Models Lake LA-4, Lake LA-4A, Lake LA-4P, Lake LA-4-200, and Lake Model 250 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-27-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the left and right wing upper and lower spar caps and doublers for cracks, replacing any cracked parts and/or incorporating a modification kit depending on the extent of the damage, and reporting the results of the inspection to FAA. The proposed AD is the result of a report of a fatigue crack found at the second most inboard wing attachment bolt hole on one of the affected airplanes.
Canadian and Brazilian officials last week continued their dispute over a World Trade Organization ruling concerning aircraft subsidies in a conflict that could erupt beyond the aerospace industries of the two nations. Both have asked the WTO to form a compliance panel to determine whether Bombardier and Embraer have complied with WTO rulings concerning the subsidizing of aircraft sales.
Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 121.577(a) Description of Relief Sought: To permit Continental to move an airplane on the surface before takeoff or after landing when beverages or other containers provided by Continental to passengers are retained at the passenger's seat.
CENTURY AEROSPACE CORP. named Thomas C. Wyckoff chief executive officer. Bill Northrup, Century's founder and chairman, said the company is evaluating several potential sites for its new corporate headquarters and assembly facility and is negotiating agreements with major risk-sharing partners. He said one of Wyckoff's responsibilities will be to oversee those negotiations. Wyckoff is a lawyer and a member of Century's board who has been advising the company as it develops the Century Jet aircraft (BA, Oct. 19, 1998/172).
THE U.S. ARMY is testing a helicopter airbag system designed to protect pilots in the event of an accident. Simula, Inc. developed a Cockpit Air Bag System (CABS) that was installed in a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter and deployed in flight.
CAROLE PAMMER joined Flight Safety Foundation as director of marketing and business development. Pammer formerly was director of marketing for the National Defense Industrial Association.
FAA, which will open the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee meetings to the public Tuesday and Wednesday (BA, Nov. 22/238), also is providing a brief window of opportunity for submission of written statements. Interested parties unable to attend the public meetings may submit comments no later than Dec. 1.
ALTHOUGH Bombardier has made a concerted effort to integrate its business jet products under the Business Aircraft Division, Graff acknowledged that "the best known name in our lineup is Learjet." Graff told the Aero Club last week that market research has demonstrated the visibility attached with the name Learjet and said, "we're certainly not going to drop that."
ALLIEDSIGNAL said the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period has expired with no requests for additional information from the government on its offer to acquire TriStar Aerospace. The two companies said the conditions related to the tender offer have been satisfied and that they expect to complete the acquisition next month.
TRUMAN ARNOLD COMPANIES' TAC Air Division said its aircraft technical services facility in Shreveport, La. was completely remodeled and upgraded and received its FAA Repair Station Certificate this month. The renovation included remodeling the facility, upgrading the support shop and office areas and recruiting nine technicians. The company also acquired additional tooling and equipment and installed a new inventory control system.
SABRELINER CORP. promoted seven executives as part of an overall reorganization of its marketing, sales and finance functions. The company named D.C. Iain Glendinning vice president-operations for Sabreliner and Premier Turbines, with overall management responsibility for those operations. Donald (Jim) Meier was appointed vice president-government services with responsibility for government marketing and program management.
Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.251, 135.255, 135.353, and Appendices I&J of Part 121 Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow the Fellowship to conduct local sightseeing flights in the vicinity of Grace College of the Bible in Omaha, Neb., on the weekend of Aug. 21, 1999, for compensation or hire, without complying with certain anti-drug and alcohol misuse prevention requirements of Part 135. Grant, Aug. 19, 1999, Exemption No. 6948
Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.165(b)(6) and (7) Description of Relief Sought: To permit Shoreline to conduct extended overwater operations in jet aircraft with one high-frequency communication system in North Atlantic airspace west of the North Atlantic Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications western boundary and west of a line from longitude 60 deg. W. to latitude 10 deg. N. including the areas of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators have competed their work at the scene of the Oct. 25 crash of a Model 35 Learjet in Mina, S.D. and are now conducting detailed examination of some of the aircraft's recovered components. The accident killed all six persons aboard, including golfer Payne Stewart, after the crew apparently became incapacitated not long after the flight took off from Orlando, Fla. for Texas (BA, Nov. 1/200).
THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM ended its search for a director Friday, naming John R. Dailey, a retired Marine Corps general and senior NASA administrator, to succeed Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen, who was killed in a glider accident in July. See article below.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION, citing concerns that a growing number of general aviation airports are in danger of closing, selected Weber McGinn, an Arlington, Va., based communications and research group, to prepare a study of the benefits of GA airports. The study will measure views of GA, the effects of aviation on quality of life, and the economic effects of general aviation on local communities. NATA expects to announce the details of the research at its annual Aviation Services and Suppliers SuperShow May 9-11 in Tampa, Fla.
Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 121.547(c) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit EA to allow Federal Express employees to sit in the jumpseat of its Fokker Mark 500 series F-27 aircraft, which are not equipped with seats in the passenger compartment. Denial, Aug. 24, 1999, Exemption No. 6954
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL is offering a new Personal FlitePlan service that custom tailors flight simulator time and training. SimuFlite created the service using GE's Six Sigma quality tools, and the company said the program was well received by a test group this summer. SimuFlite also used GE's Six Sigma quality tools to develop a CARE telephone line for customers to call with questions, requests and problems. The line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, contact SimuFlite at (800) 527-2463.
JOHN RENNOCKS was appointed an independent board director for Inmarsat. Rennocks is executive director-finance for Corus Group plc, a major steel company that was formed through the merger of British Steel plc and Koninklijke Hoogovens NV.
Following a series of incidents and accidents involving in-flight opening of the cowling access doors on BK 117 helicopters, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that FAA require the installation of different design latches on the doors.
Sections of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 121.139(a) Description of Relief Sought: To permit Lorair to operate its aircraft without carrying the appropriate parts of the maintenance manual on each aircraft when away from the principal base of operations.
Piedmont Hawthorne, already the nation's second-largest chain of fixed-base operations and intent on doubling company revenues over the next five years, has reached an agreement to acquire Sair Aviation, one of two independent FBOs at Syracuse-Hancock International Airport (SYR) in Syracuse, N.Y.
National Air Service, which has teamed with Executive Jet's NetJets to provide fractional ownership aircraft in the Middle East, continues to build its program with an order for 14 Raytheon Aircraft Hawker 800XPs. The order, valued at $170 million, calls for deliveries to begin in 2000 and continue through 2003. The order boosts the number of Hawker 800XPs involved in NetJets programs to 56 worldwide. NAS will base the fleet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and operate the aircraft throughout the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 61.109(a)(2) Description of Relief Sought: To permit each student of ATCAI to obtain a private pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating without accomplishing the night flight-training requirements of Sec. 61.109(a)(2). The students would be issued private pilot certificates with night flying limitations.
