FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, who this month outlined to the International Civil Aviation Organization U.S. plans for transitioning to a satellite-based system for navigation, urged the international forum to work with the U.S. to form a "seamless, global network" and protect satellite frequencies.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won a contract from the British Regional Airlines for Embraer ERJ-145/135 simulator training near the airline's Manchester, England hub. The 15-year agreement calls for the FAA/JAA Level D simulator to be installed by first quarter 2000. The Isle of Man-based carrier is slated to have 12 ERJ-145s by early 2000. The United Kingdom facility will be FlightSafety's second site for an ERJ-145/135 simulator. FlightSafety is expecting certification on an ERJ-145 simulator at its Paris/Le Bourget center in April.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will hold a Tax Forum April 12 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. The forum is designed to introduce aviation professionals, tax specialists and others to aviation tax laws and issues. The forum will include sessions on aircraft operations-Federal Aviation Regulations; aircraft operations-federal and state taxes; personal/nonbusiness use of corporate aircraft; like-kind exchange of aircraft with depreciation and passive activity loss rules; and financial, tax and insurance planning.
HOUSE Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders have turned their attention to the House Budget Committee, which is drafting a 10-year blueprint for the federal government's budget and spending priorities. Transportation leaders hope to convince budgeteers to place a priority on aviation. This is particularly important because if the Budget Committee holds down FAA's budget Transportation Committee leaders will have a much harder time selling their reauthorization package - which would dramatically increase FAA funding - in the House.
WARRIOR (AERO-MARINE), based in Lymington, United Kingdom, has entered discussions with several potential international investors to launch development of the Centaur six-seat, light amphibious aircraft. Warrior unveiled the Centaur during the 1998 Farnborough International Air Show with a new hull design that the company said will out-function comparable seaplanes while reducing costs-per-seat-mile.
The Senate Wednesday unanimously approved legislation extending the Airport Improvement Program for two months beyond the impending March 31 expiration date. The legislation, S.643, was approved a day after Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) met with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to ensure that the Senate will consider more extensive aviation reauthorization legislation within weeks after the Senate returns from its spring recess.
JAMES WHITE was named inventory coordinator for the Learjet Division of Professional Aviation Associates. White previously served with Solair, Delta Airlines Operations Center, AVSCO Aviation Service Corporation, Piedmont Aviation Supply and Hangar One.
MARILY MORA was appointed director of administration for the Airport Authority of Washoe County, Nev. Mora will be responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of Reno/Tahoe and Reno Stead Airports. She previously was deputy director of aviation for business development, marketing and community relations for San Jose, Calif. International Airport.
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE came under fire from air tour operators and Rep. James Hansen (R-Utah) for its latest proposal to restrict commercial air tour flights over Grand Canyon National Park.A "public notice" published by NPS establishes a "noise threshold of ambient sound minus 8 dB," a level that would force all aircraft to avoid flying anywhere in the vicinity of GCNP, according to the United States Air Tour Association (USATA).Hansen said the new standard "will have significant and severe, negative impacts on the air tour industry."
USATA warned other aviation groups this month that the NPS action at the Grand Canyon is a problem for all segments of aviation, not just air tour operators. See article below.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION sent an "Action Call" to its members Thursday asking them to immediately contact FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and members of Congress to help prevent implementation of new European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) rules for flight training. "If immediate action is not taken by Administrator Garvey, as of June 1, 1999, U.S. flight schools will be unable to train foreign students and have that training recognized by the JAA for conversion to a JAA certificate.
NASA ADMINISTRATOR DAN GOLDIN issued a challenge Friday at the Women in Aviation International conference in Orlando, Fla., asking members to join in a cooperative effort with NASA to encourage more women to enter the aviation and aerospace industry. Goldin cited the low percentage of women in various areas, 1.2 percent of commercial airline pilots, less than three percent of aircraft engine mechanics, and said NASA would provide educational and support activities to increase female participation in the industry.
