JET AVIATION added a Challenger 604, a Falcon 900B and a Galaxy aircraft to its management and charter fleet in Europe. The Challenger will be based in Zurich, Switzerland, the Falcon in Antwerp, Belgium, and the Galaxy in Geneva, Switzerland. Jet Aviation manages and charters more than 150 aircraft in the U.S. and Europe, providing 45,000 charter hours last year.
Model 328-300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-339-AD) - proposes to require replacing the brake assemblies with modified brake assemblies. This action is necessary to prevent overheating of the brakes, which could result in cracked pistons and consequent leakage and burning of the hydraulic fluid. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition. FAA estimates that eight airplanes on the U.S. Registry would be affected by this proposed AD at a cost of $4,320, or $540 per airplane.
DAN HENCHAL was promoted to regional sales manager for Garrett Aviation. Based at Regent Aviation in St. Paul, Minn., Henchal will market Garrett services on airframes and TFE731 engines in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska. Before joining Garrett, Henchal held various positions with Dallas Airmotive, Signature Flight Support, Mesaba Aviation and Van Dusen Airport Services Company.
Docket No.: 29893 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Sec. 25.335(e)(3) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow Boeing (1) design flap speeds, VF, to be calculated based on a power-on stall speed with the critical engine inoperative and the operative engines at the power setting appropriate for the flight condition, and (2) design flap speed, VF, to be calculated using a multiplying factor of 1.6 (rather than 1.8) applied to the power-on stall speed, for the full flap configuration of the airplane only.
THOMAS RECHSTEINER was named head of production, maintenance and outfitting for Jet Aviation Basel. Rechsteiner has 12 years of aviation industry experience, as an aircraft mechanic and later as an engineer. He has served with Swissair and SR Technics in Zurich.
ROBERT CRANDALL, former chairman and CEO of American Airlines, was named the 2001 recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for outstanding achievement in commercial aviation. Crandall is recognized for developing the first frequent-flyer mileage program and heading the team that developed the SABRE reservations system.
Model DHC-7-100, -101, -102, and -103 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-181-AD; Amendment 39-12182; AD 2001-08-05) -- requires inspecting the endcaps of the main landing gear selector valve for leaks of hydraulic oil and, if leaks are detected, replacing the leaking endcaps or the entire selector valve. This amendment also requires eventual replacement or rework of certain selector valves, which would terminate the repetitive inspections.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9128 (previously Docket No. 05010) Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.119(b) and (c), 91.159, 91.175(a) and (b), and 91.179(b) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit the FAA AVN and the USAF FIC to deviate from certain flight rules required by subpart B of Part 91 while conducting flight inspections of air navigation facilities and instrument approach procedures. Grant, March 30, 2001, Exemption No. 5118D
SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SRI) is hosting the 2001 Aerospace Coatings Removal and Coatings Conference May 22-24 in San Antonio, Texas. More than 250 commercial and military aircraft fleet maintenance and operations personnel, researchers, technological developers and original equipment manufacturers are expected to attend the conference, which focuses on technical and management issues.
JACK STOCKMANN was appointed vice president of U.S. Private Fleet and client services for Jet Aviation. Stockmann will manage day-to-day operations of Jet Aviation's Private Fleet in addition to overseeing fiscal management and acting as executive liaison. He has more than 24 years of aviation management experience, most recently with Xerox Corporation's Corporate Aviation Services Group. He also has served as director of operations for Wayfarer Aviation and TAG Aviation and vice president of operations for the TAG StarShares program.
NASA Administrator Dan Goldin is developing a joint letter with FAA Administrator Jane Garvey on a long-term working partnership that Goldin hopes will result in "revolutionary...not evolutionary" technologies for the future of the national aviation system. The partnership will aim at improving air traffic flow, popularizing general aviation and developing new aircraft that are radically different from any of the designs today, Goldin told the Senate science, technology and space subcommittee late last month.
