A Challenger 604 business jet carrying two top executives of a U.S. farm equipment manufacturer, and three pilots, crashed on takeoff from Birmingham, England Friday, killing all aboard.
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION indicates deliveries of new turbine business aircraft in 2001 could exceed the tally of 904 units delivered in calendar 2000. According to information compiled by AvData, Inc. of Wichita, Kan., 667 new jets and 225 new turboprops were delivered to users throughout the world in the year just ended. Since provisional numbers for November and December are expected to increase, the total will probably exceed 910 new aircraft, AvData said. Cessna led the pack with 282 Citation business jets delivered.
HONEYWELL Models LTS101-600A-2 and LTS101-600A-3 turboshaft engines; and LTP101-600A-1A and LTP101-700A-1A turboprop engines (Docket No. 99-NE-17-AD; Amendment 39-12557; AD 2001-25-04) - requires replacing certain fuel controls that have beryllium-copper bellows with improved fuel controls that incorporate Inconel 718 stainless steel welded bellows. This amendment is prompted by a report of an uncommanded power loss on a Textron Lycoming LTS101 engine due to a corrosion-damaged fuel control bellows.
CFE COMPANY Model CFE738-1-1B turbofan engines (Docket No. 2001-NE-28-AD; Amendment 39-12570; AD 2001-26-06) - requires the removal of certain fan rotor disks from service. This amendment is prompted by a report from a forging manufacturer of a metallurgical inclusion (contaminant) found in a forging made from a certain ingot of titanium. Fan rotor disks for model CFE738-1-1B engines have been manufactured from this same ingot and are suspect for metallurgical inclusions.
JEFF PACKER joined Keystone Aviation, LLC, d/b/a Million Air SLC, as business development manager. Packer, a commercial pilot and flight instructor, has a background in sales, marketing and customer service, most recently with Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kan. and CompUSA. The Salt Lake City, Utah company specializes in aviation charter, aircraft maintenance and aircraft sales, and also operates facilities in West Jordan and Provo, Utah.
CAE last week completed its acquisition of SimuFlite Training International, positioning itself as a major player in the business jet training market (BA, Jan. 1/3). The companies last month announced the definitive agreement under which CAE would buy SimuFlite from GE Capital Commercial Equipment Financing for $247 million. The SimuFlite purchase was CAE's third significant flight training acquisition in a year. It also bought Schreiner Aviation Training of The Netherlands in August and the former Reflectone facility in February.
The Department of Transportation is considering a special "set-aside" of money for air ambulances, air tour operators and other carriers that may not otherwise receive adequate compensation for their losses stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Congress directed DOT to provide up to $4.5 billion in direct compensation to air carriers under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act that was adopted shortly after the terrorist attacks
An airport advisory group in South Carolina is considering plans that call for closing down two general aviation (GA) airports, consolidating them into a new facility. An airport advisory committee for Horry County has called upon Delta Airport Consulting to conduct an FAA-funded study of the county's airports as part of the county's long-range aviation planning, and is considering Delta's plan to replace two airports. "It's forward-thinking we seldom see from municipal bodies," said Delta project engineer Ed Beale.
DASSAULT Model Mystere-Falcon 50 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-335-AD) - revises an earlier proposed AD applicable to certain Dassault Model Mystere-Falcon 50 series airplanes, that would have required repetitive tests of double-skin feeder tanks for fuel leaks, and corrective actions, if necessary. It also would have required modification of seals in the feeder tanks, which would have terminated the repetitive leak tests. That proposal was prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign airworthiness authority.
TAG AVIATION expanded its services in the San Francisco Bay area to provide round-the-clock availability for transient maintenance. TAG launched its 24/7 "Blue Light" maintenance service in White Plains, N.Y. in early 1998.
MICHAEL HELTON was appointed aviation division director for the industrial project group at the Haskell Company. He will be responsible for project direction and customer relations with clients such as FlightSafety International, Gulfstream and Jet Aviation. Helton joined Haskell in 1996 and was most recently director of project development.
ROLLS-ROYCE 250-C20 series turboshaft and 250-B17 series turboprop engines - makes a correction to AD 2001-24-12 applicable to Rolls-Royce 250-C20 series turboshaft and 250-B17 series turboprop engines, that was published Dec. 4, 2001. The AD number being superseded was inadvertently omitted under the heading of the AD. This document corrects that omission. In all other respects, the original document remains the same. Effective date is Dec. 19.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp., which has been led by its founder for more than 50 years, announced several changes in its corporate management "designed to position the company for its continued aerospace industry leadership," the White Plains, N.Y. firm announced. Leonard Greene, who founded the company in 1946, named his son, Randall (Randy) Greene, 56, president and chief executive. The senior Greene, who has held those titles since the company's inception, will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors.
