Japanese regional The Fair took delivery of its first Bombardier CRJ200. The ex-European aircraft is the first CRJ in Japanese service. It will be joined by an additional CRJ200 this year and two new CRJ200s planned for delivery in 2002.
Premier Turbines-Independence is now a certified Honeywell Authorized Warranty and Repair Station for Rolls-Royce A250 accessories. Premier is a division of Sabreliner.
BFGoodrich is joining fellow aerospace giants United Technologies and Honeywell as a part owner of online parts and services marketplace MyAircraft.com. The site is designed as a parts and information clearinghouse, allowing participants to view technical publications, comparison shop, conduct auctions, and order parts and services using a standard Web browser.
Three aviation organizations and five airport businesses are banding together to fight the Los Angeles City Council's Stage 2 non-addition rule at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The group plans to take the case to Federal District Court, followed by a formal complaint with the FAA, contending that local officials cannot implement such policies at airports that have received federal funds. Van Nuys' non-addition rule, which took effect on June 10, restricts the amount of based and transient Stage 2 traffic permitted at the Southern California facility.
Trans States Airlines' pilots approved a new contract agreement on July 28 after two years of negotiations, narrowly averting a strike. After reviewing the tentative agreement in Washington, D.C., the leaders of Trans States' ALPA chapter unanimously ratified the contract. Trans States pilots had been eligible to strike since May 27, a date that marked the end of a federally imposed 30-day ``cooling off'' period. Trans States' pilots rejected their first tentative contract agreement, which was reached on May 26.
Menzies Aviation Group, a U.K.-based aviation services provider, will acquire the ground handling operations of Ogden Aviation Services for $118 million. When the deal is closed, Menzies will provide ground handling services at 63 airports in 21 countries including London Heathrow, Los Angeles International and Schipol in Amsterdam. Ogden's executive offices will relocate from New York to Menzies' headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Everest VIT, Inc. is now offering VideoProbe XL PRO, the next generation of 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm video borescopes with digital features. This small-diameter remote visual inspection tool includes an integrated file management system, image manipulation options, digital zoom and internal tools that allow you to measure, gauge, grasp, hook or magnetically adhere loose parts during an inspection. The integrated file management system has an internal flash memory and an integrated 1.44MB disk that allows export of images into JPEG or BMP format. The 32-lb.
BAE Systems' Asset Management division has leased and sold several BAe 146 aircraft recently. Ireland's Aer Lingus leased two BAe 146-300s, WDL of Germany has purchased a BAe 146-200 and Qantas Australia has leased a 200 series aircraft for use on Qantas Airlink regional services.
The working relationship between controllers and pilots has played a major role in developing the safe and dependable air transportation system we have today. Pilots place a heavy reliance on the unseen voices of the ATC system. Pilots, literally, put their own lives and the lives of their passengers in the hands of controllers.
The FAA has identified 10 runway safety initiatives it hopes to implement by year-end. Gathered from suggestions made at the agency's Runway Safety Summit in June, the plan includes enhanced controller training; foreign air carrier pilot training; increased runway marking visibility; as well as work on pilot education, communication and phraseology review and the assessment of new technologies to improve safety. These initial steps have been identified by the FAA's Runway Safety Program Office as having the greatest potential for near-term safety improvement.
JetFleet Management Corp. (JMC), located in Burlingame, Calif., appointed Jack Humphreys as the director of aircraft maintenance. Prior to joining JMC, Humphreys held positions at Raytheon, Johnson Controls and Wien Air Alaska.
The NBAA and several other aviation organizations are co-sponsoring a U.S./China Aviation symposium in October in Washington, D.C. The gathering will focus on aviation training, technology and safety, as well as airline-related issues. China is a virtually untapped business aviation market. Further information is available from the NBAA's Pete West at (202) 783-9262.
Embraer has tapped BFGoodrich Aerospace to supply emergency evacuation systems for the ERJ170 and 190 and to provide wheel and brake systems for the ERJ140. BFGoodrich supplies components for other Embraer aircraft.
Gulfstream is seeking an STC for a new electronic device that brings true ``paperless'' cockpits one step closer to reality. Northstar Technologies' CT-1000 flight deck organizer system combines an approach plate database with a bright moving map display, replacing bulky approach plate binders with just two CD-ROMs. Tom Horne, lead Gulfstream test pilot for the Northstar program, says that unlike other ``electronic flight bags,'' only the Northstar unit will be FAA certified and ``cockpit compliant.''
Actor Harrison Ford starred in a real-life drama recently, rescuing a sick hiker in his Bell 407 helicopter. Ford -- an avid pilot and the owner of several aircraft -- is a volunteer rescue pilot near his Jackson, Wyo., ranch. As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. The 20-year-old hiker vomited in the helicopter just as Ford, his copilot and an emergency medical technician were about to land at a local hospital. Ford is adding to his fleet, having recently ordered a modified de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from AOG Air Support.
The British Aviation Insurance Group Ltd. (BAIG) has agreed to purchase Associated Aviation Underwriters (AAU) for an undisclosed sum. AAU is owned by insurance giants Chubb and CNA, and insures private, corporate and
Raytheon's Travel Air fractional ownership program claims 550 owners, with the signing of David K. Welles. Welles, chairman and CEO of Therma-Tru Doors of Maumee, Ohio, purchased shares in a Beechjet 400A and a King Air B200 .
Descriptions of the major players in air charter e-commerce, loosely categorized, follow. New entrants are emerging almost weekly. As of midsummer, these were the movers and shakers in retail, auction and support activities. To see which works for you, log on and try them out; you can get trip quotes without booking a charter. For sites that are locked out, ask for a demonstration; some allow you to temporarily register and take a test flight. Retail Web Sites Skyjet.com (www.skyjet.com)
