Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Trent Lott (R-Miss.) expressed concern to new Border and Transportation Security chief Asa Hutchinson that he work to make sure that the costs of regulation do not overtake the needs of the regulation. He cited a Customs proposal that would require manifests eight hours in advance for express cargo, which would "effectively eliminate overnight express shipping." He also noted that his subcommittee would take a look at the costs imposed on the aviation industry.
NEW PIPER CITES ENGINE PROBLEMS IN LATEST ROUND OF LAYOFFS - New Piper Aircraft this month began another round of layoffs and lowered its production estimates, moves the Vero Beach, Fla. plane-maker said stem from the ongoing problems with Textron Lycoming piston engines that power some of its aircraft. New Piper is cutting employment by 150 and lowering its planned production from just over 300 aircraft to 252. New Piper spokesman Mark Miller said the layoffs are "directly attributable" to the Textron Lycoming situation.
National Air Transportation Association has been inundated with calls from Part 135 operators who face an early February deadline for setting up mandatory security programs but have not yet seen the final guidance on implementing those programs. TSA this month began distributing letters to covered operators - those with aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more - advising that the programs were available via the Internet (BA, Jan. 13/15). A typographical error in the web address, however, has kept many operators searching fruitlessly for the guidance.
Hooters Of America, which recently acquired Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Pace Airlines from Piedmont Hawthorne (BA, Jan. 6/3), rolled out the first 737 painted in the new Hooters Air livery Friday in Atlanta. The aircraft has an orange and white paint scheme, Hooters Air graphics and a large owl - symbol of the Hooters restaurant chain - on the tail.
Rockwell Collins named Kent Statler senior vice president of operations, replacing Herm Reininga, who will hold the position of senior vice president of special projects until he retires later this year. Statler has served with Rockwell Collins for 16 years, most recently as vice president of manufacturing operations. He also has served as vice president of maintenance operations for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa communications and electronics manufacturer. A 37-year Rockwell Collins veteran, Reininga was appointed senior vice president of operations in January 2001.
Harris Corp. tapped former NCR Corp. President Howard Lance as its new president and chief executive, succeeding Phillip Farmer. Farmer, who has worked for Harris for more than 21 years, will remain chairman until he retires at the end of June.
Mineta San Jose International is using MegaData Corporation's AirportMonitor, an Internet-based flight tracking and information system with near-real-time data. Others using the system include Boston Logan, Los Angeles International and Boca Raton. AirportMonitor permits local residents and anyone with access to the Internet to view flight traffic patterns either in near real-time or in replays up to three months back. One goal is to help residents and airport officials monitor and agree on noise issues.
Environmental Tectonics Corporation won a contract from the Royal Australian Air Force for its Advanced Spatial Disorientation Trainer, the GYRO Integrated Physiological Trainer, Generation II (GYRO-IPT-II). ETC will install the trainer at RAAF Aeromedical Center, where it will be used to train pilots and other crew to deal with spatial disorientation.
Aake Svensson was named group chief executive officer of Saab AB. Svensson, 50, has worked at Saab since 1976 and succeeds Bengt Halse, 60, who is retiring next month. Svensson was most recently the head of Saab Aerospace, which produces the Gripen jet fighter aircraft.
Piaggio America named Turboprop East, a repair station based in North Adams, Mass., an authorized service facility for the Piaggio Avanti aircraft. The agreement covers maintenance, service and warranty support for Avanti operators in the Northeast U.S. Turboprop East sent technicians to the Piaggio Aero Industries service center in Genoa, Italy, where they are receiving classroom instruction and hands-on training in preserving, inspecting, maintaining, overhauling and repairing the Avanti.
The General Aviation Action Coalition met last week with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to discuss a range of issues concerning general aviation. The coalition, which comprises representatives from several general aviation organizations, meets with the FAA Administrator twice a year.
