US AIRWAYS NEARING RJ ORDER, CEO PRAISES EMBRAER 170 RJ - US Airways is close to placing a large order for 50- and 70-seat regional jets as part of its recovery strategy, and CEO Dave Siegel reported Thursday he is very fond of the Embraer product line and believes the company's aircraft would give him a competitive advantage.
Goodrich Corporation received an $8.5 million contract to supply its Integrated Mechanical Diagnostics-Health & Usage Management System (IMD-HUMS) for U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters. The company's Fuel & Utility Systems division in Vergennes, Vt., will supply and support the IMD-HUMS system in 22 helicopters operated by the 101st Airborne Division, in addition to eight systems previously ordered. The IMD-HUMS gathers information on the usage and condition of aircraft systems throughout each flight.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association is developing a "12-point plan" of legal, legislative and public relations actions to pressure Chicago into restoring Meigs Field and protecting other airports from being shut down.
Embraer's revised delivery schedule for 86 ERJ 145XR regional jets to ExpressJet calls for 36 aircraft this year instead of 48 and 21 instead of 36 in 2004. The manufacturer said the revisions will increase the number of aircraft delivered in 2005 to 21 instead of two, with the remaining eight units to be delivered in 2006 (BA, March 31/145).
CESSNA SELECTS GARMIN AVIONICS FOR MUSTANG - Cessna Aircraft selected Garmin International last week to supply avionics for its new entry-level business jet. Garmin's new, integrated glass cockpit, the G1000, will outfit the Cessna Mustang with three glass displays and two 10-inch primary function displays. In addition, a 15-inch multifunction display will be placed at the heart of the panel.
Singapore, South Africa And Chile were elected to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization last week. The number of seats on the Council was increased from 33 to 36 in November 2002 to reflect "the growth in the number of member states of the organization, which has increased from 146 in 1980 to 188."
SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE IN DANGER AS FEES INCREASE - Regional and charter operations are suffering because they are shouldering an unfair burden of security and other fees, said Debbie McElroy, president of the Regional Airline Association, at an FAA reauthorization hearing before the House aviation subcommittee this month. McElroy testified that security costs and fees would be added to "already colossal taxes levied on airfares" and the taxes "most disproportionately" affect routes served by turboprop aircraft.
BAE SYSTEMS LTD. Model BAe 146 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-271-AD) - proposes to require modification of the flight annunciator box. This action is necessary to prevent traffic collision avoidance system aural messages and resolution advisories of the TCAS from being inhibited following a ground proximity warning system alert or test message, which could prevent the TCAS from providing attention-getting alerts, and could result in the possibility of a mid-air collision or near mid-air collision.
March 28 - NBAA Business Aviation Forum and Static Display, Long Beach, Calif. International Airport. For more information, contact Benjamin Jones at (202) 783-9000 April 8-11 - National Aircraft Finance Association Annual Meeting, Westin Resort, Savannah, Ga., (301) 349-2070 or [email protected] April 22-24 - Flight Safety Foundation/NBAA 48th Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar, Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Fla., (703) 739-6700
A March 19 hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Rep. Jim Saxton's (R-N.J.) bill to block the U.S. Defense Department from participating in the Paris Air Show was postponed indefinitely (BA, March 17/117).
EADS CO-CHAIRMAN LAGARDERE DIES OF RARE DISEASE - Jean-Luc Lagardere, the co-chairman of the European Aeronautic, Defense and Space (EADS) company, died of a rare neurological disease a week ago at age 75. Lagardere had been hospitalized with a viral infection following hip surgery.
EADS Socata received FAA certification for its TBM 700C2 freighter version of the TBM 700 single-turboprop aircraft. The 700C2 includes a strengthened airframe, which enables a maximum takeoff weight of 7,394 pounds, compared with 6,578 pounds for the original TBM 700. The aircraft has a 1,565-nautical-mile range with 45 minutes of fuel reserves and an 805-pound payload. EADS Socata also is selling a C1 variant, which does not have the 20g seats and sturdier wheels and tires, for markets outside the U.S.
