WILLIAM ALLISON was appointed president of Litton Industries' Data Systems Division. Allison previously was vice president of engineering for the Data Systems Division and before that, was vice president and general manager of the Ocean Springs, Miss. operation.
Model Falcon 20, 50, 200, and 900 series airplanes; and Model Falcon 10, 900EX, and 2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-319-AD; Amdt. 39-11630; AD 2000-05-20) - requires a functional test of the passenger oxygen masks, determination of the part number of the installed oxygen mask bags, and corrective action, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Model SA-365C, C1, C2, N, and N1; AS-365N2 and N3; and SA-366G1 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-62-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the tightening torque of the main rotor hub blade attach beam spherical thrust bearing bolts and either applying a specified torque or, if necessary, inspecting for a crack in the metal components. This proposal also would require replacing the spherical thrust bearing with an airworthy bearing if a crack is found.
By David Collogan (businessaviation @mcgraw-hill.com)
Commander Aircraft Company (CAC), which bought the Rockwell Commander single-engine aircraft line in the late 1980s and began making a series of incremental product improvements, introduced a new Model 115 series aircraft last week that features a range of upgraded features and new avionics.
The pilot of a Model 525 Cessna CitationJet was killed March 26 while attempting to land during IFR conditions at a private airstrip on a ranch in Texas. According to National Transportation Safety Board investigators, the aircraft had departed Houston's Sugarland Municipal Airport that morning under an IFR flight plan for Austin, although the pilot's actual destination was the Rutherford Ranch south of Austin near Buda, Texas. Upon arrival in the Austin area, the pilot canceled the IFR flight plan and told controllers he had the airport in sight.
Los Angeles World Airports officials plan to ask the Los Angeles City Council to withhold action on a proposed noise ordinance at Van Nuys Airport until the airport authority and affected operators can draft a compromise proposal. The City Council late last month deferred action on the controversial Stage 2 non-addition proposal after FAA appealed to the airport authority and operators to find a compromise (BA, March 27/146).
MOST DASSAULT FALCON MODELS still will be able to use Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) in Vail, Colo. after April 21, but a number of other popular business jets will be precluded from flying into the airport after that date because of runway construction. The 8,000- by 150-foot runway will be closed April 22 for about two months for construction. Beginning April 23, operations will shift to the parallel taxiway, which is just 5,980 feet long and 75 feet wide. The construction work is scheduled to continue through June 23.
ORINCON, the San Diego, Calif.-based company specializing in intelligent systems technology, is planning a series of demonstrations this month on its new Ground Safety Tracking and Reporting System (GSTARS), which the company said will help reduce runway and taxiway incursions. The system uses inductive loop sensors that track and classify vehicles on runways and taxiways and communicates that information to host computers in control towers.
PRECISION CASTPARTS CORP. expects to report fourth-quarter earnings "that are at least 10-15 percent better than the current First Call consensus estimate of 85 cents per share (diluted)," the company said. William C. McCormick, Precision Castparts chairman and chief executive, credited several factors for the improved outlook. "The aerospace cycle seems to be moving again in the right direction. The order rate for aircraft engine components has increased in this quarter, a trend that also looks favorable for next year," McCormick said.
A coalition of 10 aviation industry organizations wrote to the Federal Communications Commission urging "a careful and thorough review of issues related to the Global Positioning system (GPS) and ultra-wideband (UWB) communications and radar systems."
A RULING last Wednesday by the U.S. Tax Court could provide companies that own business jets with thousands of dollars in additional savings for certain tax write-offs.In Sutherland Lumber-Southwest, Inc. vs. the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the court found that Sutherland correctly deducted the full cost of operating an aircraft for personal use as an ordinary and necessary business expense.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT has begun delivery of its T-6A Texan II for Multi-Service Operational Test&Evaluation by both the U.S. Air Force and Navy at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Two Texan II turboprops will undergo the testing and evaluation in a seven-month certification program. Raytheon plans to deliver up to 26 of the aircraft this year. The trainer, derived from the Pilatus PC-9, will enter full operation with the Air Force next year and with the Navy in 2003.
President Clinton late last week announced his intention to nominate the first slate of members to the Federal Aviation Management Advisory Council that Congress mandated in the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996. The long-awaited action comes just days before the president is expected to sign the next reauthorization act, AIR-21, which calls for appointment of another board and a chief operating officer to oversee FAA's air traffic control operations.
