National Business Aviation Association, responding to numerous critical calls and e-mails regarding its policy on fractional ownership regulation, last week stressed the importance of having NBAA directly involved in the issue, saying, "To do otherwise would have been a disservice to NBAA's membership and the business aviation community."
BOEING named Deborah Hopkins as its new chief financial officer, effective Dec. 14. Hopkins, 44, joins Boeing after serving as vice president of finance and chief financial officer for General Motors Europe, a $26 billion operating unit of GM with headquarters in Switzerland. Before joining GM in 1995, Hopkins spent 13 years with Unisys in a variety of financial and management posts.
PATS, INC., Columbia, Md., won FAA and JAA repair station certification for its Georgetown, Del. facility. The operation manufactures fuel tanks for Boeing Business Jets. Boeing ferries green BBJs to Georgetown for installation of additional fuel tanks that double the range of a standard 737-700.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE received an order from Amakusa Airlines of Kumamoto, Japan for a 39-seat Dash 8 Q100. Amakusa Airlines, formed last month with 80 percent of its shares held by local governments, will launch its new service with the Dash 8, linking three communities in the south of Japan. Delivery of the aircraft is scheduled for October 1999 with revenue service to begin in spring 2000.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer continued its string of improved financial performance, posting a profit of $65.7 million on revenues of $934.4 million (U.S.) for the nine months ended Sept. 30.
SUNDSTRAND AEROSPACE acquired Keystone Engineering Co. of Los Angeles, Calif., which manufactures components for launch vehicles and satellites and bearings for AWACS type aircraft.
A new FAA advisory circular, AC No. 33.15-1, Manufacturing Process of Premium Quality Titanium Alloy Rotating Engine Components, was published last month by the agency.
A HAND-HELD WIND SPEED INDICATOR, The Wind Wizard, is being marketed by Sporty's Pilot Shop. The device measures wind speed in miles per hour, meters per second and Beaufort Scale and can measure winds up to 60 miles per hour. A readout dial is supported on sapphire jewel bearings. Measuring just over 10 square inches when folded for storage, The Wind Wizard is priced at $46.95. For information, call (513) 735-9000.
RICHARD DEUVE was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International's Paris learning center at Le Bourget Airport. Deuve, who has more than 5,000 hours and holds an ATP in Citation and Falcon series aircraft, has been with FlightSafety for five years.
DALLAS AIRMOTIVE received ISO 9002 certification for its main engine overhaul and repair facility near Love Field in Dallas as well as for its nine regional turbine shops. Dallas Airmotive's regional shops are located in St. Louis, Mo.; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Charlotte, N.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Lafayette, La.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Grapevine, Texas; and Dallas Love Field.
GARVEY, who earlier this month met with Boeing representatives to discuss improving the certification process, also told employees last week that "this is the first of many crucial meetings" with various industry segments including general aviation, air cargo, international and financial.
PIAGGIO P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-45-AD; Amdt. 39-10881; AD 98-23-14) - requires inspecting the elevator and aileron control retaining pins for proper installation and damage and replacing any improperly installed or damaged pins. This AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION delayed until Jan. 15 the deadline for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to submit a proposal for a rulemaking to address the reserve status portion of flight and duty time regulations.The ARAC originally expected to develop a proposal by Dec. 1. The Part 135 segment, segregated in the ARAC deliberations, is still tackling how to approach reserve status.
MITSUBISHI MU-2B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-39-AD; Amdt. 39-10807; AD 98-20-39) - requires inspecting each forward attachment fitting bolt of the wing tip tanks for the correct bolt and replacing any incorrect bolt. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Japan. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the wing tip tank from separating from the airplane because of any incorrect bolts corroding, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION, acknowledging that the "procedures, motives and allegiance of the NBAA's Board of Directors...have been called into question," last week wrote a letter to its members further explaining its position on regulation of fractional ownership operators (BA, Sept. 28/137). NBAA Chairman Tom Myers assured members that "no undue influence was exerted on the Board by any party at any time." See article below.
HELIFLITE SHARES, a corporate fractional ownership venture, signed a letter of intent with Hillwood Development Corporation for office and hangar space at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. HeliFlite, which recently ordered two Bell 430 helicopters with options for eight more from Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter Textron, plans to enter the initial aircraft into service in February. The helicopters will be housed in the fixed-base operation hangar at Alliance. Hillwood Development Corp. operates the airport and the FBO.
MICHAEL GRABBE was appointed to director of maintenance training at FlightSafety International's Bethany, Okla. learning center. Grabbe previously taught airframe and powerplant subjects for a technical college.
Industry pressure to permit extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) from 180 minutes to 240 minutes prompted the Allied Pilots Association to request a meeting with FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to express the opposition of American's pilot group. APA said Boeing and "several U.S. carriers have expressed increasing interest in extending ETOPS from three hours to four hours."
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-101-AD; Amdt. 39-10847; AD 98-22-01) - requires a one-time visual inspection and a one-time eddy current and/or dye penetrant inspection of the nose landing gear main fitting to detect cracking and reworking of the nose landing gear main fitting, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign airworthiness authority.
EXECUTIVE JET hired business aviation veteran Raynor Reavis to be national sales manager for its NetJets aircraft fractional ownership program. Reavis previously served as vice president, sales and completion support for Gulfstream Aircraft. Before joining Gulfstream in 1994, he was vice president of sales at Raytheon Aircraft and British Aerospace, responsible for worldwide sales of Hawker 800/1000 aircraft. Reavis is a former U.S. Marine fighter pilot who served in Vietnam.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-7 and DHC-8 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-237-AD) - proposes to require a one-time visual inspection to determine the serial number of the brake shuttle valves of the main landing gear and replacement of the filter fittings with new filter fittings, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to ensure that proper filter fittings are installed.
EMBRAER is doing its part to help improve Brazil's economic condition. The regional aircraft manufacturer said 89.5 percent of its revenues through the first nine months of 1998 - $837.2 million out of a total of $934.4 million - were generated by exports. See article below.
The City of Philadelphia, which hired a new aviation director just two years ago, is back in the job market. Dennis Bouey, who was named aviation director in October 1996, is resigning effective at the end of the year to accept a position as executive director of the Port of San Diego, which includes the port, the airport, and a variety of real estate holdings in and around the city.
I.M.P. Group International has added to its extensive Canadian aviation holdings with the acquisition of Air 500 Ltd. of Toronto, Ontario, an air charter company that provides both passenger and cargo service with a fleet of Mitsubishi MU-2s and Cessna Citations. The Air 500 fleet, which operates from a 40,000-square-foot hangar at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, will be part of the Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group that is headquartered in Montreal.
