FAA IS SEEKING COMMENTS on Advisory Circular 25.905-X, Minimizing the Hazards From Propeller Blade and Hub Failures. The proposed AC is based on recommendations submitted by the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee on "harmonizing" certain sections of Part 25 of the FARs with counterpart standards contained in JAR 25. Notice of the AD's availability appeared in the April 11 Federal Register and comments are due June 12.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP. completed the acquisition of Navia Aviation AS of Norway for $35 million. Navia, based in Oslo, is a leading supplier of instrument landing systems, digital voice switching systems and air traffic control systems. It had revenue of $35 million last year and has more than 200 employees at sites in Oslo, Horten and Remskog. Navia will report to Park Air Electronics, Ltd. of Peterborough, U.K., part of Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector.
THE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE (FOARC) is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington with FAA officials and some FOARC members are concerned about FAA's response to the committee's draft notice of proposed rulemaking on how fractional aircraft providers should be regulated (BA, Feb. 28/93).They say FAA employees who reviewed the FOARC document raised numerous questions about the proposal, including key elements such as the proposed revision of the 60 percent runway rule for Part 135 charter operators.
A J WALTER AVIATION signed a contract to represent Aero-Craft Hydraulics, the California-based repair and overhaul station, as well as RAS (Regional Aviation Services), the European component supplier and repair facility.
DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS, INC. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Carl F. Booth&Co. Inc. of New Albany, Ind., described as "the corporate aircraft industry's premier supplier of wood veneer product." The Indiana firm will be part of DeCrane's Cabin Management Group, which provides the aircraft interiors industry with a range of products. The Booth firm began business in 1983 and has about 80 employees and includes nearly all corporate aircraft OEMs among its customers.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA'S Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences ordered four Piper Warrior flight training devices from Frasca. The FTDs will be derivatives of Frasca's Model 341 configured to the Piper Warrior layout. The FTD will include a FVS-200TX visual system, graphical instructor station, digital electric control loading, custom visual database and Jeppessen Nav data.
FOARC CHAIRMAN JIM CHRISTIANSEN holds a decidedly more optimistic view, and believes the process "is precisely on target." Christiansen told BA last week he believes FAA officials distributed the FOARC proposal widely throughout the agency, resulting in a large number of comments and questions. He's confident most of the queries can be readily answered and concerns resolved this week during face-to-face discussions between FOARC members and FAA officials, adding that he believes the FOARC draft still has the support of top decision-makers at the agency.
A nucleus of four veterans of Associated Air Center with nearly 120 years of aviation experience combined have formed a new firm to do executive aircraft completions in Orlando, Fla.
TEN YEARS after Congress established a Part 161 study process for airport authorities to impose noise restrictions beyond those established by law, three California cities hope to be the first to successfully take such action. Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena, in the midst of a long feud with the City of Burbank over construction of a new terminal, announced Monday it will go ahead with a Part 161 review to study Stage 3 curfews. The next day, the Los Angeles City Council called for a Part 161 study of Stage 2 business jets at Van Nuys.
CALCOR SPACE FACILITY, INC., which manufactured a variety of aerospace and aircraft components at its plant in Whittier, Calif., has laid off its work force of nearly 150, ceased operations and plans to file for bankruptcy, according to published reports. Officials of the company, which had been in business for 40 years, could not be reached for comment.
TOKYO NARITA AIRPORT last week began construction on a new runway that has been delayed for years by farmers who refused to give up their land. According to the Associated Press, workers began putting up fences to begin clearing land to start building the runway, which is set to be completed by May 2002. The new runway, parallel to the existing 12,800-foot runway, originally was to be 8,000 feet long. The plans for the airstrip were cut to 6,976 feet to avoid land owned by farmers opposing the runway.
SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE last week approved the nominations of John Goglia and Carol Carmody for seats on the National Transportation Safety Board (BA, April 10/70). The nominations - to continue Goglia's service on the board and add Carmody to the seat left open when former member Robert Francis's term expired at the end of last year - now move to the Senate floor for final confirmation. The Senate did not act on the nominations before it recessed last week.
ELECTROSOURCE, INC., San Marcos, Texas, amended its Form 10K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission for 1999 to delete an incorrect statement that FAA had completed certification of its helicopter battery for use in helicopters.
