MICHAEL FEMIANO was appointed a sales representative for Professional Aviation Associates. Femiano, who will be based in PAA's Atlanta office, has more than 20 years of aviation experience, including five years with Hangar One.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 72 Series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-240-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain areas of the fuselage and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information from a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent fatigue cracking of the fuselage and the passenger and service doors, which could reduce structural integrity of the airplane. FAA estimates that 39 airplanes on the U.S.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-195-AD; Amendment 39-10958; AD 98-26-15) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive detailed visual inspections to detect cracks in the shear cleats of the roller guide structural support of the passenger door, and replacement of any cracked shear cleat with a new shear cleat. That AD also provides an optional terminating modification that eliminates the repetitive inspections. This amendment mandates the previously optional terminating modification.
BOMBARDIER won type certification for the Model 45 Learjet from Italy's Registro Aeronautico Italiano, bringing to 22 the number of European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)-member countries that have approved the new business jet.
RAYTHEON Models C90A, B200, B200C, B200T, B200CT, 300, B300, B300C, and A200CT airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-104-AD) - proposes to require installing a filter element in the landing gear hand pump suction line. The proposed AD is the result of reports regarding the potential for debris to enter the landing gear hand pump and interfere with its operation, which could prevent the nose landing gear from being extended manually. Two occurrences were reported of nose landing gear collapse after manual extension.
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE named the chairmen of its subcommittees: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), military procurement; Rep. Herbert Bateman (R-Va.), military readiness; Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), military research and development; Joel Hefley (R-Colo.), military installations and Stephen Buyer (R-Ind.), military personnel.
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (106th Congress) Republican Members Democrat Members Frank Wolf (Va.), chair Martin Olav Sabo (Minn.), ranking Tom DeLay (Texas) John Olver (Mass.) Ralph Regula (Ohio) Ed Pastor (Ariz.) Harold Rogers (Ky.) Carolyn Kilpatrick (Mich.) Ron Packard (Calif.) Jose Serrano (N.Y.)
SIKORSKY Model S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R, and V helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-29-AD; Amendment 39-10943; AD 98-26-02) - requires a nondestructive inspection for cracks in the main rotor shaft and replacement of any cracked shaft. This AD also requires appropriate marking of shafts and log book entries by the operator to determine the shaft retirement life, and establishes a new retirement life for the shaft. This amendment is prompted by four reports of cracks occurring in helicopters used in repetitive external lift (REL) operations.
ROCKWELL COLLINS' airborne satellite TV system was installed on a Gulfstream V, the first such installation on a business jet. The Direct Broadcast Satellite and SATCOM antennas are both mounted within the existing radome envelope, Rockwell said. The satellite TV antenna uses a metallic reflector to improve system performance without compromising the SATCOM system. The system offers seven channels of DirecTV programming.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (106th Congress) Republican Members Democrat Members C.W. Bill Young (Fla.), chair David Obey (Wis.), ranking Ralph Regula (Ohio) John Murtha (Pa.) Jerry Lewis (Calif.) Norman Dicks (Wash.) John Edward Porter (Ill.) Martin Olav Sabo (Minn.) Harold Rogers (Ky.) Julian Dixon (Calif.)
FAIRCHILD AEROSPACE had another shake-up in its marketing and corporate communications department with the departure of Vice President Gina McAllister after only three months last fall. Coming from United Technologies, McAllister had replaced Mike Cardellichio in a reorganization of the department. Bob Hawk, long-time public relations executive with Fokker Aircraft and subsequently with FAA, left the post of vice president-corporate communications last year after only four months on the job.
MICHAEL SELLERS was named to represent Advanced Aviation Services International's COMPASS System in the Northwest. Sellars, who owns Aircraft Maintenance Support in Boise, Ida., will sell and support the COMPASS system, which includes the Computer Operated Aircraft Management Planning Service and Maintenance Planning Software.
