HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) last week continued his campaign to win support for his AIR-21 legislation, issuing a statement that the latest estimates of the budget surplus "should stop budget raids on transportation trust funds." Shuster last week noted a recent Congressional Budget Office projection that the surplus will be $180 billion more than earlier estimates, and said, "I have always felt that it is dishonest to ask taxpayers to pay a dedicated tax...and then not invest the money for its intended proposes.
By Kerry Lynch (business aviation @mcgraw-hill.com)
The Federal Aviation Administration Tuesday will publish a long-awaited proposed airworthiness directive requiring extensive exhaust system inspections and possible replacements of at least 6,500 Cessna 300 and 400 Series aircraft that likely will cost operators millions of dollars and force some to retire their airplanes. The proposed AD, which was written some time ago but held up at FAA headquarters for months, supersedes an airworthiness directive issued more than 20 years ago and since revised five times.
THE PROPOSED COMPLIANCE TIME for replacing ELTs also drew Hammerschmidt's attention. According to a proposal drafted by the NTSB staff, ELT replacement would be required within three years. "To me it's something of a stretch to put a three-year limit on a changeout," Hammerschmidt said. "I'm just not convinced the three-year time limit is in the best interests of the aviation community." NTSB took no formal action on the matter at last week's meeting, but a proposed recommendation letter to FAA will be circulated to board members for their perusal in coming weeks.
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-20-AD) - proposes to require replacing all flap drive shafts with improved flap drive shafts, installing additional gaskets on the power drive unit, and modifying the attachment and supporting hardware. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
The House late last month approved 375 to 48 legislation to reform government seizure laws, providing an "innocent owner" defense. The bill, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act, H.R.1658, received strong support from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which said the legislation will protect innocent aircraft owners from certain seizures by prohibiting the government from retaining seized property if the owner did not know it was used for illegal activity.
JAY HAMBY was appointed general manager of flight support for Atlantic Aviation's newly acquired Chicago Midway fixed-base operation. Hamby previously was general manager for Aero Services at Chicago Midway. He has 12 years of business aviation experience, including service with Million Air.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE named YASAVA Aeronautics as its official agent for Nigeria. Headquartered in Lagos, YASAVA was established in 1988 and also is the general sales agent for Swissair and Sabena in Nigeria.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA-365N, N1, N2, N3, and SA-366G1 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-47-AD; Amdt. 39-11182; AD 99-11-11) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive inspections of the main gearbox (MGB) magnetic chip plug and oil filter if certain part number/modification level MGBs are installed. This new action expands the helicopter model and MGB applicability to include the SA-365N2 and N3 helicopters and all variants of the MGB.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT appointed Terry Kriebel director of human resources, with responsibility for industrial relations, compensation, benefits, training, employee relations, employee development and health services. Kriebel previously spent 13 years with General Motors, most recently as director of human resources for the Truck Group.
BMW ROLLS-ROYCE, CATIC Supply (China National Aero Technology International Supply Corp.) and Shenyang Liming Engine Manufacturing Corp. signed a long-term agreement under which the Chinese firms will supply goods to BMW Rolls-Royce. The latest agreement "will further contribute to an already well-established partnership between BMW Rolls-Royce, the Chinese industry and research facilities covering a wide range of aero engine activities which extends from component manufacture to joint research projects," the engine manufacturer said in a statement.
AVIATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., Miami, was retained by the Republic of Uruguay to develop a program to upgrade the country's governmental aviation safety oversight program to meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
ATLANTIC COAST AIRLINES said its stock was added to the Standard&Poor's SmallCap 600 Index. Atlantic Coast is only the third regional airline to be listed in that index, the carrier said.
The European Commission last month approved British Aerospace's $12.7 billion acquisition of GEC's Marconi Electronic Systems. Most of both companies' defense business escaped scrutiny of the European Commission. The United Kingdom government's instructions not to notify the EC of the military aspects of the deal were "acceptable in this case," said the spokesman for European Competition Minister Karel Van Miert.
MIKE WUEBBLING was named vice president of service center operations for Galaxy Aerospace. He will be responsible for overseeing operations at the company's Ft. Worth, Texas factory service center, as well as relationships with 23 authorized service facilities worldwide. "With the creation of this position, we are expanding our management organization to prepare for further growth, to ensure the smooth service introduction of the Galaxy business jet, and to maintain our focus on providing quality service," said David Brant, senior vice president-operations, for Galaxy.
MALCOM RICH joined Mercury Air Center as general manager of its Nashville, Tenn. fixed-base operation. Rich previously was general manager and controller of Airkaman of Jacksonville, Inc., where he oversaw all operations. He also has served with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Jacksonville and KMPG in Atlanta. Mercury Air Group acquired the Nashville center in 1997 from Stevens Aviation.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Friday published a "proposed interpretation" and request for comments regarding the term "operator" in the extra section provision of FAA's High Density Rule. "This proposed interpretation would permit one airline code-share partner to operate an extra section of a regularly scheduled flight of another code-share partner," the agency said.
National Air Transportation Association last week petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration for exemption from drug and alcohol testing requirements for special event sightseeing flights. FAA's Drug Abatement Division, after consulting with the agency's Office of the Chief Counsel, recently reversed a longstanding policy that FAA-approved antidrug programs and alcohol misuse prevention programs were not required for operations providing sightseeing rides at airport fundraising functions.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION has issued a call for papers for its 12th Annual European Aviation Safety Seminar March 6-8 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A 100- to 200-word abstract of a proposed paper should be sent by Sept. 10 to Joanne Anderson, technical assistant, technical programs at Flight Safety Foundation, Suite 300, 601 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. 22314; telephone: (703) 739-6700, ext. 111; fax: (703) 739-6708.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-40-AD) - would require repetitive tests of the flight idle backup system of the propeller control system; repetitive inspections to determine the level of wear of the pins and bushings of the cam followers on the power lever rods of the engine controls; and follow-on corrective actions, if necessary.
SECURAPLANE TECHNOLOGIES delivered its first three miniature video camera systems, CAM-10. Securaplane shipped two of the systems to Raytheon Systems Company for installation in Boeing Business Jets and to ASB Avionics and Associated Air Center for a VIP B767. The system, a 1.5-pound package, includes four high-resolution, low-light monochrome cameras that are installed on the aircraft fuselage and provide 360-degree, high-definition views of the area around the aircraft, including landing gear, engines etc.
Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for April 1999 (see related graphs on Pages 11 and 12 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries APR. '96 APR. '97 APR. '98 APR. '99 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 56 29 8 39 25 11 63 33 28 65 23 13 America
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-10-AD) - proposes to require modifying the generator 2 excitation by removing certain diodes and installing a new five-amp circuit breaker and suppression filter. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
Airport Systems International, Inc., the Overland Park, Kan. manufacturer of navaids and airport lighting systems, reported significant losses for the quarter and fiscal year ended April 30.
AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES appointed Thomas A. Hawk as senior vice president of the company's Las Vegas, Nev. office. Hawk has more than 20 years experience in the aviation aerospace insurance industry. He was most recently senior vice president and Southeastern regional manager (aviation) for J&H Marsh&McLennan. Another J&H March&McLennan veteran, Charles R. Botts, joined AIS' Las Vegas office as a consultant. He has 30 years experience in the industry.
MARK WHITMAN was named regional sales manager for Atlantic Aviation. Whitman will promote Atlantic's Flight Services, Maintenance Services and Flight Support Division. Whitman has 16 years of business aviation experience, serving in regional sales manager roles for SimuFlite Training International, Global Systems, Sundstrand Data Control and AlliedSignal. Most recently, he was with Everest Imaging.
