Cessna Aircraft Company, which has dominated the entry-level business jet market since it began delivering CitationJets more than seven years ago (BA, Feb. 8, 1993/55), recently delivered the first follow-on Citation CJ1 and said it is nearing certification of the CJ2.
Howmet International purchased the remaining 19 percent interest owned by Komatsu Ltd. in their joint venture company, Komatsu-Howmet, Ltd., making the Greenwich, Conn. firm the sole owner of the company that will now be known as Howmet Japan Ltd. The Japanese enterprise makes a wide range of investment castings, from small turbine blades to large industrial gas turbine components.
Gulfstream Aerospace executives believe there is significant revenue potential in refurbishing and upgrading Gulfstream-built aircraft at the newly opened refurbishment and completion support facility at Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Ga. (BA, April 10/170).
AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION said the trade surplus generated by the U.S. aerospace industry fell by eight percent to $37.6 billion in 1999 as a result of a combination of record imports and lower exports. The aerospace trade surplus in 1998 was a record $41 billion. While aerospace still accounts for the largest trade surplus in the U.S. economy, AIA President John Douglas said the drop in exports is disturbing. "This is another reason to create a presidential commission to study the future of aerospace," he said.
STEPHEN MUENCH joined Camp Dresser&McKee Inc. as senior aviation planner. He has more than two decades of aviation experience, most recently directing a state aviation agency. He also has been a state aviation planner, and environmental reviewer, a chief operating officer for an FBO and a manager of an aviation fuel sales firm.
TITLE II-AIRLINE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS Section 201. Adds a general policy goal of ensuring that everyone, including those in small communities and rural areas, has affordable access to scheduled air service Section 202. Permits two small communities to receive subsidized essential air service without paying a local share Section 203. Requires DOT to establish a pilot program to help improve air service to airports that do not receive sufficient air service
AVIATION SALES COMPANY announced formation of TIMCO Engineered Systems, Inc. within its Triad International Maintenance Corp. (TIMCO) operations. The new enterprise will provide integrated aircraft engineering, certification, parts manufacturing, kit assembly and distribution to airlines, leasing companies and aerospace original equipment manufacturers. Rick Salanitri, 37, was named vice president of engineering and general manager of the new unit, reporting to TIMCO President John Affeltranger.
AVFUEL CORPORATION added TICO Executive Aviation at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Fla. to its dealer network. TICO, founded last year, is the sister facility of Discovery Aviation Services, also based at Space Coast Regional Airport.
INVESTMENT FIRM Clayton, Dubilier&Rice finalized a deal under which it will take over more than 90 percent of Fairchild Aerospace. The agreement was announced months ago (BA, Jan. 3/1), but negotiations on details were not completed until last week. CD&R and Allianz Capital Partners jointly invested $400 million, and Fairchild secured bank loans for $740 million.
ATLANTIC AIRLINES is the only airline in the United Kingdom to have its ab initio training organization, Atlantic Flight Training, approved under the new European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) regulations, the company said. "We originally introduced Atlantic Flight Training in order to ensure a supply of pilots for the Air Atlantique Group," said Pete Humphrys, who heads the school. "This has worked very well," he said.
Honeywell leased a 384,000-square-foot building in the Alliance Airport development to house the distribution center for its Honeywell Hardware Product Group, which supplies hardware consumable parts. The new distribution center is expected to be operational in August and initially will employ about 150 workers. Honeywell said the facility will handle a portfolio of 500,000 documented parts including fasteners, bearings, electrical components, seals and chemical products produced by Honeywell and 150 other manufacturers for which it is an authorized distributor.
Sikorsky Aircraft and Keystone Helicopter Corp. announced an agreement under which Keystone will complete S-76 helicopters at its West Chester, Pa. facility. Sikorsky said the deal is "part of an overall restructuring of Sikorsky's commercial programs, aimed at improving competitiveness and customer satisfaction."
