ERDA, INC., Peshtigo, Wis., developed new technology to enable aircraft seat installation in most cabin floor track positions. ERDA's Adaptrack system will allow a wider array of cabin configurations and seat selections, ERDA said. As an example, ERDA said its large executive seat developed for the Boeing Business Jet could be fitted in other aircraft, including the Gulfstream V and Galaxy with the Adaptrack system. The system was first used on a Pilatus PC-12, ERDA said.
FAIRCHILD AEROSPACE, which recently secured its launch customer for the 728JET airliner in a $1.6 billion, 60-aircraft order from Lufthansa (BA, May 3/199), said orders and options for its 328JET and 728JET programs have reached $6.7 billion. Firm orders account for more than $3.7 billion of that total, Fairchild said. Fairchild said certification of the 32-44-seat 328JET is scheduled for the end of June with initial deliveries to launch customer Skyway Airlines, to begin shortly afterward.
SECURAPLANE received parts manufacturer approval for its wireless smoke detection installation on Boeing 727 aircraft for Class D and E lower cargo compartment upgrades. Securaplane said the smoke detection system can be installed overnight and eliminates single-point failures associated with wired systems. The system also allows wireless maintenance diagnostics outside the aircraft.
PURITAN-BENNETT C351-2000 series passenger oxygen masks and portable oxygen masks (Docket No. 98-CE-29-AD; Amdt. 39-11130; AD 99-08-21) - requires inspecting the passenger and portable oxygen masks for tears around the face cushion adjacent to the inner mask housing, and replacing or repairing any torn passenger or portable oxygen mask. This AD is the result of reports received from three airplane manufacturers of defective oxygen masks.
The long-range auxiliary fuel tank system for the Boeing Business Jet won supplemental type certification from FAA last week. PATS, Inc., Columbia, Md., which manufactures and installs the tanks at its Georgetown, Del. plant, received the STC for the fuel system provisions in February and for the fully operational system Thursday. A BBJ equipped with a PATS nine-tank system completed the longest nonstop 737 flight, 6,252 nautical miles in 13 hours, 51 minutes, earlier this year.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE is developing a color multi-function display for piston and light turbine aircraft. The Bendix/King KMD 150, the third in a series of new color display products for general aviation aircraft, includes customized moving map modes that will represent aircraft position relative to geographic features including rivers, roads, lakes, coastlines, cities, railroad tracks and towns. KMD 150 can interface with compatible IFR-certified Loran or GPS systems for instrument flight rules.
National Air Transportation Association, which expressed reservations about a proposed Flight Safety Foundation program to audit Part 135 air charter operations, arranged a meeting next month between its charter committee and FSF officials to discuss the new Q-STAR Certified Quality Charter Providers program (BA, May 10/213). FSF unveiled its program at its 44th annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar last month in Cincinnati, Ohio, to audit participating charter providers for standards of safety, management, crew qualification, equipment and maintenance.
Apparently convinced that Gulfstream Aerospace revenues and profits will continue to rise, General Dynamics agreed to pay a premium price last week to get back into the business jet market it abandoned seven years ago when it sold Cessna Aircraft to Textron (BA, Jan. 27, 1992/35).
RAY LANDY was appointed vice president and practice manager of Daniel, Mann, Johnson&Mendenhall's construction and facilities management practice. Landy has served with DMJM for 20 years, working for clients in defense, aerospace, aviation, urban planning and development and the entertainment and commercial sectors.
National Transportation Safety Board this month stimulated renewed industry concern after issuing a series of recommendations to the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to implement new flight and duty time limitations.
ROBERT FROST was selected by the U.S. Aerobatic Foundation as the team manager/delegate for the 1999 Advanced Team. Frost, an advanced competitor and national aerobatic judge, will serve as the U.S. delegate at the Advanced World Aerobatic Championships.
WILLIAM JOHNSON was appointed a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft sales specialist for Alpha Flying Service. Johnson has more than 25 years of general aviation experience, serving as director of sales for Aerospatiale's TBM 700 program and vice president of Pilatus sales for Skytech.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won a contract with Wayfarer Aviation to train more than 100 pilots over the next four years. Wayfarer also contracted for aircraft maintenance training from FlightSafety. The contracts also cover customer service and dispatcher training. FlightSafety will develop a special integrated training plan to coordinate programs.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION published its 1999 General Aviation Statistical Databook, which provides historical statistical information on U.S. general aviation aircraft shipments and billings as well as data on aviation safety and hours flown by GA aircraft. The databook costs $10. To obtain a copy, write GAMA, 1400 K Street, N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C. 20005-2485; or contact GAMA through its web site at www.generalaviation.org
BFGOODRICH AEROSPACE received FAA approval for installation of its FASTboot pneumatic de-icers on Beech King Air and 1900 aircraft. The deicers previously were approved for Saab, Dash 8 and Embraer turboprops. BFGoodrich said the FASTboot de-icers can be installed quickly and simply with no adhesive drying time.
CESSNA Model 182S airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-125-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 98-13-10, which currently requires repetitively inspecting all engine exhaust muffler end plates (four total) for cracks, and replacing any muffler on which an end plate is found cracked. AD 98-13-10 also requires fabricating and installing a placard that specifies immediately inspecting all engine exhaust muffler end plates any time the engine backfires upon start-up. The proposed AD is the result of Cessna developing an improved design exhaust system for the Model 182S airplanes.
IN A MORE SERIOUS VEIN, Garvey reiterated FAA's new incremental approach to airspace modernization. "With every structural and program improvement we 'build a little, test a little,'" she said. "We're confident that incremental approach will work better than the 'big bang' theory that brought us some trouble in the past. We've learned that it is far better to take many small steps than one big stumble. Real world complexity - more often than not - will defeat our best efforts to plan for the big bold move," she said.
HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION requests proposals until 2 p.m. June 3 for supply and delivery of Jet A fuel to Honolulu International Airport (Project No. F0156-99). Plans and specifications may be examined at and borrowed from the Contracts Office, DOT, 869 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
U.S. AIR FORCE BASE CONVERSION AGENCY this month signed over the deed for 1,300 acres of airport property to the Rickenbacker Port Authority in Columbus, Ohio. The relinquishing of the deed gives the Port Authority ownership of Rickenbacker International Airport, which includes two 12,000-
CESSNA AIRCRAFT opened a new 112,000-square-foot aircraft interior installation facility at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kan. Cessna will use the facility as the primary site for Citation interior fabrication and installation along with component storage and related office functions. Cessna said the facility includes a 42,000-square-foot high-bay hangar, a multi-level stockroom, small parts fabrication and a cut and sew area. Cessna will employ 300 at the new facility.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE recommended increasing discretionary transportation spending for fiscal 2000 by $400 million, despite tight budget caps that call for up to a $500 million cut below fiscal 1999 levels. Transportation, which fared better in the House than many government agencies, is not expected to receive the same treatment in the Senate. Senate leaders are expected to "spread the pain" of the budget limitations across all government agencies, sources predicted.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT promoted Todd Duhnke to Citation international sales director, responsible for sales in the Far East, Pacific Rim, Latin American and Canada. Duhnke, most recently Caravan regional sales manager at Cessna, has more than 20 years of aircraft sales experience. Cessna tapped Chuck Dirks to succeed Duhnke as Caravan regional sales manager. Dirks, most recently Caravan sales administrator, will be responsible for new Caravan sales in the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