National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Jan. 4 incident in which the pilot of a Hawker Siddeley HS125-700 smelled smoke in the cockpit while taxing for takeoff from the Telluride, Colo. Regional Airport. The aircraft was shut down and all six persons aboard evacuated the aircraft without injury. Investigators found that a venturi fan unit, located aft of the rear cabin bulkhead, was charred, along with insulation, wires and air ducts in the immediate vicinity. No other anomalies were found.
Jeffrey A. Reid was named vice president of information technology for Executive Jet Management. He will lead the company's information technology development and network. Reid previously worked at General Electric, first in its e-Business group and also as the information technology globalization leader for the company's engine services division.
Edward D. Muhlfeld, 74, a former publisher of aviation and boating magazines, died Jan. 17 in Greenwich, Conn. after a long illness. Muhlfeld began his career with American Aviation Publications in Washington, D.C. where he was publisher of Aerospace Technology and Missiles and Rockets. He moved to Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. in 1962 to become advertising director of Boating magazine.
Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems is changing its name to Curtiss-Wright Controls. "While subtle, the name change reflects the company's growing focus on the design, manufacture and service of motion control and other control components and systems for the aerospace and defense industries," said George Yohrling, president. Yohrling added that the company will be diversifying its efforts into the ground defense and industrial markets.
Goodrich of Charlotte, N.C., announced its leadership succession schedule, naming Marshall O. Larsen chief executive officer, effective April 15. The Goodrich board of directors appointed Larsen president and chief operating officer in February 2002 in preparation for his ascent to the CEO position. David L. Burner, who is the current Goodrich CEO, will remain chairman until the board of directors meets next October to elect Larsen as Burner's replacement. Burner is scheduled to retire on April 30, 2004.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS350B3 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-05-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the ASU No. 2 printed circuit board (PCB) to determine if the resistor R8 is installed, and if it is not installed, replacing the PCB with an airworthy PCB with that resistor installed.
February 2-5 - 14th Annual NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, Anaheim, Calif., (202) 783-9000 February 9-11 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2003, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646 February 17-19 - NBAA Leadership Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 13-15 -- The Associao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG)/ NBAA Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE2003), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000
James B. Taylor, III, 81, who headed marketing and sales programs for major business jet manufacturers for several decades, died Jan. 17 in Bridgeport, Conn. Taylor had been hospitalized for several days and succumbed to complications from liver cancer and heart disease.
NEW NBAA BOOK OUTLINES AIMS, ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASSOCIATION - National Business Aviation Association members will be receiving a post-holiday gift soon, a new book entitled NBAA Works - Spirit and Achievement of the National Business Aviation Association.
Department Of Justice has not yet released its rule establishing the procedures for certain foreign flight students to undergo background checks, but the agency continues to express concern about the costs of those checks. DOJ last fall began discussing its concerns, and sources say that the Senate may include a provision in the omnibus fiscal 2003 appropriations bill that would set up a fee system to compensate DOJ for the costs of conducting the background checks.
Terry Mcmanus was named chief executive officer at Rotable Asset Management. As the founding chief executive of TEAM Aer Lingus, McManus worked for the airline for 30 years before retiring in 1994 and then joining AAR Corporation. RAM, formed last year by One Equity Partners, an equity investment company, and The Memphis Group, specializes in financing and managing aircraft rotable programs.
EMBRAER DELIVERIES ON TARGET, COMPANY EXPECTS GROWTH IN 2003 - During a period when most aviation manufacturers are scaling back production and shrinking delivery expectations, Brazilian plane-maker Embraer delivered 131 aircraft in 2002, just one shy of its target, and is expecting deliveries to pick up this year and next. Embraer plans to deliver 148 aircraft in 2003 and 155 in 2004. The company's production schedule will be helped in part by ramping up of the Embraer 170 program, with first deliveries planned for this year, and the EMB 195 expected in 2004.
Flight Explorer launched Flight Explorer FastTrack, a web-based service that will allow clients to display information on flight status. FastTrack provides information on specific flights in the U.S., Canada and parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It will display an aircraft's position flight status, altitude, ground speed, type, arrival and departure airports, departure time, estimated arrival time and weather for the two airports. The information is displayed both graphically and as text.
