The FAA requires approved emergency medical equipment to be carried on board large (payload greater than 7,500 pounds) aircraft operated under FAR Part 121, Appendix A. These medical kits are designed for use by a physician or other individual with professional health care certification. While the equipment requirements are often considered minimal, the list forms a good starting point for developing a medical kit for any corporate or charter aircraft.
The Transportation Security Administration has not received non-disclosure agreements from about 100 of the 800 FAR Part 135 operators believed to operate charter aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more as of mid-January. Since the TFSSPs are not publicly disclosed, the TSA requires affected operators to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they can get a copy. It's not likely that an operator can comply without the compliance guidance.
It's official. The Twelve-Five security rules implementation deadline is Feb. 1. The Transportation Security Administration hoped to notify all affected operators of the availability of final Twelve-Five Standard Security Programs (TFSSPs) compliance guidance by Jan. 10. Mailings of the document are currently under way to FAR Part 135 operators who have filed a non-disclosure agreement with the agency. Part 135 operators of aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more must adopt a new security regime.
Weber Aircraft's new 160,000-square-foot manufacturing facility officially opened on Jan. 23. Weber, headquartered in Gainesville, Texas, produces a full range of aircraft seating products from combat aircraft ejection seats to airline passenger seats. The company maintains its own comprehensive testing facility and prides itself on fast turnaround on certification and safety testing cycles. For example, the company says it surpassed industry records by completing seven dynamic tests in a 12-hour period.
Helicomb International not only won ISO 9001 certification, but received an FAA Diamond award for technician training excellence. The Tulsa FAA repair station has been in the helicopter repair business for 22 years, specializing in the manufacture and repair of bonded structures. To qualify for an FAA Diamond, 25 percent of a facility's eligible technicians must pass specialized training within 12 months. Helicomb techs achieved a 98 percent training completion rate.
BAE Systems is looking for new roles for existing BAe 146s, ATPs and Jetstream 31s. Utilizing the Cranfield Aerospace-designed belly tank developed for a BAe 146-300 atmospheric research aircraft, BAE says that the extra 400-nm range gained might appeal to the business and special missions markets. They say that there is a growing demand for newer aircraft such as the BAe 146 and ATP as water-bombers and oil dispersal aircraft, noting some older BAe 748s were successfully converted to the water-bombing role.
Are you in compliance with FAR Part 61.3? According to the new regulation, all pilots must carry a photo ID when flying, and the AOPA wallet was designed specifically for this purpose. The wallet can accommodate an FAA pilot's certificate, medical and driver's license. In addition, a three-pocket ``Ramp Pass Insert'' can be easily removed, so that security personnel can inspect critical documents. The U.S.-made leather wallet (#8212A), available in black or brown, features the gold AOPA logo on the inside.
The House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee plans to hold a reauthorization hearing for AIR-21, the Aviation Investment and Reform Act, during the first quarter of this year. AIR-21 is slated for at least a $40 billion reauthor-ization. Lawmakers will focus on passenger aircraft maintenance, air traffic control work force issues and the FAA's operational structure, a spokesman for subcommittee chairman Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) told Aviation Daily.
Honeywell will supply the Falcon 7X main engine air turbine starter system (ATSS) for the new Falcon 7X, a contract Honeywell estimates at nearly $70 million over the life of the agreement. This latest award brings Honeywell's total product value on the Falcon 7X to $770 million over the life of the program, said Lynn Brubaker, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Commercial Aerospace.
American Airlines says it's supporting the new layout plan for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). ``Despite the financial challenges facing the airline industry,'' the carrier said recently, ``the need remains for the O'Hare Modernization Program. As American has maintained for more than a decade, O'Hare's airfield configuration is outdated and needs to be modernized.
Pratt & Whitney Canada's (P&WC) Aerospace Component Services group has signed a five-year agreement with Atlantic Turbines International Inc. (ATI) valued in excess of $25 million (U.S.) over the life of the contract. The agreement provides customized component repair support to ATI's Prince Edward Island facility via a rotable exchange inventory covering all P&WC engines maintained at Prince Edward Island.
Air Nostrum of Valencia, Spain, has taken delivery of its 16th Bombardier CRJ200, whose serial number (7700) denotes it is the 700th regional jet built by the Canadian manufacturer. Bombardier delivered its first CRJ 10 years ago to Lufthansa CityLine in Germany.
I TOLD YOU SO -- PERHAPS THE most irritating sentence in the English language. The statement implies several things, all of them bad: that you once doubted it was so, and have now been proven wrong; that the speaker knew something of which you were ignorant; that your de facto admission of error has been noted -- the other person's keeping score -- and you will likely be reminded again and again; and that you now have a plateful of cold, dead crow to consume.
