The Universal Avionics Aperture visual data management solution has received technical standard order (TSO) authorization, allowing delivery of the system to begin. Although it hasn’t identified the company involved, Universal Avionics said it has started “serial production for a major avionics OEM and is seeing strong interest from aircraft manufacturers and operators.”
Aperture allows avionics designers to aggregate information from up to eight video inputs and four video outputs, according to Universal, “with near-zero latency, at the highest level of integrity in commercial aviation (Design Assurance Level A).” This information can be combined with an enhanced vision system camera and sensor imagery to give pilots a real-time view of the airport environment, including vehicles, aircraft, and other obstacles.
Universal Avionics is working on additional Aperture capabilities that will include more video/sensor channels, low-latency video aggregation and manipulation, and generation of symbology and synthetic imagery, according to the company. Ultimately, this will “enable pilots to take advantage of real-time content analysis and augmented reality, such as visual positioning, obstacle detection, taxi guidance, and traffic awareness,” according to Universal Avionics.
“The TSO authorization of Aperture is a critical step in the development of an innovative solution that will change how we use video in aircraft,” said Dror Yahav, CEO of Universal Avionics. “This approval validates the technology and allows us to continue to innovate solutions for the future.”
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developer Air Company has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) worth up to $65 million to scale up production and install its air-to-fuel technology at military bases. Since its Airmade SAF is derived from captured carbon dioxide and water, it can be made anywhere and would not be tied to the availability of a specific feedstock. The company is moving through ASTM approval as it works to ramp up production.
Last year, the company supplied the USAF with a small amount of Airmade SAF that was successfully tested in a UAV. According to the USAF, “The most recent round of testing confirmed it as the first fuel made entirely from carbon dioxide emissions that matches the properties and performance of jet-A1, and contains all necessary components of jet fuel, including aromatics.” The lack of aromatics in other forms of SAF has caused ASTM to approve their use only in blends up to 50 percent with jet-A, meaning neat Airmade SAF could theoretically be widely used in its neat, unblended state if and when approved.
“Carbon dioxide as a feedstock has not been used at any scale yet,” Air Company CEO and co-founder Gregory Constantine told AIN. “With an abundant supply of CO2 as a feedstock, we’re able to decrease emissions significantly while shifting toward ;a circular-carbon economy.”
A Bombardier Learjet 60 taking off Monday night from Boston Logan International Airport (KBOS) had what the FAA said was a “close call” with a JetBlue Embraer E190 preparing to land. The FAA is investigating the incident and noted, “This is the fifth near-collision involving an airliner on a runway this year.”
“According to a preliminary review, the pilot of the Learjet 60 took off without clearance while the EMB-190 was preparing to land on an intersecting runway,” the FAA said in a statement. The agency added that the Learjet was operated by Florida-based charter provider Hop-A-Jet. Hop-A-Jet has yet to respond to AIN’s inquiries seeking comment.
Logan Tower “instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on Runway 9 while the JetBlue aircraft landed on Runway 4R, which intersects Runway 9,” the FAA said. “The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly, but began a takeoff roll instead.” ATC instructed the JetBlue pilot to go around as the Learjet crossed the intersection. The FAA is investigating how close the two aircraft came to each other.
Southeast Aerospace has purchased several Texas Aerospace Technologies TXA201 triaxial accelerometers for ongoing flight data recorder (FDR) installation projects.
According to Texas Aerospace Technologies, the TXA201 is a direct form, fit, and function replacement for many outdated accelerometers and is designed to be installed in a non-environmentally controlled equipment bay. The company also said the unit’s Arinc-542A mounting form and pin-for-pin connector make it a plug-and-play solution in many installations.
In its most recent application, Southeast Aerospace incorporated the TXA201 into an FDR installation on a Bombardier Learjet 55C.
“Southeast Aerospace is grateful for the efforts and results produced by Texas Aerospace Technologies and Peregrine by bringing the TXA201 to market,” said company aircraft modifications sales rep Luke Gomoll. “New and existing FDR installations now have a current-generation triaxial accelerometer upgrade option, a drop-in replacement ready to ship. Ultimately this accelerometer solution helps keep aircraft airworthy, extending their useful life well into the future.”
