Regional Aviation Partners, the organization founded in April 2001 to represent rural and small community air service, added nine new members. The latest to join RAP are: The City of Goodland, Kan.; Ponca City, Okla. Municipal Airport; Gallup Regional Airport, N.M.; Renner Field/Goodland Municipal Airport, Kan.; Central Nebraska Regional Airport, Grand Island, Neb.; Alliance Airport Authority, Alliance, Neb.; Boone County Regional Airport, Harrison, Ark.; South Arkansas Regional Airport, El Dorado, Ark.; and El Dorado Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.
Aircraft Electronics Association founder Charles Peacock died last month after a long illness. He was 87. Peacock started the AEA in 1956 by bringing together several avionics shops to improve communications and cooperation between the shops and the manufacturers. The organization now represents more than 1,100 companies. A memorial service is planned for Jan. 10 in Denver, Colo.
Edward S. Pliner was named senior vice president and chief financial officer at Raytheon Company, Lexington, Mass. He was previously vice president and corporate controller for the company, a position he held since April 2000. Pliner replaces Frank Caine, who resigned.
AIR TRACTOR Models AT-250, AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT-400A, AT-401, AT-401A, AT-402, AT-402A, AT-501, AT-502, and AT-502A airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-60-AD; Amendment 39-12985; AD 2002-25-09) - requires installation of an overturn skid plate in the cockpit area. This AD is the result of reports of foreign material entering the cabin area during an overturn skid of the affected airplanes. The actions specified by this AD are intended to minimize the possibility of dirt or mud penetrating the cockpit in case of an aircraft overturn.
Hamilton Aerospace signed a maintenance agreement to support charter operator Falcon Air Express's fleet of eight 727-200 and 737-300 aircraft next year. The agreement covers modification, maintenance service and repair, including B and C checks. The contract, which is expected to generate between $4.5 million and $6 million, follows earlier work that Hamilton conducted on Falcon's aircraft this year.
American Airlines will begin retiring its Fokker 100 fleet this month instead of the third quarter 2003 as originally planned, BA affiliate Aviation Daily learned. AA last summer announced that the F-100s would be completely retired by the third quarter of 2005. By starting earlier, the Fokkers will be gone by yearend 2004. The acceleration will not change the current capacity plan but will save millions of dollars in maintenance costs for the carrier.
Aviation Fabricators (AvFab) of Clinton, Mo. won FAA approval to add Enidine Seat Recline Actuators to its CRS Ratings List. The AvFab-developed repair process for Enidine units will cost $135 and provide the first alternative to a new replacement unit, which can cost more than $600, AvFab said. "We can now effectively service these units within 48 hours for a fraction of the cost of a new unit," AvFab said.
TOUGH BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FORCES COMMANDER TO SEEK BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION - Commander Aircraft Company of Bethany, Okla. was forced to seek bankruptcy protection late last month as a result of a sharp decline in orders for its line of single-engine aircraft.
FlightSafety International won Level D certification for its Dassault Falcon 20 full-flight simulator at the Dallas-Ft. Worth center. The existing simulator was updated with the VITAL high-definition visual system and the FlightViz debriefing system. In addition to its location in Texas, FlightSafety provides Falcon training at its centers in Teterboro, N.J. and Paris/Le Bourget, France. A new Falcon 2000 training location in Columbus, Ohio will open in 2003.
Lanny Rider, Teterboro Airport manager, was elected president of the Teterboro Business League for 2003. He is a 25-year veteran of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and has held management positions at JFK and LaGuardia airports and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Rider said he hopes to use his position to work with businesses to maintain a presence at the airport.
Jet Aviation's U.S. Aircraft Charter Services Department partnered with CharterX to provide detailed quotes for charter flights on its website. The CharterX computerized estimating system allows customers to get estimates on round-trip or one-way, domestic and international flights. The estimates include an itinerary with a break-down of per-hour flight time costs, landing fees per leg, total taxes, the aircraft's flight range, speed and number of fuel stops.
Mercury Air Group's Maytag Aircraft Corp. won a six-month contract to continue to provide air terminal and ground handling services at Al Mubarek Air Base, Kuwait through September 2003. Maytag has provided ground handling and air terminal services at the base since August 2000. Services include aircraft loading and unloading, cargo screening, passenger processing, baggage handling, security screening and the handling of classified information. Maytag valued the contract at $1.8 million.
Woodland Aviation was picked by Raytheon Aircraft to represent the company's products in Oregon and Washington. The new status will allow Woodland, a Beechcraft dealer for 40 years, to represent Bonanza, Baron and King Air C90B aircraft throughout Northern California, northern Nevada and the Pacific Northwest, Woodland said. Headquartered near Sacramento, Calif., Woodland operates Raytheon "Gold Bar" authorized turbine and jet maintenance facilities at Yolo County Airport in Davis, Calif. and piston maintenance facilities at Watts-Woodland Airport in Woodland, Calif.