Promises made, promises kept,'' has been Dassault's marketing mantra for decades. At the October 2000 NBAA Convention, Dassault officially announced the Falcon 2000EX, a 3,800-nm range variant of the Falcon 2000 that would be delivered to customers in second quarter 2003. The nearly 800-mile range increase would be made possible by increasing fuel capacity by almost one-third, boosting thrust and upping maximum allowable operating weights.
The Transportation Security Administration has begun phasing out most of its security searches of passengers at airport gates, TSA chief Adm. James Loy said Dec. 9, 2002, at an airport conference in Washington, D.C. Only passengers at randomly selected gates will be subject to searches, he said. Gate searches of passengers selected by a computerized profiling system will be performed at terminal checkpoints instead, requiring passengers to have boarding passes before going to the gate.
Dassault has selected Rockwell Collins' Flight Dynamics head-up guidance technology for the new Falcon 7X. Based on the HGS 4000 Head-up Guidance System, the 7X HGS is smaller and lighter than previous systems. The system provides a wider field of view and larger eyebox to accommodate crosswind crab angles and allow the pilot to more easily manage approach angle and energy while conducting circling and other difficult approaches.
When domestic RVSM takes effect in 2004, aircraft operating in airspace at and above FL 290 will be operating within a more precise envelope in regard to altitudes. To meet DRVSM certification standards, aircraft are required to be equipped with: -- Two independent altimetry systems; -- One autopilot capable of maintaining altitude +/-65 feet*; -- A system that signals an alert when altitude varies by more than +/-200 feet**; and -- One Mode C transponder.
Robert E. Brown has left Bombardier Inc. and will be replaced by Paul Tellier. Brown's resignation as president and CEO was accepted by the company's board of directors at a special meeting on Dec. 12, 2002, and was effective immediately. Laurent Beaudoin, Bombardier's chairman of the board and of its executive committee, announced Brown's departure and Tellier's nomination to the vacated position on Dec. 13. Tellier is a member of Bombardier's board of directors and, at the time of his appointment, president and CEO of Canadian National since 1992.
Bombardier Flexjet European customers can purchase a 25-flying hour Jet Membership, instead of the previous 50-hour minimum. The new 25-hour option still guarantees 24/7 access to a fleet of over 50 Bombardier Learjet 31A, Learjet 45, Learjet 60 and Challenger 604 aircraft in Europe. The cost of enrollment will vary as a function of a customer's mission profile and preferred aircraft, said Dan Maiden, managing director, Bombardier Flexjet. Jet Membership customers can also use their hours for travel on Flexjet's fleet in the United States.
Westwood College of Aviation Technology announced that it has received two of the three new Rolls-Royce RB211-22B turbine engines purchased from ECS Refining of Dallas. The engines, valued at $4.5 million each, will be used to teach students hands-on turbine engine theory, teardown, assembly and troubleshooting. The third engine is scheduled to arrive this month. Westwood College of Aviation Technology is a division of Alta Colleges, Inc. Aviation maintenance training programs are offered at three Westwood College of Aviation Technology campuses.
A long-time complaint on the part of many corporate aviation maintainers has focused on what they regard as the paucity of real hands-on instruction provided by the well-established training organizations. Many of these maintainers also griped that those same companies had been unwilling to institute truly technician-centric training programs.
You're seven times more likely to be involved in an icing incident or accident if you're flying an aircraft fitted with deice boots than heated leading edge surfaces. That conclusion is based upon 10 years of business aircraft icing encounters compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. Specifically, Breiling said that of the 24 icing-related business aircraft accidents since 1990, 22 involved aircraft fitted with deicer boots. Of those 24 mishaps, 14 resulted in fatalities. Not surprisingly, most of the accidents occurred during winter months.
The comment period on Advisory Circular 145-MAN, Guide for Developing and Evaluating Repair Station and Quality Control Manuals, providing guidance on compliance with the agency's new rules governing FAR Part 145 repair stations, is extended until Feb. 5 (see Intelligence, Dec. 2002, page 26). The AC provides examples of quality systems and incorporates checklists to determine whether a repair station has considered all its options and requirements.
Selecting compatible cleaning and polishing products for your aircraft can be confusing. That's why Meguiar's developed the integrated Deep Crystal System for aircraft care. The three-step process starts with the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner, which removes light oxidation, scratches and swirls, restoring the aircraft's finish. The Deep Crystal Polish ``brings out the paint's deepest shine by nourishing and conditioning the paint.'' Finally, the Deep Crystal Carnuba Wax protects and provides a high-gloss finish.
Regardless of how much assistance a flight-planning service provides an operator, flight crews still need to avail themselves of all available information to avoid running afoul of the rules when away from home. One highly recommended resource is the FAA's Restrictions on International Aviation Web site at www.intl.faa.gov/restricthome.cfm. Billing itself as a ``one-stop shop for U.S. government restrictions affecting U.S. international civil aviation,'' the site is designed to help operators quickly determine current restrictions and learn how to request exemptions.
