BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-04-AD; Amdt. 39-11109; AD 99-08-04) - requires modification of the flight compartment door; repetitive inspections for wear of the flight compartment door hinges following modification; and repair or replacement of the hinges with new hinges, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by a report that the door lock mechanism of the flight compartment door jammed and could not be opened using the alternate release mechanism.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION this month official opened its National Airport Pavement Test Facility, a $21 million facility that resulted from a joint venture between FAA and Boeing. The facility will be used for full-scale loading tests to generate technical data for use in developing new airport pavement standards.
J. BROOKS DAVIS was named manager of aircraft sales for Flight Services Group, Inc. Davis most recently was president of Danbury, Conn.-based Conn Mooney Aircraft Sales and also has served as vice president of DavisAir, a Pittsburgh-based charter and fixed-base operation.
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-219-AD; Amdt. 39-11098; AD 99-07-13) - requires a one-time visual inspection to detect relative movement or deformation of the joint areas of the rear attaching supports and lower skin of the left and right outer flaps; repetitive borescopic inspections to detect cracking of the spar and of the rear internal support fittings of the outer flaps; and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment also provides for optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
BUSINESS JET operators were involved in no fatal accidents in the first quarter of 1999, compared with one fatal accident in first quarter 1998, and corporate jet operations were involved in one non-fatal accident in the first quarter, compared with two a year ago, according to statistics compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. Breiling Associates reported that the number of business turboprop accidents fell from nine in first quarter 1998 to six through the first three months of this year, and fatal accidents dropped from five to one.
ROCKWELL COLLINS is offering its Pro Line 21 avionics suite with new communications, navigation and surveillance technology. The Pro Line CNS will provide capabilities to meet CNS/ATM Free Flight requirements, including digital communications to accommodate high-speed data communications, GPS Wide Area Augmentation System/Local Area Augmentation System-based approaches and landings and Global Navigation Satellite systems-based en route navigation. The systems also will accommodate automatic dependent surveillance for new levels of flight tracking and traffic avoidance.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-157-AD; Amdt. 39-11114; AD 99-08-08) - requires repetitive lubrication of the engine control push-pull cables, and installation of heating tubes on the control cables in the cockpit area and in the left-hand and right-hand engine balconies, which terminates the repetitive lubrication requirement. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
National Transportation Safety Board last week recommended that FAA require all turbine aircraft with six more passenger seats to be equipped with enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS) if they do not already fall under a requirement for GPWS.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and Mark 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-346-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual to provide the flightcrew with instructions warning against arming the liftdumper system before commanding the landing gear to extend. This action would require modification of the grounds of the shielding of the wheelspeed sensor wiring of the main landing gear (MLG) and installation of new electrical grounds for the wheelspeed sensor channel of the anti-skid control box of the MLG.
Arnold M. Lewis, Jr., 61, a veteran aviation journalist who was editor of The Weekly of Business Aviation for almost 10 years and for nearly three decades was on the staff of BA affiliate Business&Commercial Aviation magazine, died unexpectedly early on April 21 at his home in Fredericksburg, Va. Cause of death was attributed to a heart attack. Lewis died just hours after he and his wife, Mary Ann, returned home from Richmond, Va., where their only son, Arnold M. Lewis III (Trey), underwent long-awaited, successful kidney transplant surgery on April 20.
BILL PELLMAN joined Banyan Air Service as instrument shop manager. Pellman most recently was an instrument technician and shop supervisor for Camtek Instrument and J.D. Chapdelaine Co.
FAA is closely watching as Europe forms a new European Aviation Safety Authority, which is expected to supplant the Joint Aviation Authority. David Traynham, FAA assistant administrator for policy, planning and international policy, told attendees at last week's General Aviation Forecast conference that FAA strongly believes the processes of the new organization must be transparent, noting that U.S. organizations often do not become aware of European proposals until they are almost in place.
Gulfstream Aerospace continued its strong financial performance, reporting record first quarter 1999 results of $625.1 million in revenues and $58.5 million in net income. The revenues marked a 24 percent improvement from first quarter 1998 revenues of $503.4 million, and net income jumped 44 percent from the $40.5 million recorded a year ago. Diluted earnings per share also leapt 46 percent to $0.79, compared with $0.54 in first quarter 1998. Company Chairman Theodore Forstmann called the outlook for 1999 "excellent.
WHILE MOST SAFETY INDICATORS are generally positive, FAA is concerned about increased numbers of runway incursions, Peggy Gilligan, deputy associate administrator for regulation and certification, told the FAA GA Forecast Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. DOT's Office of Inspector General testified before Congress last month that the number of runway incursions has increased from 186 in 1993 to 325 in 1998 and said the agency is at risk of not meeting its goal to reduce the number of runway incursions 15 percent by 2000.
MOONEY AIRCRAFT appointed DLK Aviation as an authorized service center in the Atlanta, Ga. area. DLK, based at McCollum Airport, will provide warranty and routine maintenance for all Mooney aircraft.
PINO ZANI was named international sales representative for BFGoodrich Avionics. Zani will be responsible for BFGoodrich Avionics sales in Italy, Turkey and Greece.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY is holding a two-day Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance Workshop June 14-15 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The workshop will discuss mechanic decision-making, human factors that affect aircraft technicians, preventative steps taken to prevent incidents, and factors that lead to maintenance error. For more information, contact Embry-Riddle's Division of Continuing Education at (904) 226-6186.
BANYAN AIR SERVICES was named a Universal Avionics Systems dealer and installation center. Banyan's avionics department provides sales, service and installation of new and used aircraft instruments. In addition to Universal, Banyan is a factory-authorized service center for Bendix/King, Collins, Sigma Tek, Sperry/Honeywell, Century, S-Tec, Jet, and Garmin.
ED PROTHERO was appointed western regional sales manager for Celsius Aerotech Inc./Furst Aircraft&Instrument. Prothero has 12 years of experience, formerly with Weco Aerospace.
Bell Helicopter Textron joined the ranks of a fractional owner in addition to provider with a deal it struck this month with HeliFlite Shares to purchase an "undisclosed fractional interest" in a Bell 430. HeliFlite last fall ordered up to 10 of the twin-engine Bell 430 helicopters to start a fractional ownership program in Texas, with plans to expand into New York, California and Colorado (BA, Nov. 23/235).
A U.S. Air Force petition to allow nighttime no-lights operations in Military Operations Areas (MOAs) would create a hazard for pilots and should be denied, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association told the Federal Aviation Administration this month. The Air Force in October petitioned FAA for a blanket exemption from Part 91.209 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, which requires aircraft to have lighted position lights at night.
NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT won a 19-aircraft order valued at $3.3 million from Westwind Aviation Academy. The order - comprising 15 Archer IIIs, two Arrows and two Seminoles - calls for deliveries to begin in July 1999. Westwind Aviation, based at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport in Arizona, will replace its existing fleet of Cessna 172s and 172RGs with the new aircraft. The Piper aircraft will be fitted with Garmin avionics.
