ALPA Attacks ‘Outsourcing’ During UA-CAL Talks

By: Gregory Polek

October 1, 2010
Air Transport and Cargo Pilot leaders from Continental and United Airlines have proposed abolishing so-called regional jet outsourcing during contract negotiations in Denver. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents the pilots of both Continental and United, wants any new contract at the would-be merged airline to contain language calling for a kind of phased approach to eventually dismantling the system that relies so heavily on regional affiliates.

According to a spokesperson for ALPA’s Continental unit, the union has proposed placing an initial cap on subcontracting, allowing the contracts with the regional carriers to run their course and, finally, requiring a transition of the flying from the regionals to the newly merged major airline. If implemented as written, the restrictions would eventually spell the end of the United Express system.

“That could be one outcome,” acknowledged the spokesperson. 

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Bizav Flight Activity Regains Momentum

By: Chad Trautvetter

October 1, 2010
Business Aviation Business aircraft flight activity returned to positive ­territory in August, increasing 1.7 percent from last year, after posting an almost 1-percent year-over-year decline in July, according to TraqPak data from aviation services company Argus. Midsize business jet activity soared by 8 percent and light jets ticked upward by 0.6 percent, while turboprop and large-cabin jet flying fell 1.2 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

By operator type, the fractionals led with a 3-percent increase in flying, followed closely by the 2.4-percent rise in Part 91 activity. Part 135 charter flying fell a slight 0.3 percent from a year ago.

Some individual market segments showed big gains: Part 135 midsize jet activity jumped 12.9 percent year-over-year, and Part 91 midsize jet traffic rose 8.1 percent. Argus’s TraqPak data “is serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S.”

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As sales slow, LSA companies use pause to refine their products

Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft.

The sluggish economy has slowed the pace of new model introductions. Holding steady at 109 approved Light-Sport Aircraft — every one of which arrived in the last five and a half years — more designs are still to come. In the interim, companies whose aircraft already populate the LSA marketplace are putting additional effort into refining their aircraft and processes.

Much like the residential housing market is seeing more remodeling work than new construction, LSA companies are making good use of a slower sales period to improve products, revamp production lines, upgrade engineering and documentation, and tweak other organizational tasks. When companies are building airplanes as fast as they can (as in 2006, 2007, and early 2008), these time-consuming details can be challenging to accomplish.

Aviation giants are suffering, judging from continued layoffs at major aircraft producers. The malaise also affects recreational aviation, but not as harshly. Smaller companies don’t have large overhead structures and big payrolls to meet so they can actually weather economic recessions somewhat better. Nonetheless a small number of LSA producers have been forced to close their doors and that possibility is why LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is constructing its LAMASafety.org website. In addition to directing owners and mechanics to a single location where they can find links to safety alerts for all LSA manufacturers, the website will also permanently store relevant information like Safety Bulletins, Pilot Operating Handbooks, maintenance manuals, parts catalogs, and more.

Why? Because when a company leaves the business, its website — through which safety information is commonly distributed — goes dark, possibly stranding owners of their models. The FAA asked the industry to do better at maintaining this vital information and LAMA has stepped up to the plate, thanks to donations from leading producers. I’ll have more about this pivotal development in the weeks ahead.

For more information: ByDanJohnson.com

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A320 accident crew did not notice jammed AOA probes

By: Thierry Dubois

October 1, 2010
Accidents The November 2008 fatal crash of an Airbus A320 into the Mediterranean Sea off Perpignan, France, was the result of the pilots’ improvisation of procedures during an “operational flight check,” raising the crew’s workload to the point that it failed to notice that two angle-of-attack sensors were jammed, according to France’s accident investigation bureau, the BEA. The final report reveals that the two probes ingested water during a rinsing operation conducted, without proper protection, by Perpignan-based EAS Industries maintenance technicians. The water froze at altitude, causing the XL Airways crew, in the presence of an Air New Zealand pilot, to lose control of the aircraft, killing all seven on board.

XL Airways was returning the aircraft to Air New Zealand at the end of a lease agreement and Air New Zealand, which owned the A320, had requested the flight. Such “acceptance” flights, however, are not defined in any official document. The procedures the crew eventually followed were improvised from Airbus demonstration flights. Regional air traffic control rejected the crew’s request for maneuvers because it was inconsistent with the flight plan. The pilots thought they had adequately informed local ATC but conducted the checks along the lines of the flight plan.

While conducting a low-speed check during approach, the pilots did not realize some inconsistency in speed indications. The blocked probes caused the fly-by-wire airliner’s flight envelope protection system to fail. When the aircraft stalled, the pilots did not perceive that the flight control laws had switched to direct mode, and therefore did not perform the appropriate actions needed to return the aircraft to normal flight.

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Cessna Lowering Citation Production

lmcaleer@ainonline.com

October 1, 2010
Business Aviation Just three days after union production-line workers at Cessna Aircraft were forced by default to accept a new contract (see article on page 10), the Wichita-based manufacturer announced on September 21 that it is again reducing Citation production and, as a result, will lay off 700 more employees. Parent company Textron cited “continued weakness in new aircraft orders” as the reason for the action.

In a note to employees, Cessna chairman, CEO and president Jack Pelton said these production cuts will lower costs and keep the company competitive. “Our strategy is to defend and protect our current markets while investing in products and services to secure our future, but we can do this only if we succeed in restructuring our processes and reducing our costs,” he said.

In January, Textron estimated that Cessna would deliver 225 Citations this year, but would not say what the “readjusted” ­production estimate will be.

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