AlliedSignal is in the midst of a transaction to acquire Grimes Aerospace of Urbana, Ohio. Grimes, owned by Midland-Ross since 1996, makes exterior and interior aircraft lighting systems, power supplies and aircraft engine systems. AlliedSignal will assume customer support after the transaction is finalized.
Breakfast with a short, but intense, learning session as a chaser is what Wayfarer Aviation of White Plains, N.Y. is serving at its ``Breakfast Club'' training series. The air charter and management company is reaching out to dispatchers, schedulers, charter salespeople and administrative assistants with light sustenance, coffee and informative talks--all free--to familiarize them with different aspects of business aviation, including specific business aircraft. Manufacturers' representatives and Wayfarer's staff have been recruited as speakers.
Exhibitors' booth reservations for the NBAA's 50th anniversary celebration and annual convention on September 23-25 in Dallas have reached a record high--3,302, six percent greater than the total of 3,106 at the November 1996 show. Because of all of the interest from would-be exhibitors, the NBAA has opened another area at the Dallas Convention Center. In addition, nearly 190 aircraft will be on static display.
In a move to upgrade Russian airports to international standards, the Russian government is seeking private investors for 34 of 63 state-run airports, including Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo in Moscow. The impact on corporate aviation is uncertain now. A high-ranking Russian official says the recruitment of private investors is the crux of a plan to garner more than $5 billion for renovations to these airports.
Pat Howard says he bought his Socata TBM 700 ``for speed.'' The Redmond, Washington-based software applications entrepreneur routinely flight plans a 270-knot cruise speed for the 400-nm average legs he flies, with the occasional lope out to 900 nm.
FAA, U.S. airlines and other operators continue to question the seeming lack of civilian involvement in the U.S. Air Force's GPS, slated to become virtually the sole means of navigation in the near future. The latest concerns stem from the Air Force's refusal to locate a GPS control facility at an FAA preferred site in Washington, D.C. (Vandenburg AFB is the Air Force's choice) and the service's failure to support a second civil frequency.
The conversion of Bergstrom Air Force Base to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is scheduled to be completed in spring 1999 and to be opened to all civilian operations. It opened in June for cargo-only flights. This transformation is the largest facility conversion in the FAA's program of turning former military bases into civilian airfields.
Did you know: The average age of the U.S. corporate jet fleet is 16 years, the approximately 4,600 corporate jets represent 2.5 percent of the entire U.S. general aviation fleet, while the nearly 1.4-million hours flown annually by corporate jets is about 5.5 percent of the hours flown by all U.S. general aviation aircraft. These and other industry statistics are included in GAMA's 1997 GA Statistical Databook. The 30-page publication is available for $10 from GAMA, 1400 K St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.
London's Royal Aeronautical Society has honored B/CA Senior Editor Perry Bradley for the second straight year with an aviation journalism award. This year, Perry won the Society's Embraer Award for Best Regional Aircraft Submission for his article on ``Advanced CRM,'' a description of Atlantic Coast Airlines' experience using an advanced CRM program (June 1996, page 62). In 1996, Bradley's article ``The Active Assault on Cabin Noise'' won the Society's Lucas Award for the Best Systems and Components Submission (November 1996, page 34).
A $1.2-million corporate aircraft terminal and hangar complex recently opened at Dodge County Airport in Juneau, Wis. The two-story, 6,000-square-foot terminal and adjacent 14,000-square-foot hangar are operated by Wisconsin Aviation, which also manages the uncontrolled airport.
A policy allowing airports to use land-and-hold-short operations (LAHSO) if they meet specific runway lengths and in-pavement lighting criteria is ``safe and efficient,'' said the FAA. A new FAA directive authorizing LAHSO has come under fire, primarily from airline pilots, who say that tests preceding the directive are not valid and the procedures leave no margin for error. LAHSO has been approved at specially selected airports over the last two years (December 1996, page 22 and January 1996, page 16).
After two cable television advertising campaigns this spring, requests for General Aviation Team 2000's $35 Introductory Flight Coupon have soared to more than 4,000 (May 1997, page 47).
