Kawasaki Heavy Industries has started test and development flying of the second BK-117 C-2 helicopter in Japan. The first prototype of the helicopter was flown by its partner Eurocopter for the first time in June 1999 at Eurocopter's Donauworth facility in Germany. It is named EC145 in Europe. Certification of these two-crew plus eight-passenger helicopters is projected for midyear in Germany and by year-end in Japan. Forty EC145/BK-117 C-2s have been ordered by two unnamed launch customers, and the first aircraft is slated for hand-over in 2001.
GE Capital Aviation Training and Swiss regional Crossair are teaming up to create a regional aircraft training center at the airline's Basel headquarters. The joint venture will offer training for cockpit crews, flight attendants and maintenance personnel for both Crossair and other carriers. Crossair CEO Moritz Suter says the new facility will ``extend our leading position in European regional air transport to the training sector.'' The carrier has begun taking deliveries of 85 Embraer regional jets, which led to a re-evaluation of its existing training facilities.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Perry Bradley, in Oerias, Portugal
The first Falcon 2000 for the NetJets Europe fractional ownership program arrived in Portugal in mid-April, and is the first of two 2000s that will serve as core fleet aircraft. A total of three 2000s will be delivered to NetJets Europe this year with a fourth joining the fleet in January 2001. The first customer aircraft, which is already sold-out, will arrive in September, according to Bruce Huffman, vice president-international operations.
Investment houses Clayton, Dubilier&Rice (CD&R) and Allianze Capital Partners have completed their acquisition of Fairchild Aerospace and arranged for $1.2 billion in financing for the manufacturer. The financing comes in the form of $400 million in capital from the two companies and an additional $800 million in loans from a consortium of Germany companies. The funds will be used to further projects in development such as the Fairchild 428JET and 728JET. CD&R principal Charles P.
Kitty Hawk, Inc.'s auditors have expressed concern about the cargo and charter operator's financial ability to continue flying. The carrier says losses due to unexpectedly high maintenance costs on its Lockheed L-1011 fleet and declining values of aging DC-8s, combined with high fuel costs and decreased demand for cargo lift are causing a cash shortfall and stock price freefall. Kitty Hawk also announced that former Atlantic Coast Airlines CFO Paul Tate, who joined as CFO in late March, resigned after just 11 days with the company.
The FAA has issued a Letter to Airmen warning of flight restrictions over the Democratic National Convention this summer in Los Angeles. While specific limitations have not yet been released, the letter says access to airspace above the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles will be ``extremely limited and require positive identification and communications.'' The Democratic National Convention and temporary flight restrictions are scheduled to take place from August 14 to 17.
Keystone Helicopter Corp. will undertake completions for all new Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, under the terms of a new contract with the manufacturer. The helicopters formerly were completed at Sikorsky's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility. ``This arrangement brings together the market presence of two very strong players,'' said Mike Moran, Sikorsky's vice president of commercial marketing and sales.
Hong Kong-based Metrojet is leading an effort to create an Asian Business Aviation Association, similar to Europe's European Business Aviation Association and the United States' NBAA.
The Airports Council International-North America honored Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) for his work on AIR-21 and other aviation related issues. ACI-NA Airports Council President David Z. Plavin called Shuster a ``true friend'' of aviation, citing his advocacy of increasing airport-imposed PFCs as evidence of his value to the group's membership. Shuster chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was the sponsor and main cheerleader for AIR-21.
The government of Iceland has chosen Danish Engine Trend Analyzing (DETA) to provide engine monitoring for its Beech King Air 200. The aircraft is used as a VIP transport for the president of Iceland as well as ILS calibration and other functions. DETA also won similar contracts for two Beech 1900Ds operated by Trans Travel Airlines and a Beech King Air 90 operated by African operator INCAT.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Mike Vines, in Coventry, England
West Midlands International (Coventry, CVT) Airport in central England is offering Europe's approximately 200 BAe 146 and Avro RJ operators the use of its 5.5-degree PAPI (precision approach path indicator) approach for training purposes, replicating the approach into busy London City Airport (LCY). ``London City is becoming increasingly more popular with airline operators, thereby generating an ever-increasing requirement for pilot training,'' says Peter Jackson, Coventry's airport director.
Boeing 717-200 aircraft were hit with an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on April 1, requiring immediate inspections of the 14 delivered aircraft to check for anomalies in the integrated standby instrument system (ISIS) altitude display. Two reports of a loss of data on the captain's and first officer's primary flight display and ISIS altitude display triggered the action, the FAA says. Both flights landed safely. Boeing 717-200s are now in service with Air Tran, TWA and Olympic.
Eclipse Aviation has chosen this summer's AirVenture 2000 in Oshkosh, Wis., for the first public display of its proposed Eclipse 500 light jet. In addition to displaying the full-size mockup, Eclipse has signed a three-year agreement to sponsor the show's Forums Plaza area. AirVenture is scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 1 and is the world's largest air show. Eclipse founder Vern Raburn also serves on the Experimental Aircraft Association's board of directors.
JetBrokers (Chesterfield, Mo.) -- Charlie Stearns joins as vice president of sales, overseeing the aircraft sales company's new Northport, N.Y., office.
A Boeing Business Jet operated by Swiss charter operator PrivatAir recently concluded an extensive demonstration tour of Europe and the Middle East. The BBJ stopped in more than a dozen cities, including Paris, Jeddah, Dubai and Moscow, conducting media and customer demo flights. The aircraft is the first of three BBJs for PrivatAir.
Aviation Daily and BACK Aviation Solutions say that the World Fleet Forecast for 20- to 120-seat aircraft will be available on May 15. ``Our forecast focuses on both the dynamic 100-seat market plus the role of turboprops versus regional jets,'' says Stephen Munro, publisher of the Daily. The World Fleet Forecast is a four-part independent analysis of the regional aircraft market, with a global outlook and regional forecast for North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, e-mail [email protected], or call (800) 752-4959.
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.) -- Dr. Bruce Smith has been named dean of the John D. Odergard School of Aerospace Science. Smith is a UND alumnus and former director of training at Delta Air Lines.
Opening up Russia for general aviation is the theme of a new exposition and air show at Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport on August 16-20. The Russian Business Aviation Association and AOPA-Russia are joining forces with the Russian government ``to open up new horizons for this until now underprivileged sector of aerial transport.'' The program includes a conference on key issues of general aviation development. For information call +7095-241 82 01, or e-mail [email protected]
Miami-based Aviation Sales Co. has entered a standstill agreement with stockholder LJH Corp., limiting the amount of stock that LJH can acquire to 25 percent of the outstanding shares for the next five years.