FAA Administrator nominee Phil Washington opened his confirmation hearing this morning by telling the Senate Commerce Committee the FAA is at a crossroads and must protect the safest era of aviation, modernize technology, lift employee morale, and maintain its global leadership.
Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, also vowed to reinforce that the agency is a regulator of the aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and new entrants, and would be “guided by” the sacrifice and historic advocacy of the families of the Boeing 737 Max and Colgan Air accidents.
He further addressed head-on in his opening statement criticisms about his experience as CEO of the Denver airport. Passengers, he said, are not asking about his experience but about where their luggage is and their safety. He added that he has a lengthy background in senior leadership that he can draw upon. Washington has served as CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and of the Denver Regional Transportation District.
However, the fate of the nomination is unclear. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the ranking member of the committee, told Washington, “I don’t believe you have the votes for confirmation” and stated he “is not the right nominee for the position."
Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) showed strong support for the nomination, calling Washington “an experienced, mission-driven leader who has successfully led three large and complex transportation organizations.”
Charter operator FlyExclusive, in a move that furthers its ambitions to be “fully vertically integrated,” opened a 9,500-sq-ft MRO hangar on Monday at its Kinston, North Carolina headquarters. The hangar—expanding the paint division—is the final step in the second phase of the company’s expansion plan at Kinston, which includes four hangars for its MRO activities.
In the next expansion phase, FlyExclusive will build a new corporate headquarters with pilot training facilities and another 80,000 sq ft of MRO space. The training facility will also house FlyExclusive’s flight simulators.
The newly opened hangar enables FlyExclusive to paint up to eight aircraft per month and is part of such facilities that add more than 33,000 sq ft. FlyExclusive operates more than 90 business jets.
“We believe our latest investment in this facility will have far-reaching benefits for our business, including increased reliability, efficiency, and substantially reduced costs,” said FlyExclusive founder and CEO Jim Segrave. “Maintenance shortages are an industry-wide challenge. By bringing 80 percent of our aircraft maintenance in-house, we will further our commitment to exceptional service, reliability, and an unmatched customer experience.”
The crash of a Pilatus PC-12 on February 24 that killed all five aboard was the third fatal accident for air ambulance provider Guardian Flight and its second in just three months. In previous accidents, King Air 300s operated by the South Jordan, Utah company each killed three in mishaps on Jan. 29, 2019, and Dec. 15, 2022.
According to NTSB vice chair Bruce Landsberg, the turboprop single broke apart in flight some 15 minutes after a 9 p.m. departure from Reno-Tahoe International Airport. ADS-B data shows the PC-12 was at 19,400 feet msl before entering a spiraling descent, reaching more than 30,000 fpm. Parts of the right wing and tail section were found at least a half-mile from the main crash site, Landsberg said.
Landsberg noted that Guardian Flight has 60 aircraft in its fleet. In a statement, the company said it has instituted a “passive stand-down for all Guardian flights across the company. We will work with each of our operations to ascertain when they are able to return to service.”
A sigmet at the time of the accident reported moderate turbulence and icing from the surface to FL200 and light snow. “These [class of] airplanes are designed to fly in that type of weather conditions,” Landsberg said. Killed in the accident were the pilot, flight nurse, patient, paramedic, and patient's family member.
Embraer has signed an agreement with Brazilian helicopter operator Ocean Explorer for the use of Beacon, a digital maintenance platform designed to quickly connect resources and professionals to enable faster aircraft return-to-service. Created in the Embraer-X market accelerator, Beacon provides solutions to streamline unscheduled aircraft maintenance interruptions. Ocean Explorer is the first helicopter customer for Beacon.
“Beacon is the ideal solution for Ocean as we seek a smarter and digital maintenance operation. With Beacon, our team can communicate with maintenance centers, engine maintenance representatives, and other external partners in real time without the trouble of searching for information on emails and phone calls. We need to make sure the helicopter is always available, so keeping information safe and accessible to everyone involved is critical,” said Daniel Braz, general manager at Ocean Explorer Brazil.
