ASME INTERNATIONAL GAS TURBINE INSTITUTE (IGTI) will hold the Aero Engine Life Management Conference March 2-3 in London, England. Conference participants include representatives from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and General Electric and Rolls-Royce. The conference will focus on lowering costs of engine maintenance by prolonging engine life. Experts will discuss the application of advanced diagnostics to detect wear and monitor vibration in systems.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) cheered a measure passed by Congress that reinforces a ban on aircraft weighing more than 100,000 pounds from Teterboro Airport and ends a dispute that began when Boeing sought permission to land the BBJ there (BA, Jan. 5, 2001/). Congress included the measure in the transportation appropriations legislation that was adopted as a part of a much larger government-wide omnibus spending bill (BA, Jan. 26/35).
A major air traffic control organization, the U.S. controllers union and a senior Democratic congressman have attacked the Bush Administration's move to cut funding for air traffic modernization, but FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said the cuts reflect budget realities while maintaining key modernization timetables. The Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said the reductions are a mistake, and ATC modernization funding should instead be increased.
CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED for the post of FAA chief financial officer, and Administrator Marion Blakey told BA last week she hopes to have the final selection on board within a few weeks. Blakey had announced the hiring of Thomas Bloom as the agency's CFO in November, but before starting work at FAA he decided to take a job with another government agency (BA, Jan. 19/21).
NetJets awarded Raytheon Aircraft a 10-year agreement to provide maintenance for the fractional aircraft ownership provider's fleet of Hawker 1000, 800XP and 400XP business jets. The contract covers full maintenance for the Hawkers and includes options beyond 10 years. The Hawker Service Center in Little Rock, Ark., will provide Hawker 1000 and 800XP heavy maintenance, and Raytheon Aircraft Services in Tampa, Fla. will maintain NetJets' 400XP fleet.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is trying to fill two key jobs in its Airports Division in the Chicago area. The agency is seeking candidates for the Manager and Assistant Manager slots in the Chicago Airports District Office. The manager's job has a salary range of $92,250-$142,993 annually, while the assistant manager's job pays $77,167 to $119,609. For more information, go to: http://jobs.faa.gov.
Eclipse Aviation Corp. named six more suppliers to provide electronic components that will build on its Avio "Total Aircraft Integration" initiative for the Eclipse 500 jet. Avio "delivers a level of integration and safety that previously had been available only in advanced military aircraft and commercial airliners," Eclipse said, noting that it achieves integration through integral, redundant computer systems that monitor and control all aspects of the aircraft.
CAE said US Airways selected it to provide Embraer 170 and Bombardier CRJ200 ground school training equipment that will become part of the airline's integrated training program. The CAE Simfinity integrated procedures trainers and visual simulators are valued at approximately $5 million (U.S.).
JACK WETZEL, a veteran aviation marketer, has formed Wetzel Aviation in Englewood, Colo. Wetzel, who has more than 30 years in the business and significant background in Piper Cheyennes, Beech King Airs and Learjets, is chairman and chief executive. Gene F. Langfeldt, president, has more than three decades of financial and executive management experience, the last 15 of which have been in business aviation.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT is developing service bulletins covering the installation of aircraft collision avoidance systems (ACAS) that will support European mandates for Mode S Elementary Surveillance and TCAS II collision avoidance systems. European regulations require installation of TCAS II systems by Jan. 1, 2005 on turbine aircraft that seat between 19 and 30 passengers or have a maximum takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds. Mode S systems must be installed by March 31, 2005.
Raytheon Aircraft Company reported a significant turnaround in operating income in 2003, and the Wichita, Kan.-based aircraft manufacturer is poised to deliver nearly 20 percent more aircraft in 2004. RAC reported revenues of $2.08 billion in the 12 months ended Dec. 31, fractionally above the 2002 total of $2.04 billion. More significantly, RAC reported $2 million in operating income for the year, compared with a loss of $39 million in 2002.
ATR WINS FOLLOW-ON ORDER FROM BINTER CANARIAS - ATR secured a follow-on order from Spanish carrier Binter Canarias for six ATR 72-500s. Binter Canarias already operates 13 of the regional turboprops. Delivery of the aircraft is slated to begin in May and continue through February 2005. Binter, which has operated ATR aircraft since 1991, operates the aircraft on the Canarian inter-island network.
BELL Model 222, 222B, 222U and 230 helicopters (Docket No. 2003-SW-23-AD) - proposes superseding an existing AD that currently requires a visual check of each main rotor grip and pitch horn assembly without disassembling the main rotor hub assembly, and a visual inspection at specified intervals of each affected grip and pitch horn assembly for a crack using a 10-power or higher magnifying glass. If a crack is found, the existing AD requires replacing each unairworthy grip or pitch horn with an airworthy part before further flight.
CESSNA PROMOTES DAVID BRANT TO KEY ENGINEERING POST - Cessna Aircraft named David Brant senior vice president of engineering, making him responsible for "new aircraft creation, development, design, interiors, flight test and certification, as well as product improvements for all aircraft in production and in service," according to a Cessna statement last week. In addition to his other responsibilities, he will serve as a member of Cessna's Senior Leadership Team.
The Bush Administration launched a "Next Generation Air Transportation System initiative" that will "harness technology in a way that triples the capacity of our aviation system over the next 15 to 20 years," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced last week.
TRAJEN FLIGHT SUPPORT is slated to complete a new hangar and terminal next month at Tucson International Airport in Arizona. The hangar will add 12,000 square feet of space and the new terminal will include weather and flight planning services as well as broadband Internet access. Trajen Flight Support, an Air BP dealer since October, provides a range of fixed-base operation services, including maintenance.
