The Boeing 737-400 operated by a charter carrier touched down on the runway at Palma, Spain, and as it began its rollout, the captain depressed the right rudder pedal to keep it tracking straight. Although the pedal moved forward, there was no opposite reaction from the left, nor any apparent movement by the rudder itself. The captain alerted the first officer, who then took command -- since his pedals were effective -- and brought the aircraft under control without further incident.
TWC Aviation, Burbank, Calif., hired Jay Acremont as director of operations; Ross Truesdale was named director of training; and Alex Joya was promoted to manager of business operations.
TSA's Stone speaking at the National Air Transportation Association convention in Las Vegas in March, TSA Chief David Stone said, his agency continues to strive toward reopening Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to general aviation. Stone said his agency has to be ``smart enough to figure out a way to put the right security measures in place'' to accomplish that task. The plan is expected to be a phased-in approach, first allowing large, public charter aircraft back into DCA, and then operators covered by the Twelve-Five security program for FAR Part 135.
A Paterson, N.J., motorist injured in the Feb. 2 Challenger crash at Teterboro Airport filed a lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for failing to install proper aircraft barriers at TEB. Rohan Foster was driving on Route 46, a major thoroughfare that abuts the airport, when the Challenger 600 overran Runway 6, sheared off the roof of his car and crashed into a brick warehouse on the other side of the busy road. Foster also filed a second lawsuit against the aircraft's manufacturer, operators and pilots.
Mooney Aerospace Group said it issued nearly 10 million shares of new common stock to its creditors in accordance with the company's plan of reorganization. The company said some 200,000 shares were issued to the existing shareholders of record as of Dec. 15, 2004. An additional 200,000 shares were issued to the preferred shareholders. Some 4.975 million shares went to Allen Holding & Finance Co. Ltd., with about 4.6 million shares issued to the unsecured general creditors.
Galvin Flying Services, Inc., Seattle, hired Michael Cleary as general manager. Most recently, Cleary served as president and chief operating officer of aircraft operations at Western Aircraft, Inc., in Boise, Idaho.
FlightSafety International named Stephen Phillips, a veteran of Bombardier and the Flexjet fractional aircraft program, to succeed Roger Ritchie as director of communications for the New York-based training provider and simulator manufacturer. Ritchie is retiring after 17 years with FSI. He plans to work on special projects for the company and others. Jim Waugh, FlightSafety executive vice president, said Ritchie ``has played a vital role in the growth of our company, through his dedication, creativity and exceptional communications skills.''
Mercury Air Centers officially unveiled its Atlanta corporate headquarters facility while co-hosting a two-day 90th birthday celebration for Gen. Paul Tibbets on Feb. 18. Tibbets flew the B-29 Enola Gay on the mission that dropped the first atomic bomb. Mercury, which operates 20 FBOs nationwide, recently moved its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to a newly refurbished 7,000-square-foot building overlooking the main ramp at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK).
In the wake of widespread industry dissatisfaction with the 2004 Farnborough International Airshow, changes have been made to the 2006 event and the show will be run by a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society of British Aerospace Companies, Farnborough International Ltd. A number of exhibitor charges will be held at 2004 rates, the rules governing chalet booking packages have been relaxed and there will be increased meeting and conference room facilities plus more on-site exhibitor parking.
Falcon 20 (1) To prevent fatigue cracking of the window frames and possible rapid depressurization, inspect and test the vertical posts of the window frames in the flight compartment for fatigue cracking caused by stress corrosion. Falcon 50 (1) To prevent puncturing of the fuel tank in the event of a belly landing, install a shield plate over the tank structure above the Stormscope antenna and replace the antenna plug connector with a new connector.
U.S. Northern Command is waiting for policy guidance on notifying Canada in the event that an attacking missile is shot down in Canadian airspace, a spokesman for the command said. Canada decided Feb. 24 that it wouldn't participate in a North American missile defense system, although it remains involved in the process of warning of such an attack. Canada's NORAD mission ``still involves integrated tactical warning and attack assessment,'' said Canadian Forces Col.
Lufthansa CityLine recently performed its first low-visibility takeoff using Rockwell Collins' Flight Dynamics Head-Up Guidance System (HGS). The Bombardier CRJ200 took off from Milan's Malpensa Airport in foggy conditions. The reported visibility was below 150 meters runway visual range (RVR), which is normally required for takeoff at Malpensa. With HGS, Lufthansa CityLine can take off in visibility conditions as low as 75 meters RVR.
