BOMBARDIER Model DHC-7 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-295-AD; Amdt. 39-11021; AD 99-03-07) - requires removal of all attachment bolts and pre-load indicating (PLI) washers of the wing-to-fuselage attachment fittings; a one-time visual inspection to detect corrosion of each attachment bolt; and installation of new attachment bolts and PLI washers of the wing-to-fuselage attachment fittings. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
CARL ALLY, a fighter pilot who won a Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II and a reputation as an innovative, aggressive advertising executive on Madison Avenue, died Feb. 15 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Rowayton, Conn. Ally headed Carl Ally Inc. and Ally&Gargano and was involved in designing ad campaigns for a number of aviation enterprises. He was credited with boosting the fortunes of Federal Express and MCI with memorable advertising campaigns.
Used Retail Deliveries JAN. '96 JAN. '97 JAN. '98 JAN. '99 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 39 19 14 48 29 12 37 34 10 72 61 21 America Jet Outside 8 3 1 7 0 1 2 1 5 16 3 0 N. America Prop North 1 64 0 0 64 0 1 80 0 8 103 2 America
RICHARD MORGAN was appointed manager of Elliott Aviation's new interior refurbishment center in Moline, Ill. Morgan has managed all aspects of the aircraft completions process, including maintenance, avionics, paint, interior refurbishment, process management and training.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT Models B300 and B300C airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-16-AD; Amdt. 39-11008; AD 99-02-16) - requires modifying the elevator trim tab actuators by incorporating a new elevator trim tab actuator assembly kit, replacing the elevator trim tab pushrod assembly, or modifying the elevator spar opening, whichever is applicable. Reports from operators of ice forming on the elevator trim tab actuators and jamming the trim tab control prompted this action.
BRITISH AEROSPACE made it official - the company delivered its last new turboprop-powered aircraft at the end of 1998. BAe and its predecessor companies had built turboprops for 50 years, beginning with the Viscount, which first flew in July 1948. The company said, "It is clear that regional airlines are increasingly favoring jet aircraft." The last new turboprops delivered were an ATP to British World Airlines in December and two Jetstream 41s to Hong Kong.
Four parked aircraft were struck and at least two of those were destroyed after a Gulfstream II landing at Van Nuys, Calif. Airport Tuesday blew its tires, ran off Runway 16R and crashed through a fence, according to a preliminary FAA accident report. The Gulfstream II, N7711TE, owned by Trans-Exec Air Service of Santa Monica, Calif., was "substantially damaged" in the accident, but there were no reported injuries, FAA said. Four people - two crew and two passengers - were aboard the G-II at the time of the accident.
JOHN MOYN, vice president of sales and marketing for the Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group, expanded his responsibilities to cover the U.S., Mexico and Central and South America. Moyn, a 35-year aviation industry, became vice president of sales and marketing covering the U.S. a year ago. He is based in Wilmington, Del.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS332C, L, and L1 helicopters (Docket No. 97-SW-41-AD; Amdt. 39-11005; AD 99-02-13) - requires replacement of certain main rotor hub spindles and flapping hinge pins. This amendment is prompted by testing of aged frequency adapters, which shows that the spindles and pins can fail pre-maturely due to increased loading from increased stiffness of the aged frequency adapters. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the loss of a main rotor blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD issued an aviation call for papers for its 79th annual meeting Jan. 9-13, 2000 in Washington, D.C. TRB generally is interested in papers discussing: improving intergovernmental coordination for the aviation system; challenges for the next 25 years for aviation economics, forecasting, aircraft equipment, airports evolution; regional, business aviation and general aviation vertical flight; airspace and airport evolving technologies; the role of state and regional system planning; and, environmental issues.
RTI INTERNATIONAL METALS, INC., Niles, Ohio, said a Trumbull County, Ohio court lifted an order that briefly curtailed operations at the firm's RMI Titanium plant. More than 500 members of the United Steelworkers of America have been on strike at the plant, which manufactures a variety of metal mill products, forgings, extruded shapes and engineered systems for the aerospace and energy markets, since last fall (BA, Oct. 5/151).
AVIONS PIERRE ROBIN Model R2160 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-80-AD) - proposes to require repetitively inspecting the aileron/flap common support bracket for cracks, loose rivets, or separation of the bracket from the skin, and reinforcing the bracket either immediately or at a certain time period depending on whether discrepancies are found during the inspections. Reinforcing the aileron/flap common support bracket terminates the repetitive inspection requirement.
