Commander Aircraft Corp. introduced a long-range version of its single-engine Commander 114B that will have a maximum range of just over 1,000 nautical miles. The long-range 114B will incorporate the wing of the Commander 114TC, carrying a total of 90 gallons of fuel - 88 usable.
EMBRAER EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-66-AD; Amdt. 39-10273; AD 98-01-10) - supersedes AD 87-03-10, which requires repetitive inspection of the fillet area of both the left and right main landing gear wheel axle/piston tube support junction area for cracks and replacement of any main landing gear wheel axle/piston tube assembly where a crack is found. AD 87-03-10 also provided the option of reworking this area when no cracks are found as terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
MICHAEL MOORE was appointed director of marketing for Extex, Ltd. Moore previously held marketing, sales and service positions with Pratt&Whitney, Eagle Services, AVATAR Alliance, Airwork, Learjet and FlightSafety International.
FOKKER Model F27 Mark 050 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-255-AD; Amdt. 39-10267; AD 98-01-03) - requires modification of the air outlet opening of the engine air bypass duct. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent accumulation of ice in the engine air intake duct and subsequent ingestion of ice into the engine, which could result in engine power fluctuations and reduced controllability of the airplane.
EXECUTIVE JET MANAGEMENT appointed Kathy Tyler vice president, business development, Elisha Bizzaro manager, business development, and David Sadelfeld marketing manager, business development. Tyler joined EJM in 1988, serving in customer service and flight operations. Last year she opened the business development department, which has increased the group's fleet of managed aircraft by 14. Bizzaro joined EJM six months ago and previously served with XRE, a medical imaging manufacturer. Sadelfeld previously was a flight coordinator for EJM flight operations.
Rockwell Collins will provide a complete package of navigation and communication equipment for the new Boeing Business Jet under terms of an agreement announced Wednesday. The BBJ, a derivative of the 737-700 designed for the corporate and head-of-state market, will be delivered with a new GLU-920 multi-mode receiver (MMR), TCAS II traffic alert and collision avoidance system and forward looking windshear weather radar.
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibited operators of new Cessna 172s and 182s from flying under instrument flight rules until they inspect the alternate static air source valve for an improperly placed identification placard. The airworthiness directive, published late last month after individual owners and operators were notified by priority letter, stems from the discovery that placards were installed on the valve body in an area that blocks the inlet for the static air reference into the valve on certain 172s and 182s.
MOST OF THE GROWTH in helicopter sales will be fueled by demand for light single-engine models. Current operators surveyed about their purchase expectations over the next five years named that class of aircraft 58 percent of the time. See article below.
RICHARD WOOTEN was named upholstery lead technician for King Aerospace. Wooten, who has 15 years of aviation experience, previously was upholstery lead technician for International Aviation Services.
BOMBARDIER set a company sales record in 1997 "with firm orders for 204 regional aircraft and a 42 percent share of the 20- to 90-seat world regional aircraft market." The orders came from 23 customers in 14 countries, the Canadian manufacturer said, for 160 Regional Jets and 44 de Havilland Dash 8Q turboprops, an increase of 75 units or 58 percent over 1996. Bombardier said its regional aircraft market share has grown steadily from the 27 percent posted in 1995.
COUNTY OF OCEAN, N.J. requests proposals until 5 p.m. March 23 for full fixed-base operator services at RJ Miller County Airport. For more information or to receive copies of the RFP, contact David McKeon, Ocean County Planning Department, P.O. Box 2191, Toms River, N.J. 08754; telephone: (732) 929-2054.
ALLIEDSIGNAL said continuing tests of new core engine technology are meeting or exceeding expectations. The company conducted the first run of the core demonstrator in December (BA, Dec. 22/265). Since then, AlliedSignal has completed combustor testing with three rig builds and one core test at low power. A high-pressure turbine rig test also has been successfully completed with "efficiencies exceeding expectations," according to the company.
