Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Transport Canada expects to lift the Notam that bans the Boeing 737 Max from Canadian airspace on January 20 under the terms of an airworthiness directive that outlines the modifications needed to return the airplane to service, the agency said Monday. The AD, also issued on Monday, effectively concludes the department’s review of the aircraft and complements an interim order outlining Transport Canada’s expectations and requirements for additional training for operators. Since the agency approved the revised training program on December 21, pilots for the three Canadian Max operators—Air Canada, WestJet, and Sunwing—have engaged in the revised training.

 


Transport Canada said it spent “well over” 15,000 hours reviewing the Max. “This review has seen Canada take a significant leadership role in the overall project, helping shape many decisions taken by the state of design authorities, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” noted the Canadian authority. “It has also resulted in Transport Canada issuing its own unique airworthiness directive as opposed to the adoption of the FAA airworthiness directive.”

 


Specifically, the Canadian design changes include an enhanced flight deck procedure that provides the option for a pilot-in-command to disable “a loud and intrusive warning system”—commonly called the stick shaker—when a failure in the angle of attack sensor activates the system. Transport Canada said its test pilots have fully evaluated the feature, which, it added, will help to reduce pilot workload.

 


Transport Canada clearance will come two months after the FAA cleared the Max to return to service in the U.S. Along with addressing new training requirements and software improvement, that AD requires completing wire separation modifications and accomplishing what Boeing called de-preservation activities to ensure the airplanes’ readiness for service.

 


European authorities expect to finalize a November 24 proposed AD issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) by the end of January. As in the case of the expected Transport Canada AD, a key difference between the FAA order and&nbsp;the EASA directive lies in a European&nbsp;provision for the flight crews to stop a stick shaker from continuing to vibrate in the event of an erroneous activation.

 


Clearance from Brazilian authorities on November 26 essentially mimics the U.S. directive. Brazil’s Gol resumed Max operations on December 9, making it the first airline in the world to return the then-grounded airliner to scheduled service. American Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to return the airplane to service on December 29.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Transport Canada To Lift Boeing 737 Max Ban on January 20

Canada’s civil aviation authority has concluded its review of the Boeing 737 Max.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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GE Aerospace Flies Boeing 747 To Test New Engine Tech

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News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

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