Seven international airlines have filed motions for a stay of the collection of overflight fees by FAA, supporting the Air Transport Association of Canada's (ATAC) earlier filings. "This takes the issue to a new level," said Bob Kneisley, attorney for ATAC. While a court can take a long time to respond to motions of appeal, it normally acts faster on a motion to stay a process. The seven airlines - British Airways, Qantas, KLM, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, LTU International and Asiana - also joined ATAC in suing the FAA, Kneisley said.
WHILE AN EARLY proposal from the National Civil Aviation Review Commission to double the aviation gasoline tax and triple the jet fuel tax drew strong protests from the general aviation community, general aviation leaders last week were encouraged that the commission is contemplating a fuel tax rather than a user-fee system. GA industry leaders also were pleased that the House Ways and Means Committee, in a separate action last week, refined its own FAA funding proposal, retaining the current excise taxes for general aviation. See articles below.
The president of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) urged the National Civil Aviation Review Commission (NCARC) to maintain the current aviation excise tax structure, with a continuing significant contribution from the general fund, to support operation of the national airspace system.
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE is considering another draft proposal for funding the Federal Aviation Administration. The proposal, which would be included in the committee's portion of a budget reconciliation bill, would retain the aviation excise tax system for general aviation, including the same fuel tax levels that currently exist. An earlier version of the proposal would have raised the fuel tax levels by two cents per gallon (BA, June 2/248).
The Federal Aviation Administration and Great Lakes Aviation last week expressed contrasting views of the circumstances surrounding the May 16 shutdown of the carrier, but both the agency and the United Express carrier said they were working to complete inspections and return the airplanes still on the ground to service. FAA said an increase in problems found during regular inspections led to a special inspection that revealed "systemic problems" with Great Lakes Aviation's (GLA) maintenance program.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, which sold out its original block of booth spaces for its 50th Annual Meeting and Convention Sept. 23-25 in Dallas, Texas, has opened up another level to add more exhibitors. In addition to its ever growing convention, NBAA membership continues to climb. The association now has 4,664 members, up 17 percent from 3,986 in June 1996.
Federal Aviation Administration is considering changes to the type certification process that are intended to ensure that derivatives of existing products meet the most recent airworthiness standards. FAA issued a proposal last month that would apply the latest standards, "to the greatest extent possible," to approval of design changes of aircraft, engines and propellers certified under Parts 11, 21 and 25.
MICHAEL G. NEUBERGER, 82, who headed international sales at Beech Aircraft for many years, died May 31 at his home in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands after a short battle with cancer. Neuberger, who was born in Germany, emigrated to the U.S. in the 1930s with his family. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II before joining Beech, where he rose to the post of vice president of international sales before retiring in 1984.
A CHART detailing the U.S. turbine business aircraft fleet and number of operators by state is printed below. The chart, compiled by Aviation Data Service, Inc. of Wichita, Kan., was included in a booklet developed by the National Business Aircraft Association. The booklet, The Real World of Business Aviation, provides information on business aircraft operators and operations and includes results of the Louis Harris&Associates 1997 survey of companies using turbine aircraft for business transportation.
SAFE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT CORPORATION received FAA certification for its new N1 computer for the Cessna Citation Ultra and Raytheon Beechjet 400A. The computer displays real-time N1 thrust settings for takeoff, climb, cruise and go-around, each based on the airplane flight manual performance charts. The system monitors ram air temperature and pressure altitude. The panel- mount computer/display, which weighs less than one pound, is priced at $9,650. For more information, contact Safe Flight at (914) 946-9500.
The Federal Aviation Administration selected Booz-Allen&Hamilton to conduct a congressionally mandated review of its new acquisition system, which has been touted as a test case for streamlining the federal acquisition process across government agencies. The firm, under a $156,837 contract, also will review FAA efforts to promote full and open competition for contracts above $50 million, said George Donohue, associate administrator for research and acquisition.
Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division (BRAD) is establishing a new spares distribution center in Paris, France to serve its regional airline customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In addition to offering 24-hour aircraft-on-ground support service, the new center will provide a range of repair, overhaul, lease and exchange programs for Dash 8 turboprop and Canadair Regional Jet aircraft.
JOHN WARREN was promoted to director of technical services for Midcoast Aviation's Little Rock, Ark. maintenance center and fixed-base operation. Warren formerly served as manager of maintenance sales for Midcoast-Little Rock.
