British European (BE) plans to sell its four Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets and acquire four more Dash 8 Q400 turboprops. This move, which will bring its total fleet of Dash 8 Q400s to eight, comes as a result of a major boardroom re-shuffle and aircraft fleet review. The company remains committed to larger RJs, however, and said it finalized negotiations with BAE Systems/Avro for 12 RJXs in late June, with options for eight more. The RJXs will replace the airline's BAe 146s one-for-one as the new aircraft come online from spring 2002.
If nothing else, the European Commission's decision to block the General Electric-Honeywell merger on competitive grounds has underlined just how ``global'' the aerospace industry has become. GE-Honeywell is the first instance of the European body blocking a merger that already had received the U.S. government's blessing.
Continental Airlines is planning an initial public offering (IPO) of stock in its ExpressJet regional airline subsidiary. ExpressJet, which operates as Continental Express, has been on a regional jet-buying spree of late, placing orders for 178 Embraer Regional Jets with options for 100 additional aircraft. ExpressJet expects to have 137 ERJs in its fleet by the end of the year and has committed to ``aggressively retire its remaining fleet of 66 turboprops.'' Proceeds of the IPO will help retire ExpressJet's debt to its parent company.
CitationShares, Greenwich, Conn., has named Philip Marraccini as its vice president of flight operations. Marraccini joined CitationShares in 1999 as a captain and has logged over 10,000 flight hours.
Westchester County Airport officials recently presented awards to local corporate operators who had strictly adhered to HPN's voluntary curfew and had not exceeded its high-range noise event limit of 93 dB during the previous calendar year. In recent months, several scheduled air carriers have re-ignited controversy at the suburban New York City airport by conducting early morning departures in violation of the curfew, which extends from midnight to 6:30 a.m.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Air Response Team, Lebanon, N.H., Crew Chief/flight paramedic John Hinds has received a Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE) designation from the Association of Air Medical Services.
The Piper 500TP Malibu Meridian received its U.K. Part 23 certification on June 21, making it the first single-engine pressurized turboprop certified in Britain. Piper says European Meridian deliveries will reach five by midsummer, and will total 11 before year-end. Twenty-five Meridians were delivered in 2000 and New Piper plans to have delivered 104 worldwide by the end this year; the current waiting list is seven months. The Meridian also has been certified in Sweden and awaits certification in Denmark, Switzerland and Germany.
Traditionally, monetary policy takes at least six months, and often nine to 12 months, to work. The Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates at the start of the year, and we should begin to see results soon. At the same time, tax cuts in the form of rebate checks began to arrive in July and continue into September. These should combine with the Fed's easing of interest rates to spark renewed life into the U.S. economy.
Flightcom's iNova portable stereo intercom provides the pilot, crew and passengers with ``true high fidelity'' sound and ``clean, sharp'' radio communications. Using a proprietary architecture, the intercom is optimized for the wider frequency range found in CD players. The iNova features pilot and crew isolate modes allowing the pilot total isolation from intercom and music function during times when high concentration and focus are a must. The unit weighs less than 10 ounces and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Price: $395.00 Flightcom
AECMA, the European Association of Aerospace Industries, Brussels, Belgium, has named Roger Hawksworth as its secretary general. Hawksworth joins AECMA after serving as chief of staff at BAE Systems in London, England.
Nine Socata TBM 700 single-engine turboprops flew from the United States to the Paris Air Show in June for the latest and most ambitious TBM owners' get-together so far. Of the nine pilots who flew the Atlantic, two came from Florida, the others from Calgary, Canada; Montana; Wyoming; Michigan; North Carolina; New York; and Texas. Pilot experience varied from new owners with around 200 hours to those with several thousand hours in type.
If you're having trouble deciding whether or not to purchase a maintenance cost control package for your equipment, you're not alone. Said Cigna Vice President Tom Prevost, ``The question you need to resolve is how much risk can your organization tolerate. Once you know the answer, then the rest is simple.''
Within six weeks of being named Raytheon Aircraft chairman and CEO, Jim Schuster is realigning senior management at the Wichita manufacturer. Calling the changes ``critical'' in efforts to improve customer satisfaction, aircraft deliveries and financial results, Schuster has tapped Senior Vice President Richard Danforth to integrate sales, marketing and program management of Raytheon's commercial aircraft business.
Q. If an IFR approach procedure has only circle-to-land minima that are limited to Category A, B and C aircraft (Figure 1), is it legal for a Category D airplane to fly the procedure, provided the approach is made straight-in? -- Gulfstream II pilot A. No. There are several aspects to this question. First, a brief review of some pertinent regulations and AIM advice:
Signature Flight Support, Orlando, has named the following as general managers: Gary Daniels for the company's Dallas Love Field (DAL) facility, John Stafford at West Palm Beach International (PBI) and Robert Grant at DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Atlanta. Additionally, Ed Zwirn has been appointed area general manager in Florida.
Bombardier Business Jets set eight speed records en route to the Paris Air Show in June. The manufacturer's Global Express, Challenger 604, and Learjet 31A, 45 and 60 each set FAI records, including a one hour, two minute Learjet 31A flight from Belfast and a nine hour, 10 minute Learjet 60 trip from Wichita to Paris that included a 12-minute refueling stop in Gander.
The long-awaited passage of the landmark Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21) 16 months ago makes this year's legislative outlook seem like pretty thin gruel by comparison. In fact, the ramifications of AIR-21 are still unfolding as FAA officials struggle to implement the hundreds of provisions Congress inserted in the massive reauthorization bill.
A Nebraska businessman took delivery of the first Raytheon Premier I in late June, ending the manufacturer's five-year quest to bring the entry-level business jet to market.
Bombardier of Canada has won a hard competition to sell up to 150 regional jets to Northwest Airlines, beating Brazilian rival Embraer with the help of a lucrative government financing package. The 75 firm orders are valued at $1.68 billion, with the Canadian government providing Northwest with $1.2 billion in low-interest loans over 15 years. Canada says the loan will match the terms of Brazil's ProEx (PromoteExports) financing package, which Embraer allegedly offered to Northwest.
Planning for the future is a necessary role for any manager. It's our job to help minimize the missteps in the imperfect exercise. Not long ago I got a call from a flight department manager, asking whether I, or another staff editor of my choosing, would be willing to address his local aviation group. ``What's the topic?'' I asked. ``The future of aviation,'' he said.
TAG Aeronautics of Dubai ordered five additional Bombardier Continental business jets, effectively doubling its previous order to 10 aircraft. First flight of the super midsize jet is expected this summer, with certification and first green delivery expected in 2002. TAG, Bombardier's Middle East distributor, expects delivery of its first Continental in spring 2004. Estimated value of the additional aircraft is $75 million.
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