WILLIAM BORGSMILLER was named regional sales manager for Valley Oil Company. Borgsmiller will be responsible for Northern California, Nevada and Southern Idaho. An Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate, he has managed a full service FBO in Northern California and served as a corporate pilot.
Mercury Air Group said its net income declined for the three months ended March 31, 1999, but net income for the first nine months was three times higher than last year. Net income for the most recent period was $1.07 million on revenues of $53.6 million. That compares with net income of $1.4 million on revenues of $52.7 million a year ago. For the first nine months, Mercury reported net income of $4.3 million on revenues of $162.9 million, compared with earnings of $1.2 million on revenues of $190.5 million for the same period a year earlier.
THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA ordered three CH-47SD Chinook helicopters, the Boeing Company said, with the "Super D" helicopters scheduled to arrive in Taiwan in 2002. The manufacturer said the Republic of China recently signed an initial letter of agreement for three CH-47SDs, a material order for production of six more of the helicopters, and related support services. Taiwan now has three Boeing 234 Commercial Chinooks, flown by the Republic of China Army, primarily for disaster relief, search-and-rescue and VIP transport.
FRASCA INTERNATIONAL received an order to supply four flight training devices to SimuFlite Training International's QuickTurn division. Frasca will provide devices for Cessna, King Air, Aero Commander and Piper training. The devices will be Level 5-approved. Frasca previously supplied a C90 flight training device to Frasca in 1997.
GALAXY AEROSPACE last month began shipping its advanced CD ROM-based maintenance manual for Astra aircraft. The CD ROM manual, developed in conjunction with Jana Inc., will include maintenance manuals, an illustrated parts catalog and wiring diagram manual. The manual uses Link/One as the search engine. Galaxy will issue revisions to the manual on a 90-day cycle.
Long-time aviation enthusiast and pilot Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) made an emergency landing early May 8 near Tulsa, Okla. after the propeller separated from his Grumman Tiger. Inhofe was uninjured as a result of the incident, which coincidentally reunited him with a high school buddy.
THE HOUSE Tuesday approved by voice vote legislation, H.R.1183, that would extend relief from the provisions of the Fastener Quality Act to all fastener manufacturers. The bill builds upon the legislation adopted last year that recognized the Federal Aviation Administration as the sole authority on aviation fastener standards (BA, June 22/275).
THE GROWING SHORTAGE of aviation technicians will be addressed June 7-8 at the kickoff of the industry-sponsored "Make It Fly" program. Hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Daytona Beach, Fla., conference is designed to boost the number of individuals who become aviation maintenance professionals and to spark an interest in aviation as a career among mature technicians in other industries.
The National Transportation Safety Board Association endorsed a bill in the Senate aimed at curtailing FAA's "extensive use of its emergency authority to immediately revoke FAA airman, air carrier and other certificates." The "Hoover Bill," introduced by Sen. James Inhofe, already has received the support of every major segment of the aviation community (BA, April 5/160). S.722 is expected to be offered as an amendment to FAA reauthorization legislation.
SIMCOM INTERNATIONAL won a contract from Socata to provide training for operators of the TBM-700 single-turboprop aircraft. Under the 10-year contract, Simcom will provide initial, recurrent and maintenance training for the TBM-700. Simcom is building a Level 5 simulator, which is expected to be operational by March 1, 2000. In the interim, Simcom will provide the training in an actual TBM-700. Simcom will train the pilots at its Orlando, Fla. facility.
SCOTT ADAMS joined Lektro as an independent representative for its towbarless aircraft tugs. Adams, who will represent the company in California, Nevada and Arizona, has nearly 20 years of aviation experience. He formerly was the aviation service manager at Airflite in Long Beach, Calif.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION issued two advisory circulars for Part 23 aircraft. AC 23.1309-1C, Equipment, Systems and Installations in Part 23 Airplanes, and AC 23.1311-1A, Installation of Electronic Displays in Part 23 Airplanes, provide guidance on complying with federal requirements. Copies of the ACs are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.faa.gov/avr/air/airhome.htm
LUFTHANSA CONSULTING opened an office in Los Angeles, Calif. to focus on growing business opportunities in the U.S., Latin America and Pacific Rim. Lufthansa said the new office "is a strategic partnership with Robert J. Aaronson, a prominent aviation executive and his team of U.S. experts." Aaronson previously served as president of the Air Transport Association of America and director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Aaronson will serve as senior vice president-North America.
