BAE Systems won two contracts totaling $107 million from FAA to provide a variety of support services for the FAA's acquisition programs in the surveillance systems area. The company will get $67 million to provide systems engineering and implementation support services and a $40 million contract to provide management and financial support services to the agency. Both five-year contracts will run through the end of 2008. The contracts were awarded by FAA's Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J.
Jetblue Airways is partnering with fatigue experts Alertness Solutions to develop and implement an alertness management program to educate its crewmembers about known fatigue factors in aviation operations.
Honeywell said the AT&T Wireless flight department will be the first corporate flight operation to install the avionics maker's new Runway Awareness and Advisory System (BA, Feb. 9/60). AT&T Wireless participated with Honeywell in researching the new system, which provides a variety of warnings and alerts to keep pilots informed of their position on an airport.
Italy's Department of Civil Protection purchased and took delivery of three Bombardier Model 415 amphibious aircraft. With the latest order, the Italian agency increased its fleet to 16 aircraft. The latest deliveries are to enter service during the 2004 fire season. The contract includes an option to install a search and rescue system kit to convert one of the Model 415s to the new 415MP version, which is expected to be certified this month.
FlightSafety International won FAA Level D approval for an S-70/Black Hawk full flight simulator based at its West Palm Beach, Fla. learning center. The simulator replicates all-weather, all-mission flying, including night operations using night-vision goggles. The simulator also reproduces the special characteristics of the Black Hawk operating sounds and vibrations. The simulator is FlightSafety's first Level D-approved Black Hawk training device.
Executive Jet Management continued to grow its charter fleet with the additions of a Gulfstream IV-SP, Falcon 2000EX and a CitationJet last month. The GIV-SP is based at Long Island-MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., the Falcon is at Boca Raton Airport in Florida and the CitationJet will be at Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. The addition of the aircraft continues EJM's rapid growth -- the charter and management service added 34 aircraft to its fleet in 2003.
Kalitta Charters Selected Avcon Industries, a subsidiary of Butler National Corp., Olathe, Kan., to provide turnkey RVSM upgrades for Kalitta's fleet of 12 Learjet 20 series aircraft. The work is scheduled to be done by December, just a month before FAA's deadline for aircraft whose owners/operators want to continue flying in controlled airspace above 29,000 feet. AVCON has slots available in November for similar modifications for other customers, but not for long.
ARINC Engineering Services won a contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide an artificial intelligence-based scheduling tool to support depot maintenance and logistics for the service's fleet of 126 C-5 cargo aircraft based at Warner Robins, Ga. The tool is based on Delia Systems' Opti-Time scheduling software, which uses artificial intelligence to develop optimal work schedules based on factors including geography, time, manpower and cost.
GULFSTREAM OFFERING AIRSTAIR WHEELCHAIR HOIST SYSTEM - Gulfstream Aerospace is offering an airstair hoist system to provide easier access to its business jets for passengers who require a wheelchair.
General Aviation Manufacturers say their efforts to win extension of bonus depreciation legislation is receiving a generally positive response from members of Congress as proponents stress the job creation potential of the legislation. Somewhat surprisingly, however, Bush Administration officials are giving some pushback on extending the bonus depreciation legislation.
Tradewind Aviation added an executive-configured Pilatus PC-12 to its charter fleet. The aircraft is the first PC-12 available for charter in the Northeast, Pilatus Aircraft said. Tradewind, which has offices in Connecticut and White Plains, N.Y., provides charter service throughout the East Coast in the PC-12, Cessna Grand Caravan and Beechcraft King Air.
Federal Aviation Administration tapped Dennis Roberts to take over as director of the Office of Airport Planning and Programming. Roberts replaces Kate Lang, who was promoted to deputy assistant administrator for airports. Roberts joins FAA from the Louisville, Ky. Regional Airport Authority, where he was deputy executive director. In his former role, he was responsible for the airport authority's planning and engineering, operations, properties divisions and information technology.
DISGRUNTLED AIRCRAFT BUYER PUSHES BOMBARDIER FOR CUSTOMER CODE OF ETHICS - Businessman Michael Huffington, the would-be buyer of a Global Express business jet from Bombardier, is waging a public relations campaign complaining of the manufacturer's customer service policies and promising to raise the issue at Bombardier's upcoming shareholders meeting. Huffington has owned a film production company, been vice chairman of his family's international energy company, founded an international merchant banking firm and is a partner in the Gerson International Law Group.
DENNIS GAUGER was appointed chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors at Groen Brothers Aviation. Gauger will ensure company regulatory compliance and direct implementation of cost accounting, inventory controls and revenue recognition policies. He has more than 26 years of financial and business experience, including 21 with Deloitte and Touche.
SKYWEST ORDERS ADDITIONAL CRJs FROM BOMBARDIER - SkyWest Airlines placed a firm order for 10 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200s and two 70-seat CRJ700s for its expanding United Express operations.
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2003-SW-28-AD; Amendment 39-13438;AD 2004-02-03) - requires modifying each passenger compartment sliding door by applying a kit to replace the levers and links. This amendment is prompted by instances of a door inadvertently opening during flight due to the unstable configuration of the door. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the inadvertent opening of a door during flight and loss of a passenger or objects from the cabin. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 34 helicopters on the U.S.
J. Nelson Happy, the top executive of Mooney Aircraft, says he's intrigued by the potential safety benefits that new avionics technology can provide for pilots. The Kerrville, Texas manufacturer just announced the introduction of Garmin glass cockpit technology for two of its models and Happy told BA he wants to keep pushing the technology envelope to address loss of control and situational awareness issues that are common causes of general aviation accidents. See article below.
EMBRAER PEPARES 190 FOR FIRST FLIGHT - Embraer last week rolled out the newest member of its 170/190 family of regional jets, the Embraer 190, in preparation for a first flight in the next few weeks. The aircraft, S/N 0001, rolled out Monday (Feb. 9) at Embraer's manufacturing plant in Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil .
AVIATION SAFETY PIONEER JEROME LEDERER DIES AT 101 - Jerome F. (Jerry) Lederer, who spent his entire career working to prevent aviation accidents and improve safety, died Feb. 6 in Laguna Hills, Calif., of congestive heart failure. He was 101.
Archie Trammell's Radar Training Systems has introduced a new radar training program, TSjournal, available on the web at www.tsjournal.aero. TSjournal was developed in response to requests from large flight departments to make training accessible for companies with substantial numbers of pilots. Trammell has been conducting personal training sessions for pilots for years to help them make the most effective use of information provided by their aircraft's weather radar systems.
Signature Plating, a subsidiary of Aircraft Belts that specializes in plating components for aircraft, opened a second facility in Kemah, Texas. Aircraft Belts founded Signature Plating in February 2003 in Cibolo, Texas to "fill a void" in the plating industry, the company said, adding that a second facility will help it better reach its customers. The new facility is based at Aircraft Belt's headquarters in Kemah in the Houston area.
Member companies of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association generally feel that the worst of their economic obstacles have been overcome and that the corporate, business and private aircraft market is poised for sustained long-term growth as the overall U.S. economy continues to grow.
The Fourth Annual European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE2004), scheduled for May 25-27 in Geneva, Switzerland, already has sold 30 percent more exhibit space than it sold for the event held in 2003, NBAA officials said. Event planners expect that EBACE will attract more than 6,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors at Geneva Palexpo. More than 30 aircraft are expected to be on display at Geneva International Airport.
