British Airways won approval from the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry last week for its planned acquisition of Gatwick-based CityFlyer Express. BA announced plans earlier to buy the feeder carrier for approximately $115 million. BA said it now will discuss the acquisition with the Director General of Fair Trading to determine the proper hourly cap on British Airways' slot holdings at Gatwick Airport.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100) series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-34-AD) - proposed to require revising the Airplane Flight Manual to provide the flight crew with modified procedures and limitations for operating in icing conditions. This proposal is prompted by an accident report indicating that possible accretion of ice on the wings of the airplane, due to the wing anti-ice system not being activated by the flight crew, could have contributed to the accident.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SERVICES is planning expansion projects at its facilities at Tampa, Fla. International Airport and Fulton County, Ga. Airport. The Hillsboro County Aviation Authority in Tampa approved Raytheon's plans for a new 40,000-square-foot facility adjacent to existing hangars. The new facility will be used for aircraft maintenance, avionics repair and administrative offices. The Fulton County Aviation Authority agreed to a 50,000-square-foot addition to Raytheon's maintenance hangar.
Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-110-AD) - withdraws a proposal that would have required a one-time inspection to determine if the rigging bushings in the rudder control system protrude above the surface of the flange in which they are installed, and replacement of any discrepant bushing with a new bushing. Since the issuance of the proposal, FAA has received new data that shows that all affected airplanes have already been inspected and modified (if necessary) in accordance with the proposed rule.
EXECUTIVE FLIGHTWAYS, INC., a Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based aircraft management and charter operation, acquired a Gulfstream II for a client. The aircraft will undergo an SP conversion by the end of the year. Currently operated under Part 91, Executive Fliteways expects to add the G-II to the Part 135 certificate in early August. Executive Flightways' fleet also includes a Falcon 50, two Hawker 700s, two Learjet 55s, a Learjet 35 and a King Air C90.
HP137 Mk1, Jetstream Series 200, and Jetstream Models 3101 and 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-115-AD; Amdt. 39-11231; AD 99-15-11) - requires repetitively removing the nose landing gear steering selector valve and installing either a new nose landing gear steering selector valve or one that has been overhauled in accordance with the appropriate component maintenance manual. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for the United Kingdom.
Fairchild Dornier, seeking a replacement for one of the company's senior engineering executives, has selected a top official of engine maker BMW Rolls-Royce for the position.
BAe Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-344-AD) - This proposal would require repetitive tests for the serviceability of the nose landing gear compensator, and corrective action, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent a nose wheel shimmy, which could lead to the collapse of the nose landing gear during landing. FAA estimates that this would affect 10 airplanes on the U.S.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION and the National Business Aviation Association issued a call for papers to be presented at the 45th Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar April 25-27, 2000 in San Antonio, Texas. Abstracts are due to FSF by Sept. 14 and written papers are due by Feb. 11. FSF said each author will be responsible for travel and accommodation costs connected with attending the seminar and must transfer copyright for his or her paper to Flight Safety Foundation. For more information, contact Joanne Anderson at (703) 739-6700, Ext. 111.
The Nordam Group, itself a manufacturer of thrust reversers and related components for the business and regional jet industries, announced acquisition Friday of the thrust reverser operations of the Dee Howard Company in San Antonio, Texas.
CARL GULL joined Commander Aircraft Company in Bethany, Okla. earlier this year as vice president of customer relations and training with responsibility for all factory customer relations and the company's ground and flight transition training for Commander owners. A graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in aeronautical engineering, he is a certified flight instructor with an instrument instructor rating. Gull flew F-14s in the U.S. Navy and is a graduate of the service's Top Gun pilot school.
ALL OF FAA'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS, "including systems that involve the operation of the nation's air traffic control system, are now fully compliant for the Year 2000 (Y2K)," the agency said Wednesday. After three years of analysis and testing involving 1,100 technical experts, FAA said all computer systems requiring Y2K repairs have been successfully implemented or installed across the U.S.
BAe Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-345-AD) - proposes to require repetitive replacements of the weight-on-wheels microswitch harness subassembly with a new microswitch harness subassembly. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent a nose wheel shimmy, which could result in the collapse of the nose landing gear during takeoff or landing and possible injury to the flightcrew and passengers.
Nearly three dozen industry associations and companies last week urged members of the Senate to preserve the general fund contribution to the Federal Aviation Administration's annual budget. The general fund typically covers about 30 percent of FAA's budget - the Airport and Airway Trust Fund pays for the rest - but the general fund contribution is in jeopardy since both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee approved a fiscal 2000 FAA budget without any funds from the federal general fund (BA, June 7/259).
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won a three-year contract from the Federal Aviation Administration to train the agency's Challenger 600 and 604 pilots. FlightSafety will provide FAA's 604 initial and recurrent pilot training at its learning center in Tucson, Ariz., where the company has received FAA Level D approval for its Challenger 604 simulator. FAA pilots will receive initial and recurrent 600 training at FlightSafety's facility in Montreal. FlightSafety also offers Challenger training at its learning center in Houston, Texas.
NATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF WEIGHTS&MEASURES (NACWM) this week is scheduled to consider issuing a blanket exemption from a requirement to install ticket printers on aviation fuel truck meters (BA, Feb. 22/86).
RUBEN MORENO was appointed corporate director of standards for FlightSafety International. Moreno, who is based at the FlightSafety Instructional Systems Division in Fort Worth, Texas, will be responsible for quality assurance and consistency and standardization of pilot training at more than 30 FlightSafety learning centers. He previously was manager of training and standardization for Business JetSolutions.
Model SF340A and SAAB 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-118-AD) - proposes to require modification of the insulation pads in the lower side of the fuselage at the wing aft area. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loose insulation from interfering with an aileron control cable, which could reduce aileron control. FAA estimates that 303 airplanes on the U.S.
The Federal Aviation Administration named two experienced individuals to positions in the agency's Office of Aviation Research. Mark Rodgers was named chief scientist and technical advisor for human factors (AAR-100), while Hugh McLaurin was named director-research division (AAR-200).
ROLLS-ROYCE TURBOMECA and Piaggio Aero Industries signed a memorandum of understanding bringing the Italian engine company into the partnership developing, producing and supporting the RTM322 twin-spool turboshaft family. Three variants of the RTM322, which is a wholly European engine, are in full production to meet more than 400 orders for the U.K.'s EH101 Merlin HM Mk 1 and HC Mk 3 ASW and transport helicopters, plus the GKN Westland WAH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
Boeing Business Jets selected Delta Airlines' Technical Operations Division as the primary heavy maintenance services provider for its Boeing NetJets (BNJ) fleet. General Electric Engine Services will provide primary engine maintenance services, while Delta also will provide selected engine maintenance services for the BNJ fleet.
A Boeing Company team was selected over teams led by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Systems Co. as the preferred bidder for Australia's $1.3 billion Project Wedgetail, a system of airborne warning and control aircraft to provide surveillance of sea approaches to the country. Negotiations should be completed by the end of the year, Boeing said last week. Boeing's team, which includes Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector, British Aerospace Australia and Boeing Australia Ltd., proposed seven 737s and related training and support.
MEMBERS of the House aviation subcommittee suggested during a hearing last week that the Kennedy accident may lead to a future hearing on general aviation safety and training. A couple of members mentioned that officials should reexamine whether spin training should be required for private pilots. Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.), expressing a sentiment echoed by several in the aviation industry, said "hopefully private pilots will be much more careful about flying into weather than ever before."
