The Airports Council International-North America honored Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) for his work on AIR-21 and other aviation related issues. ACI-NA Airports Council President David Z. Plavin called Shuster a ``true friend'' of aviation, citing his advocacy of increasing airport-imposed PFCs as evidence of his value to the group's membership. Shuster chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was the sponsor and main cheerleader for AIR-21.
The government of Iceland has chosen Danish Engine Trend Analyzing (DETA) to provide engine monitoring for its Beech King Air 200. The aircraft is used as a VIP transport for the president of Iceland as well as ILS calibration and other functions. DETA also won similar contracts for two Beech 1900Ds operated by Trans Travel Airlines and a Beech King Air 90 operated by African operator INCAT.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Mike Vines, in Coventry, England
West Midlands International (Coventry, CVT) Airport in central England is offering Europe's approximately 200 BAe 146 and Avro RJ operators the use of its 5.5-degree PAPI (precision approach path indicator) approach for training purposes, replicating the approach into busy London City Airport (LCY). ``London City is becoming increasingly more popular with airline operators, thereby generating an ever-increasing requirement for pilot training,'' says Peter Jackson, Coventry's airport director.
Boeing 717-200 aircraft were hit with an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on April 1, requiring immediate inspections of the 14 delivered aircraft to check for anomalies in the integrated standby instrument system (ISIS) altitude display. Two reports of a loss of data on the captain's and first officer's primary flight display and ISIS altitude display triggered the action, the FAA says. Both flights landed safely. Boeing 717-200s are now in service with Air Tran, TWA and Olympic.
Eclipse Aviation has chosen this summer's AirVenture 2000 in Oshkosh, Wis., for the first public display of its proposed Eclipse 500 light jet. In addition to displaying the full-size mockup, Eclipse has signed a three-year agreement to sponsor the show's Forums Plaza area. AirVenture is scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 1 and is the world's largest air show. Eclipse founder Vern Raburn also serves on the Experimental Aircraft Association's board of directors.
JetBrokers (Chesterfield, Mo.) -- Charlie Stearns joins as vice president of sales, overseeing the aircraft sales company's new Northport, N.Y., office.
A Boeing Business Jet operated by Swiss charter operator PrivatAir recently concluded an extensive demonstration tour of Europe and the Middle East. The BBJ stopped in more than a dozen cities, including Paris, Jeddah, Dubai and Moscow, conducting media and customer demo flights. The aircraft is the first of three BBJs for PrivatAir.
Aviation Daily and BACK Aviation Solutions say that the World Fleet Forecast for 20- to 120-seat aircraft will be available on May 15. ``Our forecast focuses on both the dynamic 100-seat market plus the role of turboprops versus regional jets,'' says Stephen Munro, publisher of the Daily. The World Fleet Forecast is a four-part independent analysis of the regional aircraft market, with a global outlook and regional forecast for North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, e-mail [email protected], or call (800) 752-4959.
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.) -- Dr. Bruce Smith has been named dean of the John D. Odergard School of Aerospace Science. Smith is a UND alumnus and former director of training at Delta Air Lines.
Opening up Russia for general aviation is the theme of a new exposition and air show at Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport on August 16-20. The Russian Business Aviation Association and AOPA-Russia are joining forces with the Russian government ``to open up new horizons for this until now underprivileged sector of aerial transport.'' The program includes a conference on key issues of general aviation development. For information call +7095-241 82 01, or e-mail [email protected]
Miami-based Aviation Sales Co. has entered a standstill agreement with stockholder LJH Corp., limiting the amount of stock that LJH can acquire to 25 percent of the outstanding shares for the next five years.
Women in Aviation, International (WAI) awarded almost $461,570 in aviation scholarships at its recent convention in Memphis. The value of the scholarships for flight training, maintenance, aviation management and continuing education represented an 18-percent increase over the 1999 awards. Sponsors included Bombardier, Cessna, FlightSafety International, SimuFlite, and other commercial and professional aviation organizations.
The U.S. Coast Guard has selected Agusta Helicopters to provide up to eight A109 helicopters for its Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron TEN marine smuggling program. The armed A109 Powers will be equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), a mission equipment package, and Fully Automated Digital Electronic Controlled (FADEC) Pratt&Whitney Canada 206C engines. The contract includes two firm orders this year and options for six more in 2001. This is the first U.S. government contract awarded to Agusta in support of aviation missions.
With certification of the new Hawker Horizon still two years away, Raytheon plans to deliver more than 60 Hawker 800XPs this year and is considering boosting production even further. ``When your backlog gets over 12 months, you're not that competitive in the marketplace,'' said Raytheon's Ted Farid, vice president-worldwide jet sales. The company already has significantly boosted production since acquiring the Hawker line, which was building 36 aircraft per year under British Aerospace.
Air Nostrum of Spain has signed a letter of intent to purchase nearly $1 billion worth of new Bombardier regional aircraft. The contract includes firm orders for 29 Dash 8-Q300 turboprops and 15 CRJ200 (LR) regional jets, and options for 40 additional aircraft of undetermined type. Valencia-based Air Nostrum ordered five firm and five optional CRJ200s in March 1998 and since has taken delivery of the first five and converted one option to a firm order. The four outstanding options were exercised with the latest order.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Pacific Aerospace and Electronics is developing the 428JET Center Fuselage Production System under the terms of a $4.4 million contract with Israel Aircraft Industries.
Executive Aircraft Corp. has sold all its assets to EAC Acquisition Corp., an investment group headed by Ben E. Ames, Jr. of Columbia, Mo. Robert Taylor will continue as EAC president, and the new owners say they plan to retain all employees of the company. EAC founder Stan Roth and his brother died in a July 1998 airplane crash. ``The continued success of the business that Stan developed over 25 years is important to me, as well as maintaining a quality work environment for employees in Wichita and Newton,'' said Jan Roth, EAC's owner and chairman.
Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.'s (PHI) pilots voted for representation by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). The election, conducted by the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., was the third in four years. Of 540 pilots eligible to participate, 293 (54 percent) voted in favor of the union. ``We are obviously disappointed, but will move forward assessing all our options. PHI will work with its pilots and all our other employees to continue providing our customers with safe, efficient services,'' said Carroll W.
Four of the largest aerospace and defense contractors have teamed to create a secure electronic marketplace for their respective goods and services plus those of their suppliers. Participants in the venture include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Raytheon, which collectively do business with nearly 40,000 suppliers, airlines, governments and other entities each year.
The average size of regional airliners continues to increase. So also is the airlines' ability to carrier more cargo. More and more regional airlines are actively marketing their freight-carrying capabilities, often in conjunction with the cargo and small-package services of their senior partners, and it is paying off, according to carrier officials. Airlines have gone to great lengths to fill empty airplane seats. Yield management has enabled carriers to ``anticipate'' the number of empty seats on any particular flight and offer those seats at a discounted rate.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., has begun using flight-tracking software to identify violators of local noise regulations. Many operators already had privacy concerns about the software, arguing that it could pose a security threat. The software is part of a new noise-monitoring system that has been in place at the noise-sensitive airport since November 1999. For some time, citizens who call HPN's noise-abatement office have been able to obtain the name of the aircraft operator that caused the disturbance, if it can be confirmed.
