NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION is reviewing its Loss of License disability insurance program and plans to introduce a revamped program, along with a life insurance program for pilots and non-pilots, within the next 60-90 days.
James Robinson, the veteran aerospace executive who has headed Learjet and Fairchild Dornier in recent years, accepted a job with engine-maker Pratt&Whitney as president of aftermarket services, a new position.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which came under fire from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for not promoting general aviation use at the airport, Thursday promised to dedicate $1.5 million of $3.375 million in grant money it received to a general aviation T-hangar construction project at the south end of the airport. The project covers five 10-unit T-hangars. The remaining $1.875 million of the grant will be used to expand the apron to allow commercial overnight aircraft parking near the terminal.
General Dynamics reported net earnings of $204 million, or $1.01 per share, on sales of $2.6 billion for the quarter ended July 2, a per share increase of 17 percent over the same period a year ago.
HONEYWELL won a contract valued at $70 million from AirNet Express to provide TFE731-2C engine upgrades and its Maintenance Service Plan on 27 Learjet 35 aircraft. The contract includes 54 upgraded engines, spares and the service contract. The upgrade involves a new cooled high-pressure turbine module that Honeywell says will improve disk and blade life, new carbon ring seals and an N1 digital electronic engine control.
Honeywell posted second quarter results in line with lowered expectations it warned about last month. The company, formed late last year by the merger of AlliedSignal and Honeywell, Inc., reported a 14 percent increase in earnings for the three months ended June 30 - to $617 million from the $540 million reported in the same quarter a year ago. Sales grew six percent to $6.30 billion, from $5.96 billion.
BRAZILIAN MANUFACTURER Embraer is expected to make a major leap into the corporate aircraft market this week at the Farnborough International Airshow.Embraer, best known for its line of turboprops and jets for the regional airline market, plans to announce formation of a new corporate jet division to sell three of its regional jets - the 37-seat ERJ-135, the 44-seat ERJ-140 and the 98-seat ERJ-190 - in corporate configuration for use by business executives and VIPs.
Some 18 aerospace and aviation organizations and companies united in their support for Congress to boost funding levels for NASA's aeronautics research. Those organizations Monday sent a joint letter to key Senate Appropriations Committee leaders urging full funding for the Clinton Administration request for NASA in fiscal 2001. "The House version of legislation funding NASA has proposed deep reductions in funds for key aeronautics and next-generation launch technology research.
GROUND BREAKING CEREMONIES for the new Dulles Center of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) are set for Oct. 25. That date was driven by the need to begin construction soon in order to meet the December 2003 completion date, the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight, said Gen. John Dailey, the new director of the museum. Another key factor in picking Oct. 25 for the ceremonies: "That's the day Steve Hazy can make it," Dailey said with a laugh, referring to the founder and chairman of the International Lease Finance Corp.
A Gulfstream I turboprop carrying mail from Moncton, New Brunswick to Montreal, Quebec, crashed last week near Houlton, Maine killing both pilots. The accident occurred shortly after midnight July 19. FAA said the pilot declared an emergency and said the crew was unable to maintain altitude, adding that thunderstorms and turbulence were reported in the area at the time. The 1965 model G-I, S/N 154, was registered to Airwave Transport of Mississauga, Ontario as C-GNAK. The Gulfstream I is powered by twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines.
SECURAPLANE received parts manufacturer approval for its XL245-A/B/C emergency batteries on Dassault Falcon 900EX business aircraft. The XL245 is a replacement for SAFT Ni-Cad emergency batteries on Falcon 900, 900B, 900EX, 50EX and re-engined 20-5 aircraft. Securaplane expects to win PMA approval on the full line of Falcon jets by the end of third quarter 2000. The XL2405 is a sealed lead acid battery with a built-in precision charging system.
GLEN GROSS was named regional director of operations for Executive Air Support, the parent company of Million Air Interlink, Inc. Gross has 16 years of aviation experience, previously serving with Hudson General.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL received FAA Level D qualification and International Level 2 qualification for its second Gulfstream IV-SP full flight simulator. The simulator, produced by CAE Electronics Ltd. in Montreal, includes a Honeywell SPZ-8400 digital automatic flight control system, Honeywell NZ-2000 flight management system, Honeywell PRIMUS 880 weather radar system, Honeywell 2020 head-up display and Collins 4220 radio tuning units.
