Edward J. Sowa, 79, a longtime corporate pilot with IBM and founding member and later general manager of SimuFlite, died July 22 at his home in Penn Laird, Va., following a battle with cancer. His aviation career began with the U.S. Marine Corps as a fighter pilot and light attack aviator. He joined IBM as a corporate pilot, and later became chief pilot. In addition to his aviation career, he was a founder and part of the senior management of Sante Pediatrics, which provides outpatient health care services for children.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0755; Directorate Identifier 99-CE-65-AD] – proposes to rescind AD 200-07-11 calling for repetitive inspections of brake system rods and tubings. That AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy. FAA issued that AD to prevent the brake hydraulic fluid from leaking because of the brake assembly rods contacting the brake valve tubing, which could result in the inability to adequately stop the airplane during ground operations.
MD HELICOPTERS Model 500N, 600N, and MD900 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0746; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-35-AD] – proposes to require determining the cure date for each NOTAR fan blade tension-torsion strap (T-T strap), establishing a calendar-time retirement life for certain T-T straps, reducing the retirement life of certain T-T straps, marking each T-T strap with the expiration date, creating a component record card for each T-T strap, and revising the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance manual to reflect the changes to the retirement life.
The Environmental Protection Agency is denying – for now – a 2006 petition from the Friends of the Earth (FOE) to issue a finding that lead emissions from general aviation may endanger public health and propose standards accordingly. EPA says insufficient evidence exists to make such a finding. The petition, however, further asks that if EPA can’t make such a finding, that it launch a study to investigate the health and environmental impacts from lead emissions from general aviation aircraft.
CAE began Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 pilot and maintenance technician training programs at its facility in Melbourne, Australia. The training, tailored for King Air 350s with Pro Line 21 avionics, includes a Level-D qualified full-flight simulator that will be used for both business aircraft and military pilots. The facility is located in the Ansett Aviation training base.
Bombardier delivered a Global 5000 jet to Jana Aviation. The aircraft, based in Beirut, Lebanon, will be managed by Executive Aircraft Services. Executive Aircraft already operates a Bombardier Challenger 300.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-100, DHC-8-200, and DHC-8-300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0271; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-196-AD; Amendment 39-17118; AD 2012-14-04] – requires replacing the affected parking brake accumulator. This AD was prompted by reports of hydraulic accumulator screw cap or end cap failure.
A government/industry working group is looking at a new approach to simplify but strengthen the certification process for Part 23 aircraft that, if implemented, members believe could significantly improve the time it takes to bring new products to market and cut the costs of the lightest aircraft in half.
President Obama Aug. 3 signed Sen. Jim Inhofe’s (R-Okla.) Pilot’s Bill of Rights (S.1335) into law, following House passage late last month. The bill, co-sponsored by nearly two-thirds of the Senate, passed the Senate in June. The bill strengthens protections of pilots rights in cases of FAA enforcement actions. Inhofe, who had his own run-in with FAA after landing on a closed airstrip in Texas in 2010, reiterates that the bill fixes “many of the most serious deficiencies in the relationship between general aviation and the FAA.”
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on July 31 approved a bill to oppose the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), but only after panelists amended the legislation to limit the transportation secretary’s authority to prohibit U.S. carriers from participating.
BOB SEIDEL has joined JFI Jets as CEO, succeeding Bill Cripe, who is taking a leave of absence. Seidel previously was general manager and senior vice president of Jet Aviation’s U.S. aircraft management and charter division. Before joining Jet Aviation in 2004, he was Midwest sales director for Gulfstream Aerospace
Astronics Corporation is broadening its business aviation and rotorcraft base with the acquisition of Portland, Ore.-based enhanced vision specialist Max-Viz. Astronics is paying $10 million for the privately held business, but will pay up to $8 million more if Max-Viz achieves certain revenue targets over the next three years.
FAA is following through on a congressionally-mandated policy to permit pilot access to airport runways and taxiways from adjacent homes. The agency proposes a “residential-through-the-fence” policy July 30 that reverses recent efforts by the agency to discourage direct aircraft access from private property to airports with grant obligations.
