A lightning strike led to the brief closure of a runway at New York's JFK International Airport on July 13 at a time when flights were already backed up. A pilot reported the strike on Runway 22R, and authorities closed the runway to repair damage from 2:57 p.m. until 3:09 p.m.
ARINC Inc., Annapolis, Md., has promoted Randy Pizzi to vice president and officer. Pizzi formerly was managing director of the company's Asia Pacific division. He will remain responsible for ARINC's aviation-related business in the Asia Pacific region. Pizzi, who joined ARINC in 1987, established ARINC's Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Singapore in January 2003. Under his tenure, ARINC has won new airport contracts in Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Maldives.
Mooney Airplane Co., Kerrville, Texas, has named Kevin P. Herlehy as vice president of production and engineering. Herlehy previously served as vice president of engineering for NetJets., Inc.
Air Security International (ASI) has established a Homeland Security Division to advise clients on their threat from global terrorism, and to put in place plans that will ultimately save lives, protect property, prevent imminent incidents, and mitigate damage and impact on individuals, companies and communities. "These days, danger is lurking around many corners," explained Charlie LeBlanc, vice president of operations for the provider of travel and security information.
Air Chef of Columbus, Ohio, has acquired Rita's In-Flight Catering of Boston from the Rossi family. Air Chef said Paul Rossi, president and general manager of Rita's, will stay on through the integration process to ensure a smooth transition to the new management team. Rita's began 45 years ago as a small neighborhood restaurant and now serves aircraft operating into the busiest Boston-area airports, including Boston Logan (BOS); Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass.
The light airplane danger issue was elevated on the night of June 22 when a 20-year-old part-time airport worker, who had apparently been drinking, allegedly scaled the perimeter fence at Danbury, Conn.'s sleepy municipal airport (DXR) to give two teenage friends a joy ride in a Cessna 172 in which he had been taking instruction. The 172 was discovered just before 5 a.m. by astonished Westchester County, N.Y., sheriff's officers, with the three adventurers still inside, on a darkened taxiway at HPN, some 20 miles south of DXR.
Premier Air Center and Universal have agreed to obtain certification of the Vision-1 synthetic vision system with egocentric views on the EFI 890R in two Falcon 50s. Earlier, Premier obtained certification of a Vision-1 with exocentric view on a Falcon 20. The exocentric view is from a point above, behind and to right of the aircraft.
Ken Gazzola Executive Vice President/Publisher Aviation Week Group/McGraw-Hill Cos., Inc.
MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, today's business aircraft are the result of significant customer input. The days are long gone when engineers dreamed up what the market ``should'' need. From Wichita to Bordeaux, Montreal to Tel Aviv, Savannah to Sao Jose dos Campos, customers drive every engineering decision and sit as partners with engineers and designers.
Aircraft Belts, Inc. (ABI) of Houston, Tex., introduces online ordering capabilities for restraints. The new sales channel provides immediate and streamlined access to the company's full line of reweb products. Key features include: online ordering, dynamic build-to-order process and a 10-percent discount when using the online ordering method. To see a demonstration of the online reweb order process, visit ABI's Web site at www.aircraftbelts.com/reweb. Price: Varies Aircraft Belts, Inc. P.O. Box 845 2000 Anders La.
Duncan Aviation has won an STC for its installation of the Rockwell Collins IDS-3000 and Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) in an Astra 1125. The work was performed at Duncan's facility in Lincoln, Neb., and the STC also allows these systems to be installed in the Astra 1125SP. The IDS-3000, which is part of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 family, is an integrated display system that consists of three eight-by-10-inch active matrix liquid-crystal displays -- two primary displays and a multifunction display.
In 1908, the directors of the Cochran, Payne and McCormick Bank of Williamsport had a problem: They held $150,000 worth of bonds in the failing Demorest Manufacturing Co., a once-major employer in their small, central Pennsylvania town. The Lycoming County firm had started as a metal fabricator in 1845, turned to making sewing machines in 1888 and added bicycles to its line in 1891. But now the workforce had dwindled to just 47 people who were producing a handful of small, diverse products, including duplicating machines, cup vending dispensers, typewriters and gas irons.
B&CA posed a list of questions to FAA headquarters, asking the agency to comment on the practice of ``certificate-sharing'' and to elaborate on certain sections of FAA Notice 8400.83, which addresses the issues of operational control and ``doing-business-as'' pseudonyms (d/b/a's). Public Affairs Officer Les Dorr responded for the agency. B&CA: One critic says it can take up to three years to receive FAA authorization to serve as an air charter operation. If true, why so long?
