THE FAA HAS GRANTED THE WORLD'S first Level 3 certification for a helicopter flight training device (FTD). The unit, built by Frasca International, is owned and operated by Petroleum Helicopters in Lafayette, La. PHI's device replicates a medium-lift, twin-engine helicopter, such as the Bell 412. Level 3 approval allows training for all items in the FAA's Practical Test Standards and procedures for GPS approaches.
Northwest Airlines will pay a $225,000 civil penalty in a settlement of U.S. Transportation Dept. charges that it violated laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination against passengers with disabilities. In an investigation launched in 2002, the department said its enforcement office asked 10 Northwest reservation agents by phone whether a passenger could stow a folding wheelchair in one of its aircraft cabins, as regulations require, and nine of them replied that this wouldn't be possible.
Turbomeca is experiencing substantial expansion, producing nearly 800 engines in 2003, compared with 733 in 2002, leading to a modest increase in revenues for the year.
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit should be poised for a decision this week at the rim of the large Bonneville Crater--whether to enter the crater, or to head for hills to the east after several weeks of looking inside from the rim. Early images show the inside wall sloping at 20-30 deg., which may be too steep for safety.
David A. Fulghum (Ramstein Ab, Germany, and Washington)
To U.S. military planners in Europe, Africa offers very different faces. Worries abound about blighted countries where failing government institutions could allow easy sanctuary to terrorists who strike at the coalition. But planners are also enticed by uncrowded skies and foreign air forces that are willing to share in training.
Honeywell has received FAA certification for the Primus 701A airborne weather radar for civilian and military use. The system is to be used on the Agusta HKP15, Sikorsky S-92, Israel Aircraft Industries KA-32 and Boeing CH-47. It also will be used on such fixed-wing aircraft as the C-130 Hercules. The "A" denotes compliance with the Aeronautical Radio Inc. (Arinc-708) standard data interface.
General Electric Aircraft Engines has selected the Goodrich Corp. to supply nacelle systems to support development of the Japanese C-X military cargo aircraft. The contract is expected to be worth up to $100 million over the life of the program, including sales of spares.
William Dennis (Kuala Lumpur), Michael Mecham (San Francisco)
Despite a first half devastated by a traffic dropoff from Asia's severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, a remarkable second half pushed Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific to a HK$1.3-billion ($167-million) profit for fiscal 2003.
What's going to happen to Jet A fuel prices? Airline executives are shuddering at the recent $7-per-barrel spike, fearing the unexpectedly high fuel bills will sabotage the slow recovery. If the price of $37 per barrel or higher continues, it could send more than several of the weaker operators into oblivion.
U.S. government representatives are telling British counterparts not to back Rolls-Royce's efforts to develop an engine for Boeing's 7E7 with favorable loads. The U.S. has complained about the support Rolls received for its Airbus A380 work. The U.S. will resist efforts that would give Rolls an unfair advantage over GE or Pratt & Whitney, says Joseph H. Bogosian, the Commerce Dept.'s deputy assistant secretary for transportation and machinery.
LIBERTY AEROSPACE INC. HAS RECEIVED FAA certification of its Liberty XL2 under FAR Part 23 rules. The single-engine, two-place aircraft is the first to be certified with a Fadec (full authority digital engine control system), according to President/CEO Anthony Tiarks. The PowerLink Fadec, developed in cooperation with Teledyne Continental and Aerosance, uses sensors to monitor the IOF240 powerplant and eliminates the manual mixture control. Liberty officials expect to begin delivering the XL2 in the next few months.
Francois Auque, CEO of EADS Space, sees dangers and opportunities for his company in the new U.S. space plans. If NASA is unable to meet its commitment to complete the International Space Station with the diminished shuttle fleet, EADS' Space Transportation unit stands to lose a lot of business preparing European microgravity experiments for the orbiting laboratory.
Pentagon comptroller, Dov S. Zakheim, who has periodically noted that the position's demands have eliminated free time and family life from his schedule, announces his resignation. Tina W. Jonas, the FBI's chief financial officer and a veteran Pentagon manager, has been named as a replacement. Simultaneously, James G. Roche has withdrawn his nomination as Army secretary, and will stay put as Air Force secretary. In bowing out, he cites controversy over the Boeing 767 tanker leasing plan and sexual assault scandals in the service.
