Bell Helicopter Model 206B and 206L helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0488; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-002-AD] – proposes to require installing a placard beneath the engine power dual tachometer and revising the “Limitations” section of the rotorcraft flight manual. This proposed AD was prompted by several incidents of third-stage engine turbine wheel failures that were caused by excessive vibrations at certain engine speeds during steady-state operations.
AgustaWestland has sold six AW119Kx single-engine helicopters to Life Link III. The Minneapolis-based aeromedical operator has also taken options for six more AW119Kx aircraft. AgustaWestland Philadelphia will assemble the helicopters and install the aeromedical interiors at its Northeast Philadelphia Airport facility. Deliveries are to begin later this year. AgustaWestland Philadelphia is also slated to provide aircrew and maintainer training for Life Link III.
The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) hosted a recent workshop with the FAA to address the cost barriers to avionics product certification. The event was predicated on a discussion for a “case for safety” for general aviation aircraft retrofit avionics.
Bell Helicopter Model 412, 412CF and 412EP helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0500; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-45-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive that requires reidentifying certain main-rotor yokes on its data plate, reducing the retirement life of the reidentified yoke, and revising the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the maintenance manual or the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” accordingly.
July 11—National Business Aviation Association, Business Aviation Regional Forum, Denver, Colo., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org July 29-Aug. 4—2013 EAA Airventure Oshkosh, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis., www.airventure.org Aug. 12-13—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Sao Paulo, Brazil, www.aea.net/events.asp Aug. 27-28—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, www.aea.net/events.asp
Europe’s goal of developing a database that collects aviation occurrence reports from across the region and helps identify broad safety trends is moving closer to reality as both data quality and reporting consistency improve, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) reports.
MARY JANE MITCHELL has joined the Aerospace Industries Association as assistant vice president of acquisition policy. Mitchell formerly has held assignments within the Secretary of the Air Force’s organization as the deputy director, program integration division and the chief, congressional budget and media affairs, as well as the Electronic Systems Center’s deputy director for plans and programs and, most recently, chief financial officer of a major program office.
CHRISTOPHER WEINBERG was promoted to chief information officer for FlightSafety International. Weinberg has served with FlightSafety since 1997, beginning as product marketing manager. He later was promoted to corporate project manager and then director, business systems, where he led the launch of the myFlightSafety Customer site.
Flight Safety Foundation has created a new Legal Advisory Committee in an effort to protect safety information data. The committee will comprise leading plaintiff and defense accident lawyers, regulators and airline/aerospace counsel throughout the world. FSF General Counsel Ken Quinn observed, “It’s become readily apparent that legal regimes are lagging far behind in protecting an ever-increasing amount of safety information that is being gathered, shared and analyzed, which is critical to saving lives.
Eurocopter has delivered three new EC225s to Asian oil and gas support operators in Vietnam and Malaysia. The long-range, twin-engine, 19-passenger rotorcraft were accepted by Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company, as well as to two Malaysian operators: Awan Inspirasi Sdn Bhd and MHS Aviation. Separately, Era Group Inc. recently signed a contract for 10 AW189 helicopters that also will be used in long-range offshore oil missions. This latest Era contract increases the operator’s commitment to the AW189.
Constant Aviation, the Cleveland-based maintenance firm, has won a supplemental type certificate for installation of the SwiftBroadband Aviator 200 system in an Embraer Phenom 300. The Aviator 200 is a smaller and lighter Wi-Fi product used to provide global Internet access on small to mid-size business aircraft. Separately, Constant Aviation recently completed the installation of Rockwell Collins’ Ascend informational management server on three new Bombardier Challenger 605s.
Cirrus took a step to produce more of its Vision SF50 single jet in-house with the installation of an autoclave oven at its Grand Forks, N.D. facility. Cirrus this spring expanded the Grand Forks facility to accommodate the autoclave, which arrived on-site in late June. Installation is expected to be complete by the end of July and fully operational by mid-August.
FAA has issued special conditions for the Cessna Model J182T because the Jet A-powered Turbo Skylane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the installation of an electronic engine control. The agency says that the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature, so these special conditions contain the additional safety standards necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
FAA has issued final special conditions for the Eurocopter France EC175B. The agency said these special conditions are necessary because the helicopter will have the novel or unusual design feature of a 30-min. power rating, which generally is used for hovering at increased power during search-and-rescue missions.
DayJet founder Ed Iacobucci died on June 21 at home in Boca Raton, Fla., from pancreatic cancer. He was 59. Like many entrepreneurs, Iacobucci had a lifelong passion for aviation. On a rain-soaked day in Tallahassee, Fla., in 2007, he opened the doors of his dream business, a per-seat, on-demand “airline” called DayJet that would ride on a massive fleet of 1,400 four-passenger Eclipse 500 jets, connecting small communities across the U.S. that were not adequately served by airlines.
Eurocopter is awaiting the final endorsements from regulators on fixes to its EC225 helicopter which could allow a return to flight operations in the coming days. Around 50% of the worldwide fleet of EC225s has been halted from flying over hostile environments since October 2012, following two enforced landings into the North Sea by aircraft flown by U.K.-based operators Bond Offshore and CHC. The incidents were found to have been caused by a failure in the bevel gear vertical shaft—a critical component in the main gearbox that drives lubrication pumps.
Lawmakers at the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, though nearly $1 billion apart on their recommended fiscal 2014 FAA budget, are in agreement on a number of priorities, including support adequate funding for the FAA’s certification and inspection workforce.
LONDON — Bristow Group has taken over search-and-rescue helicopter operations in the North of Scotland. Beginning July 1, Bristow crews flying Sikorsky S-92s took over from CHC flying SAR missions on behalf of the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) under its Gap SAR contract awarded in February 2012.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), exasperated by the continued delay in the release of the congressionally mandated aircraft repair station security rule, is urging Congress to reverse course on the penalty it imposed in 2008 after the U.S. Transportation Security Administration failed to produce the rule. Congress nearly five years ago banned the FAA from certifying any new foreign repair station until the rule is released.
San Francisco-based Lam Aviation completed another round of flight tests using a Lancair Columbia fitted with its Lam Aileron, confirming a number of performance improvements that range from 30% improved fuel consumption to a 50% increase in rate of climb over the in-production aircraft, the company says.
Fractional ownership provider Avantair is facing an uncertain future as it was forced to furlough its workforce, cease flying operations, deal with a new class action lawsuit and handle potential aircraft repossessions.
Nextant Aerospace appointed FortAero Baltic Business Aviation Alliance as its exclusive sales agent for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As part of the agreement, FortAero placed an initial order for two Nextant 400XTis valued at $11.4 million. Nextant says FortAero will play a key role in Nextant’s effort to grow its market in the region. Founded in 1997, FortAero sells, operates and manages aircraft throughout Russia and the CIS and has offices in Tallinn and Moscow.
Certification of Eurocopter’s EC175 medium helicopter will be delayed by at least another four months, as the company tries to mature its troubled Helionix avionics system. The company confirmed the delay during the Paris air show. Eurocopter’s head of engineering, Jean-Brice Dumont says the European Aviation Safety Agency is now likely to certify the aircraft in early 2014.
