DONALD DOMBROWSKI joined AirLiance Materials as airframe programs director. Dombrowski, who has 16 years of industry experience, formerly was senior technical sales and purchasing consultant at Solair Inc. He also has held positions with The AGES Group and AAR Allen Aircraft.
Model A109A and A109A II helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-64-AD; Amdt. 39-11472; AD 99-26-13) - requires inspecting each tail rotor blade for a crack and replacing any cracked blade. This amendment requires, before further flight, inspecting any blade with 400 or more hours time-in-service (TIS) for a crack and replacing any cracked blade. This amendment is prompted by another report of a cracked blade since the issuance of the existing AD. Two of the three occurrences of cracked blades involved the loss of the tail rotor and 90-degree gearbox.
Docket No.: 25863 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 91.117(a) and (b), 91.159(a), and 91.209(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit the DOD to conduct air operations in support of drug law enforcement and traffic interdiction without meeting certain requirements pertaining to (1) aircraft speed, (2) cruising altitudes for flights conducted under visual flight rules, and (3) the use of aircraft position lights. Grant, Sept. 25, 1999, Exemption No. 5100E
FAIRCHILD AEROSPACE delivered a 328JET regional jet to Wanair of Tahiti. Wanair is a charter company based in Papeete that has been flying Beech and Cessna Citation aircraft. It plans to use the 328JET to serve nearby islands and expand service. The short-field performance of the 328JET was a key factor in Wanair's decision to buy the new airplane, Fairchild marketing officials said. The operation is owned by Tahiti businessman Robert Wan.
JET AVIATION appointed Michael Gregory to the newly created position of vice president/general aviation and Susan Howard customer service manager of its West Palm Beach, Fla. facility. Gregory has spent 12 years with Jet Aviation, beginning as a corporate controller at the Bedford facility in 1987. Most recently he was chief financial officer for the Jet Aviation Group of Companies based at West Palm Beach. Howard, formerly with Mercury Air Centers, has 12 years of aviation industry experience.
KENNETH ARNOLD was named senior manager-maintenance training for SimuFlite Training International. Arnold has 30 years of aviation experience with type ratings in Mitsubishi, Raytheon and Boeing aircraft. He formerly was a service manager for Raytheon Aircraft Services' facility in Tampa Bay, Fla.
THE WASHINGTON AVIATION GROUP (WAG) named Jason Dickstein president. WAG is a new Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm specializing in representing aviation interests before the U.S. government, particularly FAA. WAG said it will represent trade associations and other private clients. Dickstein was formerly vice president and general counsel of the Airline Suppliers Association.
Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, and CL-604) series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-166-AD; Amdt. 39-11476; AD 99-26-16) - requires, for certain airplanes, removing the hydraulic tube assemblies from the main landing gear (MLG) bay, installing new re-routed hydraulic tube assemblies, and repositioning a fuel line, as applicable. For certain other airplanes, this amendment requires a general visual inspection to determine the routing of certain hydraulic and fuel lines, and repair, if necessary.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is expected to provide individual waivers as well as a 90-day grace period from a Mode C transponder requirement for electrically equipped aircraft that operate to and from certain airports located within 30 miles of a terminal control area, commonly referred to as the Mode C Veil. FAA will instruct local facilities today on the grace period and issuing waivers to the Mode C transponder requirement.
DAN STEARNS was named Southeast region account manager for the aftermarket sales group for BFGoodrich Avionics Systems. Stearns will oversee aftermarket sales to authorized dealers and corporate operators in the Southeast. He previously consulted for an Internet service provider and has experience in aviation insurance underwriting. Stearns graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical science.
Docket No.: 29871 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 25.723 Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To grant CASA a partial exemption from 25.723 to the extent necessary to permit type certification of the Model C-295 airplane. Partial Grant, Dec. 17, 1999, Exemption No. 7088
Federal Aviation Administration has withdrawn a proposed advisory circular on installation and certification of engines and auxiliary power units on transport category aircraft to provide industry time to focus on international harmonization issues. FAA issued the AC, 25-XX, Transport Airplane Propulsion Engine and Auxiliary Power Unit Installation Certification Handbook - The Propulsion Mega AC, in September as "a consolidated source of guidance" on acceptable methods to comply with engine and APU type certification requirements for transport category airplanes.
