MRS. MARY ANN LEWIS, 72, wife of J. Sheldon (Torch) Lewis, died Oct. 27, after a long illness. In addition to her husband, a resident of New Canaan, Conn. and a columnist for Business&Commercial Aviation magazine, Mrs. Lewis is survived by three sons and two daughters. Contributions may be made to Mid-Fairfield Hospice, 112 Main St., Norwalk, Conn. 06851.
AIRWOLF FILTER CORP. acquired Apollo Helicopter Services in Middlefield, Ohio, and will operate the new unit as Apollo Spray Systems. The company manufactures the FAA-approved DTM-3 agricultural chemical spray system for Robinson R22 helicopters and is developing a similar spray system for R44 helicopters. The system uses a lightweight aluminum frame to suspend a 40- gallon tank from the landing gear mounts of an R22.
RAYTHEON Model 1900D (Docket No. 96-CE-43-AD) - proposes to require replacing the right-hand exhaust stack for both the left and right engines. The proposal stems from reports of wing skin damage (with associated fuel seepage) and cabin window damage caused by the heat of the right-hand exhaust stacks of the affected airplanes. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent wing skin debonding or warping of the cabin windows because of the heat generated by the engines' right-hand exhaust stacks.
BRIAN HOFFMAN was appointed manager of K-C Aviation's Westfield, Mass. facility. Hoffman has 17 years of aviation maintenance and management experience. He previously was a production manager for Aviall.
AN INTERNATIONAL GUIDE to airports, handling agents and fixed-base operators, Jane's Airports and Handling Agents 1996-1997, has been published by Jane's Information Group. The guide is divided into seven volumes, covering five regions of the world, and is priced at $350 per volume or $1,400 for the entire set. In addition to two volumes each covering Europe and U.S./Canada, the set includes single volumes for Middle East/Africa, Far East/Asia and Central and Latin America. For more information, contact the publisher at (313) 961-2242.
DE HAVILLAND Model DHC-7 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-265-AD) - proposes to require performing a review of the airplane maintenance records to determine if any insulation blankets have been repaired or changed during service and various follow-on actions, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by reports of corrosion forming on areas of the airplane structure where black film thermal insulation blankets are used.
MORE COMPANY'S Maintenance On Reliable Engines (MORE) Program has received approval from the Brazilian government. The MORE Program is an engine condition monitoring program designed to extend the life and reduce repair costs of PT6A engines. The program includes engine condition trend monitoring, borescope inspection, spectrometric oil analysis and vibration analysis. MORE Company officials said Brazil is home to the third largest population of PT6A engines.
FOKKER Model F28 Mark 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 69-NM-70-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection to verify the correct routing and tension of the flight control lock cables and the elevator control cables, and rerouting or adjustment of the tension of these cables, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by a report indicating that an inspection for routing and tension of the flight control lock cables and elevator control cables may not have been accomplished during modification of the airplanes at the factory.
Federal Aviation Administration will hold a public meeting Dec. 3 to discuss a new certification policy it has developed on flight control jams. FAA intends to issue standardized methods to show compliance with the requirements for flight control jams in the "normally encountered" position under Part 25.671(c)(3). In addition to a general discussion on flight control jams, FAA is soliciting data on surface deflections normally encountered during all phases of flight. The meeting is planned for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 3 at the Holiday Inn Sea-Tac International Airport.
TDG AEROSPACE, Pleasanton, Calif., received parts manufacturing approval from FAA to manufacture its NOFOD overwing ice protection system. The system, designed as an alternative means of compliance to an airworthiness directive for McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft, protects against ice formations from cold soak fuel in the wing tank as well as the potential for ingestion by the rear-mounted engines. TDG Aerospace, founded in 1991, specializes in ice detection and ice protection technologies.
A group of air traffic assistants filed a class action complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Tuesday, charging that the agency is discriminating against them by showing preference for hiring former PATCO members and college graduates for air traffic control jobs.
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP. selected Hartzell to provide the propeller system for the Cirrus SR20. Hartzell will provide a two-bladed scimitar propeller system as standard equipment and a three-bladed propeller as an option on the SR20. The propellers, part of Hartzell's family of lightweight, compact, constant-speed propeller systems, will come with a 2,000-hour time between overhaul and a 1,000-hour or three-year warranty. The four-place, piston-powered SR20 is scheduled for certification next year.
CHARLES HILLMAN was named vice president of operations for Hamilton Standard. Hillman, who joined Hamilton Standard in 1995 as vice president of Windsor Locks, Conn. operations, will direct U.S. manufacturing of the company's aircraft products, including Engine Controls&Accessories, Environmental Control Systems, Propeller Systems and Flight Systems.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won a five-year contract to train pilots, flight officers, flight engineers and maintenance technicians on U.S. Navy UC-12B (King Air 200 and C-20D (Gulfstream III) aircraft. The King Air 200 training will be done in Wichita at FSI's training facility using a Level C flight simulator, while the Gulfstream training will be conducted at the company's training center in Savannah, Ga., also using a level C simulator.
Hughes Aircraft, which last May won a $50 million interim contract to continue work on the Wide Area Augmentation System after FAA fired Wilcox, Tuesday was awarded, as expected, $483.5 million to complete development and implement the program. The final contract follows the April 26 termination of the previous Wilcox contract under provisions of FAA's new procurement rules (BA, April 29/197).
FAIRCHILD SA26, SA226, and SA227 (Docket No. 94-CE-22-AD; Amdt. 39- 9774; AD 96-20-08) - supersedes AD 93-19-06, which requires repetitively inspecting acrylic cabin and cockpit side windows for cracks and replacing windows that have cracks that exceed certain limits. This action maintains the requirement of repetitively inspecting the cabin and cockpit side windows and adds a life limit for the single-pane cockpit side windows. This action is prompted by further acrylic window failures.
NASA's Ames Research Center is testing Global Positioning System-based technology that gives pilots a virtual view of fogged-in taxiways to reduce weather delays at the nation's airports. Developed as part of the agency's $100 million Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) program, the technology combines GPS positioning updates with airport layout databases to navigate on the ground even when visibility is poor.
GREGORY DESANTIS was appointed vice president and general manager for worldwide customer support for Hamilton Standard. DeSantis, formerly vice president of operations, joined the company in 1966 and has held senior positions in engineering, quality and operations.
The Illinois Court of Appeals, which earlier stayed a lower court decision to block the City of Chicago from moving ahead with plans to demolish Meigs Field (BA, Oct. 14/167), last week extended its stay in the case until early December, raising the possibility that the Illinois legislature could have an opportunity to address the issue before the court hears arguments and issues a decision.
LEARJET Model 35 and 36 series airplanes modified by Raisbeck STC SA766NW (Docket No. 96-NM-63-AD; Amdt. 39-9759; AD 96-19-13) - requires a reduction of the maximum operating limit speed to prevent encountering certain potentially hazardous conditions. This condition is prompted by reports of incidents of aileron buffet or buzz experienced during high- speed cruise.
OLIVER STINE was promoted to director of flight operations for Litton Industries. Stine joined Litton in 1969 as a pilot and was promoted to corporate chief pilot in 1985.
Airworthy Publications International Ltd. has published Hawker: The Story of the 125, which traces the chronological and technical development of the mid-size business jet from its origins with de Havilland Aircraft Co. in the early 1960s to the present day. Written by Bill Gunston, the book was originally commissioned by British Aerospace, which at that time manufactured the aircraft. It is being published now, however, as a private risk venture with a limited print run.
