Composite Technology, Inc. (CTI), a helicopter rotor-blade repair company operating worldwide, has been acquired by a syndicate of Philadelphia-based private equity firms assembled as a holding company called Ranger Composites LLC. CTI is headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, and has facilities in Canada, Brazil, England and Singapore. The investor syndicate includes Meridian Venture Partners, Argosy Investment Partners, Spring Capital, Ranger Aerospace LLC and other private investors. Exact terms of the investment will not be disclosed.
Honeywell has begun providing wheel and brake repair and overhaul services for Trans States Airlines' fleet of Embraer 135 and 145 and Jetstream regional aircraft. Honeywell will support Trans States aircraft through Honeywell's Memphis and Allentown, Pa., facilities. Trans States currently operates 36 Embraer ERJ-145 ER/LR aircraft and 25 Jetstream 41 aircraft.
Just to make sure you're motivated, the FAA has mandated that after March 29, 2005, all turbine aircraft with six or more passenger seats, excluding pilot seats, that were manufactured before March 29, 2002, must be equipped with at least TSO C151 Class B TAWS boxes according to FAR Part 91.223. The only exceptions are for parachuting operations within a 50 nm radius of the origin airport, fire fighting water bombers and crop-dusters.
Jet Aviation Dallas, the Love Field-based FBO and Cessna Citation authorized service center, and San Antonio-based Jet Aviation Engineering Services recently received an amended FAA STC for the installation of the Bendix/King IHAS 8000 Integrated Hazard Avoidance System on Citation 500s, 550s, S550s and 560s.
A RAND Corp. study found that fewer than 1 percent of publicly available federal Web sites and databases contain geospatial data not readily available elsewhere that could help terrorists planning an attack on the United States. Geospatial information shows the location and describes key features of such assets as roads and bridges, power plants and mass transit systems. The RAND study found no publicly available federal geospatial data deemed critical to meeting an attacker's information needs.
Air BP Aviation Services is developing a security and safety training program to assist Air BP dealers, general aviation personnel and FBOs. The training will focus on the causes for high insurance rates and suggested solutions for managing risk and reducing exposure. Air BP tech and ops personnel will explore the challenge of improving security while ensuring good customer service.
Elliott Aviation added a Citation Excel to its charter fleet at Flying Cloud Airport in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., metropolitan area. The Excel seats eight passengers and has a stand-up cabin, flat-screen DVD monitors, flight phone and laptop ports.
Aviation Fabricators has both STC and PMA approval for divans for Jetstream aircraft. AvFAB makes both left- and right-hand, two-place divan kits for Jetstream 3101 and 3201 models. The kits are complete except for upholstery. Visit www.avfab.com for more information.
Liberty Aerospace is advocating its Liberty XL2 single-piston aircraft with a high-resolution telescopic infrared and thermal imaging system as a low-cost alternative to helicopter operations for search and rescue, surveillance and reconnaissance, border and maritime patrol and environmental monitoring. Liberty has hired Joseph Fucci, a colonel who formerly commanded the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky., to spearhead the company's effort.
General Electric has merged two subsidiaries under the Unison banner. Elano Corp., which designs tubing, ducting and brackets for airframe, nacelle and engine applications, merged into its sister subsidiary. Unison Industries designs and manufactures electrical and mechanical components, sensors and systems for marine, space and industrial as well as aviation applications. More information is available at www.unisonindustries.com.
Starman Brothers Auctions is planning to conduct its annual spring consignment auction from June 11-13 at C.E. Page Airport in Yukon, Okla. In addition to aircraft, the event will feature engines, avionics, radios and instruments for sale. All equipment must be delivered by June 5. The headquarters hotel for the auction is the Biltmore of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. For more information, call Starman Brothers at (402) 592-1933 or visit www.starmanauctions.com on the Web.
Dr. Sam B. Williams has been developing small gas-turbine engines for almost five decades, but his Williams International has been delivering FAA-certificated fanjets since 1992. Those early 1,900-pound-thrust FJ44-1 engines fitted to Cessna CitationJets weren't without their teething pains, but the engine has matured into a highly reliable, fuel-efficient powerplant. Still, CJs were relatively traditional in size.
Senate lawmakers say they are unsure where the money will come from to pay for more than $2 billion in initiatives for improved security. The Aviation Security Advancement Act is sponsored by Senate Commerce Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking Democratic member Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) and aviation subcommittee ranking member Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.). The bill is intended to plug holes in aviation security with tighter cargo screening, research and development of next-generation explosives detection systems, and funding for airport security upgrades.