NetJets already is beginning to see possible returns from its new fleets, says Patrick Gallagher, senior vice president and head of sales for the fractional ownership provider. After announcing orders in June for midsized cabins – including the Cessna Citation Latitude and Bombardier Challenger 300 series – the number of inquires on the web and calls tripled, he says, adding that “customers are excited to see us reinvest in our business.”
Gulfstream Aerospace’s service center in Appleton, Wis., received approved maintenance organization (AMO) designations from China and Nigeria. The approvals clear the facility to provide maintenance, repairs, alterations and inspections on certain aircraft registered with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The Appleton center joins Gulfstream’s bases in Savannah and Long Beach, Calif., as CAAC-approved facilities.
HONEYWELL Model KGS200 Mercury wide area augmentation system (WAAS) global navigation satellite sensor units (GNSSU) [Docket No. FAA-2012-0758; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-027-AD; Amendment 39-17129; AD 2012-14-15] – requires the operator to cease localizer performance (LP), localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV), and satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) lateral navigation/vertical navigation (LNAV/VNAV) approaches until a software problem is corrected.
Textron’s Bell Helicopter and Cessna Aircraft units opened a new regional service center in Singapore at Seletar Aerospace Park. The facility provides a range of maintenance, repair, completion and other services. Bell President and CEO John Garrison says the facility is the result of years of planning for an increased presence in Asia Pacific for both Bell and Cessna. Bell signed a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Economic Development Board in J.une 2010 and broke ground jointly with Cessna a year later. The facility has 160,500 sq.
National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen calls the slow progress on improving temporary flight restrictions (TFR) “a tremendous frustration. … The instruments put into place after 9/11 were dull, blunt-force instruments.” By now, Bolen told a panel during last month’s Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2012 Airventure in Oshkosh, Wis., he had hoped that those instruments would have become “precision instruments.” While the process is improving, it’s slow and comes at a cost to operators.
The Alaska congressional delegation is pushing the IRS to reverse the position taken by some auditors calling on operators of small aircraft in Alaska to pay the commercial air transportation tax. On-demand operators of small aircraft (weighing 6,000 lb. or less) operating on “non-established lines” are exempt from the 7.5% tax on commercial air transportation. The Alaska Air Carriers Association (AACA) says 85% of aircraft in the state qualify, and its members are now facing new tax bills that reject the exemption.
CAV Ice Protection in Salina, Kan., launched an engineering consulting unit to provide ice protection expertise to manufacturers and operators of remotely piloted vehicles. The CAV Ice Protection Consulting Engineers organization (CAVICE) will focus on Medium Altitude Long Endurance and High Altitude Long Endurance unmanned systems. “Too many times, unmanned vehicles have to forgo a crucial mission when they have to fly through icing conditions to complete their tasks,” says Kevin Hawley, CAV Ice Protection’s vice president of business development.
The nomination of Michael Huerta to a five-year term as FAA administrator took another step forward July 31 with unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), the committee’s top Republican, says some senators have not received answers to written questions to Huerta, who is currently the acting administrator, but the nomination proceeded regardless.
DAN HENCHAL has become director of maintenance for Signature TECHNICAir’s maintenance facilities located at Charles B. Wheeler Airport (MKC) and at New Century Air Center Airport (IXD). He previously had served as director of maintenance at the company’s facility at St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) and at MSP Jet Center-Minneapolis. He also has served with Gulfstream/General Dynamics and Dallas Airmotive.
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2012 Airventure in Oshkosh, Wis., drew 508,000 attendees, including 2,078 international visitors from 71 nations. The weeklong event last month also attracted more than 10,000 aircraft to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. The showplanes totaled 2,489, including homebuilt aircraft, vintage airplanes, warbirds, ultralights, seaplanes, aerobatic aircraft and rotorcraft.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes Docket No. FAA-2012-0721; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-076-AD] – proposes to require replacing the existing cargo compartment liners with liners that comply. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that airplanes with a Class C cargo (baggage) compartment have liners that do not meet flammability requirements. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent inadequate fire protection in the cargo compartment and consequent uncontrolled fire.
NetJets is working to attract a new customer base with a “Supplemental Lift Assurance” program offered to aircraft owners and flight departments that need additional aircraft time, but not necessarily a fraction. NetJets will use its fractional fleet for the program – relying on Executive Jet Management when necessary – which will provided “assured access” with as little as four hr. notice.
