ERDA, INC. won a contract to provide seating for Eurocopter's Model 155B twin-turbine helicopter. ERDA will supply VIP bench seats for the EC-155B. ERDA provides seats for a number of OEMs, including Bombardier, Cirrus, Dassault, Fairchild, Galaxy, Piaggio, Pilatus and Raytheon.
DANIEL P. BURNHAM, chairman and chief executive of Raytheon Company, was elected chairman of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association. Karl J. Krapek, president and chief operating officer of United Technologies Corp., was named vice chairman of the AIA board. John W. Douglas was re-elected president and chief executive officer and George F. Copsey was re-elected secretary-treasurer.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will host a REACHBAC meeting Jan. 18 at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans in conjunction with its 9th Annual Corporate Aviation Management Conference. The REACHBAC, co-sponsored by Multi Service Corp., will allow members to discuss issues and concerns with the association. For more information, contact Sandy Wirtz at (202) 862-5552.
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND was selected to supply aircraft electrical wiring for the Fairchild Aerospace 728JET family of aircraft. The contract covers electrical wire harness assemblies, overhead cockpit panel and avionics racks. The agreement follows an earlier contract award from Fairchild to provide the aircraft electrical power, generation, distribution and integrated utility management system for the 728JET. Hamilton Sundstrand teamed with Fokker Elmo B.V. of The Netherlands to develop the electrical wire harness assemblies.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR GARVEY reassigned Louise Maillett, most recently the acting associate administrator for airports, to focus on management changes within the agency. Maillett will look at organizational changes specified in pending House and Senate reauthorization legislation - such as creating a management board and segregating the air traffic control function - and determine what changes the agency already has the authority to make.
Model SVS III standby vacuum systems (Docket No. 98-CE-87-AD; Amdt. 39-11434; AD 99-24-10) - requires incorporating revised operating limitations for the affected standby vacuum systems into the airplane flight manual (AFM), and repetitively inspecting the push-pull cable, vacuum lines, saddle fittings, and shuttle valve for correct installation and damage (wear, chafing, deterioration, etc.). This AD also requires immediately correcting any discrepancy found and conducting a function test of the vacuum system after the inspections.
MARKET EXPECTATIONS that fractional ownership will grow by 20 to 40 percent in the next four to five years has led the New York-based charter and management company, Airborne Inc., to join the fray. Roy Norris, a veteran business aircraft marketer and outspoken advocate of requiring fractionals to meet Part 135 standards, is helping shape the new venture. See article on Page 15.
ROLLS-ROYCE received an order valued at $5 million from the Government of Mexico to power 24 Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger helicopters. Rolls-Royce will provide Model 250-C30P engines for the LongRangers. Delivery of the engines is expected to be completed by September. Variants of the Model 250 power the Bell Helicopter Textron 206B-III, 407 and 430, MD 500, 520N and 600N and Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and TH-67 Creek helicopters.
A fire aboard an Israel Aircraft Industries 1124A Westwind on the morning after Christmas destroyed the aircraft, but all six persons aboard managed to escape without injury.
Model 35, 35A, 36, 36A, 55, 55B, and 55C airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-311-AD) - proposes to rescind an AD that requires installation of a placard on the instrument panel in the cockpit to advise the flightcrew that the Omega navigation system may be inoperative at certain engine speeds. That AD also provides for an optional installation of certain band reject filters, which eliminates the need for the placard.
Model BAC 1-11 200 and 400 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-31-AD; Amdt. 39-11492; Ad 99-27-11) - requires replacing the thrust reverser control unit selector valve with a new or modified valve and inspecting for proper rigging of the thrust reverser cable drums and thrust reverser control unit selector valve detent, and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment also requires revising the airplane flight manual to provide the flight crew with procedures to address uncontrolled operation of the thrust reverser system.
170, 172, 175 and 177 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-24-AD; Amdt. 39-11483; AD 99-27-02) - requires replacing certain fuel selector valve cams or fuel selector valves that Cessna shipped from Dec. 6, 1998 through May 10, 1999, and prevents future installation of these fuel selector valve cams or fuel selector valves. This AD allows the pilot to check the logbooks to determine whether one of these fuel selector valve cams or fuel selector valves is installed.
SAVING GENERAL AVIATION airports is another concern that the coalition brought to FAA. The coalition wants FAA to take a more proactive stance in ensuring that communities meet their federal grant obligations and keep airports open. They also want to work with FAA on improving existing infrastructure to preserve access.
The Micco Aircraft Company, a Ft. Pierce, Fla. firm owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, won an amended type certificate from FAA last week for its two-seat SP20 sport aircraft, the first of what company officials hope will be a line of sport and utility aircraft.
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE is planning a travelling road show around the country this month and next to discuss the importance of aviation investment and the need to dedicate aviation excise taxes to aviation funding.The committee leadership particularly hopes to visit airports that have suffered from interruptions in Airport Improvement Program funding over the past year. Travel plans also include sessions with media boards across the country.
Century Aerospace Corp., which is developing the CA-100 entry-level business jet, plans to move its headquarters from Albuquerque, N.M. to Alliance Airport north of Dallas-Fort Worth in the spring. Century will lease temporary space from Hillwood Development Co. initially, but plans call for construction of a new manufacturing facility. Century said it expects to hire more than 200 full-time employees as development of the CA-100 progresses.
Federal Aviation Administration needs to improve its budget management, address several safety issues, and make changes in its approach to modernizing the air traffic control system, according to the Transportation Department Office of Inspector General (OIG). In a report to Congress late last month on the top-priority management issues for DOT, the OIG cited FAA's safety initiatives, budget management and modernization efforts among 12 concerns facing the department.
CLIFF TOPHAM was appointed director-airline sales for Rolls-Royce North America. Topham will manage a number of airline customers including American Airlines and British West Indian Airlines. He joined Rolls-Royce in 1979 and most recently served as director of sales with International Aero Engines, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce, Pratt &Whitney, JAEC and Daimler-Benz Aerospace MTU Munchen.
The continuing battle between U.S. interests and European governments over tighter aircraft noise and access regulations escalated last week as Belgian officials announced plans to radically cut night flights into Brussels' National Airport by the summer of 2003. Isabelle Durant, the Belgian Green Party Transport Minister, said after the summer of 2003, "no commercial flights will be authorized" between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to a decree she signed Dec. 31.
Model F27 Mark 050, 200, 500 and 600 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-186-AD) - proposes to require installation of certain components and revision of the airplane flight manual. This action is necessary to prevent undetected failures of the horizontal and vertical stabilizer de-icing system, which could reduce controllability of the airplane. FAA estimates that the AD would cover 37 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $684,500. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Feb.
LILLIAN HUNT joined SimuFlite Training International as director-human resources. Hunt has 12 years of experience in human resources. She spent the past five years with GE, most recently as liaison, training/state relations for GE Capital Mortgage Services, Inc. She also served as vice president of human resources for GE Capital Mortgage Services in Houston.
Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-200-AD; Amdt. 39-11489; AD 99-27-08) - requires repetitive inspections of the control quadrant for loose screws and replacement of the control quadrant with a modified part, which constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Flight test engineers at Honeywell's Engines and Systems business (the former AlliedSignal Aerospace unit) are preparing to begin flight tests this month of an AS900 turbofan engine aboard the company's Boeing 720 testbed (BA, Dec. 13/267).
SR TECHNICS of Switzerland signed an agreement to buy a hangar in Palmdale, Calif. and will offer aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services through its subsidiary, SR Technics America. The company initially will focus on DC-10 and MD-10 conversions.
