NOTAM:  4/3665  Issued:  04/26/2004 21:23  Effective:  04/27/2004 17:00 - 04/27/2004 19:45  State:  MD  Facility:  ZDC - WASHINGTON (ARTCC),DC.  Type:  VIP  Description:  BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, APRIL 27, 2004. 

All Nippon Signs For 50 7E7s

In the battle for the hearts and minds of airline companies between Boeing and Airbus, Boeing clearly believes it's won -- this round, anyway. America's aerospace giant Monday announced it had sealed a deal with Japan's All Nippon Airways for 50 (yeah, that's right, fifty) 7E7 Dreamliners. That, says Boeing, means the Japanese at least agree with its philosophy that bigger isn't necessarily better.

More Than "A Few Individuals"

A recently-revealed USAF memo accuses Boeing of using a competitor's proprietary information not once -- but twice -- in hopes of winning a contract from the Pentagon. In one case, the aerospace giant succeeded for a short time. In the other, Boeing withdrew from the bidding after the anomaly came to light.

Each Got A Warning Letter

The organization may be shady, but the letters are crystal-clear: If your countries don't pull troops out of Iraq, your airline offices in Bangkok, Thailand, will be bombed.

IAOPA Holds 22nd Biennial World Assembly

The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations has just concluded its 22nd biennial World Assembly in Toulouse, France, determined to protect general aviation and aerial work (GA/AW) from overzealous security precautions and excessive costs.

The Kinder, Simpler, MORE Affordable Diamond Four Seater (Part Four)

Howdy folks… we left you hanging yesterday before we finished our flight test of the DA40-180-FP… but have no fear, this is the end of this particular magnum opus… It's a story quite worth telling… because as you can guess, we found the FP version of the Diamond Four seater to be an exceptional and cost-effective little airplane.

As Delta Goes, So Goes Atlanta's Airport?

It's a symbiotic relationship that's all too familiar to airport managers. Just ask Ben DeCosta, the general manager at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. "The airport does well because Delta is here, and Delta does well because the airport is here," he says. But what if Delta wasn't doing so good (hint: it's not)? The airline continues to struggle, spilling red ink by the bucket-load as it wrestles with high labor costs and the rising price of fuel. And then there's the airline's staggering debt load -- Delta Airlines owes $20.6 billion. So it's perhaps not an unfair question to ask what happens to Hartsfield if Delta bites the bankruptcy bullet?

They Keep Popping Up When You Least Expect Them!

By Richard I. Ward, President, Twin Bonanza Association While filing an IFR flight plan for a fairly distant trip from my home base in Three Rivers (MI) in T-Bone N800EX, the Lansing FSS fellow asked me if I had checked on the current Temporary Flight Restricted areas (TFRs) on my route. My response was (I wonder what yours would be) "No! I never do that as long as I'm on an IFR flight plan, nor do I file around restricted areas when filing a direct to clearance." His following comeback was emphatic "Having you avoid these areas is in no way the legal responsibility of Air Traffic Control, and it is your complete responsibility."

Marines Using 5-Foot Long Aircraft To Hunt Iraqi Insurgents

You carry it around in a kit that looks suspiciously like a golf bag. When you need it, you can launch it by simply turning it on and throwing it into the air. It's an unmanned aerial vehicle of the personal variety and soon, American Marines in Iraq will be able to use them to spot insurgent troop movements as much as 10 miles away.

Disappeared From Radar In Heavy Weather

A former Illinois state judge was killed over the weekend when his Lancair Legacy went down in heavy weather near Memphis (TN).

Cmdr. Stephen R. Foley Leads The Pack

The Navy's Chief of Air Training, Rear Adm. George E. Mayer, has made his decision. He's picked Cmdr. Stephen R. Foley to lead the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, for the 2005-2006 show seasons.

Westchester, Airlines, Close To Deal On Limiting Traffic

New York's Westchester County is putting the finishing touches on a plan to limit the number of flights into and out of its airport -- forever.

"I think we'll see something happening in China in the relatively near term." Source: Boeing 7E7 Senior Vice President Mike Bair, announcing the company has just inked a deal with Japan's All Nippon Airways for 50 7E7 Dreamliners. The order is worth $6 billion at full sticker price. Which just goes to show the old salesman's lament holds true: "That's fine," says the sales manager, "but what have you done for me lately?"

Pentagon Cites "Personal Misconduct"

Rear Adm. George E. Mayer, Chief of Naval Air Training (USN), has relieved Capt. Chaunce Mitchell, commander, Training Air Wing (TW) 6 (below, at podium), of command due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command."

Witnesses: It Was Too Low

"We were outside barbecuing and here comes a low-flying plane. Then we heard this giant thud." That's how Virginia Lansdale knew something was terribly wrong Saturday, as a Cessna 172 went down in Jones County (MS), killing all three people on board.

Northrop Grumman Tests F-35 Weapons Loading

Northrop Grumman and its partners on Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter team recently continued laying critical groundwork for the aircraft's operational effectiveness by conducting a weapons-loading demonstration with military ordnance crews from the United Kingdom. Involving operational users early in the design of key aircraft components is unprecedented in military aircraft programs.

AD NUMBER: 2004-08-16 MANUFACTURER: Transponder SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-08-16 SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain serial numbers (SNs) of NARCO Avionics Inc. AT150 transponders. This AD requires modification to the transponder by adding a resistor and transistor to the circuit board. This AD results from reports of AT150 transponders not recognizing and responding properly to Mode S interrogations from Mode S ground stations and Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS-II) airborne equipment. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of aircraft airspace separation and the possibility of mid-air collision.

AD NUMBER: 2004-08-19 MANUFACTURER: Airbus SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-08-19 SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Airbus Model A330-200 series airplanes. This action requires certain modifications of the rudder servo controls.This action is necessary to prevent failure of the driving finger of the rudder servo control and consequent loss of the rudder servo control function in driving the rudder to its commanded position, which, if combined with an engine failure during takeoff or go around, could result in lossof control of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

AD NUMBER: 2004-08-18 MANUFACTURER: AvCraft Aerospace GmbH SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-08-18 SUMMARY: This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Dornier Model 328-300 series airplanes, that currently requires repetitive inspections of motive flow check valves and adjacent parts for fuel leaks, and replacement of the valves if leaks are detected. This amendment requires new repetitive engine operational tests. This amendment also requires replacement of the motive flow check valves with new parts, which would constitute terminating action for the repetitive inspections and engine operational tests. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent leakage of fuel from the motive

AD NUMBER: 2004-08-17 MANUFACTURER: Cessna SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-08-17 SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 208 and 208B airplanes. This AD requires you to inspect any upper and lower wing strut attach fitting nut for existence of the corresponding cotter pin and do any necessary corrective action. This AD is the result of a report of one airplane having loose and improperly tied nuts on the wing struts upper attachment bolts. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct loose and improperly tied nuts on the wing struts, which could result in an attachment nut coming off the bolt. This could lead to the failu