Raytheon Aircraft retained IBM Business Consulting Services to help the Wichita plane-maker reduce inventory costs and increase operating and purchasing efficiencies. Based in Somers, N.Y., the IBM consulting unit will develop recommendations on streamlining supply chain management, including improving organizational processes, planning and forecasts, inventory costs and parts availability. The IBM unit also will man age and upgrade Raytheon Aircraft's SAP system.
FAA, which is contemplating contracting out its Flight Service Stations, will survey general aviation pilots next month to assess which services are most valued. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development is conducting the survey for FAA and will compile the results.
Gulfstream appointed Bill Shira as vice president, marketing and sales support. Based at Gulfstream's headquarters in Savannah, Ga., Shira will be responsible for marketing services, event marketing, direct marketing and market research. Those duties will be added to his current ones, including sales engineering and technical marketing, as vice president of sales information. Shira joined Gulfstream in 1982 as an engineering specialist in the development of the Gulfstream GIV and GIV-SP. He will report to Raynor Reavis, senior vice president of marketing and sales.
Aerodynamics Incorporated (ADI), based at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Mich., secured an FAA Part 121 certificate and is broadening its corporate shuttle services. ADI is offering services on a range of planes including a 56-seat Boeing 737, 48-seat Fokker 28 and 12-seat Jetstream 41. ADI also recently renovated the lobby of its fixed-base operation to include a revamped lounge area and conference room and a new communications center.
Jeppesen introduced a new service package for Boeing Business Jet operators. The Jeppesen BBJ VIP Plus Program includes volume-based fuel discounts through Jeppesen World Fuel Services, Jeppesen International Trip Planning services, JeppView Flite Deck electronic charting services and Jeppesen standard Airway Manual service. In addition, access to JetPlan, Jeppesen's flight planning tool, and FliteMap Corporate, a PC-based flight planning and moving map application, will be available through the program.
FAA SETS 2020 TIMETABLE FOR TRANSITION TO COCKPIT-BASED NAVIGATION - The Federal Aviation Administration has completed a detailed roadmap for moving commercial operators from ground-based to cockpit-based navigation by 2020, and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said the agency is fast-tracking the timetable because it benefits airlines without the need for a lot of new equipment.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES of Australia Pty Ltd. Models N22B and N24A airplanes (Docket No. 2003-CE-04-AD; Amendment 39-13239; AD 2003-14-20) - supersedes AD 82-12-06 that currently requires repetitive visual inspections of all rudder control lever shaft assemblies for cracks and discrepancies, and, if cracks or discrepancies are found, it requires replacement with new or serviceable rudder control shafts, and a check of the fit of all rod end bearings in lever shafts.
BLAKEY SAYS FLIGHT CENTENNIAL WILL HELP BOOST INDUSTRY IMAGE - Federal Aviation Administration launched a six-month effort to commemorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight, and Administrator Marion Blakey said the centennial gives the agency a high-profile opportunity to improve public perception of the commercial aviation industry at a critical stage of its recovery.
The Fifth International Workshop on Risk Analysis and Safety Performance Measurements in Aviation will be held in Baltimore, Md. Aug. 19-21. The theme of this year's workshop is "Effective Use of System Safety Approaches." The program will feature speakers from the aviation industry, FAA, NASA and universities, who will discuss issues in system safety processes and risk management.
AUDIT WARNS OF 'HIGH RISK' FOR OVERRUNS IN NEW FAA PROGRAMS - Unless FAA improves its management practices, there will be further delays on existing programs and major new modernization initiatives, planned to start soon, could suffer the same fate, according to a new government audit of FAA's largest acquisition programs.
The Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association retained Jack Olcott, former president of the National Business Aviation Association, to help guide AOPA's new turbine services, the association announced last week. AOPA is expanding its services in an effort to meet the needs of AOPA's members who, in increasing numbers, are transitioning to turbine aircraft such as the new microjets coming soon to market.
