A significant portion of the FAA budget will be exempt from mandatory sequestration cuts, set to take effect on Jan. 3, according to data released late Friday by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). An Aviation Week analysis of the report shows that 30% of the FAA’s operations account is exempt, a large percentage compared with exemptions applied to other government agencies.
AG US TA Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters with a certain wire strike protection system (WSPS) top cable cutter assembly installed [Docket No. FAA-2012-0886; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-067-AD] – proposes to require reworking or replacing the top cable-cutter assembly to increase clearance between the WSPS and the M/R blades This proposed AD is prompted by a report of in-flight contact between the top cable cutter assembly and two main rotor (M/R) blades.
While industry indicators appear to be at their strongest in a long time – deliveries are up, the used aircraft market is improving and the North America market has ticked up – industry analyst JP Morgan is cautioning that deliveries are poised to flatten during the remainder of the year and recovery is “not yet imminent.”
A senior Transportation Security Administration official maintains that TSA is “aggressively pursuing” the release of a final repair station rule, but cannot give any guarantees that it will by out by yearend. TSA Administrator John Pistole earlier this year had told industry leaders TSA hoped to get the rule out by the end of the year, but Deputy Administrator John Halinski told the House transportation security subcommittee last week that he can’t give a timeline.
House lawmakers are faulting the Transportation Security Administration for dragging its feet on significant rulemakings and other initiatives covering repair station security, the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and flight student vetting, among others. In a report released by the majority staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s transportation security panel, the lawmakers note, “TSA has become infamous for publishing notices of proposed rulemaking but later failing to issue final rules in an expeditious manner.”
Airlines for America (A4A) is reorganizing its communications department to “better align our people and resources against the work in A4A ’s strategic plan and our public relations and media relations campaign for a National Airline Policy,” the U.S. trade group says in a message to members. The move results in the departure of Vice President-Communications Steven Lott, who joined the group at the beginning of 2011, and Managing Director of Communications Kimberly Roberts, who has been with the association for 16 years.
RUAG Aviation has sold a Dornier 228NG to an unidentified Asian customer, and plans to deliver the aircraft with a passenger configuration in the second half of next year. This deal, unveiled at the 2012 ILA Berlin air show, brings to six the number of orders RUAG has received for the type since launching production of the upgraded aircraft two years ago. At the end of August, RUAG delivered a Dornier 228NG to Germany’s naval squadron 3 “Graf Zeppelin” in Nordholz.
A Dassault Falcon 20 jet owned by the National Research Council of Canada will be the first civil jet to fly on 100% biofuel meeting petroleum jet fuel specifications. Tests to date have typically used a 50-50 blend of biofuel and regular kerosene jet fuel. The ReadiJet fuel, derived from mustard oilseeds, is made by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG). The two companies announced the tests at the ILA Berlin Air Show, where they are exhibiting in the Alternative Aviation Fuels Pavilion. The fuel was made under contract to the U.S.
At least one U.S. senator has placed a hold on a bill that would prohibit U.S. operators from participating in the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), preventing a vote on the contentious issue. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va) says the committee provided “broad support” for the bill. Still, “a couple of people don’t like it,” Rockefeller tells Aviation Week. “One of them might be holding it up.”
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) hired Jena Longo to serve as director of communications. Longo has been deputy communications director for the Senate Commerce Committee since 2009, where she handled press operations for aviation and other issue areas. She also has served as communications director for the Government Affairs Office of Clear Channel Communications, and has served in the offices of former Sens. John Breaux (D-La.) and Ben Nelson (R-Colo.).
Signature Flight Support Sept. 19 is planning to hold a grand opening ceremony of its new facility at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The ceremony comes less than a week after Signature broke ground on a new terminal at Palm Beach International Airport that will be dedicated to NetJets. Signature and NetJets announced a year ago that they had signed an agreement for a terminal that would be solely for NetJets’ use. The facility will be customized to NetJets’ specification and its owner preferences.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently opened a facility at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. Signature Flight Support, which worked with Yellowstone authorities to bring the Customs service to the airport, celebrated the facility’s opening on Sept. 7. The office is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays, but appointments can be arranged outside those hours. Signature Flight Support Bozeman/Yellowstone Jet Center will be able to coordinate clearances with the CBP.