Owners of older airplanes used for on-demand transportation will be watching as FAR Parts 121, 129 and 135 scheduled operators are now subject to aging aircraft safety rules that went into effect on March 4.
The following FAA Maintenance Alert reinforces the importance of proper assembly when it comes to fasteners. Cotter pins work great, when they are installed! Loose fasteners are a danger that can be prevented. Three of the six reports mentioned below resulted in fatalities. The seriousness of what can happen if the tab comes loose is apparent from these accidents. Maintenance personnel need to be aware of this and be particularly diligent in using the proper hardware, and when installing hardware in flight control system connections.
Gulfstream Aerospace signed a sales representation agreement with Air Works India Engineering Private Ltd. to offer Gulfstream's line of seven business jet models to the Indian market. Established in 1951, Air Works India is an aircraft sales and service company based at Mumbai International Airport with facilities in Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad. There are currently nine Gulfstream aircraft based in India flown by public- and private-sector operators.
Keystone Aviation is building a 64,000-square-foot hangar that will increase the FBO's hangar capacity at Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Connecticut to more than 200,000 square feet. The hangar is slated for completion in October and will give Keystone enough capacity to accommodate aircraft such as the Gulfstream V and Global Express. The airport recently lengthened its runway to 5,800 feet, making it the second longest in the state. Keystone is an Avfuel dealer. The FBO offers an executive conference room, catering, courtesy vehicles and aircraft maintenance.
Bombardier Aerospace said that its new AOG parts delivery program, launched in December 2004 with Expeditors International of Washington, D.C., has met its stated goal of getting AOG parts to North American business aircraft operators within 12 hours or less of receiving the order. The accepted industry standard for timely AOG parts delivery is 24 hours from order receipt. Accelerated parts delivery is a key element in the company's plan to improve product support for Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and Global Express aircraft.
Dallas Airmotive, Dallas, named Ronald L. Worley Jr. director of sales, Rolls-Royce Spey/Tay Programs. Worley is responsible for sales management of the company's Spey and Tay customers in the business and general aviation sector.
Rolls-Royce selected NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi as the preferred site for relocation from the United Kingdom of its large-engines outdoor test facility. Rolls-Royce plans to spend $42 million on construction and facility upgrades in Mississippi and plans to do development work there on the Trent 900 for the Airbus 380 and the Trent 1000 for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The British engine maker announced in 2001 that it planned to close its outdoor testing facility at Hucknall in the United Kingdom.
Eclipse Aviation Corp. said a fleet of five flight-test aircraft and two static- and fatigue-testing airframes is being assembled at the company's Albuquerque, N.M., headquarters. The first aircraft began flight testing on Dec. 31, 2004; the second conforming aircraft is expected to join in flight tests this month.
Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher was forced to resign on March 6, the second time in the past 18 months that ethical problems have led to a change at the top of the aerospace giant. The Boeing board asked for and received Stonecipher's resignation following revelations of an affair with a female Boeing executive who did not report directly to him. Boeing Chief Financial Officer James Bell was appointed interim president and CEO, but is not a candidate as a permanent replacement. The company said it would immediately begin a search for a successor.
IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, a perfect set of regulations regarding rest and duty periods for FAR Part 135 pilots that truly encompasses all aspects of cockpit fatigue by taking into account such disparate things as a pilot's age and life status (e.g., new marriage, new baby, new divorce or any variation thereof). These perfect rules would set duty limits based on whether the pilot flies the same route every day of every week, or somewhere new on every flight. Further, they'd take into account the day-to-day challenges of changing weather and varying equipment.
The FAA on, March 2, revised the emergency airworthiness directive for Cessna 402C and 414A airplanes. The new AD (2005-05-52) effectively increases the time between required wing spar inspections from as little as 15 hours to 110 hours. The AD replaces the visual inspection of the forward wing spars with an eddy-current inspection and continued visual inspection of the aft and auxiliary wing spars. That first AD was considered an interim measure to discover any existing large cracks in the Cessna twins' wing spars.
The FAR Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee met face-to-face for the final time at the end of February, but still has some work to wrap up. The ARC's charter formally expires on April 8, but NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, who chairs the committee, said the panel may need more time before it formally presents its recommendations for revamping Part 135 and Part 125 regulations. The ARC has basically agreed on its set of recommendations, Bolen said, but added that the committee now must complete writing the report.
