Federal Aviation Administration's mammoth proposal to update maintenance technician requirements under a new Part 66 is not timely, could impose significant new costs and adds a layer of bureaucracy that is confusing, according to industry associations commenting on the proposal.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-97-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the upper and lower engine nacelle inner panels for any loose or partially detached inner film, and removing any loose or partially detached inner film. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION last week moved up the deadline for airport sponsors to file grant applications for entitlement funds in fiscal 1999 from June 30 to March 1. FAA said the shortened deadline is necessary because the Airport Improvement Program, which provides the airport grants, is authorized only through March 31.
BILL PROCHAZKA was appointed vice president of aircraft and customer service for Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek, Mich. facility, formerly owned by Kal Aero. Prochazka joined Duncan in 1989 and most recently was manager of customer service. He also managed an avionics shop in Colorado and held various positions with both Learjet and Cessna.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION&INFRASTRUCTURE (106th Congress) Republican Members Democrat Members Bud Shuster (PA), chair James Oberstar (MN), ranking Don Young (AK) Nick Rahall (WV) Thomas Petri (WI) Robert Borski (PA) Sherwood Boehlert (NY) William Lipinski (IL) Herbert Bateman (VA) Robert Wise (WV)
PRIESTER AVIATION, Wheeling, Ill., added four aircraft to its charter fleet - a Gulfstream II, Citation 500, King Air 200 and King Air F-90. The aircraft increase Priester's charter fleet to 19.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday he does not believe the time consumed by the Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton will force the committee to accept a six-month FAA reauthorization.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL named three training service directors. William Campbell, former senior manager-regulatory compliance, was promoted to director-standards with responsibility for SimuFlite's regulatory compliance, quality assurance and instructor training programs. Robert Munro, previously manager-Challenger programs, was promoted to director-training services.
CHRISTIE FACKLER was named manager-account services for Marketing Alternatives, the St. Louis, Mo.-based advertising agency. Fackler, a commercial pilot who received a bachelor of science in aeronautics from St. Louis University, most recently served as an account executive at The Waylon Company. She also served with Century Aviation and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT tapped Delvin "Del" Fogg as general manager of its Las Vegas, Nev. operations. Fogg, a 26-year aviation industry veteran, formerly was general manager for Raytheon Aircraft Services in Wichita, Kan. He also has managed fixed-base operations for Jet West in Reno, Nev. and Hughes Aviation Services in Austin, Texas, and has logged more than 10,000 hours as a pilot.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA'S Aerospace program took delivery of seven new aircraft last month, pushing the school's fleet to 103 aircraft. UND Aerospace took delivery of 16 airplanes in the last two months of 1998 - six Diamond DA20-C1 Katanas; five IFR-equipped Piper PA-28-161 Warriors; two IFR-equipped Piper PA-28-201R Arrows; and three Piper PA-44-180R Seminoles. The school is scheduled to take delivery of another 14 aircraft in 1999.
FAA adopted a new airworthiness directive Friday that requires modification of Honeywell IC-600 integrated avionics computers installed in Embraer EMB-145 regional jets because of a report of failures, "which caused a 'random reset' condition of the electronic flight instrument system." Originally, FAA proposed similar modifications on IC-600 computers installed in Model 45 Learjets, but the agency said last week a commenter asked that the Learjets be deleted from the proposed rule because "there was only one Learjet Model 45 airplane with the suspect Honeywell IC-600 int
Federal Aviation Administration last month clarified and altered the applicability of a 1993 airworthiness directive covering 22,000 Piper aircraft equipped with wing lift struts. That AD, 93-10-06, called for repetitive inspections of the wing lift struts and strut forks for cracks or corrosion and replacement, if necessary. On Dec. 31 FAA followed with a subsequent AD that clarifies certain requirements, eliminates the lift strut fork repetitive inspection requirements for Piper PA-25 series airplanes and adds models inadvertently omitted from the earlier AD.
