Sharing protected radio aeronautical frequencies with non-aeronautical users will threaten international aviation safety and efficiency, warned Assad Kotaite, president of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Kotaite, who spoke last week before the World Radiocommunications Conference of the International Telecommunications Union meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, said civil aviation is highly dependent on radio telecommunications.
FLIGHT OPTIONS is adding the Citation III to its fractional ownership fleet. The Citation III will begin operations by August. Flight Options' fleet has grown to 75 aircraft including Citation IIs, Beechjets, Citation IIIs, Hawker 800As, Falcon 50s and Challenger aircraft.
Federal Aviation Administration last week appointed an air traffic control veteran to lead the second phase of free flight, which will "build on the successes of the Free Flight Phase 1 program and introduce new capabilities." John Thornton will expand Phase 1 and direct the development of new capabilities that will be deployed from 2003 through 2005. Thornton joined FAA in 1973 as an air traffic control specialist and between 1983 and 1995 helped reorganize FAA's new controller work force after President Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers.
Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for March 2000 (see related graphs on Pages 235 and 236 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries MAR. 1997 MAR. 1998 MAR. 1999 MAR. 2000 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 57 32 13 72 35 17 59 23 10 109 65 54 America
SF340A and 340B Series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-25-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection to detect chafing of the wires and harnesses in the cabin compartment ceiling; repair, if necessary; and installation of protective sleeving. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS has developed a CD-ROM called RIO that will provide rapid information and ordering for piston aircraft engines. The CD-ROM provides part numbers, product information, cross-reference library and quick ordering capability. For more information, contact Superior at (800) 487-4884.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT rolled out its 400th Beech 1900D airliner. Raytheon began production of the 1900D in 1991, following on from the 1900C, produced since 1984, and the original 1900 in 1983. The 19-passenger turboprop will be delivered to CommutAir in the fall.
ADD BOEING BUSINESS JETS to the list of companies interested in developing a supersonic business jet (SSBJ).Borge Boeskov, president of Boeing Business Jets, told attendees at last week's National Air Transportation Association convention that BBJ "is working with several people" in the early stages of an SSBJ program assessment. To be successful, an SSBJ would have to be able to cross the Pacific and fly at supersonic speeds over land (at least 1.2-1.3 Mach), Boeskov said.
Eclipse Aviation Corp., the company developing the Eclipse 500 entry level business jet powered by two Williams International EJ-22 turbofans, selected Albuquerque, N.M. as the base for its corporate headquarters (BA, May 8/213). Eclipse officials cited the city's "ability to provide and recruit the technical expertise" to produce its small business jet, including resources such as Sandia National Laboratories, The Air Force Laboratories Philips site and other aerospace companies in New Mexico.
DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS said Thursday it completed the acquisition of Carl F. Booth&Co. Inc., the New Albany, Ind. supplier of wood veneer products for aircraft cabin interiors (BA, April 24/195).
The House transportation appropriations subcommittee last week approved a $2.5 billion increase in funding for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2001, which, if adopted, would mark one of the largest funding increases in the agency's history. The subcommittee approved the $12 billion FAA budget Monday as part of an overall $55 billion fiscal 2001 transportation appropriations bill.
NICHOLAS LACEY, director of FAA's Flight Standards Service, told NATA attendees he has taken a number of steps aimed at improving the professionalism of the agency's aviation safety inspectors. After taking over nearly 18 months ago, Lacey said he soon realized that the leadership organization within Flight Standards had lost touch with the inspection work force in the field, necessitating personnel reassignments within the division.
WILL POWERS was appointed to the newly created position of chief financial officer for Rolls-Royce in North America. Powers has served with Rolls-Royce since 1989 and most recently was chief executive of Rolls-Royce Capital as well as director of mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Rolls-Royce, Powers was with Barclays Bank Aerospace Industry unit.
