AINalerts: December 5, 2006 | Printer Friendly

Brazil Court Orders Release of Passports to U.S. Pilots
A Federal Court in Brazil today ordered the release of the passports of the two U.S. pilots of the Embraer Legacy 600 involved in the September 29 collision with a Gol Airlines 737 over the Amazon. The Federal Regional Court of the First Region of Brazil said that it had unanimously agreed to return the passports of Joseph Lepore, 42, of Bay Shore, N.Y., and Jan Paladino, 34, of Westhampton Beach, N.Y. effective in 72 hours. All 154 people on board the Gol flight were killed, while none of the seven people on board the Legacy was injured. The new corporate jet was on a delivery flight to the headquarters of its buyer, charter operator ExcelAire of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., when the midair occurred. Investigators continue to study the accident to determine cause and assign blame. ExcelAire’s lawyers in Brazil said in a statement that the decision “corrects the discriminatory effect of the passport seizure and travel restrictions.” The lawyers also said that the pilots “will continue to cooperate with the investigation.”

Age 60 Panel Issues a Split Decision
In what many observers predicted, the FAA/Industry Age 60 Aviation Rulemaking Committee was unable to reach consensus on whether to raise the mandatory retirement age of 60 for airline pilots. Bloomberg News reported it obtained a copy of the report, which the FAA is studying but has not yet released. According to Bloomberg, four panelists representing the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and two from American Airlines’ Allied Pilots Association opposed any change. The four who favored raising the age were from Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, the independent Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and a group called Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination. Co-chairs Duane Woerth, president of ALPA, and Jim May, president of the Air Transport Association, didn’t endorse either position. The group’s only recommendation is that the FAA not change the age retroactively. Under recently implemented international rules, a pilot can fly until reaching age 65 if the other required pilot is under age 60. Two bills raising the retirement age to 65 are pending in Congress. Meanwhile, the vast majority of more than 5,700 comments submitted in a request by the FAA supported the change.

Approach Limits Raised in Canada
Responding to recommendations from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board after at least two low-visibility landing accidents, Transport Canada increased the minimum visibility required before beginning an approach from the previous 1,200 feet to 1,600 feet, effective December 1. The visibility measurement can be made by a sensor or by a qualified observer if a visibility sensor has not been installed or is out of service. Transport Canada amended the regulations to prohibit commercial operators, including air-taxi services, from beginning an approach under conditions in which a successful landing is unlikely. However, the rule will not apply to operators and crews already approved to lower visibility limits at specified runways. Transport Canada stated that the new rule will help harmonize Canadian regulations with international standards, including those in the U.S.

Eclipse Aviation Reveals Design Changes
In a letter sent yesterday to Eclipse 500 buyers, Eclipse Aviation outlined design changes to help the very light twinjet achieve promised performance goals. Changes include larger metal tip tanks, which add three gallons to the previously announced 16.5 per side, for a total of 19.5 gallons per tank. Total fuel capacity will be 1,668 pounds, while mtow will remain 5,920 pounds, for a decrease in useful load of 40 pounds. Aerodynamic mods will help the aircraft achieve a 370-knot cruise speed and 1,125-nm IFR range, and software changes will allow the P&WC engines to deliver more power above 25,000 feet. All aircraft will be modified at Eclipse’s expense. Eclipse expects certification of these changes by April. Pending modifications, the aircraft has a 360-knot cruise speed and 1,055-nm range. Eclipse also published a purchase agreement addendum where buyers scheduled for delivery through September 30 who have paid 60 percent of the purchase price will receive a 0.5-percent refund “of the additional deposit amount from the final payment due at aircraft delivery” for each month of delivery delay.

NetJets Europe Alters Pilot Pay and Contracts
NetJets Europe has offered its pilots more pay and new contracts as it seeks to retain existing flight crew and hire 180 more personnel next year. Annual starting salaries will increase by between 12 and 35 percent, with first officers getting €56,500 ($73,450) and captains being offered €95,000 ($123,500). The fractional ownership group also says it will stop employing pilots under “offshore” contracts in places like the Isle of Man that have created tax problems for employees, as well as excluding flight crew from European Union employment rights. All flight crew will now be employed under contracts in either the UK or Portugal (where the company’s air operating certificate-holder NetJets Transportes Aéreos is based). However, sources familiar with NetJets employment practices have told AIN that some staff fear they will actually earn less under the UK and Portugal tax structure, and the company’s Gulfstream and Dassault Falcon pilots are disgruntled about revisions to crew roster arrangements.

Also Noted...

The Civil Aviation Medical Association, an independent organization of aviation medical examiners, provided one of the more than 5,700 comments submitted to the FAA recommending the agency abandon the Age 60 rule.

Leonard Greene, founder of Safe Flight Instrument in 1946, co-founder in 1981 of the Corporate Angel Network and developer of the angle-of-attack indicator, died last Thursday at the age of 88.

Release of a new air-taxi operations specification (OpSpec A008) to replace interim Notice 8400.83, published last June, has been delayed from the end of last month to this month. It’s expected that operators will have 60 days from its release to comply.

Pratt & Whitney Canada opened a parts-distribution center in Amsterdam for its engine customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Amsterdam facility will assume responsibility for parts orders previously processed by P&WC’s Southampton, UK-based operation.

Following a risk-assessment of lighting conditions on the general aviation Bravo ramp at Ireland’s Dublin Airport, ExxonMobil Aviation has suspended night fueling operations on that ramp. GA aircraft must use the commercial ramp for fueling during darkness, from about 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. ExxonMobil and Dublin FBO Signature Flight Support are working with the airport owner to upgrade the ramp lighting.

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