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. said the U.S. Navy has authorized the start of negotiations regarding a cooperative agreement for Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. A cooperative agreement will permit the county to be reimbursed for maintaining base facilities after the Marines leave the base in July.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a comprehensive aviation package Thursday that would take the Airport and Airway Trust Fund off budget, boost funding levels sharply for the Federal Aviation Administration and significantly bolster general aviation airport funding (BA, March 8/107). The bill, H.R.1000, entitled the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21), also contains scores of other provisions urged by nearly all facets of aviation.
MERCURY AIR GROUP was selected to provide aircraft maintenance for startup airline AccessAir in Los Angeles. AccessAir, based in Des Moines, Iowa last month began daily flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines, Iowa; the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, and New York City. Mercury will provide turnaround maintenance and overnight maintenance checks for AccessAir in Los Angeles as well as aviation fuel.
Dassault Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this month with Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB) and Aeroservices, S.A. regarding construction of a general aviation service center in Greece. The new facility would be located on the new Athens International Airport in Spata, Greece, which is scheduled to open in two years in March 2001. The new service center would be able to service and maintain all Falcon business jets manufactured by Dassault and other aircraft operated in the southern Europe and eastern Mediterranean area.
JAN MCINTIRE, Cessna's Aircraft's director of corporate communications for the past two years, is resigning at the end of the month. She and her husband, who retired a number of years ago, plan to relocate to Tucson, Ariz., where they formerly lived. Until a successor for McIntire is hired, communications duties will be handled by Jennifer Whitlow, Cessna's public relations manager.
BRYAN T. MOSS, vice chairman of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., is one of 38 U.S. business executives who will accompany Commerce Secretary William Daley on trade missions to Korea and China this month. The group will be in Korea March 25-28 and then stop in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China March 28-April 1. Senior officials from the Departments of Energy, Transportation and the U.S. Export-Import Bank also will be part of the delegation to China.
THE 1999 EDITION of the Pilot's Guide to Flying in the Guard&Reserve was published by Aviation Information Resources, Inc. The 368-page paperback lists more than 280 units in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 31 types of aircraft and contact numbers for pilots who want to join Guard or Reserve units. Copies of the book can be purchased for $35.95 for AIR members or $40.95 for non-members. For more information, contact AIR at (800) 247-2777.
IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION from House transportation appropriations subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R-Va.), DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead admitted last week that the Federal Aviation Administration has "wasted" at least $2.5 billion since 1982 on air traffic control modernization efforts that never came to fruition. A big chunk of that, Mead noted, is attributed to the $1.6 billion lost when FAA gave up on its Advanced Automated System.
Charter operator Sunjet Aviation, Inc. is expanding its capabilities with a groundbreaking this week for a new fixed-base operation at the Orlando, Fla. Sanford Airport. Plans call for a 23,250-square-foot terminal building with a passenger waiting area, flight planning room, pilots lounge and a small business conference room. The new facilities also will include a 15,500-square-foot hangar, increasing Sunjet's total hangar space to nearly 50,000 square feet.
CADE INDUSTRIES, INC., Okemos, Mich., won $12.6 million in contracts for engine test equipment from six engine manufacturers and two major U.S. airlines. The contracts call for Cade to design and manufacture engine test equipment and data acquisition systems for current- and next-generation engines.
GA TEAM 2000, which operates the Be A Pilot learn-to-fly promotional program, named three new members to its Board of Trustees: Carol Hallett, president and chief executive of the Air Transport Association; Jack Olcott, president of the National Business Aviation Association; and Thor Solberg, president of Solberg Aviation and chairman of the National Air Transportation Association. The organization also named Hal Shevers, founder and chairman of Sporty's, vice president and Cyndy Brown, executive director of Be A Pilot, secretary treasurer.
ATLAS AIR will open a crew base in Anchorage, Alaska over the next three months and station 35-70 pilots there to support its growing presence on transpacific and European routes. Atlas operates a fleet of Boeing 747-200 and -400 freighter aircraft on behalf of major international airlines.
SAAB Model SF340A and SAAB 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-373-AD; Amendment 39-11031; AD 99-04-07) - requires a review of the airplane maintenance records to identify the bottom engine vibration isolator, an inspection of the aft engine vibration isolator to determine whether the deflection is within limits, and various follow-on actions. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