RICHARD DAWSON joined Southwest Jet Aviation, Scottsdale, Ariz., as chief pilot. Dawson formerly was director of aviation operations and chief pilot for Air Evac Services in Phoenix, Ariz. He has more than 10,000 hours of flight time with an ATP certificate and Learjet and Cessna ratings.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT'S deliveries of new aircraft were up 74 percent last year, but the Wichita manufacturer's order backlog continued to grow to a record $4 billion with the introduction of four new models during October's National Business Aviation Association convention (BA, Oct. 19/169). By way of comparison, 1997 marked the first year in which the value of new aircraft shipments by all original equipment manufacturer members of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association topped $4 billion.
JEFFERSON, COLO. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS this week will consider revised minimum standards for scheduled service under Part 135 at Jeffco Airport. Although Jeffco has had minimum standards for commercial service in effect since 1995, the county has barred applications for such service. This month, however, the county lifted that ban after FAA indicated it would withhold federal grant money for the airport if the ban remained in place (BA, Jan. 11/19). Jeffco, a general aviation airport northwest of Denver, currently does not have scheduled service.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT is developing a new electronic maintenance documentation system to support its range of aircraft, beginning with Hawker 800 and 800XP business jets. The Raytheon Electronic Publication System (REPS) will provide electronic links to aircraft maintenance documents and parts information. LinkOne, developed by software maker Mincom, is the platform for the system. Raytheon will update REPS information quarterly. Raytheon hopes to have all in-production models available on the system by 2001.
JET 1 CENTER, a Naples, Fla., fixed-base operator, completed a new 50,000-square-foot aircraft parking ramp, doubling existing ramp space. Jet 1 provides ground handling, aircraft sales and charter services.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) last week introduced a comprehensive aviation package that would reauthorize FAA aviation programs for two years and cover a host of other issues, including guidelines for regulating air tour flights over national parks and overseeing foreign repair stations.
RAYTHEON Models 1900, 1900C, and 1900D airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-23-AD; Amendment 39-10970; AD 99-01-03) - supersedes AD 97-14-16, which requires repetitive inspections of the outboard flap support roller bearings and flap attachment brackets for indications of contact (wear), inspections for elongated holes in the flap attachment brackets, repair or replacement of any part showing wear, and replacement of any bracket with elongated holes.
BELL HELICOPTER Model 407 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-43-AD; Amendment 39-10990; AD 98-19-13) - publishes AD 98-19-13, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Model 407 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires, on or before the accumulation of 50 hours total time-in-service (TIS) on the engine-to-transmission driveshaft replacement of the driveshaft with an airworthy driveshaft.
THE V-22 OSPREY tiltrotor aircraft began sea trials last week aboard the USS Saipan off the coast of Norfolk, Va. An engineering and manufacturing development version of the V-22 will operate from the ship for about a month, validating and expanding the general launch and recovery envelope of the aircraft. In addition to practicing landings, V-22 pilots will practice simulated one-engine inoperative procedures that include a no-hover vertical landing to the aft end of the ship, vertical takeoffs and shipboard short takeoffs.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector completed manufacture of upgrade kits for all 134 ASR-9 airport surveillance radars owned and operated by the FAA and Defense Department three months ahead of schedule. The 9-PAC (Processor Augmentation Card) modification kit incorporates new software and hardware to increase processing power of the radar units. Northrop Grumman said the upgraded systems reduce false target reflections for controllers and improve target detection.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION is drafting a letter to FAA on the National Business Aviation Association's proposed Safety Guidelines for Fractional Program Managers and Fractional Owners (BA, Jan. 4/1). NBAA developed the guidelines in concert with many segments of the industry, but NATA last week expressed disappointment that the guidelines were presented to FAA before the industry reached consensus on certain issues. Of particular concern to NATA were recommendations for maintenance duty time limits and fractional ownership criteria for NBAA membership.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL'S Savannah, Ga. training center will provide C-37A (Gulfstream V) pilot and flight engineer training for the U.S. Air Force under a five-year contract. The Air Force has an initial fleet of three C-37As based at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C. that are used for transporting top government officials. FSI's Savannah facility has two G-V Level D simulators, one already in operation and a second awaiting FAA certification.
The Federal Aviation Administration will build a new Terminal Radar Approach and Control (TRACON) facility near Warrenton, Va. to serve aircraft using airports in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. area. The site is about 40 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. at Vint Hill Farms Station, a former Army base that closed in October 1997. Purchase of the land is contingent upon completion of an environmental impact statement.
