WHEN ASKED about the status of the Administration's appointments to the long-awaited 15-member Management Advisory Council, Slater told the transportation appropriations subcommittee that the announcement of the appointments should come "very, very soon." FAA reauthorization legislation adopted in the fall of 1996 mandated the creation of the MAC as a forum for FAA to receive input from the aviation industry and community.
Visionaire Corp. engineers hope to identify most design changes necessary to resolve weight and performance problems with the Vantage single-engine business jet by mid-April and company officials told BA last week they remain confident of raising the rest of the approximately $200 million needed to bring the program to certification and initial deliveries.
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems opened a new laser direct manufacturing research facility in its Fort Worth, Texas plant last month, a move that officials said will lead to substantial reductions in the amount of time and money required to manufacture complex aircraft parts.
ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES began providing three daily nonstops between Wichita, Kan. and Atlanta, Ga. last week with Canadair Regional Jets. Another Delta Connection carrier that operates CRJs, Comair, added a fourth daily nonstop between Wichita and Cincinnati last week.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT was believed to be nearing completion of the acquisition of the AMR Combs chain of fixed-base operations Friday, after the Justice Department approved the deal on condition that Signature dispose of three FBOs because of antitrust concerns. Signature reportedly agreed to sell facilities at the Palm Springs, Calif. Regional Airport, Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn., and at Denver's Centennial Airport as a condition of getting the AMR acquisition okayed by government officials. Signature parent BBA Group of the U.K.
RICHARD MILLER was named director of operations for Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation's Part 135 and 121 certificate business. Miller spent 28 years with Piedmont Airlines/USAirways and also has held safety training accident investigation and FAA liaison roles with various aviation firms.
RICHARD FOLEY was appointed vice president and corporate director of contracts for Raytheon Company. Foley joined Raytheon in 1967 and most recently served as corporate director of contracts. RICK HENSON was named general manager of Wilson Air Center. He previously was aviation division manager for Dees Oil.
SOUTHWEST JET AVIATION added a Cessna Citation Ultra to its JetPartners fractional ownership program. Southwest Jet Aviation, based at Scottsdale Ariz. Municipal Airport, provides a range of aircraft services including charter, sales and acquisition, aircraft management and hangar services. Southwest's charter fleet consists of a CitationJet, Learjet 35, Hawker 800 and two Citation Xs.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 72 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-118-AD; Amdt. 39-11049; AD 99-04-24) - requires a one-time inspection to detect damage of certain anchor nuts located on the upper surface of the wings, and replacement of the anchor nuts with new or serviceable nuts, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK received the first executive jet at its new VIP center in Hamburg, Germany, a Boeing 737 Business Jet owned by Michael Chowdry, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Atlas Air. "Our extensive experience in servicing Boeing 737s plus our excellent reputation as a completion center were what ultimately decided our launching customer to go with Lufthansa Technik," the company said. Chowdry's BBJ is expected to be completed about the end of August.
The U.S. aviation industry had one of its safest years ever, with no passenger fatalities on scheduled airlines and lower accident rates for air taxi and general aviation operators, the National Transportation Safety Board said last week.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD will hold a public meeting March 23 to discuss its investigation and findings in the crash of USAir Flight 427, which occurred Sept. 8, 1994 near Aliquippa, Pa. when the Boeing 737 was on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport. Boeing 737s have been the subject of airworthiness directives requiring checks of the rudder system as a result of that accident. The NTSB meeting, which may run into March 24, will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Springfield, Va. Hilton Hotel.
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION PROPOSAL to impose $1.496 billion in new user fees to help fund the fiscal 2000 FAA budget received a cold shoulder from members of the Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee last week.Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) reminded Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater Thursday that new user fees have been rejected by Congress in the past and they will be difficult to enact this year. Sen.
Docket No.: 27724 Petitioner: Academics of Flight Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 65.17(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Academics of Flight to administer a school aircraft dispatcher written examination to graduates of its FAA-approved aircraft dispatcher program, in lieu of the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher written exam. Denial, Jan. 13, 1999, Exemption No. 6851 Docket No.: 29184 Petitioner: Arctic Air Service, Inc. Section of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.152(a)
CASA Model C-212 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-141-AD; Amendment 39-11026; AD 99-04-02) - requires repetitive visual inspections for damage or "electrical spark marks" on the cover plates for the fuel pumps, and corrective actions, if necessary. This AD also requires modification of the fuel pump installation by incorporating a non-conductive film on the cover plate, which constitutes terminating action for this AD. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
DAN NICHOLS joined Tailwind Inspection as a partner. Nichols pre-viously spent 12 years as the NDT manager for Gulfstream Aero-space (formerly K-C Aviation).
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), flanked by other senior committee leaders Thursday, introduced his promised comprehensive aviation package that will take the Airport and Airways Trust Fund off budget and establish a "firewall" to ensure a continued contribution from the federal general fund toward the Federal Aviation Administration's budget.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION and the National Business Aviation Association are sponsoring the 44th Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar April 27-29 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Theme of the meeting is "Foundations and Frontiers." For more information, contact Ahlam Wahdan at (703) 739-6700.
WESTERN AIRCRAFT promoted three senior executives. John Penn was named chief executive officer, responsible for the overall direction of the company. Penn also serves as chief executive and vice chairman of Western affiliate Satellite Companies in Minnesota. Allen Hoyt was named president-aircraft sales division, responsible for all aircraft sales activities, including the Pilatus dealership. Tim Hilde was named president-aircraft operations division, overseeing all operations activities including service center arrangements for Pilatus, Hawker, Beechcraft and Cessna.
GALAXY AEROSPACE appointed Zimex Aviation, Zurich, Switzerland, as an authorized service center. Zimex, which has been an authorized service center for AlliedSignal for years, is Galaxy's third authorized service center in Europe.
CHRYSLER PENTASTAR AVIATION has begun scheduled shuttle service for DaimlerChrysler employees between the company's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and Auburn Hills, Mich. Chrysler Pentastar is providing the business-class service with an Airbus A320 reconfigured to accommodate 52 passengers. The company ordered an Airbus 319 CJ, which will replace the A320 in the Transatlantic Star shuttle service. Delivery of the 319 CJ is slated for the fourth quarter of this year. Chrysler Pentastar officials noted that last year's merger between Chrysler Corp.
FAA will host an airport technology conference April 11-14 in Atlantic City, N.J., the home of FAA's Technical Center. The FAA Worldwide Airport Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition is expected to attract more than 700 participants, who will be invited to tour the FAA Technical Center including the new National Airport Pavement Test Facility and Full-Scale Fire Facility. Co-sponsors include Airports Council International-NA, the American Association of Airport Executives and the National Association of State Aviation Officials.
United Technologies Corp. moved to solidify its place in the aerospace supplier market with an agreement to acquire parts maker Sundstrand Corp. for $4.3 billion in cash and stock, the companies reported last week. The transaction will be 50 percent cash - 50 percent stock merger, and Sundstrand will be combined with UTC's Hamilton Standard division, forming one of the world's largest suppliers of airframe components and sub-systems. The new entity will be called Hamilton Sundstrand.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SERVICES won an FAA repair station certificate for its newest service center at Atlantic City, N.J. International Airport. The 20,000-square-foot facility includes parts storage, avionics and maintenance shops, a flight charter department, flight planning area, executive terminal, conference room, guest offices, pilots' lounge and sales and administrative offices. The facility also has an adjacent 29,000-square-foot hangar. Raytheon expects the center to eventually employ 100 technicians and office personnel.
