France's Sogerma, a unit of Aerospatiale, will build the fuselage and the empennage for Israel Aircraft Industries' Galaxy business jet. The contract is a boost for the Galaxy program, which has been shaky since a co-production deal with Russia's Yakovlev Design Bureau fell apart (B/CA, September 1995, page 24). Meanwhile, an agreement draws nearer for the formation of a company to take over the marketing, completion and support roles for the Astra SPX and Galaxy from Astra Jet Corporation.
``Order season'' is here, and it could not have arrived at a better time. August and September ended a long drought in significant regional-aircraft orders, with some bumps for both jet and turboprop programs.
National Airways Corporation in Johannesburg, South Africa plans to start its ``Jet.Time'' fractional ownership program in the second quarter of 1997 with four new Hawker 800XPs and four King Air B200s. Jet.Time will offer African companies shares in multiples of 25 percent, with each quarter-share entitling the owner to 200 hours of flying annually during the five-year term of the contract. At least six hours notice will be required to guarantee aircraft availability.
Whatever the outcome of President Bill Clinton's proposed $225 fee on each flight of a turbine business aircraft-and that outcome depends on the results of the elections next month-it's likely the first shot in a renewed volley of proposed user fees for aviation that no doubt will pour forth from Washington, regardless of who sits in the White House and who on the Hill. (See Viewpoint on page 5 for more on the proposal.)
On the eve of the first flight of the Global Express, Bombardier Aerospace announced the appointment of Michael Graff as president of the new Business Aircraft Division. Graff previously was a partner in McKinsey&Company, an international consulting firm. The new unit will oversee the operations of Canadair and Learjet as well as Bombardier Aviation Services. Meanwhile, in preparation for the 18-month Global Express flight-test program, Bombardier is doubling the size of its Wichita flight-test center.
AAR of Elk Grove Village, Illinois purchased the parts inventory of Hamilton Standard . . . Inventory Locator Service is now providing free access on the Internet to a database on stolen aircraft parts. See http://www.go-ils.com. ILS is also developing a data-base of companies that have Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) . . . Middle Tennessee State University introduced an Aviation Administration Master of Science degree program . . . Jet Professionals, Inc.
Raytheon finalized the sale of five of its 18 FBOs to Mercury Air Group of Los Angeles (B/CA, May, page 11). The sale increases the number of FBOs operated by Mercury from five to 11. The former Raytheon FBOs now carrying the Mercury sign are located at California's Ontario International Airport, Hartfield and Peachtree airports in Atlanta, and Corpus Christi and Addison airports in Texas. Mercury's acquisition of the Raytheon FBO at Bedford, Massachusetts' Hanscom Field was pending at press time.
Fort Lauderdale, FL-Fort Lauderdale Jet Center at Ft. Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airport is extending its volume-based jet fuel discount program, normally offered during the off-peak summer period, throughout the 1996/1997 winter season. Additionally, the FBO is now accepting the UVAir credit card. (800) 394-5388. Madison, WI-Wisconsin Aviation, an FBO on Dane County Airport, now operates on a 24-hour basis. In addition to fueling, the round-the-clock service also applies to rental cars, crew cars and other amenities. (800) 594-5359.
Photograph: By the end of July, Mesa was to have taken delivery of 12 de Havilland Dash 8s; only three had been delivered. Pressures from passengers, the FAA and politicians pose no small problem for a small-town airline group with stations ranging from Bellingham to Key West, and San Diego to Presque Isle. When it rains, it pours,'' or so the saying goes. Well, it is pouring on Mesa Air Group right now, and the Farmington, New Mexico regional conglomerate is scrambling for an umbrella. The biggest gullywasher is Colorado and the Denver hub.
On October 22-24 in Boston, the FAA has scheduled its first face-to-face meeting between the agency and industry on the development of GAIN-Global Analysis and Information Network. An electronic conference on GAIN was held in August (B/CA, July 1996, page 22). The aims of GAIN are to improve the collection, awareness and dissemination of critical safety data. At the upcoming conference, industry invitees will give suggestions on what specific safety data are needed and what are the best methods for gathering and sharing data.
Burbank Aeronautical Corporation, a unit of the Burbank Group of Companies of Burbank, California, says it will receive FAA certification by year-end for its FAR Part 36, Stage 3 hush kit for Boeing 707s. The kit, designed for Pratt&Whitney JT3D-3B and -7-powered 707s, neither adds flight restrictions nor increases fuel burn. Further, it does not require noise tradeoffs to meet Stage 3 certification standards, according to the company.
