Delta Connection Comair has agreed to acquire Spirit Airlines, a jet startup carrier based at Eastpointe, Michigan. The carrier operates DC-10 aircraft in scheduled passenger service to Detroit; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Boston; Cleveland; and Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida.
The 1996 Planning&Purchasing Handbook, as is the case with earlier editions, is packed with unique, apples-to-apples comparisons of business aircraft and regional transports, as well as complete and authoritative listings of avionics systems and components, along with tables of the most popular aircraft modifications. But just as important this year is the Observer section, in which our editors attempt to give you a sense of the trends that will invigorate our industry and those that will create challenges for all business aircraft operators.
Photograph: Universal's UNS 1-D flight management system replaces the UNS 1-B. Global navigation satellite system-based avionics and initiatives continue to capture industry headlines as manufacturers, certification agencies and users strive to implement various aspects of a GNSS-based air traffic and navigation system. But the next step toward the establishment of a satellite-based navigation system ultimately may be determined by who gets to pay for the approach lights.
Fleet Aerospace Corporation of Toronto is buying Orenda Aerospace from Hawker Siddeley Canada. Officials from Orenda said the sale is not expected to alter the FAA certification target time of late this year for a 600-hp, 495-cubic-inch V-8 engine. Orenda plans to flight test the powerplant on a Beech King Air 90 owned by Stevens Aviation, the Greenville, South Carolina services company. Flight tests were scheduled to start this month or in May (B/CA, September 1995, page 26).
Cahokia, IL-Sabreliner's Midcoast Aviation plans to build a 45,000-square-foot maintenance hangar adjacent to the company's St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport FBO. Construction is expected to start soon. (618) 337-6886.
Head-up displays (HUDs) have been STCed in at least a half-dozen turbine business-airplane models over the last two years, but the pace for helicopters has not been as rapid. Flight Visions, the first HUD manufacturer to obtain an STC for its FV-2000 in a business jet, also is leading the drive to install HUDs in helicopters. The Sugar Grove, Illinois firm already obtained an STC in Bell 230s, and has been working on approval for the FV-2000 in the Sikorsky S-76 since 1994 (B/CA, August 1994, page 22).
With the bankruptcy of Fokker Aircraft comes an end to 77 years of aircraft manufacturing in the Netherlands that started with the Red Baron's Fokker DR.1. Bombardier Aerospace and Aviation Industries of China withdrew in March as possible buyers of Fokker, although Samsung Group of South Korea still was expressing interest at press time. Meanwhile, Fokker Aviation has been set up to continue customer support and subcontract work, including the building of empennages for the new Gulfstream V.
On May 3-4, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is offering a seminar on ``Communications Skills for the Aviation Professional'' as part of its corporate aviation management series. The program, to be held at SimuFlite Training International in Dallas, is designed to help the student to communicate clearly, quickly and effectively-both verbally and non-verbally. The faculty will show the group how to analyze an audience, give winning responses, speak before large and small groups and write persuasively.
SimuFlite Training International's new Hawker Jet simulator recently obtained Level C approval from the FAA and the Canadian DOT. The simulator received dual qualification as both a Hawker 800 and a Hawker 1000. The Reflectone-built device, SimuFlite's 16th business-jet simulator, is the only Hawker 1000 full-flight simulator available worldwide. Avionics in the simulator include a Honeywell SPZ-8000 IFCS and dual Honeywell FMZ-920 FMSes. Separately, an FAA/DOT Gulfstream IVSP Level D simulator is slated to be available for training this month (B/CA, January, page 16).
Now available from Artex Incorporated is the ELT 200, one of the smallest and lightest emergency locator transmitters to meet TSO C91a. The ELT 200 unit can either be cockpit-mounted with its indicator panel in view of the pilot, or it can be mounted almost anywhere with a remote switch located on the instrument panel. Measuring 2.50 inches by 2.75 inches by 6.50 inches and weighing two pounds, the ELT 200 comes with mounting bracket, antenna, coax cable, remote switch, installation kit and installation manual. Price: $350. Artex, Inc., 10714 S.
Inventory Locator Service, an electronic marketplace for hooking up buyers and sellers of parts, is now distributing its ILS DIRECT software for Windows. This ``point-and-click'' program is available at no additional charge to the company's customers.
In 1967, on a stormy day, a dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the Auglaize County/Neil Armstrong Airport in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Due to the inclement weather conditions on this monumental summer day, the governor's airplane was forced to circle east of the field. Many developments have taken place at the airport since that dedication nearly 29 years ago. Of particular importance was the installation of an LOC/DME approach.
Following its first full year of production, the McDonnell Douglas Explorer light twin now is carrying additional options, such as an internal auxiliary 57-gallon fuel tank, a 600-pound personnel hoist and emergency floats. In addition, McDonnell Douglas, working with AlliedSignal, expects IFR approval for the Explorer this month. Meanwhile, the company said its MD 600N single-turbine helicopter is on schedule to receive FAA certification late this year. The MD 600N, unveiled at Heli-Expo `95, is an eight-place stretched and more powerful version of the MD 520N.
Aircraft Technical Publishers of Brisbane, California has added maintenance publications on the Eurocopter BO-105LS A-3 helicopter to its technical library available on microfiche. In addition to the basic airframe and engine maintenance manuals, the library includes the parts catalog, repair manual, wiring diagrams, flight manual, Allison price lists, service bulletins and ADs. An annual subscription (including biweekly updates) is priced at $635 in North America and $790 elsewhere. A renewal costs $320 in North America and $395 elsewhere.
One of the nagging problems of the general-aviation community is that the media doesn't understand light aircraft. Despite numerous educational efforts sponsored over the years by organizations ranging from the AOPA to the Aviation/Space Writers Association, many newspaper reporters continue to believe that every business jet is a Learjet, and that a stall occurs when an airplane's engine quits.
Barfield, Inc. (Miami)-Morris Venezia was promoted to senior vice president from his former responsibilities as director of manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing for this ground-support test equipment manufacturer.
Aviall (Dallas)-Eric E. Anderson has been named the company's executive vice president, with responsibility for parts distribution services and Inventory Locator Service (ILS).
Pilots for Grand Island, Nebraska-based GP Express Airlines have voted by a 70-percent margin to be represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. The 118-member pilot group had been represented by the in-house Regional Express Pilots Association.
Allison Engine claims direct operating costs of Allison 250 Series IV engines have gone down by one dollar an hour due to a continuous improvement in removal rates, TBO extensions and other parameters. Rolls-Royce's moves to improve customer service haven't been without glitches, however. The most severe snag was a shortage of critical parts during 1995, resulting in increased downtime for some operators as engines remained stripped down in overhaul shops. The situation has been rectified, and parts are available on short notice, Allison claims.
In a carefully worded statement ``in response to questions from NBAA members,'' the NBAA said it considers fractional ownership a ``means of expanding the number of companies that will utilize business aircraft and, thus, offers the potential for increasing the number of company flight departments.'' It is a way of ``filling the niche between chartering and full aircraft ownership.'' Some corporate pilots are concerned that fractional ownership will result in the collapse of traditional corporate flight departments.
``Rig for silent running'' may not yet apply completely to aircraft, but new test results show the twin-turbine Explorer coming the closest to the description over any rotorcraft in its class. McDonnell Douglas says it will be submitting its acoustic testing data to the FAA, indicating that the Explorer measures an average of eight decibels quieter than FAR Part 36, Stage 2 noise requirements. The company attributes the lower sound levels to its NOTAR system for anti-torque and directional control.