DAREN REMMERT was promoted to avionics installation manager for Pro Star Aviation. Remmert will oversee both in-house and on-the-road avionics installations. Remmert has 30 years of aviation experience, including inflight operations, aircraft maintenance and avionics.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC155B and EC155B1 helicopters with a VIP four-seat bench [Docket No. FAA-2012-0177; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-59-AD; Amendment 39-17149; AD 2012-16-02] – requires revising the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) and converting the VIP four-seat bench into a three-seat configuration. This AD was prompted by the determination that the load strength of the seat attachment hardware of the seat installation does not meet certification specifications.
PAUL RAYHILL was appointed president of Keystone Med-Flight, a subsidiary of Hawke Aerospace. Rayhill previously served as president of Keystone affiliate company Aviation Services Unlimited, a company he owned until it merged with Hawke last year. He began his career as an aviator with the U.S. Navy, flying various helicopter platforms.
CESSNA Model 525 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0880; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-004-AD] – proposes to require, for affected aircraft equipped with certain part number (P/N) air conditioning (A/C) compressor motors, require inspection of the number of hours on the A/C compressor hour meter, inspection of the logbook, and replacement of the brushes on certain P/N A/C compressor motors or deactivation of the A/C system until replacement of the brushes. This proposed AD also requires reporting of aircraft information related to the replacement of the brushes.
BRP-POWERTRAIN Rotax 912 F2; 912 F3; 912 F4; 912 S2; 912 S3; and 912 S4 reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2012-0603; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-17-AD; Amendment 39-17160; AD 2012-16-13] – requires replacing the pressure side fuel hose on certain fuel pumps and inspecting the carburetors connected to those fuel pumps for contamination within five flight hours after the effective date of this AD. This AD was prompted by reports of fuel pumps having pressure side fuel hoses not meeting the design specification.
Max-Viz, which was recently acquired by Astronics Corp., has received supplement type certification from the Brazilian Agencia Nacional Aviação Civil for installation of its Model 1500 Enhanced Vision System (EVS) aboard Pro Line 21-equipped Beechcraft King Airs, including models 200, 200GT, 200CGT, 300, 300C, C90GT and C90GTi. The supplemental type certificate was obtained through working with Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Services.
Constant Aviation is expanding into a national provider of its services, opening its third base in Las Vegas. The facility, a 30,000-sq.-ft. center leased through Atlantic Aviation at McCarren International Airport, joins Constant’s headquarters in Cleveland and base in Birmingham, Ala., providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services on business jets. The selection of Las Vegas came after a search of about two years, enabling the provider to reach a broader base on the West Coast, says Marketing Manager Aimee Dalton.
The European Helicopter Safety Implementation Team (EHSIT) has developed a leaflet on rotorcraft decision making. EHSIT is part of the European Helicopter Safety Team, which conducted research into the human factors related to aircraft accidents and incidents. Research has revealed that the majority of fatal crashes are attributable to decision errors rather than to perception or execution errors. The leaflet looks at human factors affecting decision making, decision-error factors, and decision-making models.
National Air Transportation Association President and CEO Tom Hendricks, who officially stepped into his new role last week after serving as senior vice president, safety, security and operations for Airlines for America, stresses the importance of the aviation associations of all industry segments working together to educate the public and Washington about “how critically dependent we all are on aviation. We need to make sure they don’t take aviation for granted.
FAA is urging the general aviation community to participate in its 34th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Survey for 2011. The survey, available online at www.aviationsurvey.org, provides information to track GA fleet activity, including number of hours flown and reasons for flight. The agency notes the data helps determine funding for infrastructure and service needs, and assesses the impact of regulatory changes and measures safety. The survey also is used to calculate accident rates.
West Star Aviation’s Grand Junction, Colo., facility has implemented energy upgrades that the aviation services business says is producing 75% in savings on energy costs. The initiatives included replacing more than 50 parking/street lights with new smart LED light bulbs, and also replacing old fluorescent-tube lighting throughout five buildings at the Grand Junction location. West Star estimates the annual energy cost will decrease by nearly $5,300 with the use of the LED lights, and more than $20,000 for the lights that are upgraded throughout the five buildings.
