The Federal Aviation Administration says it is making progress assessing whether its aging computer systems will continue functioning without problems once internal clocks turn over in 2000, but the General Accounting Office and Transportation Department Inspector General both question the agency's ability to fix "Year 2000" computer glitches in time to ward off lengthy air traffic delays and computer shutdowns at the turn of the century.
LOU DAVIS, veteran aviation journalist and industry public relations official, died Jan. 31. Davis served as assistant to the president of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corp. while the company was working on the Fokker F27 and its own FH-227 programs. He spent eight years as editor of Air Line Pilot magazine and director of public relations for the Air Line Pilots Association. He later was editor and publisher of Commuter Air magazine and covered the commuter and regional airline market for many years for Air Transport World. Memorial services will be held Feb.
NATIONAL AIRCRAFT RESALE ASSOCIATION developed a customer benefit program for customers of NARA members that provides a range of products and services, including discounts on legal, consulting and title search fees, rebate credits on pre-purchase surveys, one-time credits of engine or aircraft service maintenance and discounts on crew training. NARA has published a brochure detailing program benefits and parti-cipants. For more information, contact the association at (703) 671-8273.
A Colorado native who learned to fly while attending the University of Denver recently completed the acquisition of Camp Systems International, the Ronkonkoma, N.Y. provider of aircraft and engine reliability data to original equipment manufacturers and operators. With all the acquisitions and mergers in the aviation business these days, that wouldn't seem unusual except that Todd Hamilton became intrigued by the company while still in college and had been trying to buy Camp (previously known as Camp Systems, Inc.) for four and one-half years.
AVIATION RESOURCE GROUP INTERNATIONAL, Aurora, Colo., is segregating its operations into three divisions "to reflect and respond to the company's primary business focuses - aviation business brokerage and merchant banking ; advisory services; and the Aviation Training Institute, which evolved over 23 years as advisers and brokers to general aviation under the banner of FBO Resource Group." The Brokerage and Merchant Banking Division will focus on FBO acquisitions and divestitures, financing and development of new and existing facilities.
AAR CORP., Wood Dale, Ill., acquired the assets of AVSCO Aviation Service Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Barfield, Inc. AVSCO, a new parts distributor to the aviation industry, had sales of approximately $80 million in its most recent fiscal year. It will be merged into AAR Cooper Aviation and will be known as AAR Cooper Aviation. Distributing parts from more than 250 manufacturers, AAR said the combined entity is expected to produce revenues of approximately $140 million in its first full year as part of AAR. AAR Corp.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association praised revisions the Federal Aviation Administration incorporated into an airworthiness directive requiring crankshaft inspections on Textron Lycoming reciprocating engines, saying the net result was an 80 percent reduction in the number of Lycoming owners affected and a dramatic drop in the cost of compliance. The proposal, issued late last month, covers nearly 10,000 Lycoming 320 and 360 series engines at a cost of $5.3 million in the first year and $606,000 annually thereafter (BA, Feb. 2/50).
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S proposals last week for transitioning to a completely user-fee-funded FAA reject a key recommendation of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission. The NCARC called for continued general fund support of FAA, a point reiterated just last month by NCARC Chairman Norman Mineta.
HAROLD MCGRAW III, president and chief operating officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies since 1993, will become chief executive officer on April 29. Joseph L. Dionne, now CEO and chairman of the board, will continue to serve as chairman.
DOUGLAS BOWEN was named vice president of operations, avionics and interiors, for JetCorp. Bowen has more than 30 years of aviation experience, including 20 years in aviation management. Previously he was director of maintenance for Enron Corp.
Models S-2A, S-2B and S-2S airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-17-AD; Amdt. 39-10263; AD 97-26-20) - supersedes AD 96-09-08, which requires repetitive inspections of the upper longerons just aft of the rear cabane struts for cracks and repair of any cracks.
