Meigs Field could begin to disappear within a month after the Chicago Park Board approved a contract last week for removal of the remainder of the lakefront airport's runway and other infrastructure. Supporters of the airport have generally concluded there isn't much they can do to stop Chicago Mayor Richard Daley from converting the downtown business airport into another of Chicago's many parks. See article below.
Skyway Communications, which specializes in in-flight aircraft communications, reached an agreement with Dallas, Texas-based Airbase Services under which Airbase will negotiate to provide necessary installation and other services for equipment that will implement the SkyWay Communication systems on corporate and commercial aircraft.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes (Docket No. 2003-NM-143-AD) - proposes to require revising the airworthiness limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness by incorporating new structural inspection intervals for the vertical beams of the pressure bulkheads at fuselage stations 409+128 and 559; repairing the vertical beams if necessary; and submitting inspection findings to the airplane manufacturer.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'BBB-' long-term corporate credit rating on Bombardier, Inc., and its subsidiaries, following a review of the company's current and expected liquidity and prospects for its key aerospace and transportation segments. The company's ratings also were removed from S&P's CreditWatch, where they were placed last December. "In the past three months, Bombardier has made good progress in its various initiatives to restore its balance sheet and improve its financial flexibility," said S&P's Kenton Freitag.
Airport Lobbyists are hoping to ward off language in a House aviation security bill that would require all airport workers to pass through security screening checkpoints before entering sterile areas. The language, included in the Aviation Technical Corrections and Improvement Act, was authored by House aviation subcommittee ranking Democrat Peter DeFazio (Ore.), who wants to close a loophole that he noticed when he toured an airport, an aide said. DeFazio saw that concessionaires were not being screened before walking into secured areas.
Transporation Secretary Norman Mineta has warned again that President Bush's staff will recommend he veto FAA reauthorization legislation if it contains provisions that would "prohibit the transfer of FAA facilities or functions from the federal government to the private sector." In a letter last Wednesday to Sen.
IBIS Aerospace appointed Tristar Marketing as a sales representative for the Ae270 turboprop. Based in Bangalore, India, Tristar will represent the Ibis turboprop in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands. The Ae270 is a pressurized multi-mission aircraft that can carry up to eight passengers or transport bulk cargo.
New Piper Aircraft announced that an investor bought the company's $75 million secured bank debt in a deal the airframer believes will help stabilize and propel its business forward in a difficult economy.
Gulfstream Aerospace won Joint Aviation Authorities validation for its Gulfstream G400 and G300 business jets. The validation clears the way for the aircraft models to be certified and registered in the 37 European nations that make up the JAA.
Mineta told McCain that the Administration also opposes provisions that would require foreign repair stations to implement a program of alcohol and drug testing and security audits. Mineta said those provisions "are unnecessary and will negatively impact our relationships with foreign nations as they intrude on national sovereignty."
Mooney Aerospace Group retained the investor relations firm of PMR and Associates, LLC of San Diego, Calif. as part of an effort to improve exposure and communications with existing and potential shareholders. Mooney also redesigned its web site to enable the investment community to learn more about the company. "Our goal is to ensure that current and future investors have a clear channel of communication," said Mooney President J. Nelson Happy.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. received an order from India's coast guard for 65 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH). The helicopters will be delivered over the next three years under the $155 million contract. India's coast guard will phase out its single-engine Chetak helicopters as it receives the new aircraft. The ALH will provide long over-water hovering capability and be equipped with radar that can spot small smuggling boats.
GD Chairman Nicholas Chabraja credited the bonus depreciation provision of the President's economic stimulus package for helping spur business jet sales. He said both corporate and individual buyers had specifically mentioned the accelerated depreciation schedule as a prominent motivator for buying a new aircraft. Ed Bolen, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which was in the forefront of those lobbying for the depreciation provision, said he's heard similar reports from other GAMA members who manufacture aircraft.
Ellen Engleman, 100 days into her tenure as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, has launched a multi-phase action plan aimed at getting NTSB recommendations acted upon and improving the work product of NTSB's 429 employees. Engleman, an attorney by training, espouses a passionate belief that NTSB plays an important role in the national transportation system through its investigations and recommendations and said she sees opportunities to add value to the agency's work.
Aeronautical Accessories, an affiliate of Bell Helicopter Textron, won a supplemental type certificate to install Safe Flight Instrument Corporation's exceedence warning system on the Bell 206B Jet Ranger. The system monitors torque and exhaust gas temperature and has a shaker function to alert the pilot when limits are reached or exceeded. The exceedence warning system is standard on the Bell 430 and offered as an option on the Bell 427. Safe Flight also has an STC to install the system on the Eurocopter SA341G Gazelle.
House of Representatives still has not named its participants on the House-Senate conference committee that will attempt to resolve differences in the two versions of FAA reauthorization legislation, but lobbyists say professional staff members of the pertinent committees have been meeting regularly to discuss unresolved issues and find solutions. One source said congressional leaders want to get nearly all the sticking points resolved at the staff level before conferees begin meeting directly.
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
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 222, 222B, and 222U helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-27-AD; Amendment 39-13214; AD 2003-13-13) - requires a one-time inspection of the adjustable stop screws of the magnetic brake assembly; repairing, as appropriate, certain mechanical damage to the cyclic and collective flight control magnetic brake arm assembly, if necessary; and installing the stop screw with the proper adhesive, adjusting the arm assembly travel, and applying slippage marks.
T-Bird Aviation, a Chicago area charter operator, moved into new facilities this month at the DuPage County Airport in West Chicago, Ill. The telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses remain the same, but all correspondence should now be addressed to: T-Bird Aviation, 2722 International Drive, DuPage Airport, West Chicago, Ill. 60185. The new facility includes 48,000 square feet of hangar space and consolidates all aircraft and personnel under one roof with a state-of-the-art security system.
New Piper President Chuck Suma plans to make a "major business announcement regarding the future of New Piper" Tuesday at The Yale Club of New York City.
Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, Neb., acquired an auxiliary power unit (APU) test stand to make it easier for technicians to perform work on Honeywell and Sundstrand APUs used in business jets. Because APUs are typically tightly positioned in the tail of business jets where access is difficult, Duncan said the ability to remove the units and work on them on a test stand helps technicians perform troubleshooting and maintenance without tight space limitations.
Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, still recovering from serious medical problems that have plagued him since early last year, will lose three of his senior executives at the Transportation Department next month.
FAA FLIPS SWITCH ON WAAS GPS SYSTEM - In a move that will soon allow precision approaches to more than 200 U.S. airports, the Federal Aviation Administration turned on the Wide Area Augmentation System to the global positioning system last week.
