On June 17, more than 70 felons, many of them violent, broke out of a maximum-security prison near Escuintla, about 40 miles south of Guatemala City. Most of the escapees remain at large. As a result of the prison break, the Guatemalan government has suspended several constitutional guarantees, including protection from arrest without a warrant and the right to enter and exit the country freely.
Bombardier is close to certifying its de Havilland Dash Q400 turboprop for the 5.5-degree steep approach into London City Airport (LCY). This certification will also be required for operations into Florence; Lugano, Switzerland; and Stockholm-Bromma airports.
Bombardier will now provide MedAire's MedLink medical support to buyers of new Learjet 31A, 45 and 60 series aircraft. Under the terms of the agreement, flight crews will have access to MedLink's board-certified physicians for assistance in dealing with inflight medical emergencies.
The Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) was designed to help citizens defend themselves from unjustified governmental actions. In the context of a fight with the FAA, a pilot or mechanic who seeks to recover attorney's fees will only be paid if he or she (1) prevailed in the underlying proceeding, (2) meets certain net worth requirements and (3) incurred the sought fees and expenses in connection with the underlying proceeding.
In a deal worth as much as $3 billion, Brazil's TAM Airlines ordered 25 Embraer ERJ 190-200 aircraft, with options for 75 additional aircraft in the ERJ 170/190 family. Just weeks after appearing with Embraer executives at the Paris Air Show to announce the order, TAM President and CEO Adolfo Amaro was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near the Brazil-Paraguay border. Amaro joined TAM in 1961 as a pilot when it was a small air-taxi service and built the carrier into Brazil's second largest airline behind Varig.
Embraer has launched an online electronic marketplace in conjunction with turboprop builder ATR, software provider Oracle and KPMG Consulting. Called AEROChain, the new enterprise represents a $21 million investment from Embraer and ATR, and is expected to be fully operational by the middle of 2002. ``Our goal is to trade the majority of Embraer parts through this venture,'' said Embraer CEO Mauricio Botelho. ``This is an answer to customer requests to put our Web programs on a stronger platform.''
From the standpoint of midyear 2001 it still looks like deliveries of new turbine-powered aircraft will closely approximate the impressive record of calendar year 2000.
Boeing is planning a cooperative effort with Sukhoi Civil Aviation and the Ilyushin Design Bureau to jointly develop a new regional jet. Their feasibility study will include a joint market forecast, analysis of product development and export certification issues for a Russian-built airplane. The study also will prepare a preliminary business plan for a possible joint venture.
Bombardier Aerospace, Montreal, Canada, Chief Test Pilot Wally Warner has been awarded the 2001 Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute. Warner won the honor ``in recognition of his sustained high level of performance and outstanding contributions'' in the development and flight testing of Dash 8 aircraft.
CCH Inc., a provider of business and regulatory law information, has introduced Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, a journal designed to broaden awareness and discussion of civil aviation law trends in government and business. The publication examines the building market, regulatory and legislative forces that affect the airline industry. Future issues of the journal will cover topics such as alliances, antitrust, privatization of ATC and airports. The main body of this loose-leaf reference is organized into broad subject areas.
American Helicopter Society International, Alexandria, Va., has elected John Murphey, president of Bell Helicopter Textron, as its chairman and Gilles Ouimet, president and CEO of Pratt&Whitney Canada, as its president.
Nav Canada President John Crichton discussed ATC privatization recently in a private meeting with White House staffers, according to B/CA sister publication Aviation Daily. Neither the White House nor Nav Canada would confirm the meeting, which reportedly took place while Crichton was en route to Canada from an IATA meeting in Madrid. Crichton has often said Canada's air traffic control privatization scheme would succeed in the United States.
