EMBRY-RIDDLE researchers gave FAA disturbing but not unexpected results of a three-year study of security screening at airports. "America's frontline defender against aviation terrorism earns $5.25 an hour and is likely to be quitting in a few months," researchers found. "He is also not very likely to recognize a gun or knife on his X-ray screen, or a radio-size bomb." $end 100 BRIEFS FRASCA INTERNATIONAL, INC./SAS Flight Academy
THE UNS-1C Flight Management System was installed and certified on a Bell 430 helicopter at Heli-Dyne Systems, Hurst, Texas, said avionics manufacturer Universal Avionics Systems Corp., adding that the UNS-1C now will be offered as an option on the Bell 430 at the factory in Canada.
GARRETT AVIATION SERVICES signed a three-year maintenance training agreement with FlightSafety International. The agreement, the third consecutive contract signed, extends the contract through 1999. Under the agreement, FlightSafety will provide up to 125 training sessions and five maintenance training classes annually.
NATIONAL AERONAUTIC ASSOCIATION selected Cessna Aircraft and the Citation X business jet as winners of the Robert J. Collier Trophy for top aeronautical achievement in the U.S. for 1996. Cessna and the Citation X team were recognized specifically for "designing, testing, certifying, and placing into service the Citation X, the first commercial aircraft in U.S.
CHARLES SMITH joined Western Aircraft as sales manager. Smith, who has 25 years OEM and aftermarket experience, will supervise the sales of maintenance, modifications, line service and avionics. Most recently, he was involved with gas turbine engine maintenance.
Dan Anderson, who has served as president of the U.S. Air Tour Association (USATA) for the past 27 months as the organization found itself drawn into a widening battle over federal restrictions on commercial air tour flights, has resigned effective March 31 to pursue business interests in Florida.
A BEECH KING AIR operated by the Government Flying Service touched down on Chek Lap Kok Airport's southern runway Feb. 20, becoming the first aircraft to land at the new Hong Kong airport. The airport is expected to open for commercial service in April 1998. Following the first landing, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration began an eight-week flight program to validate the airport's navigational aids.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE President Bob Brown says the 100-seat aircraft is "a market that is of interest" to Bombardier, "but probably as a secondary player," rather than as the original equipment manufacturer. He acknowledged that the Canadian company has had discussions with Boeing and Mitsubishi about a 100-seater, but added that "it's not the top priority." Asked about Bombardier assuming the lead role in such a project, Brown responded that is "probably unlikely."
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-76-AD; Amdt. 39- 9902; AD 97-02-17) - requires repetitive eddy current inspections for fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear turning tube and replacement of cracked tubes. This amendment is prompted by a report of the failure of a nose landing gear turning tube during landing roll. The failure was attributed to fatigue cracking in the turning tube.
SEN. FRANK MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska) apparently is holding up the confirmation of Federico Pena as Secretary of Energy, in part, because of concerns that the Commuter Rule will have on carriers in his state, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Pena, who declared that there should be "one level of safety" in the airline industry, was the driving force behind the rule as transportation secretary.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD'S symposium on "Corporate Culture and Transportation Safety" will be held April 24-25 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City, Va. Due to an editing error, the dates were inadvertently deleted in an earlier article (BA, Feb. 24/84).
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-65-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 96-21-05, which applies to SA226 and SA227 series airplanes that do not have a certain elevator torque tube installed. That AD requires 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. The AD resulted from several reports of corrosion in the elevator torque tube area.
THE FIRST NEW Cessna single-engine aircraft to be exported from the U.S. since 1986 arrived in Sydney, Australia last month after a ferry flight from California that included stops in Hawaii, Christmas Island, Pago Pago and Noumea. Total flying time from California to Sydney was 59.4 hours. Cessna's authorized service provider in Australia, Airflite Pty. Ltd., sold the Skyhawk to Michael and Norr Braybrook of Perth, Australia.
JOHN SPRINGSTEAD, who has spent more than a dozen years representing FlightSafety International in Europe, is the new manager of the company's learning center at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France. Springstead is taking over from Bruno Challe, the retired Air France captain who has managed the Le Bourget facility for a number of years. Challe will continue to be associated with the FSI facility.
PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC COMPANY, Newport Beach, Calif., named Lester (Buck) Hill chairman, president and chief executive, effective immediately. He succeeds Edgar S. Brower, who had been president and CEO since 1985 and chairman since 1990 and who had stated his desire a year ago to retire in 1997. Hill, 53, spent 19 years with TRW Inc., where he held several executive positions including vice president and general manager of Electronic Components Group.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION issued special conditions for McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems Model MD600N helicopter. FAA said the helicopter will have a "novel or usual design feature" associated with the full authority digital engine control and applicable regulations are not adequate to cover the protection of the systems from the effects of high- intensity radiated fields. For more information, contact Robert McCallister in FAA Rotorcraft Standards at (817) 624-5121.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.), a chief proponent behind the move to transition the Federal Aviation Administration to a user fee-funded agency, last week lauded congressional approval of a bill reinstating the aviation excise taxes, but expressed disappointment that the legislation only extends the taxes through Sept. 30."I fear we will face another tax lapse at that time, and risk jeopardizing the trust fund-sponsored programs again," McCain said.
Several Alaskan communities and legislators are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to either provide more relief or exempt the small, scheduled Part 135 operators in Alaska from the "Commuter Rule," which requires operators of aircraft with 10 or more seats to meet the same standards as larger Part 121 operators. The state legislature is drafting a resolution asking for relief from the rule, which takes effect March 20, and the communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of Western Alaska already have done so.
GALAXY AEROSPACE officials are perusing information on five cities under consideration as the location for the new company's headquarters, aircraft completion and service facility. The five cities, all in the South and Southwest, were selected by the firm of Deloitte and Touche from a group of 37 communities who had expressed interest in being Galaxy's new home (BA, Feb. 10/59). A final selection is anticipated in about 45 days.
AIR TRACTOR Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-48- AD; Amdt. 39-9935; AD 97-04-11) - requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance manual to change the life limit of the tail landing gear spring. This action results from analysis of the life limits of both the tail landing gear and main landing gear after a fatigue failure of the main landing gear on one of the affected airplanes.
FRED WORKLEY, NATA's manager of maintenance operations, has resigned from his position to concentrate on his business, Workley Aircraft&Maintenance, located at Dulles International Airport, and to earn his doctoral degree. Workley, who joined NATA in 1991, will continue to consult with the association as a technical adviser. "Fred joined the association to focus on increasing our exposure in the aviation maintenance arena.
BUYERS of home-built aircraft kits may find helpful a recent FAA advisory circular, AC 20-139, Commercial Assistance During Construction of Amateur- Built Aircraft. FAA said the new AC "is directed to persons involved in the construction of amateur-built aircraft, the manufacturers of kits designed to be assembled into aircraft by amateur-builders, builders of aircraft fabricated from plans for certification as amateur-built, and persons providing assistance to amateur-builders." Copies of the AC can be obtained from the U.S.
RAYTHEON Models 1900, 1900C and 1900D airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-60- AD) - proposes to require installing lubrication fittings in the airstair door handle and latch housing mechanisms. The proposed AD results from reports of the airstair door not opening because the door was frozen shut.
