HONEYWELL DEVELOPS PC-BASED AVIONICS TRAINING TOOL - With nine business aviation aircraft and helicopter wins for Honeywell's newest avionics system, the company is introducing PC-based training software for the Primus Epic that would allow pilots to make better use of full flight simulator time.
Bombardier Aerospace launched an online charter reservation system for its Skyjet Europe service. The site allows customers to obtain a price quotation and reserve flights online. "The Internet has opened up a world of possibilities for both businesses and customers in the travel market, fueling demand for quick and easy ways to book flights," said Dan Maiden, managing director of Bombardier Flexjet Europe.
ARINC BOLSTERS BUSINESS AVIATION SERVICES WITH COLORADO FACILITY - ARINC Inc., the Annapolis, Md.-based company known worldwide for its communications and flight support services, is continuing its plans to further penetrate the business aviation market with a new hangar and expanded aircraft servicing facility at Colorado Springs Airport. The announcement came one month after ARINC's business aviation unit, ARINC Direct-Business Aviation Services, opened a 24-hour flight support center for business aviation.
TAG Aviation, which has been attempting to turn Farnborough Airport outside London into a major business aviation center, is getting closer to achieving critical business mass at the airport. FlightSafety International has agreed to build a major business jet training center there and other potential business aviation tenants also are eyeing the airport, which is about two hours from London. See article below.
TRIUMPH BUYING HEAT EXCHANGER LINE FROM PARKER HANNIFIN - Triumph Group, Inc. has signed an agreement to buy the assets of United Aircraft Products from Parker Hannifin Corp. The deal is subject to successful negotiation and ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement between Triumph and the United Auto Workers local at the Forest, Ohio manufacturing facility.
May 13-15 - AS 3/GSE Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow, National Air Transportation Association/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 845-9000 or (202) 730-0260 May 17-21 - NBAA Maintenance Management Conference, Charlotte, N.C., (202) 783-9000 May 18-21 - Regional Airline Association Annual Convention, Phoenix, Ariz., (202) 367-1170 June 5 - National Business Aviation Association Forum and Static Display, Republic Airport, Farmingdale, N.Y., (202) 783-9000
RAC REBRANDS BEECHJET 400 AS PART OF HAWKER LINE - In an effort to rationalize its internal branding and to avoid confusing its customers, Raytheon Aircraft Company has renamed the Beechjet BE-400A the Hawker 400 XP.
Bombardier Aerospace began flight-testing its Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS) for the Global Express business jet. A Global Express test aircraft fitted with a BEVS prototype flew April 24, marking the beginning of a 24-month development program that is expected to culminate in certification in early 2005. BEVS will use infrared sensor technology that will project images onto a head-up flight display system. Thales Avionics and CMC Electronics are coordinating with Bombardier on the project.
RAJ CHANDHOK was named vice president for trust administration and investments at Northrop Grumman. He will be responsible for the funding and investment policies that affect employee benefit plans. Chandhok has more than 20 years of experience in business finance and was most recently vice president and chief financial officer of the California Association of Realtors.
Cessna Aircraft continues to check off systems tests of its Citation CJ3 since the aircraft first flew April 17 (BA, April 21/179). In its first three weeks of flight, the CJ3 has logged 8.7 hours in five trips, testing basic stability and control; landing gear, flaps, speedbrakes and trim system operations; and engine operating characteristics and slow flight capabilities. Cessna also confirmed anticipated stall characteristics and airspeed calibration.
Rockwell Collins said Gulfstream Aerospace Ltd. in the United Kingdom is installing and seeking a supplemental type certificate for a Pro Line 21 Continuum avionics package on a Hawker 700. The STC, expected this summer, would be the first for the Pro Line 21 Continuum in Europe. The installation includes a four-display Collins FDS-2000 flight display system, Collins TCAS-4000 traffic alert and collision avoidance system and dual Collins AHS-3000 attitude heading reference units. The system also will meet European requirements for Mode S elementary surveillance.
ACM Aviation, based at Mineta San Jose, Calif., International Airport, won approval from the San Jose City Council for a 30-year lease with a 10-year option to move to the west side of the airport. ACM will begin building a new facility on the west side that will include a 20,000-square-foot executive terminal, 55,000-square-foot hangar and 225-space parking garage. Construction of the new facility is slated for completion by 2006. ACM operates a full-service fixed-base operation along and offers aircraft management and charter services.
