FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION proposed an advisory circular on manufacturing titanium alloy rotating engine components. The proposed AC, 33-15-1, Manufacturing Process of Premium Quality Titanium Alloy Rotating Engine Components, provides guidance on acceptable methods of meeting materials suitability and durability requirements of Part 33.15. Comments on the AC must be sent before Sept. 15 to FAA, Attn.: Engine&Propeller Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, Engine&Propeller Standards Staff, ANE-110, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, Mass.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT selected Litton Industries' Amecom Division to supply LR- 100 electronic support measures receivers for PC-12 Eagle reconnaissance aircraft. Litton said the receiver will complete the aircraft's mission avionics suite, which also includes a Texas Instruments forward-looking infrared unit and a synthetic aperture radar from either Lockheed Martin or Texas Instruments, at the customer's choice.
Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-162-AD) - proposes to require installation of a contactor and relocation of the existing fuse in the battery circuit. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of the battery circuit due to a burned fuse, and consequent inability to restart the engine using batteries during flights. Comments on the proposal must be sent before Sept.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE won Federal Aviation Administration approval for the Gulfstream IV aircraft to operate in reduced vertical separation minimums airspace. Gulfstream prepared a customer data package to help operators with the paperwork to apply for RVSM authorization. "Gulfstream has worked hard during the past three years to minimize the impact and cost of RVSM to the G-IV fleet," said Gulfstream Program Manager Robert Morris.
INNOTECH AVIATION in Vancouver, Canada, signed an agreement with Abbotsford, British Columbia-based Airpro Interior Products to cooperate on business aircraft customer interior refurbishing projects. Airpro provides interior design, cabinetry, upholstery and finishing. Innotech offers aircraft sales, maintenance, repair, refurbishment, flight operations and aircraft management services.
RAYTHEON AEROSPACE, a subsidiary of Wichita, Kan.-based Raytheon Aircraft, won a one-year, $6.3 million contract to provide trainer and equipment maintenance in support of the Technical Training Center at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. The contract, awarded by the U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command, comes with five one-year options with a total potential value of $37.7 million.
PATS Inc., Columbia, Md., received a contract to install its long- range fuel system in the new Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), a derivative of the 737 airliner. Boeing negotiated an agreement with PATS in January to design and build the supplemental tank system for the 6,200-nautical mile BBJ (BA, Jan. 20/26). The 10-year contract concluded last week is in addition to the previous award, PATS said, adding that the total value of the program is expected to exceed $200 million, the largest in its history.
DASSAULT FALCON JET CORP. named Innotech Aviation of Vancouver, Canada, an authorized Falcon service center, enabling the company to service and support Falcon 10/100, 20/200 and 50 series aircraft. Innotech will serve Falcon operators in the Canadian provinces of the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The addition of Innotech brings the number of authorized Falcon service centers worldwide to 28.
Atlantic Aviation, founded in 1927 and majority owned ever since by the duPont family, entered a definitive agreement last week to be acquired by Legg Mason Merchant Banking, Inc., poising the fixed-base operation chain for growth. Atlantic Aviation officials did not disclose terms of the transaction, but said the agreement calls for the FBO, based in Wilmington, Del., to continue operating under its current name with no changes in headquarters location, management or staffing. Atlantic Aviation and Legg Mason expect to close the deal in about 30 days.
PAUL CARLSON has joined Simat, Helliesen&Eichner as a consultant in the Boston office. Carlson will specialize irregular airline operations, management and recovery from disruptions to scheduled service, and decision support models to assist airlines in rescheduling flights when severe weather reduces arrival capacity at hub airports.
ALF502 and LF507 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 96- ANE-36; Amdt. 39-10091; AD 97-05-11 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires initial and repetitive inspections of the oil system chip detectors and oil filter bypass valve, and optional installation of an improved oil filter bypass valve, to ensure integrity of the reduction gear system and overspeed protection system. This amendment adds an initial inspection threshold for the oil maintenance requirements that was inadvertently omitted from AD 97-05-11 and makes editorial corrections.
