SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT will host the Southwest Aviation Trade Show&Symposium Oct. 27-28 at its facilities at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. Sponsored jointly by Signature, the City of Austin, Capital Wings and FAA, the two-day trade show, symposium and job fair will promote aviation safety and provide educational seminars for both aircraft operators and maintenance personnel. Organizers expect both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to be on static display with a preliminary exhibitor list of more than 80 organizations.
The increasing presence of unmanned aerial vehicles threatens to put more stress on the already strained National Airspace System, forcing the FAA to address the question of how UAVs fit with Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). Pulling for the UAV industry is the FAA Industry Support Group (ISG) of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Arlington, Va. It is addressing such major issues as flight standards, air traffic management and flight certification.
FAA OFFICIALS are "under fire" to release a notice of proposed rulemaking for the regulation of fractional ownership by the November elections, sources say. The fractional ownership issue is taking priority within the agency, one observer noted, saying the agency has included the fractional ownership rulemaking effort in the performance evaluations of certain regulatory officials.
Docket No.: 29991 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 145.45(f) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit ELDEC to make its Inspection Procedures Manual (IPM) available electronically to its supervisory, inspection, and other personnel, rather than give a paper copy of the IPM to each of its supervisory and inspection personnel. Grant, June 6, 2000, Exemption No. 7239
Model Hawker 800XP and Hawker 800 (U-125A) series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-46-AD) - proposes to require inspection of the wire bundle to relay 'KT' on panel 'JA' for correct routing, adequate clearance from the fuel cross-feed valve operating lever, and the presence of chafing; this proposal also would require corrective action, if necessary. This action is intended to detect and correct chafing of the wire bundle exiting panel 'JA' due to insufficient clearance from the fuel cross-feed valve operating lever.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT received orders for three Premier I jets from Aviation Leasing Group in London. ALG will place two of the Premier Is, along with a recently ordered Beechjet 400A, with the Civil Aviation Training Centre in Thailand. ALG expects the third Premier I to be used for corporate operations. Raytheon also received an order for a Premier I and a Hawker Horizon from Formula One Grand Prix racing team owner Eddie Jordan. Delivery of the Premier I is slated for mid-2002 and the Hawker Horizon in early 2004.
KEITH WRIGHT was appointed senior account executive for Barnes Aerospace's Windsor Division. Wright formerly spent 42 years with Rolls-Royce in sales, engineering and management. In his new position with Barnes, Wright will be based in the United Kingdom offices with responsibility for direct sales to key customers, including Rolls-Royce.
THE ASSOCIATIONS, meanwhile, are voicing opposition to other proposed Stage 2 restrictions that are cropping up around the nation. These include efforts to limit Stage 2 flight at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minn. and to ban Stage 2 aircraft altogether at Naples Municipal Airport in Naples, Fla.
AIR PARTNER, the international charter broker, has launched a preferred partner program with travel agencies under which it will educate travel agencies about air charter service and provide commissions to agents that lead to the sale of charter time brokered through Air Partner. Air Partner will act as the agent's charter expert, negotiating rates for the client. "Charter air service is still a mystery to many, despite its obvious benefits and growing popularity," said Mike Guina, president of Air Partner USA.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT appointed Lynton Aviation as an authorized dealer for the Beech Bonanza, Baron and King Air product lines in the United Kingdom. Lynton also will be the sales representative for the Beechjet 400A and Raytheon Premier I entry-level business jet.
ADDISON, TEXAS City Council this month approved a contract to hire Washington Staubach Addison Airport Venture to manage Addison Airport beginning Dec. 31. The group is a joint venture of Washington Infrastructure Services, formerly Raytheon Infrastructure Group, and The Staubach Company, a national real estate services firm headquartered in Addison. The five-year contract, approved after a three-year selection process, comes with automatic one-year extensions until it is canceled.
