Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association praised an Air National Guard decision to withdraw a controversial proposal that would have expanded its Military Operations Areas over five northeastern states. The National Guard proposed in 1993 to expand special use airspace over Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maine because two Guard groups planned to replace A-10 attack aircraft with F-16 fighters requiring larger training airspace blocks.
AVIALL signed a definitive agreement to sell its Miami-based accessory services repair station to Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Curtiss-Wright Corp., of New Jersey. Robert G. Lambert, chairman and chief executive of Aviall, said the sale "is consistent with the strategic direction we took to exit our airline engine and component repair operations and the accessories repair business" (BA, Feb. 5/54).
Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Wendell Ford (D-Ky.) hope to use the fiscal 1997 transportation funding bill as a vehicle to advance their controversial proposal to make FAA completely user funded through a series of new fees. McCain and Ford, speaking during a hearing Thursday on small and low-fare airline service, expressed exasperation that they were unable to get a consensus for their proposal and said they would work with the Senate Appropriations Committee to forward the FAA reform bill S.1239.
FOKKER Model F28 series airplanes (excluding Model F28 Mark 0100 series airplanes) (Docket No. 95-NM-170-AD) - proposes to require a one- time detailed visual inspection for cracks of the elevator gust lock housing and support structure, and repair or replacement of cracked parts. This proposal is prompted by a report of failure of an elevator gust lock housing due to fatigue cracking. The actions specified by the proposal are intended to prevent such fatigue cracking and subsequent loss of the elevator and support structure.
LEARJET'S second Model 45 flight test aircraft completed its first flight this month from Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita. The aircraft climbed to 5,000 feet and performed basic handling tests during the first flight. The aircraft subsequently has flown to 47,000 feet and conducted pressurization tests, including emergency pressurization and depressurization, bleed air control checks and temperature control operation.
AT LEAST ONE STATE, Connecticut, has moved to impose age restrictions following the Dubroff crash. AOPA asked the Connecticut General Assembly to scrap an amendment that would prohibit anyone younger than 16 from flying an airplane in the state. The amendment is attached to a bill to require children to wear safety belts or be in a car seat when in a moving automobile, and AOPA said extending its reach to aircraft would "gut valuable and successful youth programs" such as the Civil Air Patrol cadet program and EAA's Young Eagles.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUSTRALIA Nomad Models N22B, N22S and N24A airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-75-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspection of the tailplane stabilizer center section and repair of any cracked tailplane structure. This proposal also provides an optional modification as a terminating action, after an inspection in which no cracks are found. This proposal is prompted by a tailplane failure on one of the affected airplanes.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT received a follow-on contract valued at $87 million from the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command for logistic and maintenance support. The contract, which will provide funding for a fifth year, covers support of Army, Army Reserve and National Guard C-12 and U-21 airplanes worldwide.
EAGLE FLIGHT SERVICES is planning a May 14 grand opening of its new fixed-base operation at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev., but the name on the sign may say something other than Eagle by mid-May. Eagle officials feel they need to link up with a national FBO chain to compete successfully with Signature Flight Support, which opened its new facility at McCarran last fall. Eagle management has had discussions with several chains about an arrangement to manage the newest FBO at LAS, but AMR Combs is believed to have the edge.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS received FAA approval for its Stratus line of remanufactured vacuum pump products for the general aviation market. Superior is offering its 211 and 312 models and expects to have available in the near future the larger 400 series pumps. The company will provide a one-year or 1,000-hour warranty on the 211 and 312 models.
BALL AEROSPACE&TECHNOLOGIES CORP. signed a 10-year contract with Boeing Commercial Airplane Group to outfit all 777-300 aircraft with cameras that will provide pilots with views of the aircraft's main and nose landing gear. The landing gear cameras are among several such systems Ball's Telecommunications Products Division in Broomfield, Colo. has developed to provide exterior views of the aircraft on the ground and in flight to increase situational awareness and improve safety.
Separate aircraft accidents claimed four lives at last week's Sun 'N' Fun gathering in Lakeland, Fla., including former world aerobatic champion Charlie Hillard. A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report said Hillard had just completed a performance in the Sun 'N' Fun air show Tuesday and was landing his Hawker Sea Fury, N222CH, when the brakes reportedly locked and the plane veered off the runway and flipped over. Hillard apparently died of asphyxiation while trapped in a cramped position in the overturned plane.