Organizers of Helitech '97, slated for September 30 through October 3 at London's Gatwick Airport, say Agusta, Bell, Boeing, Eurocopter, McDonnell Douglas, Sikorsky and GKN Westland have signed on as exhibitors at this in-ternational helicopter technology and operations exhibition. Manufacturers will show their aircraft in the static display area, in flying demonstrations or on stands inside the exhibition hall. On September 29, a ``Helicopter Maintenance: Safety, Savings and HUMS'' conference will be held at the Gatwick Airport Hilton.
Garrett Aviation Services is ``exploring the possibility'' of offering General Electric CF34-8C engine retrofits for Gulfstream IIs, IIBs and IIIs. The GE turbofans would enable aircraft to meet Stage 3 noise levels and would increase range up to 700 nm (depending on aircraft variant), said Garrett. The retrofit will add about 150 pounds to the airframe.
According to a National Air Transportation Association survey, nearly 40 percent of FBOs with underground fuel storage tanks either don't know about Environmental Protection Agency rules concerning tank upgrade deadlines or will not be able to comply by 1998. The EPA ruled in 1987 that underground storage tanks must be modified or replaced by December 22, 1998 (June 1987, page 21).
Pilots are skeptical inquirers because of their instinct for self-preservation and because of their training. Ironically, certain new technologies can offer an almost irresistible lure that can cause them to relax their vigilance. One of those technologies is Doppler turbulence detection weather radar, according to well-known radar experts Dave Guinn and Archie Trammell. ``It provides more of a comfort index than hazard avoidance.'' offered Guinn. ``Turbulence detection affirms what you already know about the storm.''
John Newhouse's famous 1982 book on ``The high-risk, competitive business of making and selling commercial airliners'' was on many minds as events unfolded at the Paris Air Show in June and AMR Eagle ultimately split its long-anticipated regional-jet order between Bombardier and Em-braer. Specifically, the carrier ordered 42 EMB-145 50-seaters plus 25 options as well as 25 CRJ-700 70 seaters plus 25 options. It begins receiving 145s in February 1998, but will wait until 2001 for the first CRJ-700.
With a promise that succeeding Farnborough and Paris Air shows will be ``regular events'' for exercising future EMB-145 options, Continental Ex-press President David Siegel signed for his second 25 regional jets in June. COEx was launch customer for the 50-seater in September 1996 with a firm order for 25 plus 175 options at Farnborough.
Walter T. Given, formerly a 16-year member of Xerox's flight department, now is the Eastern regional maintenance manager for this independent power-by-the-hour maintenance provider and is based in Hopewell Junction, N.Y. Terry Flynn was appointed regional sales manager and is based in Nashville.
This association of FAA-designated medical examiners and other aviation-oriented physicians now can be accessed at McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week Group Web site. CAMA's Web page will contain information on the organization's members, mission, programs and seminars.
BFGoodrich's Rosemount Aerospace in Burnsville, Minn. is working with the FAA to gain approval of a system to detect ice on wings prior to takeoff. Called HALO, the system comprises a processor unit, a cockpit display and two ultrasonic sensors installed on each wing. HALO has been test flown by Northwest Airlines.
The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association bestowed several awards at its Annual Symposium and Trade Show this summer. Awards of Merit went to Ralph Michalka, Kalamazoo Aircraft, and Leonard Beauchemin, Eastman Kodak Co. The PAMA/ATP Award, presented in conjunction with Aircraft Technical Publishers, went to Richard Wellman of Signature Flight Support. Donald Filippone, from the Heart of Georgia Technical Institute, won the PAMA/Flight Safety Foundation Joe Chase Award. The Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to Robert A. Holmes of Airwork Corp.
Airline transports and business aircraft Doppler weather radars operate on the same principle to detect turbulence. It's called ``pulse pair processing.'' The radar's computer chops the incoming precipitation echoes on each azimuth into range samples that are about one-tenth mile apart. These are called range gates or range bins. Then it looks at the Doppler shift in the echo frequencies between range bins. Using the Doppler shift, the radar computes the relative velocities between pairs of range samples, hence the name ``pulse pair processing.''