AIR TRACTOR AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-36-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 2001-10-04 R1, which lowered the safe life for the wing lower spar cap on certain Air Tractor, Inc. AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes. AD 2001-10-04 R1 resulted from numerous reports of cracks in the 3/8-inch bolthole of the wing lower spar cap on the affected airplanes.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Friday released the latest version of its Operational Evolution Plan (OEP), the long-term outline for incrementally modernizing the national airspace system (BA, June 11/289). Little had changed since release of the first version in June, except for a few schedule slips in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. "The events of Sept. 11 have impacted some timelines but not our blueprint for change," FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD. Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-07-AD) - proposes to require replacement of the metered connector and oxygen tubing and related components in the rear seat bench. This proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
DORNIER LUFTFAHRT Model 228-212 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-29-AD; Amendment 39-12562; AD 2001-25-09) - requires inspection of the brake housing subassembly for cracks, nicks, or corrosion. This AD also requires replacement of damaged brake housing assemblies and modification of the torque take-out cavity. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Germany.
THE OEP calls for moving forward with reduced vertical separation minimums over domestic airspace at high altitudes by the end of 2004. FAA still expects to release a proposal in April outlining its plan to eventually reduce vertical separation between aircraft from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet between Flight Levels 290 and 390. General aviation groups have urged FAA initially to begin with FL350-FL390 and gradually phase in other altitude blocks. FAA is considering that implementation, but may propose limited RVSM below FL350.
DUNCAN AVIATION'S Mike Witmer was awarded Structures Designated Engineering Representative authorization from the Wichita, Kan. FAA Aircraft Certification Office. The authorization allows Witmer to approve engineering technical data within the limits of FAA Form 8110-3 and witness FAA compliance tests and inspections.
Raytheon got the go-ahead from the U.S. military last week to produce Lots 9 through 13 of the T-6A Texan II primary trainer aircraft - a deal with a $1.22 billion potential value. The one-year contract with four one-year options is Raytheon Aircraft's largest military deal to date and will cover production for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System aircraft and related ground-based training devices through 2006.
EUROCOPTER France Model AS 332C, L, L1, and L2 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-78-AD; Amendment 39-12560; AD 2001-25-07) - supersedes an existing AD that applies to Eurocopter France Model AS 332C, L, L1, and L2 helicopters. That AD requires conducting a filter clogging warning test, and, if necessary, replacing a jammed valve with an airworthy valve.
The Department of Transportation exempted most on-demand air charters and some smaller air carriers from a mandate to collect a $2.50 fee from passengers to defray the cost of increased security services. DOT's newly formed Transportation Security Administration last week issued an interim rule that requires air carrier passengers to pay the $2.50 fee, but included only those passengers who travel on planes with more than 60 seats and those who board planes from a "sterile area." Sterile areas are those that require passengers to go through security checkpoints.
LEE AIR is supplying the auxiliary roll trim controller for Raytheon Aircraft's Premier I business jet. The company said it developed and delivered the first conforming unit within 25 days of the initial requirement notification, earning it the permanent contract. Founded in 1981, the Wichita firm designs and produces electronic controllers and accessories for corporate and regional aircraft.
A production model URET (User Request Evaluation Tool), the last major part of the Free Flight Phase 1 program, went into daily use last month at the Kansas City en route traffic control center 21 weeks early. John Thornton, program manager for FAA, said URET will aid controllers in granting pilot requests to fly more direct routes or to use different altitudes. The controller punches in the request and the proposed route or altitude flashes green or red. The controller is immediately advised if the request is safe.
UAL fractional start-up Avolar confirmed a deal with Gulfstream for up to 67 Gulfstream 200 (formerly Galaxy) business jets that Gulfstream parent General Dynamics announced when it released its third quarter financial results in October. The agreement includes firm orders for 24 G200s, options for 43 more and a long-term maintenance agreement, which have a potential value of more than $2 billion. Deliveries of the aircraft are slated to begin in 2002 and continue through 2007. The Avolar order is the second large order for the G200.
