ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Model Galaxy airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-388-AD; Amendment 39-12599; AD 2002-01-08) - requires disabling the baggage compartment heating blanket system. This action is necessary to prevent a short circuit between the baggage compartment heating blankets and the electrical connectors, which could result in fire and smoke in the baggage compartment. The AD is effective Jan. 30, but FAA will accept comments for inclusion in the rules docket until Feb. 14.
PUEBLO AIRMOTIVE joined the Offshore Logistics Group. PA, a turbine engine repair and overhaul station based in Tucson, Ariz., will "continue to offer services to Honeywell T53 and Pratt&Whitney PT6 engines, along with Bell component, FCU and accessory maintenance, repair and overhaul," said PA. Offshore Logistics is a provider of helicopter transportation to the oil and gas industry.
STEVENS AVIATION, Greenville, S.C., won a supplemental type certificate for an air data display unit on the Piaggio Avanti P-180 twin turboprop. The ADDU installation, which also is FAA approved in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace, incorporates the altimeter and other flight data into a single gauge for added operating efficiency. The ADDU features an altitude alert lamp indicating alert conditions; selected altitude digits displaying alert or target altitude; and an altitude alterter control knob.
BRITISH AUTHORITIES continue to be tight-lipped about the progress of their investigation into the crash of a U.S.-registered Challenger 604 in Birmingham, England earlier this month. The wreckage was recently removed to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board's headquarters at Farnborough International Airport for further examination. All five persons aboard the Challenger were killed when the aircraft crashed while attempting to take off (BA, Jan. 7/15).
JET AVIATION BASEL signed a framework contract with Snecma Services to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul of complete propulsion assemblies on all CFM56 turbofan engines. Jet Aviation said the new agreement permits it to offer complete airframe and engine support to customers operating Boeing Business Jets, Airbus A319CJ, DC-8-71 and DC-8-72 aircraft powered by CFM56 engines.
MINETA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT has begun to use the Indentix Live Scan TouchPrint Fingerprint System to comply with federal law requiring fingerprinting of employees with unescorted access to secure areas. The airport is using the system, which it says reduces the processing time for the employee criminal background checks from three weeks to three days, for all new employees. It is working with airport tenants to have all employees fingerprinted by late summer.
CHARLES SCHWARTZ was appointed manager of Southwest regional sales for Sabreliner Corp. and Midcoast Aviation. The region comprises Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Schwartz will be based in Dallas, Texas.
Cirrus Design Corp., the developer of the SR 20 and SR 22 single-engine aircraft, broke ground last month for a new 63,000-square-foot aircraft manufacturing plant in Duluth, Minn. The new building, next to the company's existing manufacturing center, will house painting and finishing operations along with a new customer delivery center. Cirrus officials expect to occupy the new building this coming summer and plan to add as many as 150 employees to help meet demand for the two aircraft models.
AVFUEL added two fixed-base operators to its dealer network. Supermarine of Santa Monica, Calif. and Fayetteville FBO in northwest Arkansas are the latest Avfuel dealers. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Avfuel has 800 Avfuel-branded dealers and 2,500 other aviation customers in the U.S.
PRIVATESKY AVIATION SERVICES signed a five-year agreement with Exxon-Mobil Aviation under which PrivateSky will double its maintenance service center capacity at SW Florida International Airport. PrivateSky will break ground on a 15-acre tract later this month for a new maintenance service center adjacent to its existing facilities. Slated for completion by mid-year, the new facilities will enable PrivateSky to work simultaneously on up to 12 Gulfstream-size aircraft.
PILATUS Model PC-7 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-30-AD; Amendment 39-12579; AD 2001-26-13) - requires inspection of the landing-gear emergency-extension cable for damage and replacement if necessary; verification of the correct installation of the bowden-cable conduit clamp and correction if necessary; and modification of the temperature-control lever mechanism. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
SAAB Model SAAB SF340A and SAAB 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-91-AD; Amendment 39-12576; AD 2001-23-12 R1) - revises an existing AD that currently requires a one-time review of records to determine whether an airplane has been repainted since its delivery from the factory; and a one-time inspection to detect damage associated with improper preparation for the repainting, and corrective action if necessary.
Gulfstream Aerospace, which acquired Galaxy Aerospace and that company's new aircraft completion facility at Alliance Airport in Ft. Worth, Texas just eight months ago, now plans to quit doing completions at the Ft. Worth plant and will lay off most of the workers there over the next three to six months.
