Erickson Air-Crane is scheduled to display the second S-64F Aircrane it built for the Italian State Forestry Corps at next week's Helicopter Association International convention in Anaheim, Calif. The Italian government previously signed a contract for four of the forest fire-fighting helicopters and took an option on two more. The first entered service in October.
Julie Goodridge was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International's facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. Goodridge has been acting assistant manager for the past six months, and before that, she was product marketing manager at FSI's Wilmington, Del. center. Goodridge also has served as alumni director for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she received two bachelor's degrees and a master of aeronautical science degree with specializations in operations and safety
What's not to like about Gulfstream's financial performance last year? Not much, according to Nick Chabraja, chairman of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics. Gulfstream's operating earnings soared 80 percent for the year and its operating margin nearly doubled, to 13 percent. Chabraja told analysts the Savannah, Ga. aircraft manufacturer logged net orders for 95 new aircraft last year, including a surge of 43 orders in the fourth quarter alone.
RAYTHEON Model HS.125 Series 700A airplanes, Model BAe.125 Series 800A airplanes, and Model Hawker 800 and Hawker 800XP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20111; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-154-AD] - proposes to require an inspection to determine the current rating of the circuit breakers of certain cockpit ventilation and avionics cooling system blowers; and replacing the circuit breakers and modifying the blower wiring, as applicable. This proposed AD is prompted by a report indicating that a blower motor seized up and gave off smoke.
Aerospace Industries Association named Robert D. Johnson, chairman of Honeywell Aerospace, chairman of AIA's Board of Governors for 2005. Honeywell announced this month that Johnson plans to retire from the company in January 2006, when he will be succeeded by Robert J. Gillette, who was named president and CEO of the Aerospace unit (BA, Jan. 10/15).
Honeywell Aerospace reported higher revenues and operating profits for the year ended Dec. 31. The unit had sales of $9.74 billion for the year, up 10.6 percent from 2003's $8.8 billion. Operating profit was $1.48 billion, up 21.1 percent from the prior year.
The Department of Transportation is soliciting applications from small communities for grants to help attract or improve air service. DOT can distribute up to 40 grants totaling $20 million to qualified small communities. The grant program was established in 2000 under FAA reauthorization legislation (AIR-21). DOT said the program already has helped improve air service to participating communities. Applications are due April 22 and the request for proposals can be accessed on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number OST-2005-20127.
One major source of savings for FAA should be a new way of operating its Flight Service Stations. FAA this week is set to announce the award of a new contract to overhaul and operate the FSS network (BA, Jan. 10/17). FAA received five bids, including one from the employee-based team that is calling itself the "Most Efficient Organization," to take over the FSS functions.
NTSB LOOKING AT POSSIBLE WAKE VORTEX UPSET IN EUROCOPTER CRASH - Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are trying to determine if the fatal crash of an Air Methods Eurocopter EC135 P2 into the Potomac River south of Washington, D.C. might have been caused by an encounter with wake vortex from a 70-seat regional jet airliner.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association is fighting a proposal to swap land near Leesburg Executive Airport in Virginia to developers wanting to build 4,000 homes on the tract. The land is designated as parkland, but developers are proposing to exchange the land for property elsewhere.
R. Fraser Elliott, 83, former chairman of CAE who had been a director of the company since 1951, died Jan. 26 in Toronto, Ontario. Elliott was a graduate of Queen's University, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Harvard University. He was a founding partner of the law firm Stikeman Elliott and remained a senior partner there until his death. CAE President and CEO Robert Brown said Elliott's "knowledge of the industry and of CAE as well as his strategic vision will be greatly missed."
AIR TOUR OPERATORS ASKED TO VERIFY FLIGHT NUMBERS - The Federal Aviation Administration is asking commercial air tour operators to reevaluate, and possibly restate, the number of flights they conducted during a baseline period several years ago. Under the provisions of Part 136, the National Parks Air Tour Management program, FAA had initially asked applicants for Interim Operating Authority how many air tour flights they were flying in the 12-month period prior to April 5, 2000.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Kellogg Company Chairman and CEO Carlos Gutierrez last week as Secretary of Commerce by voice vote. The Commerce Committee approved the nomination earlier in January.
Russ Axtell was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International's Raytheon learning center in Wichita, Kan. Axtell joined FSI in 1999 and has been an instructor and training center evaluator. He also was wing commander of the 184th Bomb Wing at McConnell Air Force Base and a pilot and commander in the Kansas Air National Guard. He currently is Air National Guard adviser to the commander, Air Force Space Command, with the rank of major general. He graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics appointed Robert Dickman executive director, succeeding Cort Durocher. Dickman will join the staff in mid-February after he leaves his current position of deputy, Military Space, Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force. Gen. Dickman retired from the Air Force in 2000 as the senior military officer at the National Reconnaissance Office. He also has held activation and management assignments at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command.
Sullivan Higdon & Sink, the Wichita-based advertising and marketing firm that represents several major aviation companies, was selected to provide brand development services for aircraft parts distributor and logistics specialist Aircraft Parts International. Under the agreement with API, SHS will assist with marketing strategy, sales support, collateral, trade show materials, media relations and direct mail.
The Air Group added two Gulfstream IVs - one based in Van Nuys, Calif., and the other based at Teterboro, N.J. - to its managed fleet. The Gulfstreams are part of a number of jets on order that will be delivered to The Air Group's fleet in the next six months. "With the economy growing stronger every month and commercial airlines cutting back schedules, we expect 2005 will be a banner year for private jet sales and chartering," said President and CEO Jon Winthrop.
LANCAIR Models LC40-550FG and LC42-550FG airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20048; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-01-AD; Amendment 39-13945; AD 2005-02-01] - requires incorporating additional takeoff chart distance values information into the Performance Section of the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). This AD results from flight testing that revealed that the takeoff distance values for the affected airplanes could not be duplicated.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta told the Aero Club of Washington Thursday there is "a need to look at other options" for improving the aviation infrastructure. Mineta did not provide any examples and did not take any questions from the audience, but some of those "other options" are sure to be discussed at a "Forum on Alternative Funding" that FAA plans to host April 7-8.
Rob Leonard was named chief operating officer for the Sacramento County Airport System. Leonard will be responsible for finance and administration, operations and maintenance, public safety and security, planning and design and special projects. Leonard most recently was deputy director for the Sacramento County Airport System and its predecessor Sacramento County Department of Airports.
Bombardier Aerospace named Sojitz Corporation of Tokyo as its new sales representative in Japan for the Bombardier Challenger and Global Express business jet families. Sojitz will work closely with Bombardier's Asia-Pacific sales organization, based in Hong Kong.
JACKSON TO REPLACE HUTCHINSON IN NO. 2 SLOT AT DHS - Turnover continued within the senior management at the Department of Homeland Security with last week's announcement that Asa Hutchinson, under secretary of border and transportation security, will leave the agency, but industry officials were encouraged that President Bush is nominating an experienced Washington transportation official to fill the position.
An article in the Jan. 24 issue about the rollout of the Gulfstream G150 business jet incorrectly identified the aircraft in Gulfstream's product line. After G100 production is supplanted by the new model, the company's product line will include the G150, G200, G350, G450, G500 and G550.
INHOFE INTRODUCES BILL TO BOOST PILOT RETIREMENT AGE - Charging that there is no scientific basis for requiring Part 121 pilots to quit flying at age 60, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) reintroduced legislation that would increase the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots.
