A larger Mercury Air Center at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport is under construction. Focal point of the FBO will be an art deco style terminal building to ``reflect the area's strong ties to the motion picture and television industries.'' The terminal will have a ``state-of-the-art'' conference room and business center. For flightcrews, a pilot's lounge, game room with pool table, snooze room and showers will be available. Included in the construction are three hangars capable of accommodating aircraft up to Global Express/Gulfstream V size.
ACR Electronics has designed its compact, easy-to-grip Satellite 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon in an automatically deployable, Category I unit ($1,899.95) or manually deployable, Category II unit ($1,449.95). Dimensions of the Satellite 406 are 9.0 by 4.8 by 3.5 inches, and it weighs 2.2 pounds. Both units are available in a special Class 1 low-temperature range (-40C/-40F) version. The EPIRB's lithium battery has a five-year replacement life. ACR Electronics, Inc., 5757 Ravenswood Rd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33312.
Available now to flight departments is Mechtronix' Ascent Full-Flight Trainer for advanced recurrent training in generic or type-specific turboprops and jets. Features include complete cockpit configuration with audio system, dual pilot and copilot instrumentation, autopilot and flight director, with options for EFIS and an NMS. This FTD has a visual system displayed on a 150-degree wraparound screen, and an active force feel for primary flight controls. Price: approximately $300,000, depending on configuration and customer's training needs.
Raisbeck Commercial Air Group has sent a letter to all known DC-9 operators to assess their interest in retrofitting a $1 million kit that will bring their aircraft into compliance with FAR Part 36, Stage 3. Seattle-based Raisbeck says it has completed the preliminary design of a non-engine hush kit--similar to the company's hush kits for Boeing 727s--which will have no adverse performance changes and no increase in empty operating weight.
A $7.2 million facility for Stead Aviation at Manchester Airport is scheduled to be completed before year-end. The facility includes 65,000 square feet of storage hangar space, 50,000 square feet of avionics maintenance hangar space and an executive terminal. Phone: (603) 669-8708.
IMP Group International acquired Air 500 Ltd., a charter operator based at Canada's Pearson Airport. IMP is also the parent company of Innotech Aviation, Pacific Avionics&Instruments, and Execaire .
Duncan Aviation (Lincoln, Neb.)--This aircraft service provider made the following management changes: Skip Madsen to executive vice president and CEO of Kal-Aero, the company's facility in Battle Creek, Mich.; Rich Baeder as vice president of aircraft and customer service at Duncan in Lincoln, Neb.; Matt Nelson to manager of its Denver avionics facility; Dave Molsberry as manager of its Santa Ana location; and Tim Annis as installations manager at its Van Nuys avionics facility.
Despite some occasional Wall Street zigs and zags, your company's business is booming. Still, your annual utilization isn't anywhere near what it could be, and the pressure's on to cut costs. ``Hey, let's charter!'' someone helpfully suggests.
Edited By Gordon A. GilbertEdited By Gordon A. Gilbert
FAA is seeking comments on a proposed technical standard order (TSO C151) for terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS). The TSO follows the agency's proposal to prohibit operation of turbine airplanes certificated for six or more passenger seats unless they have a TAWS (November, page 78). Since comments on the TSO will be added to the docket of the TAWS rule making, operators who comment on the TSO also may comment on the basic TAWS proposal, even though the official comment period ended November 24.
The annual effort to update B/CA's aircraft modification directory gives us a chance to contact a variety of companies offering everything from the remanufacturing of existing products to relatively minor but still important comfort, handling, serviceability and operating modifications for certificated aircraft.
Gulfstream is now including aircrew alertness training and high-altitude physiology training with each new aircraft ordered. In addition, both courses are offered to existing owners at a nominal cost. The two-day alertness course, held in Savannah, is designed to teach crews techniques to overcome the physiological challenges of long-haul flight operations. The physiology course, conducted in Houston, includes a ``flight'' in an altitude chamber where crews will experience decompression and hypoxia.