MD HELICOPTERS Model MD900 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-56-AD; Amendment 39-12601; AD 2001-25-51) - publishes an amendment adopting AD 2001-25-51, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model MD900 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires performing a dual power confirmation test on the Integrated Instrument Display System (IIDS) and inserting a revision to the rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), as applicable. If the IIDS fails the power test, replacing it is required before further flight.
AVA MIMS was named director of FAA's Office of International Aviation, overseeing both the Washington headquarters staff and 130 FAA representatives on five continents. Mims became acting director of the Flight Standards Division in September 2001. She had been deputy director of Flight Standards since May 1999.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT founder Clyde Cessna was inducted into the First Flight Shrine at Kitty Hawk, N.C. by the First Flight Society and the National Park Service. Since 1966, the First Flight Society has selected individuals annually to recognize their "first" contributions to aviation. Cessna was honored for his aircraft designs and contributions to general aviation. Cessna Aircraft, in its 75th year of business, has produced more than 190,000 aircraft.
The parent company of Cincinnati Machine named two new senior executives, including a new president. Dan Janka, a 17-year veteran of the company, was named president of Cincinnati Machine's U.S.-based machinery business. He will be responsible for its U.S. and worldwide operations. Janka was instrumental in the development of the Composites Machinery business, which provides the highly automated composite filament machines used by aircraft manufacturers, including Raytheon Aircraft, for its composite-construction aircraft such as the Premier I and Horizon.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-241-AD; Amendment 39-12589; AD 2001-26-23) - requires replacement of the observer's seat latch assembly with a new, improved seat latch assembly. This action is necessary to prevent the observer's seat from separating from its attachment points in the event of an accident or emergency landing, due to an understrength seat latch assembly. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 35 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $56,420, or $1,612 per airplane. Effective date is Feb. 8.
MICHAEL SCOTT CHEAIRS was named Southwest regional sales manager for Jet Aviation in Dallas, Texas. He will be responsible for aircraft charter and management sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arizona. Cheairs, who has more than 14 years of sales experience, was most recently director of sales for e-Suite, Inc.
The Federal Aviation Administration is calling for more closely tracking life-limited aircraft parts but says it will allow a number of options, including the use of existing record-keeping, to prevent outdated parts from entering service on an aircraft. The rule, released last week, comes at the direction of Congress, which feared that old, used-up parts continue to get installed on aircraft.
An aviation venture capital group bought the long-time family-owned helicopter services and air medical specialist, Keystone Helicopter Corporation of West Chester, Pa. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The venture capital group, assembled under the name of Keystone Ranger Holdings, includes aviation services investor Ranger Aerospace and the private equity investment firms Meridian Venture Partners and CD Ventures.
CORPORATE ANGEL NETWORK, celebrating its 20th year of service, made its 14,000th flight, carrying a nine-year-old leukemia patient home. BellSouth Corporation, a participant in the network since 1998, flew the patient from Teterboro, N.J., near Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, to Atlanta, Ga., where the patient lives.
RAYTHEON Model 58P, 60, A60, B60, and 65-88 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-32-AD) - proposes to require installation of new exterior operating instruction placards for the exit doors. The proposed AD is the result of Raytheon improving the visibility and understandability of the door operating instruction placards. This was done as a result of difficulty opening the emergency exits of a similar type design airplane. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to assure that clear and complete operating instructions are visible for opening the exit doors.
Computer Sciences Corp. won a 10-year contract from Gulfstream Aerospace to provide wide-ranging support of the aircraft manufacturer's computer systems. CSC, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., said the 10-year information technology outsourcing agreement is valued at $510 million. CSC is responsible for mainframe, midrange and desktop computer operations as well as development and maintenance of all applications software. Approximately 220 Gulfstream information systems professionals transitioned to CSC when the contract commenced Dec. 29.
GENERAL AVIATION is losing a long-time advocate on Capitol Hill with the planned retirement of Rep. James Hansen (R-Utah) at the end of the year. Hansen, 69, a 22-year veteran of Congress, serves as chair of the House Resources Committee, where he has been a strong defender of access to airspace over public lands and a supporter of the air tour industry. Hansen also was a key backer of the General Aviation Revitalization Act, which provided product liability protections to small plane-makers.
