GAMA membership is now open to non-U.S. manufacturers following a vote by the group's board of directors. Association President Ed Bolin said the move comes as GAMA becomes more involved in international regulatory matters through the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), ICAO and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). GAMA has already included foreign-company manufacturing data in its reports, and given the global nature of aviation, the move seems a logical one. Bombardier, Dassault Falcon Jet, Embraer and Piaggio have applied for membership.
Randall Greene President&CEO, Safe Flight Instrument Corp. Founded by Leonard Greene in 1946, Safe Flight produced the first stall-warning system and went on to introduce a series of revolutionary systems including the angle-of-attack indicator, stick shakers, wind-shear alert and autothrottles. Son Randy, a veteran aviation executive and 6,000-hour ATP, was asked to head the company after his brother, Donald, the COO, was killed on 9/11 in the crash of UAL Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Corporate Angel Network, the volunteer organization through which U.S. companies volunteer their aircraft to transport ill patients between their homes and distant medical facilities, reports that it transported 35 percent more people in fiscal 2002 than in the previous year, setting a record for the generosity of participating firms. Frequent CAN participants include Coca-Cola, ConocoPhillips, Corning, Dow Chemical, Duke Energy, Ford Motor, GM, International Paper, The Limited, Meredith, Motorola, Pepsico, Verizon and United Space Alliance.
Mercury Air Centers, Inc. appointed Kimberly Phillips as general manager of the company's Addison, Texas, FBO. Prior to joining Mercury, Phillips was supervisor of quality development for Bombardier Aerospace/Flexjet. In addition, Mercury named two program managers for the company's new Customer Programs Department: Brian Swift, who was previously in Mercury's marketing and sales department, and Steve Bowlin, who came to the company from Signature Flight Support, where he worked in FBO operations.
FlightSafety has opened the doors of a new 18,000-square-foot maintenance technician training building at its Gulfstream Learning Center complex in Savannah. The new building has nine multimedia classrooms and a 4,000-square-foot bay area for hands-on maintenance training.
Mesa Airlines has established a charitable foundation to provide financial assistance for employees in need and for charities in cities served by the regional carrier. The Mesa Angels Foundation will be funded by proceeds from the airline's company store, employee contributions, money raised at employee events and company fundraisers. Initial funding of $300,000 was provided through pledges of top Mesa executives.
``Sorry, sir, but this item is prohibited.'' Airport baggage checker to a National Guardsman upon confiscating the soldier's Swiss army knife, just before returning to him his M-16. (Reader's Digest) ``You could say that our nation's economic engines run on jet fuel. The economic impact of aviation is so big it's almost beyond measure.'' Former FAA Administrator Jane Garvey in a farewell speech to the Aero Club of Washington
ExpressJet Holdings, Houston, has elected independent director Thomas E. Schick non-executive chairman of its board of directors. Schick is former executive vice president of commercial aviation services and deputy to the president for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. He has also been president of Midway Airlines and Piedmont Aviation.
Regal Aviation has opened the doors for business at its new FBO and Customer Care Center located at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL). The facility features 70,000 square feet of hangar storage capacity and approximately 10 acres of ramp space. The facility was originally designed as a support center for the company's charter and aircraft management business. Regal Aviation said the transition to a traditional-style FBO occurred only after the company ``identified the need for a higher level of customer service.''
Dr. Carl Chen has been named president and CEO of Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp., the company announced on Sept 18. He succeeds Jack Braly, who announced his intention to step down from those positions during an earlier meeting of the company's board of directors. From early 1990 until January 2002, Dr. Chen was chairman, president and CEO of Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures, Inc. (AASI), of Long Beach, Calif. An aerospace engineer by training, Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology.
Gulfstream Aerospace and NetJets have signed a $1.5 billion agreement for the firm order of 50 G150 aircraft with options on an additional 50. ``The G150 is the perfect complement for our needs,'' said Richard Santulli, NetJets chairman. ``It's the only coast-to-coast aircraft that meets our anticipated demand at price point.'' Deliveries of the aircraft are scheduled from 2005 through 2010; deliveries include a multi-year product support agreement.