CARGO CARRIER AIR NOW ACQUIRES TELFORD AVIATION'S CARGO BUSINESS - Two scheduled cargo carriers in the Northeast have joined forces as Air Now acquired the scheduled cargo business of Telford Aviation of Bangor, Maine. David Corey, president of Air Now, said the acquisition "is a great fit" because the two carriers serve many of the same customers in different locations.
BAE STARTS DESIGNING FREIGHTER CONVERSION FOR ATP TURBOPROPS - BAE Systems Regional Aircraft and British European Aviation Services are partnering to design an E-class freight interior for the BAE ATP turboprop. The design is about 60 percent complete and will incorporate a new 9G forward net and 3G vertical nets along the length of the fuselage. The main undercarriage emergency release handle is being relocated from under the mid-cabin fuselage floor to the flight deck.
STEPHEN P. ANSLEY was named vice president, congressional affairs at DRS Technologies. Based at the company's Arlington, Va. division, Ansley will serve as a key Congressional liaison. He has eight years of experience as a professional staff member with the House Armed Services subcommittee. Ansley was most recently lead professional staff member on the research and development subcommittee.
BAE SYSTEMS CUTS 1,000 AIRCRAFT JOBS - The demise of its regional aircraft unit and the reduced workload in its Aerostructures and military aircraft programs are leading United Kingdom-based BAE Systems to eliminate 1,000 jobs by yearend, the company announced last week. BAE restructured its Nimrod MRA4 military program, halting production on certain aircraft slated to be modified from the MR2 version to the MRA4 configuration. The company also said that the soft civil aircraft market is forcing cuts in its Aerostructures business.
CONGRESS RENEWS EFFORT TO ASSIST AIRLINES - Congressional leaders are beginning to consider putting together another assistance package to help the airlines, but still have not taken steps to help the general aviation community. Rep.
Cessna Aircraft, reacting to "uncertain worldwide economic conditions," announced a series of actions Wednesday to reduce production of its turbine-powered aircraft models and cut personnel costs through furloughs and layoffs.
NBAA also is opposing recent suggestions by the governors of New York and Connecticut for creation of 10-mile no-fly zones around nuclear power plants in those states and a call by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley for creation of a similar restricted zone around that city. West said there must be federal pre-emption in security matters to protect against the creation of a patchwork of local and regional restrictions that could cripple business aviation.
FAA POSTPONES NEW REPAIR STATION RULES - The Federal Aviation Administration delayed until Aug. 6 adopting a sweeping new regulation that would overhaul repair station requirements. FAA released the rewrite of Part 145 repair station regulations in July 2001, but originally did not make the rules effective until April 6 this year. FAA believed that it would need 20 months to develop the appropriate industry and internal guidance material as well as to train agency personnel.
SECURITY HEIGHTENS AS U.S. HEADS INTO WAR - The Federal Aviation Administration last week released seven new notices to airmen strengthening security around Washington, D.C., New York and certain amusement parks as the Department of Homeland Security raised the terrorist threat level to a Code Orange/High risk. HSD elevated the risk early last week as the administration braced the nation for the war against Iraq.
All three people aboard a Cessna Citation Mode 501SP, N70FJ, were killed March 15 when the aircraft crashed in rain and snowy conditions near Hailey, Idaho. The pilot of the aircraft was identified as Jay Call, founder of the Flying J Fuel Co., which operates more than 160 travel plazas throughout the U.S. and Canada. His passengers were Richard Germer, a recently retired vice president of the company, and Germer's wife, Ilene. The accident happened about 2115 local time at the end of a flight from Salt Lake City, Utah.
GULFSTREAM MAY CUT ANOTHER 1,000 WORKERS - Gulfstream Aerospace, which pared its work force quickly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said last week it is considering another round of cuts because of weak market conditions exacerbated by international conflicts. Gulfstream warned "reductions could total as many as 1,000 employees plus independent contractors during the next 12 months."