WAYFARER AVIATION, building on the success of its initial "Breakfast Club" training session on the Canadair Challenger, said it plans to host training sessions quarterly, covering a variety of topics. The next session, scheduled Aug. 19 at the company's facility in White Plains, N.Y., will review the history, performance capabilities, size, range, market positions and capabilities of Cessna Citation aircraft. The presentations will include representatives from Cessna and Wayfarer.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE said it is weeks away from receiving FAA certification for the Learjet 45 business jet. The flight test program, which includes five aircraft, had accumulated 1,700 flight hours during 950 flights by last month.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE received a contract for a precision runway monitor (PRM) system at Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok. The PRM will permit simultaneous approaches and landings on parallel runways. The system tracks and displays each aircraft, and updates position and velocity once per second, enabling air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft progress in real time.
SOUTH AFRICA set March 1998 as the target date for completing a partial privatization - up to 49 percent - of the state-owned Airports Company, which operates international airports at Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban and six national airports. The government appointed Deutsche Morgan Grenfell as its financial adviser on the privatization initiative.
Aviation industry groups last week urged New York legislators to abandon a proposal requiring state approval for runway expansion beyond 5,000 feet. The proposal passed the New York Assembly earlier this month and is now before the Senate. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Air Transportation Association separately wrote to Senate Rules Committee Chairman Joseph Bruno expressing concern that the proposal would hamper aviation development in New York.
ATLANTIC AVIATION expects to sign an agreement with the City of Philadelphia in the next few weeks to continue fixed-base operation services at Philadelphia International Airport. The FBO maintained its service at the facility after the city failed to reach agreements with Signature Flight Support and Dallas Airmotive to operate FBOs at Philadelphia International and Northeast Philadelphia (BA, June 30/287). Atlantic Aviation also bid on the Northeast Philadelphia contract but has not yet received a response.
Carburetors (Docket No. 97-ANE-16) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires the inspection of those carburetors equipped with a two-piece venturi at each annual inspection to determine if the primary venturi is loose or missing, and replacement of a two-piece venturi with a one-piece venturi within 48 months of the effective date of the existing AD.
Dallas-based American Eagle Group reached a new accord with Great American Insurance Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, to sell its aviation insurance business, and officials hope to conclude the transaction in September. The agreement, signed this month, follows the collapse of an earlier deal and the subsequent placement of American Eagle in conservation, giving the State of Texas regulatory supervision over the company's activities (BA, Aug. 4/56).
BOEING COMPANY last week demonstrated a new stitching machine that may help dramatically cut the weight and production costs of aircraft wings by substituting composite for metal structures. Developed under NASA's Advanced Composites Technology program, the stitching machine can fasten together pre-cut wing fabric layers at a rate of 3,200 stitches per minute, and then attach braided stiffener materials to boost wing strength.
CHRYSLER PENTASTAR AVIATION won FAA approval to provide Gulfstream V maintenance service, covering the airframe, BMW Rolls-Royce BR-710A-10 engines, and the AlliedSignal RE220 auxiliary power unit. Chrysler said it is the only independent Gulfstream factory-authorized service center in the U.S. to receive such approval from FAA. The Detroit, Mich., fixed-base operator also said it received authorization to install the necessary avionics equipment on Gulfstream aircraft to meet reduced vertical minimum separation requirements.
National parks overflights working group scheduled more meetings early next month to finish negotiations on a tentative approach to regulating air tour operations over national parks. The working group appears to have reached a compromise under which the Federal Aviation Administration would retain jurisdiction over the airspace above national parks, but the National Parks Service would be able to recommend limitations for an air tour's operations specifications.
The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month revised its airport security rules under Part 107, proposing to allow non-air carrier tenants to implement agreements with the airport operator for the facility's security. The notice of proposed rulemaking, published in the Aug. 1 Federal Register, generally covers access control for airports served by scheduled airlines with aircraft that have more than 60 passenger seats.
KONRAD WALTER was named director, program management, North America for Greenwich Air Services. Walter previously served as senior program manager, aircraft and engines. He joined Greenwich in 1989 and has served in a variety capacities, including quality assurance inspector, aircraft overhaul maintenance foreman, manager, aircraft maintenance and program manager, aircraft and engines.