JET AVIATION added a Sikorsky S-76B to supplement its Private Fleet and charter services in the Northeast corridor. Jet Aviation will operate the helicopter for Private Fleet customers who need to transfer quickly between Manhattan and outlying areas. Jet Aviation offers its Private Fleet aircraft to customers on two hours notice, similarly to fractional ownership, without capital investments or management contracts. Jet Aviation also will use the S-76B for independent charters extending from Boston to Washington, D.C.
CHARLES BRUNO was named director of marketing and business development for Emery Worldwide. Bruno, an 18-year company veteran, will oversee marketing communications, advertising and new business proposal development programs.
MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is soliciting bids until 4 p.m. Aug. 25 to build and operate a non-exclusive fixed-base operation at Martin State Airport (MTN). Bidders are invited to attend a pre-bid meeting Aug. 11 at MTN. Attendance is recommended but not mandatory. Bid packages are available from the Division of Commercial Management, Maryland Aviation Administration, Post Office Box 8766, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Md. 21240.
Reliance Steel&Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, plans to buy United Alloys Inc.'s aircraft division located in Vernon, Calif. and fold the "high-margin, niche business" into its existing aerospace operations. The two companies reached an agreement in principle covering the terms of the transaction. According to a statement from Reliance, the assets and business of United Alloys unit will be bought by a new company operating as a subsidiary of Service Steel Aerospace Corp. of Tacoma, Wash.
Pratt&Whitney Canada Corp. said it won Transport Canada certification of its PW206B2 turboshaft engine. The engine was selected in June by Eurocopter to power the growth variant for the Eurocopter EC-135 twin-engine helicopter.
Mercury Air Group signed an agreement to acquire Raytheon Aircraft Services' fixed-base operation at Birmingham, Ala. (BHM). The transaction is scheduled to close this fall and remains subject to due diligence and various approvals. In addition to taking over fueling operations at BHM, Mercury will assume responsibility for providing maintenance for the Beech/Raytheon line of propeller aircraft, from the Bonanza through the King Air product lines. Raytheon operates 16 FBOs in the U.S., United Kingdom and Mexico, while BHM will be Mercury's 19th FBO.
Model 45 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-132-AD) - proposes to require repetitive application of grease to the rotating disk assembly of the nose landing gear squat switch mechanism. Application of grease to the squat switch assembly is necessary to prevent moisture contamination and subsequent formation of ice. Such ice formation could result in bending or damaging the nose landing gear squat switch assembly, which could drive the nose wheel to an uncommanded angle against the force of the steering system.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which this month commissioned a new Display System Replacement at its Leesburg, Va. air route traffic control center (ARTCC), hopes to quiet accusations that the agency is running an antiquated ATC system. "We just about modernized [the en route traffic control] and modernized for a large part the terminal area too," Steve Zaidman, FAA associate administrator for research and acquisitions, told reporters last week at the Leesburg ARTCC. Zaidman noted that the oldest piece of equipment at Leesburg dates to 1997.
The National Park Service's efforts to curb air tour operations over federal lands will have a spill-over effect that will eventually restrict all aircraft operations, the United States Air Tour Association warned a House panel Thursday. Testifying before the House national parks and public lands subcommittee, USATA President Steve Bassett charged that NPS "has consistently and unabashedly misrepresented the enormous value of air tours and the scientifically supported near non-existent impact they have on the environment."
A CONSORTIUM of Hochtief AirPort GmbH, of Essen, Germany and Aer Rianta International plc, of Shannon, Ireland, acquired a 36 percent stake in the Hamburg, Germany Airport. Hochtief also holds stakes in the Dusseldorf, Germany Airport and the new Athens, Greece International Airport, which is scheduled to open in March, 2001.
MERCURY AIR GROUP'S Maytag Aircraft Corp. received an agreement to provide base operating services for the Air Reserve Station at Willow Grove, Pa. Maytag will provide fuels, motor vehicle, and traffic management services at Willow Grove from Nov. 1, 2000 through Oct. 31, 2001. The contract, which includes four one-year options, has an estimated value of $3.4 million.
SEN. PAUL COVERDELL, the Republican from Georgia who died Tuesday after suffering a stroke, asked President Clinton to persuade European officials to expedite efforts to certify U.S. aviation products. Coverdell wrote a letter to Clinton July 14, one of his last acts as a U.S. Senator, noting that Gulfstream "has used considerable resources and taken several years" trying to win Joint Aviation Authorities approval for the G-V.