CAMP Systems will assume responsibility for providing maintenance tracking services for Bombardier business jets. As part of the agreement between the two companies, CAMP will also support more than 700 Bombardier business aircraft currently enrolled in Bombardier's in-house Computer Integrated Maintenance Management System (CIMMS). Bombardier customers will access their CAMP maintenance tracking information via a secure Internet site.
Sandel Avionics has announced that its ST3400 TAWS/RMI system has been selected by three regional airlines to provide TAWS compliance for their Beech 1900 fleets. The three airlines are Air Midwest, part of the Mesa Air Group based in Phoenix; Great Lakes Airlines of Cheyenne, Wyo.; and Skyway Airlines of Milwaukee. The latest in a series of regional airline orders for Sandel, these announcements bring the number of Beech 1900 installations to more than 100 for the ST3400 TAWS system.
Midwest Jet Center at Cincinnati's Lunken Field (LUK) is building a state-of-the-art 35,000-square-foot hangar and office facility. The hangar is a clear-span design that's sized to accommodate ultra-long-range, large-cabin business jets, such as the G550 and Global Express. The facility is being built adjacent to the existing FBO hangars and ramp area and will double the hangar capacity of the operation. Groundbreaking is scheduled for June 15.
Delta AirElite, which has teamed with Bombardier Flexjet to offer block time on fractionally owned aircraft, is renaming the Fleet Membership Select program to Flexjet Membership. Under the program, customers can buy 25-hour increments of occupied time in either a Bombardier Learjet 31A, Learjet 45, Learjet 60 or Challenger 604 aircraft. Through the program, customers can access fractional business jets without long-term investments. Customers also receive ``Medallion'' status in the Delta SkyMiles program.
Pro Sports and Entertainment, Inc. is acquiring the Air Show Network with its purchase of the Umbrella Entertainment Group. The Air Show Network (www.airshownetwork.com) offers aerial entertainment, ground displays and sponsorship opportunities. Pro Sports and Entertainment says it intends to expand corporate partnerships, television broadcast opportunities and onsite attendance throughout the 24 to 35 annual events operated by the Air Show Network.
The Teal Group, a Fairfax, Va., consulting organization, said that business jet deliveries in 2004-2006 will likely be a low point in demand. However, the company's ``Business Jet Overview'' states that as a result of positive trends in fleet utilization, demand and the retirement of older aircraft, conditions are favorable for industry growth. It said its forecast delivery of 6,413 aircraft worth $91.7 billion between 2004 and 2013 represents a 21-percent increase over the $75.9 billion in deliveries between 1994 and 2003.
Checking the condition of static wicks on an airplane would seem to be pretty cut-and-dried. We might simply adopt the attitude that if a static wick is broken or missing, it should be replaced. Otherwise, if it looks good, leave it alone. But as Bill Senneff, an engineering technician with Dayton-Granger in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., explains, the performance of static wicks can degrade over time, making them ineffective in spite of the fact that they appear undamaged.
Acting TSA Administrator David M. Stone told members of the General Aviation Coalition May 7 that it will be at least six months before his agency comes up with a security threat mitigation plan for reopening the airport to anyone but scheduled air carriers. Even if the TSA sticks to the six-month schedule to develop such a plan, it still would have to be vetted by other members of the government security community before implementation could begin.
Macquarie Bank also owns the AvPorts FBOs that use the AvCenter brand. Those five facilities are at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT); Louisville, Ky., International (SDF); New Castle County, Del., Airport (ILG) near Wilmington; Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., International Airport (GPT); and Burlington, Vt., International Airport (BTV). Asked about a possible consolidation of the AvCenter facilities with Atlantic's bases, Atlantic's Lou Pepper said the two chains will continue to operate separately under their own brands at least for the time being.
Static electricity is a phenomenon with which we're all familiar. In grade school, we learn hands-on how scuffing our feet along a wool carpet can cause a charge to build, which is then rapidly discharged as we touch a doorknob or an unsuspecting (and lower voltage) friend. In a dark closet, we see how tiny static discharge sparks appear as we pull pieces of masking tape off the roll. Rub a balloon on your shirt, and then it will stick to the wall. We've all seen how in dry winter conditions, static cling can make clothes ``stick'' in an unattractive manner.
Timken Co. purchased the assets of Alcor Engine Co., Inc., and its affiliate Advance Repair Technologies, Inc. Based in Gilbert, Ariz., Alcor manufactures and repairs a broad range of direct replacement parts for gas turbine engines and components used in the aviation industry. The company also provides specialized repair and restoration services through its proprietary technologies. It currently has 22 employees and expects to expand its work force.
