MORRISTOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, N.J., issued a request for proposals until April 4 for the lease, development and operation of a Flight Training Center and General Aviation Terminal facility. The project will include construction of adequate office, shop, hangar and aircraft parking space for the three incumbent flight schools and a small aircraft repair and maintenance provider. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled March 13. Firms may pick up the RFP at D.M. Airport Developers, Inc., 8 Airport Road, Morristown, N.J. 07960, or fax at 973-538-6947.
Federal Aviation Administration, operating under a budget shortage since fiscal 2000 began Oct. 1, continues to search for ways it can save money and is considering pulling funding for as many as 86 contract air traffic control towers. An agency spokesman confirmed that FAA is considering a number of cost-saving options - including the cuts in the contract tower program - but stressed that no final decision has been made.
Dassault Falcon Jet received orders from Executive Jet for six more Falcon 2000s, increasing the total number of that model slated for NetJets fractional programs to 60. Executive Jet ordered 48 of the aircraft for its programs in the U.S. and Europe and 12 more for its Middle East fractional venture (BA, Oct. 18/176). Dassault has shipped the first seven 2000s to EJA. Deliveries on the newest order are expected to begin early in 2002.
AUSTRALIA'S Civil Aviation Safety Authority is joining an effort to rebuild confidence in general aviation following the Mobil fuel contamination problem (BA, Jan. 31/49). CASA is making available senior officials at air rallies to answer questions and listen to industry concerns about the fuel contamination problem. "It's clear that sections of the community are still wary about flying in piston-engine aircraft," said Mike Smith, assistant director of aviation safety promotion for CASA.
BOMBARDIER reports its Continental business jet orderbook has grown to 54 firm orders. The super-midsize business jet program was launched in June with 75 "letters of interest" (BA, Jun 31/286) and the company had orders for 39 aircraft by mid-fall (BA, Nov. 22/235). "Market interest worldwide, including here in Asia, has been extremely high," said John Lawson, president of sales for Bombardier Business Aircraft, at last week's Singa-pore Air Show. "It's clear to see that the Continental is destined to become the benchmark aircraft in its class."
Docket: No.: 29687 Petitioner: R&M Aviation Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit R&M to operate its Agusta A-109E helicopter (Registration No. N97CH; Serial No. 11012) under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder. Grant, Nov. 19, 1999, Exemption No. 7078 Docket No.: 23358 Petitioner: Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, Inc. Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 91.313(c)
FAA this month sent its final rule mandating installation of terrain awareness and warning systems in turbine aircraft with six or more seats to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a 30-day review (BA, Aug. 31, 1998/91).The agency hopes to issue the rule in March, and officials have indicated that it will continue to cover aircraft operated under Parts 91 and 135.
NASA selected two teams of students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to conduct microgravity - weightlessness - experiments aboard NASA's KC-135 research aircraft. The 2000 NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program is scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 18 at Ellington Field in Houston. NASA sponsors the program, which is administered by the Texas Space Grant Consortium.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS, INC., Dallas, Texas, named Robert Williams director of engine programs and Ted Faircloth director of information technology. Williams has been with Superior for seven years, most recently as manager of business development. Faircloth joined Superior in 1998 and has been manager of the information services department. "With the growth we have experienced over the last two years, we have found it necessary to expand the services and functionality that currently exists on our web sites today," said President Bernie Coleman.
CF34 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-49-AD; Amdt. 39-11560; AD 2000-03-03) - requires revisions to the Engine Maintenance Program specified in the manufacturer's Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to include required enhanced inspection of selected critical life-limited parts at each piece-part exposure. This AD also requires that an air carrier's approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program incorporate these inspection procedures.
Soloy Corporation, the Olympia, Wash. engineering firm known for designing dual-engine installations that drive through a common gearbox, is eyeing new opportunities to diversify its portfolio beyond Dual Pac activities, President David Stauffer says. One such effort is the decision to re-enter the helicopter retrofit market with a Eurocopter Astar AS 350 engine conversion. Soloy recently acquired a supplemental type certificate to offer the conversion package and hopes to have that program under way this spring.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said that if Senate Commerce Chairman John McCain wins "a couple more" Republican presidential primaries, he will have to make a choice soon about surrendering the chairmanship of the Commerce Committee, one of the busiest in Congress, or stepping aside while he pursues his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Asked at a recent news conference about the views of several Commerce Democrats that McCain may not be able to handle both roles Daschle said, "I think it depends on whether Sen.
