The integrated avionics suites found in modern business aircraft come in a variety of sizes--mostly industry-standard boxes. Deciding which to choose depends on the aircraft and the complexity of the avionics installed. The large-format display tubes found in the integrated cockpit systems of high-end aircraft are replacing many electromechanical instruments. Standard-size cutouts for Collins Pro Line 4 display tubes are 7.0 by 6.0 inches or 7.25 by 7.25 inches.
The first member airline of the European Regions (formerly Regional) Airline Association (ERA) to bear the new ERA livery has launched regional service between Maastricht, Holland and London Stansted and Amsterdam Schiphol airports.
Operators of Bell's new Model 430 should get significantly more life out of this glass-fiber-reinforced main rotor yoke system than the average 5,000-hour lifespan experienced by the titanium steel systems used in all previous Bell civil helicopters, according to manufacturer Owens Corning. The yoke (shown here with a portion of the blade assembly) is the heart of the four-blade, bearingless and composite main rotor system of the Bell 430.
Flight Services Group (Stratford, Conn.)--William Juvonen, previously the company's president of aircraft sales, is taking a one-year sabbatical leave and will continue to service key accounts. Also, FSG has promoted the following staff members: Ken Sowa to vice president of aircraft sales, Eric Petersen to vice president of charter sales, Fred Bernard to director of aircraft management services, Tom Miller to director of operations, John Schneider to chief pilot and Tom Connelly to director of maintenance.
Binghamton, N.Y.--Miller Aviation at Binghamton Regional Airport is now operating 24 hours a day--from 0700 on Monday through 0030 on Saturday, with weekend hours from 0700 to 1730. The company says its extended hours mean a 300-hour airframe inspection on a Learjet 55 is now completed in three days instead of seven. Tel: (607) 770-1093; fax (607) 770-0649.
FAA (Washington, D.C.)--Dr. Maureen A. Pettitt is the agency's new chief scientific and technical advisor for human factors. Pettitt, who holds a doctorate in education, previously owned and managed a flight school and air charter business.
At press time, the following individuals were appointed to serve on the National Civil Aviation Review Commission, which has the goal of coming up with recommendations for future FAA funding sources: Rep. Norman Mineta (D-Calif.)--chairperson. William Bacon--executive director at Rapid City, S.D. Regional Airport. Charles Barclay-president of the American Association of Airport Executives. Linda Barker--part owner of Business Aviation, a Sioux Falls, Idaho FBO. Bill Campbell--mayor of Atlanta.
Delegates to the European Business Aircraft Association convention were stunned by an apparently casual comment by a senior European Commission official, who effectively told them not to bother implementing JAR Ops 1, the long-awaited operating rules of the Joint Aviation Authorities.
In April, Signature Flight Support and Zimex Aviation Holding of Zollikon, Switzerland welcomed the first customers to their new FBO at Zurich International Airport. The enterprise, set up in direct competition to long-standing operator Jet Aviation, includes an 8,000-square-foot terminal, a hangar and 56,000 square feet of ramp parking. Amenities include a weather briefing room, crew lounge, sleeping and shower facilities, and conference room. Also operating out of the new facility are Zimex Aviation Maintenance (formerly Limess Aviation).
Airlines that fly cargo and repair stations that serve those airlines can expect to come under intense scrutiny by the FAA's new Dangerous Goods and Cargo Security Division. The division, headed by Charles N. Lovinksi, formerly a senior manager at Federal Express, will oversee 118 newly hired, full-time inspectors. A dozen lawyers also are being hired-to handle the ``anticipated increase'' in enforcement actions. Civil penalties for a single violation carry a maximum fine of $27,500.
Formation of a new marketing and support organization in the United States along with the infusion of new capital has left the IAI Galaxy on its best footing in years. Galaxy Aerospace Corp. aligns IAI with former Learjet president Brian Barents and the Pritzker family of Chicago, owners of Hyatt Hotels Corp. and other businesses.
Sikorsky launched development of the S-92 in June 1995, with the announcement that the company will build five prototypes of the 19- to 22-passenger commercial heavy, twin-turbine helicopter. First flight is slated for 1998, with certification in 2000. The S-92 will be powered by two 1,700-shp General Electric CT7-6D engines, and will have an aluminum and composite airframe that is derived from the U.S. Army's H-60 Black Hawk. Gross weight is expected to be 24,100 pounds, and range will be 400 nm at a cruise speed of 155 knots.
Northwest has acquired 100 percent of Express Airlines I, its Airlink partner at Memphis and Minneapolis/St. Paul, from founder and owner Michael Brady. The airline will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary, independent of Mesaba Airlines, the Airlink carrier that serves Northwest's Detroit hub as well as Minneapolis.
Jacksonville, Fla.--Kaman Corp. has sold the last of its FBOs. AirKaman, at Jacksonville International Airport, was sold to a privately-held company led by C. William Kaman, II, who has managed the facility for several years. Malcolm L. Rich reportedly will continue as president of AirKaman. Tel: (904) 741-2201; fax: (904) 741-2250.
Dallas-based Business Jet Solutions recently received authority to operate on-demand flights in the North Atlantic MNPS using dual GPS receivers as the sole means of navigation. The company, jointly owned by AMR Combs and Bombardier, provides charter aircraft services and manages aircraft under its FlexJet fractional ownership program.
In a ``card-check'' procedure conducted by the National Mediation Board, 70 percent of the nearly 100 Mesa Air Group flight attendants chose the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO, as their collective bargaining representative. Mesa, which is in the process of consolidating a number of regional-airline subsidiaries, agreed to recognize AFA and to enter contract negotiations if the NMB certified the process.
Honeywell (Phoenix)--The following staff changes were made at Honeywell Commercial Aviation Systems: Bertrand Dunou now is the director of customer support for the United States and Canada, and Adrian Paull is director of customer support for Europe.
Bombardier will build a new completion center in Montreal that will replace the smaller facility acquired from Innotech Aviation in December 1996. Although the new center, to be finished in November, will be dedicated to completing Global Express aircraft, the facility also can handle some Challenger completions. Bombardier's Tucson operation also will be available for Challenger completions. The center is scheduled to receive the first Global Express in December.
Helicopter manufacturers are courting the United Kingdom's Royal Flight Squadron, which is looking to replace its aging fleet of Westland Wessex helicopters. Westland, Eurocopter and Sikorsky have so far presented (respectively) the EH101, Super Puma and S-76C+. Royal Flight helicopters carry members and guests of the Royal Family on official duties within the United Kingdom.
The TechStar Pro is Jeppesen's latest hand-held aircraft navigation and performance calculator. In addition to numerous aviation, personal, timing, arithmetic and scientific functions, the TechStar Pro features individual data prompts, an eight-line liquid crystal display, 128K memory and a latitude/longitude mode that allows the user to compute great circle routes. The TechStar Pro retails for $149.95.
To better manage the center of gravity, Boeing Business Jets has modified the fuselage tank configuration of the BBJ. The 28,810-pound fuel capacity remains unchanged, but Boeing now plans to use 11 tanks instead of nine. Meanwhile, even though the 6,200-nm-range BBJ's first flight is more than a year away, Boeing said it has 12 options and eight firm orders, including two from GE. Certification is scheduled for November 1998.
Virtually all general aviation associations are disappointed and angry about the makeup of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission, saying GA is under-represented. The groups also said they fear the FAA is on a course predestined to result in user fees. GA groups have been particularly vocal, protesting that a recent assessment by Coopers&Lybrand of the FAA's financial prowess presupposes a move to user fees (see page 45).
