Russ Meyer, chairman of Cessna Aircraft Co., appointed Charles B. Johnson to succeed him immediately as president and chief operating officer. Johnson was executive vice president of operations. Meyer, 65, who has headed Cessna since June 1975, is expected to retire from the company in 1999.
AlliedSignal Engines is testing a new engine core that could be the technology basis of a family of 4,000-pound-thrust to 8,000-pound-thrust turbofans for new-generation business and regional jets. The new core consists of three axial compressors and one centrifugal compressor. AlliedSignal does not see the new family, if it is developed, competing with its current family-the TFE and CFE series of turbofans.
It has become a real rhubarb for the two major players at Chicago O'Hare: American, United and their respective affiliates. DOT is offering a few "expansion slots" at this high-density-rule airport for niche carriers (such as Frontier or AirTran), service to under-served communities and essential-air-service communities. Those under-served communities have caused the uproar, with both the cities and their congressmen and senators wading into the fray. The two protagonists argue that the other has captive control over their regional affiliates.
A special exhibit on business aviation is scheduled to open on June 10 at the Smithsonian Institution's Air&Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The display, titled "Business Aviation-Time is Money," will include a Citation 500, a King Air C90, a TFE731, a JT15D and a Collins Pro Line 21 avionics demonstrator. Storyboards and videos will explain the variety of ways that general aviation aircraft are used for business purposes. Scheduled to be in place for a year, the exhibit has been supported through a fund established by the NBAA (July 1996, page 30).
Blackbushe Airport, in Southern England, has refur- bished its terminal building in a bid to attract more business aircraft. Al-though it only has a single 4,400-foot runway, Blackbushe is just four miles from Farnborough. (+44) 1252-879449
A group of Local Area Differential GPS (LADGPS) manufacturers says it has completed development of a specification that provides "a migration path from Special Category I (SCAT-I) to Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS)" precision landing equipment. The specification ostensibly eliminates non-compatibility between different SCAT I manufacturers' airborne and ground equipment, which is considered a primary obstacle to LADGPS implementation (November 1997, page 92). Over the next several months, the group will present the specification to the FAA, ICAO and RTCA.
It has been well reported that the probable cause of the May 1996 crash of ValuJet 592 in the Everglades was a fire in the DC-9's Class-D forward cargo compartment. The fire was initiated by the actuation of one or more of the chemical oxygen generators, and the cargo that fueled the fire included three aircraft tires and the oxygen generator packaging. The fire, supported by an abundance of oxygen, breached the protective fiberglass lining of the compartment and destroyed nearby electrical system and flight- control components.
This charter division of the FBO chain has made two promotions: Gary Gennari to vice president of customer relations and Bob Platten to vice president of charter sales for its flight services division.
Starting this month, ARINC Inc. will provide HF datalink message services through the company's GLOBALink ground network. ARINC says the new service will extend datalink coverage to remote and oceanic regions that can't be covered by current VHF datalink systems. Initially, geographic coverage will be over the Pacific Ocean, followed by the northern Atlantic Ocean. Worldwide coverage won't be available until mid 1999.
When we first looked at computer-based training courseware for business aviation in December 1994 ("The Digital Classroom," page 72), we predicted that CBT systems would soon be portable enough to fit in your shirt pocket. Well, they're not quite there yet, but CBT is becoming more widely accepted and readily available.
Jay Mesinger, president of J. Mesinger Aircraft Sales, Inc. of Boulder, Colo., believes that the high-time fractional aircraft will have to be appraised in a separate category, but that market forces will accomplish this task naturally. "What has fractional ownership done to the fleet after valuation?" he asked, rhetorically. "It will provide two distinct categories, as airframe time always has-we just haven't had such a clear distinction before.
Available soon from Aircraft Technical Publishers are premade maintenance schedules on CD for virtually all essential maintenance events for specific aircraft models. The schedules are templates designed for use with ATP's Maintenance Director electronic logbook system. Users will be able to load monthly updates onto their computers. Schedules for these aircraft are being prepared for release (and more are coming): King Air 90 and 200, Learjet 35A, Piper Cheyenne II-IV Series, Falcon 20 Series, Falcon 50 Series, Hawker 800 A/B, Citation II and Citation V.
Marsh Brothers Aviation, an Esso Aviation FBO, is scheduled to open a renovated facility later this quarter. The new 5,000-square-foot building will feature an enlarged passenger/ crew lounge and support areas. (905) 679-3558.
About 250 guide operators in Alaska who have been providing transportation under FAR Part 91 to hunting and fishing lodges will have to upgrade to Part 135 or 121 by the end of the year. The FAA says studies show that guide operations conducted under Part 91 are less safe than commercial operations. The NTSB reports 29 accidents over a two-year period involving Part 91 guide operations.