Air Chef of Columbus, Ohio, has acquired Rita's In-Flight Catering of Boston from the Rossi family. Air Chef said Paul Rossi, president and general manager of Rita's, will stay on through the integration process to ensure a smooth transition to the new management team. Rita's began 45 years ago as a small neighborhood restaurant and now serves aircraft operating into the busiest Boston-area airports, including Boston Logan (BOS); Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass.
The Senate adopted a measure ordering the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a risk assessment of general aviation airports and assess beefing up general aviation security. The measure, offered by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), was included in the fiscal 2006 homeland security appropriations bill. Clinton called the measure a ``common-sense amendment'' that is designed to provide a good analysis of the threats ``so we can be smart about how we address them.'' Clinton added that she believes general aviation is a significant contributor to the national economy.
The next NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum will be held at Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver on Sept. 15. The Regional Forum is a day-long learning and networking experience designed to meet the needs of the regional business aviation community, and to provide an introduction to local business leaders interested in learning more about business aviation. The Denver event will feature approximately 40 aircraft on Static Display, 60 indoor exhibitors and hundreds of attendees.
The Senate Commerce Committee has approved the nomination of ``Kip'' Hawley to serve as assistant secretary of Homeland Security with responsibility for the TSA. He succeeds Adm. David Stone, who left the TSA in early July. The NBAA endorsed the nomination. ``Mr. Hawley's government and private sector experience uniquely qualifies him for this demanding and vital national Homeland Security position,'' said NBAA President Ed Bolen.
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT computers can generate a screw-up in a millionth of a second that would otherwise take a human hours or days to accomplish. Still, it's important to remind ourselves that the dozens of computers onboard any modern airplane can only work with the raw materials fed to them by programmers, and that's exactly what pilots become when they program waypoints and other operational information into navigation systems. The smallest fat-fingering of the nav system keyboard can lead to monumental navigation blunders.
I am a pilot employed by Rader Aviation Inc. in Summersville, W.Va. When I get my hands on a B&CA, one of the first things I read is Cause & Circumstance. July's column (``A Danger Unquestioned, an Inexplicable Silence,'' page 86) hit me right at home. I feel that there are lessons to be learned from every accident. I commend you for the quality work your magazine does in this area.
Dassault Falcon Jet, Teterboro, N.J., named Jacques Chauvet vice president of Falcon customer service for the Eastern Hemisphere. Chauvet, who will be based in St. Cloud, France, is now responsible for all Falcon-related customer service for Falcon operators in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East. His counterpart is Gerry Goguen, senior vice president of customer service for the Western Hemisphere, who is based at the Teterboro, N.J., Airport. Chauvet replaces Claude Frey, who retired after serving with Dassault since 1965.
Aircraft Components Co. (ACC), Inc. of Tulsa, will be the exclusive overhaul agency for several Japanese-manufactured components for the MU-2 aircraft. Under an agreement with Mitsubishi, ACC will repair and overhaul struts, actuators, motors and other similar components. The agreement follows the recent merger of ACC and Turbine Aircraft Components. Mary Pat Barnes, co-owner of ACC, said that ACC will be expanding its inventory and overhaul service to other aircraft and products this year.
Charter brokerage Blue Star Jets was behind the booking of the Challenger 600 that crashed attempting to take off last February at Teterboro. Based in Manhattan, Blue Star was founded in 2001 by former securities trader Richard Sitomer to offer charter arrangements and card memberships at claimed discounted rates. A year ago, CEO Sitomer told B&CA that his company uses a bidding system to obtain the best fares for its customers.
Universal Avionics' GLS-1250 GPS Landing Sensor System received TSO C129a, Class B1/C1 and approval from the FAA on June 17. The GLS-1250 when interfaced with Universal Avionics FMSes receives GPS differential corrections from SCAT 1 ground stations and provides Special Category 1 precision approach capabilities. FAA STC Type Inspection Authorization flight tests were successfully conducted at multiple airports in Norway with Avinor, the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, using ground stations provided by Park Air Inc.
Dallas Airmotive, Dallas, appointed Henrique ``Ricky'' Delgado Dos Santos as regional sales manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, where he will offer turbine engine overhaul and repair services.