A NEW POLICY by the European Joint Aviation Authorities would require U.S.- based flight training schools to establish an office in a JAA-member country in order for JAA to recognize pilot certificates earned by students who trained in the U.S.The policy takes effect in June 1999, but individual member countries could begin implementing it this June.
THE NUMBER of accidents involving U.S. business jets and turboprops increased last year to 51, including 15 fatal accidents that resulted in 46 fatalities, according to information compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla. That compares with 39 accidents, including 11 fatal accidents, that claimed 49 lives in 1996. A listing of worldwide accidents involving business jets is shown on Pages 91-92 of the hard copy of this issue. Robert E.
AMERICAN EAGLE confirmed an agreement with Bombardier that includes firm orders for 25 Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 aircraft and options for 25 more. The deal, valued at $1.4 billion (U.S.), was announced at last spring's Paris Air Show, but was not finalized until late last month when the parties reached definitive aircraft purchase and financing agreements (BA, June 23/275).
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLA. Department of Airports invites expressions of interest until 5 p.m. Feb. 27 for lease, on a net basis, of a parcel of about six acres at the Palm Beach County Glades Airport in Pahokee. Contact Robert Inman, Airport Properties Manager, Palm Beach County Department of Airports, Building 846, Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Fla. 33406; telephone, (561) 471-7403.
EXTEX, LTD., Mesa, Ariz., this year has expanded the number of parts manufacturer approvals it has earned by 15 percent. The replacement parts manufacturer has received FAA PMA authorization on nearly 30 more parts for Allison 250-30/40 engines. Extex has more than 200 PMAs for the Allison 250 engine. Nearly a third of those apply to the Allison 250-30/40 and the remainder apply to -20 engine models.
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES Model 1121, 1121A, 1121B, 1123, 1124, 1124A, 1125 Westwind Astra and Astra SPX series airplanes (Docket No. 97- NM-169) - proposes to require repetitive functional tests for proper operation of hydraulic fuses installed in the brake system and emergency hydraulic indicating system and replacement of any discrepant hydraulic fuse with an improved unit. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
AN EXPERIMENTAL route structure based on signals from Global Positioning System satellites for aircraft flying between Florida and the Caribbean has been under way since October, and FAA officials say the system "promises to markedly improve air access to the Caribbean and South America, making way for the dramatic airline traffic increases predicted by aviation consultants." FAA said the airway structure in the area, which handles some 1,200 daily airline flights, had been dependent on five ground-based navigational aids.
FOKKER Model F27 Mark 050 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-247-AD; Amdt. 39-10278; AD 98-01-16) - requires replacement of the spring tab balance units in the ailerons and the inboard aileron hinge bolts and bearings with improved parts. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION asked RTCA to launch an in-depth study of certification issues that will be headed by the former head of FAA's certification and regulation office and the former president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. See article below.
Cessna Aircraft, which has seen the certification schedule for its Citation Excel creep to the right, now hopes to win full FAA certification of its hot-selling business jet by this spring and begin customer deliveries this summer. Cessna said this month it completed "all requirements for basic FAA certification except for several flight director changes that were developed during the flight test program."
NEW HELICOPTER SALES are expected to be robust in the short term, spurred by the strong economy and introduction of a number of new models, according to projections by two engine manufacturers. The long-term outlook, however, is clouded by a number of factors, including low oil prices and a growing shortage of experienced commercial pilots.
BFGOODRICH AIRCRAFT SENSORS DIVISION developed and received certification for an advisory ice detection system for corporate turboprops. The system stemmed from surveys of Beech King Air operators, who expressed concern about identifying icing conditions. The system detects the presence of ice that may accrete on aircraft surfaces and notifies the flightcrew by an indicator light in the cockpit. Once an aircraft exits the icing condition, the indicator light turns off.
Fields Aircraft Spares, Inc. signed a letter of intent to acquire Skylock Industries, Inc., a Monrovia, Calif-based designer and manufacturer of hardware and retaining devices for aircraft cabin interiors. Fields did not disclose terms of the deal, which is subject to completion of a definitive agreement and due diligence analysis, but said the proposed acquisition will include a combination of cash and stock.