Executive Jet, Inc. is testing a new program to allow its Citation V Ultra and Hawker 1000 pilots to report for duty at bases in either Orlando, Fla. or Las Vegas, Nev. in addition to its Columbus, Ohio headquarters (BA, Oct. 26/189). EJI, which called the new program its "Pilot Gateway System," said NetJet pilots formerly were required either to move to Columbus, Ohio or commute there before the beginning of duty time.
JOSEPH C. SPRAGUE, former vice president of sales and market development for Harbor Airlines, last week rejoined Era Aviation to head its fixed-base operation in Anchorage, Alaska. Sprague moved to Harbor Air in Gig Harbor, Wash. in June after serving as director of marketing for Era since the end of 1995. He formerly was manager of government and industry affairs for the National Air Transportation Association and also has been a line pilot and flight dispatcher for a Part 135 operator in Juneau.
France completed a limited consolidation of its aerospace and defense industry with the partial privatization of Aerospatiale and its merger with private defense electronics group Matra Hautes Technologies, government officials announced last week. In exchange for the merger, the group of French tycoon Jean-Luc Lagardere, which controls Matra, will hold 33 percent of the new entity and will be its largest private shareholder.
Mooney Aircraft Corporation received FAA type certification for its new "entry-level high-performance" Eagle aircraft. Mooney, which began the certification program for the Eagle in July, plans to deliver 10 of the aircraft within the next two months.
WEST STAR AVIATION received a contract from Raytheon Aerospace to replace windshields in the C-21A fleet, the military variant of the Learjet 35A. West Star valued the contract, which could involve up to 103 C-21A aircraft, at about $1 million over the next five years. West Star is a full service aviation support facility in Grand Junction, Colo.
The Air Transport Association board has endorsed a combination of FAA reforms and off-budget status for the aviation trust fund during Congress's "Year of Aviation," Southwest Chairman Herbert Kelleher told the Wings Club in New York last week. Kelleher laid out an ATA position that combines elements of the administration's FAA plan (BA, Feb. 8/59), the trust fund proposals of Reps. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) and James Oberstar (D-Minn.) (BA, Feb. 1/47) and recommendations from study groups of recent years (BA, Feb. 15/78). The ATA program calls for:
Delta plans to acquire ASA Holdings, parent company of longtime Delta Connection code-share partner Atlantic Southeast, for about $700 million in cash, the company announced last week. Under the agreement, a Delta subsidiary will make a tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of ASA Holdings common stock for $34 per share in cash. ASA has 28.5 million shares of common stock outstanding, of which Delta owns 7,995,000. ASA Chairman and Chief Executive George Pickett will leave his post, but said he will stay available as a consultant.
Helicopter manufacturers will deliver 2,350 new helicopters in the five-year period 1999-2003, according to AlliedSignal Aerospace's second annual Turbine Powered Civil Helicopter Market Outlook, maintaining the three percent growth rate the engine manufacturer predicted in its initial market forecast.
BOMBARDIER this month topped 1,000 orders and options for its successful Canadair Regional Jet program with a $1.3 billion, 54-aircraft sale to Northwest.Bombardier has secured 532 firm orders and 240 options for its 50-passenger CRJ and 96 orders and 138 options for its new 70-seat CRJ Series 700. In the past six months alone, Bombardier has announced firm orders for more than 180 CRJs. The 50-passenger jet has been in service since late 1992 and certification and first deliveries of the 70-passenger model are expected in the fourth quarter of 2000.
HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS "aren't even dialing [each other's] phones right now" to talk about renewing FAA's authorization, Norman Mineta, former congressman and chairman of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission, said Thursday. Speaking at a George Washington University Aviation Institute seminar, Mineta said backers of the House's six-month extension and the Senate's two-year bill are so far apart that Airport Improvement Program funds are once again in jeopardy of being suspended when the current bill expires March 31.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Model 205A-1 and 205B helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-21-AD; Amdt. 39-11011; AD 98-11-14) - adopts an AD previously sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of Model 205A-1 and 205B helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires inspecting the trunnion assembly or tail rotor flapping stop, whichever is applicable, installing a trunnion assembly or flapping stop, if necessary; and replacing the tail rotor yoke. This amendment is prompted by an accident involving a BHTI Model 205A-1 helicopter in which the yoke failed during flight.
DASSAULT FALCON JET said nearly half of all Falcon 2000s going to corporate operators are being delivered with the Flight Dynamics HGS-2850 Head-Up Guidance System installed. The manufacturer said an HGS-equipped Falcon 2000 demonstrator operated by Dassault made a manually flown approach and landing at Tessera International Airport in Venice, Italy Jan. 26 during low visibility conditions.
DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS, El Segundo, Calif., said it had revenues of $173.5 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 1998 and reported "pro forma adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, debt and amortization] of $37 million during the same period."
