The DOT's investigative arm has strongly criticized the role of the RTCA -- a powerful, quasi-governmental non-profit group -- in formulating the FAA's plans to modernize the nation's ATC system. According to the DOT's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the practice of having senior FAA and industry officials serve on RTCA committees creates potential conflicts of interest, since such groups may, through their recommendations, control the flow of billions of dollars in federal allocations.
Bell Helicopter's Model 407 light single helicopter is newly certified with an increase in takeoff and landing altitudes from 14,000 to 17,000 feet. The FAA also recently approved an increase in the helicopter's external gross weight to 6,000 pounds. Bell has delivered more than 400 Model 407s, including over 65 units in 1999.
When an airplane crashes, says safety expert John K. Lauber, ``we need to understand what is happening to be able to come up with solutions. And if people perceive that they are facing a threat of criminal prosecution, that will dry up a critically important source of information.'' Lauber, vice president of safety and technical affairs for Airbus Industrie of North America and former NTSB member, was referring to the 1999 conviction of SaberTech, a contract maintenance company, in connection with the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in 1996.
The FAA is again planning to charge a fee to operators of aircraft that transit U.S. airspace without taking-off or landing on U.S. soil. The U.S. Court of Appeals struck down a similar FAA rule in early 1998, saying the fee structure was ``inconsistent'' with conditions in the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 allowing the charges. The revised fees are now based on the agency's actual cost of delivering ATC services. According to FAA CEO Donna F.
Bowman Field Airport has received $481,000 from the commonwealth of Kentucky, to fund interior renovations to the historic administrations building and improvements to Runway 6-24. ``The airport is sincerely appreciative of Representative [Larry] Clark's singular leadership in securing funds from the state for much-needed improvements at Bowman Field,'' said J. Michael Brown, airport authority chairman. Airport officials anticipate construction to start in spring 2001.
Assembly of the conforming prototype SJ30-2 airframes earmarked for the FAA certification program is underway at Sino Swearingen's San Antonio plant. The company says the SJ30-2 is on target for a first flight in the third quarter of this year, with first deliveries planned for late 2001. Production SJ30-2s will be built in Martinsburg, W.Va., though the company plans to keep its administrative, marketing and engineering operations in San Antonio.
Photograph: Business Jet Center's Dallas Love Field facility Business Jet Center The Business Jet Center (BJC) has opened for business at Dallas Love Field, after investing more than $15 million in a rebuilding program. The airport authority requested Business Jet Services to provide executive services and hangar leasing after Cirrus Air defaulted to the city in 1997. The plans included a 22,000-square-foot business center, underground fuel farm, 13 acres of ramp space, and seven corporate and private hangars.
Space-Ray has introduced a new gas-fired infrared tube heater designed to provide heating for large workspaces, such as hangars and warehouses. According to the manufacturer, the new ETU200 has a 200,000 BTU/hr capacity with reported energy savings of up to 50 percent over forced air heating. The unit is available in natural gas and propane models and features manual temperature control, safety shutoff control and is built to continue operating even in strong wind gusts. Price: $1,300 to $1,800 Space-Ray 305 Doggett St.
The House Aviation Subcommittee has launched a probe of the government's Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airline flights to small communities that lack the traffic needed to justify profitable service. While EAS funding has nearly doubled over the past five years, the number of communities benefiting from the flights has decreased, and passenger loads have slipped as well.
Passengers expect their business aircraft to have the comforts of home and utility of the office, which means that inflight Internet access and computer networking is becoming a necessity. Pentar Avionics' new JetLAN airborne network server offers users the ability to access e-mail, surf the Web and share files and printers in-flight. Designed exclusively for use in aircraft cabins, the JetLAN is built small but tough. And, with its removable hard drive, confidential documents can remain so. After test flying for a year, JetLAN is now ready for prime time.
The Air Transport Association's (ATA) annual Engineering Maintenance and Materiel Forum will merge with Aviation Week&Space Technology's MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) conference and trade show in 2001. The ATA's Donald Collier says the combined show will provide ``an expanded learning experience'' as well as a productive networking opportunity. MRO 2001 is scheduled for April 3-5 in Dallas. For further information call (800) 240-7645 or visit www.aviationnow.com/conferences.
Signature Flight Support parent BBA Group has acquired U.K. FBO Lynton Aviation in a cash deal worth $55 million. The arrangement extends BBA's business aviation presence in Europe, where the company already operates two FBOs. Lynton has operations at Luton, London City, Blackbushe and Denham in the United Kingdom, and at Morristown, N.J. Lynton's U.K. operation also includes aircraft repair and overhaul services, and aircraft charter management and sales businesses. For its last fiscal year ended September 1999, the company reported revenues of $65 million.
The Ada, Okla., Municipal Airport (KADH) received the Oklahoma Airport Operators Association's ``Airport of the Year'' award for 1999. The award recognizes excellence in planning, capital improvement and economic development at general aviation airports in the state.
The FCC has granted AirCell, an air-to-ground communications provider for business aviation, a two-year extension of its operating authority. With the renewal, AirCell says it now can focus on securing an additional four ground-based providers to ensure ``seamless nationwide service.'' AirCell has delivered around 300 of its inflight phones at a cost of $4,000 to $8,000 per installation, but price isn't only obstacle the company faces.
A new rule from the FAA bans smoking on all scheduled flights between the United States and foreign destinations. The rule specifically bans smoking in the cockpit, as well.
The Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF) has called upon the FAA to require more stringent regulation of air charter, cargo and fractional operations. The group wants operators of passenger aircraft with 10 or more seats and cargo aircraft with maximum gross weights in excess of 20,000 pounds to operate under FAR Part 121, which, incidentally, requires the use of licensed aircraft dispatchers. According to the ADF, such a move would duplicate the ``Single Level of Safety'' standard, enacted in 1997, which required most regional carriers to comply with Part 121.
The FAA has presented ICAO with a ``safety oversight template'' that could spur wider implementation of U.S. aviation regulations and standards around the world. On May 18 in Montreal, Tom McSweeny, head of the FAA's regulation and certification branch, presented ICAO with Version 1.5 of the Model Aviation Regulatory Document, which provides guidelines for government oversight of flight operations, aircraft certification and other safety-related functions.
For 1999, Business Week magazine selected the best-performing companies from the S&P 500 index based on eight factors: total return for 1999, total return for three prior years, sales growth for 1999, sales growth for three prior years, profit growth for 1999, profit growth for three prior years, net margin for 1999 and return on equity for 1999. To select the best performing companies, Business Week combined scores for the eight factors, and added a weighting for sales volume to come up with the following results.
Bombardier plans to grow its Belfast, Northern Ireland-based work force by 1,200, or 20 percent, over the next two years as part of a production rate increase. The new employees will support component manufacture for the Canadair Regional Jet, Challenger 604 and Global Express programs. Parts for the CRJ Series 100/200 are already built at the Belfast plant. ``These new manufacturing responsibilities are a strong endorsement of our Northern Ireland operation and a clear expression of our confidence in our
SSBJs will have a price tag twice that of today's large-cabin business aircraft. It's also unlikely that an SSBJ will offer the short-field performance and long-legs, short-haul operating flexibility of traditional business aircraft, thereby squeezing them into a long-haul niche.
