The Federal Aviation Administration approved the data package for the Challenger 604 business jet to meet new Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) standards. The Challenger is the first business jet to receive such approval for the new standards that went into effect late last month. The RVSM standards apply to aircraft operating between Flight Levels 330 and 370 over the North Atlantic. Bombardier, which received similar approval from Transport Canada in January (BA, Jan.
RAYTHEON COSSOR won a contract to supply a Pre-Operational European Mode S (POEMS) secondary surveillance radar system to Eurocontrol under the European Air Traffic Control Harmonization Improvement Program. Raytheon Cossor, which will produce the system at its United Kingdom facility, valued the contract award at more than 9 million pounds. The system will be used to validate the Eurocontrol specification for the Mode S ground station. It will be deployed in Southern England and will be networked with similar stations in Germany and France.
ALLISON ENGINE COMPANY won FAA type certification for its AE 2100D3 turboprop engine that powers the new Lockheed C-130J Hercules II utility transport. The engine, which develops up to 4,591 shaft horsepower flat rated to 103 degrees Fahrenheit, increases the range of the C-130J by 35 percent over earlier models of the aircraft and boosts the cruise ceiling by 27 percent, Allison said.
SABRELINER CORP. will hold its annual operators symposium May 7-9 at the Regal Riverfront Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. The symposium will provide a technical forum for Sabreliner pilots, chiefs of maintenance and aircraft owners and operators. For more information, call Chris Mast at Sabreliner at (314) 863-6880.
MARY BRYANT was appointed head of the Cessna Pilot Center and Learn-to-Fly programs for Cessna Aircraft Company. Bryant formerly was president and co-owner of Attitudes International, a flight training company in Florida. In her new position, she will direct Cessna's student pilot promotional efforts as well as expand the worldwide network of CPCs.
NATIONAL INITIATIVE to boost the number of student pilots will begin running advertisements on selected cable television programs April 21.After two weeks on the air, organizers of the GA Team 2000 effort will analyze the response to the "Stop Dreaming, Start Flying" promotion to determine the level of interest and demographics of those who call the toll-free (888) BE-A-PILOT telephone number. Organizers say they will continue to monitor advertising responses closely to make sure the program remains on track and effective.
BELL Model 214B, 214B-1 and 214ST helicopters (Docket No. 94-SW-24-AD ; Amdt. 39-9959; AD 97-06-02) - supersedes an existing AD that establishes a retirement life of 40,000 high-power events for the lower planetary spider. This amendment changes the method of calculating the retirement life for the spider from high-power events to a maximum accumulated Retirement Index Number of 80,000 and makes this RIN applicable to an additional part- numbered spider.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received FAA Level C approval for its Embraer EMB-120 flight simulator at its training center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The simulator is being used to train SkyWest pilots. The center, located on Salt Lake City International Airport, also houses a Boeing 737-300 flight simulator.
LOU CHURCHVILLE, the veteran marketer of executive jet completion and modification services, is joining the sales and marketing team at Associated Air Center, Inc., headquartered at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Churchville, who previously held marketing posts with Page Avjet, most recently was senior director of sales and marketing at Aero Corp. in Lake City, Fla.
LEARJET last month broke ground for a 70,000-square-foot aircraft paint and delivery center. The ground-breaking follows the recent opening of the 98,000-square-foot expansion to the Bombardier Flight Test Center at the Learjet facilities in Wichita, Kan. (BA, March 10/112). The new $8 million paint facility will be used for exterior painting of Learjet 45 production aircraft and customer aircraft undergoing maintenance at Bombardier Aviation Services.
Pilatus Aircraft's PC-12 turboprop received certification from Transport Canada, paving the way for the use of the single-engine aircraft in commercial IFR operations. The aircraft will be used in commercial operations by Kelner Airways of Goose Bay, Canada, which ordered three PC- 12s for cargo and passenger transport (BA, Dec. 2/252). The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also is a new owner of the PC-12. In addition to Canada, the aircraft is certified in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Japan, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
SAE INTERNATIONAL will hold its General, Corporate and Regional Aviation Meeting&Exposition April 29-May 1 at the Century II Expo Center in Wichita, Kan. For more information, call (412) 776-4970.
