SPECTROLAB Nightsun XP searchlight assembly [Docket No. FAA-2012-0221; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-082-AD; Amendment 39-17454; AD 2013-10-01] – applies to searchlights installed on, but not limited to Agusta Model AB139 and Model AW139 helicopters, Sikorsky Model S-92A helicopters, and Eurocopter Deutschland Model EC135 and Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters.
BRENDA PAAUWE-NAVORI was named regional sales director for Western regional sales for Embraer Executive Jets. Paauwe-Navori will be responsible for large and ultra-large aircraft sales. She formerly has managed sales for an aircraft manufacturer and fractional ownership provider and has experience with Virgin Charge and Northwest Airlines. She also co-founded Gogo Jet.
Avantair is beginning to return aircraft to service after voluntarily grounding its fleet late last week following a discrepancy uncovered in its maintenance tracking program. The fleet grounding, which began June 6, was the second for the Clearwater, Fla.-based fractional ownership provider in the past nine months.
Beechcraft, which lost its appeal to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to overturn the U.S. Air Force’s award of the Light Air Support (LAS) contract to a Sierra Nevada/Embraer team, is urging Congress to limit the scope of the contract, worth up to nearly $1 billion, to the minimum requirements.
Eurocopter is claiming to have beaten Sikorsky’s X2 unofficial speed record by reaching 263 kt. in a dive with its X3 high-speed demonstrator. During trials in early June, Eurocopter test pilots flying at the Istres test base near Marseille, France, also achieved 255 kt. in level flight, breaking the X3’s previous top speed of 232 kt. set in May 2011.
The National Aeronautic Association, in concert with the Air Care Alliance, has issued a call for nominations for the 2013 Public Benefit Flying Awards. Nominations will be accepted through June 30. NAA will present awards for Distinguished Volunteer Pilot, Distinguished Volunteer, Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying, Public Benefit Flying Teamwork Award, and Champion of Public Benefit Flying. Nominees must be either U.S. citizens or U.S. organizations. For more information, visit www.naa.aero.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is writing to the Department of Homeland Security to seek answers on why a growing number of pilots and aircraft are being searched at the request of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials and on what authority the searches are taking place. AOPA is also developing a checklist for pilots who encounter such situations.
Frontier MEDEX rolled out a new program to help corporate aircraft crews handle emergencies and other situations both inflight and on the ground. The aviation assistance program AirAssist will provide inflight medical consultations, including immediate access to emergency physicians who are trained to manage emergencies at altitude. The physicians, based at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, can help crew through a medical emergency and coordinate with dispatch, operations and ground emergency medical services.
Aviation Performance Solutions (APS) has developed a high-altitude, high-mach, all-attitude jet training program designed for commercial pilots. The program is aimed at addressing loss of control inflight, which was identified in a July 2012 Boeing report as the cause of the most fatalities in commercial aviation crashes over the past 10 years. The program, using aerobatic-capable trainers, will provide training for upset prevention and recovery.
NASA plans to launch an intense airborne campaign to study the migration of black carbon, organic gases and aerosols from the surface to the stratosphere, using agency-owned DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft, along with a leased Learjet.
June 17-19—National Air Transportation Association 2013 Air Charter Summit, Marriott Dulles, Dulles, Va., 703-845-9000, www.nata.aero June 21–22—National Business Aviation Association Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference, Washington, D.C., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org July 11—National Business Aviation Association, Business Aviation Regional Forum, Denver, Colo., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org July 29-Aug. 4—2013 EAA Airventure Oshkosh, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis., www.airventure.org
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT Models 58, 58TC, 58P, 95C55, E55 and 56TC airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1180; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-032-AD] – revises a proposal that would require inspections of elevator balance weights and replacement of defective elevator balance weights. That NPRM was prompted by reports of elevator balance weights becoming loose or failing because the balance weight material was under strength and did not meet material specifications. This action revises that proposal to prohibit the installation of designated spare parts and to clarify applicability.