Airports Council International, the Geneva, Switzerland-based association that represents 460 international airports and airport authorities that run 1,250 airports in more than 150 countries, named Jonathan Howe director general. Howe, who will succeed Oris W. Dunham, Jr., will assume his new duties at ACI world headquarters in Geneva Sept. 15.
JAMES ZARVOS was promoted to vice president and general manager of Midcoast Aviation's Little Rock center. Zarvos previously was manager of domestic sales for Midcoast.
SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS has scheduled its 1997 SAE Aerofast Conference and Exposition Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Wichita Airport Hilton in Wichita, Kan. The event's technical sessions will cover a variety of topics, including fasteners, assembly systems, drilling/surface preparation systems, non-destructive testing and inspection processes, fully automated systems, accessories, fluids, crew training/operations and environmental/liability issues. Richard Danforth, vice president- operations for Raytheon Aircraft, will be the featured luncheon guest speaker.
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-65-AD; Amdt. 39-10025; AD 97-10-13) - supersedes AD 96-21-05, which requires for airplanes that do not have a certain elevator torque tube installed: drilling inspection access holes in the elevator torque tube arm; inspecting the elevator torque tube for corrosion; replacing any corroded elevator torque tube, and applying a corrosion preventive compound. AD 96- 21-05 resulted from several reports of corrosion found in the elevator torque tube area on the affected airplanes.
ATLANTIC AVIATION FLIGHT SERVICES was approved for Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) operation with one of its Challenger 601-3A business jets used in Part 135 operations.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, acknowledging that air tour operators have voiced safety concerns over new routes the agency plans to mandate for Grand Canyon National Park, responded that the "governing principles" for air tour operations at the Grand Canyon are based on visual flight rules, and under VFR "the pilot-in-command has the responsibility for the safe operation of his/her aircraft." The agency added that under VFR an increase in the number of operations in a limited corridor "may alter the balance of safety; however, the FAA cannot presently determine, quanti
A SkyWest Brasilia suffered an engine fire following takeoff from San Diego last month resulting in an emergency landing with no hydraulics, no flaps, no nose-wheel steering, no brakes - and no injuries. Flight 5724 was en route from Lindbergh Field to Los Angeles May 21 with three crew and 14 passengers. According to the preliminary NTSB report, the crew indicated that the right engine lost power while climbing though 2,000 feet. The first officer reported that the propeller had feathered and that the right main landing-gear doors were open.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT received a production certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for the Hawker mid-sized business jet. Raytheon, which acquired the type certificate for the Hawker family from British Aerospace in 1993, has been transferring assembly of the Hawker from the Chester facility in the United Kingdom to Wichita. The first Wichita- assembled Hawker, an 800XP, completed its first flight in October. Raytheon completed four 800XPs under its type certificate authority with close involvement by FAA before receiving the production certificate.
AEROPLEX AVIATION concluded a lease with Gulfstream Aerospace for 65,000 square feet of hangar, office and shop space at the Aeroplex facility at the Long Beach, Calif. Airport. The additional space will be used by Gulfstream for aircraft interior completions, servicing and maintenance. Gulfstream also is building a 64,000-square-foot paint shop at Long Beach (BA, May 19/227).
PROFESSIONAL AVIATION MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATION elected Larry Flynn and Steve Lercel to the board of directors. Flynn, currently vice president of aircraft services for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., has served as vice president of Stevens Aviation, regional vice president of Butler Aviation and executive vice president of AMR Combs. Lercel, western regional manager for Midcoast Aviation, has been an aviation maintenance technician for more than 40 years, has flown for several flight departments and has been in technical sales for more than 10 years.
PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2A Mk. 111 series airplanes (Docket No. 86- CE-23-AD) - proposes to revise AD 86-07-02, which requires repetitive inspection of the junction of the torque link lug and upper case of the main landing gear torque link assemblies for cracks and replacement of any cracked part. The proposal would remove the BN-2A, BN-2B and BN-2T series airplanes from the applicability of the AD. The requirements would remain in place for BN-2A Mk. 111 series airplanes.
BUSINESS JETSOLUTIONS said operators of aircraft enrolled in the Alliance charter program will receive co-branded Business JetSolutions AVCARDs for buying fuel and other aviation related purchases. Under the Alliance program, operators of business jets who enroll their aircraft can generate additional income by operating charter flights booked by Alliance.
