European Aviation Safety Agency Executive Director Patrick Ky reiterated his organization’s commitment to rewriting regulations governing light aircraft (CS-23 in Europe/Part 23 in U.S.), and says based on experience from that effort, EASA would then like to turn its attention to CS-27/CS-29 governing rotorcraft. Ky, who spoke during the EASA 7th Annual Rotorcraft Forum last week, said EASA needs fewer rules, but better rulemaking. He highlighted the CS-23 effort as an example of improved rules.
Inmarsat confirmed a Dec. 8 launch date for the first of its Global Xpress (GX) satellites, the Inmarsat-5 F1 (I-5 F1). Built by Boeing Satellite Systems International, the satellite was to have launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The satellite is the first of three that will be used for Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band. Inmarsat teamed with Honeywell to bring its planned GX Aviation inflight connectivity services to the business aviation market.
Bombardier has conducted low-speed taxi tests on the all-new, all-composite Learjet 85 business jet, with a first flight from Wichita expected “in the next few weeks,” says Guy Hachey, president of the Canadian manufacturer’s Aerospace division. Deliveries of the Learjet 75 have also begun following delayed certification of the revamped version of the super-light Learjet 45 in mid-November.
Clay Lacy Aviation, working with Envoy Aerospace, is hoping to secure certification next year for a Universal Avionics package that would enable Gulfstream IV and IVSP aircraft to meet new equipment requirements for North Atlantic crossings.
Duncan Aviation, one of the largest family-owned aircraft support companies in the U.S., is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its facility in Lincoln, Neb., this month. Established Dec. 5, 1963 by Donald Duncan, the company began with 12 employees and has since grown to more than 1,200. Duncan had a varied background, ranging from working on the family farm to selling surplus government airplanes and involvement with a car dealership in Clarinda, Iowa, before he became a Beechcraft distributor in Omaha, Neb.
EADS CASA Model CN-235, CN-235-100, CN-235-200, CN-235-300 and C-295 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0870; Directorate Identifier 2013-NM- 166-AD; Amendment 39-17657; AD 2013-23-02] – requires inspection of the feeder cables of certain fuel booster pumps for damage (including, but not limited to, signs of electrical arcing and fuel leaks), and replacement if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report of an inflight problem with the fuel transfer system.
House lawmakers continue to move quickly to ensure that FAA conducts a formal rulemaking if it plans to require sleep apnea testing and treatment for pilots and controllers.
AERMACCHI Models F.260, F.260B, F.260C, F.260D, F.260E, F.260F, S.208, and S.208A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0939; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-043-AD; Amendment 39-17655; AD 2013-22-23] – for airplanes equipped with a Lycoming O-540 wide cylinder flange engine with a front crankcase mounted propeller governor, revises an AD prohibiting aerobatic maneuvers and calling for inspection of the propeller governor idler gear shaft set screw and corrective actions, if necessary.
Argus has partnered with CharterPad, an online charter marketplace, to provide customers access to the Argus Ratings. Customers visiting the CharterPad can search Argus ratings and link directly to the Argus CHEQ website. The partnership comes as CharterPad has increased the number of Argus-rated operators in its system. Nearly half of all Argus-rated operators have joined CharterPad.
Poor weather and forecast icing conditions prompted the General Aviation Manufacturers Association to postpone its latest General Aviation Rally. The event was to be held Dec. 6 at Bombardier’s Dallas service center at Dallas Love Field. GAMA, noting Texas is home to more than 50,000 FAA-certificated pilots and more than 2,000 civil use landing facilities, is working to line up a new date.
It's that time of year when ads for timepieces crowd newspapers, home mailboxes and every other game break on television. Since pilots are big watch wonks, I offer up two new models that could jingle any aviator's Christmas bells.
While there is plenty to debate about where U.S. defense budgets could settle in 2014-15, there is no debate about the Pentagon's desire to continue to compete with cutting-edge technology. It expects defense advantages to be sustained through investment in new weapons and support systems that provide a generational lead over those fielded by adversaries.
Bombardier Aerospace has appointed Raymond Jones as senior vice president for sales, marketing and asset management for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, effective immediately. He succeeds Chet Fuller, who will leave the company at the end of the year. Jones has been vice president for worldwide strategic accounts for Bombardier Business Aircraft.
Serving up a most unlikely exception in a town where “Nay!” prevails, the U.S. Congress and the Obama administration have said “Yea!” to the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, benefitting manufacturers of general aviation aircraft.
Since Olympic ski runs rarely occur in palm-treed towns, Russian President Vladimir Putin may soon be sweating the snow report for Sochi. But Rhonda Fullerton is fretting over her summer Olympics conditions now. As director of the Citation Special Olympics Airlift, she must find big-hearted jet operators to supply 175 Citations to carry athletes, coaches or sponsors to and from the games in the Princeton, N.J., area, June 14-21.
JETS, a business aviation maintenance and technical support organisation has announced it has become an authorised service centre for Dassault Aviation.
PATS Aircraft Systems has announced that it has redelivered a 737‐900ER Boeing Business Jet (BBJ3) interior completion project, the fourteenth such turn‐key interior completion performed by PATS at its facility in Georgetown, Delaware.
The FAA is allowing early adoption of its newly revised airworthiness approval tag, clearing up confusion among field offices that were prohibiting the new form’s use until the mandated retiring of the current form in early 2014. The agency earlier this year finalized changes to the 8130-3 form, which—depending on the circumstance—is required for domestic airworthiness approval, export approval or return-to-service approval of engines and aircraft parts.
House lawmakers continue to move quickly to ensure that the FAA conducts a formal rulemaking if it plans to require sleep apnea testing and treatment for pilots and controllers. The full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Dec. 4 approved a bill by voice vote calling for such a rulemaking. The bill, H.R.3578, was cleared by the committee less than two weeks after it was introduced by House aviation subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.).
Turbomeca and China’s Avic Engine have completed the first test bench runs of the new Ardiden 3C turboshaft that is destined for use on the Chinese version of the Eurocopter EC175. The tests, completed at Turbomeca’s Bordes facility in France, confirmed what the company called “good aeromechanical behavior and performance,” and allow the manufacturer to proceed to the test and certification phase of the engine’s development program.
A group of House lawmakers sent a clear signal to FAA with a quickly introduced bill that would require the agency to conduct a formal rulemaking process if it plans to compel obese pilots to undergo testing for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before receiving a medical certificate.
SIKORSKY Model S-76A, B, and C helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0514; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-068-AD; Amendment 39-17647; AD 2013-22-15] – requires certain inspections of each spindle cuff assembly or blade fold cuff assembly for a crack. If there is a crack, this AD requires replacing the cracked part. If there is no crack, this AD requires applying white paint to the inspection area to enhance the existing inspection procedure. This AD was prompted by the discovery of cracks in the spindle cuffs.
EMBRAER Model EMB-505 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0936; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-033-AD; Amendment 39-17652; AD 2013-22-20] – adopts an emergency AD requiring an inspection to determine if the airplane has the affected part number (P/N) brake assembly installed and inspection for cracks of the affected brake assembly with repair or replacement as necessary. The AD stems from reports of cracks found in the stator pressure plate of the brake assembly of the affected airplane.
