MedAir of Phoenix and Norwegian Air Ambulance in Oslo have teamed to expand their corporate aircraft in-flight and on-ground emergency medical assistance programs
At its annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo. in April, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association bestowed the following awards for outstanding service to the aviation community in 1997: -- Award of Excellence to Ed Hendricks of Mark Fruchter Aviation in Reading, Pa. -- Award of Excellence in Maintenance Training to Don Forman, chief of maintenance for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo. -- Maintenance Technician of the Year award to Thomas E. Hendershot, director of maintenance of High Winds Aviation in Broomfield, Colo.
-- Jeppesen Weather Services' (903-799-9090/www.jeppesen.com) new Advanced Weather Graphics (AWG) package enables subscribers to receive high-resolution color maps anywhere one can connect with airline communications services such as ACARS and SITA. New features of AWG include a North Pacific Surface Analysis and forecasts, a European surface analysis, and U.S. icing and turbulence analyses. -- Dimensions International (703-998-0098/www.dimen-intl.com) has released FLIGHTExplorer 2.0, the company's latest aircraft situation display package.
The long-expected break-up of Aero International (Regional) occurred with ATR and British Aerospace each going their own way. The split-up had been expected since December 1997 when AI(R) decided against proceeding with a 70-seat regional jet, a program which chafed the British partner, flush with the recent success of its own Avro quadjets. In addition, the British felt the cost structure was "too broad," one top official told B/CA. The ATR component-a partnership between Aerospatiale of France and Alenia of Italy-will be restructured into a single company.
HAS Corp.'s SFIM AFCS-85 Automatic Flight Control System for the Bell 407, now STCed, can be installed in two to three weeks of downtime. The basic two-axis system was developed for full-time operation to provide pitch and roll stability augmentation and attitude retention. Price: $135,000; $31,500 for the optional yaw-axis SAS. Other options are a flight director/navigator coupler system and stand-alone force trim system. HAS Corp., 600 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas 75039. (972) 556-1285; fax: (972) 556-1378.
Business aircraft operators at Centennial fear that the snowball effect of airport opposition to scheduled service could lead to further restrictions on operations. Anti-noise activists have turned up their volume. Gil Wolin, president of Mayo Aviation, a Centennial FBO, said the clamor even "threatens the airport's right to exist."
Interjet has thrown the switch on its Aviation Sales Pavilion, an advertising-supported Internet site listing more than 65,000 aviation service providers in the United States and Canada. The 110 categories of listings all are contained in a geographical database, enabling searches within a specified distance of a given location. European and Asian suppliers should be online by early summer, according to Interjet President Sam Trowe. Access is free.
Ramp construction delays moved back the opening of Executive JetPort at New Jersey's Trenton Airport to late this month. The FBO was originally to open in April (May, page 18). Also originally planned to open in April was Mercury Air Group at South Carolina's Charleston International Airport. A decision to build more hangar space pushes Mercury's opening to August (September 1997, page 26).
FAA adopted a proposal that clarifies the new rules pertaining to passenger-carrying commercial flights in single-engine airplanes. The most important clarification of the new rule, which went into effect May 4, is that although gyro instruments must have redundant sources of energy, each source need not power "all" the gyros. Also clarified: In one-pilot/autopilot operations only gyros on the pilot's panel need be working, but on flights using two pilots, gyros on both panels must be working.
Airtug's latest product is the Model 900 for moving all single nosewheel aircraft, including all Cessna aircraft, Raytheon pistons and turboprops, all Piper- aircraft, Learjet Models 25 through 36, Commanders, nosewheel helicopters and more. A Tecumseh 9-hp, electric-start engine powers the walk-behind unit, delivering a variable speed range from slow to a fast walk. A hand-operated control bar regulates speed, brak- ing and steering. The Airtug is shipped completely assembled, except for the handle. Price: $2,695. Airtug, 1023 Mullan Rd. E., Superior, Mont. 59872.
Bombardier appointed two more authorized service centers, broadened its Smart Parts Plus coverage for Challenger 604s and boosted its spares inventory, all part of a host of customer support announcements made at the company's annual maintenance and operations seminar. The new repair facilities are Servicios Aereos Estrella at Mexico's Toluca Airport and Epps Aviation in Atlanta. Under Smart Parts Plus, Challenger 604 operators can now include their aircraft in a supplemental power-by-the-hour engine service agreement.