The Gulfstream 550's FAA certification has been validated by the Joint Aviation Authorities, and the European Aviation Safety Agency has issued a European type certificate. This will allow the ultra long-range business jet to be certified and registered in 37 European and neighboring countries. Also last week, a G550 established record times for flights between two transatlantic city-pairs by flying from Washington Dulles airport to Berlin Templehof airport 3,780 naut. mi. away in 7 hr.
China is on the verge of announcing that it will select women to join its astronaut corps. But the government has orchestrated it to make it appear that instead of a thoroughly thought-out move by the Chinese Communist Party, it is the idea of the All-China Women's Federation springing forth with International Women's Day celebrations, marked Mar. 8 by the United Nations. Things don't work that way in China.
David A. Fulghum (Ramstein Ab, Germany, and Tallis Ab, Iraq)
A crucial shortfall in the global war on terrorism is the inability of the U.S. military to share information--in particular a common picture of air, ground and sea activity--around the world with a delay of only a few seconds. A common or single, integrated air picture would let operational commanders or intelligence analysts, for example, follow the flight of a suspicious aircraft as it moves across international borders or from one theater to another.
THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION is proposing new security requirements for domestic and foreign repair stations that operate under FAA FAR Part 145 regulations. The Aviation Reauthorization Act signed by President Bush last year directs the TSA to conduct security audits of all foreign repair stations within 18 months.
You can now register ONLINE for Aviation Week Events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or call Ryan Leeds at +1 (212) 904-3892/+1 (800) 240-7645 (U.S. and Canada Only) Mar. 25-26--Defense Budget Conference. Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, Va. Apr. 19--FAA/JAA Regulations: Collision or Harmonization, Atlanta, www.aviationlearning.com/mro And, Apr. 21-22--Blended Training Solution Experience, Atlanta, www.aviationlearning.com/mro Apr. 20-22--MRO USA/MRO Latin America/MRO Military. Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta.
The first of as many as 50 twin-engine MD Explorers for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is flown on a test flight by company pilot Mark Friskel northeast of MD Helicopters' headquarters in Mesa, Ariz. The Explorer has been chosen by the DEA as its latest law enforcement aircraft and is capable of flying a variety of missions. It has a cruise speed of 136 kt. and VFR range of 400 naut. mi. with fuel reserves. The U.S.
AirTran Airways will end its regional-service program this summer, substituting its own Boeing 717 aircraft for 50-seat Canadair regional jets operated by Air Wisconsin Airlines. Flying as AirTran JetConnect since November 2002, Air Wis currently feeds AirTran's Atlanta hub using 10 RJs in 14 markets. AirTran CEO Joe Leonard says Air Wis "lived up to their operational and financial promises," but dissolution of the partnership reflects two changes--the collapse of short-haul business after Sept.
Israel-based Elbit Systems' Skylark miniature reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (shown), a 4-kg. (8.8-lb.) air vehicle with 90 min. of battery-powered endurance, was confused in a caption with Rafael's Skylark UAV, which is also made in Israel, in the Feb. 23 issue (p. 5).
NASA's top budget officer doesn't see much choice for the U.S. human space program as it steers away from the space shuttle and International Space Station to President Bush's long-range exploration agenda. According to comptroller Steve Isakowitz, Bush's plan was designed to make the exploration program sustainable over the long term by avoiding a big bill due years after Bush has left office. Isakowitz tells the NASA Advisory Council the philosophy holds even if Bush isn't reelected in the fall. "What is the alternative here?" he says.
The growing price tag associated with the Boeing 747-based Airborne Laser is raising some eyebrows in Congress. Spurred by a draft GAO report, Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) is expressing consternation over what he called $2 billion in cost overruns even before the first shoot-down attempt. Kadish says the overruns reflect the high-level of technical complexity of ABL. Moreover, he told lawmakers that integration problems involving the laser, optics and aircraft make it hard to predict when the first intercept would occur.
Joseph Hrezo has been appointed director of cargo sales for Le Bas International, San Luis Obispo, Calif. He was manager of charter development for Menlo/Emery Worldwide.
