A EUROPEAN UNION proposal to impose new, stringent noise standards that only newer aircraft can meet, came under fire from Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Oberstar said the EU proposal is a "matter that deserves" attention by congressional leaders (BA, Sept. 28/137), adding that it could violate international trade agreements. He suggested that congressional leaders write a letter to European Union officials to express their concerns.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL plans to replace its Atlanta, Ga. training center with a new facility on the north side of Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. Construction of the new 80,000-square-foot building will begin this month and is slated to be completed by yearend. The two-story building initially will accommodate 10 full flight simulators.
REPRESENTATIVES of NBAA, NATA and GAMA last week briefed top officials of FAA's General Counsel and Flight Standards offices on the details of proposed Safety Guidelines for Fractional Program Managers and Fractional Owners developed by industry in response to a request from the agency (BA, Jan. 25/35).NBAA President Jack Olcott said he believes FAA officials were impressed with the guidelines and found them "well stated and right on point." However, FAA raised questions about how the agency should enforce those guidelines if FO providers and owners agree to use them.
CORPORATE JETS, INC. broke ground last week on a new corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa. at the Allegheny Country Airport. The new facility will consolidate the company's operations, maintenance and administrative services, now conducted from several locations on the airport. The new building will accommodate a staff of 120 with room for expansion.
AYRES S2R series and Model 600 S2D airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-56-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 97-17-03, which currently requires inspecting the 1/4-inch and 5/16-inch bolt hole areas on the lower spar caps for fatigue cracking, and replacing any lower spar cap where fatigue cracking is found. That AD results from an accident involving an Ayres S2R series airplane in which the wing separated from the airplane in flight.
DANIEL MEHAN was named to the newly created position of chief information officer for the Federal Aviation Administration. Mehan most recently was international vice president of quality and process management at AT&T. In his new position he will serve as the principal FAA adviser on information technology and direct strategic planning activities for information technology.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION, 106th Congress Republican Members Democrat Members John McCain (Ariz.), Ernest Hollings (S.C.), chair ranking Ted Stevens (Alaska) Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) Conrad Burns (Mont.) John Rockefeller (W.Va.) Slade Gorton (Wash.) John Kerry (Mass.) Trent Lott (Miss.) John Breaux (La.)
UNIVERSITY AVIATION ASSOCIATION will hold its annual Spring Meeting March 11-13 in Champaign/Urbana, Ill. The University of Illinois and Frasca International will co-host the meeting. For more information, contact UAA at (334) 844-2434; fax: (334) 844-2432.
BFGOODRICH AVIONICS SYSTEMS was awarded a contract to supply the GH-3000 electronic standby instrument system for the flight test phase of the C-27J, an updated Alenia C-72A/G.222 medium tactical transport.
Commercial flight training specialist Pan Am International Flight Academy (PAIFA) reached an agreement to purchase SimCom International in a move that will expand its general aviation business. The purchase will include SimCom simulator training centers in Orlando and Vero Beach, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz. Under the agreement, SimCom will continue to provide initial and recurrent proficiency training in a variety of general aviation piston and turboprop aircraft. In addition, SimCom will absorb PAIFA's business jet training business.
McDONNELL DOUGLAS Model MD-900 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-24-AD; Amendment 39-10989; AD 98-12-30) - publishes an AD previously sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of MD-900 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires inspecting the main rotor upper hub assembly for cracks, and if a crack is found, replacing the hub assembly. The AD also requires verifying attachment nut torque values and a repetitive inspection at intervals not to exceed 150 hours time-in-service.
MERCURY AIR GROUP moved into new facilities at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena, Calif. airport. The first phase of the new hangar and terminal complex was completed last month. Mercury operates 15 fixed-base operations nationwide.
CARL MOFFITT was named general manager of Parker Aerospace's Flight Systems Division in Irvine, Calif. He replaced Claus Beneker, who will become vice president/chief technical officer of Parker Hannifin Corp., the parent company of Parker Aerospace. Most recently Moffitt was director of commercial business at Parker's Control System Division-Commercial in Ogden, Utah.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-276-AD; Amendment 39-11004; AD 99-02-12) - requires a one-time visual inspection for discrepancies of the components of the torque link apex joint and shimmy damper attachments of the main landing gear (MLG), and repair or replacement of any discrepant component with a new or serviceable component. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
SLATER'S REMARKS echoed those of FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, who told reporters late last year that the Administration reauthorization bill will be "our starting point" but "we are willing to talk it through and find a third position" (BA, Dec. 21/275). Their remarks may be an attempt to save face for the Administration, which has seen its previous user fee proposals generally ignored by legislators. See article on Page 65.
Mercury Air Group reported net income of $1.8 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with $2 million for the same quarter a year earlier. Revenues were off 17.4 percent to $56.6 million, due primarily "to lower fuel prices and lower volume of fuel sales." For the six-month period ended Dec. 31, Mercury had net income of $3.3 million, compared with a loss of $168,000 in the year-earlier period. The year-earlier loss resulted from a pretax charge of $7 million because of a bankruptcy filing by Western Pacific Airlines, one of Mercury's major customers.
International Business Aviation Council late last month tapped a former Transport Canada official to head the Montreal-based organization. Donald Sprunston, who served with Transport Canada for 16 years and most recently was a managing partner in Canadian Aviation Safety Associates, Ltd., was appointed IBAC director general, effective Feb. 1. Sprunston graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada and holds an airline transport pilot license.
DeCrane Aircraft Holdings, Inc., completed the acquisition last month of PATS, Inc., the Columbia, Md.-based manufacturer and installer of auxiliary fuel tanks for the Boeing Business Jet (BA, Jan. 4/2).
SEAN MENKE was appointed director, planning and scheduling, for Frontier Airlines. Menke formerly served as senior analyst, market development for America West, director of planning for Western Pacific, and, most recently, senior planner, domestic schedule planning, for United Airlines.
RICHARD STONE was named senior manager, training services, for SimuFlite Training International. Stone, formerly account executive, Part 135 for SimuFlite, is responsible for the company's Hawker and Learjet pilot training programs.
Jeff Gilley, a 27-year veteran of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association who learned to fly when he was 15, has joined the National Business Aviation Association as manager-airports/ground infrastructure. Gilley will succeed E.H. (Moe) Haupt, who is retiring March 31 after 18 years with the association. Gilley's responsibilities will include issues related to airport and community relations, noise abatement, aviation service facilities and environmental concerns.
Management of the Square D Co., which has operated a corporate flight department for more than half a century, told flight department personnel Monday the department is being shut down because officials plan to sign up with a fractional aircraft ownership provider.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION is expected to announce next week that 1998 was the first $5 billion year in the industry's history. GAMA member companies had new aircraft billings of more than $3 billion for the first time in 1996 and smashed through the $4 billion mark last year with a total of $4.7 billion.
Crude oil prices in the $12.50 per barrel range are resulting in significant cost-cutting programs at major oil companies that have resulted in sharp cutbacks in some of those firms' flight departments.
JEFF LUNGREN was appointed communications director for the House Science Committee. Lungren previously was personal press secretary for committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and also served in a similar capacity for Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.).
