DeCrane Aircraft Holdings added another piece to its mini-conglomerate last week with the acquisition of The Infinity Partners, a manufacturer of corporate aircraft interiors and a major vendor to Bombardier. Infinity supplies interiors to Bombardier's Tucson, Ariz. completion center, including manufacturing and fitting cabinetry and installing contour panels on the Challenger 604 and Global Express aircraft.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE is counting heavily on union voters in his quest for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, but he hasn't won over the members of the Professional Airways Systems Specialists who install and maintain air traffic control equipment. PASS said Friday its members will be distributing leaflets at 20 U.S. airports over the holidays warning travelers that FAA's mismanagement threatens the safety and reliability of air travel.
Joel Bacon, a veteran Capitol Hill staffer and lobbyist, is leaving the National Business Aviation Association at the end of the year to join the American Association of Airport Executives. Bacon, who was senior manager-legislative affairs at NBAA for most of the past three years, will join AAAE next month as director of federal affairs. Bacon, a graduate of the University of Kansas, spent four years working for former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) before joining NBAA in November 1996.
ROLLS-ROYCE plans to lay off another 600 workers at its Derby, United Kingdom, large commercial engine facility, the company announced this month. The 600 job cuts are in addition to 400 layoffs announced last month. In total, the company will cut 7.8 percent of its 13,000 workers at Derby in central England. Layoffs affect only large commercial engines, according to spokesman Robert Baugniet. Lower commercial aircraft deliveries and increased engine pricing pressures are blamed for the layoffs.
Models BR700-710A1-10 and BR700-710A2-20 turbofan engines [Docket No. 98-ANE-74-AD; Amendment 39-11425; AD 98-24-03 R1] - requires initial and repetitive visual inspections of the engine compressor and combustion core fairings (also referred to as the engine core fairings) and fasteners for correct installation and damage, and verification that the engine core fairing fasteners are torqued to a higher torque value.
CF34 series turbofan engines [Docket No. 98-ANE-19-AD; Amendment 39-11422; AD 99-23-26] - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires installation of a main fuel control (MFC) that incorporates a flange vent groove and installation of an MFC with improved overspeed protection. This amendment requires replacement of Buna-N O-rings with Viton O-rings or a new location of the vent groove on the MFC mounting flange, or installation of an MFC with improved overspeed protection.
BRICE ALLEN was named service manager for Atlantic Aviation's Flight Support Division at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Allen will manage the facility and its 17 employees. He formerly was operations manager for Atlantic's Chicago Midway Airport facility and also has served with Aero Services.
An FAA Y2K contingency plan for dealing with air traffic control outages "will be done" by Dec. 31, a National Air Traffic Controllers Association official said last week. Chris Sutherland, NATCA's Y2K representative with FAA, earlier said FAA's contingency plan is "nothing more than an unworkable dream."
GARMIN INTERNATIONAL has developed an Echo Flight satellite-based weather data-link system that interfaces with the GNS 430 and GNS 530 displays. Echo Flight uses OBRCOMM's network of low-earth orbit satellites to deliver NEXRAD weather information to the cockpit on request. The data-link has no altitude restrictions and can provide weather information for any location. The data-link also enables pilots to view graphical and textual weather information such as METAR and TAF. Garmin is offering Echo Flight for a monthly subscription.
INMARSAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS is issuing requests for proposals for its fourth generation satellite system, which will have an estimated cost of $1.4 billion (U.S.). The Inmarsat-4 will provide a range of personal multi-media communications. Contracts for the ground network and for user terminal development will be coordinated with the satellite procurement. The new satellites will be in service by the end of 2004.
JET SUPPORT SERVICES INC. teamed with Fleet Capital Corp. to offer financing options with various aircraft maintenance programs. The Fleet Encompass Program covers a number of the JSSI programs, including the Complete hourly cost maintenance program; the Select program covering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance; the Unscheduled program; and Term, an inclusive hourly rate coverage.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD issued a warning about "the fire hazards posed by lithium batteries in an air transportation environment." The board's concern arose from an April 28, 1999 fire in a Northwest Airlines cargo facility at Los Angeles International Airport. The batteries were on a pallet that had been unloaded from a Northwest flight from Japan and caught fire after the shipment tipped over.
