Illustration: Table: COMPARISON OF KING AIR F90 AND F90-42 (This table is not available electronically. Please see the January, 1997 issue.) DASH 42 KING AIR MOD IS OFFERED STC Engineering Company of Cookson, Oklahoma received an STC to replace the 750-shp Pratt&Whitney Canada PT6-135 engines with 850-shp -42s and an improved air induction system in the King Air F90 series. According to Bob M. Wood in Greenville, South Carolina, a modified aircraft not only performs better, but is quieter, too.
In November 1969, the founding fathers of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association appointed a Washington state native named Edward W. Stimpson to handle public affairs and congressional relations. Nearly 30 years later, the GAMA board completed a transition that was in the making for well over a year--preparing Edward M. Bolen to replace Stimpson as president of the association.
The European Commission has drafted a proposal to establish a new entity to oversee the regulation of aircraft safety, certification and operations in Europe. The EC suggests that one way to accomplish this is to reorganize the JAA into a more formal, representative and stronger group. The JAA has come under increasing criticism lately by the European Association of Aerospace Industries.
Bombardier finalized the purchase of the former business jet completions unit of Innotech Aviation and renamed the division Bombardier Completion Centre (B/CA, December 1996, page 20). The facility, next to Montreal's Dorval International Airport, will continue Canadair Challenger completions as well as specialize in completions of the Global Express. The first Global Express is scheduled to arrive for completion late this year, with deliveries of completed aircraft to begin in early 1998.
One of the latest efforts to reopen Chicago's Meigs Field occurred in December 1996 when the Illinois state legislature adopted a bill that would allow the state to take control of the airport. Although Illinois Governor Jim Edgar supports the bill, he may delay signing it while he continues to negotiate a compromise with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. The mayor closed the airport on September 30, but he has been prevented from demolishing it by state and federal court rulings (B/CA, December 1996, page 17).
Honeywell's Primus 1000 forms the basis for the Ultra's avionics package. Three, eight-by-seven-inch CRT displays, made up of left- and right-side primary flight displays (PFDs) plus a multifunction display (MFD) in the center, occupy the panel. New to this year's model are the formerly optional, now standard, equipment-left- and right-side Primus II radio management units that flank the MFD-indicating that Honeywell com/nav/ident radios have become standard equipment. (Collins Pro Line II radios were standard equipment in previous Ultra aircraft.)
McDonnell Douglas is making good on its promise to charge lower prices for its helicopter products when it becomes more efficient at building them. The company says its new twin-turbine MD 902 Explorer now sells for $3.6 million, a $500,000 reduction. The new price includes the ``preferred-option package,'' which previously was priced at about $500,000. The MD 902 is scheduled to enter service at midyear. The new single-turbine MD600N now carries a price of $1.25 million, down from $1.36 million.
Howard Hackney has been appointed vice president of business development and special projects of this FBO. Previously, Hackney was chief pilot for Whirlpool Corporation.
In the race to capture a greater share of the lucrative completions and refurbishment business, Downtown Airpark, Garrett Aviation Services and K-C Aviation are adding more hangar space. Downtown Airpark opened a satellite facility at Page Airport near Oklahoma City. Garrett will build a three-bay painting facility in Springfield, Illinois. And K-C Aviation will acquire a 53,400-square-foot hangar in Dallas that will accommodate three transport-size jets simultaneously, including Boeing 737s.
This full-service FBO has made the following appointments: Jeff Manion and Tim Klenke have joined the company as service sales representatives in the airframe service sales group. Karl Detweiler was named the accessory product development and technical service representative.
On December 10, 1996, the North Atlantic Track System Planning Group reaffirmed that Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums will begin on March 27. RVSM's 1,000-foot vertical separation will apply to all aircraft flying between FL 330 and FL 390 in the Minimum Navigation Performance Standards airspace from the North Pole to 27N. The Group cautioned, however, that RVSM implementation would be postponed if fewer than 80 percent of airlines using the airspace were unable to comply with RVSM requirements by March 27.
JetSolutions, the company formed by Bombardier and AMR Combs, will purchase 24 Learjet Model 45s for its FlexJet fractional ownership program. The Dallas-based company also took 25 options and purchased two Global Express aircraft for the program. Since Learjet 45s won't start joining the FlexJet fleet until March 1999, JetSolutions has established a ``bridge'' program for buyers to purchase shares in a Learjet 31A or Learjet 60 and then transfer those shares to their Learjet 45 when it becomes available.
Gulfstream says the G-V will meet all operational targets-including a 6,500-nm range with NBAA IFR reserves-despite an empty weight of 38,670 pounds, that is 1,500 pounds higher than was initially projected. MTOW is projected at 90,500 pounds. However, max fuel capacity is up to 41,300 pounds, and max landing weight was boosted to 75,300 pounds. FAA certification was expected in December 1996.
The long-anticipated revamping of the marketing and support organization for Israel Aircraft Industries business jets is on its way. As expected, the new Galaxy Aerospace Corporation will be a partnership between IAI, the Pritzker family of Chicago and business aviation veteran Brian Barents, who will serve as Galaxy's president and CEO. Most recently, he was president and CEO of Learjet.
Operators using small business jets in on-demand FAR Part 135 cargo service may be facing new rules starting in April 1998 that could cost them between $45,000 and $80,000 per aircraft. According to industry sources, the FAA is considering a rule to require cargo compartments to be STCed under Part 25. Currently, those compartments receive field approval. The FAA claims many do not have adequate emergency exits, cargo-restraint systems or firefighting equipment.
Boeing Business Jets, the joint venture formed last summer by Boeing and General Electric, has designated Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland and K-C Aviation of Dallas as official completion centers for installing VIP interiors in Boeing's corporate versions of the new 737. While both K-C and Jet Aviation are qualified to install interiors of this scale, only Jet Aviation has performed VIP interior installations on existing 737s.
Cessna and Allison are offering new engine maintenance programs for Citations. In Cessna's Triple Crown program, operators of P&WC JT15D-powered Citations can choose from three overhaul levels, with each providing its own guaranteed turnaround time and price. Meanwhile, Cessna and Allison are developing an on-condition maintenance program for Allison 3007C engines on Citation Xs. Operators will be able to choose from the new on-condition method or the traditional scheduled method.
Learjet is hustling to receive FAA certification for its Model 45 by midyear. While this is several months later than originally scheduled, it doesn't seem to have hurt sales. The company says it has at least 125 orders, with the latter 25 representing a single-point sale to JetSolutions for its FlexJet fractional ownership fleet. Learjet claims no major problems have caused the delay, but company officials confessed to an ``overly ambitious'' outlook on how things would go.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of aviation's greatest mystery. On July 3, 1937, Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world. Ever since, theories have abounded on what became of the United States' most famous aviatrix.
Lord Corporation of Erie, Pennsylvania has received FAA certification for installation of its NVX active noise-canceling systems in all models of the King Air. The system had previously been approved for installations in King Air 200s, Cessna Conquest Is and IIs, and the Citation X. NVX systems use a series of microphones and speakers to generate a sound pressure field that cancels out the sound created by the aircraft. Lord introduced its NVX systems for general aviation aircraft in mid 1994.
