AAR CORP. named John Weidner president and general manager of AAR Composites. Weidner joined AAR Composites in July as vice president-sales and marketing. He has more than 30 years of experience with composites, holding positions with Hercules, Sikorsky and Alliant Techsystems. AAR Composites, Clearwater, Fla., designs and manufactures composite structures for aviation and other transportation industries.
Triumph Group, Inc., Wayne, Pa., is acquiring DV Industries, a metal finishing company based in Lynwood, Calif., Triumph said last week. DV Industries does chemical processing, painting and non-destructive testing for the aerospace and defense industries. Richard Ill, Triumph's president and chief executive, said the acquisition "expands our structural parts capabilities and gives Triumph significant new capacity to serve our original equipment manufacturer customers," including the ability to provide OEMs with finished parts without having to outsource those services.
A veteran helicopter pilot and Baltimore, Md. police officer was killed and a second officer was seriously injured Wednesday when their Schweizer 300 helicopter crashed while they were pursuing a stolen car. Witnesses reported seeing smoke pouring from the helicopter just before it crashed near the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, and investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board told reporters Thursday that they had found two holes in the aircraft's engine casing.
Universal Avionics last month unveiled plans to offer a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), becoming the second manufacturer to produce an enhanced terrain alerting system that likely will be required equipment on some 12,300 business and charter aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration in August issued a notice of proposed rulemaking calling for installation of a TAWS-type system on U.S.-
A Model 45 Learjet was heavily damaged Tuesday when it veered off the runway and struck a parked truck during splash tests at NASA's Wallops Island, Va. test site. The aircraft, S/N 45-004, was being operated by two pilots and a flight test engineer from Bombardier's flight test center in Wichita, Kan. The aircraft landed and rolled through water that had been purposely ponded on the runway for the test, but the crew lost control of the plane. It hit the truck, flipped over and a fire broke out.
DICK AARONS, veteran editor of Business&Commercial Aviation magazine, is recovering in a Las Vegas hospital following heart bypass surgery last week. Aarons began experiencing chest pains during the NBAA convention and was admitted to Desert Springs Hospital Oct. 23 where surgery was performed Oct. 25. Doctors say his prognosis is excellent, but he will remain hospitalized until early this week when he should be able to return to his home in Connecticut to continue his recovery.
ALLIEDSIGNAL INC. was selected by Raytheon Systems Co. to supply components for its multi-zone temperature control system for the Boeing Business Jet. The multi-zone system allows the operator to control separate temperature settings for any number of cabin zones, as well as the cockpit. It is designed and will be produced by Raytheon Systems using key components produced by the Environmental Control Systems unit of AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada identified several safety deficiencies and made a number of safety recommendations last week as part of its continuing investigation of the fatal crash of a Fairchild/Swearingen Metroliner II that occurred while the crew was trying to execute an emergency landing because of an inflight fire (BA, June 22/277).
SAAB Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-244-AD) - proposes a new AD that would require removing the control quadrant, securing the power lever cam screws with Loctite, and reinstalling the control quadrant. FAA said the Luftfartsverket (LFV), the Swedish airworthiness authority, advised that it has received reports of the engine power levers binding. Investigation revealed that, during a previous modification of the control quadrant, the incorrect screws were used to install the spacer between the two power lever cams in the flight idle stop unit.
Building an offshore airport for The Netherlands would relieve traffic levels not only at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport but also at Brussels Airport International (BAI) at Zaventem, says Jan Pronk, the Dutch environment minister. The offshore airport idea is one of four options being studied by the Dutch government to deal with the burgeoning passenger traffic predicted for Schiphol in the next 15 years.
KING AEROSPACE is expanding its services to include custom interior modifications on Head of State and VIP/corporate transport type aircraft. The company, which has experienced a 40 percent increase in business volume, expects to accomplish refurbishment on two transport aircraft and eight large corporate aircraft over the next year. Its 120,000-square-foot service center in Ardmore, Okla. can accommodate widebody transport aircraft.
Moog Inc., East Aurora, N.Y., agreed to acquire Raytheon Aircraft Montek Co., a subsidiary of Raytheon Aircraft Corp., for $160 million. Closing is expected in late November. Montek, Salt Lake City, supplies flight control actuation systems and makes steering controls for tactical missiles as well as servovalves. The company reports revenues of about $90 million per year, with one-third coming from aftermarket sales. "Raytheon Montek is a perfect strategic fit for us," said R.T. Brady, chairman and chief executive of Moog.
GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS INC. said its I-GNAT unmanned tactical surveillance aircraft set an industry flight record when it reached an altitude of 30,500 feet Oct. 19, the same week the I-GNAT remained airborne for 38 hours and landed with about 10 hours of fuel reserves. The I-GNAT is an improved version of the GNAT-750 that has been operational since 1989.
ANOTHER INDICATOR that the general aviation industry is prospering was last month's show attendance. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo '98, held Oct. 23-25 in Palm Springs, Calif., drew a record 9,720 attendees, 433 exhibitors and 70 display aircraft. Attendance jumped by 20 percent over last year's Expo and the number of exhibitors grew 40 percent, the association reported last week. In addition, 1,750 aircraft were flown in for the three-day event, more than a 50 percent increase over the past record.
DUNCAN AVIATION has begun mobile support at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J. The mobile support office, based at Duncan's satellite avionics shop in Teterboro, N.J., can install loaner units and provide line service to allow an aircraft to return to service. Corey Moos, who has served as a senior technician at the Teterboro location since 1995, is managing the Morristown operation. In addition to Morristown, Duncan provides mobile support out in Fort Worth, Texas and Bridgeport, Conn.
NASA has restructured its Office of Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology and given it a new name to reflect changes that have taken place under its new associate administrator, retired USAF Lt. Gen. Spence M. (Sam) Armstrong.
A NEW "SANDWICH GASKET" developed by The Boeing Company eliminates the need for sealants and toxic materials and prevents corrosion, according to the company. The gasket, which can be used to install antennas and similar equipment, consists of a double aluminum mesh with a fluorosilicone compound placed between the two screens. When pressure is applied, a waterproof seal is formed. Boeing said this replaces the traditional process of applying a polysulfide compound for sealing.
GUY MITAUX-MAUROUARD is retiring after a 30-year career with Dassault Aviation, much of it as chief test pilot at the company's Istres Flight Test Center. Mitaux-Maurouard, who recently turned 60, was a pilot in the French Air Force. He is a graduate of the French Test Pilot School at Salon and has test flown virtually every Dassault fighter, starting with the Mirage G8 in 1968 and culminating with the Rafale C01.
CESSNA VICE CHAIRMAN Gary Hay says keys to the company's success in the business jet market include migrating successful systems from one aircraft model to another and not chasing unproven technologies, an approach he likened to "going up to the cutting edge of technology and taking one step backwards." Asked whether Cessna plans to build a composite aircraft, Hay responded that "we know metal, we like metal," because the stress and fatigue characteristics are known and predictable.
INNOTECH-EXECAIRE AVIATION GROUP, the Canadian aviation services chain, is adding 135 technical jobs to its Montreal facility in addition to the 130 employees already hired this year. The staff additions will bring the company's employment in Montreal to 450. Innotech-Execaire employs another 160 at its bases in Toronto and Vancouver and fixed-base operation centers in Eastern Canada.
BALL AEROSPACE&TECHNOLOGIES CORP. last month launched its jeTVision Direct Broadcast Satellite system, which allows airplane passengers to view real-time television programming. The satellite system provides audio and video to any in-flight entertainment system or cabin management system. The system includes an antenna assembly and receiver decoder unit integrated into the aircraft audio-visual equipment. The antenna assemblies include a radome, positioner, control unit electronics, low noise block converter and a parabolic antenna dish.
MERCURY AIR GROUP recently began construction of its 16-acre fixed-base operation at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena (BUR) Airport in Burbank, Calif. The new facility, described as a "Hollywood Oasis," will feature a 9,500-square-foot art deco style terminal building with a wide range of amenities for pilots and their passengers (BA, Oct. 13, 1997/159).
FLIGHTSAFETY BOEING TRAINING INTERNATIONAL will open a $100 million Latin American Training Hub in Miami, Fla. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2000, the new complex "will be the world's largest non-airline owned flight training facility," the company said. The training center will be adjacent to the northwest corner of Miami International Airport.
AIR ROUTING INTERNATIONAL developed new software, Air Routing Flight Manager, to allow flight department personnel to improve trip management. The software allows users to plan trips real-time, checking on status of permits, ground handling, fuel, slots and flight plans. The software includes graphic interface to show weather and routes for trips and stores all flight data allowing for generation of historical reports.
