Malcolm Stamper, 80, a long-time Boeing executive who headed up development of the 747 airliner, died June 14 at his home in Seattle after a long battle with prostate cancer. An electrical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech University, Stamper joined Boeing in 1962 as head of the company's aerospace electronics division. He subsequently was named vice president and general manager of the company's Turbine Division and became president of the company in 1972. He served in that post and on the board of directors until 1985, when he became vice chairman.
Gordon F. Baxter, 81, a popular radio broadcaster and aviation columnist, died June 11 in Beaumont, Texas after a long series of health problems. Born on Christmas in 1923 in Port Arthur, Texas, Baxter became a Texas celebrity with a long-running radio talk show decades before talk shows proliferated. He gained national exposure with his "Bax Seat" column that began running in Flying magazine in 1972 and continued through the mid-1990s.
House Transportation Appropriations subcommittee last week called for substantially increasing FAA funding levels despite the Bush Administration's request for nearly $900 million in cuts. The committee recommended a $14.427 billion fiscal 2006 budget, some $877 million more than the fiscal 2005 budget and up $1.74 billion from what the Bush Administration had sought for the agency.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week directed its inspectors to increase their oversight of Part 135 operations to ensure that those using a "d/b/a" or "doing-business-as" name are doing so properly and complying with regulations (BA, June 13/281). That direction came in a five-page notice issued to all Part 135 principal operations inspectors (POIs) that clarifies the use of a d/b/a and focuses attention on who has operational control of an aircraft.
General Electric won a $50 million contract to provide CT7-8E engines for use during the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement program. Work will begin immediately and continue through 2008. Three of the engines will power each US101 helicopter, a variant of the AgustaWestland EH101 multimission helicopter. Lockheed Martin System Integration-Oswego is the prime contractor for the program.
Aerosonic Corporation, Clearwater, Fla., was selected to provide standby instruments for Adam Aircraft's twin-piston A500 and turbine A700 aircraft. Adam received type certificate approval for the A500 last month and expects to begin deliveries this year. The A700 is slated for certification and delivery next year. Aerosonic will supply altimeters and airspeed indicators for both aircraft.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found that the city of Naples, Fla., introduced "ample evidence" to support its ban on Stage 2 aircraft at Naples Municipal Airport and overturned the Federal Aviation Administration's findings that the airport had violated its grant assurance agreements. The decision clears the way for Naples to seek up to $3.2 million in airport grant funding that had been withheld from the airport by FAA in the past three years.
Executive Jet Management added a Citation X and Falcon 900EX to its charter fleet. The Citation X is based at DuPage Airport in Chicago, and the Falcon 900EX is at San Francisco International Airport. EJM manages 101 aircraft in more than 60 locations throughout the U.S.
MICHAEL BOWMAN was promoted to executive vice president of Washington operations for DRS Technologies. A retired vice admiral in the U.S. Navy, Bowman has served as senior vice president of the Washington office since joining DRS in March 2001. He had a 35-year career in the Navy and carried out a number of assignments involving congressional relations in support of Navy and Marine Corps defense issues.
Gulfstream Aerospace's Long Beach, Calif. service center won approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China to provide support for Chinese-registered Gulfstream IV-SP, G-III and G-II business jets, the company said.
Federal Aviation Administration is expected shortly to release a notice addressing the use of "DBAs," or doing business as, by charter aircraft brokers and providers. The agency has been concerned about the lack of transparency regarding who has operational control of an aircraft, and that concern was heightened after the Challenger runway overrun in February at Teterboro Airport (BA, Feb. 7/61).
DASSAULT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN LITTLE ROCK, PLANS EXPANSION - French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Falcon Jet celebrated the 30th anniversary of the company's Little Rock, Ark. completion center this month as officials are planning a major expansion of the facility to accommodate work on the new Falcon 7X business jet.
CHARLIE WITTMAN was promoted to senior manager, program integrated product team, for Midcoast Aviation. A licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic, Wittman worked as a technician for several aviation companies before joining Midcoast in 1990.
"It's going to take a lot more time than any of us thought," one lobbyist predicted while discussing when general aviation might get back into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The Homeland Security Department had indicated that it was ready to release its interim final rule (IFR) outlining a plan to reopen DCA to general aviation last month (BA, May 30/241). But the IFR has not surfaced, and DHS is believed to still be putting some finishing touches on it.
PILOTS LOBBY GROUP ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT AGAINST MANPADS - The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) on June 9 embraced legislation proposed by Democratic Reps. Steve Israel (N.Y.) and Melissa Bean (Ill.) to require the transportation secretary to buy shoulder-fired missile defense systems to protect the nation's fleet of 6,800 commercial aircraft. "The expense of installing missile defense systems pales in comparison to the price tags of modern commercial aircraft and the thousands of lives at risk," CAPA President Jon Safley said.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, -311, and -315 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20756; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-52-AD; Amendment 39-14112; AD 2005-11-10] - requires installation of check valves in Numbers 1 and 2 hydraulic systems, removal of the filters from the brake shuttle valves, and removal of the internal garter spring from the brake shuttle valves.
EMBRAER Model EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21302; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-189-AD] - proposes to require repetitive inspections for corrosion or cracking of the rotating cylinder assembly in the nose landing gear (NLG), and related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also would require the eventual replacement of the rotating cylinder assembly with a new part, which terminates the need for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of corrosion on the NLG rotating cylinder assembly.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's 15th annual Fly-In and Open House, held June 4 at the association's headquarters in Frederick, Md., drew more than 5,000 attendees, 250 airplanes and nearly 100 exhibitors. The event included seminars on single-pilot IFR, the costs of flying and insurance, among others. AOPA President Phil Boyer staged an informal discussion that centered on the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone. AOPA has scheduled the 16th annual fly-in on June 3.
June 13-19 - Paris Air Show, Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France, (609) 987-1202, Ext. 248 or (703) 522-5000 June 16-18 - 10th Annual National Business Aviation Association Flight Attendants Conference, Florida, (202) 783-9000 June 17-18 - NBAA 10th Annual Flight Attendants Conference, Hilton Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, www.nbaa.org July 7 - NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum, San Jose, Calif., www.nbaa.org
Sikorsky Aircraft is scheduled to deliver two S-76C+ helicopters this month to The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Department of Xunta de Galicia in Spain.
S-TEC President Michael McMillan was named to the board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. McMillan became president of S-TEC in December. The company, based in Mineral Wells, Texas, is an avionics manufacturer and is part of the Aerospace Systems division of Meggitt/PLC. S-TEC has been a GAMA member since 1999.
Truman Arnold Companies (TAC) consolidated its fixed-base holdings in the Knoxville, Tenn. market with the acquisition of Cherokee Aviation. Cherokee's assets will be added to TAC's existing FBO at McGhee Tyson Airport, which is 15 miles from Knoxville in Alcoa. The combined FBO will have nearly one million square feet of ramp and hangar space. "The acquisition of this facility presents growth opportunities for TAC and the entire aviation community of eastern Tennessee," said Greg Arnold, president and CEO of the Texarkana, Ark.-based network.
FIRST AVIATION MANAGES TO POST FIRST-QUARTER PROFIT - First Aviation Services (FAS), the Westport, Conn. parent of Aerospace Products International, Inc., posted net income of $153,000 for the quarter ended April 30, compared with a net loss of $410,000 during the first quarter last year. FAS had sales of $32 million for the quarter, up 5.8 percent from the 2004 first quarter. Sales increased for the seventh consecutive quarter over the comparable prior-year periods.