IN THE SHORT TERM, Boeing Business Jets is trying to get a handle on completions of "green" BBJs, introduce a BBJ2 and make a decision about offering a corporate/VIP version of another in-production Boeing airliner. See article below.
Federal and local law enforcement officials increasingly are launching criminal prosecutions after aviation accidents, a situation that ultimately will degrade safety, former FAA general counsel and current private attorney Kenneth Quinn said last week. Quinn warned that the growing trend of "criminalization" of aviation accidents is touching all aspects of aviation and cited the recent FBI raid on SunJet Aviation in conjunction with the October 1999 Learjet crash that killed golfer Payne Stewart.
The World Trade Organization last week concluded that Brazil failed to implement a recommendation made Aug. 20 to withdraw export subsidies for regional aircraft within 90 days. The WTO also said Canada has complied in part, but not sufficiently to prohibit future export subsidies. WTO specifically stated that the Technology Partnership of Canada met the guidelines, but that the Canada Account program did not.
The president of Boeing Business Jets said the company expects to roll out the first BBJ 2 in March, a variant of the original 737 business jet program that will be 20 feet longer (BA, Oct. 18/175). President Borge Boeskov told reporters last week in Tampa, Fla. that he actually wanted to delay introduction of the longer model for a couple of years to avoid confusing the marketplace, but he said officials decided to proceed because of strong buyer interest, particularly in the Middle East.
AEROSPACE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL (API) was appointed a distributor for Marathon Power Technologies Co. API will distribute Marathon's complete line of battery products for commercial, corporate and military operators.
Model R22 Helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-69-AD; Amdt. 39-11695; AD 2000-08-09) - requires replacing certain serial number sprag clutches with an airworthy sprag clutch as specified in this AD. This amendment is prompted by several reports of clutch assemblies with cracked or fractured sprag ends. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent a sprag clutch failure, loss of main rotor RPM during autorotation, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that 200 helicopters will be affected by this proposal at a cost of $536,000.
ROB RUCK, vice president and general manager for Business&General Aviation at Honeywell, left the company to pursue other interests. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Ruck had risen rapidly through the executive ranks at AlliedSignal Aerospace since joining the company in mid-1986. He had assumed a higher profile in the industry in recent years as his areas of responsibility increased.
THE RED-HOT MARKET for new business jets is being propelled by four internal drivers, according to Richard Aboulafia, director of aviation consulting for Teal Group Corp. Preliminary information from the company's latest business jet forecast, cited (1) new models and technology, (2) fractional ownership, (3) changing business culture and attitudes towards jets (and the "cult of productivity"), along with (4) retirements of aging business jets already in the fleet.
ALL SIX PEOPLE aboard a Model 65 Sabreliner were killed May 11 when the aircraft crashed on approach to the island of Molokai, Hawaii. The 1980 model business jet, N241H, was registered to Price Aircraft Co. of Broomfield, Colo. An initial FAA report on the accident said the aircraft was making a VOR approach to the airport when the crash occurred. FAA said the aircraft had been conducting an "experimental/research and development" flight.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won United Kingdom CAA approval for its Embraer ERJ-145 flight simulator based in Manchester, England. The simulator initially won JAR STD Level C approval but is expected to be classified as Level D after a three-month proof-of-performance trial. The simulator is the seventh ERJ-145/135 training device FlightSafety operates. Other flight simulators are located at Houston Hobby, St. Louis, Wilmington, Del. and Paris/Le Bourget in France.
DAVID A. PISHKO, who had been advertising manager for Raytheon Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Kan., and more recently director of sales for training aircraft, joined Teledyne Continental Motors in Mobile, Ala. as vice president, marketing and sales.
CITY OF NEW YORK and airport owner and operator BAA are negotiating over the terms of a contract for the long-term management, operation and development of Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports. New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani has harshly criticized the management of the airports by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and complains that Port Authority spending favors projects in New Jersey. If the city and BAA come to terms, BAA initially would provide oversight of the airports and assume management no later than 2015, when the lease expires.