DE HAVILLAND Models DHC-2 Mk. I, DHC-2 Mk. II, and DHC-2 Mk. III airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-05-AD) - proposes to require repetitively inspecting the rear fuselage bulkhead at Station 228 for cracks. The proposed AD also would require 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. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Canada.
HOUSE AND SENATE leaders last week agreed on a provision that would extend Airport Improvement Program authorization, due to expire at the end of the month, until Aug. 6, the start of the month-long summer recess for Congress. The provision is expected to be included in the fiscal 1999 supplemental funding package, which is in a House/Senate conference. The decision apparently is linked to assurances that Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster's AIR-21 broad-based aviation package will receive consideration on the House floor the week of June 14.
FlightSafety International is undergoing a major expansion with plans for a number of new centers throughout the U.S. as well as internationally. The company last week announced plans for a center near Memphis International Airport, which will initially house bays for four simulators, including a Saab 340 and a Canadair Regional Jet. At the same time, FlightSafety detailed plans to relocate its Cincinnati training center to Comair's new headquarters at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
RAYTHEON Models C90A, B200, B200C, B200T, B200CT, 300, B300, B300C, and A200CT airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-104-AD; Amdt. 39-11143; AD 99-09-10) - requires installing a filter element in the landing gear hand pump suction line. This AD is the result of reports of the potential for debris to enter the landing gear hand pump and interfere with its operation, which could prevent the nose landing gear from being extended manually. Two occurrences were reported of nose landing gear collapse after manual extension.
Dassault Aviation won an order from National Aircraft Services of Jeddah, Saudia Arabia for 10 Falcon 2000s and the lease of two more. Executive Jet Inc. will operate the aircraft for NAS and NAS will market and sell the Falcon 2000 interests in the NetJets Middle East fractional ownership program. The aircraft will be fitted similarly to the Falcon 2000s operated in Executive Jet's NetJets Europe program. The contract, which could carry a potential value of more than $200 million, calls for delivery of the first Falcon 2000 late next year.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Bombardier this month won European Joint Aviation Authorities type certification for its Global Express long-range business jet. The aircraft won similar approval from Transport Canada July 31 and the Federal Aviation Administration Nov. 13. "This is the last major milestone in the Global Express development program before aircraft are delivered to customers," said John Holding, Bombardier Aerospace executive vice president of engineering and product development.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SE 3130, SE 313B, SA 3180, SA 318B, and SA 318C helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-54-AD; Amdt. 39-11150; AD 99-09-16) - supersedes an existing AD that requires a visual inspection of the main rotor blade reinforcement strips for debonding between the reinforcement strips of the blade; and a visual inspection of the main rotor blade skin for cracks or corrosion, and replacement of the blade with an airworthy blade if certain debonding or a crack or corrosion is found.
ROLLS-ROYCE established a joint venture with partners in Israel for the manufacture of aircraft engine compressor blades. The new company, Techjet (Israel) Ltd., is 50 percent owned by Rolls-Royce, with Blades Technology Ltd. holding a 30 percent share and Wertheimer Company Ltd. owning the remaining 20 percent. Rolls-Royce said that when the new entity is fully established in early 2000, it will forge and machine up to 450,000 compressor blades a year. The new facility is located in Tefen, in northern Israel.
BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH is expanding its facilities at Dahlewitz, near Berlin, Germany, as part of its plans to boost production of its BR700 turbofan product line from 220 to 300 engines a year. The expansion, a 15 million-Deutsche Mark investment program (about $8.2 million U.S.), is expected to be completed by early 2000. BMW Rolls, which currently employs 1,000 people at Dahlewitz, expects to hire an additional 100 employees once the expansion is complete.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS-350B, B1, B2, B3, BA, and D helicopters, and Model AS 355E, F, F1, F2 and N helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-44-AD; Amdt. 39-11139; AD 99-09-06) - requires inspecting the tail rotor spider plate bearing for the proper bearing rotational torque, axial play, and for any brinelling of the bearing. This amendment is prompted by service difficulty reports citing the need to prematurely replace bearings due to wear, and by two in-flight incidents of increased tail rotor vibration levels due to bearing wear.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections.
