NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION, which lost its initial court challenge of a ban on Stage 2 aircraft at Naples, Fla., Municipal Airport, filed a notice of appeal and has until Oct. 23 to formally appeal the ruling (BA, Aug. 13/67). The association still is waiting the formal findings and conclusions from a California judge on a decision in favor of the City of Los Angeles upholding a Stage 2 non-addition rule at Van Nuys, Calif., airport (BA, Sept. 3/103).
Nav Canada plans to reduce about C$85 million (US$54.2 million) in costs through its operations as part of its plan for dealing with a possible C$145 million ($92.5 million) revenue shortfall during the fiscal year Sept. 1, 2001-Aug. 31, 2002. Cost cuts will come from corporate overhead, operations, purchasing and contracting, major projects and employee-related costs.
THE CONSULTING FIRM of Conklin&de Decker will hold a two-day Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar Dec. 3-4 in Dallas, Texas. The event will feature a number of presentations on assessing a flight department's equipment needs and missions, aircraft ownership alternatives, financing and leasing, federal and state taxes, insurance, appraisals and pre-buy inspections. The seminar will be held at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott. Registration fee is $995. For more information, contact Conklin&de Decker at (508) 255-5975.
CHICAGO'S two main airports will upgrade their existing building access-control systems based on fingerprint-recognition technology developed by SecuGen Corp. Smart card fingerprint-verification readers will be installed beginning this fall on approximately 1,100 doors at both O'Hare and Midway airports. The readers are designed to verify the smart-card holders' identities and permit access only to authorized employees to secure areas such as ramps and baggage-handling areas. The airports employ about 55,000 workers.
Honeywell launched a new company-wide initiative that will employ existing "core technologies" to enhance airborne and airport security. Frank Daly, Air Transport president, has been tapped to head the new aviation security effort. He will oversee a "global task force" drawn from of three of four Honeywell business groups working with various OEMs, including Boeing, with input from government and major airlines.
B/E Aerospace, adding to its mix of products and services, acquired Denton Jet Interiors, of Dallas, Texas, a leading provider of customized upholstery for business aircraft interiors. The addition of Denton combines its fabric expertise with B/E's existing seat design, manufacturing and certification capabilities, said Bob Ayers, vice president of business development for B/E Aerospace, and streamlines the customers' supply chain.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has experienced a higher than usual number of cancellations of orders for its Citation business jets as the economy has slowed this year, but officials are not concerned because the number is still relatively small. CEO Gary Hay said the company has seen 20 to 25 cancellations this year, a level he described as "four or five times higher than normal," but not unexpected given the downturn in the stock market this summer and other negative economic factors.
General aviation leaders last week continued their cry for help as their businesses entered the second month of terrorism-related operating restrictions and losses approached "catastrophic" proportions.
Fairchild Dornier broke ground Tuesday for its 728JET assembly facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, a $100 million, 17,640-square-meter plant that is expected to be completed in March 2003. The building will accommodate production of the entire 728JET family of airliners, the company said, ranging from aircraft with 55 to 110 seats. The 728, with 70 to 85 passengers, will be first on the production line.
EUROCOPTER France Model SA-365N1, AS-365N2, and SA-366G1 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-34-AD; Amendment 39-12452; AD 2000-10-08 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires inspecting each tail rotor blade for bonding separation, measuring the clearance between the tip of each tail rotor blade and the circumference of the air duct, and replacing the blade if necessary. This amendment requires the same actions but allows the pilot to perform the daily visual check and contains a damage allowance for certain blades.
AGUSTA S.p.A. Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-09-AD; Amendment 39-12450; AD 2001-20-04) - requires modifying the passenger compartment sliding doors by installing certain locking mechanism kits. This amendment is prompted by accidental opening of a passenger compartment sliding door (door) in flight due to a door locking mechanism that is too easy to accidentally open. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent accidental opening of a door in flight and subsequent loss of objects that could damage the rotor system.