'HOOTERS' OWNER BUYS BOEING CHARTER UNIT FROM PIEDMONT HAWTHORNE - Bob Brooks, chairman of the Hooters restaurant chain, is expected to begin charter service with "Hooters Air" later this year following his recent acquisition of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based carrier Pace Airlines, which had been a unit of Piedmont Hawthorne. Brooks announced plans last fall to launch Hooters Air as he tried to acquire the assets of defunct Vanguard Airlines.
Bombardier received Type Validation/Certification recommendation from Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities for the CRJ900. With 86 seats, the CRJ900 is Bombardier's newest and largest model. The aircraft won approval from Transport Canada on Sept. 9, 2002 and was FAA certified on Oct. 31, 2002.
National Air Transportation Association named Bryan Fitch technical service manager. Fitch, who joins NATA from Gemini Air Cargo, will be the staff liaison to the NATA Aircraft Maintenance and System Technology Committee and handle technical and maintenance-related issues for the association. Fitch served as a flight engineer with Gemini and also has served as a maintenance technician and flight engineer with the U.S. Air Force. He will continue to serve as a flight engineer with the Air Force Reserves aboard Lockheed C-141 Starlifter cargo aircraft.
GREAT LAKES COMPLETES RESTRUCTURING WITH RAYTHEON, NAMES HOWELL CEO - Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. completed a financing agreement covering the carrier's Beech 1900 aircraft with Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corp (RACC) that Great Lakes said "results in significant improvements to Great Lakes' cost structure and balance sheet, as well as a 36 percent equity holding by RACC." The agreement, which was announced Dec. 31, also "returns Great Lakes to a current status with regard to all of its RACC debt and lease obligations."
The Transportation Security Administration received praise from the general aviation community last week after it altered the applicability of private charter security rules and took steps to address concerns regarding screening compliance requirements. TSA Tuesday published a notice that it was raising the threshold for the private charter rules from aircraft that weigh 95,000 pounds or more to aircraft that weigh more than 100,300 pounds (45,500 kilograms).
February 9-11, 2003 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2003, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646 April 8-11, 2003 - National Aircraft Finance Association Annual Meeting, Westin Resort, Savannah, Ga., (301) 349-2070 or [email protected] April 23-27, 2003 - National Aircraft Resale Association Annual Meeting, Westin Regina Resort, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association appealed to Homeland Security Secretary-designate Tom Ridge to make a decision soon on any temporary flight restrictions that may be imposed during the President's State of the Union Address. AOPA said its appeal was intended to prevent a repeat of last year's TFR, which was issued four hours before the speech, trapping some general aviation pilots.
STEWART AND STEVENSON BUYS WYOMING GSE PROVIDER - Stewart & Stevenson TUG of Marietta, Ga., acquired DAVCO Industries of Casper, Wyo., a manufacturer of aviation ground support equipment (GSE) for regional and international carriers, the military and foreign and domestic FBO and ground handling companies. DAVCO's product line includes 400 Hz ground power units, 28VDC GPUs, ground air conditioning units (ACUs), combination ACU 28VDC/400Hz units, ground aircraft heaters, towbars, carts and air start units.
MERCURY AIR GROUP MOVES TO FEND OFF MULTIPLE LAWSUITS - Mercury Air Group has become the target of at least three different lawsuits filed ostensibly on behalf of shareholders, with the latest complaint filed in late December charging that the board members are part of a "racketeering enterprise" designed to loot corporate assets. That lawsuit, filed Dec.
FAA released a new technical standard order last month that establishes the minimum operational performance standards that terrain awareness and warning systems must meet to qualify for Class A or B designations. The TSO also adds requirements for a Class C designation, which is intended for voluntary installations on aircraft not covered by TAWS requirements in Parts 91, 135 and 121. For more information, contact Bobbie Smith, program support specialist in FAA's Aircraft Certification Service at (202) 267-9546.
The Office Of Management And Budget completed its review of Justice Department rules for conducting background checks on foreign flight training candidates, but it was unclear how soon the regulations would be published. The aviation training community has long awaited release of the rules, because they are expected to create a process under which flight schools can once again begin training foreign student applicants who are seeking their first type ratings in aircraft weighing at least 12,500 pounds.
Bill Delaney was named vice president of sales and marketing at Renegade Venture Corporation of Tucson, Ariz., a subsidiary of Hamilton Aerospace Technologies. An FAA-certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, Delaney has experience in quality control and operations and materials management. He previously was vice president of operations for a large transport category aircraft maintenance facility.