JAN JONKER was named executive vice president and director of international accounts in Associated Aviation Underwriters' London office. Jonker will produce and underwrite AAU's international aviation portfolio. He most recently served as managing director for the Dutch Aviation Pool in Amsterdam.
ERDA developed a new lightweight, high-density cabin seat for the Pilatus PC-12 that can be installed and removed quickly without tools. The seat can be added in any passenger row to create a three-seat bench using ERDA's Adaptracks. ERDA said seat flexibility is particularly useful for the PC-12's quick-change combi passenger/cargo/medevac configurations.
RAYTHEON COMPANY named Edward S. Pliner, 42, vice president and corporate controller. He joined Raytheon from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), where he was a senior partner in the company's technology practice and leader of the Raytheon account. He replaces Michele C. Heid, who is leaving the company.
Kaman Aerospace Corp. will build fuselages for MD Helicopters' line of single-engine helicopters under a multi-year agreement with a potential value of $100 million, Kaman said this month. The deal complements Kaman's current product programs and allows MDHI to meet production commitments.
LAMBERT AIRPORT in St. Louis won two major court decisions this month that appear to clear the way for the airport to proceed with a $900 million project to add a third major parallel runway, part of a $2.6 billion improvement program at the headquarters of Trans World Airlines. Both the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Missouri Court of Appeals issued rulings rejecting attempts by nearby communities to halt the expansion program.
Model EMB-145 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-203-AD; Amdt. 39-11655; AD 2000-07-01) -- supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive emergency extension (free-fall) functional tests of the nose landing gear and lubrication of all NLG hinge points to ensure that the NLG extends and locks down properly; and corrective action, if necessary.
SAPO INTERNATIONAL SA selected International Aero Engines' V2500 turbofan engines to power SAPO's new Airbus Corporate Jet aircraft. The two V2527-A5 engines, rated at 27,000 pounds of thrust each, will be delivered at the end of the year. SAPO, headquartered in Athens, Greece, offers a range of luxury services including car rental, real estate and yachts to its customers, many of whom reside in the Middle East.
Raytheon Company, which has seen its stock price plunge since the company's earnings came in below analysts' expectations (BA, Jan. 24/36), said last week it plans to sell its Engineers&Constructors (RE&C) division, form a joint venture with another company or spin off the unit, which has encountered problems on an international contract.
HONEYWELL said it won technical standard order approval for its Mark VI and Mark VIII enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) products aimed at the turboprop and light jet market. The manufacturer expects to begin deliveries of the new Bendix/King KGP 560 EGPWS, priced at $10,000 in the second quarter. The company's Mark VI EGPWS, with a list price of $23,900, won a supplemental type certificate for installation in the Beech King Air and the Mark VIII system, priced at $34,900, won an STC for installation in the IAI Westwind business jet.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE officials are heading to Brussels this month as part of a trade mission hosted by Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.). Cleland invited a number of Georgia-based companies for a scheduled trip to Europe to provide them an opportunity to explain their businesses and products to European officials.
CHUCK HURDLESTON was promoted to national sales manager for Keystone Engine Services. Hurdleston, who formerly serviced customers in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, will oversee the entire sales division.
TEXTRON LYCOMING President Jim Koerner was named president-industrial components for parent company Textron. In addition to continuing to oversee Lycoming, Koerner adds Turbine Engine Components and Textron Marine&Land Systems to his responsibilities. The three units, which employ more than 1,900 people, have revenues in excess of $360 million. Koerner has served with Textron for 20 years, beginning as a personnel manager at Airfoil Textron in 1980. He held a series of positions of increasing responsibility and was named president of Lycoming in 1998.
series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-20-AD) -- proposes to require revising the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to include requirements for activation of the airframe pneumatic deicing boots. The proposed AD is the result of reports of in-flight incidents and an accident that occurred in icing conditions where the airframe pneumatic deicing boots were not activated. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to assure that flightcrews have the information necessary to activate the pneumatic wing and tail deicing boots at the first signs of ice accumulation.