ATLANTIC AVIATION CORP. added a Gulfstream IISP based in Morristown, N.J. to its charter fleet, bringing to 23 the number of turbine-powered aircraft managed and/or chartered by the company's Flight Services division in Teterboro, N.J
Model MD-900 helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-15-AD; Amendment 39-12175; AD 2001-07-09) - supersedes an existing emergency AD that requires, within six hours time-in-service (TIS), or before further flight after Jan. 31, 2000, whichever came first, inspecting the main rotor upper hub assembly drive plate attachment flange and determining the torque of each flange nut. If a crack is found, the hub assembly must be replaced before further flight. The emergency AD also requires, within 25 hours TIS or before further flight after Jan.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION has signed off on FAA's proposal to create a new Subpart K of Part 91 to govern fractional aircraft operations, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta told the General Aviation Manufacturers Association board last week. FAA finished work on the proposal and shipped it to DOT for review at the end of January (BA, Feb. 5/59). The proposal next heads to the Office of Management and Budget before it is cleared for publication in the Federal Register, but Mineta said it should go through without problems.
SERGIO AGUIRRE joined Securaplane Technologies as director of corporate aviation sales. Aguirre previously was western regional sales manager for AirShow and, before that, was with Gulfstream Aerospace in Long Beach, Calif.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8616 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought Disposition: To permit PAI to operate certain aircraft under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder installed in the aircraft. Grant, March 6, 2001, Exemption No. 7453
Model G-1159, G-1159A, G-1159B, G-IV, and G-V series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-83-AD; Amendment 39-12191; AD 2001-08-13) -- requires an inspection to determine if certain door control valves of the landing gear are installed, and modification of the valve, if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent loss of hydraulic system fluid due to failure of the door control valve of the landing gear, which could require the flight crew to use alternate gear extension procedures (landing gear blow down) for landing of all models.
Concerned about the loss of high-yield first-class passengers from its scheduled airline service, United Airlines is moving aggressively to launch a new fractional aircraft ownership program using business jets and plans to brand its new enterprise and begin selling shares next month (BA, April 30/203).
JOHN LOH was appointed manager of field service at Dassault Falcon Jet. Loh joined Dassault Falcon Jet in 1988 as an aircraft technician and was named a field service representative a year later. Most recently he was a senior field service representative.
General Dynamics, aggressively growing its Aerospace Group through acquisitions, plans to acquire Galaxy Aerospace next month for $330 million in cash, a relative bargain since the deal includes a $2 billion order for up to 100 Galaxy business jets from Executive Jet International.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION scheduled a series of tax forums and aircraft resourcing options workshops. The tax forums will be held May 14 in Teterboro, N.J., July 16 in San Diego, Calif., and Sept. 16-17 in New Orleans. The aircraft resourcing workshops are slated for May 15 in Teteroboro, June 29 in Minneapolis, Minn., July 17 in San Diego and Sept. 21 in New Orleans.
A CALIFORNIA COMPANY, Airstrip America, launched a web site featuring an online airport directory with photographs of runways, approaches and aerial views supplied by pilots and airport managers. The site, AirstripAmerica.com, "is a free site dedicated to establishing an online photography database of the nation's landing facilities, including grass strips, airparks, taxiways and landmarks," according to President David M. Soyka.
FLIGHT SERVICES GROUP added a new charter base at the Monterey, Calif. Peninsula Airport (MRY) and will have three new additions to its Part 135 fleet based there -- a Challenger 600, a Citation III and a King Air 200. The three aircraft added to FSG's certificate boosted the company's total fleet of managed and charter aircraft to more than 50. FSG recently was acquired by PrivatAir, S.A. (BA, Feb. 19/84).
SCOTT BRENNER, former director of communications for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who served on the White House transition team, was named FAA's assistant administrator for public affairs (APA-1). Brenner replaced Eliot Brenner (no relation) who left the agency earlier this year.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8352 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 61.153(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Abel to obtain an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate before reaching 23 years of age. Denial, March 26, 2001, Exemption No. 7472