About a dozen U.S. regional cargo carriers have united to form the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA). According to Stan Bernstein, CEO of Heritage Turbines and RACCA's first president, the new non-profit organization ``will focus its efforts on establishing working ties with government agencies, other aviation associations, manufacturers, airport authorities and the many vendors that support our business.'' Future plans include the formation of committees focusing on flight operations, maintenance, security and insurance, among other things.
MedAire will offer its ``Management of Inflight Illness and Injury'' course at Farnborough Airport in the United Kingdom. MedAire will provide two-day initial and one-day recurrent training at Farnborough with courses taught by emergency medical professionals. The curriculum is based on MedAire's experience in managing inflight medical emergencies through its MedLink Global Response Center. The curriculum prepares students to provide emergency medical care in the aviation environment.
Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP) is offering a new International Regulatory Library that enables easy access to all required aviation maintenance regulations/recommendations from the U.S. FAA, ICAO and Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). The library could be particularly useful to operators of intercontinental aircraft as well as multinational maintenance facilities. Price: $1,895 Aircraft Technical Publishers, 101 S. Hill Dr., Brisbane, CA 94005 Phone: (415) 330-9500; Fax: (415) 468-1596; www.atp.com
SAM isn't Honeywell's sole new technology in providing diagnostic and prognostic services that enhance safety while reducing direct maintenance costs. ``It complements our Nova Wire Integrity Program,'' which can detect and quickly pinpoint wiring faults (including chafing) in an aircraft, according to Honeywell's Bernd Kessler. The first Nova is due to be delivered this year.
SimCom's second PC-12 FTD will be installed at the company's Scottsdale, Ariz., facility instead of the Orlando Learning Center as previously announced. According to company officials, with the first device already on line in Orlando, placing the second device in Scottsdale will give customers a choice of eastern or western locations to attend PC-12 training.
ExxonMobil Aviation has added Oslo's Executive Airport Services to its Avitat global FBO network. Avitat Oslo, located at Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL), joins Avitat Paris (Euralair Airport Services), Avitat London Stansted (Metro Business Aviation) and Avitat Keflavik (South Air Icelandic) in ExxonMobil Aviation's European region. The new Avitat facility includes a reception area for passengers and guests, a separate pilot lounge, a flight planning area, conference room facilities and a customer service center.
Acid Etch -- A chemical process used to roughen the surface of a metal to improve adhesion of paint. Alodine -- A product used to chemically create an aluminum oxide film on aluminum surfaces. Anode -- In an electrochemical process, the anode is the positively charged surface. Electrons flow from the anode, allowing it to enter a reaction with the electrolyte to form a metal salt. The anode is consumed in this process. Atom -- The smallest particle of an element that can exist alone or in combination.
There's an accelerated evolution under way in air transport, the proof of which was confirmed on my recent trip to Orlando. My conveyance was a new Airbus 320 with leather seats and a 24-channel inflight TV in every seatback. The cabin was clean and the crews cheery despite full loads. I had window seats, as requested, and push back occurred to the minute, as scheduled. There were libations and snacks to keep the voyagers content during the flawless journey.
Pilatus PC-12 deliveries will have picked up to a total of 45 to 50 aircraft by the end of this year, predicts Thomas Bosshard, president of U.S.-based Pilatus Business Aircraft. ``Traditionally, and unlike most manufacturers, we deliver more aircraft in the second half of the year,'' says Bosshard. First-half deliveries were down to 17 aircraft, compared with 24 in the first half of 2001, he says.
Professional Aircraft Accessories has a contract to be the exclusive Mitsubishi MU-2 landing-gear parts overhaul agency for Turbine Aircraft Components. PAA will help support more than 400 aircraft. PAA is an FAA/JAA 145 repair station based in Titusville, Fla.
CharterAuction.com has launched a management program that supposedly will allow users of the new ``super-light'' personal jets to effectively own and fly the aircraft for free.
Hardigg Industries, Inc. has come up with a new line of high-quality, injection-molded transport cases. Tough, rugged and lightweight, Hardigg Storm Cases provide a safe transportable environment for aviation test equipment and tooling. The cases are manufactured with the company's proprietary HPX high-performance resin, easy press and pull latches, and durable soft-grip. The Storm Cases are airtight, watertight, dent- and shatter-resistant, and are made to defy the elements. The cases are available in 10 sizes and are guaranteed for life.
