ACAC TARGETING SALE OF 500 ARJ 21 AIRCRAFT IN 20 YEARS - AVIC1 Commercial Aircraft Co., or ACAC, hopes to sell 500 ARJ 21 aircraft, China's first regional jet, during its first 20-year span - 350 in the local market and 150 outside China. ACAC already logged 35 orders from launch customers Shenzhen Finance Leasing Co., Shandong Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, which ordered 20, 10 and five, respectively.
Federal Aviation Administration's annual Aviation Forecast Conference will be held March 25-26, 2004 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. For more information, contact Linda Baranovics at [email protected]
Hartzell Propeller added Roder Prazision GmbH as its newest recommended repair facility. The German maintenance business is located at Egelsbach Airport near Frankfurt. The company joins Hoffman Propeller as the second Hartzell approved facility in Germany.
In addition to its importance to the aviation community, the FAA reauthorization legislation would be a significant stimulus to the overall economy, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey told attendees at last week's AOPA convention in Philadelphia. With some $60 billion in overall funding over four years, Blakey said passage of the bill would create 650,000 jobs in airport construction alone.
KARL CHILDS was named director of special project sales at Thunder Aviation, St. Louis, Mo. He will report to Lou Churchville, vice president of sales and marketing, and help to increase the company's FBO, maintenance, avionics, charter and refurbishment business. A 35-year industry veteran, Childs recently retired from Raytheon Aircraft, where he was most recently vice president of worldwide sales and marketing.
LANCAIR TO EXPAND FACTORY - Lancair will invest $2.5 million to expand its facilities in Bend, Ore., to accommodate an increased production rate, the company announced at the AOPA convention in Philadelphia, Pa. last week. The expansion will add 40,000 square feet to Lancair's 140,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, which will allow the company to produce one aircraft per day. The addition also will allow the parallel production of the Columbia 350 and 400.
Regional Airline Association will hold its Fall Membership Meeting this Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 5-6) at the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. For more information, contact RAA at (202) 367-1170.
FLIGHT OPTIONS TO ADD EMBRAER LEGACYS TO ITS FRACTIONAL FLEET - Brazilian manufacturer Embraer and fractional aircraft operator Flight Options signed a memorandum of understanding under which Cleveland, Ohio-based Flight Options will acquire four Legacy Executive business jets. A final contract signing is anticipated by year's end, with delivery of the new aircraft set to follow shortly thereafter.
FAA APPROVES GERMAN ENGINE THAT USES AUTOMOTIVE PARTS - The Federal Aviation Administration certificated "an innovative diesel aircraft engine that uses automotive parts and runs on jet fuel," the agency said.
November 4-9 - Korea Air Show 2003, Busan Exhibition & Convention Center, Busan, Korea. Visit www.seoulairshow.com November 10-13 -- Flight Safety Foundation, "100 Years After Kitty Hawk...The Safety Challenge Continues," 703-739-6700 ext. 102, fax 703-739-6708, www.flightsafety.org/seminars.html November 10-14 -- International Aviation Security Academy and Conference, Herndon, Va. 703-689-4309, www.alpa.org
Blakey told AOPA attendees that the FAA reauthorization bill, which is being held hostage by political wrangling in Congress, contains a "Meigs provision" that requires a 30-day notification to the FAA before the possible closure of an airport "to give us time to do an in-depth study...and second, heavy fines for those who violate the clause."
Brazilian Manufacturer Embraer signed an agreement with MedAire, Inc. under which Embraer Legacy business jet owners will receive a full range of medical safety services from MedAire, which specializes in providing remote emergency assistance services. The Legacy package will include 24/7 access to emergency physicians for medical assistance and guidance; aviation-specific medical training for crew; a comprehensive aircraft first-aid kit; and an automated external defibrillator.
A diesel engine that uses automotive parts and runs on jet fuel won certification from FAA last week for use on light general aviation aircraft. See article below.
RACCA CALLS FOR REVISION OF CARGO SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS - The Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) registered a protest against recommendations, developed by an industry group at the Transportation Security Administration's request, that would require the same level of security for all cargo operators. RACCA argued that smaller on-demand air cargo operators who operate on lower profit margins would be "devastated" by the new requirements.
CJ Systems Aviation Group replaced a Bell 222 helicopter with a new Eurocopter EC135 for the Colona, Ill.-based Med-Force medevac program, part of the company's strategy to modernize its fleet and improve its allocation of backup helicopters. CJ Systems recently signed an agreement with Eurocopter to take delivery of seven new EC135s through April 2004.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey made it clear last week that the agency doesn't want to see any more unannounced destruction of airports by local government officials. Referring to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's sneak attack on and destruction of that city's lakefront airport this spring (BA, April 7/153), Blakey told the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association convention in Philadelphia that "What happened to Chicago's Merrill C. Meigs Field...was a travesty. The national air system is national.
NEW PSA CRJ200s SET TO REPLACE SOME AIRBUS NARROWBODIES - The 60 Bombardier 50-seat CRJ200s entering service with US Airways' subsidiary PSA Airlines will replace not only the regional's Dornier 328 turboprops, but also mainline Airbus A319s and A320s.
After weeks of controversy and debate over air traffic control privatization language, the House passed a revised FAA reauthorization bill last week. But the legislation faces an uncertain fate in the Senate this week as Republican leaders struggle to gather enough votes to prevent a filibuster attempt by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).
FlightSafety International plans to deliver seven new Level D-certified simulators to its training centers around the U.S. in the next year. The additions include a Global Express simulator at the Wilmington, Del. center by the end of the year; Beechcraft King Air 350 simulator for the Wichita Raytheon Center by next January; Sikorsky S-92 simulator for the West Palm Beach, Fla. center by the first quarter of 2004; Falcon 2000EX simulator with EASy cockpit for the Teterboro, N.J.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $21.9 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and materials contract for the special progressive aircraft rework in support of the in-service VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn. (90 percent) and Quantico, Va. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2004. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting authority.
Representatives of major fractional aircraft providers expressed optimism last week that improving economic conditions will help rekindle growth in their segment of the aviation industry. Senior executives and attorneys representing the four largest U.S. fractional providers and another half dozen smaller operators met in Baltimore Thursday and Friday under the auspices of the Fractional Business Aircraft Council, for which the National Air Transportation Association is providing administrative support.
Jet-Care International is now offering its engine performance monitoring program for all 1,200 Williams-Rolls FJ44 engines in the corporate fleet. The FJ44 powers the Cessna Citation CJ1 and CJ2, Raytheon's Premier I and Sino-Swearingen's SJ30-2.
MICA, MEAD ACCUSE FAA OF CONTRACT MISMANAGEMENT - Facing accusations on Capitol Hill that FAA continues to mismanage its largest contracts, a top agency official told lawmakers last week that FAA's latest contract moves have boosted the accountability of major contractors, such as aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
