As certification of the Leonardo AW609 civil tiltrotor appears to be nearing the finish line, the FAA today requested public comment on proposed certification criteria for the aircraft. The comment period closes July 10.
It appears the FAA intends to certify the AW609 as a special class aircraft under FAR 21.17 (b) and before issuing formal powered-lift airworthiness standards. Ahead of that, the FAA is announcing applicable regulations and other airworthiness criteria developed specifically for the AW609 that include applicable parts of certification standards for both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft under FAR Parts 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, and 35.
According to the FAA, “The proposed certification basis incorporates by reference existing transport category airplane and rotorcraft standards, one normal-category airplane standard, Category A rotorcraft standards, optional Category B rotorcraft standards, and criteria for operation under instrument flight rules. This certification basis is not established for flight-into-known-icing conditions.”
Additionally, the FAA will apply modifications of existing certification standards to the AW609 under the newly designated “tiltrotor criteria.” This will combine ;elements of Parts 23, 25, and 29 “as the maximum weight of the Model AW609 exceeds the weight for normal-category rotorcraft and most Part 23 airplanes, but its passenger seating is less than that of a transport-category airplane or rotorcraft.” The FAA also developed tiltrotor criteria because “no existing standard captures the powered-lift's transitional flight modes.”
AINsight: FAA Medical Document Submission Improvements
Finally! Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) now have the ability to upload a pilot’s required medical documentation directly to the FAA website.
This is a vast improvement over the traditional “paper chase” of document submission that has previously been required. As I have discussed in prior blogs, the typical document submission protocol involved mailing data (most AMEs and aviation medical consultants, however, use priority delivery services with tracking) to the FAA, hoping that the data does not get lost in the transfer to the mail room, waiting for that data to go to the scanning room, then waiting several more weeks for that data to actually get scanned into the system.
All of that must take place before a single person, either an analyst or physician, can begin any review of the data itself. Therefore, there had always been potential pitfalls and wasted time when submitting data to the FAA.
This archaic system added to the already lengthy review process, whereby pilots spend weeks to months hoping that their medical certificates will be approved. Or even knowing whether or not additional data is going to be required by the FAA.
Bombardier is donating space to store a historic Learjet 23 being restored by the Classic Lear Jet Foundation. The third-built and the first production model delivered to a customer, S/N 23-003 was deteriorating on a ramp for 27 years at Bartow Executive Airport in Florida. The foundation arranged for its disassembly and relocation to Wichita, where it was stored temporarily at a Lee Aerospace facility.
The jet’s fuselage was moved to Bombardier’s former Learjet delivery center at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport on May 25 and the wings will be moved there shortly, according to the foundation. “Using this facility will make it possible to show the aircraft on a limited basis to VIPs and potential donors,” the foundation said. “Bombardier is providing the space as an in-kind donation.”
Meanwhile, the first step in the restoration—the overhaul of the jet’s GE CJ610 engines—is underway by International Turbine Industries (ITI) at Willow Run Airport in Michigan. ITI is overhauling the engines through an in-kind donation by ITI owners Mark and Rhonda Andrews.
Plans call for S/N 23-003 to be completely restored and then flown. The airframe is in rough condition, with corrosion in some areas. The rudder was torn off during Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
Classic Lear Jet is a nonprofit IRS 501(c)(3) and is accepting donations to help pay for the restoration.
The leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) and aviation subcommittee unveiled their nearly 800-page FAA reauthorization package today, addressing further FAA reforms, enhanced aviation safety, general aviation, workforce growth, and airport infrastructure support, among other issues. Importantly, the bill, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, would reauthorize the FAA’s operating authority for five years, providing continuity at an agency that is undergoing a transition after several tumultuous years.
Congress is facing a September 30 deadline to complete work on a reauthorization package before the current FAA operating authority expires.
As promised by T&I Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri), the bill has an entire title dedicated to general aviation—a first in a reauthorization bill—with measures addressing everything from expanding BasicMed and data privacy to protecting GA airports from closure and ADS-B incentives. Further, the bill addresses certification, inspection, check airman availability, and other necessary FAA services.
Another title is squarely focused on growing that talent pipeline for the aviation workforce, addressing development, training, and retention. Other areas are dedicated to airport infrastructure and aviation safety, including one addressing Part 135 flight and duty time. A key part of the bill is dedicated to helping safely foster advanced air mobility and other such emerging technologies. Passenger protections and a range of other measures, including those affecting the NTSB, were also included.
