HOUSE AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) hopes to introduce legislation in June that would establish an independent control board to set policy and oversee the Federal Aviation Administration. Control board members, confirmed by the Senate, would select the FAA administrator, who would serve indefinitely and would be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the agency. The board would operate FAA independently of the Department of Transportation, but the secretaries of transportation and defense would participate as non-voting members.
Wayfarer Ketch Corp., the White Plains, N.Y.-based aircraft management, charter and maintenance organization, has reorganized a number of its functions to "take advantage of the changing marketplace," according to President James Christiansen. "Any organization that has been around for over 38 years needs to take a look at how it does business. Our management team has spent the past six months examining every aspect of our operation."
Cessna Aircraft plans to open its new piston-engine aircraft factory in Independence, Kan., July 4, 1996, slightly more than 13 months after the May 19 ground-breaking ceremonies that drew 1,000 area residents and a number of local, state and national politicians.
ALUMINUM MANUFACTURER ALCOA is planning a $9 million, 165,000-square-foot warehouse facility in Hutchinson, Kan. to process and store the company's aerospace products, officials announced last week. The plant, which will be built on a 22-acre site next to Hutchinson Municipal Airport, is expected to employ up to 90. Construction is scheduled to begin immediately with the facility opening late this year.
BFGoodrich Aerospace acquired the assets of Technology Integration, Inc. (TII), a Bedford, Mass., research and development company that designs aircraft equipment diagnostic systems. The company, which employs 13, will be operated as part of BFGoodrich Aerospace's Military Fuel and Integrated Systems Division in Vergennes, Vt.
A TEAM OF COMPANIES led by Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical was selected by the Defense Department to build a new line of High Altitude Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (HAE UAV). The initial DOD contract is valued at $164 million and is expected to eventually be worth more than $500 million. Other team members include E-Systems' Melpar Division, Hughes Aircraft Co., Loral Communication Systems, Rockwell International, Allison Engine Co., Heroux, Inc., and GDE Systems.
While nothing's set in stone, AlliedSignal Engines may wind up developing a new core engine for the next generation of business jets, and if the company goes that route, it will probably be a joint venture. "If I look toward 2000, I would 'lean' toward" an entirely new core, says Carl Schopfer, AlliedSignal Engines' vice president for business aviation propulsion. "You've got to leapfrog" the competition.
TRAJEN FLIGHT SUPPORT this month held opening ceremonies at Sacramento Mather Airport, which will specialize in corporate aircraft services. The facility, 12 miles from downtown Sacramento, has an 11,300-foot runway and 65 acres of ramp space. The airport, which has no noise restrictions and no airline traffic, offers auto rentals, catering, crew rates for hotels and an 18-hole golf course. For more information, contact Trajen Flight Support at (800) 565-2647.
JOSEPH LOCASCIO has joined Magnavox Electronic Systems Company's MagnaStar Program as product manager. LoCascio has more than 18 years' experience in corporate jet avionics maintenance and installation, serving with Falcon Jet, AlliedSignal and Jet Aviation.
ABAKUS AIRCRAFT&AVIATION SPECIALISTS PTY. LTD., Sydney, Australia, said the first Boeing 727-100 executive aircraft to complete the QX (Quiet eXecutive) program has returned to service. The company said the aircraft not only met its objectives of Stage 3 noise compliance with installation of three new Rolls-Royce Tay 651-54 turbofans, but now boasts a 20 percent range boost to 4,200 nautical miles plus improvements in climb and cruise and lower cabin noise levels (BA, Oct. 24/183). The new engines were installed at Dee Howard Co., in San Antonio, Tex.
JET AVIATION'S North American maintenance base at Teterboro, N.J. airport was appointed as an authorized service center for AlliedSignal APUs. The APUs provide power for several business jets including Gulfstreams, Challengers and Falcon 50s, 900s and 2000s.
Kurt Herwald, president and chief executive officer of Stevens Aviation, acknowledges that he's heard the rumors too regarding financial problems at the FBO chain based in Greer, S.C., but says after a difficult year in 1994, the company expects to continue to grow significantly and expand its work force by at least 15 percent this year.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model BAe 146-100A and -200A airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM- 129-AD) - proposes to require modification of the glareshield and certain electrical equipment of the airplane. This proposal is prompted by a report indicating that, if the lift spoilers fail to deploy on landing, the flight crew may not receive any indication that this situation exists. The actions specified by the proposal are intended to ensure that the flight crew is advised when the lift spoilers fail to deploy on landing.
