MORE COMPANY, INC., Minden, Nev., developed a technical training video on its engine condition monitoring program designed specifically for Pratt&Whitney Canada PT6A engine owners and operators. The 12-minute video, "The MORE Program: It's About Time," is available free to qualified prospects, according to Barry Bangert, president. Requests for the video may be ordered by fax at (800) 650-MORE and should include the name, address and phone number, along with the specific PT6A engine type.
RICK JACOBS was appointed director of the sheet metal commodity team for materials management for AlliedSignal Aerospace. Jacobs will be responsible for sheet metal procurement.
INVISION TECHNOLOGIES received a contract valued at $52.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to provide 54 CTX-5000 SP explosive detection systems. InVision Technologies will begin delivery of the units this month and complete the initial order within the year. FAA has a second-year option on the contract, bringing the total potential value of the order to $110.9 million. FAA did not disclose the locations slated for deployment of the units, saying only they will be installed at the nation's "largest and busiest airports."
BOYD'S FORECAST says the increasing dominance of the hub-and-spoke system will continue, with the 29 largest hub-and-spoke airports expected for the first time this year to generate more origin and destination passengers than all other airports combined.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUSTRALIA Nomad Models N22B, N22S and N24A (Docket No. 95-CE-75-AD; Amdt. 39-9830; AD 96-24-04) - requires repetitive inspection of the tailplane stabilizer center section and repair of any cracked tailplane structure. This AD also provides an optional modification as a terminating action, after an inspection in which no cracks are found. This action is prompted by a tailplane failure on one of the affected airplanes.
FLIGHT VISIONS said its FV-2000 head-up display (HUD) system won Federal Aviation Administration certification aboard a Gulfstream III. Chrysler Pentastar Aviation in Waterford, Mich., installed the HUD on the G-III for a New England telecommunications company. Flight Visions HUDs also have been approved for installation on the G-IV, Falcon 50, Learjet 55, Citation 550, Beech King Air and Bell 230.
GARY HILTON was appointed vice president and general manager of Ronson Aviation at Trenton-Mercer Airport in Trenton, N.J. Hilton spent the past 15 years as vice president and general manager of Ronson Hydraulics Units Corp.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-230-AD; Amdt. 39-9828; AD 96-24-02) - requires removal of the acoustic damping foils at the skin behind the overhead switch panel. This amendment is prompted by a report of debonding of the edges of the acoustic damping foils. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent such debonding, which could result in short circuiting of parts of the overhead switch panel due to contact with loose edges of the foils, and consequent smoke and/or fire in the cockpit.
LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS and FAA began flight tests Dec. 20 of the company's new C-130J with a flight from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. to the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida. Lockheed Martin had logged several hundred hours of flight tests beginning in April with a United Kingdom Royal Air Force C-130J-30.
HOAC Model DV-20 Katana airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-62-AD; Amdt. 39- 9832; AD 96-24-07) - requires replacement of the muffler with an improved muffler, installation of a heat shield around the exhaust system endpipe and adjustment of the airplane weight and balance. This AD results from reports of cracks in the welding joint that connects the exhaust system endpipe to the muffler on three of the affected airplanes.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER is believed to have narrowed the possible engine choices for the jet-powered version of the Dornier 328 to offerings from AlliedSignal and Pratt&Whitney, with a final decision possibly coming as soon as this month. Replacing the PW119B turboprops on the 30-passenger Do 328 could enable the manufacturer to have a 30-passenger jet in the marketplace within two years.
EDWARD BULLARD was named director, Washington, D.C. operations for Sundstrand Aerospace. Bullard, who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1991, most recently served as manager, Washington operations for Chrysler Technologies Airborne Systems/Raytheon E-Systems.
The Transportation Department Monday announced a permanent ban on carrying chemical oxygen generators as cargo aboard passenger airplanes. A temporary ban was issued May 23 that limited the canisters to compartments in freighter aircraft which have crew access during flight. That action followed the fatal crash of a ValuJet DC-9 into the Florida Everglades, an accident that occurred while a severe fire raged in the aircraft's cargo compartment, which contained a number of oxygen generator canisters (BA, May 27/240).
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
DE HAVILLAND Model DHC-8-100 and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 93- NM-194-AD; Amdt. 39-9814; AD 96-23-09) - supersedes an existing AD that requires repetitive inspections to detect cracks of the upper drag strut trunnion fittings of the nose landing gear and to verify tightness of the fitting attachment bolts, and replacement of fittings or fasteners, if necessary. This amendment requires the installation of a modification to terminate the repetitive inspections.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL is offering a new course for schedulers and dispatchers. The five-day course will cover FAA regulations, meteorology, basic aerodynamics and aircraft performance, flight planning and scheduling, international procedures and human factors. FSI will introduce the course at its Philadelphia/Wilmington center, but anticipates that it will be offered at other locations or at customer facilities. For details, contact Lori Biazzo at (800) 733-7548.
AIR METHODS' board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program to acquire up to five percent of the outstanding shares of the company's common stock. The repurchase will be funded from existing cash balances, and the repurchased shares will be retired. Sands Brothers, Co., Ltd., a member of the New York Stock Exchange, was selected to broker the transactions.
The aviation excise taxes, temporarily renewed in August, lapsed again Dec. 31 because Congress adjourned last fall without approving a longer extension. The expired taxes include the 10 percent ticket tax, 6.25 percent cargo tax, $6 per person international departure tax, 17.5 cents per gallon jet fuel tax and, for the first time, the 15 cents per gallon aviation gasoline tax. The avgas tax did not expire when the other aviation levies expired Dec. 31,1995, but revenues from the tax were diverted into the highway trust fund.
WALBAR METALS, a unit of Coltec Industries, is expanding its Greenwood plant near Hodges, S.C. by 15,000 square feet to bring the total size of the facility to 55,000 square feet. Construction is to begin this month and be completed by the end of March. The plant produces proprietary coatings and performs special processings designed to extend the life of gas turbine components.
FRANK CLIFFORD was named vice president-human resources for Raytheon Aircraft. Clifford has more than 20 years of human resources experience, most recently with Zenith Data Systems of Buffalo Grove, Ill. He also has served with Fujisawa USA, Bristol-Myers Company and RCA Corp.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, which put at least a temporary hold on its controversial proposal to strengthen flight and duty time limitations, is weighing a number of options on how to proceed with the rulemaking.
BELL Model 214B, 214B-1 and 214ST helicopters (Docket No. 94-SW-24-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that establishes a retirement life of 40,000 high-power events for the lower planetary spider.
CASA Model C-212 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-89-AD) - proposes to require that the rudder pedal assemblies be adjusted before each flight until the rudder setting mechanisms are modified. It also would require replacement of the attachment rails for certain flight crew seats.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-118-AD) - proposes to require the replacement of certain attachment screws on the leading edges of the left and right wings with longer screws. This proposal is prompted by reports indicating that these screws had become loose. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loosening or loss of the screws, which could lead to loosening or loss of the leading edge of the wing and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Jan.
