Illustration: Graph: Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for February 1999 (see related graphs on Pages 129 and 130 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries FEB. '96 FEB. '97 FEB. '98 FEB. '99 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 56 34 10 43 20 18 43 33 17 45 33 20 America Jet Outside 6 1 2 9 2 0 8 3 1 11 2 1 N.
House transportation appropriations subcommittee leaders last week voiced strong opposition to taking the aviation trust fund off budget. At the same time, appropriations subcommittee members questioned whether user fees would be a viable alternative.
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE last week approved the National Parks Air Tour Management Act in two separate venues. The act, which provides for the regulation of air tours over national parks, was included in comprehensive aviation reauthorization legislation, H.R.1000. The committee also approved the act as a stand-alone bill, H.R.717, which would allow the measure to continue to proceed through the House even if the more comprehensive legislation stalls.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model Jetstream 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-214-AD) - revises an earlier proposal that would have required repetitive inspections to detect damage of the structure associated with the engine nacelle fairing attached to the wing flaps, and repair of any damage found; drilling a new drain hole in each engine nacelle fairing; and applying a sealant to the gap between the wing flap and engine nacelle fairing. That proposal was prompted by reports of fatigue cracks found in the structure that attaches the engine nacelle fairing to the wing flaps.
A PUBLIC MEETING to discuss the next phase of an environmental noise assessment at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. will be held March 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Connecticut State Fire Academy's Cafeteria. The meeting is designed to "provide details on the analysis in progress for determining the preferred departure procedure(s) for Runway 6-24 at Bradley." For more information, contact the Connecticut Department of Transportation at (860) 594-2550.
A company called Wineco Productions, of Palm Beach, Fla., signed a contract to buy Gallatin Airport, Sumner County, Tenn., 15 miles from Nashville. Facilities on site include a Cessna dealership, an authorized maintenance shop for corporate aircraft and a fuel concession. The airport's runway is 5,000 feet long. Wineco said the airport is used by "high-profile" country music stars thanks to its proximity to Nashville, and it expects further growth in that area.
JET AVIATION BUSINESS JETS, based at Zurich Airport in Switzerland, added a Challenger 601 to its charter fleet. Jet Aviation provides charters with a variety of aircraft, including Cessna Citation II and VII, Challenger 601 and 604, Gulfstream III and DC-8-72.
HOWMET CORP. said the Department of the Air Force withdrew a notice of proposed debarment against the company. The manufacturer said that outside of its Cercast operations, "there was no allegation of wrongdoing of any kind associated with Howmet" so Howmet "is now able to resume accepting U.S. government contracts and subcontracts."
SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE members are drafting a provision to extend the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program for two more months.The provision, which would be included in emergency supplemental appropriations legislation currently before the House and Senate, would give legislators more time to win passage of more comprehensive, long-term reauthorization legislation. Current AIP authorization expires March 31. The House already has approved a six-month extension, but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has opposed the six-month extension.
THE '99 JET&PROPJET CORPORATE DIRECTORY is off the presses, listing more than 18,000 business turbines in operation with 11,826 flight departments worldwide, plus information on another 5,000 turbine-powered aircraft operated by governments and military organizations and turbine aircraft retired or written off. Compiled by Peter Simmonds and David Richardson and published by AvCom International of Wichita, Kan., the 400-plus-page directory provides the registration number, type and model, serial number and owner of each of the aircraft listed.
PIAGGIO P-180 Airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-96-AD) - proposes to require inspecting both (left- and right-wing configurations) environmental control system bleed tubes for damage, leaks, and a correct gap between the tube and wing lower panel crossing area, inspecting the wiring and surrounding structures for damage, and correcting any discrepancies found. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-110-AD) - revises an earlier proposed AD, which would have required repetitive inspections for chafing of various control cables, and replacement of any chafed cable. That proposal was prompted by chafing of various control cables found during inspections conducted at the manufacturer's facility and at overhaul facilities.
RADIO TECHNICAL COMMISSION FOR AERONAUTICS will hold its Annual Spring Forum and Awards Luncheon May 19 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Theme for this year's event is: "Situational Awareness: A Safety Enhancement for Air Traffic Management." For more information, contact Dee Clarke at RTCA at (202) 833-9339.