The planned acquisition of six Raytheon Aircraft Services fixed-base operations "will essentially double the size of our FBO program," said Mercury Air Group Chairman Seymour Kahn, and he told BA he's in the market for more acquisition opportunities. Mercury and Raytheon announced agreement this month on a $9 million deal under which Los Angeles-based Mercury will acquire six facilities from Raytheon: Hartsfield and Peachtree in the Atlanta area; Ontario, Calif.; Bedford, Mass.; and Corpus Christi and Addison, Texas (BA, April 15/169).
FAA issued special conditions for Israel Aircraft Industries Galaxy aircraft. FAA said the aircraft uses new avionics/electronic systems, such as electronic displays and engine controls, and applicable regulations are not adequate to cover the protection of those systems from the effects of high-intensity radiated fields. The special conditions provide additional safety standards to cover HIRF protection, FAA said. For more information, contact Timothy Dulin at (206) 227-2141.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE completed 16 weeks of static testing on a Gulfstream V test rig at the company's Savannah, Ga. headquarters. Gulfstream said more than 2,000 channels of strain gauge data were recorded during test conditions. Full wing upbending tests achieved a maximum upward flex of 56.4 inches above horizon and 22.8 inches below horizon for a total deflection of 6.6 feet. Pressure tests were performed to 167 percent of design cabin differential pressure. Gulfstream said the G-V achieved all 21 of the test conditions required for FAA and JAA certification.
The U.S. Army plans to refurbish 300 aging CH-47 cargo helicopters to an Improved Cargo Helicopter configuration instead of buying new helos, the service's requirement chief said. Some of the Chinooks will reach 40 years of service life soon, but fiscal constraints don't allow the Army to buy new platforms, Maj. Gen. Joe Riggs said late last month during a dinner in Arlington, Va., sponsored by the American Helicopter Society. The Army would spend about $3.3 billion on the effort, Riggs said.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION will make changes to its flight and duty time proposal - "where appropriate" - but it "eagerly" seeks well- thought-out, documented comments, FAA executive Anthony Broderick told a congressional hearing last week. Broderick, FAA associate administrator for regulation and certification, said the agency already has received several substantive comments, adding that comments should offer alternatives to the proposed rules, especially where they apply to small businesses. Broderick was responding to Rep.
Business jets receive an annual "subsidy" of between $400 million and $700 million for their use of the air traffic control system and if studies confirm that operators of such jets do not pay their fair share, then a special tax or increased taxes should be imposed on them, authors of Senate FAA reform legislation believe. Crafters of the measure, the controversial Air Traffic Management System Performance Improvement Act of 1996, also known as S.1239, this month filed a report containing details and their reasoning for backing the bill.
House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) Thursday introduced legislation that has won approval from both the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to impose an age limit for participants attempting to set flight records. The bill would require a person to hold valid private pilot license - and thus require the person to be at least 17 years old - before attempting to break an aviation record.
PARKER HANNIFIN CORP. purchased the aerospace assets of the Abex NWL Div. of Pneumo Abex Corp. from Power Control Technologies Inc. for $201 million, completing an acquisition announced in January (BA, Jan. 22/31), officials said last week. Abex, with sales of about $200 million in 1995, has about 1,290 employees. Parker Hannifin is a $3.2 billion producer of motion- control components and systems for industrial, automotive and aerospace markets.
BELL Model 214ST helicopters (Docket No. 95-SW-26-AD; Amdt. 39-9561; AD 96-07-12) - requires, for Model 214ST helicopters with certain tailboom assemblies and a certain emergency float kit installed, initial and repetitive inspections of the tailboom for cracks until modifications of the tailboom are accomplished. This amendment is prompted by several reports of cracks in the lower aft skin of the tailboom assembly.
A FORMER AIR FORCE OFFICER, J.C. Johns, was named "product lead" for FAA's Global Positioning System (GPS) team. Since coming to FAA in 1992, Johns has been working on development of the wide area augmentation system (WAAS). Johns replaces Joe Dorfler, who left the agency earlier this year to join the Air Transport Association as program manager-air traffic technology applications (BA, Feb. 5/59).
SOCATA TBM-700 airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-67-AD) - proposes to require installing of four rivets on the right side of the rudder and drilling drainage holes at the areas of the elevators and rudder. This proposal is prompted by reports of water accumulating in the areas of the elevators and rudder and a report of a bonding defect between the skin and rudder rear spar on the affected airplanes.
PRATT&WHITNEY CANADA and French engine manufacturer SNECMA signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and market a new turbofan engine in the 12,000- to 16,000-pound thrust class. The two companies said they will "leverage their respective technologies, industrial capabilities and global customer support presence to provide the most competitive, cost- effective engine for 70- to 90-passenger turbofan powered regional aircraft."
