TERRY BABCOCK was appointed director of maintenance for Woodland Aviation's Yolo County Airport facility in Davis, Calif. Babcock, most recently aircraft service supervisor for United Beechcraft in Van Nuys, Calif., has 15 years of experience with Beech products.
"A STEP BACKWARD FOR GENERAL AVIATION" is how the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association characterizes FAA's controversial new aircraft separation standards, warning that "pilots of lighter aircraft should be aware that ATC can now sequence them closer to a potentially dangerous wing tip vortex." FAA implemented the new separation standards - detailed in a chart on Page 100 prepared by the National Business Aircraft Association - despite warnings from an industry advisory group that the changes "may not solve the wake vortex encounter problem which is associated with V
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT Model BAe 125 series 1000A and Hawker 1000 airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-167-AD) - proposes to require modifications of the thrust reversers. This proposal is prompted by a review of the certification analysis of the thrust reversers and by testing of the thrust reversers, which indicated that additional design features are necessary to prevent failure of the driver link and the inadvertent deployment of a thrust reverser during flight.
HAMILTON STANDARD Model 14RF-9 propellers (Docket No. 96-ANE-04; Amdt. 39-9705; AD 96-08-01 R1) - revises AD 96-08-01, which requires an ultrasonic shear wave inspection, adds a one-time visual and fluorescent penetrant inspection and repair of the propeller blade shank. This revision will add a new shank eddy current inspection and will allow repair of certain blade shanks removed from service under the current AD.
JETSTREAM Model 4100 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-68-AD) - proposes to require replacement of the existing decompression panel on the aft bulkhead of the toilet compartment with a modified decompression panel. This proposal is prompted by a report that a decompression panel that does not meet flammability requirements was installed on these airplanes during manufacture.
The United States Air Force awarded a $20.8 million contract Thursday to Tracor Aerospace of Austin, Texas, and Israeli Aircraft Industries, to supply two Astra SPX business jets to replace C-21A Learjets currently in the Air Force inventory. The contract, which includes firm orders for two aircraft, plus options for two more, resulted from a solicitation that began in March, according to the Air Force.
ALLIEDSIGNAL Model T5313B turboshaft engines (Docket No. 96-ANE-21; Amdt. 39-9709; AD 96-17-01) - supersedes priority letter AD 96-15-07, which requires, before further flight, removal from service of all suspect second stage power turbine disks and replacement with serviceable parts. This action corrects an incorrect second stage power turbine disk serial number. This amendment is prompted by reports of a typographical error in the serial number listing.
Innovative Solutions&Support of Malvern, Pa., will provide kits incorporating a series of upgrades to permit Gulfstream II aircraft to meet new reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) that go in effect next year over the North Atlantic. The new rules, expected to go into effect in March, will require aircraft making transatlantic flights on preferred routes to maintain 1,000-foot vertical separation minimums instead of the current standard of 2,000 feet.
LOCKHEED Model 382 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-248-AD) - proposes to require that all landing gear brakes be inspected for wear and replaced if certain wear limits are not met and the new landing gear brake wear limits be incorporated into the FAA-approved maintenance inspection program. This proposal is prompted by an accident in which a transport category airplane executed a rejected takeoff and was unable to stop on the runway due to worn brakes.
LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES won a three-year, $12.9 million contract from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to develop technology to reduce helicopter rotor blade noise and cut noise and vibration levels in helicopter cabins.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Federico Pena will leave the Clinton Administration after one term, the Rocky Mountain News reported in its Wednesday editions. The paper said Pena has told friends on more than one occasion that he planned to leave the DOT post after one term and quoted a former top aide as saying that "we all knew the secretary wasn't going to stay for a second term." Pena's sooner-than-later departure from the nation's capital has been assumed in Washington for some time. DOT officials aren't saying much officially, but they are not denying the reports.
LORD CORPORATION is offering kits and assemblies to overhaul or replace engine isolation mounts on King Air 90 and 200 series aircraft. Lord has developed an FAA-PMA and Raytheon-approved mount assembly, LM-427-SA7, that includes internal clearances intended to reduce vibration transfer to the airframe. Lord also is providing an LM-427-SA12 overhaul kit that includes fully interchangeable elastomer pads and space components for overhauling mount assemblies to zero hours condition.