Brazil has more than 2,000 helicopters flying every day. Among the world’s cities, São Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet with more than 400 aircraft and 2,200 daily takeoffs and landings, according to a survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Helicopter Pilots.
Requires inspecting fuel system standpipe assembly standpipes for sharp edges at the internal weld joints and any rework as necessary. In addition, if damage is found on the fuel quantity harness assembly, then, before further flight, Bell must be contacted for a review and disposition instructions. Prompted by a quality escape of the fuel system standpipe assembly where the standpipes may have been delivered with sharp edges at the internal weld joints. If not corrected, this condition could lead to fuel quantity system wiring damage, loss of or erratic fuel quantity indication, or potential for fuel tank ignition.
Model(s): Global Express, XRS, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500
Published: February 24, 2023
Effective: March 13, 2023
Requires revising the airplane flight manual with new limitations to mitigate identified hazards due to 5G C-band interference as identified by notams. Prompted by the determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7- to 3.98-GHz frequency band (5G C-band), as well as a recent determination that this interference can result in unavailable or misleading radio altimeter information, adversely affecting the performance of the automatic flight control system and resulting in increased flight crew workload during takeoff, approach, and landing below 400 feet agl.
Requires inspection for and replacement of certain part-numbered nose wheel steering control units. Prompted by the steering control unit supplier introducing a new filter plate connector that does not meet high-intensity radiated field certification requirements. This noncompliant filter plate connector, if not replaced, could result in a malfunction of the nose wheel steering system, causing potential uncommanded steering or lateral excursion from the runway.
Requires repetitively inspecting certain part-numbered fan supports and, depending on the results, removing an affected part from service and replacing it with a serviceable part, which constitutes a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. AD also requires replacing affected parts with serviceable parts unless already accomplished and prohibits installing an affected part on any helicopter. Prompted by a report of a partially broken tail rotor drive fan support and a completely broken fan support.
Requires borescope fluorescent penetrant inspection of the rear face of certain impellers for evidence of machining witness lines and, depending on the results of the inspection, replacement of the impeller. Prompted by three prior reports of uncontained failure of the impeller and one additional recent report of an in-service uncontained failure event.
Requires inspecting for missing fasteners and damage, including cracking, to a certain fuselage skin-to-stringer attachment and any necessary repair or installation of fasteners. Prompted by a report that certain fasteners attaching the fuselage skin to a certain stringer may be missing.
Model(s): AS350B/B1/B2/B3/BA, AS350D, AS355E, AS355F/F1/F2, and AS355N/NP
Published: February 28, 2023
Effective: March 14, 2023
Requires repetitive inspections of the bevel wheel of affected main gearboxes and any necessary corrective action. Prompted by a fleet design review of main gearbox particle detection that determined the need for additional maintenance actions to improve the detection of particles in the main gearbox. If not detected and corrected, this condition could lead to structural failure of the main gearbox drive, possibly resulting in reduced control or loss of control of the helicopter.
Requires inspecting the two electrical power feeders for damage/deterioration, measuring the clearance between the two electrical power feeders and the forward lavatory bulkhead, and any necessary corrective actions. Prompted by a report of smoke in the cockpit and loss of the right-hand primary display unit and the secondary flight display.
Requires a detailed visual inspection of the tail cone upper firewall for defects, rework by replacement of the APU electrical bonding strap, and any necessary repairs. Prompted by reports of cracks found in the tail cone upper firewall where the auxiliary power unit muffler electrical bonding strap is attached.
Requires inspection for and replacement of certain part-numbered nose wheel steering control units. Prompted by the steering control unit supplier introducing a new filter plate connector that does not meet high-intensity radiated field certification requirements. This noncompliant filter plate connector, if not replaced, could result in a malfunction of the nose wheel steering system, causing potential uncommanded steering or lateral excursion from the runway.
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