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.
National Business Aviation Association is seeking nominees for its two most distinguished honors: the NBAA Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation and the John P. (Jack) Doswell Award for lifelong individual achievement. Nominations will be reviewed by NBAA's Membership Committee. Persons who want to make nominations for either award should check NBAA's web site for detailed information. Nominations for the awards are due Feb. 15. For more information, contact NBAA's Membership Department at (202) 783-9000.
Kaman Corp. sold its electric motor and drive business to DRS Technologies of Parsippany, N.J. Kaman's Electromagnetics Development Center develops and builds electric motors, generators and drive electronics for defense and industrial applications.
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
The Transportation Security Administration is working closely with Part 91 business jet operators at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport (TEB) to develop a security plan that would permit operators who meet specific training and operating standards to be exempt from certain security restrictions.
Elliott Aviation won FAA supplemental type certificate approval for a retrofit of a Proline 21 Continuum avionics package in a Hawker 700A. The installation includes new Collins Proline 21 Continuum FDS-2000 flat panel displays and dual AHC-3000 attitude heading and reference systems, along with WXR-850 Doppler radar, a TCAS-4000 airborne collision avoidance system and Mark VIII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System.
Guy Hendrix was appointed marketing communications manager for BarcoView. He takes over for Ann Galland, who was promoted. Hendrix has 10 years of communications experience and has worked for Citibank, Microsoft and EAN International.
Bombardier received an order from Australian carrier Qantas Airways for three 50-seat Q300 Series turboprops. Qantas also bought a 36-seat Dash 8 Q200 aircraft that it had previously leased from the Canadian plane-maker. Delivery of the Q300 aircraft is slated for the second quarter of 2003. Qantas will operate the new aircraft in its QantasLink regional network, which will have 12 Q Series aircraft.