CESSNA SELLS MUSTANGS TO SPANISH CARRIER - Cessna Aircraft won an order from Spanish carrier Mac Aviation s.a. for five Citation Mustangs. MAC Aviation CEO Octavio Perez called the Mustang "the kind of plane that perfectly fits the average light jet flight in Europe. We anticipate our typical mission to be two persons and 1.5 flight hours."
Raytheon Aircraft secured FAA Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum approval for the Beechcraft Premier I. The company has developed RVSM field kits for Premier I aircraft currently in service and will deliver RVSM-compliant aircraft beginning with Serial Number 70.
Cessna, meanwhile, is nearing completion of the assembly line for another program well under way, the Citation Sovereign. The assembly line will comprise 17 stations, 13 of which are fully operational. Sovereign serial numbers 003 through 012 are in assembly. Cessna expects to complete certification for the Sovereign in the fourth quarter of 2003. Three conforming aircraft have accumulated more than 1,200 hours in 600 flights.
BOEING EXPANDS BUSINESS JET OFFERINGS WITH 717 BUSINESS EXPRESS - Boeing Aircraft is hoping to reach a broader market base by adding a third dedicated model to its business jet portfolio, the 717 Business Express. Based on the Boeing 717-200 airliner, the Business Express will be priced in the "high $20 millions" green and targeted towards corporations that have high-volume business travel, the company said last week.
Air Methods' Rocky Mountain Holdings subsidiary expanded its services in southeastern Arizona with the acquisition of another medical service provider. With the acquisition, Rocky Mountain operates from four bases in the area. Terms of the acquisition, which closed May 1, were not disclosed.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta last week told the House transportation appropriations subcommittee that the agency is exploring whether to buy the three Maryland airports - Hyde Field, Potomac Airfield and College Park - that remain off-limits to all but based aircraft. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) questioned why the GA ban continued despite the lowered terrorist threat, saying all three airports have experienced "devastating economic losses." He asked Mineta whether any financial assistance package was being considered.
Gulfstream sold two G300 aircraft to United Arab Emirates business jet operator Royal Jet. The G300s will be configured as multi-purpose aircraft with interiors that can convert between VIP/executive charter and medical transport. Based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Royal Jet is the first customer to order the G300, Gulfstream's new mid-range, less expensive variant of the former G IV-SP.
FAA awarded Honeywell a $16.7 million contract to develop and manufacture the Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS), a satellite-based precision approach and landing system. Honeywell's Defense & Space Electronic Systems division in Minneapolis, Minn. will manufacture LAAS, and the first system is scheduled to be operational by late 2006. The total value of the contract, which also includes airport installation, training and support, could exceed $350 million, if options are exercised.
Federal Aviation Administration named David B. (Bruce) Johnson director of the Air Traffic Service and Linda M. Schuessler deputy director last week. Johnson has worked at FAA since 1974 and was most recently air traffic division manager in the agency's Northwest Mountain region. He succeeds Bill Peacock, who retired from FAA after 30 years. Schuessler joined FAA in 1974 as a controller and was most recently the head of Air Traffic Evaluations and Investigations. Johnson and Schuessler will report to Steven J. Brown, FAA associate administrator for Air Traffic Services.
UAL TRIMMING 2,000-PLUS MAINTENANCE WORKERS IN OAKLAND, INDIANAPOLIS - Hundreds of trained mechanics and technicians will be out of work in the near future because of United Airlines' plans to close two maintenance bases. The carrier, struggling to cut costs while under bankruptcy protection, is closing major maintenance bases in Oakland and Indianapolis and terminating more than 2,000 employees.
National Business Aviation Association has narrowed a list of nearly 100 candidates interested in succeeding Jack Olcott as president of the organization to a final handful. NBAA's board of directors interviewed the finalists at the end of April, and a spokesman told BA Friday, "We're getting there." The board is hopeful it will be able to make a final selection yet this month and bring the new president aboard in June.
International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) plans to cut its 2004 delivery schedule by at least 10 aircraft as the company tries to deal with a flood of requests from airlines around the world to provide some type of relief during the current industry slump.
The Senate Commerce Committee's reauthorization legislation didn't provide specific relief for the general aviation segment (BA, May 5/206), but Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said that issue would be revisited as the bill makes its way through Congress. "I think the House bill is obviously better at general aviation than our bill and we're going to be taking a look at that," Lott told McGraw-Hill aviation editors last week.