A viral TikTok video has captured what could have been the final moments of a Grand Canyon helitour flight had the pilot not acted quickly. The video, which has already garnered 2.7 million views, shows a front-seat passenger reaching for the cabin ceiling-mounted rotor brake while the helicopter is in cruise flight. The alert pilot grabs the passenger’s arm and pulls it down before the rotor brake could be activated.
He loudly admonished the passenger, “No, no, that will kill us!” He adds a variety of hand gestures to reemphasize the point. During preflight safety briefings for helitour flights, passengers are typically warned against touching any flight controls.
The 2018 fatal crash of a “doors off” helitour flight over New York resulted from an intoxicated front-seat passenger entangling his safety harness in the floor-mounted fuel shut-off lever of an Airbus AS350 B2.
Social media reaction to the Grand Canyon video has included a series of remarks suggesting that the pilot should have aborted the flight after the incident.
The Department of Transportation is making several shifts in its and the FAA’s senior leadership teams with the departure of FAA acting chief Billy Nolen, including the naming of Polly Trottenberg to step into the acting administrator role effective immediately. Trottenberg has been the DOT deputy secretary and COO since April 2021 and has more than 25 years of public sector experience, including as transportation commissioner for New York City. There she had oversight for roadways, bridges, the traffic and parking system, as well as the Staten Island Ferry, among other responsibilities.
In addition to Trottenberg’s appointment, DOT noted that the White House plans to appoint Katie Thomson, who has been the FAA’s chief of staff, as deputy administrator for the agency, and Keith Washington, DOT deputy assistant secretary for administration, is moving over to the FAA to serve as acting chief of staff. Meanwhile, FAA Deputy Administrator A. Bradley Mims is joining the DOT’s Office of the Secretary to head up the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
“I am pleased to announce a team of experienced leaders to guide the FAA,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “I am grateful to Billy for his service during one of the most challenging and dynamic times in aviation, and I have full confidence in Polly’s steady hand during the search for a permanent administrator.”
South Florida Part 135 charter operator Executive Airlink abruptly ceased operations on Tuesday. In a note to clients, the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport-based operator said it had grounded its fleet, adding, “If you or your clients have a planned flight, we recommend you make alternate plans.”
In an email to AIN, Shawn Griffith, the company’s president and director of operations, said he had resigned from Executive Airlink, which had financial problems for months. The company was allegedly run day-to-day by v-p Jakub Marek. An industry source familiar with Marek told AIN he is “a good person who ran a bad company.”
Executive Airlink operated three 20- to 25-year-old Hawker 800XPs and one 30-year-old Beechcraft King Air C90A, which were all owned by third parties in Missouri and Texas. It began shedding aircraft late last year and again last month. The company offered charter, cargo, air ambulance, and diplomatic flights, as well as aircraft management and maintenance services.
Aviation analyst Brian Foley recently told AIN that he expects continued financial contagion in the Part 135 charter and Part 91 fractional space as Covid-driven demand for private lift continues to subside.
U.S. sensor business Teledyne Controls plans to make its Aces cabin environment monitoring system available for business aircraft, it said this week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. Aces allows aircraft operators to monitor, measure, and analyze air quality in both the cabin and the flight deck, checking for potentially harmful contaminants. The company also won a Crystal Cabin Award for the FAA-approved system, which is installed on narrowbody aircraft at four airlines.
Teledyne's head of sales and marketing Steve Quimby said that he expects the system to be installed in a business jet before NBAA-BACE in October. Aces monitors several parameters in real-time and relays the data directly to ground stations using laboratory-standard sensors to check not only humidity and temperature levels but airborne particulates, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone, as well as volatile organic compounds. As soon as the aircraft is powered up, Aces performs continuous air sensing and monitoring and records data that is stored in the Aces onboard units.
That real-time data can now be viewed through an Aces mobile app developed earlier this year. This allows the data recorded in real-time by the Aces onboard devices to be viewed on mobile devices such as iPads, providing passengers with instant access to the air quality index in the aircraft along with snapshots of key monitored parameters.
Coming full circle. As noted in the third story in this issue, the Classic Lear Jet Foundation is working to restore Lear Jet 23 S/N 23-003 back to factory-new condition, as shown here in 1964 just before delivery to Cincinnati-based Chemical and Industrial Corp. The foundation also plans to use the twinjet as a living flight history to educate people about how Lear Jet as a company was born and how S/N 23-003 is being restored to flying condition. Thanks to Rick Rowe at the foundation for sharing this one. We can’t wait to share photos of its completed restoration!
Keep them coming. If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
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