FLEET COMMONALITY is like money in the bank for an aircraft operator and was a major factor in Delta's decision last week to place orders and options for up to 500 Bombardier regional jets. See article below. A spokeswoman for Delta subsidiary Comair, which is operating or previously ordered a total of 130 CRJs, said the carriers looked at new offerings from Embraer and Fairchild.
The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corp., BAE Systems, Raytheon Company and Commerce One, a business-to-business e-commerce provider, announced formation of an independent enterprise to develop an Internet trading exchange for the aerospace and defense industries. The organizers said the exchange, based on the Commerce One MarketSite Portal Solution, powered by Microsoft, "will be a secure electronic marketplace where buyers and sellers around the world can conduct business."
SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-59-AD; Amdt. 39-11576; AD 2000-03-17) - supersedes AD 97-23-01, which requires, for SA226 and SA227 airplanes equipped with a certain Simmonds-Precision pitch trim actuator or a certain Barber-Colman pitch trim actuator: repetitively measuring the freeplay of the pitch trim actuator and repetitively inspecting the actuator for rod slippage; immediately replacing any actuator if certain freeplay limitations are exceeded or rod slippage is evident; and eventually replacing the actuator regardless of the inspection results.
BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEMS, INC. named Robert L. Nelson chairman of the company's board of directors. Nelson, the president of Robert L. Nelson and Associates, an aviation consulting firm, joined the five-man BRS board in 1993. Nelson previously worked for Cessna Aircraft, Rockwell Aviation, Grumman American and Grumman Corp., in addition to serving as senior vice president of lending at American National Bank of St. Paul, Minn.
Federal Aviation Administration approved a new 82UL unleaded aviation fuel that will qualify under the Experimental Aircraft Association's supplemental type certificate permitting use of auto fuel in aircraft powerplants and airframes. EAA issued a service bulletin to aircraft owners holding the STC notifying them of the changes. "The new unleaded fuel is part of the effort to remove leaded fuels from aircraft use, mostly because of environmental reasons," said Earl Lawrence, EAA vice president of government relations.
USED RETAIL JET&TURBOPROP DELIVERIES - INSIDE AND OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for January 2000 (see related graphs on Pages 149 and 150 of the hard copy of this issue.) JAN. 1997 JAN. 1998 JAN. 1999 JAN. 2000 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 49 31 12 37 34 10 39 26 18 57 47 29 America
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK handed over a completed Boeing Business Jet to Swiss operator PrivatAir. The BBJ, the third executive jet Lufthansa Technik has completed, included a customized interior and Lufthansa Technik's Total Technical Support comprehensive aircraft maintenance package. Lufthansa, which also has completed a BBJ for a U.S. customer and an Airbus A319 Corporate Jet for the Italian government, will complete three BBJs for PrivatAir.
MICHAEL PAYNE was appointed eastern regional sales manager for Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group's aircraft sales division. Payne will be based in Toronto and will be part of Citation Team Canada, a joint marketing effort between Cessna Aircraft and Execaire. Payne previously served as national sales manager for a single-engine aircraft line. He also has held sales management positions with a major repair and overhaul services company.
THE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITEE (FOARC) is expected to meet again in early April in Washington, D.C.When FOARC submitted its recommendations in late February about how fractional ownership providers should be regulated, the committee asked FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to get back to FOARC by the end of March and indicate whether the agency agrees with the concepts in the FOARC recommendations (BA, Feb. 28/93). That discussion is expected to be the focus of next month's planned meeting.
PRATT&WHITNEY CANADA delivered its 500th PW305 engine this month to Bombardier for installation on a Model 60 Learjet. The PW305 turbofan delivers 4,600 pounds of thrust at takeoff.
Bombardier Aerospace signed an agreement with Air Nostrum of Spain to supply a variety of jet and turboprop transports to the carrier over a number of years. Specifically, the deal calls for Air Nostrum to buy 29 Dash 8 Q300 turboprops and 15 CRJ 200 Series ER (extended range) regional jets, with deliveries to begin late this year. In addition, Air Nostrum took options for 40 more aircraft, which may include Q200, Q300 or Q400 turboprops or CRJ200, -700 or -900 regional jets. Value of the firm orders is estimated at approximately $818 million (U.S.).
