FAA Friday published a proposal to require maintenance facilities and manufacturers to mark and dispose of life-limited aircraft parts in a prescribed manner to make sure that such parts are not used improperly.
DEVORE AVIATION CORP. named Jonathan Bent, a 23-year veteran of the company, president, Chairman Arnold Robinson said last week. Bent, who began his career with Pan American World Airways in the late 1960s, joined DeVore in 1977 and has held various positions including director of marketing and vice president. DeVore, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., designs and manufactures a wide range of exterior and interior aircraft lighting systems, composite and metal structures, including wingtips, composite cargo pods and visual guidance systems for airports and heliports.
GAL DAVID ROSENBERG was appointed program manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East for Bearing inspection Inc. Rosenberg formerly was international sales director at Fields Aircraft Spares.
Flight Visions, the Sugar Grove, Ill. company that first brought the head-up display (HUD) to the corporate market, has teamed with Universal Avionics to introduce a new lightweight, lower-price HUD for mid-size and large business jets. Flight Visions will design and build the HUD, designated UH-5000, to Universal's specifications and Universal will market and sell the units under its own brand name, said Charles Edmonson, executive vice president of Universal.
JET AVIATION has added 18 aircraft to its management fleet since the beginning of 2000, and now has more than 150 aircraft in its worldwide fleet. "We are experiencing unprecedented growth in the Middle and Far East and in Europe," said Jurg Reuthinger, vice president and general manager of Jet's European Aircraft Management Division. Recent fleet additions include a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 with a VIP interior in the Middle East; a Falcon 900EX in Europe and a Bombardier Global Express, which is being outfitted and which will be based in the Far East.
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Massport), under an FAA investigation for its attempts to restrict Part 121 charter air carriers at Boston Logan International Airport, last week continued to push its philosophy of giving priority to scheduled air carrier aircraft (BA, Oct. 2/153). At a hearing before the House aviation subcommittee, Massport Executive Director Virginia Buckingham said that when she tries to direct charter operations to reliever airports, she gets warning letters from FAA.
JENNIFER JENNINGS was named sales manager for SimuFlite Training International's QuickTurn division. She joined SimuFlite in 1996 as an administrative assistant for the training services department and most recently was coordinator for the company's Raytheon program.
THE MARKET for used corporate aircraft continues to be strong, according to the latest CIT annual forecast. The financial services firm expects that 2,400 used aircraft - including 1,300 jets - will change hands this year, followed by 2,375 (1,325 jets) in 2001.
THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS and fatalities involving business jets and turboprops was up through the first nine months of 2000, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. There were 14 business jet accidents, including five fatal accidents that claimed six passengers and nine crew members, so far this year. That compares with 12 accidents with no fatalities in the same period last year, excluding a Learjet shot down by Ethiopian Defense Forces.
ISRAEL wants to buy 35 Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters and related systems and equipment for $525 million, the Pentagon said. The request includes 70 General Electric T700-GE-701 engines, 29 spare T700s and external rescue hoist provisions. Israel is currently a Black Hawk operator.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Friday extended the comment period on its proposal to charge air traffic control fees for aircraft that transit U.S.-controlled airspace but neither take off from, nor land in, the U.S. Comments had been scheduled to close Oct. 4, but FAA pushed the deadline to Oct. 27 "to ensure that affected entities (mostly foreign) have sufficient time to comment." For more information, contact Randall Fiertz in FAA's Office of Performance Management, at (202) 267-7140; or fax, (202) 493-4191.
EJETS, an Internet charter broker, subscribed to Flight Safety Foundation's Q-Star Charter Provider Verification Program as well as Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US) Charter Evaluation and Qualification reporting service to provide independent audits and aviation safety background information on its charter companies. "Safety is our priority. It is imperative to have pertinent operator and aircraft information available to everyone," said Rick Robinson, eJets president.
FAA late last month issued a handbook bulletin allowing designated flight instructor examiners to conduct initial certified flight instructor practical tests if an FAA aviation inspector is unable to schedule an initial CFI check-ride within two weeks from the original request. The bulletin follows a meeting between high-level agency officials and the General Aviation Coalition earlier last month, when coalition members urged FAA to increase industry delegation responsibilities.
Federal action has produced a settlement in a civil lawsuit that environmental groups are waging against the Baltimore-Washington International Airport over the airport's handling of aircraft de-icing fluids.
DeCrane Aircraft formed a new Seating Division within its Cabin Management Group, a move the company said "will greatly enhance seating design and manufacturing operations by providing expedited delivery and service, improved quality control and turnkey aircraft interior solutions to OEMs, completion centers, and refurbishment companies."
BARFIELD, INC., Miami, Fla., opened a new repair station located near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Tempe, Ariz. The 9,000-square-foot facility will provide repair and overhaul services to Barfield customers in the western U.S. and the Pacific Rim. Barfield, a subsidiary of Sogerma Maintenance Group, also has repair and overhaul facilities in Miami and Atlanta.
Model 312 seats (Docket No. 2000-NE-09-AD; Amdt. 39-11889; AD 2000-18-04) - requires initial and repetitive inspections of the seat center crossmember for cracks, and if necessary, replacing the crossmember with a new crossmember. This amendment is prompted by reports of cracks in the crossmember that were found during normal maintenance. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent the loss of structural integrity of the seat due to such cracks. The AD is effective Oct. 12, but FAA will accept comments in the docket until Nov. 27.
IF YOU WANT TO TELL FAA what it should do to improve weather information for pilots, you'll have a chance at this week's NBAA convention in New Orleans. The agency is hosting a meeting Tuesday in the Ernest N.
MARTY FIORENTINO was elected chairman of the Jacksonville Port Authority Governing Board. Fiorentino, who was appointed to the board in 1999 and will serve a one-year term as chairman, is an attorney at Holland&Knight LLP.
JANET JULIAN was named charter development specialist for Flight Services Group. Julian joined FSG as assistant to the director of maintenance. She also has served as a flight coordinator, scheduling for aircraft owners, clients and brokers.
PRATT&WHITNEY CANADA signed a three-year maintenance cost guarantee agreement with Augsburg Airways covering turbomachinery and reduction gearboxes on the PW123 engines powering the carrier's de Havilland Dash 8 regional aircraft.
THE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE expects to give FAA an economic analysis Friday of the draft rulemaking on fractional programs that FOARC delivered to the agency early this year (BA, Feb. 28/93). The economic analysis is believed to be the last piece required from FOARC before the rulemaking can proceed, and FOARC officials remain optimistic the notice of proposed rulemaking will be sent to the Transportation Department for review this month.
