The National Business Aviation Association told Chicago convention officials this month that NBAA will not consider holding its annual meeting in that city because of the city's plans to close Meigs Field airport. Top NBAA officials met earlier with James Rielly, president and CEO of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, for a tour of the city's McCormick Place convention center. The NBAA convention draws more than 30,000 registrants each year who spend millions of dollars at the host city's hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION reported that the pilot of a Beech Debonair did things the hard way during a July 17 landing at the Billings, Mont. International Airport (BIL). "Aircraft landed with the nose wheel tow bar still attached, it had previously aborted a takeoff to remove the pitot cover, and the aircraft sustained propeller damage."
NASA picked four state teams to support the agency in the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) research program. Managed by the General Aviation Programs Office at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., SATS is a five-year, $69 million research program designed to increase the availability of low-cost general aviation aircraft and access to small airports.
National Business Aviation Association's board of directors approved the development of a flight department manager certification program to be part of its Professional Development Program. NBAA hopes the Certification Program for Business Aviation Flight Department Managers will "define the profession of corporate aviation management and provide nationally recognized, industry-wide standards." Certification will include education, training, mentoring and testing potential candidates in the program.
GULFSTREAM Model G-V series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-357-AD; Amendment 39-12327; AD 2001-14-16) - requires repetitively replacing the existing nose wheel steering actuator with a new or reworked actuator having the same part number. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent loss of nose wheel steering control without a corresponding alert message annunciation due to the effects of moisture intrusion into the rotary variable displacement transducer (RVDT) inside the steering actuator, and consequently, an over-steering condition.
GOODRICH CORP. reached an agreement with privately held Hella KG Hueck&Co. GmbH to acquire a 95 percent stake in the company, which Goodrich said is "the second largest manufacturer of aerospace lighting systems and related electronics in the world." The business being acquired has annual revenues of approximately $45 million and 240 employees.
A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT ordered FAA to reconsider the overflight fees it imposed last year on foreign airlines that fly through U.S. airspace without landing or taking off in U.S. territory, the second time the Court of Appeals rebuffed an attempt to impose such overflight user fees.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the Air Transport Association will host an aviation delays summit July 26 at the Washington Hilton and Towers. Objective is the "achievement of an unprecedented consensus among the full aviation community on the causes of and solutions to delays." Emphasis will be given "to the fact that a few specific, concrete actions can help avert the problems." FAA Administrator Jane Garvey is expected to address the summit.
Initial industry reaction to the FAA proposed rule on fractional ownership appeared positive last week as both the National Business Aviation Association and the National Air Transportation Association expressed cautious optimism about the rule. "NBAA is encouraged that the proposal submitted by the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee has remained essentially unchanged," said Jack Olcott, president of NBAA.
METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION at the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Airport (MSP) is soliciting public comment about expanding the Residential Sound Mitigation Program around the airport. The program is designed to reduce noise levels within homes impacted by airport noise. To be eligible under the current program, homes must be in areas that have a Day-night Noise Level of 65 decibels or greater. An expanded program would make Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport the only major U.S.
JAMES TOWLE was named director of sales power plant systems at Superior Air Parts, Inc. Towle will be in charge of the company's two engine programs: the Certified Millennium Pre-Owned Engine and the XP-360 Engine. Towle was most recently the director of engine sales at Van Bortel Engine Sales.
CATHY PATRUNO-STATHAM was named customer service supervisor for Atlantic Aviation's Teterboro, N.J. FBO (TEB). Patruno-Statham has worked for 18 years at Teterboro Airport and has nine years of customer service experience with Atlantic Aviation.
CESSNA Model 560XL airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-146-AD; Amendment 39-12320; AD 2001-14-09) - requires inspection of certain electrical wiring of the landing light switch, associated components, and the aft J-box fairing light relay wire for chafing, discoloration, or damage; rerouting of certain wiring; and corrective follow-on actions, if necessary.
