Cessna Aircraft selected HR Textron of Santa Clarita, Calif. to supply flap and speedbrake actuators for the Citation Mustang entry-level business jet. Cessna has orders for more than 200 Mustangs. Both Cessna and HR Textron are owned by Textron, Inc.
The U.S. Navy is studying the possibility of upgrading the Rolls-Royce F405 engine it uses on its Boeing T-45 Goshawk trainer. The Navy is interested in eliminating surges that cause the engine to run too quickly, forcing the aircraft to land. As part of the fiscal 2007 budget process, the Navy plans to decide whether to pursue the upgrade, which would be made on as many as 213 of the single-engine T-45s, according to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
FAIRCHILD DORNIER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY - Fairchild Dornier Aero Industries GmbH has filed for bankruptcy, ending a two-year struggle to keep the ill-fated 728 regional jet program alive. The company and the district court of Weilheim, Germany, on Monday confirmed that the manufacturer filed for Chapter 11-like insolvency earlier this month.
NEW YORK DEFERS ACTION ON SECURITY BILL - The New York State Assembly deferred action on a comprehensive security bill that would have imposed stiffer penalties for acts related to terrorism and imposed new requirements on general aviation facilities. The bill had drawn opposition from general aviation groups, which fear the measure could help spur a nationwide patchwork of different security mandates for airports.
Asked whether he believed federal screeners would be used for general aviation areas of terminals, Hutchinson said last week, "I don't believe that will happen in the near future." Hutchinson would not rule out the possibility in the long term, warning, "Congress is still in session," but said that currently the screener work force has a full load, and he did not want to add to their responsibilities.
TED GRIMSLEY was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International's learning center in Orlando, Fla. Grimsley previously was director of training for the center. He joined FlightSafety in 1999 at the Toledo facility as a Citation X instructor. He later became program manager for the Citation Excel.
First Aviation Services, Inc.'s shareholders last week re-elected Michael Culver and Robert Kirk to the board of directors and rejected a dissident stockholder proposal for cumulative voting for director elections. Shareholders also voted to appoint Ernst & Young LLP as the company's independent auditors for the year ending Jan. 31, 2004. The re-election of Culver and Kirk during the 2004 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Memphis came after an effort by a dissident group, the Wynnefield Group led by Nelson Obus, to gain a seat on the board (BA, May 31/249).
Business-aircraft makers last week came one step closer to winning a one-year extension of certain bonus depreciation tax benefits for their customers after the House Thursday approved the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, H.R.4520, by a margin of 251-178. The Jobs bill included a provision that extends the placed-in-service requirements by one year for business aircraft purchasers to qualify for the 50 percent bonus depreciation tax benefits.
CESSNA READY TO BEGIN DELIVERY OF GARMIN-EQUIPPED LSEs - Cessna Aircraft officials are hoping to begin deliveries of 182T Skylanes this week equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics packages. Cessna received certification for the G1000 in the single-engine model late Thursday. There are about 100 new aircraft at Cessna's single-engine production facility in Independence, Kan. that workers had built while the avionics approval was pending.
AAR Corp. signed an agreement to move into part of United Airlines former aircraft maintenance facility at the Indianapolis, Ind. Airport. United vacated the property in March 2003. AAR signed a 10-year lease with an option for 10 more years. AAR will initially occupy two of the 12 hangar bays on the airport and provide heavy maintenance for commercial aircraft. It has the option to occupy additional space on the airport as its business grows.
Passage of the Vision 100 FAA reauthorization bill was delayed last year because the National Air Traffic Controllers Association staged a pitched battle in Congress in an attempt to stop expansion of FAA's contract tower program, but a repeat of that fight doesn't seem likely this year. Spencer Dickerson, executive vice president of the American Association of Airport Executives and executive director of the U.S. Contract Tower Association, told reporters this month that "we hope it's not an issue" this year.
"As of today I shot an Arrow into the air. The reorganization plan was very fair. Go fly your birds everywhere. Haul your cargo with a great deal of flair. Keep your planes on the runway and out of the muck. May you continue to operate with the best of luck." Those were the good wishes U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Emeritus A. Jay Cristol read after formally approving the reorganization plan submitted for Arrow Air to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Jet Aviation Basel won a VIP outfitting contract for two B747-400 aircraft owned and operated by Dubai Air Wing. The contract, the largest outfitting contract the facility has received, calls for Jet Aviation to work with Dubai Air Wing over the next two years on a nose-to-tail program, including installation of head-of-state interiors. Jet Aviation also will retain the services of Gamit LTD's aviation division on the project.
Despite a lack of definitive physical evidence and the absence of cockpit or flight data recorders, the National Transportation Safety Board said the actions of a Papillon Airways AS350-B2 helicopter pilot were responsible for the fatal crash of the aircraft nearly three years ago.
JAYSON GEHRI joined EADS Socata Aircraft as a marketing manager. Gehri had served as spokesman for Safire Aircraft after the company's senior marketing executives were let go when Safire experienced financial problems (BA, May 3/197). Gehri is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
CANADIAN AVIATION EXECUTIVE BROWN TAKES LEAD POST AT CAE - Robert Brown is stepping down as chairman of Air Canada to take the helm of another Canadian aviation company - international training giant CAE, the company announced last week. Brown will become president and chief executive officer of CAE on Aug. 12, succeeding Derek Burney, who is retiring. Burney will continue as vice chairman of the Montreal-based company until he formally retires Oct. 31.
CMC Electronics, Inc. entered into an agreement to divest its Cincinnati Electronics business unit (also known as CMC Electronics Cincinnati) to L-3 Communications Corp. The agreement, signed June 15, is expected to be completed next month. The sales price will be approximately $172 million (U.S.). Cincinnati Electronics, based in Mason, Ohio, designs and builds a range of infrared detectors, imaging sensors, missile warning systems and spacecraft electronics.
BAE Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 2004-NM-46-AD) - proposes to require a test for free movement of the capsule/bearing of the nose landing gear (NLG), and related investigative, significant, and corrective actions. This action is necessary to prevent failure of the NLG to extend fully, which could reduce controllability of the airplane during landing. FAA estimates that 57 airplanes on the U.S. Registry would be affected by this proposed AD at a cost of $22,230, or $390 per airplane.
Jet Works Aviation won FAA approval to install a Class A Honeywell Mark VIII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System on Beechjet 400A aircraft. Based at Meacham Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, Jet Works is a certified Honeywell services and sales representative. The service provider also is an authorized service center for Collins, B.F. Goodrich, Universal and Garmin as well as Piaggio and Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