PEREGRINE AVIATION SERVICES, Hackensack, N.J., named three individuals to new positions. Ted Getsinger was named director of management services in the company's Charleston, S.C. office. He has worked for Fortune 100 flight departments and for a New York-based charter/management group and is an ATP-rated pilot with more than 7,000 flight hours, including 4,500 in several Falcon models. Weldon Riker, whose employment history includes jobs with Jet Aviation, SimuFlite and Canadair, was hired to establish Peregrine's new Tucson, Ariz. office.
BANNER AEROSPACE completed the previously announced sale of its Solair, Inc., subsidiary to Kellstrom Industries, Inc., for approximately $57 million in cash and a warrant to purchase 300,000 shares of Kellstrom common stock at $27.50 per share. Solair is a distributor of aircraft rotables.
In a move to preserve federal grants, Jefferson, Colo. County Commissioners Tuesday lifted a ban on applications for scheduled service at Jeffco Airport northwest of Denver. The ban, in place since 1995, was the subject of a Part 16 complaint filed by Texas businessman John Andrews and the county had until Jan. 25 to address concerns in that complaint or face possible loss of federal grants.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive calling for preflight engine test runs and inspections in cold weather on 120 Cessna 750 (Citation X) and Embraer 145 aircraft powered by Allison 3007C and 3007A engines. The AD requires operators to perform the engine checks when oil temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and, if tests are unsuccessful, the AD prohibits further flight. The AD stems from three reports last week of inflight engine shutdowns involving Allison 3007A and 3007C turbofans.
THE JOHNS HOPKINS report addresses concerns about possible jamming or interference with GPS signals and concludes that safeguards can be implemented to eliminate or minimize those problems. The report suggests the need for a master federal action plan for GPS implementation to avoid a patchwork process that could result in differing schedules and confusion among users.
Maintenance of all engines on an airplane at the same time or by the same team "presents the potential for error and the possible loss of thrust from all engines," according to two Boeing engineers. If possible, scheduled maintenance should be staggered to avoid multi-engine maintenance by the same personnel during a single shop visit, say Thomas Murray, a safety engineering analyst, and Vince Robel, manager of 777 engine programs.
AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF WASHOE COUNTY, which operates the Reno, Nev. Airport, signed an agreement with Harding Lawson Associates for a $4.2 million restoration project of Runway 7/25. The runway's load-bearing capacity was significantly reduced by flooding in January 1997 that eroded the runway's underlying base. The repair project will include extensive excavation, replacement of base material and replacement of the existing asphaltic concrete pavement with portland cement concrete pavement.
CORPORATE BUSINESS JETS in the U.S. were involved in no fatal accidents in 1998, the second consecutive year of no fatalities for that segment of business aviation, according to preliminary data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. Overall last year, Breiling said there were 16 accidents involving business jets in the U.S., including three in corporate service. Overall, there were four fatal accidents that resulted in nine fatalities and 24 incidents. In 1997, there were 15 accidents involving U.S.
UTFLIGHT, the aviation department of United Technologies Corp., claims to be "the first corporate aircraft operator in the world to become registered to ISO 9002," the international quality standard. Steven P.
The Federal Aviation Administration, citing a law passed by Congress, issued a final rule Thursday making it a criminal offense to interfere with a crew member on all civil aircraft flights that leave or land in the U.S. FAA said prior notice was unnecessary "inasmuch as Congress has already criminalized such conduct." The provision is being added to operations conducted under Part 121, 125 and 135, which cover aircraft with a payload capacity from 6,000 pounds up to large jetliners, the agency said.
Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) last week opened the 106th Congress by introducing legislation to take transportation trust funds "off-budget" and by winning unanimous committee approval for legislation to extend the Airport Improvement Program for six more months. Shuster introduced both bills Wednesday, the first official day for legislative business in the House, and held a vote on the AIP extension on Thursday, shortly after the Transportation Committee organized.
MARKETING ALTERNATIVES, the St. Louis-based advertising agency that represents several segments of the aviation industry, has moved into larger offices to accommodate its increasing client base. Marketing Alternatives is now located at 18118 Chesterfield Airport Road, Suite A, Chesterfield, Mo. 63005; telephone: (314) 530-0088; fax: (314) 530-1724.
