded Garmin in 1989 and have jointly led the company since. Garmin designs, manufactures and markets navigation, communications and information devices for the aviation, marine, general recreation, automotive and wireless markets.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-250-AD) - revises an earlier proposed AD that would have required replacement of the existing smoke detectors in the cargo compartment with new, improved smoke detectors. This new action revises the proposed rule by including spare part information. This new proposed AD is intended to prevent false smoke warnings from the smoke detectors in the cargo compartment.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association and the sports community have been working with FAA and TSA to tighten up the language of a temporary flight restriction put in place Sept. 20 prohibiting flights within a three-nautical-mile radius or 3,000 feet over "any major professional or collegiate sport
Roy Norris, who took over as top executive of Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures, Inc. last year, wrote off that company's signature Jetcruzer 500 aircraft because of design shortcomings and engineered the acquisition of Mooney Aircraft early this year, left the company this month. Norris told BA last week that when he took over as chairman and CEO last year he told the board he was "not interested in a long-term job." With a new management team now in place, Norris said he felt it was a good time to step down. He resigned Aug.
AOPA also is concerned by reports that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley once again is trying to convince FAA to impose a sizeable TFR over Chicago. AOPA President Phil Boyer wrote FAA and TSA that without a specific credible threat, it would be "inappropriate for the federal government to institute arbitrary airspace restrictions."
Federal Aviation Administration continued its modernization of air traffic control equipment with the commissioning of the first production ATCBI-6 secondary surveillance radar at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. This kicks off the deployment of up to 128 ATCBI-6 systems nationwide, upgrading the agency's en route radar network. The radar at Tinker will provide data to FAA's air route traffic control centers in Fort Worth, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo.
Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-25-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 2000-09-13, which currently requires inspection of the fuel quantity indication system for damage to the insulation of the wiring within the fuel tanks on British Aerospace Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes and requires repair or replacement of damaged wiring.
NIMBUS SIGNS PACT WITH HORIZONS AVIATION TO SECURE FUTURE - Continuing its quest to build an international private jet carrier, Nimbus Group, Inc. reached an agreement to merge with Florida-based Horizons Aviation, which offers fractional aircraft ownership, charter services and aircraft maintenance. Under the deal, which is subject to regulatory as well as each company's board approval, Nimbus would acquire all of Horizons Aviation's stock in exchange for its unregistered stock.
Rolls-Royce won FAA certification for its new AE 3007A1 engine variant, the AE 3007AIE, which will power Embraer's long-range ERJ-145XR regional jet. Continental Express carrier ExpressJet Airlines is the launch customer for the ERJ-145XR with firm orders for 104 and options for up to 100 more. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected later this year.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-135-AD; Amendment 39-12841; AD 2002-16-02) - requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance requirements manual to incorporate life limits for certain horizontal stabilizer trim actuators (HSTAs), and replacing the HSTAs with new or serviceable HSTAs. This action is necessary to prevent failure of key components of the HSTAs, which could result in loss of horizontal trim control and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane. The AD is effective Aug.
Jet Aviation Engineering Services is providing engineering services to L3 Communications under a NASA subcontract that involves the installation of an infrared telescope in a Boeing aircraft to create a stratospheric observatory. Part of an eight-year program, the project involves modifying a Boeing 747SP airframe to install a 40,000-pound telescope, a protective door and supporting structures. It also includes the creation of a 30-inch-thick pressure bulkhead that can support the telescope and maintain normal cabin pressure.
An industry-based advisory group last week recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration overhaul its repair station classification system to provide more flexibility and reflect the latest and emerging technologies. But the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) also told FAA that it was unable to reach a consensus on the other major issue it was tasked to review, the need for mandated quality assurance programs.
Rolls-Royce won FAA certification for its new AE 3007A1 engine variant, the AE 3007AIE, which will power Embraer's long-range ERJ-145XR regional jet. Continental Express carrier ExpressJet Airlines is the launch customer for the ERJ-145XR with firm orders for 104 and options for up to 100 more. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected later this year.
Kenneth J. Paul was named vice president of sales and marketing at Meggitt Avionics/S-TEC. He will oversee a turboprop aftermarket field sales team for the MAGIC line of autopilots and electronic flight instruments. A pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings, Paul was previously the director of marketing at Meggitt.
