AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION reached record membership of more than 360,000, growing 20 percent in the past decade. AOPA passed 250,000 members in 1987 and reached 300,000 in 1990.
FAA this month proposed to rescind a controversial dictate that Part 135 aircraft operators obtain supplemental type certificates for existing cargo compartment conversions. FAA issued a handbook bulletin in 1998 that essentially revoked field approvals for alterations performed on Part 135 cargo aircraft, calling for operators of those aircraft to obtain a supplemental type certificate. The bulletin also established a series of new operations specifications that served as part of the compliance plan.
The House Friday approved 395-13 the fiscal 2001 transportation appropriations bill, H.R.4475, which provides some $12 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration with substantial increases in money slated for airport improvements and new equipment (BA, May 15/228). The House action came within four days of full Appropriations Committee approval, further signifying the desire of House legislators to move quickly through all the appropriations bills this year.
RAHILLY, a 15-year veteran of K-C Aviation who was brought in last year to oversee the regional maintenance centers in Las Vegas, West Palm Beach, Minneapolis, Dallas and Birmingham (BA, Sept. 6/111), emphasized that parent company BBA Group "is firmly committed" to the regional maintenance center concept that is designed to complement Signature's chain of fixed-base operations and its Dallas Airmotive engine overhaul business. The maintenance centers employ about 275.
THE SEAPLANE PILOTS ASSOCIATION and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association are battling FAA over a proposed airworthiness directive regarding wing spar inspections on Lake Aircraft amphibious aircraft. The organizations said the proposed AD, which will cost owners $2,000 to $4,000 per aircraft, is "superfluous and potentially damaging." The AD covers Lake LA-4, LA-4A, LA-4P, LA-4-200 and Lake Model 250 airplanes, including the Buccaneer and Renegade models.
Emerging general aviation technologies, such as the proposed low-cost entry level Eclipse business jet, will serve as stepping stones for a new NASA research project aimed at lowering the cost of business jets to the price of a "high-end luxury vehicle" and making the nation's 5,400 public-use landing facilities accessible in nearly all weather conditions, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin told the House aviation subcommittee last week.
JOHN LEE joined Precision Standard, Inc. as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Lee previously was vice president, finance and administration for Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Ala. Before that he served with RCA Corporation in a number of positions in the Aerospace and Defense division.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association filed suit challenging FAA's decision to permit the closure of Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport in Kansas City, Mo. last year. The suit, filed with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minn., charges that Congress did not give FAA the authority to release an airport sponsor (Kansas City) from its promise to keep the airport open (BA, Oct. 12/161).
CHRIS HEREDIA was named to the newly created position of vice president and general manager for Innotech-Execaire Vancouver. Heredia will be responsible for Vancouver operations, including those at Pacific Avionics&Instruments Ltd.
BOMBARDIER received an order valued at $72.5 million U.S. from Air Dolomiti for three CRJ200 Series LR aircraft, which are expected to be delivered in late 2000 and early 2001. The order included three options for either the 50-passenger CRJ200 or 70-passenger CRJ700 aircraft. Air Dolomiti will be the first CRJ operator in Italy.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT and Wipaire, Inc. officials held a ceremony in Wichita Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the 100th Cessna Caravan utility turboprop float installation. Cessna said nearly 10 percent of all Caravans delivered to date are equipped with floats manufactured by Wipaire, the family-owned and operated business based at Fleming Airfield in South St. Paul, Minn. Cessna began deliveries of the Caravan utility aircraft in 1985 and nearly 1,200 Model 208s are now in service in 66 countries.
FLIGHTS in Ethiopian airspace have been banned by FAA because of "the threat posed by the outbreak of hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea," the agency said last week. FAA said peace talks collapsed April 30 and since then an ongoing border dispute has escalated. "Armed forces of both countries, which include modern surface-to-air missile systems and interceptor aircraft capable of engaging aircraft at cruising altitudes, are now engaged in hostilities near their common border." FAA said, "The Aug.
EUGENE HAHN was named vice president/maintenance and engineering for Horizon Air. Hahn will oversee programs, policies and procedures for the maintainability and reliability of Horizon's fleet of jet and turboprop aircraft. He previously held similar responsibilities with Allegheny Airlines.
