FAA must expedite the incentives and provide flexible loan-guarantee programs to persuade the aviation industry to make the large investments in aircraft equipment needed for NextGen, industry leaders told FAA officials last week. The agency held the first of a series of meetings on possible incentives for commercial and general aviation operators.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is continuing an investigation of last week’s midair collision involving separate aircraft carrying an FAA accident investigator and a National Transportation Safety Board employee. Since NTSB and FAA employees were aboard both aircraft, NTSB took the unusual step of asking TSB to take over the investigation of the May 28 accident near Warrenton, Va. “This accident hits especially close to home, with the involvement of an NTSB employee,” says NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. TSB deployed a team to the site.
Bell Helicopter received approval from India’s Director General of Civil Aviation for a 500 lb. maximum gross weight increase on the Bell 429 light twin-engine helicopter. India is the 10th country to approve the increase since Transport Canada certified the 492’s 7,500 lb. maximum gross weight in January. Earlier this month, Ecuador and Malaysia approved the increase, following validations from Australia, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
JOHN DELISI was named director of the Office of Aviation Safety for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). DeLisi has served as the office’s deputy director since 2007. He has been with NTSB for 20 years, overseeing numerous major investigations, including the January 2009 ditching of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River and the February 2009 Colgan Air accident in Buffalo. He began his aviation career as an aircraft systems engineer.
CONTINENTAL MOTORS (CMI) Models TSIO-520, TSIO-550-K, TSIOF-550K, and IO-550-N series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2011-1341; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-41-AD; Amendment 39-17062; AD 2012-10-13] – supersedes an AD that applies to engines with new or rebuilt CMI starter adapters installed between Jan. 1, 2011 and Nov. 20, 2011. That AD currently requires replacing affected CMI starter adapters with starter adapters eligible for installation. This AD requires the same actions, but to an expanded population of reciprocating engines.
40 Years Ago May 22, 1972 – FAA proposes new regulations to separate certification for “air taxis” and “commuter operators” and to include flight and duty time requirements, increased maintenance standards, upgraded pilot qualification and potential for certificate denial based on previous illegal operations. 30 Years Ago
Cessna is expanding its comprehensive single-engine inspection program unveiled late last year to cover 100 series aircraft. In December, the company unveiled one of the largest aging aircraft programs to be undertaken for a fleet of single-piston airplanes. The program encompasses a series of supplemental inspections to address possible corrosion and fatigue stress on the Cessna fleet of nearly 145,000 100- and 200-series single-engine aircraft produced between 1946 and 1986.
Aviation groups are getting some support on Capitol Hill in their effort to quash an air tour measure in the comprehensive highway bill. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) would increase the National Park Service’s authority over air tour operators and airspace over national parks. Helicopter Association International warns that the amendment would be “devastating” to the industry, giving NPS control of large sections of the national airspace system.
Hawker Beechcraft named Harrods Aviation and Gama Support Services as support centers. Harrods Aviation at London Luton Airport, U.K., was named a limited service center to support Hawker 750, 800, 800XP, 850XP and 900XP business jets. Harrods provides fixed-base operation, maintenance and engineering services at both Luton and Stansted airports. Gama’s Farnborough facility will be a limited service center for Beechcraft King Air 200, 250, 300 and 350 aircraft and Premier business jets.
TRACY GANDY was appointed manager of Dallas Airmotive’s First Support operation, which coordinates aircraft-on-ground support through a network of field service technicians, mobile response vehicles, tooling and rental engines. Gandy will manage the First Support command center in Grapevine, Texas, and field service technicians throughout the U.S. He has a 30-year aviation background, most recently serving as program manager at Consolidated Turbine Service.
Swiss plane-maker Pilatus won a contract from the India air force for a fleet of 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 MK II turboprop trainers, beating out competition from Hawker Beechcraft, Grob and Embraer, among others.
FAA expects to publish within 30 days its new cost-benefit findings for applying recently adopted Part 121 crew rest rules to cargo carriers, FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta says. In response to a court challenge to the cargo carrier exemption filed by the Independent Pilots Association, FAA recently admitted that it erred in assessing the cost portion of its previous analysis.
VERNA FITZSIMMONS was named CEO and dean of Kansas State University Salina. She previously was an interim dean at Kent State University and an associate professor at Kent State’s College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology. While there she led efforts to select and install a $1.5 million air traffic control simulation lab.
FAA’s latest effort to modernize repair station regulations could create as many challenges as it solves, several industry experts say. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published May 21 is the latest step in a 23-year odyssey to update FAR Part 145, the rules that govern repair station certification. FAA began looking at the issue in 1989, and in 2001 released final rules updating parts of Part 145 regulation.
BAE SYSTEMS Model 4101 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0489; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-229-AD] – proposes to require an inspection to determine if a certain fire extinguisher is installed and the repositioning of the fire extinguisher bottle from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation, if necessary. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that the fire extinguisher in the toilet vanity unit needs to be mounted vertically rather than horizontally.
Daher-Socata has received type approval for its TBM 850 single-turboprop aircraft from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The aircraft met certification requirements for extreme weather conditions and other CIS requirements.
Aircell’s Aviator 200 communications system was approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency for installation aboard the Falcon 2000LX. Jet Aviation Basel secured the supplemental type certificate for the system, which enables near global email, light Internet and voice capabilities via Inmarsat’s satellite-based SwiftBroadband service.
The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending strengthened training and testing standards for experimental aircraft after a study revealed that a disproportionate number of crashes occur either on the first flight of an amateur-built aircraft or on a new owner’s first flight of a used amateur aircraft.
FAA is re-evaluating a policy established in the mid-1990s designed to preserve aviation history and keep historic airplanes operational. The Living History Flight Experience (LHFE) policy enables owners/operators of historically significant aircraft to operate under exemptions to current standards. The exemptions permit limited passenger-carrying flights for compensation to generate funds to maintain and preserve the aircraft.
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A recent spate of commercial carrier accidents and incidents in the U.S. involving hail and lightning strikes is prompting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to seek improvements in weather information furnished to both air traffic controllers and pilots. NTSB recommends that FAA study the potential of providing real-time total lightning information on air traffic controller displays, both at air route traffic control centers and terminal radar approach control facilities.
Garmin International was granted supplemental type certification approval for installation of the G1000 avionics suite on Hawker Beechcraft King Air 300 and 350 twin turboprops. Garmin previously had secured similar approval for the G1000 aboard King Air C90, 200 and B200 aircraft. The G1000 avionics suite for the King Air 300 and 350 integrates primary flight information, navigation data, communications, terrain awareness, traffic, weather, and engine instruments on a large 15-in. multifunction display and two 10.4-in. primary flight displays.
Galmena, a joint venture between GAL Aviation and MENA Aerospace Enterprises, has teamed with ExecuJet Middle East to provide cabin interiors services.