Hawker Pacific of Australia named a replacement for Chairman Christopher Tennant, who died recently. Henrik Von Platen, Tennant's long-time investment partner and a member of the Hawker Pacific board, was named chairman. Alan Smith, the company's chief operating officer, was named acting CEO. Hawker is a distributor of aircraft spares, performs engine and airframe overhauls and is an FAA-certificated repair station.
NBAA CONTINUES PUSH FOR EXEMPTION FROM DOT ECONOMIC REGULATION - The National Business Aviation Association this month continued to try to persuade the Department of Transportation to exempt certain operations under Part 91.501, such as interchange and joint-use, from the department's economic requirements that usually apply to foreign commercial operations.
Although Raytheon Aircraft lost the contract for 50 Hawker Horizons from NetJets earlier this year, Schuster remained firmly behind the program. "This airplane was never dependent on NetJets to be successful," he said, adding that the first couple of years of production are "in backlog." He expressed confidence that market interest will pick up once the aircraft nears certification. The Hawker Horizon is one-third of the way through flight test, he said, and the test program has given "every indication that this airplane is going to be a real, real strong performer.
EUGENE C. HAHN was elected vice president of flight operations at Horizon Air. Based at the airline's location at Portland, Ore. International Airport, Hahn will be responsible for flight systems and procedures, dispatch, crew scheduling, training and managing 750 employees. He was most recently Horizon's vice president of maintenance and engineering.
Peninsula Airport Commission is requesting proposals for the construction and operation of a fixed-base operation at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Virginia. Proposals must be submitted before Sept. 10. For more information, contact Jim Evans, business development manager, at (757) 877-0221, fax (757) 877-6369 or email [email protected]. Information also can be accessed on the airport web site at www.nnwairport.com.
July 29-Aug. 4 - Experimental Aircraft Association 51st AirVenture Oshkosh '03, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis., (920) 426-6523 September 8-12 - Society of Automotive Engineers 2003 Aerospace Congress & Exhibition, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, (724) 772-4081 September 14-17 - Airports Council International - North America 12th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Tampa, Fla., (202) 293-8500 September 20-23 - 72nd National Association of State Aviation Officials Annual Convention and Trade Show, Charlotte, N.C., (301) 588-0587
GARMIN BUYS UPS AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES - In a move that will merge two cutting-edge general aviation avionics specialists, Garmin International will acquire UPS Aviation Technologies from UPS for $38 million in cash. UPS Aviation Technologies will change its name to Garmin AT, Inc. when the acquisition closes in the third quarter and continue its operations as a subsidiary of Garmin International.
Air Chef signed on Jetstar In-Flight Catering of Teterboro, N.J. and Catering by Starlite of West Palm Beach and Miami, Fla. to expand its nationwide catering market. "Air Chef...by Jetstar" will serve customers at airports in Teterboro (TEB), Morristown (MMU), Newark (EWR), Belmar (BLM), Caldwell (CDW), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newburgh (SWF). "Air Chef...
French Defense Ministry official Patrick Goudou was appointed to head the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is scheduled to start work on Sept. 28. The 53-year-old aeronautical engineer spent most of his career at the armament division of the French Defense Ministry and was most recently the director of aeronautical maintenance. EASA will be temporarily based in Brussels, Belgium and will handle the certification of aeronautical products.
Federal Aviation Administration reopened the comment period for its regulatory review of Part 135 and 125, responding to a request from the Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee. The committee had its first meeting June 10-12 and the members wanted to reopen the docket for additional public comments. The comment period will be extended to Nov. 18. Comments may be submitted on the web at http://dms.dot.gov, by fax at (202) 493-2251 or by mail at Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street S.W., Nassif Bldg., Rm.
Cessna named two new Caravan Authorized Sales Representatives -- Hillsboro Aviation of Hillsboro, Ore. and G-Force Aerospace Ltd. of Ramat-Gan, Israel. Hillsboro Aviation, a full-service fixed-base operator located at Hillsboro Airport, will market the Caravan in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The company also is a Cessna Sales Team Authorized Representative for Cessna's single-engine piston aircraft, a Cessna Authorized Service Center and a Cessna Pilot Center.
