ROBERT KELLY, aviation director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will retire this month after 30 years of service. Kelly first worked for the Port Authority during college, shoveling snow at the Holland Tunnel. Upon graduating St. Peter's College in Jersey City in 1964, he served six years in the U.S. Army. He left active duty in 1970 and permanently joined the Port Authority as an economic analyst.
Model CS, CT, FM, FN, GK, GL, JD, JE, JT, JU, MD, ME, MM, MN, NB, PM, PN, RG, and RH Seat Restraint Systems (Docket No. 98-SW-33-AD; Amdt. 39-11460; AD 98-25-10 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires inspecting to ensure the locking mechanism is engaging properly and replacing the buckle-half of the seat restraint system, if necessary. This amendment will allow an owner/operator (pilot) to determine if the locking mechanism is engaging properly and will require replacing the buckle-half of the seat restraint system, if necessary.
DIANE GLEASON joined the National Air Transportation Association this month as manager of meetings and conventions. Gleason came to NATA from the American Trucking Associations, where she was director of convention services. She also previously did convention work for the National Business Aviation Association. Gleason replaces Connie (James) Sipes, who resigned from NATA in mid-December after 15 years of service.
The National Transportation Safety Board Friday issued a warning to the Transportation Department and its modal administrations of the dangers of using even over-the-counter medications when piloting an aircraft or operating other types of transportation equipment. NTSB issued a 26-page report, detailing existing restrictions on drug use while flying or driving, and listing specific recommendations. It said FAA should develop and publish an "easy-to-understand source of information for pilots on the hazards of using specific medications when flying."
SPORTY'S PILOT SHOP will close its European facility and consolidate catalog sales at its Batavia, Ohio Headquarters, effective January 21. Sporty's cited improved international shipping services and the increase in Internet orders as factors in its decision to close the European facility. "Over the past few years, the Internet has shrunk the world for us and our catalog customers" said Sporty's President John Gauch. Sporty's also plans to develop a European dealer network to accommodate smaller orders.
Peter Ginocchio, the veteran business jet product support specialist, plans to retire from his current post as senior vice president of customer service at Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. this spring. The retirement will follow a 40-year career in which he has provided support to customers for Cessna, Canadair, British Aerospace and Dassault.
Members of the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee (FOARC) are scheduled to meet this Thursday in Washington, D.C. to review a final draft of a notice of proposed rulemaking that the FOARC hopes to present to FAA officials next month.
BOARD OF CLARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, Nev., is soliciting sealed proposals until 5 p.m. Feb. 4 from non-exclusive comprehensive aviation ground service providers for Terminal 2. The request for qualifications package can be obtained at the office of Barbara Bolton, Airport Business Management Analyst, Clark County Department of Aviation, Fifth Floor North, P.O. Box 11005, McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nev. 89111; telephone: (702) 261-5180; fax: (702) 261-5050. Reference RFQ-14-99.
Dassault sold 72 business jets worldwide in 1999, its third consecutive strong sales year, pushing the French manufacturer's backlog to 120 Falcon jets worth some $3 billion. Dassault has sold 240 Falcons since the beginning of 1997 and plans to deliver 210 jets between 1999 and 2001. Dassault noted that the Falcon 2000 is its top-selling model, thanks to orders from Executive Jet's NetJets programs for 54 aircraft to operate in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.
World Fuel Services Corp., Miami Springs, Fla., signed a definitive agreement to sell its oil recycling segment, the International Petroleum Group of companies, to EarthCare Co., Dallas, Texas. World Fuel said it will receive $33 million - $28 million in cash and the balance in EarthCare common stock. World Fuel Services said it expects "to record a substantial gain" in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000 from the sale, which is expected to close in mid-February.
SWISS OFFICIALS were en route to Libya last week to begin their investigation of the fatal crash of a Swiss-registered Shorts 360 aircraft Jan. 13. The aircraft, operated by Swiss charter carrier Avisto, made a forced landing in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya after the pilot reported he had lost power in both engines. The aircraft was ferrying oil workers and had taken off from Tripoli en route to an oil refinery at Marsa el-Brega. There were conflicting reports about the number of persons on board and the number of fatalities.
Airborne Inc., the 10-year-old charter and management company based in Horseheads, N.Y., plans to branch into the fractional ownership market this spring with a fleet of Falcon jets. The company will rename its charter and management business FirstFlight Management and use that operation to manage the fractional aircraft. The company is finalizing the last details and hopes to begin operations in March or April, said Craig Fahning, a former Fairchild Aerospace executive who joined Airborne as vice president-sales and marketing in October.