BFGOODRICH AVIONICS SYSTEMS won a supplemental type certificate for the installation of its Skywatch traffic advisory system with a top-mounted single antenna on the Bell 206B Jet Ranger. The system, which received FAA technical standard order approval in July, also has an STC for the Beech Baron. Skywatch is an air-to-air or ground-to-air interrogation device that provides aural traffic alerts and visual target displays.
Federal Aviation Administration's attempt to simplify its approach to rulemaking with "plain language," although a worthwhile effort, may actually make rules more complicated, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said. "AOPA supports any effort to make the Federal Aviation Regulations more concise and easier to understand," said Lance Nuckolls, AOPA's director of regulatory and certification policy.
MARTIN-BAKER AIRCRAFT, which manufactures aircraft ejection seats, plans to establish a manufacturing plant in Johnstown, Pa. and a product support facility in southeastern Pennsylvania. The company said it decided to locate units in Pennsylvania as a result of a trade mission visit to Martin-Baker headquarters in Middlesex, England by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
SINO SWEARINGEN, close to completing the fuselage for the first conforming prototype SJ30-2 business jet, is expecting the left and right wing assemblies next month and is planning a first flight in the third quarter. Gamesa Aeronautica in Spain built the fuselage assemblies and shipped all three sections by yearend. Once the wings are mated, the aircraft will be ready for systems installation. Sino Swearingen is planning a yearlong flight test program with three flight aircraft and two ground test articles.
JULIE LANG joined Piedmont Hawthorne as marketing administrator. Lang, who will be based at the company's executive offices in Winston-Salem, N.C., will be responsible for marketing and promotions of Piedmont Hawthorne's aircraft/airline sales, Part 135 and 121 charter, maintenance and overhaul and airport services. Lang, who most recently served in the company's Part 121 charter division, also has held marketing roles with The College Football Hall of Fame and a number of engineering firms in Indiana and Michigan.
RAYTHEON TRAVEL AIR sold 59 aircraft shares in December, helping it reach $230 million in sales for the year and sell 25 entire aircraft, which Raytheon said was 25 percent higher than forecast. The number of share owners in Raytheon Travel Air rose 132 percent last year, from 188 to 436. The fleet grew from 35 aircraft to 59 and the number of employees jumped 60 percent to 352, 232 of whom are pilots.
Docket No.: 29531 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 25.841(a)(2) and (a)(3) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow Dornier Model 328-300 airplanes to operate up to a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet instead of 31,000 feet, which is the currently approved limitation. Denial, Dec. 22, 1999, Exemption No. 7090
THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT became the first customer to take delivery of an Airbus A319 Corporate Jetliner last week when the aircraft was handed over to officials of the Italian Air Force during ceremonies at Lufthansa Technik's VIP Center in Hamburg. The aircraft went through a six-month completion process. A second A319CJ for the Italian government is still in the completion process and will be handed over within a few months.
Docket No.: 29791 Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 61.77(a) Description of Relief Sought: To permit UPS to obtain special purpose pilot authorizations for certain holders of foreign pilot certificates to ferry U.S.-registered Boeing 727 aircraft listed on the UPS Operations Specifications between non-U.S. airports.
Piedmont Hawthorne continued its growth as the nation's second largest fixed-base operation chain with this month's official opening of a facility at Harrisburg, Pa. International Airport. The FBO, the third such Piedmont Hawthorne facility in Pennsylvania and the 31st in North America, is based at the former AMP, Inc. office and hangar complex at Harrisburg. AMP vacated the 62,000 square-foot-facility when TYCO International acquired the company last summer.
PETER ISKANDAR was appointed director of airline sales for Rolls-Royce North America, Inc. Iskandar will oversee accounts for a number of airline customers, including Continental Airlines and Continental Express. Before joining Rolls-Royce, he was the regional sales manager for Canada and the U.S. for Sextant Avionique. He also has been a senior business analyst with United Air Lines and held avionics and flight engineering positions for McDonnell Douglas.
CANADIAN MARCONI COMPANY, which manufactures and supports high-technology electronics products for the aerospace and communications markets, has two new names. The company, based in Montreal, Quebec, is now known as BAE Systems Canada, Inc., in English, and as Systemes BAE Canada in French. The name change follows last year's merger of British Aerospace p.l.c. and the Marconi Electronic Systems unit of the General Electric Co. (GEC) p.l.c. (BA, July 5/6).