Aero International (Regional) for the first time has detailed its proposals for two new regional jets. At the recent Farnborough Air Show in England, the British/French/Italian consortium said it plans 70- and 58-passenger regional jets with a final decision expected at next June's Paris Air Show.
Later this month, Italy's Agusta Helicopters expects to receive U.S. and Italian airworthiness and IFR certifications for its ``Power,'' a beefed-up version of its twin-turbine A109 series. The Power is equipped with two 639-shp PW206C turbines, putting the seven-passenger, $2.7-million aircraft midway between the A109C (with 450-shp Allisons) and the A109K2 (with 771-shp Allisons) in performance and price (B/CA, July 1995, page 14).
For those times when an aircraft fuel tank needs work, Rapid Response Systems has responded with its Fuel Transfer System. The FTS is an aluminum holding tank on wheels, with tank capacities ranging from 425 to 1,000 gallons. Flow rates from 15 gpm to 70 gpm can be supplied. Standard with all orders are a fuel gauge, sump drain, single valve control (to or from aircraft), single hose, fuel filter and air filter with pressure gauge. Price range: $5,200 to $8,200. Rapid Response Systems, 6105 S.E. Nowata Rd., Bartlesville, OK 74006. (918) 333-5474.
Atlanta-based Future Aviation Professionals of America has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. At press time, it was unclear how the pilot placement and career counseling firm intended to handle any outstanding customer obligations for various FAPA services. FAPA's phone was disconnected and, at press time, company officials were not available for comment.
Publications produced by ICAO are now available on microfiche from Aircraft Technical Publishers of Brisbane, California. The documents include ICAO Annexes (similar to FAA advisory circulars, ICAO Manuals (similar to FAA Orders) and the ICAO Human Factors Digest. An annual subscription price for the ICAO microfiche library is $685 for North American addresses and $825 elsewhere. Annual subscription renewals cost $530 and $640, respectively. For more information, contact ATP at (415) 330-9537.
An FAA human factors team examining cockpit automation has recommended that the aviation industry formulate a set of guiding principles for designers to use in developing automated flight deck systems, and said FAR Part 25 certification criteria should probe human performance issues more deeply.
Merrill Meigs must be looking down from that Big Hangar in the Sky with furrowed brow and considerable frustration concerning the sneaky goings-on at Chicago's City Hall. Mayor Richard Daley and spouse intend to close Meigs Field, the lakefront sanctuary for business and private aircraft. For what purpose? Aaaaagh, to make the 3,900-foot runway into a park.
British Aerospace has applied to the FAA for a 472-pound increase in the maximum takeoff weight for the Jetstream Super 31. A 240-pound increase recently was approved by the United Kingdom's CAA. Meanwhile, the company has launched a program to improve the hot-and-high airport performance of the 19-passenger, twin-turboprop regional transport. That product enhancement package is expected to be certificated and available by summer 1997.
Mesa Air Group has placed an order for 16 Canadair Regional Jets and has taken options for an additional 16 following ``an exhaustive study of competitive aircraft. . . .'' Deliveries will begin in February 1997, and the initial aircraft will be operated in the livery of America West Express out of America West's Phoenix and Las Vegas hubs.
George Poullos has given up. His Grand Island, Nebraska-based GP Express that brought essential air service to a number of rural Nebraska communities, leaves those communities with no rail service, bus service . . . or air service.
Between November 11, 1981 and July 17, 1995, the world's aviation safety authorities posted 31 Robinson R22 helicopter accidents involving loss of main rotor control. One of those incidents, the June 1992 loss of an R22 operated by Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, led to a recently completed four-year study by the NTSB of the design, certification, fabrication and operation of the popular light single-engine piston helicopter.
Two pilots set an around-the-world record in a Bell 430, even though they arrived at England's Farnborough Air Show a day later than scheduled. Their time of 17 days, six hours and 14 minutes shattered the old record by seven days. Ron Bower, president of Austin Jet of Austin, Texas and Bell Helicopter test pilot John Williams left Farnborough on August 17 for a westbound, 20,548-nm trip around the world. They arrived back in Farnborough on September 3. The original plan required the pilots to fly an average of 11 hours and about 1,300 nm per day.
It has jet performance and jet comfort and noise levels, but Saab Aircraft is finding it difficult to sell those attributes simply because the high-speed Model 2000 is pulled along by propellers.
