A corporate jet, type unknown, has apparently skidded off the
end of the runway at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, crashing into
a building and sparking a major fire.
FAA Outsources Service In Spite Of Union Objections
The FAA announced Tuesday it has selected a team headed by
Lockheed Martin to provide services now offered by the agency's
automated flight service stations. The total evaluated cost of the
five-year contract, with five additional option years, is $1.9
billion and represents estimated savings of $2.2 billion over the
next ten years.
The Federal Aviation Administration Tuesday awarded Lockheed
Martin the contract to modernize the flight service station (FSS)
system, which provides pilots with the weather information they
need to fly safely. According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association, the contract means that the FSS system will finally be
brought into the 21st century, while reining in the cost to operate
it. The FAA estimates the new contract will save the agency $2.2
billion over ten years.
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today
applauded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for revising a
regulation to clarify that private aircraft operators can transport
candidates on campaign travel for state and local elective offices
and accept payment for the flight in accordance with state and
local election laws. NBAA has been instrumental in drafting the
language for the regulatory revision, and in working to secure its
adoption.
The NTSB has updated the preliminary report on the fatal crash
of N889JB, a single-piloted SR22 being flown during a series of
practice approaches by a relatively new instrument-rated pilot. The
aircraft went down in a residential area, killing the pilot and
damaging two occupied houses, with no injuries to person on the
ground.
It was, sadly, her own fault. That's the gist of a finding by
the NTSB in the death of a Northwest Airlines ramp worker at
Norfolk International Airport -- and it's a ruling that has the
machinists union up in arms.
FAA To Close Airspace For State Of The Union Speech
The FAA has declared the airspace over Washington, DC,
off-limits to VFR general aviation traffic for President Bush's
State of the Union address on Wednesday, February 2. Like the
inauguration, it has been designated a national security event, and
penalties for incursions will be severe.
When Capt. Tom Townsend pulled up to the gate at Sky Harbor last
month, it was time to say goodbye -- not just for the retiring
America West pilot, but for the plane he had just flown from Kansas
City International.
Problem: Strength, Durability Of Tip-Up Canopy Attachment
If you have or are building a Van's RV-7 or RV-9 with the
standard tip-up canopy, click on over to the company's web site and
check out Service Bulletin 05-01-01, which was issued last
week.
By ANN Special Contributor Kandi Spangler
The EAA held it's annual Ski-in this past Saturday at Pioneer
Field in Oshkosh, WI. The event was rescheduled from the previous
weekend because a snowstorm dumped about a foot of fresh snow in
the area -- great for the skis, but not so much for flying.
Virgil Williams Wins Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
By ANN Special Contributor Bill Barker
On Monday, January 10, 2005, at the regular meeting of the
Plainwell City Council, in front of his many friends and
family, Virgil Williams was awarded the Wright Brothers Master
Pilot Award for 50 years of safe flight (he actually has 54 years
of safe flight.)
"The traffic recovery in 2004 was phenomenal across all
regions," said Giovanni Bisignani, the Director General of the
International Air Transport Association (IATA). Bisignani reported
that 2004 full year international scheduled passenger traffic
increased 15.3% and cargo traffic 13.4% over 2003 levels at a
meeting of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO)
in Maastrict.
Members Complaining About Getting Training Materials Through
TSA
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) aviation security
branch officials recently assured Rusty Sachs, Executive Director
of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) that it's
not looking to pull anyone's instructors ticket. But it does insist
that people who deal personally with flight students-that means all
flight school employees and individual flight instructors-complete
a security awareness training program. Sachs visited TSA
headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 26.
Phase I and II plans to privately build aircraft hangars at the
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (KBCIA) have been
completed, according to Kalamazoo Aviation President Bob Stoops and
his vice president, Michael McCormick.
Flies More Than 500 Tons Of Supplies To Tsunami Victims
As of January 14th, Russia had flown more than 500 tons of vital
relief supplies to the disaster stricken nations of South East Asia
with the overall contribution to the worldwide aid effort estimated
at 22 million dollars.
PS Engineering is making big changes to what was once an
often-ignored part of the avionics suite, the audio selector panel.
Building on the strength of 20 years of innovative designs, the
PMA8000-SR makes a paradigm shift of SIRIUS proportions.
"The traffic recovery in 2004 was phenomenal across all regions.
The challenge for 2005 is to turn traffic growth into profitability
with improved cost efficiency across the industry's value
chain."
Source: Giovanni Bisignani, the Director General
of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). He said on
Tuesday that 2004 full year international scheduled passenger
traffic increased 15.3% and cargo traffic 13.4% over 2003
levels.
NOTAM: 5/0939
Issued: 02/01/2005 22:30
Effective: 02/03/2005 00:00 - 02/03/2005 04:00
State: DC
Facility: ZDC - WASHINGTON (ARTCC),DC.
Type: SECURITY
Description: WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 2, 2005 LOCAL. PURSUANT
TO TITLE 14, CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, SECTIONS 91.141 AND 99.7
SPECIAL SEC
NOTAM: 5/0911
Issued: 02/01/2005 15:30
Effective: 02/03/2005 20:30 - 02/04/2005 01:45
State: MT
Facility: ZLC - SALT LAKE CITY (ARTCC),UT.
Type: VIP
Description: GREAT FALLS, MONTANA FEBRUARY 3 2005
LOCAL.
AD NUMBER: 2005-02-07
MANUFACTURER: Empresa
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2005-02-07
SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness
directive (AD) for certain EMBRAER Model EMB-135BJ series
airplanes. This AD requires modifying the electrical wiring for the
"stick pusher" system.
AD NUMBER: 2005-02-06
MANUFACTURER: McDonnell Douglas
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2005-02-06
SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness
directive (AD) for certain McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 and MD-11F
airplanes equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series
engines.
AD NUMBER: 2005-02-08
MANUFACTURER: McDonnell Douglas
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2005-02-08
SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness
directive (AD) for certain McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 and MD-11F
airplanes.