L-3 Communications has donated its 50,000th flight recorder to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. L-3's Aviation Recorders division manufactured the unit, which combines a flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The data recorder is slated to be on display for visitors to the museum's air transportation exhibit.
The usually serious and unusually prolific National Air Transportation Association (NATA) poked fun at air traffic delays in its annual holiday party invitation. Using phony secretary of transportation stationery, signed ``Rod'' (as in Slater), the invite came under the guise of the Seasonal Operational Bottlenecks and Delays solution -- also known as SOBAD.
The Chinese government is adding a fourth Raytheon King Air to its flight inspection service. The King Air 350 is scheduled for delivery in the spring, joining two other 350s and a King Air B200.
Joy L. Reeske has finished SimuFlite's 10-day Citation V maintenance training course in Dallas, funded through one of two SimuFlite scholarships sponsored by Women in Aviation International. Reeske is a maintenance technician for Raytheon Aircraft Services in Houston. SimuFlite also awarded five scholarships for Citation pilot training in 2000, for students enrolled in University Aviation Association member schools.
A new agreement between United Airlines and Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings' United Express division has led the regional carrier to firm up orders for 60 additional Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ). Under the terms of the 10-year deal, United will assume responsibility for Atlantic Coast's inventory management as well as determining the schedules and destinations the carrier will serve.
Air BP has been tapped to take over Bolivia's newly privatized aviation fuel business. The fuel supplier will assume responsibility for facilities at 15 Bolivian airports and will have marketing rights in the country for the next 22 years. Bolivia's airports handle about 50 million gallons of fuel annually. Although Air BP currently has fueling operations and other businesses in Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Argentina, Chief Executive Peter Ragauss called the deal ``our first major entry into South America,'' adding that its a good base in the region for future growth.
Great Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) took another step toward partial privatization in early December 2000, although many in the country remain opposed to the concept. Under the terms of the plan, a Public Private Partnership will provide air traffic services that NATS now performs as a government agency.
Aircraft leasing giant debis AirFinance of Amsterdam has completed its acquisition of Shannon, Ireland-based AerFi Group. The combined company, which will operate as debis AirFinance, has a portfolio of 222 aircraft, including 29 regional aircraft as well as an assortment of Boeing, Airbus and Fokker airliners. Market value of the company's holdings is approximately $5 billion.
McKinney Aerospace, McKinney, Texas, has named Roman Davaloz as its new supervisor of interior installations. Davaloz was previously an interior supervisor for Bombardier Aerospace in Tucson, and also has served as an interior crews lead technician at K-C Aviation in Dallas.
DaimlerChrysler Aviation has completed a new passenger facility at its Detroit-area headquarters complete with a new Jetway for passenger boarding. The operator says it is the first FBO to be so equipped and expects the Jetway to help attract additional large charter aircraft traffic such as those used for sports teams and other large groups. The Jetway was initiated on the auto giant's Transtlantic Star ACJ corporate shuttle from Germany and can accommodate such narrow-body airliners as Airbus A319 and 320s, MD80s, DC9s, and Boeing 727, 737 and 757 aircraft.
Fairchild Dornier has begun system testing on a full-scale control rig for the proposed 728JET. The Iron Bird testing device is configured to simulate primary and secondary flight control systems, landing gear actuation and thrust reverser operation. In addition to initial testing of aileron and multifunction spoiler actuators on the new test rig, Fairchild Dornier recently completed the Critical Design Review of the 728JET's major structural items and systems.
Flight Services Group, Stratford, Conn., has named Thomas Connelly as vice president of technical services, Jamie Baciuska as manager for aircraft management in the northeast region and Janet Julian as charter development specialist.
Eclipse Aviation reports it has raised an additional $65 million from investors in the proposed Eclipse 500 light business jet. Investment in the company now totals $125 million, all from private investors. Eclipse Chairman and CEO Vern Raburn says the money validates the company's concept, adding that the aircraft will be delivered ``on schedule, on budget, and at the price and performance we guaranteed, despite claims to the contrary from industry skeptics.'' Deliveries of the $837,500 Eclipse 500 are expected to begin in summer 2003.
Universal Weather and Aviation and Swissport are set to begin operating a new ground handling facility for corporate aircraft at Cote d'Azur Airport in Nice, France in February. The operation can handle aircraft as large as Boeing 747s and is said to be the first of several business jet facilities the two companies are considering. Nadhem Tounsi, Universal's operations manager at Le Bourget in Paris, will manage the new Swissport Executive operation.
A tiny aircraft maker closes in on a dream and the air tour industry goes to court to keep the FAA from doing something stupid. Every first flight of a new airplane is special, like the birth of a baby, but some first flights are more special than others. The November 30 maiden voyage of the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 conforming prototype is definitely a case in point. Big manufacturers like Cessna and Bombardier push new models out the door on schedule and on budget so regularly the process looks deceptively easy.
Sandel Avionics has introduced its Class-A Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) with a self-contained, integrated color display. The system provides forward-looking predictive terrain conflict warnings by comparing its database to positioning information provided by an interconnected GPS receiver and altitude data. The three-inch display eliminates the need to ``timeshare'' radar, EFIS or MFD displays. Sandel said the installation time required ranges from 30 to 50 hours and the unit's reliability exceeds 12,500-hour MTBF. Price: $34,500
While the FAA was doling out employee raises, some were also receiving accolades. The agency presented Facility of the Year awards to control towers at Chicago O'Hare; Portland, Ore.; Fort Worth Meacham; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and the Minneapolis Tower and TRACON facility. The Dayton Automated Flight Service Station also received recognition as the AFSS facility of the year. Achievements at the honored facilities range from O'Hare's operational error-free record from March 1999 to April 2000 to Meacham's five-year operational error-free record.
Ford Motor Co. Europe has replaced its two Boeing MD-87s with Boeing Business Jets (BBJs), aircraft used to connect London Stansted with Ford plants in Cologne, Valencia and Bordeaux. Like the MD-87s, the BBJs will be configured with 115 seats. Ford says the older aircraft were non-compliant with Europe's expected noise standards to be implemented in two years.
Northrop Grumman has been selected to supply a new air traffic control system for Nassau International Airport in the Bahamas. The new system is expected to be operational in August.
The future of the Ayres Loadmaster turboprop remains in doubt as Ayres struggles to surmount financial obstacles, though fresh financing from the company's largest creditor could keep the long-delayed program alive. GATX Capital, a $5 billion leasing and finance company whose primary interest is in the rail industry, has agreed to furnish Ayres with an unspecified amount of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, and a search for additional equity investment continues.
Bombardier has added a new West Coast facility for Global Express completions. Under the terms of a new agreement with the manufacturer, The Jet Center of Santa Barbara, Calif., will perform interior completions on the Global Express at its 165,000-square-foot hangar. Completion of the first aircraft is under way with a second aircraft expected soon. The Jet Center can accommodate up to four simultaneous Global Express completions. The Jet Center of Van Nuys, Calif., became a Global Express completion facility in 2000.