JOHN HODSKINS was named Western Division vice president, sales, midsize accounts at Gulfstream Aerospace. He will be responsible for Gulfstream V-SP, Gulfstream V and Gulfstream IV-SP sales, and oversee Gulfstream 200 and 100 aircraft sales. With more than 30 years of aircraft sales experience, Hodskins was most recently Eastern Division vice president of sales at Galaxy Aerospace.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CF34 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-49-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive that requires revisions to the Engine Maintenance Program specified in the manufacturer's Instructions for Continued Airworthiness. This proposal would modify the airworthiness limitations section of the manufacturer's manual and an air carrier's approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program to incorporate additional inspection requirements.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE signed a contract with Petroleum Air Services of Cairo, Egypt for the sale of two 50-passenger Q300 regional airliners, plus options for five additional aircraft. The two aircraft on firm order, valued at $30 million (U.S.), are scheduled for delivery in May. The delivery schedule for the aircraft on option extends through July 2004. The new aircraft are designed to increase the carrier's route network in support of the oil and gas industry and to provide additional charter services to the tourism industry.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-250-AD) - proposes to require replacement of the existing smoke detectors in the cargo compartment with new, improved smoke detectors. This action is prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information from a foreign airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent false smoke warnings from the smoke detectors in the cargo compartment.
DeCrane Aircraft won a significant contract last week as it was selected by Bombardier to provide the complete cabin interior for Bombardier's new super-midsize Continental business jet. The selection "marks the first time Bombardier has turned to a single manufacturer to provide a total cabin interior for a new business aircraft," the companies said in a joint statement.
A collision between a Cessna CJ2 business jet and an SAS MD-87 on a fog-obscured runway at Milan's Linate Airport Oct. 8 killed 118 people in the aircraft and on the ground, making it the worst commercial aircraft accident in Italian history.
AEROSPACE FIRMS are rushing to get new security-related products to market. Several have come up with proposals to strengthen cockpit doors. B/E Aerospace said it sees a market of up to $2 billion for an anti-ballistic cockpit door and a camera system that permits pilots to monitor the cabin. And Honeywell has launched an initiative to develop a wide range of security and safety products for the aircraft and airport markets. See article below.
BAE SYSTEMS LIMITED Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-224-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection to detect corrosion of the flap structure and machined ribs, corrective actions if necessary, and reprotection of the rib boss bores. This action is necessary to detect and correct corrosion in the flap structure and machined ribs, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 60 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $576,000, or $9,600 per airplane.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model HP.137 Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, Jetstream Series 3101, and Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-34-AD) - on aircraft equipped with certain main landing gear radius rods, proposes to require an inspection of the MLG radius rod cylinders for the required conductivity or hardness standard. This proposed AD would also require replacement of any MLG radius rod cylinder that does not meet this standard.
RAYTHEON COMPANY said FAA commissioned its precision runway monitor (PRM) Sept. 29 at the Philadelphia, Pa. International Airport. The PRM system is an electronically scanned, monopulse secondary surveillance radar that updates an aircraft's location once very second and provides information and predictive alerts to help air traffic controllers land aircraft safely on closely spaced parallel runways. In Philadelphia, the PRM system allows aircraft to land simultaneously on parallel runways separated by just 3,000 feet.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 206L-4 helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-37-AD; Amendment 39-12449; AD 2001-20-03) - requires installing a high altitude tail rotor static stop yield indicator to allow operators to detect excessive bending loads sustained by the tail rotor yoke. A preflight check of the indicator is also required. This amendment is prompted by a determination that a tail rotor yoke with a high altitude rotor system is susceptible to a static and dynamic overload.
Nine of 10 people aboard a Peninsula Aircraft Caravan 208 were killed Wednesday when the aircraft nosedived and crashed shortly after takeoff from Dillingham, Alaska on a flight to King Salmon. One passenger, a 49-year-old woman, survived the crash and was hospitalized in critical condition. The accident happened at about 0915 local time. Weather is not believed to be a factor as it was clear and windless at the time. The temperature was in the low 30s.