Model C-212 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-277-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection for discrepancies of the spherical bearing of the aileron control rod and corrective action, if necessary; and installation of an improved retainer washer in the movable joint of the aileron control rod. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Model 2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-289-AD) - proposes to require application of sealant to the auxiliary power unit firezone bulkhead. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continued airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent hazardous amounts of flame, fuel, and vapor from entering the passenger compartments due to unsealed openings in the firezone bulkhead, which could result in a fire outside the APU firezone compartment.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are hosting a series of seminars this spring for MU-2 turboprop operators. The program will cover the new MU-2 support program, updates to the Federal Aviation Regulations, accident/incident recaps, avionics updates and common problems, and engine rigging. The seminars will be held: April 17-18 at the J.W.
UNISON INDUSTRIES received supplemental type certification from Luftfahrt- Bundesamt, the German civil aviation authority, for its SlickSTART magneto start booster. Unison said SlickSTART can deliver a minimum of 340 percent more spark energy during start than conventional impulse coupled or retard breaker systems and can reduce the expense of maintenance by extending the life of an aircraft's starter motor, battery, and alternator.
Models 402C and 414 airplanes (Docket No. 90-CE-28-AD; Amdt. 39-10259; AD 97-26-16) - supersedes AD 85-13-03 R2, which requires repetitive inspection of the engine mount beams for cracks and replacement of any cracked beams. This AD requires incorporating engine mount kits that will eliminate the need for the repetitive inspection requirement of AD 85-13-03 R2.
NATIONAL AIRCRAFT RESALE ASSOCIATION members sold $1.4 billion in used jets and turboprops during 1997. NARA said its members sold 266 jets, representing 17.4 percent of total worldwide sales of used jets, and 111 turboprops, or 8.5 percent of the total used turboprop market in 1997. The association noted that, according to AMSTAT Corp. research, 1,525 used jets and 1,312 used turboprops were sold worldwide last year.
Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-46-AD) - proposes to require installing aluminum bonding bushings over screws in certain fuel tank underwing access panels. This proposal is prompted by several reports from the field revealing fuel tank access panels were insufficiently electrically bonded to the airframe.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION won kudos from FAA last week for passing a resolution calling for NBAA members to phase out aging Stage 1 aircraft by 2005 (BA, Jan. 26/38). "I salute this impressive environmental effort by the nation's corporate aircraft operators," said FAA Administrator Jane Garvey in a statement. "This resolution represents an environmentally responsible initiative by an important segment of our aviation community working with the FAA to address noise problems at our nation's airports."
In a letter designed to drum up financial support for its lobbying efforts, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Legislative Action last month told its members that the National Civil Aviation Review Commission has begun "an all-out offensive to erase the gains" general aviation has made in the past year with its "outlandish recommendations." The letter asks why GA wasn't invited to participate on the commission and charges. "Who dominates the NCARC?
FLIGHTCRAFT tapped Dennis Mantello as director of flight operations for its Portland, Ore. fixed-base operation. Before joining Flightcraft, Mantello served as chief pilot and director of flight operations for Premier Jets in Hillsboro, Ore. He has more than 14,500 hours of flight time with type ratings in Learjet, Citation, King Air, and Beech 1900 aircraft. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for 27 years. In addition, Flightcraft named Steve Callistini Cessna Citation service manager for the Portland FBO.
Model SA-360C helicopters (Docket No. 97-SW-50-AD; Amdt. 39-10261; AD 97-26-18) - requires replacement of the main landing gear box input bevel pinion. This amendment is prompted by service reports of bevel pinion fatigue cracking. This condition could result in failure of the main gear box and a subsequent forced landing.
Federal Aviation Administration last week issued an airworthiness directive calling for inspections for corrosion pits in crankshafts on nearly 10,000 Textron Lycoming 320 and 360 series reciprocating engines. The AD, published in the Jan. 28 Federal Register, requires visual inspections of the inside diameter of the crankshafts on Lycoming 320 and 360 engines within six months or sooner, depending on age of engine and time in service since remanufacture or overhaul.
