DAVID CURRENCE was appointed chief information officer for Aerospace Products International. Currence formerly served with United Parcel Service, where he was vice president of informational technology and strategy, UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Before that, he was vice president and chief information officer for UPS Logistics Group. Currence also has served as executive vice president and chief information officer for Brightpoint, Inc.
Elliott Aviation won FAA supplemental type certification for installation of Universal Flat Panel Integrated Displays (FPIDs), Universal Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS) and Collins Attitude Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) aboard Citation 550/560 series aircraft. The FPIDs replace standard Citation electromechanical or electronic flight instrumentation systems and can be interfaced with the existing Honeywell Primus radar system. The certification includes options of Universal TAWS, Vision I Synthetic Vision and a UNS-1L Super Flight Management System.
Aircraft Electronics Association has scheduled a three-day seminar on avionics and panel installation for avionics technicians. The seminar will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Northwest Campus of Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas. The seminar, designed for apprentice technicians, will cover proper wiring techniques, panel structure and layout, antenna installation, schematic interpretation and guidelines for documentation of alterations. Registration fee is $345. For more information, contact AEA at (816) 373-6565.
SIKORSKY DELIVERS FIRST S-92, SHOWCASES H-92 VXX ENTRY - The first production Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, a commercial version of the H-92 being bid for the next-generation U.S. Navy VXX presidential helicopter, was scheduled for delivery last weekend in Louisiana for offshore service on the Gulf of Mexico with Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. (PHI). A second S-92 for PHI is nearing delivery early next month, Sikorsky said Sept. 23.
TEXTRON NAMES WALSH TO REPLACE WOLF AT LYCOMING - Ian Walsh, a former Textron and Bell Helicopter executive, was tapped to replace Mike Wolf to run Lycoming Engines in Williamsport, Pa. Wolf, former president of Lycoming, will continue providing general aviation expertise to Lycoming parent Textron Systems as well as participating in strategic development of Lycoming, Textron said in a statement last week.
Mesa Airlines founder Larry Risley, 59, died Sept. 22 at his home in Austin, Texas after a lengthy battle with cancer. Risley and his wife Jane founded Mesa Airlines in 1982 with a single Piper Saratoga in Farmington, N.M.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Alan Mulally, who was the keynote luncheon speaker during FAA's safety forum Thursday, conceded with a smile that he didn't know much about small airplanes. Responding to a question about how he thought general aviation safety fit into the spectrum of commercial aviation safety initiatives, Mulally said he couldn't speak to small aircraft safety, but that he had learned more about small aircraft by sitting with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and Northwest CEO Richard Anderson during the luncheon.
TWO VICTIMS WALK AWAY FROM 'UNSURVIVABLE' CESSNA 206 CRASH - Two injured National Forest Service workers escaped from a Cessna 206 that crashed Monday in mountainous terrain and walked to safety after local law enforcement personnel had labeled the crash unsurvivable and suspended search activities.
Gulfstream Aerospace named two new sales directors to its North American team. Brian Miller is now sales director, key accounts, and will represent the entire fleet of Gulfstream business jet aircraft to new and existing customers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Miller previously held sales posts with Cessna Aircraft and a fractional aircraft ownership company. Most recently he was vice president of new technologies marketing for Tyler Technologies, a Dallas, Texas software firm. Jeff Vilker was named sales director of the Midwest territory.
SENATE PANEL OKs CHARTER, RENTAL CUSTOMER SCREENING - Aircraft charter and rental companies would have the option of ensuring customers are not included on the federal government's "no-fly" list under a bill the Senate Commerce Committee approved last week. The Commerce Committee adopted by voice vote S.2393, the Aviation Security Advancement Act, which contains several measures aimed at tightening cargo security and other security initiatives.
CONSOLIDATION MOVE WILL SHUTTER MILLVILLE ENGINE PLANT - Dallas Airmotive has decided to concentrate its engine overhaul business in Dallas, Texas and Missouri and plans to shut down the Millville, N.J. facility it purchased from General Electric six years ago. Local union and political figures were upset last week, not only about the loss of 240 jobs, but also because of the way Dallas Airmotive officials went about making their decision.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, -311, and -315 Airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-338-AD; Amendment 39-13788; AD 2004-18-10) - requires inspection of the fitting assemblies located on the vent and scavenge lines routed immediately below the fuel tank access covers on both wings for proper installation, and corrective actions if necessary.
Col. Leonard L. Griggs, Jr., 72, veteran airport director of Lambert Field in St. Louis, Mo. for nearly three decades, announced plans to retire at the end of the year. Griggs was an outspoken advocate for the airport who began working there in 1977. In recent years he spearheaded a controversial effort to get a new runway built at Lambert, a $1 billion project scheduled for completion in 2006. Griggs, a former U.S. Air Force officer, previously served as assistant administrator for airports at FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
President Bush highlighted his signing of the Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act while John Kerry touted his support of the General Aviation Revitalization Act when asked by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association about what the most important actions they have taken as elected officials to support general aviation. AOPA's magazine, AOPA Pilot, posed a series of questions to the campaigns on general aviation issues. AOPA this week is expected to release the candidates' responses to those questions.
As GA continues the fight to be compensated for losses it incurred in the 9/11 aftermath, the airlines, which already have received their compensation, continue their fight for tax relief.
MIAMI EXECUTIVE AVIATION EVICTS SAFIRE - Cash-strapped Safire Aircraft this month was evicted from its offices that were leased from Miami Executive Aviation at Opa-Locka Airport. Miami Executive Aviation began the eviction process in July after the aircraft developer had stopped making lease payments. Safire suspended operations in June while it searched for additional funding (BA, June 14/270).
NTSB JUDGE TELLS FAA TO REINSTATE REVOKED LICENSES - A National Transportation Safety Board administrative law judge ordered FAA to reverse its revocation of the pilot and mechanic licenses of the owner of Long Island-based charter airline Air East. In the Sept. 9 ruling, Judge William Mullins said there was "no evidence presented" by FAA that Michael Tarascio violated any regulations. Tarascio's attorney, Gregory Winton, described the reversal of the FAA emergency order as a "rare decision."