BILL SHEA, FAA's associate administrator for airports from 1981 to 1984 and currently one of five elected commissioners for the Port of Astoria, Ore., was named commissioner of aviation for Broome County, N.Y. He will be based at Binghamton Regional Airport. Shea worked at Broome County twice in the past, as commissioner of aviation from 1970 to 1972 and Binghamton's commissioner of transportation from 1974 to 1976.
The United States Air Tour Association told acting FAA Administrator Barry Valentine it is "shocked and alarmed" by the process being used to establish an Aviation Regulatory Advisory Committee (ARAC) to develop national standards for flights over national parks and other public lands, charging that "this entire process smacks of manipulation and connivance. "
Executive Jet International ordered 11 more Gulfstream IV-SP business jets for delivery through 2000, bringing EJI's total Gulfstream orders to 29 aircraft, including two Gulfstream Vs. Eleven of the G-IV-SPs included in the 29-aircraft total are in operational service with EJI.
DUNCAN AVIATION signed an agreement renewing its designation as an authorized service center for AlliedSignal TFE731, TPE331 and APU lines. The agreements, renewed through Feb. 27, 1999, allow Duncan to continue performing TFE731 and TPE331 MSP and warranty work for repairs and inspections.
ANTHONY BRODERICK, former FAA associate administrator for regulation and certification, agreed with industry leaders that the extended-range, twin- engine operations (ETOPS) threshold should be 180 minutes, rather than the 120 minutes proposed by the Joint Aviation Authorities. In his comments on the JAA proposal, Broderick said U.S. regulators in the past declined to impose ETOPS limitations on small commercial business jet aircraft because they "were not seen to represent a substantial safety improvement" over current regulations.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-26-AD; Amdt. 39-9969; AD 97-06-12) - supersedes two existing ADs that require inspections for cracking of the upper main fitting of the nose landing gear and replacement or repair of cracked parts, if necessary. Those actions were prompted by reports of cracking in the main fittings of the nose landing gear. This amendment requires that, for certain airplanes, the inspections be accomplished at reduced intervals.
Federal Aviation Administration officials are denying assertions by industry officials that the Wide Area Augmentation System program is more than $100 million over budget and likely to climb even higher. An Air Transport Association official told Congress recently that the cost of WAAS is "rapidly approaching" $700 million. Other industry sources told BA sister publication Aviation Daily the price tag is $760 million and could reach $1.2 billion.
THE 15TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATING FOR SAFETY CONFERENCE will be held May 15-17 at the Sheraton San Marcos in Phoenix, Ariz. Co-sponsored by a number of industry groups, the conference will provide an exchange of ideas on aviation communications between pilots, air traffic controllers, FAA management, product design engineers, manufacturers and industry experts. Registration costs $99. For more information, contact Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Division of Continuing Education at (904) 226-6186.
JET AVIATION BEDFORD was appointed a Raytheon Aircraft authorized service center. The appointment authorizes the Jet Aviation facility to provide service for King Air series aircraft, Beech Model 99 airliners and all reciprocating engine aircraft. Jet Aviation Bedford, located near Boston, Mass., has performed maintenance on corporate jets, private aircraft and helicopters since 1986. It also is an authorized service center for Socata TBM 700 aircraft and McDonnell Douglas helicopters.
WAYFARER AVIATION added a Westwind II to its charter fleet. The aircraft, which will undergo a refurbishment, will be based in Morristown, N.J. and be available for charter in early June.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION proposed special conditions for a continuous power reserve (CPR) system on Jetstream Model 4101 aircraft. FAA said the special conditions will establish a level of safety equivalent to airworthiness standards of Part 25 for the CPR system. For more information, contact William Schroeder in FAA's Standardization Branch at (206) 227-2148.
PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2A and BN-2A Mk 111 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-24-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 75-24-07 R1, which requires repetitive inspections of the left-hand rudder bar for cracks and loose fasteners, and replacement of any cracked part. FAA's policy on aging commuter-class aircraft is to eliminate certain repetitive short-interval inspections when improved parts or modifications are available.
JAMES STOTHARD joined Trimble as director of sales for the Avionics Division. Stothard, who spent more than 21 years with AlliedSignal/King Radio, most recently was director of international sales and marketing for Garmin International.
