RAYTHEON began fuselage assembly of its Premier I entry-level business jet. Forward and aft fuselages for static test and production aircraft are in various stages of production - including quality assurance, non-destructive test and subassembly - in the company's Plant Three manufacturing facility. The aircraft will enter a year-long flight test program this summer that will include four fully configured production airplanes. The six-passenger aircraft is designed to cruise at Mach .8 with a 1,500-mile range at long-range cruise.
The National Business Aviation Association voted this month to support a decision by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) to reopen a full time (IBAC) office in Montreal to work with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on matters of interest to the business aviation community.
PETE COMPTON was promoted to vice president-sales for AAR Cargo Systems' cargo loading system manufacturing facility in Livonia, Mich. Compton, who has served with AAR Cargo since 1970, will be responsible for the business unit's sales growth.
Top DOT and FAA officials criticized efforts by air courier companies to comply with hazardous materials regulations and promised further crackdowns. Recent inspections and surveillance of commercial air courier shipments show increased compliance with rules by the airlines in keeping hazardous materials off passenger transport aircraft, said DOT Secretary Rodney Slater, but he still is disappointed with compliance efforts by air courier companies.
WOMEN IN AVIATION, INTERNATIONAL will hold its first regional conference Oct. 2-3 in Oshkosh, Wis. The Experimental Aircraft Association is co- hosting the conference, an outgrowth of WAI's annual conference in March. National Transportation Safety Board Member John Goglia and FAA Regional Administrator Cecelia Hunziker are scheduled speakers. The conference also will cover a number of aviation topics including airline pilots, aviation law, financial planning, kit airplane building and career opportunities in general and corporate aviation.
Model TBM 700 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-76-AD; Amdt. 39- 10559; AD 98-12-02) - requires inspecting the elevator trim tab fittings for cracks and replacing any elevator trim tab found to have cracks. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority of France. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent elevator trim tab fitting cracking, which could lead to separation of the elevator trim tab and loss of control of the airplane. FAA estimates that the AD will affect seven planes in the U.S.
The Federal Aviation Administration adopted new design standards for newly certificated, Part 25 aircraft requiring that the airplane be designed to withstand main landing gear maximum braking forces during ground operations.
Wyman-Gordon Co., the castings and forgings manufacturer, reached an agreement in principle with Titanium Metals Corp. covering several initiatives that will link their respective businesses more closely. The agreement relates to: the acquisition by Titanium Metals Corp. (TIMET) of certain assets of Wyman-Gordon's Millbury vacuum arc remelting facility; the combination of their respective titanium castings businesses into a jointly owned venture; and, a long-term agreement under which TIMET will meet much of Wyman-Gordon's requirement for titanium products.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association this month urged FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to cancel the agency's "ticket program," which would allow inspectors to issue administrative actions on-the-spot rather than through the normal enforcement process (BA, June 8/247). The ticket program, which FAA said is on hold, initially was outlined through a compliance/enforcement bulletin in February.
STEPHEN KASPER was named vice president-operations for Superior Air Parts. Kasper most recently served as president of Electro-systems, which manufactures and overhauls piston-engine electrical accessories. In his new position, he will oversee quality assurance, purchasing, warehouse, inventory control, production, engineering and product development.
WOODLAND AVIATION added a King Air C90B to its charter fleet. Woodland will offer the six-passenger turboprop for $670 per hour with a single pilot and $710 per hour with two pilots. Woodland is an authorized Raytheon Aircraft Corporate Aviation Center for Northern California and Northern Nevada.
MAERSK AIR of Birmingham, England placed a follow-on order with Bombardier Aerospace for one Canadair Regional Jet Series 200LR to increase its firm orders for the CRJ to six aircraft. The new order is valued at $21.3 million (U.S.) and that aircraft is scheduled to enter service in August 1999. The British Airways franchise carrier retains options on an additional nine CRJs.
Federal Aviation Administration this month proposed requiring a modification of certain Honeywell IC-600 integrated avionics computers found on Learjet 45 and Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. The proposal stems from a report that during a number of test flights of a Cessna Model Excel, the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) screen went blank, FAA said. An investigation revealed that the Honeywell IC-600 computer used on the Excel, Model 45 Learjet and ERJ-145 failed, resulting in a "random reset" of the EFIS.