JOHN BURR is the new president of the North American Construction and Transportation Division of the CIT Group. He will be responsible for the business development efforts of equipment financing throughout North America in a number of markets, including business aviation. The division has more than 700 employees throughout North America. Burr, 56, has been with CIT Group/Equipment Financing since 1967. CIT Group completed the acquisition of Newcourt Credit Corp. on Nov.
FAA last week issued updated requirements for aircraft dispatcher certification. In the past 30 years few changes have been made to the dispatcher requirements despite the number of technological advances within the industry, FAA noted. The revisions stem from a concern that the dispatcher requirements did not keep pace with those technological advances, the agency said. The final rule, published in the Dec.
Honeywell Officials will be able to enjoy a new experience next month if development work on the AlliedSignal AS 900 engine continues on track (BA, Aug. 16/74). Engineers hope to begin flight tests of the new engine family on the AlliedSignal Boeing 720 testbed in January. Next month's planned flight would mark the first aerial test of a new engine under the Honeywell banner, following the recent merger of the two companies (BA, Dec. 6/256).
Model A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes [Docket No. 99-NM-106-AD; Amendment 39-11405; AD 99-23-09] - adopts a new airworthiness directive, applicable to certain Airbus Model A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes, that requires modification of the electro-distributor for the nose wheel steering servo-control. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Model SN-601 (Corvette) series airplanes [Docket No. 98-NM-365-AD; Amendment 39-11402; AD 99-23-06] - adopts a new airworthiness directive, applicable to all Aerospatiale Model SN-601 (Corvette) series airplanes, that requires repetitive inspections, and repair if necessary, of the locking indication system of the drag strut jack on the main landing gear (MLG) to detect corrosion and damage resulting from its operation. This proposal also requires replacement of seals and backup rings with new parts.
JET AVIATION'S takeover of Jet East's fixed-base operation at Love Field paid quick dividends in increased fuel sales. "Because of the loyal customer base that Jet Aviation enjoys, in the past month fuel sales at...Dallas have nearly tripled, going from an average of 35,000 gallons per month to more than 90,000 gallons per month," the company said. See related article below.
GRAHAM THORNTON will join TRW Aeronautical Systems (Lucas Aerospace) Jan. 1 as vice president of business development. Thornton, 51, will focus on international markets. He replaces David Bundred, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Thornton had been group director-marketing&business development at Smiths Industries Aerospace. Thornton holds a doctorate in cryogenic engineering. From 1975 to 1984 he lectured in engineering science at Oxford University, where he still lectures part time.
C. JEFFREY KNITTEL was named president of CIT Aerospace, where he will be responsible for overall management of the CIT Aerospace commercial aircraft fleet. Knittel began his career with Cessna Finance Company and in 1982 he joined Manufacturers Hanover Leasing Corp. as vice president of its Aviation Group. Knittel holds a bachelor's degree in aviation management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and graduated from The Wharton School of Business Advanced Management Program.
FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE held its last scheduled meeting last week and officials are optimistic their recommendations will be viewed favorably by both the aviation community and FAA.See article below
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP., which previously announced plans to move a large portion of its operations from West Palm Beach, Fla. to Connecticut, has reversed course. The company now plans to keep its Development Flight Center in the Florida city (BA, Aug. 16/75). The decision follows "a thorough analysis of moving to other sites," said Sikorsky President Dean Borgman. The RAH-66 Commanche and S-92 helicopter projects will remain in Palm Beach, but the S-76 helicopter completion and delivery operations will be moved. Candidate locations are still being evaluated.
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES IN AEROSPACE (SPEEA) rejected The Boeing Company's latest contract offer and authorized union leaders to call a strike, if necessary. The union said the Boeing proposal was rejected by a vote of 593-6, and that 84 percent of the engineers approved the strike authorization. SPEEA represents 22,600 engineers and technical workers at Boeing, including 1,350 engineers in Wichita.
A rash of fatal accidents claimed 20 victims late last week in the U.S. and a Piper Navajo crash in Africa resulted in the death of all 10 people aboard. According to preliminary FAA reports, the fatal accidents included:
AIRCHARTER.COM, a San Francisco-based charter reservation system, developed IntellAgent, which analyzes all aspects of a trip and matches itinerary needs with the most suitable aircraft. IntellAgent factors in the number of passengers, aircraft range and speed, baggage capacity, maximum weight limits, time en route and price. IntellAgent then lists suitable aircraft in descending order. The website feature also estimates time en route, local arrival times, and interactive maps. It also allows travelers to view images of the potential aircraft.
