BOMBARDIER this month took delivery of the first production Pratt&Whitney Canada PW150A engine for its 70- to 78-seat de Havilland Dash 8Q Series 400. The 5,071-shaft horsepower engine received Transport Canada certification in June (BA, July 6/2). The 350-knot Dash 8Q Series 400 is in flight test at Bombardier's Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kan. and is scheduled for certification in the first quarter of 1999.
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP., Duluth, Minn., completed the flight testing of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) on the SR20 airplane and the company said FAA testing of the CAPS system is expected to be completed by the end of July. The Cirrus SR20 will be the first certified production aircraft equipped with an airframe parachute as standard equipment. The system is designed to decelerate and lower the entire aircraft and its occupants to the ground in case of emergency.
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-85-AD; Amdt. 39- 10587; AD 98-12-34) - requires installation of a structural reinforcement plate on the vertical stabilizer forward beam. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent in-flight structural deformation or failure of the vertical stabilizer and subsequent loss of airplane controllability.
The Federal Aviation Administration should provide oversight and enforcement of aircraft operated by federal civilian agencies and those aircraft operations should meet a mandatory minimum safety standard, according to a panel that reviewed the government's non-military flight operations.
KEITH PLUMB was named aircraft marketing representative for Executive Aircraft Corporation. Plumb most recently served as market analyst/corporate and regional aircraft for AVITAS Aviation Consulting and also has worked for British Aerospace and TriStar Airlines.
Atlantic Coast Airlines is committed to using Global Positioning System navigation in its operations but often finds that FAA has no processes in place to enable it to make the transition, Thomas Moore, the regional carrier's executive vice president and chief operating officer, told the RTCA Spring Forum last month in Washington, D.C. Moore called for a "national forum" to address a "process for designing and implementing GPS operations." FAA "has developed all this technology but is not doing anything with it," he said.
REPS. CONNIE MORELLA (R-Md.) and Steve Horn (R-Calif.) were named co-chairs by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) of a House task force to address Year 2000 computer data logic problems. The House group is the counterpart of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem chaired by Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah).
FLIR SYSTEMS INC., Portland, Ore., completed a public stock offering of 2.4 million share of common stock by the company and a shareholder at a price of $17.25 per share. Proceeds will be used to repay certain debts. FLIR makes thermal imaging and broadcast camera systems for a wide variety of government and commercial markets. Its products can be mounted on airplanes or helicopters and used for airborne observation, search and rescue, drug interdiction, reconnaissance, navigation safety and related missions.
BFGOODRICH AEROSPACE'S SMARTboot ice detection and protection system was selected as standard equipment on the New Piper Aircraft's Malibu Mirage. The SMARTboot monitors the presence of ice over wide areas of the de-icer boot and measures ice thickness on both the tail and wings. The system includes electrical conductor strips installed on existing pneumatic de- icer boots. The strips detect ice formation, beginning a flow of electricity. The information is displayed to the pilot on a control panel in the cockpit.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL'S Tucson, Ariz. training center won FAA Level D certification for its new Challenger 604 full flight simulator. The unit, built by FSI's Simulation Systems Division in Tulsa, Okla., uses the latest version of the high-definition VITAL Chroma View system to provide realistic visual displays. The Tucson facility also houses Level D simulators for the Challenger 601-3A/3R and Model 31A and Model 60 Learjet business jets.
SECURAPLANE received FAA parts manufacturer approval for its BC-1301 main ship battery charger installed on Canadair Challenger 604 and Regional Jet aircraft. Securaplane, Tucson, Ariz., designs and manufactures emergency battery systems, aircraft electronic security systems and wireless aircraft smoke detection/reporting equipment.
Allied Pilots Association, which represents the pilots of American Airlines, established a Graphic Navigation Committee to pursue solutions in flight deck display technology in response to the global growth of air transportation.
JEFFREY ROBBINS was named director of sales and marketing for Professional Aircraft Accessories. Robbins most recently was vice president of Daytona Dash Distributor. He also has served as director of marketing and general manager for an aircraft parts facility in Florida.
GALAXY AEROSPACE named Jetport, a new full service fixed-base operation at Hamilton Airport in Ontario, Canada, as an authorized service center and sales representative for Canada. The 45,000-square-foot facility opened in July 1997 and is a BP fuel supplier.
Avidyne Corporation's Avidyne Flight Situation Display (FSD) received FAA Technical Standard Order approvals under TSOs C113 and C110a. These TSO approvals, in conjunction with existing STCs, allow pilots to use the Avidyne Flight Situation Display under instrument conditions. This certification also includes enhanced displays of the Stormscope data as well as new flight planning and navigation management functions.
GALAXY AVIATION OF PALM BEACH, INC., appointed Brad Kost general manager. Kost will oversee day-to-day operations of the general aviation facility, which provides services to charter, airline and corporate flight crews. He joins Galaxy from Signature Flight Support, where he was a general aviation manager at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport facility. Before that, Kost was operations manager for American Beechcraft Company in Leesburg, Va.
MARK QUANDAHL was appointed field service representative in the Upper Midwest for Dassault Falcon Jet. Quandahl previously served as lead A&P technician and inspector with K-C Aviation.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SERVICES LIMITED, part of Raytheon's United Kingdom subsidiary Raytheon Services Limited, completed an avionics upgrade on six Hawker 700 CC3s operated by the 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force. The 18-month contract, completed at Raytheon's Broughton, Chester facility, included the installation of an enhanced avionics package with an integrated flight management system. Raytheon Aircraft was responsible for the feasibility study, initial design, procurement of parts, installation and equipment testing.
SINO SWEARINGEN appointed PS Air of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a distributor for the SJ30-2 business jet in Iowa, North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska. PS Air ordered eight of the entry-level business jets with delivery to begin in the second quarter of 2000. The fixed-base operator also will service and support the SJ30-2.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-53-AD; Amdt. 39-10581; AD 98-12-27) - requires repetitive magnetic particle inspections for cracking of the splined operating shaft of the internal door handle on the forward passenger door, rear passenger door and rear baggage door, and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Model 407 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-10-AD; Amdt. 39-10576; AD 98-12-22) - requires shimming the tail rotor drive system bearing supports. This amendment is prompted by reports of cracked bearing hangar support arms in the area of the fillet radius. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the bearing supports, which could result in excessive tail rotor drive system vibration, loss of tail rotor drive and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that 160 helicopters on the U.S.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 42 and ATR 72 (Docket No. 97-NM-64-AD; Amdt. 39-10589; AD 98-13-01) - requires replacement of the forward cargo compartment's left longitudinal net with a new reinforced net. This amendment is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent blockage of the access door, which could restrict access between the flight deck and passenger compartment during normal operations or an emergency evacuation.
YEARS OF PLANNING and construction are scheduled to culminate today (July 6) in the opening of the new Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok. Today's opening was dependent on the success of a carefully choreographed weekend-long move of equipment and personnel from the old airport to the new facility. AMR Combs won a 15-year franchise to operate the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre at the new airport (BA, July 14/19).
The Pratt&Whitney PW150A turboprop engine, selected to power the de Havilland Dash 8Q 400 regional airliner, won type certification late last month from Transport Canada. Flat-rated at 5,071 shaft horsepower at maximum takeoff power, the engine was designed specifically for new generation, high-speed turboprops of 50 to 80 seats. The PW150A generates more power than any other member of the PW100 family.
