Federal Aviation Administration last week shored up its regulation and certification management team, filling the long-vacant director of Flight Standards Service posts as well as director of Aircraft Certification Service and deputy associate administrator for Civil Aviation Security.
Aerospace manufacturers soon will begin including a unique bar code on each new product they manufacture that will permit tracing throughout that part's life. Boeing and Airbus representatives revealed the parts tracking plan in joint announcements at a recent Air Transport Association meeting on Spec 2000 - a proposed industry standard for electronic data interchange (EDI).
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY will hold its 12th annual Aviation Law/Insurance Symposium Jan. 21-22 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The symposium is designed for aviation attorneys, insurance professionals, manufacturers, government agencies, litigation experts, safety experts, air carriers and consultants. For information, contact Embry-Riddle's Division of Continuing Education at (904) 226-6186 or fax to (904) 226-7630.
OFFICIALS at Melbourne, Australia International Airport are concerned about plans to build the world's tallest tower near the airport. Construction of the 560-meter (1,887 feet) Grollo Tower is scheduled to start during the first quarter of 1999. Pilots say the tower will affect aircraft traffic patterns, because it will stand in the flight path of the southerly approach to the airport.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION named six industry executives to chair GAMA committees during 1999: Flight Operations Policy, Clay Jones, Rockwell Collins; International, Ray Siegfried, The Nordam Group; Product Liability, Bill Monkman, Precision Aerospace; Public Affairs, Steve Loranger, Allied-Signal Engines; Safety Affairs, Caroline Daniels, Aircraft Technical Publishers; Technical Policy, Al Novick, Rolls-Royce Allison.
The Federal Aviation Administration "greatly underestimated" the cost of requiring terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) on 12,300 turbine aircraft operated under Parts 91 and 135 and while the systems do have safety merit, the agency has not justified its proposed mandate, according to general aviation industry leaders.
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS say their estimate of the cost of complying with FAA's terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) proposals is nearly three times higher than FAA's estimate. The agency estimates that equipping the 12,300 turbine aircraft operated under Parts 91 and 135 with TAWS would cost more than $445 million "at present value." The industry groups, however, claim the total cost may be $1.23 billion. See article below.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION won a favorable decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this month in a case involving aircraft overflights of Indian tribal lands.The Morongo Indians challenged an FAA decision to change an approach route into Los Angeles International Airport that increased the number of aircraft passing over the Indian lands.
ALEC WHITE joined FlightSafety Boeing Training International as vice president-customers. White, formerly general manager of Northwest Aerospace Training Corp., will be responsible for sales, marketing and customer services in his new position.
BFGoodrich and Coltec Industries announced a definitive agreement for a "strategic merger" under which Coltec will become part of BFGoodrich, but the combined company's headquarters will move from Akron, Ohio to Coltec's base in Charlotte, N.C.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-134-AD) - withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking that would have required repetitive inspections of the inboard and outboard flap actuators to measure the rotational freedom of the actuator ball screw adjacent to the actuator housing, and replacement of the flap actuators with new or serviceable actuators, if necessary. FAA said that since issuing that NPRM it has received new data and is undertaking alternative rulemaking action. For more information, contact Anthony E.
DAVID CLARK was named flight department manager for Elliot Aviation's Minneapolis, Minn. facility. Clark, formerly a charter sales representative with Elliott, will be responsible for the facility's charter operations.
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY Model R44 helicopters (Docket No. 97-SW-01-AD) - adopts a new AD that requires removing and replacing the cyclic control pilot's grip assembly with an airworthy grip assembly. FAA said the action was prompted by a report of a crack in the welded corner of a grip assembly, adding that the AD is an effort to prevent the failure of a grip assembly and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. The AD is applicable to Model R44 helicopters S/N 0001 through 0159 except S/N 0143, 0150 and 0156.
JAMES (TRIPP) PORTERFIELD was appointed corporate controller for Unison Industries. Porterfield is responsible for financial reports and the administration of special projects for Unison's executive team.
DAVID HAMILTON was named vice president, business aircraft unit for The CIT Group/Equipment Financing. Hamilton, an 18-year CIT Veteran, will be responsible for financing and leasing to business aircraft customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL will hold its Heli-Expo '99 convention and trade show Feb. 21-23 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. For more information, contact HAI at (703) 683-4646; fax, (703) 683-4745.
Rex Hamilton, 55, a veteran engineer at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita who also was an experienced pilot, was killed Nov. 14 when the Cessna 182 he was using to tow a sailplane crashed. Witnesses said Hamilton, who was a very experienced pilot who had towed gliders for many years, had just taken off from a grass strip in northeast Wichita when the 182 apparently developed engine problems. The glider tether was released, but the 182 crashed into trees at the end of the field.
Encouraged by increasing numbers of student pilot starts and strong financial support from the industry, organizers of the GA Team 2000 learn-to-fly program are gearing up for a third year and preparing to transition the program from its startup phase into a long-term, continuing effort.
AYRES CORPORATION, which acquired LET of the Czech Republic in August (BA, Sept. 7/107), sold the first three LET L410 aircraft since the acquisition to Precisionair of Tanzania. Precisionair took delivery of the 19-passenger aircraft last month.
TIM BLACK was appointed to the newly created position of chief operating officer for InVision Technologies, Inc., which produces explosive detection systems. Black, formerly with TRW in Sunnyvale, Calif., will oversee day-to-day operations of the company and be involved in strategic planning and business development.
COLTEC INDUSTRIES, Charlotte, N.C., received an order for advanced electronic engine controls for an upgrade of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters operated by the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the Royal Singapore Air Force. Coltec is working under contract to AlliedSignal Engines, which is responsible for the overall engine upgrade. The order is initially valued at $14 million and could increase to $100 million over the next 10 years, as the Army plans to upgrade its entire fleet of more than 400 Chinooks.
SABRLINER CORP. developed a new composite interior for Sabreliner Model 40, 60 and 65 aircraft. The modification provides an additional four inches of head and shoulder room, easier access for maintenance and an aircraft weight reduction. The interior includes new hinged cabin panels, that enable technicians to more easily reach lighting tracks for bulb maintenance and the window line for cleaning and inspection.
The Global Express business jet, Bombardier's entry in the 6,000-nautical-mile-plus executive aircraft market, won FAA type certification Nov. 13, the company said last week. The FAA approval follows Transport Canada type certification of the Global Express last summer and issuance of Transport Canada certificates of airworthiness for S/N 9005 and 9006.
Cessna Aircraft is set to begin delivery of the third model in its single-piston line, the Stationair 206 and a turbo variant, with the first 206s to go to the Kansas State Highway Patrol and the Uruguayan Air Force this month. Cessna received FAA certification of the Stationair in September, followed by Turbo Stationair approval last month. The company since has been ramping up toward full production and plans to ship 30 to 40 206s and T206s by the end of the year, a company spokesman said.
CESSNA 180 and 185 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-138-AD; Amdt. 39-10865; AD 98-23-02) - supersedes AD 80-10-01, which applies to certain Cessna 180 and 185 series airplanes that have either Airglas Engineering Company Model LW3600-180 (single position) or Model LW3600-108A (two position) fixed penetration wheel skis installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA213AL.