The market for corporate jets and turboprops "will show modest growth through 1999," but dollar value of new aircraft sales will rise steadily during the period, according to a new study, The CIT Group/Industrial Financing Outlook for Corporate Aircraft - 1997-1999.
KELLY STEWART was appointed account manager for Eidson&Partners, Kansas City, Mo. Stewart previously served with Meyocks&Priebe Advertising, Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received Level C certification for a Cessna Caravan single turboprop simulator. The Caravan simulator, installed at FlightSafety's Cessna learning Center in Wichita, is equipped with a VITAL VII daylight/twilight/night visual system. The simulator was designed and built by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla.
The Federal Aviation Administration's proposal to ban or curtail future air tour operations over Rocky Mountain National Park is an incomprehensible dereliction of responsibility and should be discarded, general aviation industry leaders agreed. Several industry associations sent comments strongly opposing FAA's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which calls for a partial - and possibly total - ban on air tour operations over the park (BA, May 20/227).
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model Avro 146-RJ70A, -RJ85A and -RJ100A airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-213-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections for cracking of Fuselage Frame 29 and repair, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by results of fatigue testing that revealed fatigue cracking in the web and inboard flange of Frame 29. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent reduced structural integrity of the fuselage due to fatigue cracking in Frame 29. Comments must be sent in triplicate before Sept.
Aerospace merchant bank The Carlyle Group agreed to buy Textron's Nashville, Tenn.-based wing and wing components-specialist, Textron Aerostructures, for $180 million in cash and a subordinated note in a deal that should close next month, Textron reported last week.
WARNING that implementation of the FAA's rewrite of Part 145 regulations for repair station operators will "effectively double the financial and administrative burden on repair stations," the National Air Transportation Association scheduled a briefing in early October to update operators on the new requirements. The meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Holiday Inn Hotel&Suites in Alexandria, Va. Persons planning to attend should contact NATA's Genevieve Marcus at (703) 845- 9000. The hotel's telephone number is (703) 548-6300.
FAA issued special conditions for Dassault Fan Jet Falcon Series D, E and Mystere-Falcon 20-C5, 20-D5 and 20-E5 aircraft modified by Rockwell Collins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The modification includes the installation of a digital electronic flight instrument system. FAA said the special conditions are necessary to address the protection of those systems from the effects of high-intensity radiated fields. For more information, contact Mark Quam in FAA's Standardization Branch at (206) 227-2145.
ATLANTIC AVIATION FLIGHT SERVICES added a Challenger 601 to its charter fleet. The aircraft, based at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport, joins Atlantic Aviation's other charter aircraft including Gulfstream II and III, Hawker 700 and 800, Westwind II, Learjet 35, Citation V, and King Air 200. The Challenger is configured with a nine-place cabin, including six individual seats and a three-place divan.
AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION released the second edition of its AVNET Implementation Guide, a joint aviation and petroleum industry publication dealing with the sale and delivery of aviation fuel. The guide provides formats for an electronic fuel invoice, delivery ticket and price notification. For more information, contact Kim Hess at (202) 626-4128.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model BAe 146-100A, -200A and -300A series airplanes and Model Avro 146-RJ70A, -RJ85A, and -RJ100A airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM- 251-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of terminal block D to ensure that a two-way link is installed and installation of a new link, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by a report indicating that a two-way link that should be installed on direct current panel No. 1 may be missing from certain airplanes. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to ensure that a two-way link is installed.
The aviation excise taxes temporarily go into effect Tuesday following President Clinton's signing last week of the small business tax relief bill, H.R.3448 (BA, Aug. 19/83). The measure reinstates through Dec. 31 the 10 percent passenger ticket tax, 6.25 percent cargo tax, $6 international departure tax and 17.5 cents-per-gallon jet fuel tax. Unlike the other taxes, the aviation gasoline levy did not expire, but the revenues were placed into the Highway Trust Fund. H.R.3448 redirects new avgas tax revenues to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.
