AGUSTA Model A109C, A109E, and A109K2 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-40-AD; Amendment 39-11039; AD 98-19-04) - publishes an AD previously sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of Model A109C, A109E, and A109K2 helicopters by individual letters.
TWO SENATORS with seats on key aviation panels will not seek re-election next year. The departure of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) will open up the post of ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee in 2001. Sen. Richard Bryan (D-Nev.) is a member of the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee.
RAYTHEON Models 1900, 1900C, and 1900D airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-66-AD; Amendment 39-11032; AD 99-04-08) - requires inspecting the main landing gear hydraulic actuators to determine whether a certain Frisby Aerospace actuator is installed, and reworking or replacing any of these Frisby Aerospace actuators. This AD is the result of reports of fatigue cracks in the end cap of main landing gear hydraulic actuators manufactured by Frisby Aerospace and installed on the affected airplanes.
The Federal Aviation Administration is "vacuuming in every corner" to cut costs and come up with about $250 million that the agency is short in fiscal 1999, according to agency and industry sources, an effort that threatens to delay and disrupt new aircraft certifications and issuance of supplemental type certificates (STCs).
THE AMERICAN ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION praised Reps. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) and Bob Matsui (D-Calif.) for introducing legislation to make the research and development tax credit permanent. The R&D tax credit originally was enacted in 1981 and was extended temporarily nine times. The current version is due to expire June 30. The Johnson-Matsui bill, H.R. 835, was introduced with 92 co-sponsors, including 24 members of the House Ways and Means Committee.
RIFTON AVIATION added a Citation II to its Part 135 charter services. Rifton, based at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, N.Y., also operates a Gulfstream IV for charter. Both aircraft operate under the Part 135 certificate held by The Air Group, which is based in Van Nuys, Calif. and has satellite office in Teterboro, N.J.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION petitioned FAA for exemption from certain weather reporting requirements, a move that would give air charter operators access to an additional 1,000 airports nationwide. See article below.
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is trying to end the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's control of New York Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports, saying it has allowed them to deteriorate and is using airport revenues to subsidize unprofitable operations. Privatization is his proposed solution.
SINO SWEARINGEN completed static and fatigue tests on a representative section of the SJ30-2 primary wing joint. Sino Swearigen engineers tested the structure to 150 percent of its limit load, exposing it to 230,000 loading cycles. The company said the wing joint structure performed as expected with no cracking. "The design has even more margin than we had expected," said Roger Wilson, vice president-engineering.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, citing "boneheaded decisions by people who aren't directly involved with aviation safety," asked senior government officials to transfer the Office of Aeronautical Charting and Cartography to FAA from the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In a letter last month to Commerce Secretary William Daley, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, AOPA President Phil Boyer said, "Charting involves critical flight safety issues that must be under direct control of FAA.
Loran-C will be "operated at least until 2008," according to a paper presented by FAA last week at a Navigation User Forum in Washington, D.C. The paper, on developing alternative navigation architectures to the Global Positioning System, said FAA "will determine whether Loran-C standards, equipment and procedures could be upgraded to provide NPA (non-precision approach) capability."
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER SYSTEMS Model 369D, 369E, 369FF, 369H, MD500N, and MD600N helicopters (Docket No. 97-SW-61-AD; Amendment 39-11036; AD 99-04-12) - requires a one-time visual inspection of certain input shaft coupling assemblies for pitting. This amendment is prompted by three operators' reports of discovering pitting on the internal spline teeth. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the spline teeth in the input shaft coupling assembly, loss of drive to the main rotor system, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
ROGER KOCH, who sold his aircraft interior components company, Aircraft Modular Products, Inc., to B/E Aerospace for $110 million, donated $1 million to create the Edward W. Stimpson Endowed Scholarship Fund at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Stimpson, the long-time president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, serves on the university's board of trustees and was its chairman from 1987-1994.
CHARLTON WILLS was named manager of dispatch operations for Priester Aviation Charter. Wills, who joined Priester in July, will assume day-to-day operational control of Priester's dispatch, crew scheduling and customer service.
ALLISON AE 2100A, AE 2100C, and AE 2100D3 series turboprop engines (Docket No. 98-ANE-83-AD; Amdt. 39-11023; AD 99-03-09) - requires removing from service affected turbine wheels before exceeding new, reduced cyclic life limits. This amendment is prompted by the results of a refined life analysis. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent an uncontained turbine wheel failure, which could result in damage to the aircraft. Although FAA issued the AD without prior notice or comment, the agency will accept comments through April 5.
Polish airline LOT signed an agreement with Brazilian manufacturer Embraer that includes firm orders for six ERJ-145 regional jets and options for six more. The contract is valued at approximately $200 million U.S. and first delivery is slated for July.
BOMBARDIER sold two additional Series 200 Canadair Regional Jets to Maersk Air, Ltd., bringing the Birmingham, England carrier's fleet to eight CRJs. The British Airways franchise partner also holds options for seven additional CRJs, including five 70-seat CRJ Series 700s.
JILL LOEWEN was named assistant manager of Valley Oil's Commercial Accounts Division. Loewen, who has served with Valley Oil for more than 13 years, previously led the customer service department.
VANCE&ENGLES, the Washington, D.C.-based corporate jet brokerage firm, opened a Chicago area office. Barry Gray, former director of sales and marketing for DB Aviation, will head the office as vice president-Midwest aircraft sales. Gray will be based at Waukegan, Ill. Regional Airport. He can be reached at (847) 336-9090 or by fax at (847) 336-6879.
THE MARKET for pilots continues to be hot. The industry hired 14,143 new pilots in 1998, according to Aviation Information Resources, Inc. (AIR, Inc.), which charts hiring by the major passenger and cargo airlines. AIR expects 12,500 to 15,500 new pilot hires this year. The industry signed on 1,220 new pilots in January.
DURING HER TRIP to Wichita with DOT Secretary Rodney Slater last month to meet with general aviation executives (BA, Feb. 22/83), FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said she heard a lot about "harmonization difficulties with the JAA"; the need to streamline FAA's aircraft certification process; and "a lot of very strong opinions about user fees." GAMA President Ed Bolen said the Slater-Garvey Wichita visit showed "a general recognition that general aviation is a very, very important part of the U.S. transportation system and economy."
FRUSTRATION over an outbreak of European restrictions on U.S. aerospace manufacturers and operators is growing. The head of the U.S. Aerospace Industries Association appealed to his British counterparts last week to protest "anti-American," protectionist measures that threaten trade growth on both sides of the Atlantic.
THE EUROPEAN UNION'S attempt to impose ramp checks on foreign aircraft suspected of non-compliance with international safety regulations was declared "null and void" last month because of a British-Spanish dispute dating back to the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). The proposed legislation, drafted after a 1996 crash off the coast of the Dominican Republic that killed 176 European passengers, was opposed by Spain last December.
YONEZO TODA was appointed general manager of Parker Aerospace Japan in Yokohama. Toda has 24 years of experience in the Japanese military and international commercial aerospace business. Most recently he was president of Teijin Seiki America Inc. in Redmond, Wash. and president of STS Corp. in Tokyo.
EMBRAER Model EMB-145 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-386-AD; Amdt. 39-11015; AD 99-01-12) - publishes AD 99-01-12 that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of certain EMB-145 series airplanes by individual notices. This AD requires revisions to the Airplane Flight Manual to provide the flight crew with updated procedures for prohibiting use of the autopilot below 1,500 feet above ground level, emergency procedures for pitch trim runaway, and abnormal procedures for autopilot trim failure and stabilizer out of trim.