California lawmakers are keeping up pressure on FAA to impose mandatory operating restrictions for helicopters over Los Angeles, but the agency believes the regulatory process “is not well suited” to solving regional noise issues and is pushing for a series of collaborative voluntary measures.
FEDERICA NAZZANI was appointed vice president, business development for Premier Aviation Overhaul Center. Nazzani was formerly president and CEO of Windsor International Airport. She had a four-year term as a member of the Airports Council International Canada board of directors and served as vice chairman of the Small Airport Caucus of the Canadian Airports Council.
Eclipse Aerospace, in final preparations to renew customer deliveries of its very light jet, received FAA clearance to extend the service life for both the new 550 and the existing fleet of 500s. The new service life is 20,000 hr./20,000 cycles, which Eclipse says will provide a typical operator more than 50 years of operations and improve airframe residual value.
Anthony Foxx’s nomination to succeed Ray LaHood as U.S. Transportation Secretary has been unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. No date has been set for a full Senate vote, although indications from Capitol Hill suggest that Foxx could be a cabinet member by the end of July. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) on June 10 urged colleagues to quickly schedule a vote on the nomination. Sen.
Industry groups are pushing for a “well thought out” review of Part 27 and 29 regulations governing helicopter certification, saying current regulations work only because FAA is constantly issuing special conditions and exemptions.
Thrush Aircraft received type approval from the Brazilian civil aviation authority (ANAC) for its GE-powered Thrust 510G operations. Brazilian approval follows FAA’s OK in October of the Thrush 510 with the GE H-80 engine. The aircraft has also received certification. Thrush calls Brazilian approval a key milestone since a number of operators in the Brazilian market are poised to replace their aging fleets of agricultural aircraft.
DASSAULT AVIATION Model Fan Jet Falcon Series C, D, E, F, and G airplanes; and Falcon 200, 20-C5, 20-D5, 20-E5 and 20-F5 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0423; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-176-AD] – proposes to require repetitive weighing of fire extinguisher bottles having a certain part number, and eventual replacement of those bottles to terminate the repetitive weighing. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of a manufacturing defect in the charge indicator on fire extinguisher bottles.
The general aviation avionics market reached sales of $1.7 billion in the first quarter, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association. The sales included installations on new aircraft, as well as retrofits, and reflected reports of 20 manufacturers. This was AEA’s first quarterly report on the avionics market. AEA in March released its first annual report, detailing 2012 sales of $6.28 billion. The reports will provide a baseline for future data on the avionics market.
ECLIPSE Model EA500 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0448; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-007-AD] – proposes, for aircraft equipped with Avio, Avio with ETT, or Avio NG 1.0 avionics suites, to require either incorporating updates to the aircraft computer system or incorporating a temporary revision to the aircraft flight manual. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of potential aircraft hardware failure in the autopilot control panel and the center switch panel. FAA estimates the AD would affect 81 aircraft on the U.S.
NASA has awarded $38 million in contracts to four companies to address “system technology gaps that are exposed by the operational challenges” of the next-generation air traffic control system (NextGen).
AGUSTA Model A119 and AW119MKII helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0695; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-031-AD; Amendment 39-17448; AD 2013-09-06] – supersedes an existing AD that currently requires inspecting the pilot and co-pilot engine rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) control box assemblies to determine if the control gear locking pin is in its proper position. Since FAA issued that AD, Agusta has developed a terminating action for this inspection. This AD requires the same actions as the existing AD as well as modifying the RVDT control box assemblies.
NICK LEONTIDIS was named group president, civil simulation products, training and services for CAE. Leontidis replaces Jeff Roberts. Leontidis has served with CAE for 25 years, most recently as executive vice president, strategy and business development. He has held roles of increasing responsibility since joining the company in 1988 as a software engineer. Leontidis has also served as vice president of marketing and sales for the civil business; vice president of simulation products and executive vice president of civil aviation training and equipment.
Used market trends, slowing flight operations and plummeting aircraft values are pointing to continued market woes as the summer approaches, industry data shows.
