The Federal Aviation Administration hopes to propose by early next year a rule implementing legislation to ease industry fears about voluntarily releasing safety information, Chris Hart, assistant administrator for system safety, told BA affiliate Aviation Daily last week. The agency also hopes to produce in the same time frame a second rule, the Flight Operations Quality Assurance rule, "in which we say it is important not to shoot the messenger, such as a mechanic, except for intentional gross negligence," Hart said in an interview.
SPS Technologies, a maker of high-strength fasteners based in Jenkintown, Pa., acquired Chevron Aerospace Group Ltd. of Nottingham, England for $54 million. SPS said the acquisition expands its product offering to the European aerospace market, which is growing because of Airbus orders.
L. DAVID CAPLAN, chairman and chief executive officer of Pratt&Whitney Canada, was named chairman of the board of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association at the group's meeting this month in California. Charles M. Suma, president and chief executive officer of The New Piper Aircraft, was named vice chairman. An accountant by trade, Caplan joined P&WC in 1964 and has held a series of posts with the organization, becoming chairman and CEO in 1994. Suma joined Piper Aircraft Corp.
Federal Aviation Administration sent a priority letter to thousands of piston aircraft owners ordering them to immediately remove certain defective dry air pump flexible couplings that Parker Hannifin shipped this year.
DUNCAN AVIATION recently certified AlliedSignal's Mark VII enhanced ground proximity warning system in a Cessna 560 aircraft. The installation, performed at Duncan's Battle Creek, Mich. facility, included windshear detection.
DAVID PARKES was named image management marketing manager for Eastman Kodak Company's Commercial&Government Systems. Parkes, a 19-year Kodak veteran, most recently was technology and channel manager for Kodak Earth Imaging.
SAAB Model 2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-287-AD; Amdt. 39-10816; AD 98-21-08) - requires repetitive function tests to verify proper operation of the nose wheel steering system limit-switch and replacement of the existing limitswitch with a new limitswitch, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
SENIOR FAA OFFICIALS met with industry leaders Friday in the annual "Challenger Session" to discuss FAA's strategic plan as well as other major policy issues.
BOB HAASE was named avionics manager for Stevens Aviation at Jeffco Airport in Broomfield, Colo. Haase formerly was president of Westwing Avionics in Greeley, Colo.
EMBRAER Model EMB-120 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-265-AD) - proposes to require removing the thermal insulating blankets from the upper rear nacelle structure, repositioning the engine exhaust duct, and replacing the engine exhaust bracket with a new engine exhaust bracket, if necessary. For certain airplanes, this proposal also would require installation of new stainless steel plates onto the upper rear nacelle structure. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Sundstrand Aerospace, Rockford, Ill., acquired Shannon Aircraft Motor Works of Shannon, Ireland. The Irish firm repairs and overhauls aircraft engine and generator components and also has repair facilities in Agen, France and Toronto, Ontario. The business will be part of Aerospace Repair Services in Sundstrand's Customer Service Business unit.
BOMBARDIER this month is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the Challenger business jet. The original Challenger 600 departed Cartierville Airport in Montreal at 9:26 a.m. Nov. 8, 1978. The aircraft flew for 50 minutes and then the crew conducted a second flight after lunch for 45 minutes. Bombardier delivered the first Challenger in December 1980 and has since shipped 435 of the aircraft to operators in more than 40 countries. The fleet has accumulated 1.4 million flight hours.
AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF WASHOE COUNTY, which operates Reno/Tahoe International and Reno Stead Airports in Nevada, named Krys Bart as executive director of AAWC following a seven-month executive search by the organization's board of trustees. Bart is currently the assistant director of aviation at the San Jose, Calif. International Airport.
TONY EDWARDS will become head of Defense Export Services in the U.K. Ministry of Defense, effective Dec. 14. Edwards, the well-traveled aerospace executive who is stepping down as chairman of the aerospace interests of TI Group plc, will replace Sir Charles Masefield in the government post. Edwards began his career with Rolls-Royce in 1962. He moved to General Electric (U.S.), and later served as a vice president and deputy general manager (Europe) for Motorola. He also served as president of the Canadair Aerospace Group of Bombardier, Inc.
TACTAIR, Liverpool, N.Y., was selected by VisionAire Corp. to provide flap controls for the Vantage business aircraft. Tactair will supply two dual stage hydraulic actuators and a control manifold for the Vantage.
Gulfstream Aerospace ordered 200 additional BR710 engines for its Gulstream V business jet from engine maker BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH, an order valued at more than $500 million according to the German company.
AVIAT Models S-1S, S-1T, S-2, S-2A, S-2S and S-2B airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-23-AD; Amdt. 39-10805; AD 96-12-03 R2) - revises AD 96-12-03 R1, which applies to certain Aviat aircraft that are equipped with aft lower fuselage wing attach fittings incorporating Part Number 76090, P/N 2-2107-1, or P/N 1-210-102. AD 96-12-03 R1 requires repetitively inspecting the aft lower fuselage wing attach fitting on both wings for cracks, and modifying any cracked aft lower fuselage wing attach fitting.
TURKEY officially launched its program with France for 30 Cougar helicopters. Under a $430 million deal between Eurocopter and the Turkish government signed last year, the first two Cougars are being produced in France, and the remaining 28 will be produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries. Delivery of the first TAI-built helicopter is slated for October 1999. Twenty of the helicopters will be used for search and rescue and the other 10 will be used by Turkish Land Forces.
The French government will transfer its 46 percent holding in Dassault Aviation to state-controlled Aerospatiale, according to press reports from Europe last week. The move is considered another step in the consolidation of the French defense industry, which started with plans to merge the Lagardere Group's Matra business with Aerospatiale.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT, which told reporters during last month's NBAA that sales continue to climb thanks to FAA's approval of commercial single-engine IFR operations, delivered 14 of its single-turboprop utility aircraft in the third quarter of this year. As of last week the total for this year was up to 35.
ARINC INC. was selected by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to provide an airport traffic information management system (ATIMS) at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport. ARINC is managing an international team that includes Ferranti Air Systems Ltd., Manchester, England, and Ascent Technology, Inc., of Cambridge, Mass. The ATIMS is designed to streamline information management across the entire airport.
The boards of directors of Textron Inc. and Finmeccanica approved a joint venture between Bell Helicopter Textron and Agusta - Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. - that will design, develop and manage new aircraft. The companies signed an agreement at the Farnborough Air Show to form the joint venture to manage the Bell BA609 civil tiltrotor and the Agusta AB319, a new 12- to 15-passenger helicopter (BA, Sept. 14/117).
MANUFACTURERS AND OPERATORS who support expanded use of single-engine aircraft in commercial service under instrument flight rules have formed an alliance to promote single-engine IFR (SEIFR) approvals with international airworthiness authorities and have retained the services of a former FAA Administrator to lead the effort. See article below.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE AVIATION OFFICIALS and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials called on the 106th Congress to make a full-year extension of the Airport Improvement Program its top priority.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL, INC. developed a series of new multimedia maintenance training courses based on the company's new troubleshooting methodology. SimuFlite said troubleshooting is the foundation of all its training, adding that the new courses use animation, video and interactivity to give technicians the ability to fully examine aircraft systems and immerse themselves in realistic troubleshooting simulations.