Model AB412 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-63-AD; Amdt. 39-11474; AD 99-26-14) - requires removing and replacing certain main rotor yokes with airworthy main rotor yokes before further flight. This amendment is prompted by the fatigue failure of a main rotor yoke. Fatigue analysis indicates that certain yokes are on the low end of the manufacturer's tolerance for thickness and do not have the desired margin of safety. This condition, if not corrected, could result in fatigue failure of the yoke, loss of a main rotor blade, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
CARGOLIFTER, INC. selected a site near Elizabeth City, N.C. for its first airship assembly and maintenance facility in North America. A formal announcement is expected next spring. CargoLifter is the North American subsidiary of Germany's CargoLifter AB, which is developing airships that are more than 850 feet long and capable of carrying 160 metric tons up to 6,000 miles. The facility will have a 30-story airship hangar and office complex. Construction is expected to begin in 2002 with airship production scheduled to begin in 2004.
ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE CHARTER SERVICE, Dallas, Texas, added a Model 60 Learjet and two Canadair Challenger 601-3AERs to its fleet. The Learjet will be based in Boca Raton, Fla., while the Challengers will be based in Tulsa, Okla., and Dallas. The additions bring the company's fleet to 34 jet aircraft. The Learjet has an hourly charter rate of $2,500, while the hourly rate for the Challengers is $3,800. Alliance Executive charter Service changed its name last year from Business Jetsolutions Executive Charter.
Docket No.: 29825 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 21.235(b)(3) Description of Relief Sought: To permit the issuance of export airworthiness approvals for Class II and Class III products manufactured and located at Jamco Corporation's facilities in Tokyo, Japan.
Docket No.: 25233 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 121.709(b)(3) and 135.443(b)(3) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit certificated and appropriately trained pilots employed by an AACA-member airline to remove and reinstall passenger seats in aircraft type certificated for 10 to 19 passenger seats used by that AACA-member airline in operations conducted under Part 121 or Part 135 and permit those pilots to make required logbook entries. Grant, Oct. 20, 1999, Exemption No. 7048
AN ABORTIVE ATTEMPT at skydiving resulted in injuries to a man near Coolidge, Ariz. last week. FAA said the skydiver tried to parachute from a King Air 90 on Jan. 19, but got his foot entangled in the seatbelt "and bounced off the side of the aircraft a few times before returning to the aircraft." The skydiver suffered serious injuries, FAA said, but the aircraft was not damaged.
Model MD600N helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-54-AD) - proposes to require inspecting each internal fuel hose connection to verify proper installation. This proposal is prompted by the discovery that certain fuel hose connections between the fuel cells and the engine can be incorrectly installed. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent fuel starvation of the engine while the fuel gauge indicates fuel remaining in the tank, engine flameout, and a subsequent forced landing. FAA estimates that 40 helicopters on the U.S.
Last-ditch efforts to prevent the conversion of Kansas City's Richards-Gebaur Airport into an intermodal freight facility fell short this month, and control of the facility passed to Kansas City Southern Railroad Co., which began construction of a new intermodal facility.
Federal Aviation Administration this month withdrew a six-year-old proposal to permanently exempt a Mode C transponder requirement for aircraft operating to some 300 airports that are within 30 nautical miles of Class B airspace (a terminal control area). The proposal, issued Aug. 25, 1994, would have permanently extended Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 62, which was first implemented in 1991 but expired at the end of 1993.
Stock in Textron, the parent company of Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter, tumbled more than $5 per share Thursday to $57.88 amid concerns the company would not meet the consensus estimate of $1.12 in earnings per share for its fourth fiscal quarter. Textron stock has traded down sharply since the beginning of the year and trading volume has been particularly high, with over three million shares changing hands Jan. 20. The stock rebounded $2.50 per share Friday to close at 60 3/8, but that was down nearly 40 percent from the 52-week high of $98 per share.
Docket No.: 29234 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.163(f)(2), 135.411(c), and/or 135.421(c) and (d) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Cowboy to conduct passenger-carrying operations under instrument flight rules (IFR) in its single-engine aircraft without complying with certain equipment and maintenance requirements of Part 135. Denial, Dec. 23, 1999, Exemption No. 7091
EVERGREEN INTERNATIONAL AVIATION, INC. named Joseph R. O'Gorman president and chief executive officer. Timothy G. Wahlberg moves up to chairman of the privately held company, succeeding Del Smith, its founder and owner. O'Gorman joins Evergreen after retiring as chairman, president and CEO of Reno Air after its sale to American Airlines in 1999. O'Gorman retired from United Airlines in 1997 as executive vice president of fleet operations and administration and has held a variety of senior management posts with AirCal, USAir, Aloha and Frontier over the past 33 years.
JEFFCO AIRPORT near Denver, Colo. said its operational personnel will go to 24-hour staffing beginning Feb. 1, about two weeks later than originally planned.