DANIEL DIAL was appointed a field service representative for Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. Dial will be based in the St. Louis office representing Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. He has 20 years of aircraft maintenance experience serving as an aircraft maintenance technician and aircraft maintenance manager with two corporate flight departments in Texas.
SORIN WALTER GUDEA joined Mercury Air Group as director of management information systems. Gudea previously was director of information systems for Tri-Union International LLC and manager of technical maintenance for ALLTECH Electronics, Inc., both in California.
INMARSAT Council of Signatories agreed to privatize April 15. The Council is soliciting nominations for company directors. The company, to be based in London, initially will be governed by a 14-member fiduciary board of directors with a chief executive officer and 13 non-executive directors. Inmarsat will comprise a two-tier private company, Inmarsat Holdings and Inmarsat Ltd., and an intergovernmental International Mobile Satellite Organization to oversee the organization's public service obligations.
LAURENCE CHAPMAN was elected senior vice president-finance and chief financial officer for The BFGoodrich Company, effec-tive March 15. Chapman joined BFGoodrich in December 1997 as part of the merger with Rohr, where he was senior vice presi-dent and chief financial officer.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHOOL OPERATORS CONFERENCE will be held March 30-April 1 in Allentown, Pa. The two-day session, being hosted by the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania (ACP) in conjunction with the GA Team 2000-Be A Pilot program, is designed for persons who own, operate or manage a flight school in the U.S. or Canada. Speakers will include Ed Stimpson, chairman of the Be A Pilot program, and Jim Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association. For more information, contact ACP at (610) 797-1133; fax, (610) 797-8238.
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS SYSTEMS realigned its senior management team under President and Chief Executive Hubert Naimer. Reporting directly to Naimer under the new management structure are: Charles Edmonson, executive vice president; Joachim (Ted) Naimer, senior vice president; Merrill (Chip) Dumont, vice president and chief financial officer, and, Ken Wise, director of quality and reliability. Marjorie Johnston, corporate admin-istrator, and Dale Williams, who heads the flight department, report to Edmonson.
HAMILTON AVIATION, Tucson, Ariz., and Wagner Aeronautical, Escondido, Calif., received a supplemental type certificate (STC ST00667) from FAA for modification of the floor structure of Boeing 727s to permit carriage of 8,000-pound pallets. The companies said they expect a second STC covering doors and surrounding struc-ture to be issued within 60 days. The new STC will be available as an alternate means of compliance for air-worthiness directives on the 727 floor.
GENERAL AVIATION hours flown were up 5.2 percent last year to 26.8 million, according to FAA estimates, the second consecutive annual increase and the first time that GA hours topped the 26 million mark since 1991 when the industry logged 27.7 million hours. Hours flown by on-demand air taxis jumped 12.7 percent last year to 2.5 million, the highest annual total since 1989 when the industry flew just over 3 million hours.
The U.S. Air Force exercised an option for its fourth C-37A support aircraft, a military version of the very-long-range Gulfstream V business jet. Gulfstream said the aircraft will be delivered in the second quarter of 2000 for the Defense Department's regional Commander-in-Chief (CINC) support mission.
A heart defibrillator from a Qantas Airlines airplane saved the life of a Sydney-bound passenger at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport last month. Passenger Sung Kee Wah suffered a heart attack while waiting to board the flight and a Qantas customer service manager retrieved the device from the Qantas aircraft at the gate to revive him. Qantas said it knows of seven long-term survivors from cardiac arrest following the use of their defibrillators. The airline deployed the devices on its international Boeing 747s and 767s in 1991.
DAVID IVEY was promoted to vice president for Wilson Air Center. Ivey opened Wilson Air Center as general manager in 1996. In his new position, he will be responsible for expanding Wilson Air Center to other locations.
DAN PROSSER was appointed regional sales manager for Avidyne Corporation. Prosser has 30 years of avionics industry experience, most recently as aftermarket sales manager for AlliedSignal. He also has held senior positions with Stevens Aviation, Raytheon Aircraft Services, IFR Avionics and Cutter Aviation.
