NEW RESEARCH TO FOCUS ON PILOT NUTRITION - The U.S. Army is funding a new study to research the effects of a pilot's diet on cognition and flight performance.
Benet Wilson was named senior manager, corporate communications, at Rolls-Royce North America, Inc. in Chantilly, Va. She was most recently director of corporate communications for the Mesa Air Group in Phoenix, Ariz. Wilson has 16 years of experience as a journalist and was the editor of Commuter/Regional Airline News for eight years.
Bombardier last week appointed Paul Tellier, chief executive of Canadian National Railway Inc., to replace Robert Brown, who resigned following months of watching the Canadian conglomerate's stock price sink as aerospace revenues declined. Brown "asked to be relieved of his functions," Bombardier said, and the board agreed to appoint Tellier to the post Thursday evening. Tellier takes his new position Jan. 13. Company Chairman Laurent Beaudoin will serve as the chief executive in the interim.
CHC LOSES BP CONTRACT EXTENSION - Offshore oil and gas services provider CHC Helicopter lost a key contract extension with BP after the two companies were unable to reach agreement on terms. BP decided against renewing a contract with CHC unit CHC Scotia Limited for helicopter services in the Northern North Sea. CHC's current BP contract covering the Northern North Sea is due to expire July 31, 2004. The contract produced revenues of $54.5 million in fiscal 2002, about eight percent of CHC's total revenues.
MESA ASKS WORKERS FOR TEMPORARY SALARY CUTS - Regional carrier Mesa Air Group asked its employees to take a five percent pay cut over the next year under a voluntary program that would include the possibility for employees to make back their voluntarily contributed pay, depending on company profits. "The program would temporarily reduce the company's labor costs over the next year, while giving participating employees the opportunity to benefit financially in Mesa's future success," the company said.
Jet Aviation Business Jets received Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation certification to train pilots on Citation, Gulfstream, Challenger, Learjet, Falcon and Hawker aircraft, becoming the second company in Switzerland to win approval to train pilots on business jets. Jet Aviation will provide type rated courses that include theory, flight training and instructor rating courses.
Raytheon Aircraft's Premier I recently won certification in Denmark and Israel, bringing the number of countries that have certified the aircraft to eight. The aircraft also has received approval from the U.S., South Africa, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and Bermuda. The Wichita plane-maker hopes to continue to expand its global reach with certification in Ireland, Brazil and Italy by yearend and Turkey, Spain, Guatemala, France, Venezuela, Japan, Argentina, the United Kingdom and China next year.
MERCURY DIRECTORS VOW TO FIGHT SHAREHOLDER LAWSUIT - A California shareholder filed suit against Mercury Air Group's board of directors alleging that the board members used their positions to victimize shareholders for their own personal gain.
Aerospace Industries Association has revised its projections and now expects to see the beginning of an economic recovery in late 2003 or early 2004. AIA previously had been expecting an upturn that would begin slightly sooner. See article below.
AEROSTAR AIRCRAFT CORPORATION Models PA-60-601, PA-60-601P, PA-60-602P, and PA-60-700P airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-86-AD; Amendment 39-12972; AD 2002-24-07) - requires replacing Roto-Master and Rajay scavenge pumps with improved design Aerostar scavenge pumps. This AD is the result of failures of the existing Roto-Master and Rajay scavenge pumps found during regular maintenance inspections. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent in-flight failure of the oil scavenge pumps, which could result in loss of engine oil and possible loss of engine power.
Robert Thibodeau was named vice president of engineering at Avexus. He will oversee all aspects of product development and technology strategy for Avexus' Impresa aftermarket software solution. Thibodeau, most recently senior director of product management for software applications at QAD, has 25 years of experience in software development, engineering management and research and development.
Bombardier Aerospace began offering a new program last week for European customers that will permit participation in the company's Jet Membership program with a minimum purchase of 25 hours of flying time. Previously, customers had been required to purchase a minimum of 50 hours flying time. The Jet Membership fleet includes Model 31A, 45 and 60 Learjets and Challenger 604 aircraft.
SR Technics sold its 50 percent share in Shannon Aerospace Ltd. to Lufthansa Technik AG for an undisclosed sum. The Shannon, Ireland facility, which provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services, is now operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of the German company.
AIA PRESIDENT WARNS OF 'CREEPING CRISIS' IN AEROSPACE - There is a "creeping crisis" facing the aerospace industry, Aerospace Industries Association President John Douglass warned last week, noting that overall industry revenues are expected to decline in 2003 for the third consecutive year because of dropoffs in commercial aviation and commercial space activity.
Senior Homeland Security officials gave a coalition of some 25 leaders in the business aviation services community little hope that they would see Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport open to general aviation any time in the near future. The opposition apparently comes straight from President Bush, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
JEPPESEN TAPS VAN TINE IN SUCCESSION PLAN FOR BERGMANN - Flight information specialist Jeppesen named Mark Van Tine president and chief operating officer effective Jan. 1 as part of a succession plan for Horst Bergmann, who is retiring from the company after more than 40 years of service. Bergmann, 64, who currently is president and chief executive officer, will become chairman and CEO in January and hold those titles until May 1, when he reaches mandatory retirement age.
ALASKAN OPERATORS DODGE BULLET AS FAA ISSUES AGING AIRCRAFT RULE - More than three and one-half years after issuing its initial proposal for inspections of aging aircraft, FAA has published "an interim file rule" that would require detailed inspections of certain aircraft after 14 years of service, and periodically thereafter.
Laurent Schneider-Maunoury was named vice president of operations at Messier-Dowty. He started his career at Peugeot Automobiles and joined Snecma Motors as head of an integrated production line at its Evry-Corbeil site in 1996. He was most recently director of Snecma's Creusot site, where low-pressure turbine disks are manufactured. Messier-Dowty is a Snecma Group company, specializing in the design, development, and manufacture of landing gears.
Raytheon Company appointed Edward Pliner senior vice president and chief financial officer, replacing Frank Caine, who resigned last week after a rocky three-year stint with the Boston, Mass. company that reportedly included sanctions by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pliner, 44, most recently was vice president and corporate controller for Raytheon and, before that, was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Christian Dries, the owner and chief executive of Diamond Aircraft, made a successful first flight in the company's first Diamond DA42 Twin Star aircraft on Dec. 9 from the company's Austrian factory at Wiener Neustadt. The aircraft is powered by twin diesel engines designed to burn either diesel fuel or Jet A1. The aircraft features single-lever power controls for each engine, fuel consumption of 10 gallons per hour at 180 knots and an all-composite fuselage.
Representatives of half a dozen government agencies met Thursday with aerospace industry representatives to map out an action plan for consideration of the recommendations and findings of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry, which issued its report last month (BA, Nov. 25/240). The 40 representatives at the meeting agreed to divide the report's recommendations into those that are near-term or long-term, those that require additional funding or new legislation, and those that require only coordination and administrative actions.
CESSNA TO LAY OFF 15 PERCENT OF WICHITA EMPLOYEES - Cessna Aircraft Company will lay off another 1,500 workers at its Wichita facilities, the latest in a series of force reductions designed to balance employment levels with aircraft production schedules.
Thunder Aviation completed its new 39,000-square-foot hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo. The new facility includes 9,000 square feet of office space that will be completed to new tenants' specifications. The addition expands Thunder Aviation's facilities to more than 100,000 square feet at Spirit of St. Louis. Founded in July 1997, Thunder Aviation provides a range of fixed-base operation services, including maintenance and avionics service.
