FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION issued special conditions for the type certification of Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. parachute recovery system, the General Aviation Recovery Device, installed in Cirrus SR-20 aircraft. FAA said current regulations "do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for a parachute recovery system." The special conditions include flight test demonstration requirements intended to ensure that the system performs its intended function without exceeding its strength capabilities.
Air Transport Association took a harsh view of the Wide Area Augmentation System at a House hearing this month, recommending a "technical time-out" for a systems and funding review after an initial system of 24 ground stations is installed. FAA Associate Administrator George Donohue said ATA was repeating "inaccurate" criticism he had seen in the press during the past year, and received varying degrees of support from the General Accounting Office, DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead and aviation leaders testifying before the House Transportation aviation subcommittee.
Commander Aircraft Company, Bethany, Okla., said its board of directors authorized issuance and sale of 360,000 shares of common stock to KuwAm Corp. and its partners, the company's majority shareholder, for $10 per share.
National Air Transportation Association asked the Federal Aviation Administration last week to scrap proposed airworthiness directives on dozens of general aviation aircraft that would require incorporating certain operating restrictions and warnings into the airplane flight manuals. FAA issued more than 20 proposed ADs last month that apply to single- and multi-engine general aviation aircraft - ranging from Beech Barons and King Airs to more than two dozen Cessna and Piper models - equipped with unpowered aileron controls and pneumatic de-icing boots (BA, Sept.
NATIONAL METAL FINISHING, INC., Mirabel, Quebec, received a contract valued between $9 million and $12 million to produce and finish wing panels for the Galaxy and Astra programs. Under the risk-sharing agreement, Israel Aircraft Industries is investing $2.7 million for tooling, concept, design, manufacture and delivery of two prototype wing panel shipsets within a five-month period. The contract initially specifies delivery of 18 wing panel shipsets, comprising 22 components per shipset for the Astra and 28 on the Galaxy.
Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-189-AD) - proposes to require a detailed visual inspection of the flap drive torque tubes in the wing root area to detect inadequate clearance between the torque tubes and surrounding structure or scoring damage to the tubes; and follow-on repetitive inspections or corrective action, if necessary. Accomplishment of certain replacement and modifications would constitute terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
Dassault Falcon Jet is calling 1997 the most successful sales year in Falcon history, recording more than $1 billion in business jet sales through late September. "This is our fourth consecutive year of vigorous Falcon sales with a healthy balance of activity across our four current models," said John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon Jet. "What is exceptional for us is the growth in Falcon sales outside the traditional North American market, where conditions are increasingly competitive," Rosanvallon said.
INNOTECH AVIATION of Montreal was named a recognized maintenance facility for Pratt&Whitney Canada turbine JT15D and PT6A engines. Innotech operates out of new 70,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance and refurbishment facilities at Montreal International Airport, Dorval, Quebec. The facility will provide components, engine and propeller changes, troubleshooting, minor engine inspections and hot section inspections.
MIDCOAST AVIATION received a supplemental type certificate to install a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS I) in Hawker 400s. The STC allows Midcoast to install the antennas on the aircraft's canopy blister rather than using the standard fuselage placement. The STC also covers installation of bottom directional antennas.
NAV CANADA'S board of directors named John Crichton acting president and chief executive. Crichton, who will continue to serve as chairman of the company, will replace Kenneth Copeland in the other posts. Cope-land resigned to "pursue entrepreneurial opportunities." NAV CANADA is that country's provider of civil air navigation services.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL plans to add another Gulfstream IV-SP/EP full flight simulator to its Gulfstream training facilities. The simulator, expected to be delivered within a year, will be certified to Level D standards and include a VITAL ChromaView visual system and panoramic MultiView display.
GARY BOONE was named director of special projects for King Aerospace. Boone previously served as interior manager and estimator for Associated Air Center and also has served with Falcon Jet Corp., Aviall Aircraft Services and Cessna Aircraft.
TAG Group, the Luxembourg-based holding company that has been involved in business aviation for more than 20 years, was selected by the British Ministry of Defense to operate the Farnborough Aerodrome as a civilian business aviation facility under long-term lease. Farnborough, located southwest of London between Heathrow and Gatwick airports, is the site of the biennial Farnborough Air Show that attracts thousands of visitors to view static exhibits and flight demonstrations of a wide range of military and civil aircraft.
Model UH-12A, UH-12B, UH-12C, UH-12D, and UH-12E helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-32-AD; Amdt. 39-10151; AD 97-20-15) - supersedes an existing AD that requires a dye penetrant inspection of the head of the main rotor outboard tension-torsion (T-T) bar pin for cracks; a visual inspection of the outboard T-T bar pin for proper alignment and adjustment, if necessary; and, installation of shims at the inboard end of the drag strut.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION awarded a contract valued at more than $920,000 to Aeromet Inc. of Tulsa, Okla. for modification and engineering services on the agency's Gulfstream IV jet. NOAA primarily operates the jet in developing weather forecasts. Aeromet was a subcontractor to E-Systems during the initial outfitting of the jet, responsible for the pressure, temperature and humidity sensors; the dropwindsonde launcher; and the instrument racks.
A boom in executive charters in Europe has been reported by Air London, the international corporate charter broker. The company has seen turnover increase by 50 per cent and in the month of September sales reached one and one-half million pounds - the highest single monthly total in the company's 30-year history.
Model Hawker 1000 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-140-AD) - proposes to require modification of the aft core cowl nozzles of the engine nacelles. This proposal is prompted by a report indicating that the sealant on the core cowl nozzles may extend higher than the forward flange of the core cowl nozzles, which could result in contact between the cowl sealant surface and the lever of the engine mechanical overspeed control system.
TOP AIRBUS EXECUTIVES Edzard Reuter and Jean Pierson will be stepping down early next year. Reuter will give up presidency of Airbus Industrie's supervisory board "at the beginning of 1998 at the latest," while Pierson's mandate as chief executive will expire at the end of March, leaving direction of the aircraft-building consortium in new hands during the last, delicate phase of its planned corporatization.
DAC INTERNATIONAL and Universal Avionics Systems Corp. reached agreement with Norwegian Air Shuttle AS to retrofit its fleet of Fokker 50 aircraft with the UNS-1K flight management system. DAC, a subsidiary of Banner Aerospace, markets Universal Avionics products worldwide to airlines, governments and military programs. DAC also has agreements to provide the UNS-1K for American Eagle, TNT, Skyways, Crossair, Cayman Air and Arrow Air.
Double-digit increases in revenues and income by the company's Aircraft segment helped drive Textron's third-quarter financial results, the Providence, R.I.-based conglomerate reported last week.
GLENN GRAHAM was appointed manager of technical services for King Aerospace. Graham has 24 years of aviation experience and served with the U.S. Air Force.
BOMBARDIER BUSINESS AIRCRAFT sold a Learjet and two Challenger 604 business jets to customers in the Asia-Pacific Region. Chunichi Press of Nagoya, Japan, ordered a new Learjet 31A/ER, marking the first private-sector Learjet sale in Japan. The Learjet, which will have an extended range of 1,621 nautical miles, will be fitted with a larger cockpit glass window. The aircraft is scheduled to enter service by the end of 1998. Global Aviation Group of Singapore ordered the two Challenger 604s for its charter operations. Those aircraft will be delivered next summer.