A VETERAN Capitol Hill and Defense Department executive was hired by Boeing to head the company's lobbying operations in Washington, D.C. Rudy R. de Leon, 48, was named senior vice president of operations and he also will serve on Boeing's Executive Council. De Leon "will lead all federal, state and local government operations for Boeing and will report directly to the Office of the Chairman," Boeing said.
BRITISH AEROSPACE H.P. 137 Mk1, Jetstream Series 200, and Jetstream Model 3101 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-58-AD) - proposes to supersede airworthiness directive 98-13-03, which currently requires repetitive inspections of the main landing gear (MLG) hinge fittings, support angles, and attachment bolts on British Aerospace H.P. 137 Mk1, Jetstream series 200, and Jetstream Model 3101 airplanes. This AD also requires eventual installation of improved design MLG hinge fittings as terminating action for the repetitive inspections of the hinge fittings and attachment bolts.
The value of aircraft delivered by members of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association was the highest on record for the first half of 2001, GAMA said Friday. Manufacturers delivered 716 aircraft in the first half, valued at $4.4 billion, an increase of 2.8 percent in billings over the first half of 2000. The increase was sparked by continued strong deliveries of business jets - 303 in the most recent period, compared with 288 in the first six months of 2000.
MIDCOAST AVIATION developed a new composite headliner for Hawker 700 and 800 model aircraft to "improve interior appearance and increase headroom." Seven aircraft have been modified to date.
CHRISTOPHER TANIS was appointed director of charter sales at Atlantic Aviation's Teterboro, N.J. FBO (TEB). Tanis will manage charter operations and customer relations for Atlantic's Flight Services Division. Tanis previously worked in aircraft sales, charter and operations at Swiss-based Aeroleasing.
The Export-Import Bank of the United States is considering modifications to its economic impact procedures. The bank wants to expand the universe of data used to analyze economic impact; and incorporate procedural changes to make the analysis process more transparent and encourage the presentation of economic data by interested parties. The bank plans to hold a public meeting July 31 to discuss the proposed changes. A copy of the proposal can be accessed at the bank's web site at www.exim.gov.
At least two members of the House Armed Services Committee are urging the Defense Department to consider coming up with a backup plan in case the V-22 Osprey doesn't work out.
The U.S. civil aerostructures industry is losing "some of its competitive edge" as a result of consolidation in the large civil aircraft industry (LCA), an independent agency said last week.
GOODRICH CORPORATION received a Supplemental Type Certificate to supply replacement angle of attack sensors to operators of Canadair Regional Jet 100 and 200 aircraft. The angle of attack sensor has a vane dampening system, which helps eliminate mismatches between the left and right sensors during turbulent strong crosswind and low airspeed conditions. The product is interchangeable and intermixable with existing angle-of-attack sensors, allowing single replacement instead of in sets of two. Goodrich has products immediately available.
BRENT HENMAN was appointed vice president of strategic programs and outsourcing at Superior Air Parts, Inc. Henman will oversee Superior's vendor outsourcing programs.
A WAKE VORTEX UPSET is being blamed for the crash of a Cessna Model 402 at Boston's Logan Airport July 8. FAA said the aircraft, N760EA, operated by Cape Air, was taking off from Runway 22R at the Runway 15R intersection. The Cessna "caught a wake turbulence vortice from a previous Boeing 737 aircraft departure and crashed inverted on the east side of Runway 22R, between taxiways C and E," FAA said. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, suffered serious injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
Following months of negotiations and a recent agreement to sell a fixed-base operation in Orlando, Fla. (BA, July 2/7), BBA Group PLC finally completed its acquisition of Aircraft Service International Group (ASIG) from Ranger Aerospace Corp. As a result, all BBA Aviation commercial airline fueling and handling activities - some of which are provided under the Signature Commercial Services brand - will be consolidated and in the future operate under the ASIG brand, said Bruce Van Allen, North America president and chief executive of BBA Aviation.
