FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is proposing to extend until May 10, 2000 the prohibition on flight operations over portions of the territory and airspace of Afghanistan by FAA-certificated airmen, carriers or anyone using a U.S.-registered aircraft. The prohibition, which was originally adopted as Special Federal Air Regulation 67 in May 1994, must be continued, FAA said, because of the hazard to people and aircraft posed by the continuing civil war in Afghanistan. The notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the April 1 Federal Register.
Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-217-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection for corrosion of electrical connectors in certain areas on the pressure bulkhead and rear baggage bay areas, and repair, if necessary. The proposal also would require installation of improved sealing. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Model P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-141-AD) - proposes to require modification of the low pitch stop switch support. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent low pitch stop switch support displacement, which could result in an improper cockpit indication that the propeller is in the beta range and cause loss of control of the airplane.
BOEING, which has encountered numerous problems while attempting to ramp up production levels of its airline transports, said Thursday it expects production costs will exceed estimated revenues for the first 400 units of the new 737-600/700/800 line.
Ayres Corp. of Albany, Ga., will build a 135,000-square-foot plant in a 240-acre industrial park in Dothan, Ala., where it will assemble the company's new Loadmaster LM200 aircraft. The Loadmaster will have a gross weight of 19,000 pounds and will be powered by two LHTEC CTP800 turboshaft engines - a commercial variant of the T800 used in the U.S. Army Comanche helicopter - driving a single nose-mounted propeller through a common gearbox.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, will hold a field hearing April 16 in Las Vegas, Nev. to discuss air service in southern Nevada. Sen. Richard Bryan (D-Nev.) will preside at the hearing, which will include testimony from the airline industry and local business and community leaders. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
TPE331 series turboprop and TSE turboshaft engines (Docket No. 97-ANE-13; Amdt. 39-10327; AD 98-04-15) - requires replacement or radiographic inspection and replacement, if necessary, of certain third- stage turbine stators with serviceable parts. This amendment is prompted by a report of an outer band weld that cracked after a radiographic inspection required by a previous AD.
MAKING ROOM for production of its 70-passenger Series 700 Regional Jet, Bombardier has decided to move final assembly of the company's slow-selling CL-415 water bomber line from Quebec to Ontario. Location of the new CL- 415 assembly plant has not been determined, but Bombardier said all other water bomber operations including engineering, manufacturing and aircraft subassmbly through to marketing, sales and customer support will remain in Montreal.
A LITTON CLAIM that Honeywell deliberately infringed on a patent associated with Litton's navigation technology was sent back to district court by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for further proceedings. Honeywell said it was "very pleased" by the court's action, while Litton said it was "disappointed." The case began in 1990. The first verdict, a $1.2 billion damage award for Litton, came down in 1993, and the case has been battled in the courts since then.
A collision between a Cessna 172 and a CitationJet April 4 in the Atlanta area claimed the lives of all five people aboard the two aircraft, including four attorneys in the light business jet. The jet, N111LR, S/N 525-0222, was registered to Alpha Wolf Enterprises, LLC of Atlanta and was carrying four lawyers - all members of the firm of Dow, Lohnes&Albertson - on a business trip to Pennsylvania.
DIRECTV, the digital television entertainment provider, signed an agreement with Airshow TV under which corporate jet passengers will be able to tune into live broadcasts of television programs while in flight. Programming provided by DIRECTV will appear on the Airshow TV system this month and can be picked up by aircraft equipped with the proper satellite dish technology.
The Government of Ontario, one of Bombardier's best customers for the Canadair CL-215 water bomber, signed a deal to replace its fleet of nine piston-powered aircraft with a like number of new turbine-powered CL-415s, a transaction valued at $225 million (Canadian) by the manufacturer. Deliveries of the new aircraft are to begin this month to Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and continue through December. As part of the agreement, Bombardier will buy back the nine CL-215s over a three-year period and will sell or lease them to other operators.
Bombardier's Global Express business jet is in the final stages of its certification program and is scheduled to begin function and reliability (F&R) testing this month, company officials told the European Business Aircraft Association conference in Brussels, Belgium last week.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
BARRY VALENTINE, former top FAA executive, is joining Zuckert, Scoutt&Rasenberger's consulting affiliate, Farragut International, where he will be director of aviation technical services. Valentine joined FAA in March 1994 as assistant administrator for policy, planning and international aviation, and later served as both acting administrator and acting deputy administrator before leaving the agency at the end of 1997 (BA, Dec. 22/270).
The ability to return to service helicopters that have been damaged by floods or water landings depends on the rapid recovery and cleaning of those aircraft, Bell Helicopter Textron told its operators in the latest edition of the company's Rotorbreeze newsletter.
Superior Air Parts, the Dallas-Texas-based manufacturer and distributor of products for the piston-powered general aviation fleet, completed the acquisition March 31 of Aircraft Technology Corp./Spirit Air of Addison, Texas. Superior, which emerged from bankruptcy protection last year with some new, well-heeled owners, "is in the acquisition mode" these days, according to Bernie Coleman, president and chief executive of Superior. Aircraft Technology Corp. (ATC) was Superior's No.
CONGRESS approved FAA's request to transfer nearly $25 million in fiscal 1998 funds from other programs into the Year 2000 Program, recognizing the priority of the computer upgrade effort. The House Appropriations Committee approved the request March 24 and the Senate Appropriations Committee followed suit this month.
Triumph Group, Inc, Wayne, Pa., sold the assets of its Deluxe Specialties division in Hutchinson, Kan., to a newly formed affiliate of Allied Lubrication Equipment&Services, Inc., Rock Falls, Ill. Deluxe Specialties, one of four companies in Triumph's Metals Group, manufactures fuel tanks and hydraulic reservoirs. It had revenues of approximately $10 million in 1997. Richard C.
JET AVIATION signed a long-term contract with FlightSafety International for training of its pilots and maintenance technicians from around the world. Jet Aviation said the integrated training program will make use of the diverse range of FlightSafety courses at FSI learning centers or selected Jet Aviation locations. Jet Aviation added that its maintenance technicians "will use most of the more than 200 training courses regularly offered in the FSI annual training schedule. Jet Aviation fly more than 145 different aircraft managed by the company.
WYMAN-GORDON CORP., North Grafton, Mass., reported net income of $23.9 million for the nine months ended Feb. 28, compared with $29.9 million for the same period a year earlier. Revenues totaled $551.1 million, up 29.3 percent.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE was awarded the ICAS-Von Karman Award for International Cooperation in Aeronautics for the Global Express business jet program, the Canadian manufacturer said last week.
Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-199-AD) - proposes to require replacement of certain wheel tie bolts with new bolts and placing a life limit on the bolts. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent metal fatigue failure of the wheel tie bolts, which could result in a tire burst or loss of the main wheel/tire assembly and reduce controllability of the airplane.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE was awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to help find a fix for a problem that caused the Army and Air Force to ground their fleet of more than 900 UH-1 Huey helicopters because of excessive engine vibrations. The vibrations cause failure of the T-53-L-13 engine's N2 spur gear. AlliedSignal Aerospace, which manufactures the engine, was awarded a not-to-exceed contract to help fix the high-cycle fatigue problem.
MARK DANIN, a former Marine Corps officer, was named vice president-charter and flight operations for Raytheon Aircraft Services. Danin is responsible for all charter and flight management functions at RAS and reports to John Willis, president of RAS. Danin, who attained the rank of colonel in the Marine Corps, joined Raytheon in 1994 as a demonstration pilot and safety officer. Most recently he had been chief pilot-propeller aircraft demonstrations.