The updated FAR/AIM Series from Aviation Supplies and Academics is ready to order. New books include the 938-page, FAR/AIM ($15.95), FAR for Flight Crew ($16.95) and FAR for Aviation Maintenance Technicians ($18.95), with all changes since the last printing clearly marked. All three volumes feature a comprehensive index and provide free midyear updates via mail-in coupon, fax, phone or Internet request. Aviation Supplies and Academics, 7005 132nd Pl. S.E., Newcastle, Wash. 98059. (425) 235-1500; fax: (425) 235-0128.
Signature Flight Support has introduced a network of five Regional Maintenance Centers, dubbed Gold Touch--in Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Hartford, Conn.; Dallas; and West Palm Beach, Fla.--along with a customer incentive system. RMC users can sign up for a ``WayPoints'' program that offers a payoff in free fuel. Every dollar spent on aircraft maintenance at an RMC translates into one WayPoint earned; 75 accumulated WayPoints earn a customer one gallon of fuel. ``This is our way of saying thank you to the customer,'' said Gary Boekenkamp, senior vice president of marketing.
Executive Jet Aviation (Woodbridge, N.J.)--Raynor Reavis has been named national sales manager for the firm's NetJets fractional ownership program. FlightSafety International (Flushing, N.Y.)--Michael Grabbe joined this organization as director of maintenance training at its Learning Center in Bethany, Okla.
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) was a first-time exhibitor at this year's NBAA convention, but the German company's history as a major source for corporate aviation pilot training, aircraft completions and after-market support is older than the NBAA itself, starting with the development of an executive version of the Junkers Ju 52 military aircraft in the 1930s.
Jerry Temple Aviation offers replacement switch covers for sun-faded or dirty switches in Cessna Twins, Conquests and Citations. Price: 300 Series Kit, $25 (includes 18 white, four red and three black); 400 Series Kit, $30 (includes 23 white, four red and three black). Jerry Temple Aviation, 2205 Tarpley Rd., Ste. 706, Carrollton, Texas 75006. (972) 416-3140; fax: (972) 416-3220.
Regional Jet Center is the FBO for the recently built Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), 25 miles northwest of Fayetteville. The controlled airfield opened officially on November 6 with a single instrumented 8,800-by-150-foot runway. Regional Jet Center is starting operations with a temporary building that will have separate crew and passenger lounges as well as a flight planning area. Initial hours of operation will be 0500 to 2100. Regional Jet Center is affiliated with Fayetteville Air Service at Fayetteville Municipal Airport. Phillips is the fuel supplier.
Corporate operators looking to use their aircraft for charter are being wooed by Executive Jet Management with a program that guarantees an aircraft owner a specified amount of annual charter hours and income once that owner is on EJM's FAR Part 135 charter certificate.
Chartright Air (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)--Michael J. Lacey has been appointed executive vice president of this aircraft charter and management company.
Executive Jet Management obtained FAA authority to conduct FAR Part 135 operations to Europe, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, The Philippines and Taiwan . . . Aviall opened a parts distribution and locator service center in Calgary, Alberta, Canada .
Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the mixing of two types of hydraulic fluid in the brake system may be a factor in the June 18 crash of a Fairchild Metroliner in Montreal that killed all 11 persons aboard (August, page 30). Although identical in color and consistency, the TSB warned that the hydraulic mixture's flash point is ``significantly below'' the rated level of the one, specified fluid. ``Extensive'' pre-crash fire damage occurred to the aircraft's left wheel well from overheated brake, wheel and tire components.
SimuFlite Training International (Dallas)--Jeffrey G. Roberts was promoted to president of this pilot- and mechanic-training organization, from his previous position as vice president of sales and marketing.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey came into the FAA job with a reputation for having good political instincts and she demonstrated those skills a few weeks ago in Palm Springs, Calif. Bowing to the clamor of protest from the industry, she told attendees at the AOPA Expo '98 that the agency's original ``Streamlined Administrative Action Program,'' (SAAP) the so-called ``ticket program,'' was being shelved. Specifically, she told the AOPA faithful that the ticket program ``as described'' is dead, but that officials are working on a modified program.