The House Tuesday approved legislation designed to protect innocent property owners, including aircraft owners, from government property seizures, clearing the bill for President Clinton's signature. The Senate approved the bill, H.R.1658, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act, last month. The act requires the government to show a "clear preponderance" of evidence that a property is linked to a crime before the federal agency can seize it.
WHILE MANUFACTURERS of some fixed-wing business aircraft are attempting to recapture completion and refurbishment work from independent firms and bring it back in-house, two helicopter manufacturers - Sikorsky and MD Helicopters - have announced separate agreements to outsource major production elements of their helicopter lines. See articles below.
Israel Aircraft Industries, continuing a recent string of improving financial reports, said the company's profits grew more than 70 percent last year. IAI reported net profits of $70 million in 1999, compared with $41 million in 1998. Revenues were up 7.2 percent last year, rising from $1.87 billion in 1998 to $2 billion. The company also reported a 4.7 percent increase - to $1.5 billion - in exports, accounting for about nine percent of the State of Israel's total industrial exports (excluding diamonds).
The Federal Aviation Administration in recent weeks instituted a new management system - including appointment of one of the agency's senior managers - at its Dallas, Texas Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) after relations between FAA inspectors and companies under the FSDO's purview had deteriorated to the point that some of the operators wanted to move their operating certificates.
Britax Aircraft Interior Systems recently began construction of a manufacturing facility for aircraft seating in South Wales. The plant will produce a range of premier-class and first-class seating, as well as newly launched "flying beds" being installed by some international carriers, and supply many major airlines. Richard Marton, chief executive of Britax International, said the company has an opportunity to "build a truly global, market-leading business in aircraft interior systems when the facility becomes fully operational in June 2001.
(Beech) Model 400A and 400T series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-334-AD; Amdt. 39-11615; AD 2000-05-06) -- requires a one-time inspection to detect incorrect wiring of the engine fire extinguisher bottle squibs, and corrective action, if necessary. It also requires a modification to the wiring and the addition of wire harness and bottle labeling for future reference. This amendment is prompted by reports of incorrect wiring of the engine fire extinguisher bottle squibs.
AVFUEL added two more fixed-base operators to its expanding network of dealers. Duncan Aviation in both Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich. and Casper Jet Center in Casper, Wyo. joined the Avfuel network. "Changing fuel vendors is not something that we take lightly," Mark Matthes, Duncan Aviation-Lincoln's chief operating officer, said. "All of our facilities are under government fuels contracts, so quality is a big concern for us." Thomas Mathew, who also runs FBOs in Austin and Fort Worth, Texas as well as Tucson, Ariz., purchased Casper Jet Center last month.
PRESIDENT CLINTON last week announced his intention to nominate Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Phil Boyer to the FAA Management Advisory Council, providing general aviation a second seat on the board tasked with serving as an oversight resource to FAA on management, policy, spending and regulatory matters. Clinton late last month announced his first seven selections to the board, including General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Ed Bolen (BA, April 3/153).
JOHNNY SUCRE has joined Dassault Falcon Jet as a field service representative supporting Brazilian operators. Sucre, who has 17 years of experience in airline and corporate jet maintenance, will be based at Dassault affiliate APRO in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He most recently was director of maintenance with Petroleos de Venezuela, which operates Falcons and other business jets.
SARKIS GARABETIAN was appointed Western regional sales and service engineer for Keystone Engine Services. Garabetian will oversee the 10-state Western region that includes Hawaii and Alaska. He as 15 years of experience in the helicopter engine service industry.
DAVID BRINSON was promoted to regional manager and vice president of business development for Piedmont Hawthorne's Fixed-Base Operation Division. Brinson, formerly a vice president and general manager of the Washington Dulles International Airport FBO, will be oversee business development, including airline contract negotiations and hangar development for Piedmont Hawthorne. He also will manage both the Dulles and Leesburg, Va. locations in his new position.
Contract towers provide cost-efficient services that are of a comparable level of safety to FAA-controlled VFR towers, the Transportation Inspector General concluded. The IG, in a report mandated by Congress, also concluded that FAA needs to re-evaluate its draft study of the contract tower program to provide a more accurate picture. The IG found that the level of operational errors in fiscal 1999 at contact towers matched the level at FAA VFR towers.