MESABA HOLDINGS, INC., parent company of Mesaba Aviation, named Robert E. Weil vice president-finance and chief financial officer, effective Jan. 17. Weil most recently served as managing director, finance-ground operations at Northwest Airlines. At Mesaba he will be responsible for leadership of the finance, accounting, investor relations, market planning and purchasing functions. He will report to Paul Foley, president and chief executive of Mesaba.
OREGON TRANPORTATION COMMISSION approved airport maintenance projects totaling more than $500,000 for 24 airports statewide. Most of the project funds will come from 1999 state aviation gas and jet fuel tax increases, while airport owners will supply local matching funds for the projects, which will primarily improve airport pavement. Condon State and Astoria Regional airports are receiving the largest amount of project funding, $54,100 and $54,000, respectively. Projects will include crack sealing and /or fog sealing of runways, taxiways and aircraft parking areas.
A NEW ROUND of hearings on FAA's management of the air traffic control system is possible when Congress returns to Washington. A problem with a Host computer at the Leesburg, Va. Air Route Traffic Control Center early Thursday morning took more than three hours to resolve, resulting in flight delays throughout the Northeast for much of the day. Rep. Edward A. Pease (R-Ind.), a member of the House aviation subcommittee, wanted to fly from Reagan National Airport to give a speech in his district, but he never got off the ground. Rep.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S Integrated Systems and Aerostructures unit delivered the 100th Gulfstream V wing produced at the company's Vought Center in Dallas, Texas. The first 94-foot integrated wing was designed and produced in 25 months. The G-V wing program was relocated from a different site in Dallas to the current location to take advantage of a reconfigured process flow using lean manufacturing techniques, the company said.
THOMAS MOMCHILOV was named to the newly created position of senior vice president-human resources for Northwest. Momchilov, who reports directly to Northwest CEO John Dasburg, will be responsible for the airline's worldwide human resources functions, including staffing and training, benefits administration, compensation, diversity and employee relations. He was corporate vice president-human resources for Reynolds and Reynolds, an information management company based in Dayton, Ohio.
RONALD ARAMINI was appointed president and chief executive of Precision Standard. Aramini previously was senior vice president-operations for America West, and before that, was CEO of Allegheny Airlines. He replaces Precision Standard founder Matthew Gold, who left "to pursue other interests." Precision Standard, with executive offices in Birmingham, Ala., and facilities in Alabama, California and Florida, performs aircraft maintenance and modification for the U.S. government and commercial customers.
UPS Aviation Technologies plans to develop and market a global positioning system module that will be certified for the Wide Area Augmentation System and that can guide aircraft to precise landings at most U.S. airports, the company said. The module, known as the GPS/WAAS "engine," will power a new line of UPS Aviation Technologies navigation products intended for airliners and high-end general aviation aircraft.
WILLIAM SCHULZ, director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Transportation, will leave his post Jan. 21 to become vice president-corporate communications for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). Shulz has overseen DOT public affairs since March 1999. Before that he was deputy director of public affairs, managing strategic communications for the department's major initiatives. Mary Trupo, currently deputy public affairs director, will become acting director of public affairs.
RAYTHEON completed FAA flight certification and Army flight testing of its fixed-base precision approach radar at Fort Campbell, Ky. The tests included demonstration of radar coverage, accuracy, resolution, detection and tracking, and met or exceeded requirements for all three Campbell runways, the company said. The Army is buying the radar to modernize its air traffic services and replace aging precision approach radar, such as the AN/GPS-22.
BIZJET INTERNATIONAL SALES&SUPPORT, Inc., Tulsa, Okla., reorganized its management with 13 promotions. Bizjet named Mike Seney vice president of the Aircraft Division, responsible for all Gulfstream, Falcon, Challenger and Learjet operations. He formerly was vice president of Gulfstream/Challenger operations. Mike Coate, previously director of Gulfstream operations sales/service, was promoted to vice president of aircraft sales and service.
REPRESENTATIVES of the Federal Republic of Germany, the city of Frankfurt am Main and Flughafen Frankfurt/Main AG (the Frankfurt Airport company) signed an agreement with U.S. government officials under which the U.S. Rhein Main Air Base at Frankfurt Airport will return to civilian airport use by the end of 2005. The deal involves the return of approximately 155 hectares still being used by the air base.
THE BELL-BOEING JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE, Patuxent River, Md., was awarded a $634 million contract modification to define the advance acquisition contract for the production of 10 MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, the Pentagon announced. Work on the contract is scheduled to be completed by October 2002. The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command.
