The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is hoping to develop data on light aircraft that will trace major causes of general aviation accidents. In its recently released European Aviation Safety Plan 2013-2016, the vast majority of fatal accidents involve aircraft weighing less than 2,250 kg (4,960 lb.), EASA notes, adding that in 2011, 253 people were killed as a result of small aircraft crashes. EASA plans to establish main accident categories and work to identify the scenarios leading to those accidents.
The National Air Transportation Association has released an online version for its line service supervision and training management program. The Supervisor Online program provides training for fixed-base operator (FBO) line supervisors and managers. The program covers lesson planning, supervising staff, motivating others, communicating and coaching a team. Additional modules will cover a range of other topics, including fuel servicing, personal protective equipment, hazard communication and fire safety.
BELL Model 407 helicopters with certain tailboom assemblies [Docket No. FAA-2013-0019; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-051-AD] – proposes to require at specified intervals, inspecting the tailboom assembly for a crack, loose rivet, or other damage. This proposed AD is prompted by a stress analysis of the tailboom skin that revealed high-stress-concentration areas are susceptible to skin cracking. This condition, if not detected, could result in a crack in the tailboom assembly, failure of the tailboom, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Gulfstream’s facility in Lincoln, Calif., was named an authorized service station for Howell Instruments, a Fort Worth-based manufacturer of instrumentation, engine monitoring systems and ground support equipment for civilian and military aircraft. Gulfstream Lincoln was authorized to test and repair Howell interstage turbine temperature indicators, Autotemp indicators, Autotak indicators, engine pressure ratio indicators, fuel flow indicators, fan speed indicators, fan speed amplifiers and tachometers.
The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for establishing new duty-time regulations covering maintenance workers involved in on-demand, fractional and all repair station operations, along with those involved with scheduled carriers.
ANDREW HAUPRICHT joined TWC Aviation’s Private Jet Charter Services group as director of business development. Haupricht will work with TWC clients on developing charter programs for them. Before joining TWC, he held a business development role with NetJets, and has also served in the Air National Guard as an aircraft engineer on the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
BAE Systems Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1040; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-029-AD; Amendment 39-17330; AD 2013-02-09] – requires a detailed inspection of the end caps on the anti-icing piccolo tube for lost or loose end caps, and replacing or repairing the end caps if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report of loss of the end caps on the anti-icing piccolo tube of the wing leading edge.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the first Republican appointee in President Barack Obama’s cabinet, says he will not serve a second term, providing grist for the Washington rumor mill on a possible successor. “It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the department [of Transportation], and I am grateful to President Obama for giving me such an extraordinary opportunity,” LaHood says in a statement announcing his departure. He will remain at the department until a replacement can be found.
The used market continues to strengthen, with a record number of sales in 2012 and a continued decline in percentage of fleet on the market, industry analyst Jetnet reports. The 2,240 total transactions in 2012 marked a record, and were up from the low of 1,539 transactions in 2009. The previous record was 2,181 in 2007. The number of business jets for sale inched down by 0.4% in 2012 to 13.4% of the total fleet, and the number of turboprops for sale shrunk 1.3% to 8.3%. The turbine helicopter-for-sale inventory was down 0.5% to 6.1%.
DAVID RUSHTON has joined FlightSafety International as commercial marketing manager, visual simulation systems. Rushton has more than 25 years of visual systems experience within the flight simulator industry. He will expand FlightSafety’s commercial simulation business. He previously served as vice president, business development for VDC, and has also served with Evans & Sutherland, Hughes Rediffusion Simulation and Rockwell Collins.
Dallas Airmotive has restructured its U.S. sales organization to better align its sales personnel with customer base locations. Under the reorganization, Jim Blasingame was named senior sales director in charge of major accounts, OEM relationships and sales support. Blasingame formerly handled sales for Rolls-Royce engine services and company fleet accounts. Jeff Turner, previously sales director for Pratt & Whitney Canada programs, was appointed territorial director for the Western U.S.
A government/industry working group is hoping to finalize a series of recommendations in the next few months that detail a new approach to certification that regulators and industry leaders alike believe will bring safety products to the general aviation market faster and at half the cost.
EADS CASA Model CN-235,CN-235-100, CN-235-200, and CN-235-300 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1102; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-062-AD; Amendment 39-17333; AD 2013-02-12] – requires a one-time inspection to identify the correct polarity for each pair of electrical connectors on each engine fire extinguisher cartridge, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of incorrect electrical polarity connections on engine fire extinguishing discharge cartridges.
Bombardier added an authorized service facility in Nigeria. ExecuJet Nigeria, based in Lagos, was appointed a line maintenance facility for Bombardier Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605, Global 5000, Global 6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS business jets. The facility expands Bombardier’s service capabilities in Africa, joining ExecuJet’s center in Lanseria, South Africa. The Nigeria facility, based at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, includes a more than 50,000-sq.-ft. maintenance hangar and nearly 275,000 ft. of apron.
DAVID GEE was appointed vice president of engineering for Blackhawk Modifications. Gee has more than 40 years of engineering, certification and management experience. He has held engineering and leadership roles with Hawker Beechcraft, Raisbeck Engineering, Piper Aircraft and Fairchild Aircraft.
Piper Aircraft named B&C Piper Sales as its sales agent for Italy. Based at Thiene Airport (LIDH) near Venice, B&C Piper Sales is a part of B&C Srl. Unipersonale, which Piper says is well known in Italian business circles.
BELL Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B and 212 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1188; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-17171; AD 2012-17-08] – supersedes four ADs related to the main rotor yoke on the affected helicopters, and retains certain inspections and certain life limits, requires an increased inspection frequency for certain yokes, and expands these inspections and retirement lives to other yokes.
FAA’s proposed policy to extend the applicability of certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements to aircraft operators carrying cabin crewmembers is raising concerns from business aviation advocates that it could cause confusion and hamper business aircraft operations. FAA released the proposed policy Dec. 7 at the direction of Congress, saying it would establish a memorandum of understanding with OSHA to identify the areas where OSHA standards would apply.
FlightSafety International received FAA and Transport Canada Level D qualification for its first Pilatus PC-12NG aircraft simulator. The simulator is based at its Dallas training center. FlightSafety also plans to build a Level D-qualified simulator for Pilatus PC-12-47 (Series 10) aircraft. That simulator, which also will be based in Dallas, is scheduled to enter service early next year. FlightSafety provides both PC-12 and PC-12NG training for pilots, maintenance technicians and others who operate and support the aircraft.
Two years ago, Boeing, Cessna and Gulfstream were the leading edge for introducing lithium-ion main-ship batteries into new aircraft in the civil aviation market. But by late 2011, evidence had emerged that the technology was not yet mature, spurring business aircraft makers Gulfstream and Cessna to return to more traditional, lower-performance and heavier batteries for the G650 and CJ4, respectively.
The FAA is defining noise regulations in readiness for the introduction of civilian tiltrotor aircraft. While the first civilian tiltrotor, the AgustaWestland AW609, is not expected to be certified until the end of 2016, the FAA’s rules aim to establish noise limits for the new aircraft type and harmonize U.S. rules in line with those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
