In-Flight Phone Corp. of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. IFPC forged an interim service agreement with MCI Telecommunications Corp. to conduct business as usual for 45 days, and is making plans for post-interim funding after that period. IFPC is the maker of Flight Link Executive, an airborne telephone system that features completely digital phone service with an interactive screen-based information and entertainment system.
Gulfstream International Airlines, the rapidly expanding Miami-based regional, has signed a code-sharing agreement with Continental on flights between Florida and the Bahamas. The company also has a marketing agreement with United. Gulfstream will operate as a Continental Connection carrier in Continental Connection livery throughout Florida and to Freeport, Nassau, Treasure Cay, North Eleuthera and Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas. The carrier has more than 160 daily departures.
A majority of operators and the NTSB support the FAA's long-awaited proposal to allow single-engine aircraft (piston or turbine) to carry passengers for hire under FAR Part 135 IFR. But at least two major manufacturers do not agree. For example, Cessna, which builds the Caravan single-engine turboprop, says the rule should be limited to turbine aircraft. And Raytheon, which builds no single-engine turboprops, is against the proposal altogether. Comments were due March 3 (B/CA, January, page 13).
Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (Washington, D.C.)-Karl Florian, vice president of operations for Jet Support Services in Chicago, is this association's new chairman.
When Israel Aircraft Industries starts delivering new Galaxy business jets to the United States for completion, they will arrive on ferry engines that will be removed and shipped back to Israel to power another delivery. As the aircraft nears completion, it will be fitted with new engines. Galaxy Aerospace Corp., the marketing and support arm for IAI business jets, says this procedure will save related inventory costs for customers.
HeliShare, a fractional ownership program introduced in 1996 by the Lynton Group, expects to put its first helicopter into operation on April 1. Lynton, with offices in London, England and Morristown, N.J., bought a Eurocopter AS355N that will be offered for sale in one-quarter shares to owners for transportation throughout the Washington, D.C./New York/Boston corridor. Lynton said it expects to have sold all four shares in its first AS355N by May 1, and, in a second, identically configured AS355N in July.
Innsbruck, Austria-based regional Tyrolean Airways has confirmed a firm order for four de Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft plus options for an addition four of the 72-passenger, high speed turboprops. Value of the order was placed at $83 million. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 1999 and conclude in the first quarter of 2001. Tyrolean already operates 11 37-passenger Dash 8-100s and eight 50-passenger Dash 8-300s as well as three Canadair Regional Jets with two options.
Rockwell's Collins AMS-850 avionics management system received an STC on a Beechjet 400A allowing pilots to make GPS approaches and to use GPS as a primary means of navigation.
United Express Great Lakes Aviation has obtained 20 additional Chicago O'Hare takeoff and landing slots. ``The approval is a result of joint efforts by both the company and several U.S. senators working closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation during the past year,'' the company said.
Dallas Airmotive will establish Allison 250 repair capabilities at the company's St. Louis regional turbine shop. Shop space at Spirit of St. Louis Airport has been doubled and Allison 250-qualified maintenance technicians have been added to the staff, says Dallas Airmotive. Meanwhile, London's BBA Group has completed its acquisition of Airmotive Holdings, the parent company of Dallas Airmotive as well as International Turbine Service. BBA Group also owns the Signature Flight Support FBO chain (B/CA, January, page 26).
Despite the fact that user-fee proposals have been hot in Washington at least since 1993, there still is only one comprehensive proposal being floated for what a fee structure might look like if the United States were to establish ATC as an independent, non-profit corporation free from government bureaucracy.
This table shows the results of a January survey of U.S. fuel suppliers. The survey, by Fillup Flyer Fuel Finder in Cincinnati, reflects fuel prices reported by up to 1,863 FBOs. All prices are full retail-before any discounts-and include taxes and other fees. Contact Fillup Flyer for individualized customer fuel surveys and logistical data maps at (800) 333-7900 or on the Internet at www.fillupflyer.com.
Global Analysis and Information Network (www.nasdac.faa. gov/gain/index.htm)-This site includes information on the FAA/industry GAIN program, including the first GAIN workshop, the GAIN concept paper and a summary of comments concerning the GAIN initiative.
