Raytheon Aircraft Services doesn't plan to open its FBO at New Jersey's Atlantic City International Airport until the fall, more than a year beyond the original schedule (July 1996, page 24). Problems over environmental and other issues forced the delay. Meanwhile, Raytheon completed moving its Dallas repair facility from Addison Airport to Love Field, where it has expanded its weekday business hours from 0700 to 2300.
The French government's decision to transfer its 46 percent stake in Dassault Aviation to state-owned Aerospatiale is not expected to have any impact on Falcon Jet operations, and the Dassault family continues to hold a controlling interest in the company. The government, which has long planned to combine Dassault and Aerospatiale, said its primary interest is in consolidating and strengthening France's defense industry, French newspapers reported.
East Coast Jet Center in Fort Lauderdale has ordered 12 Sino Swearingen SJ30-2s as part of its recent appointment as a distributor for the new business jet.
New advanced weather graphics maps from Jeppesen now include North Pacific and European Surface Analysis charts, a 24-hour North Pacific forecast, a turbulence analysis and an hourly icing analysis for U.S. locations.
The state of Georgia, which normally appropriates about $2.3 million annually for aviation, will dedicate $35 million for improvements at 27 general aviation airports. Improvements will include extending runway lengths to at least 5,500 feet and adding precision approaches.
Aircraft Technical Publishers has released electronic maintenance schedules for the Learjet 30 and King Air 200 series. The Brisbane, Calif. company says the schedules, which are templates containing data on all regular maintenance events, are updated monthly and load directly into the user's computer from a CD. Subscription rates for the first year and subsequent years are $800 and $440, respectively, for King Airs and $1,250 and $690, respectively, for Learjets.
-- Collins General Aviation Division (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)-Ted A. Fuhrer comes aboard as vice president and general manager, replacing Robert J. Hirvela who retired earlier this year.
Many corporate aircraft passengers probably would be surprised to know that in the past 15 years, according to the NTSB, there have been more than 250 turbulence-related incidents on major airlines, resulting in three deaths, 70 serious injuries and at least 850 minor injuries. The Safety Board released these statistics after commending American Airlines and United Airlines for being the first U.S. carriers to require all passengers to keep their seat belts on when seated during flight.
Owners of Dassault Falcon Jets and Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft will get their opportunity to sound off at airframe and systems manufacturers at their annual maintenance and operations meetings. Dassault is holding its gathering from May 18-20 in Nice, France. The Gulfstream M&O gathering is set for June 2-4 at Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah.
FAA plans to extend for another two years its four-year prohibition on U.S. flight operations within certain portions of Afghanistan airspace. The agency says that fighting between government and opposition forces continues to be a threat to civil aviation. Some of the opposition forces still possess a wide range of surface-to-air missiles, says the FAA.
Photograph: "You're flying better than first class--and yet you don't feel like you are a charity case," Marvin Garnett said. "You feel like the company wants you as a passenger." Among their circle of friends, Marvin and Ronny Garnett have the Corporate Angel Network and nine corporations and their flight departments.
Look for a new avionics category in the 1999 Purchase Planning Handbook: Multifunction Displays (MFDs). Leading the charge toward FAA IFR flat-panel MFD certification is Avidyne, with its Multifunction Flight Computer (MFC). This box takes full advantage of consumer electronics hardware and software technology. It uses a beefed-up version of Microsoft Windows NT that should allow the firm to speed development. TSO C113 EFIS approval is slated for this year, with TSO C63 weather radar interface and TSO C110 lightning-sensor display approvals scheduled for 1999.
Photograph: Ryan's 9900B TCAD If the next 12 months are anything like the previous year, avionics installed in business aircraft will be getting a workout. Most operators report that they're flying more than they have in a long time, and expect the trend to continue. Underscoring this, completion centers say they have plenty of work as operators add new aircraft or retrofit their existing fleets. Over the last year, the leading avionics makers have been busy enhancing their products and introducing new versions.
Joint Aviation Authorities has granted Atlantic Aero JAR Part 145 Repair Station status. The authorization permits the Greensboro, N.C. company to make repairs on aircraft and their components registered in any of the 23 JAA signatory nations in Europe.
Bombardier says it is on track to Transport Canada certification of its Global Express in June, followed by FAA and JAA certification "soon thereafter." Recently, one of four test aircraft completed the longest Global Express flight to date-a Wichita round-robin that covered 6,500 nm in 14+29 hours following a max weight takeoff and an average cruise speed of 0.80 Mach. Meanwhile, Bombardier received the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences Von Karman Award for international cooperation in aeronautics for the Global Express.
-- C-Map Aviation (www.c-map.com/aviation)-Products and services information for this provider of electronic charting systems is now available on line. Items include pricing, dealer locations, press releases and data about compatible products from other manufacturers. -- Jet Support Services, Inc. (www.askjssi.com)-JSSI is an independent power-by-the-hour program provider.
Photograph: AlliedSignal's SilverCrown Plus New products popped up at the Aircraft Electronics Association annual meeting in April in Orlando like golden poppies in California after El Nino. Here are some highlights. -- AlliedSignal Electronics/ Avionics Systems announced that its seven-pound, $29,000, low-earth-orbit, Iridium satcom system will be certificated by December. Notably, the Iridium airborne equipment will weigh one-third to one-half of the current $400,000-class of Aero-H satcom systems.
EMERGING AIRCRAFT TARGET DATES The following are target dates for emerging turbine aircraft. These dates, supplied by the airframe manufacturers, are subject to change-and frequently do-as a result of design revisions, funding, testing delays or extensions, and/or the resolution of unforeseen problems. Each month, this table will endeavor to show the most-current schedule. Manufacturer Model Milestone AASI Jetcruzer 500 Turboprop Certification
-- Atlantic Aviation (Wilmington, Del.)-Blake C. Fish has replaced Joseph J. McShulkis as senior vice president of the line service division. McShulkis is retiring after 42 years with the company.
The complete proceedings of the Flight Safety Foundation's 10th annual European Aviation Safety Seminar are now available in print and compact disc format. More than 200 aviation professionals from 43 countries attended the meeting, held March 16-20 in Amsterdam. Some 24 presentations were made on such topics as preventing approach and landing accidents, FAA/JAA harmonization and CRM. Copies of the proceedings are available for sale from the FSF in Alexandria, Va. Phone: (703) 739-6700.
The small town of Clyde, Ohio is about to get an airport. Located nearly midway between Toledo and Cleveland, Sandusky County Airport is scheduled to open in October. The 5,000-by-100-foot paved runway will include side edge lights as well as a PAPI and REILS, and have a GPS approach. An FBO is being selected.
Designer of Learjet Dies of Leukemia-Reno Gazette (May 15, 1978) RENO, Nev. (UPI)-Industrialist William P. Lear, whose maverick genius created the car radio, the eight track stereo, the Lear Jet and 150 other patented inventions died in Reno yesterday morning after a long bout with Leukemia.