Rolls-Royce and the union representing its manufacturing personnel in Indianapolis, Ind. dedicated a new $6.5 million employee training and development facility last week designed to provide a range of training and educational opportunities for both salaried and hourly employees.
LOUISE ROY was appointed vice president of marketing and commercial services of the International Air Transport Association. Roy will be based in Montreal and oversee the development and sales of IATA products and services. Roy joins IATA from Telemedia Communications, where she is president and chief executive officer. She also has served as president and director general of the Montreal Urban Community Transit Corporation and vice president, Americas and vice president global marketing for Air France Group.
BOUNDARY LAYER RESEARCH, INC. of Everett, Wash. won FAA approval for installation of a new tailboom strake modification on Bell UH-1H helicopters used for civil missions. The result of a two-year development program, BLR said the new strake device improves handling qualities, reduces operating costs, increases tailboom fatigue safety margins and improves the performance of single-rotor helicopters. The modification is available in kit form, weighs 5.5 pounds and can be installed in six hours using two technicians, according to BLR.
INDIGO, the startup company that plans to provide regular service with Falcon aircraft as a Part 380 public charter, signed a joint marketing agreement with American Express. Under the agreement, Indigo will exclusively accept the American Express Card for payment and, in return, American Express will market Indigo service to its cardmembers.
FAA plans to increase security at about 1,000 sites across the nation, including its own headquarters and the Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma, and the Technical Center in New Jersey. The agency issued a request for comments by June 5 on a draft of the proposed security effort, including a proposed list of security systems. FAA may award contracts to multiple contractors for the program, estimated to take up to five years and cost between $5 million and $10 million a year. A contract award is anticipated in August or September.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL opened a new training facility in Little Rock, Ark., devoted to providing instruction for maintenance technicians working on Dassault Falcon business jets. The new 17,000-square-foot facility will attract students from all over the world, so the center's classrooms are equipped with interpreter booths to provide real-time, multi-lingual instruction.
ALLISON AE 3007 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-46-AD; Amdt. 39-11714; AD 2000-09-05) - requires removal of certain cone shafts from service before exceeding new cyclic life limits and replacement with serviceable parts. This amendment is prompted by additional testing and low cycle fatigue (LCF) life analysis that substantiate lower cyclic lives than originally determined. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent LCF failure of cone shafts, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and damage to the aircraft.
GENERAL ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT ENGINES CT7 series turboprop engines (Docket No. 99-NE-48-AD) - proposes to require initial and repetitive inspections of the propeller gearbox (PGB) oil filter impending bypass button (IBB) for extension (popping). This proposal also would require follow-on inspections, maintenance, and replacement actions if the PGB oil filter IBB is popped; and if necessary, replacement of the PGB with a serviceable PGB.
FlightSafety International has started construction of a facility expansion at its San Antonio, Texas training center that will add 13,000 square feet. Located on San Antonio International Airport (SAT), the center also is near Swearingen and Fairchild manufacturing facilities. The expansion will include a new high bay for two simulators, plus five classrooms, four briefing rooms and instructor offices. The San Antonio expansion will include one of FSI's high-technology IDEAL interactive classrooms.
GA MANUFACTURERS are seeking congressional help to cut through the bureaucracy they encounter when they try to certify products in Europe. General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Ed Bolen this month told each member of Congress in a letter that "the present process for obtaining JAA approval is indefensibly bureaucratic, expensive to U.S. companies and time-consuming."He noted Gulfstream has yet to receive European approval for the Gulfstream V despite winning FAA certification for the long-range business jet three years ago (BA, May 1/202).
MAULE M-4, M-5, M-6, M-7, MX-7, and MXT-7 series airplanes and Models MT-7-235 and M-8-235 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-04-AD; Amdt. 39-11715; AD 2000-09-06) - requires inspection of all Nicopress sleeve terminal ends for correct size compression, with adjustment or replacement, as necessary. This AD results from a report of the rudder cable slipping out of the Nicopress sleeve while one of the affected airplanes was landing.
