GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION published a report commemorating the five-year anniversary of the Aug. 17, 1994 signing of the General Aviation Revitalization Act. The brochure details the creation of 25,000 new jobs, the doubling of aircraft production and exports, development of new products and increase in student pilots. For a copy of the commemorative report, contact GAMA at (202) 393-1500.
Century Aerospace Corp. partnered with SGL Carbon Composites/Hitco to develop a carbon-composite fuselage for the Century Jet CA-100. Century, which valued the deal at $60 million, said the agreement "not only symbolizes a milestone in regard to CA-100 production, but also represents SGL's entrance as a major risk-sharing partner." The agreement covers the forward fuselage shell, aft shell, forward/aft fuselage splice joint, tailcone fairing, wing/body fairing and aft pressure bulkhead.
MIKE ABLES was named manager, major modification sales for Midcoast Aviation. Ables has a background in aviation sales, corporate flight departments and military aviation. He formerly served with the U.S. Air Force, Gulfstream Aerospace, K-C Aviation and Hudson Foods.
DON RICHARDS, former Banyan Air Service executive, formed a new aircraft brokerage firm with his daughter Robin in Boca Raton, Fla. The new firm, Jet Quest, the Corporate Aircraft Marketplace, will specialize in sales, marketing, acquisition and brokerage of corporate aircraft. Contact Don or Robin Richards at (561) 338-7710 for more information.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE and the Federal Aviation Administration asked a group of outside experts to review and critique the validation of noise models for Grand Canyon National Park. NPS and FAA used the computer-generated noise models - which predict air tour aircraft noise over Grand Canyon National Park - as the basis for proposed restrictions on Grand Canyon air tours.
Bell Helicopter Textron, in the midst of a $300 million capital improvement program in the Fort Worth, Texas area, bought a three-story office building and surrounding land at Alliance Airport to house its BA 609 tiltrotor training and delivery center. The office also will serve as the headquarters for the new Bell/Agusta Aerospace joint venture, formed to produce vertical lift aircraft in the five- to eight-ton class. Bell/Agusta will jointly build and market the BA 609, a six- to nine-seat civil tiltrotor, and the AB 139 medium twin-engine helicopter.
Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for June 1999 (see related graphs on Pages 93 and 94 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries JUNE '96 JUNE '97 JUNE '98 JUNE '99 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 32 28 11 54 38 30 65 32 25 61 28 19 America
AIR ROUTING INTERNATIONAL teamed with the U.S. Customs Service to improve communications between customs and business aircraft operators. Their joint project, Aviation Service Initiative, will entail surveys of corporate operators on service from Customs officials. The surveys will cover professionalism, courtesy, promptness, thoroughness and other aspects of the Customs exam process. Air Routing will administer the surveys and report the results to Customs.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT appointed Richard Blaze general manager of its Cedar Rapids, Iowa facility and Jonathan Buff GM for Albany, N.Y. operations. Blaze, who has served with Signature for 28 years, has held a number of positions for the company's bases in Detroit and Chicago. In his new position, he will oversee fixed-base operations and commercial airline support operations at the Eastern Iowa Airport facility. Buff, similarly will oversee FBO and airline support at Albany International Airport.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 72 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-273-AD) - proposes to require a revision to the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate inspections for fatigue cracking in certain structures, inspection intervals, and life limits for certain components. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 42 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-270-AD) - proposes to require a revision to the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate inspections for fatigue cracking in certain structures, inspection intervals, and life limits for certain items. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
FLYING AMERICA'S WEATHER was published by Aviation Supplies&Academics, Inc. Written by Thomas A. Horne, the veteran pilot and writer for AOPA Pilot magazine, the 350-page paperback provides a detailed look at weather pilots can expect to encounter in different areas of the country. The book includes descriptive maps and charts and recent research findings, coupled with Horne's 3,500 hours of experience flying in some 200 different airplanes.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION this month published petitions from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association and National Air Transportation Association for exemption from drug and alcohol testing requirements for local sightseeing flights conducted under visual flight rules during the day for charity or community events (BA, July 12/14). Comments on those petitions must be sent in triplicate before Aug. 26 to FAA, Office of the Chief Counsel, Attn.: Rules Docket (AGC-200), 800 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20591.
DE HAVILLAND Models DHC-2 Mk. I, DHC-2 Mk. II, and DHC-2 Mk. III airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-05-AD; Amdt. 39-11226; AD 99-15-07) - requires repetitively inspecting the rear fuselage bulkhead at Station 228 for cracks. This AD also requires repairing any crack found or replacing any cracked rear fuselage bulkhead in accordance with a repair or replacement scheme obtained from the manufacturer through FAA. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Canada.
WESTERN AIRCRAFT, the Boise, Idaho fixed-base operation, named Tom Austin president of aircraft operations. Austin has 25 years of business and aviation experience, most recently as vice president of modifications and completions for Kal-Aero in Battle Creek, Mich.
The government of Greece agreed to buy 45 of Raytheon Aircraft's T-6A trainer aircraft, a ground-based training system and integrated logistical support in a contract valued at more than $200 million, Raytheon said this month. The T-6A single-turboprop trainers will replace the Hellenic Air Force's aging T-41 and T-37 trainer fleet. Raytheon will configure the initial lot of 25 similarly to the T-6A aircraft slated for the U.S. Air Force and Navy as part of its Joint Primary Aircraft Trainer System (JPATS) program.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE this month delivered the 50th Gulfstream V a little more than 30 months after receiving FAA certification for the aircraft. The company, which received FAA approval in February 1997, has orders for 150 of the long-range business jets.
Bombardier Aerospace moved Robert Gillespie from the top regional position to head up its Business Aircraft Division and promoted Steven Ridolfi to president of the Regional Aircraft Division. Gillespie fills a position left open since February, when Michael Graff was elevated to president of Bombardier Aerospace (BA, Dec. 14/265). Both Gillespie and Ridolfi report to Graff.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE boosted the production rate of the Canadair Regional Jet from 7.5 aircraft per month to 9.5. This will lead to an annual production rate of 112 units, an increase of more than 25 percent at manufacturing facilities in Dorval, Quebec. The production increase comes as Atlantic Coast Airlines bought 20 50-passenger CRJs in a deal valued at $450 million. ACA set up a separate subsidiary corporation, ACA Management, to operate the aircraft.
LEARJET Model 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 55, and 60 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-372-AD; Amdt. 39-11238; AD 99-16-03) - requires a one-time detailed visual inspection of the electrical wire leads of the horizontal stabilizer anti-ice system to verify that the numbers on the wire leads correctly correspond to the numbers on the connected airframe wiring; installation of a wire ID strap on the left-and right-hand sides of each terminal block; and installation of a warning placard.
WOODY MCCLENDON was named vice president of the aircraft management division for Million Air Monterey. McClendon previously served as sales manager for Cirrus Design Corp. He also has acted as aviation manager for the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK of the U.S. formed a partnership program with 30 trade associations to aimed at helping small and medium U.S companies export goods and services through increased use of Ex-Im Bank. Under the Trade Association Partners Program, trade associations will detail to members Ex-Im Bank's financing programs and refer interested companies to the bank's regional offices. For more information on TAPP, call Gerald Solomon, TAPP manager, at (800) 565-3946, ext. 3904, or Susan Hein, TAPP coordinator, at ext. 3915.
