Gulfstream Aerospace has spent more than $5 million in five years to win European Joint Aviation Authorities approval for the G-V business jet, but has fallen victim to a "concerted effort" by Europe to promote its aviation industry at the expense of the U.S. industry, the leading Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee charged last week. Rep.
The CIT Group credited the continued strong economy, improving technology and growth in fractional programs in forecasting steady demand for corporate aircraft in the coming year. The CIT Group/Equipment Financing, which recently finished its Fourth Annual Corporate Aircraft Outlook, predicts sales of new corporate aircraft will increase 3.3 percent this year and next, despite a drop in turboprop unit sales. The Outlook also forecast that the used aircraft market will "remain healthy" but trend downward in 2000.
The Mexican attorney general's office said it will purchase 24 Bell 206L-4 LongRanger helicopters valued at $35 million to use in anti-drug activities. The Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) is the anti-drug office in Mexico that operates helicopters for drug eradication spray missions. Currently the PGR operates a large fleet of Bell helicopters to locate, spray and eradicate marijuana and poppy plantations usually located in remote, mountainous regions of the country.
A flight attendant on Amway Corporation's Falcon 900B was seriously injured this month when the aircraft performed several pitching oscillations while the crew was descending for an approach into Kent County Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. where the flight department is based.
HOUSE AND SENATE conferees held two short meetings last week to begin efforts to resolve differences in the separate House/Senate versions of FAA reauthorization legislation, but their staff members worked into the weekend trying to reach agreement. Time has become critical, since the House and Senate are slated to recess once Congress and the Administration reach agreement on the outstanding appropriations bills. Once that happens, congressional aides and Washington lobbyists agree that Congress may recess without finishing the FAA reauthorization bill.
THE EUROPEAN JOINT AVIATION AUTHORITIES "often acts more like a trade association than a regulatory agency," according to Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee. Lipinski last week took JAA to task for delaying European certification of the Gulfstream V. See article below.
Thayer Aerospace, a major provider of components for business jet and air transport aircraft manufacturers, completed construction and moved into a new manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kan. recently. The new facility covers 80,000 square feet and houses Thayer's high-speed machining division, large five-axis division, turning division, gear and spline division and the company's new sheet metal operations.
BOEING selected Marconi Aerospace ASD Division of Rockville, Md. to be part of the Project Wedgetail team, the Royal Australian Air Force's new airborne early warning and control system aircraft program. Boeing was previously designated as the preferred tenderer for Wedgetail and plans to provide Model 737s modified for air surveillance work. ASD will provide a range of the aircraft's avionics, including cockpit tactical mission displays, command and control consoles and mission computers.
RAYTHEON reported a net loss of $169 million for the third quarter even though sales rose seven percent to $4.7 billion. The loss includes pretax charges of $599 million "for asset write-downs, restructuring provisions and contract adjustments.
Model R44 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-46-AD; Amdt. 39-11331; AD 99-17-17) - publishes an AD that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Robinson Model R44 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires, prior to further flight, replacing certain yoke assemblies with airworthy yoke assemblies. This amendment is prompted by an incident in which, during cruise flight, the pilot heard a loud bang and became aware of lack of tail rotor effectiveness due to a cracked yoke assembly.
Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-99-AD) - proposes to require repetitively inspecting the wing attachment bushings in the fuselage front and rear spar frames for gaps, and replacing the bushings if a gap exists that exceeds a certain length. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for the United Kingdom.
General Dynamics reported third quarter net earnings of $184 million on sales of $2.22 billion, increases of 15.7 and 23.3 percent, and the Falls Church, Va. company said the newly acquired Gulfstream Aerospace accounted for a significant portion of sales and operating earnings.
PRESIDENT CLINTON Oct. 9 signed into law the fiscal 2000 transportation appropriations legislation. The legislation provides $10.08 billion in spending authority for FAA, but has raised concerns from the agency for limits in the operations accounts (BA, Oct. 18/173). The bill also raises industry concern because it completely pays for FAA spending through aviation taxes and eliminates the general fund contribution.
Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-220-AD; Amdt. 39-11310; AD 99-19-21) - requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking around certain fastener holes and adjacent areas of the front spar of the horizontal stabilizers; and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment also requires repetitive X-ray inspections, cold working of certain fastener holes of the front spar of the horizontal stabilizers, and follow-on actions; and installation of new fasteners, which constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections required by this AD.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) included $15 million in the fiscal 2000 defense appropriations legislation for supersonic engine sonic boom research. The measure, which would provide a boost to Gulfstream and Lockheed Martin's research in this area in an effort to develop a supersonic business jet, would make available up to $15 million to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for supersonic aircraft noise mitigation research and development efforts.
United Technologies entered into an agreement to acquire Cade Industries for $5.05 per share in cash, and the assumption of about $20 million in Cade's debt for a total transaction value of approximately $129 million. Cade designs, develops, manufactures, overhauls and repairs high technology composite components for the aerospace and air transport industries. It also designs, builds and services jet engine test facilities and related ground testing equipment.
LISA SCHIEBELHUT was appointed charter sales supervisor for Jet Aviation's Burbank office. Schiebelhut has more than 16 years of charter experience in the Los Angeles area. As charter sales supervisor, she will develop new and maintain existing client relations and oversee daily operations.
Jet Aviation's Teterboro facility conducted the first unscheduled removal of a BMW/Rolls-Royce engine from a Gulfstream V business jet recently, but officials of the engine manufacturer said they do not believe the problem is cause for concern.
A veteran private and commuter pilot joined the staff of the National Business Aviation Association to handle members' questions about tax issues. Greg Jackson, 39, is the new manager of tax issues for NBAA. He will succeed Nel Sanders, who is leaving the association to join Conklin and DeDecker (BA, Sept. 20/135).
JEFFERY SNYDER was appointed director of domestic general aviation sales for Aerospace Products International. Snyder has 20 years of aerospace, distribution, sales and management experience. Most recently he was director of sales for Stevens Aviation and president of Raytheon Aircraft Parts and Distribution Company. He also has held management posts with United Beechcraft, Dassault Falcon Jet and Atlantic Aviation Corporation.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT said the S-92 development program is on target to achieve certification in 2001. The flight test program will include five aircraft that are scheduled to log more than 1,400 flight test hours. Aircraft No. 1 recently completed a 200-hour ground test to check the entire drive system, including main, intermediate and tail rotor gearboxes, No. 2 has flown nearly 90 hours and No. 3 is expected to fly soon.
KLM ENGINEERING&MAINTENANCE and Hamilton Sundstrand formed a joint venture company to repair and overhaul large commercial aircraft pneumatic components for operators in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The new company, to be called European Pneumatic Component Overhaul and Repair (EPCOR) B.V., will begin operations April 1. Hamilton Sundstrand holds a 51 percent stake in the new enterprise and KLM will hold the other 49 percent.
ALLIEDSIGNAL won a contract valued at more than $100 million to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul for auxiliary power units on more than 300 business jets in Executive Jet's fractional ownership program. The 10-year agreement covers AlliedSignal APUs installed on the Dassault Falcon 2000; Raytheon Hawker 800XP and Hawker Horizon; Cessna Citation Excel, VII, X and Sovereign; and Gulfstream IV and V aircraft.
For the first time in more than two years, House and Senate legislators last week began negotiations on comprehensive aviation reauthorization, but addressed only the less controversial items with staff members left to iron out the bigger provisions. The House-Senate conference, which met briefly on Monday and Wednesday, approved more than two dozen provisions addressing issues including aviation security, runway incursion prevention, whistleblower protection, and use of quiet technology aircraft for national park air tours.
Model DHC-8-100 and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-384-AD; Amdt. 39-11324; AD 99-19-37) - requires replacement of the main landing gear (MLG) uplock actuator on both the left and right MLG with a new redesigned uplock assembly. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the MLG to extend when a "gear down" selection is made. FAA estimates that the AD will cover 148 airplanes on the U.S.