Several senior Aerospatiale executives were named to new positions with the French manufacturer, effective this month. Chairman Yves Michot said Jean-Francois Bigay was named chief operating officer-aircraft sector. Bigay will continue to exercise his operational responsibilities at Eurocopter until a successor is named. Francois Auque was named corporate executive vice president-finance and strategy, and Denis Verret is corporate executive vice president-international and commercial affairs.
THE NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT, which has been steadily increasing production levels since emerging from bankruptcy protection in 1995, is now scheduled to build 300 new aircraft this year, a 39 percent jump from last year's total of 215. President Chuck Suma has changed the company's production schedule nine times since September to accommodate increasing customer demand. Piper delivered 65 aircraft in the first quarter, compared with 49 in the first quarter last year (BA, May 18/222).
PIPER, along with a number of other aviation manufacturers who are seeking engineering talent, is instituting temporary freezes on re-hiring employees who jump to another job and then apply to return to Piper. Officials say contract engineers, who can command a premium price of $55 per hour in today's hot job market, were jumping from employer to employer as wages were bid up. Piper is now telling those individuals they will not be eligible for rehiring for six months to a year if they decide to leave the company for another employer.
Pro Air, a year-old 737 carrier, signed tentative agreements with General Motors and Chrysler to become the preferred carrier to the four cities the airline serves from its headquarters at Detroit City Airport. The five-year deal includes a requirement that Pro Air fly up to 40 GM and Chrysler passenger each day for a flat monthly fee. The airline also will hold seats open for last-minute travelers for the two companies. GM expects to save $4 million-$6 million annually, while Chrysler believes ProAir's lower air fares will save it up to $3 million a year.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES asked the Federal Aviation Administration to rewrite its new Part 107 security proposal, saying the proposed regulations "are poorly drafted, are incomplete or in their implementation would be unduly costly and/or burdensome for airports to implement." The association, which met for its 70th annual conference and exposition this month in Nashville, Tenn., adopted a resolution asking the agency to issue a supplemental rulemaking.
THE SECOND de Havilland Dash 8Q Series 400 test aircraft made a three-hour first flight May 26 from Bombardier Aerospace facilities in Toronto, Ontario. The first Dash 8 Series 400 made its first flight Jan. 31. The 70- to 78-seat regional airliners are powered by two 5,071-shaft-horsepower Pratt&Whitney Canada turbine engines.
Federal Aviation Administration has developed a program that would allow agency inspectors to issue administrative actions on-the-spot in the form of a ticket rather than through the normal letter of investigation process. FAA issued the compliance/enforcement bulletin for the new process, known within the agency as the "ticket program," in February and began to train inspectors on the new procedures, but a spokeswoman said the program is currently "on hold" while the agency meets with industry.
CODY DIEKROEGER was named chief pilot for Mayo Aviation. Diekroeger will supervise all flight crewmembers as well oversee the jet charter and management company's compliance with FAA regulations. He has 18 years of corporate and commercial aviation experience, including more than 11,000 hours of turbine aircraft flight time.
COMMANDER AIRCRAFT CO., Bethany, Okla., said FAA certificated a flight- into-known-icing system for the Model 114B and 114TC airplanes. The TKS deicing system can be ordered new from the factory or retrofitted to existing aircraft. "This latest improvement is part of a continuing program to enhance the capability of our aircraft," said Dean Thomas, Commander's senior vice president of marketing and sales.
FRASCA INTERNATIONAL delivered two Baron flight training devices to the Federal Aviation Administration at its Oklahoma City, Okla. facility. The devices will be used for FAA examiner recurrency training. The FTDs display B58 Baron cockpits, panel layout, instrumentation and controls.
HOA LEE was appointed marketing analyst for Unison Industries. Lee will oversee the design, development and implementation of an information management program. He formerly served in various capacities, including marketing analyst, market researcher and database developer for MGT Information of Jacksonville, Fla.