Ten-year-old Avtec at St. Louis Downtown Parks Airport is returning to its roots: maintenance and modifications of business jets, including cargo conversions of Falcon 20s. In August 1997, Avtec stopped providing these services and put its facilities up for sale in order to concentrate on developing and marketing fiber-optic lighting for aircraft cabins (October 1996, page 24). The company will continue offering the light systems, but has sold off its Sabreliner life-extension program. And it still will consider bids for its maintenance and modification services.
Another company vying to provide inflight medical assistance for corporate aircraft passengers is Personal Physicians Worldwide of Washington, D.C. The firm has no corporate flight department clients as yet, but it is hoping to work out arrangements through some of the international handlers. Personal Physicians reviews a passenger's itinerary, medical history and health risks and sets up 24-hour physician/hospital protection for that person during a trip. Costs are based on destination and travel frequency, said Myra Altschuler, the company's director.
The FAA and the DOT have launched an effort, once again, to establish a new ATC organization that will be primarily funded by a series of user fees and excise taxes. Administered by a COO who will be selected by the secretary of transportation, the new FAA "Air Traffic Services" organization will be responsible for ATC as well as research and acquisitions related to the day-to-day operation of the nation's aviation infrastructure.
The opening of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport in July will also mark the opening of the Business Aviation Centre, the airport's corporate aircraft FBO to be managed by AMR Combs and partners. Stephen Lassetter, general manager of the centre, said the new facility will include a 21,000-square-foot aircraft storage hangar.
In addition to receiving information and seeing photos of this Memphis-based FBO, the site also includes links to other aviation sites and data on local attractions, restaurants and lodging.
Virtually all production aircraft sooner or later are the subject of ADs, and new Gulfstream Vs have received their first hit. AD 98-09-01, effective May 5, requires inspections as well as functional tests of the elevator hardover protection system to detect any miswiring that could prevent correct operation of the HOPS, said the FAA.
On July 1, Continental Express will increase Embraer RJ145 ExpressJet service between Newark and Montreal from three to four times daily. In addition, it will begin nonstop service between Houston and Cincinnati with three flights daily effective August 1. With that new route, the carrier will serve Cincinnati from each of Continental's hubs-Houston, Newark and Cleveland. Cincinnati, of course, is the fortress hub of Delta and Delta Connection Comair.
Kentucky Governor Paul Patton was expected to sign legislation that establishes a dedicated aviation trust fund that state officials project will generate some $9 million a year for aviation projects. The state's six-percent jet fuel tax will finance the fund. Thirty states now have aviation trust funds, according to the AOPA.
An end-of-July rollout from the Renton, Wash. factory is planned for the BBJ, with the first flight planned for late August and certification in the fourth quarter. The Boeing Business Jet combines the fuselage of the new 737-700 with the center section, wing, landing gear and CFM56-7 engines of the larger -800 model. The -800's heftier structure enables the BBJ to be certificated at 171,000 pounds MTOW, an important factor because the BBJ will carry the Pat's, inc.
Pilots at Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. narrowly voted to reject a bid for unionization by the Office and Professional Employees International Union. Although PHI management is pleased that this was the second time a majority of pilots voted against joining this union (the first was in September 1997), the difference was just six votes out of 502: 254 against unionization, 248 for unionization. In the 1997 vote, 332 pilots voted against unionization versus 246 for it.
Continental reached a tentative agreement with its Continental Express pilots in early March on a new five-year labor contract. The carrier is represented by the Independent Association of Continental Pilots (IACP). According to union sources, the remaining issues involved labor protection, pay schedules covering a proposed 37-seat jet and first-officer pay.
Rulemaking has been proposed to require operators of older Airbus, BAC, Boeing, Douglas, Fokker and Lockheed aircraft to incorporate "repair assessment guidelines" for the fuselage pressure boundary (fuselage skins and pressure webs). If enacted, the rule will serve to establish a damage-tolerance-based supplemental inspection program for repairs that have already been made. Comments are due July 2. For more details, contact the FAA in Renton, Wash. Phone: (425) 227-2109. There are no plans to apply this requirement to mainstream business jets, said FAA officials.