EXTEX LTD., Mesa, Ariz., named Superior Air Parts PTY Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, as its distributor for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Superior PTY, founded in 1993, provides aftermarket aircraft engine parts and airframe product support. Superior also represents Rapco, Electrosystems, Aero Accessory and McFarlane Aviation as well as provides spares and product support for MD Helicopters and Schweizer helicopters in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Extex supplies PMA replacement parts for Rolls-Royce Allison A250 turbine engines.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION intends to award a contract to SyPort Systems of Bridgewater, Conn. to provide technical support for its Unleaded Avgas, Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research, and Crashworthiness research programs, FAA announced. The contract includes support of all aspects of research into a high-octane unleaded replacement for leaded aviation gasoline. SyPort also will provide expertise for structural testing of fuselage panels and full-scale crash testing of commuter airplanes and airplane fuselage sections at FAA's William J.
The Boeing Company, which Monday agreed to pay $1.5 billion to buy flight information services provider Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. from the Tribune Company, hopes to extend its reach as an aerospace services provider, but at the same time preserve and build on the Jeppesen name, officials said last week.
Docket No. 28454 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR Subpart F of Part 91 Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit CAP to operate small aircraft under Subpart F of Part 91 and receive limited reimbursement for certain flights within the scope of and incidental to the CAP's corporate purposes and U.S. Air Force Auxiliary status. Grant, July 18, 2000, Exemption No. 6485B
NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM named Kenneth Gazzola, executive vice president and publisher of the Aviation Week Group, a member of its board of directors. The museum is working to raise funds to build a new restoration, preservation and display facility at Washington Dulles Airport.
Model 60 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-52-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the routing of oxygen tubing to ensure that there is adequate clamping of the tubing and adequate clearance between the tubing and electrical wiring or electrical contacts, and taking corrective action, if necessary. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent electrical arcing between the oxygen tubing and an electrical source, which could result in an oxygen fire. FAA estimates that 40 airplanes on the U.S.
Docket No.: 26743 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 145.45(f) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Goodyear to establish and maintain a number of fixed locations for the distribution of its repair station inspection procedures manual at each facility rather than providing a copy of the manual to each of its supervisory and inspection employees. Grant, June 6, 2000, Exemption No. 5543D
Docket No.: 30067 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit AAT to operate certain aircraft under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder installed in the aircraft. Grant, July 3, 2000, Exemption No. 7261
FAA issued a handbook bulletin to its inspectors clarifying that dual brakes are not required for aircraft used in flight training or checkrides. The clarification comes after the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association expressed concern over questions on whether dual brakes were required. AOPA notes that a number of general aviation aircraft, including the Mooney M20, Beech Bonanzas and Barons, and Piper Apaches have been certified as dual control without dual brakes.
Spey 555-15, -15H, -15N, and -15P turbofan engines (Docket No. 2000-NE-03-AD) - proposes to require modification of the low-pressure (LP) turbine Stage 2 nozzle guide vane (NGV) support ring seal assembly. This proposal is prompted by two instances of disk drive arm damage. In both cases, heavy damage to the Stage 1 LP turbine to Stage 2 LP turbine disk drive arm occurred as a result of an out of balance condition following the failure of a Stage 2 LP turbine blade.
BOMBARDIER was selected to provide three Challenger 604 business jets to the Australian government. Qantas Defence Services, a subsidiary of Qantas Airways Limited, is the prime contractor and will support the aircraft with service, maintenance and crew staffing. Bombardier is slated to deliver the aircraft to Qantas in 2002. The Royal Australian Air Force will use the aircraft to transport senior government officials. The selection comes shortly after the Royal Danish Air Force agreed to buy two Challenger 604 aircraft late last month (BA, July 31/55).
National Transportation Safety Board last week was investigating a crash of a Sabreliner NA-265 that may be the first fatal accident of a business jet linked to a lightning strike. The Sabreliner, N85DW, departed Brainerd, Minn. at 2246 Monday evening on a flight to Flint, Mich. when it was struck by lightning at FL330 near Ashland, Mich., lost both engines and electrical power. FAA air traffic control vectored the aircraft to Ironwood, Mich.
GEORGE ZIGA was promoted to vice president of collaborative research for the Ohio Aerospace Institute. Ziga will develop funding and collaborative research opportunities among university, industry and government agencies. He has served with OAI since 1992 as a program manager for research.
Docket No.: 29870 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 121.434(c)(1)(ii) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit American Eagle to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying PIC who is completing initial or upgrade training specified in Sec. 121.424 during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and a landing. Grant, June 14, 2000, Exemption No. 7252