The second Bombardier Global Express long-range business jet entered the certification flight test program on February 3. Serial number 9002 will be used primarily to evaluate systems and for natural icing and cold weather tests. To date, the first test aircraft has reached a speed of 0.90 Mach and an altitude of 49,400 feet msl. A structural testing airframe will be subjected to one lifetime of 15,000 simulated flights and a second lifetime in which damage will be introduced throughout the airframe.
AlliedSignal Aerospace announced at Heli Expo `97 (February 2-4 in Anaheim, Calif.) that it is seeking FAA certification of a ground proximity warning system for helicopters. The system will be a version of the company's Mark VII GPWS for transport airplanes that is modified to meet rotary wing requirements. Some of the helicopter-specific functions the GPWS will have include altitude callouts during autorotation, annunciation of excessive pitch, warnings of excessive terrain closure rate and minimum terrain clearance settings.
Scandinavian Airlines's regional carrier, SAS Commuter accepted the first of four new Saab 2000 regional aircraft. The airline has an option for an additional two aircraft. The SAS Commuter Saab 2000 is based at Stockholm's Arlanda International Airport and entered revenue service early in February. The aircraft is configured with 53 seats.
When you have to say more than that to the press, you might turn to the HAI's Visibility Unlimited, a guide to dealing with the media. The recently revised 34-page manual not only gives pointers on how to respond to reporters' questions during a crisis situation, but also how to obtain the assistance of the media to help promote the industry. Copies of the publication are available from HAI in Alexandria, Va. Phone: (703) 683-4646.
USF&G Aviation, Inc. (Baltimore)-David R. Brown has been appointed president of this new subsidiary of USF&G Insurance. Brown was the aviation department manager for USF&G since its startup in 1980. The new company will operate a Falcon 2000 from its base at Martin State Airport in Baltimore.
Much of the attention generated by American Eurocopter at Heli-Expo `97 was directed at its president and CEO, David Smith, instead of its helicopters. Smith disclosed at the show that he was temporarily leaving his position at the company in order to prepare his defense against a U.S. government indictment alleging payment of undisclosed commissions to Israel. He denies the charges. The trial is scheduled for May.
The recently opened Citation Service Center in San Antonio is Cessna's ninth company-owned facility and its largest outside of Wichita. The 40,000-square-foot hangar can accommodate the full line of Citations. Bob Steel, former general manager at Cessna's Toledo Citation Service Center, has been tapped to fill the same position at the new facility.
Bombardier's board has given the go-ahead to launch the CRJ-X, the extended version of the 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet. Bombardier's Regional Aircraft Division projects that the CRJ-X will have its first flight in 1999 and will enter service in late 2000. The company says the CRJ-X will seat up to 76 passengers at 31-inch pitch in a high-density configuration, with standard seating at 74 passengers. Range would be 1,529 nm with 74 passengers and baggage (B/CA, October 1996, page 22).
The MD 902, McDonnell Douglas' upgraded version of its Explorer series, is scheduled to receive FAA certification in June. Its approval will signal the end of the two-year production run of the first-generation Explorer. The new aircraft will feature significant improvements over its predecessor, said the company, including FAA Category A capabilities. A more-powerful turbine, the P&WC 206E, will replace the 206A, allowing an additional 240 pounds of payload.
New from Universal Avionics Systems are two solid-state cockpit voice record- ers. The CVR-30B and the CVR-120, recording 30 minutes and 120 minutes, res-pectively, weigh in at 13 pounds. These recorders are ARINC 757 and 557 compatible and have received TSO 123a authorization. An internal micro- phone is optional. Price: CVR-30B, $12,000; CVR-120, $16,000. Universal Avionics Systems Corp., 3260 E. Lerdo Rd., Tucson, Ariz. 85706. (520) 295-2300; fax: (520) 295-2395.
Signature Flight Support (Orlando)-Warren Boin, senior vice president of marketing for this FBO chain, left the company on January 9. No successor had been named at press time.
