STEVENS AVIATION opened its new 175,000-square-foot maintenance and modification facility at Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park in Greenville, S.C. last month. The facility includes a 123,000-square-foot complex for aircraft repair and modification, aircraft hangar, shop space and office space. The facility also houses a 52,000-square-foot paint, refurbishment and completion center.
NEW PIPER PA-24, PA-28R, PA-30, PA-32R, PA-34 and PA-39 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-09-AD; Amdt. 39-10864; AD 97-01-01 R1) - revises AD 97-01-01, which requires repetitively inspecting the main gear sidebrace studs for cracks and replacing any cracked gear sidebrace stud. FAA approved alternative methods of compliance and determined they should be included into the AD. This revision retains the actions of AD 97-01-01, but allows the alternate methods of compliance.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AVIONICS Models GNS-X LS and GNS-X L Flight Management Systems (Docket No. 97-CE-07-AD) - proposes to revise AD 97-05-03, which requires inserting a limitation into the Operations Limitation Section of the Airplane Flight Manual or Flight Manual Supplement that specifies prohibiting the use of the affected AlliedSignal GPS units on non-precision approaches. Since issuance of AD 97-05-03, AlliedSignal has issued service information that specifies procedures for accomplishing hardware and software modifications to the affected FMS units.
AERO MEDICAL PRODUCTS MFG., INC. received FAA STC-PMA approval for its modular medical transport system. The Medstar Transporter, a 22.65g certified stretcher/divan, can fit into aircraft ranging from a Cessna 340 to a Boeing 777. Aero Medical Products, West Bend, Wis., has produced medical stretcher systems since 1979 with more than 40 STCs. It also provides helicopter emergency medical system completions with plans to build additional space that would accommodate up to six helicopters.
DAVID STEPHENSON was promoted to director of the Air Traffic Control Communications unit at Harris Corporation. Stephenson previously was president for both U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries of Rohde&Schwarz, Inc.
Cessna Aircraft broke ground for a new engineering static test facility at the company's Prospect complex in Wichita. The new building, which will cover nearly 74,000 square feet, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of next year. The new facility, which will provide a 70 percent increase in testing area, will house equipment and staff needed to perform cyclic tests on all types of Cessna aircraft, including single- engine piston models, Caravans and Citation business jets.
MERCURY AIR GROUP, INC., reported net income of $1.6 million before extraordinary item, compared with a loss of $2.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 1998. The first quarter results included an extraordinary charge of $153,000 related to the repurchase of $3.2 million of its convertible subordinated debentures. A year ago the first quarter results included a pretax charge of $7 million related to the bankruptcy of Western Pacific Airlines, Inc.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR Jane Garvey plans to name a permanent director of flight standards and deputy associate administrator for aviation security by Thanksgiving.
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aldrich, who earlier this year ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to halt its program of contracting out Level 1 air traffic control towers (BA, March 9/107), has denied a motion by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to force FAA to take back operation of control towers currently in the program.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B and SE.3160 (Docket No. 97-SW-14-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the main rotor blade cuff attachment fitting in the area of the main rotor blade attachment bolts for cracks and removing and replacing the blade if a crack is found. This proposal is prompted by a report of a crack in a main rotor blade cuff attachment fitting/spar assembly that was discovered during fatigue testing by the manufacturer.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD investigators were attempting to find out last week what caused the crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2 near Wichita Wednesday night, claiming the lives of both occupants. Officials said the victims were Leslie Nesmith, 58, of Augusta, Kan., a prominent opthamologist and the owner of the aircraft, and Phil DuPont, a FlightSafety International employee. The two are believed to have taken off from the Augusta Airport about 2100 local time on a maintenance check flight.
National Air Transportation Association's board of directors, after months of contentious debate within the organization about how fractional aircraft ownership providers should be regulated, decided against the hard- line regulatory approach advocated by some NATA charter providers. Instead, NATA plans to work with FAA on easing some operating restrictions on charter operators and with an industry task force developing fractional ownership (FO) guidelines.
KREISLER MANUFACTURING CORP., St. Petersburg, Fla., won a $500,000 order for titanium anti-vortex tubes from Pratt&Whitney Corp., part of $1.4 million in new orders the company logged in October. The anti-vortex tubes transfer cool air to the hot turbine section of jet engines. Kreisler, which has been in business for 56 years, manufactures precision metal components.
TONY MOSELEY joined General Aviation Services's sales team. Moseley formerly was with Tyler Jet and, before that, was president of two subsidiary companies owned by Triton Energy.
DASSAULT AVIATION selected Zimex Aviation as an authorized service center, bringing its worldwide service network to 30. Zimex will be authorized to perform all types of maintenance and repair operations, including warranty repairs, on all Falcon jets beginning in January, when it is expected to receive FAA and JAA approval. Zimex, based at Zurich, Switzerland, International Airport, invested more than $15 million in its maintenance hangar facilities.
The National Transportation Safety Board told FAA last week it should require operators of PA-31 airplanes to conduct repetitive inspections for cracks in the main landing gear (MLG) inboard door hinge assemblies until they are replaced by an improved MLG.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN Bob Livingston (R-La.) Friday announced his intention to challenge Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) for Speaker of the House. If successful, Livingston would relinquish his appropriations duties, which would mean a reshuffling of appropriations leaders. Next in line for the position would be Joseph McDade (R-Pa.), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development.
DOT and NASA Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) identified five areas in which FAA and NASA "can take action to enhance their effectiveness" in improving aviation safety and increasing airspace and airport capacity. In a joint report issued last month, the OIGs recommended that the agencies re-evaluate their advisory committee structures. Currently, six subcommittees and an ad hoc committee report to FAA's advisory committee while eight subcommittees, a task force and a steering committee report to NASA's advisory committee.
AVFUEL was named a supplier for Aero Services International, a fixed-based operation at Chicago Midway Airport, and Aircraft Service International Group in Orlando, Fla. Avfuel, Ann Arbor, Mich., supplies fuel to more than 700 branded dealers and 2,500 aviation customers nationwide.
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-69-AD; Amdt. 39-10835; AD 98-21-27) - adopts a new AD that applies to Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes equipped with a "corporate commuter" cabin layout. The AD is a designation only and the affected airplanes are not certified for commuter operation. The AD requires modification of the passenger seats and seat rail covers. This AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
Boeing has become the second original equipment manufacturer to win approval for its entry in the very-long-range business jet market, achieving both FAA and Joint Aviation Authorities certification for the Boeing Business Jet. The special version of the Boeing 737-700, designed for use by corporate executives, heads-of-state and other VIPs, can carry its passengers on nonstop flights of more than 6,000 nautical miles.
MIDCOAST AVIATION reached a long-term agreement to lease two hangars, backshops and fixed-base operations facilities previously occupied by Avtec Inc. at St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport. The lease brings an additional 70,000 square feet of space to Midcoast's facilities, enabling the FBO to increase its maintenance and modification capabilities by nearly one-third.