Eurocopter has signed a Shareholders Agreement with IAR S.A. of Brasov, Romania to form a joint venture company named Eurocopter Romania S.A. The Romanian plant in Transylvania will build new Eurocopter light-twin helicopters for the Romanian market. Eurocopter then plans to transfer support activities for its first generation of helicopters to the Romanian company. IAR has built more than 350 Alouette III (IAR 316B) and Puma (IAR330) helicopters under license, and has exported them to more than 20 countries.
Pratt&Whitney Canada and Raytheon Aircraft have agreed to jointly develop the PW625F, a turbofan engine designed specifically for general aviation aircraft. A ``technology demonstration'' version of the 2,500-pound-thrust engine is expected to run before the end of the year, with first flight aboard a flying test-bed aircraft by early 2002. P&WC launched the PW600 family of light jet engines in August 2000, saying its core design would be ``scaleable'' across a family of turbofans and turboprops.
In an effort to grow its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business for the regional commercial and business aviation markets, Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based Reliance Aerotech has acquired Flight International Services (FIS) group, of Newport News, Va. With the addition of FIS, Reliance gains over 100 skilled technicians and more than 180,000 square feet of hangar space at the FIS' FAR Part 145 repair station at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF).
The Aerostructures Corp. of Nashville has agreed to build the primary structure for the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 business jet now under development. The agreement is valued at $300 million over the life of the program, which requires Aerostructures to provide the wing assemblies and fuselage for the new entry-level design.
After almost 30 years of watching the FAA miss deadlines in its never-ending quest to ``modernize'' the air traffic control system, I know better than to bet the agency would actually accomplish one of those projects on time. So the skeptic in me won't wager real money that agency officials will actually deliver their Operational Evaluation Plan (OEP) on schedule. Still, I have to admit that the OEP unveiled recently appears to have a lot better chance of success than some of the FAA's more ambitious undertakings.
New Piper Aircraft became the latest small-plane maker to slow production in reaction to the softening economy, cutting planned output from 538 airplanes to 489 this year. At the same time, the company completed the first phase of its new flow management approach to manufacturing in an effort to move away from its historical ``batch'' production processes. The planned production cuts caused management to revise its revenue estimates from 75-percent growth to 60 percent over 2000's $181.5 million.
The Klein-Lite Twin Leg Deceleration Lanyard is designed for aircraft maintenance professionals who require 100-percent tie-off. The lanyard is engineered so one leg can always be connected to an anchorage point while a working position is being changed. The device features an energy-absorbing inner core of polyester, a nylon-web outer shell and three drop-forged steel Klein-Lok snap hooks. One snap hook is attached at the center for the harness connection and allows for a six-foot working length.
A U.S. Marine Corps C20A (Gulfstream IV) that suffered heavy damage in a skirmish with a tornado has been returned to service after receiving $11 million in repairs at Sabreliner and Midcoast Aviation. The aircraft was clobbered by ground equipment lifted in a Miami twister in February 1998. The Gulfstream -- its fuselage crushed, left wing torn open, cockpit smashed and tail damaged after striking a concrete wall -- was initially thought to be a total loss.
Airline Suppliers Association, Washington, D.C., has named Mitch Weinberg of International Aircraft Associates as a new member of its board of directors
Congressmen representing the districts closest to New York's airports are demanding solutions to the area's air traffic congestion problems, but few appear willing to look beyond parochial interests. Testifying at recent hearings in Manhattan sponsored by the House Subcommittee on Aviation, the representatives vented most of their apparent anger against ``airline greed'' and ``FAA incompetence,'' though general aviation took a few hits as well.
MD Helicopters, Inc. is upgrading its NOTAR-equipped single-engine helicopter line. The manufacturer now offers the MD520N with more-powerful Rolls-Royce 250-C20R engines. The new engines, combined with changes to the helicopter's NOTAR system, give the 520N up to 10-percent more power. MDHI also has introduced a new yaw stability augmentation system for the MD600N, which reduces pilot workload. For operators that still prefer tail-rotor-equipped helicopters, the MD500E offers a four-blade tail rotor to reduce noise.