LINDA DASCHLE, the FAA deputy administrator who appeared at ground-breaking ceremonies for Cessna Aircraft's new plant in Independence, Kan., said FAA plans to provide funding for installation of an instrument landing system at the airport. During its search for a site for the new plant, Cessna had indicated it wanted to be on an airport that had or which could easily be equipped with an ILS system.
Dassault Aviation's recently certified Falcon 2000 business jet has proven to perform "better than expected in virtually every category" thanks in part to the installation of thrust reversers and reductions in airframe drag and stall speeds, officials said last week. Additionally, Dassault officials said they are adding new avionics to the basic Falcon 2000 specification.
Citing increased aircraft sales, Canadian conglomerate Bombardier reported increased revenues and earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 1995 that ended April 30. Revenues were up 16 percent, from $1.17 billion in the first quarter a year earlier to $1.35 billion in the most recent three months. All figures are in Canadian dollars.
Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo said her office cannot work on investigations involving suspect or unapproved parts with Anthony Broderick, FAA's top certification official, who she said is under investigation by the FBI because Broderick tried to interfere with an investigation by her department.
The Simmons Airlines fatal accident of an ATR-72 last November has shed more light on an unusual and hazardous icing phenomenon, and FAA is considering new training and test procedures that may be incorporated in aircraft manuals to handle such weather patterns. The ATR-72, which crashed Oct. 31 over Roselawn, Ind. killing all 68 people aboard, encountered what weather experts called "super cooled drizzle drops," which is believed to have led to a buildup of ice on the upper part of the wing that ultimately caused the accident.
LOCKHEED Model 382, 382B, 382E, 382F and 382G series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-10-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires visual inspections for loose, missing or deformed fasteners in the upper truss mounts of certain engines, inspections for cracking in the associated tangs and replacement of damaged parts. This action would require repetitive ultrasonic inspections for cracking of the upper tangs and replacement of cracked parts.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Friday said airlines operating nearly 175 ATR-72 and -42 aircraft in the U.S. have completed installation of new de- icing boots in compliance with an airworthiness directive issued in Jan- uary. The installation lifts a restriction in that AD prohibiting airlines from flying ATRs into forecast freezing drizzle or freezing rain. The other training, operational and dispatch limitations, however, will remain in place (BA, Jan. 16/25).
CESSNA Models T303, 402C, 404, 414A and 421C airplanes (Docket No. 94-CE- 06-AD; Amdt. 39-9217; AD 95-09-13) - supersedes AD 93-05-03, which requires repetitive inspections of each fuel inlet float valve in accordance with certain test procedures and replacement of any valve that does not pass this test. This action requires installation of improved fuel inlet float valves, which will reduce the number of repetitive tests required by AD 93- 05-03.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION last week named Edward Bolen senior vice president/general counsel. Bolen, who will join the association in July, is legislative director and general counsel for Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) and general counsel for the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. Bolen served as a strong behind-the-scenes player in Kassebaum's effort to win passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act.
FRASCA INTERNATIONAL received an order for its Model 242T Level 3 flight training device (FTD) for Thai Airways' International. The FTD, which will be stationed at Thai Airways' training center in Bangkok, Thailand, will be used in the airline's pilot development program and for advanced turboprop training.
ROBINSON Model R44 helicopters (Docket No. 95-SW-16-AD; Amdt. 39-9210; AD 95-09-07) - requires removal of the push-pull tube sleeve guide assembly and replacement with a push-pull tube roller guide assembly. This action also calls for inspection of the push-pull tube sleeves for signs of wear and replacement, as necessary. This amendment is prompted by a report of an operator experiencing binding in the cyclic control system caused by torn heat-shrink material on the cyclic push-pull tubes binding in the sleeve guide.
RAYTHEON Model Hawker 1000 and BAe 125-1000A series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-73-AD; Amdt. 39-9218; AD 95-10-01) - requires inspections to detect various discrepancies of the fuel hose assemblies on the auxiliary power unit and correction of any discrepancy found. This amendment is prompted by several reports of heat damage to the fuel hose assembly on the APU. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of a fuel hose due to heat damage caused by incorrect routing or bleed air leakage.
