THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE Dec. 4 approved a fiscal 2002 defense spending bill that would allow the Air Force to lease 100 Boeing 767-derivative tankers for 10 years to replace aging KC-135s. The 100 767s would replace 136 KC 135Es, which are more than 40 years old on average. Leasing the new planes would allow the Air Force to acquire them more quickly than if it bought them, and leasing proponents say the Air Force desperately needs to replace its old tankers, which are being heavily taxed in the war on terrorism.
ROBERT BAUGNIET, the former Rolls-Royce public relations executive, is the new senior manager of corporate communications for Gulfstream Aerospace. Baugniet previously held senior communications positions with Rolls-Royce Canada and at the engine maker's Reston, Va. office. At Gulfstream, Baugniet is part of the marketing, corporate communications and customer service team, and reports to Stephanie Snyder.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association General Counsel Darby Becker is leaving her post to join the Washington government affairs office of Pratt & Whitney parent United Technologies. Becker, GAMA's chief lobbyist, joined the association in January 1997 as director of government and international affairs and was promoted to her most recent position in 1999. While at GAMA, Becker has played an instrumental role in general aviation's campaign against user fees and push for more small airport resources.
Investigators probing the crash of American Flight 587 sent key tail components from the downed plane to a NASA research center for sophisticated tests that should help determine whether a structural fault contributed to the accident. The A300-600's horizontal stabilizer and rudder, which separated from the aircraft during its 103-second flight Nov. 12, was shipped to NASA's Center of Excellence for structures and materials at Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. The facility has a range of expertise in analyzing composite materials.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY and Jet Support Services, Inc., of Chicago are offering full-service maintenance programs to purchasers who buy used turbine aircraft from RAC. The JSSI program, called Tip to Tail, covers the airframe, all avionics and the cost of labor to maintain those components. The program, available through Raytheon Aircraft's Resale group, covers the Hawker family of business jets, the Beechjet 400A, all King Air models and other models taken in through trade, said Raytheon.
BAE 146 Series Airplanes and Model Avro 146-RJ Series Airplanes [Docket No. 2001-NM-186-AD] - Proposes to require modifying the engine start circuit. This action is necessary to prevent overheating of the soft start resistor of the engine start circuit, which could result in smoke and fumes in the cabin and consequent injury to passengers and crew. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition. The FAA estimates that 65 airplanes of U.S.
AEROSPACE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL signed an agreement to provide logistics consulting for Gulfstream's aftermarket customer support functions. API will assess Gulfstream's worldwide spare parts inventory system and make recommendations for improvements. "We are continually seeking ways to further improve our response times to our customers around the world and we have retained API to help in this process," said Larry Flynn, Gulfstream senior vice president, Aircraft Services.
SINGAPORE FLYING COLLEGE (SFC) is moving its advanced flight training operations to the Sunshine Coast area of Queensland, Australia. SFC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, currently operates flight training facilities in Singapore and at Jandakot, in western Australia, where basic flying training is provided. SFC chose Aeromil (Australia) Proprietary Ltd. as the preferred supplier of maintenance and support services for the four Model 45 Learjet training aircraft, which will be relocated from Singapore to the Sunshine Coast.
CAROLYN WILLIAMSON was named executive director of the University Aviation Association. She was formerly vice president of Women in Aviation, International and managing editor of its magazine Aviation For Women for the past four years. Williamson will be responsible for overseeing UAA membership programs and services and serving as the editor of all publications.
John Rahilly, the veteran business aviation executive, has joined Mercury Air Centers as vice president of operations, giving him responsibility for day-to-day operations of Mercury's 19 fixed-base locations. "As we continue to expand Mercury Air Centers brand into the marketplace, we have strategically developed a need to make certain we are doing everything we can to make it easier for our customers to do business with us," said John Enticknap, chief operating officer and executive vice president.
A new accord between Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) and Illinois Gov. George Ryan (R) has taken the fate of Meigs Field out of the mayor's hands and given the airport a second reprieve from the wrecking ball at least for the next five years. Daley and Ryan late Wednesday struck a deal to enhance aviation capacity throughout the Chicago region through redesign of existing runways and construction of new ones at O'Hare Airport as well as through development of a new third major Chicago-area airport.
NEW $25 MILLION PRIVATE JET HANGAR TO BE BUILT AT LAS VEGAS AIRPORT - A Las Vegas real estate developer, The Molasky Group, won approval to build a $25 million private jet hangar facility at McCarran International Airport. The Clark County, Nev. Board of Commissioners granted Jet Hangars, LLC, a development entity owned by the Molasky Group, a 40-year lease for an 11-acre parcel adjacent to the airport. The facility will include seven 14,000- to 18,000-foot condominium hangars, offices, garages and a small passenger facility with a pilots' lounge and weather stations.
Aurelie Branchereau was named director of marketing communications at PrivatAir. Based at PrivatAir headquarters in Geneva, Branchereau will develop and implement the company's global marketing and media relations program. She most recently worked at a London-based public relations agency Cohn & Wolfe, where she coordinated the opening of the company's Switzerland office.
Former FAA Administrator John McLucas died of heart problems Dec. 1 in Alexandria, Va. He was 82. McLucas served as administrator from Nov. 24, 1975 - April 1, 1977, during the Ford Administration. He gave up his position as the secretary of the Air Force to become administrator. Born in Fayetteville, N.C., McLucas was a veteran of World War II, having served as a Navy radar officer. After leaving FAA, McLucas held senior positions at Communications Satellite Corp., retiring as executive vice president in 1985.
National Air Transportation Association officials, along with a coalition of business aviation leaders, are planning to meet with senior White House officials this week to discuss aviation security and other pressing concerns. NATA President James Coyne last week said the industry must begin educating the Administration and Congress that aviation is not the security problem, terrorists are. He said that he was hopeful that the industry could get the Administration to shift its focus from airports and airplanes to the people responsible for the terrorism.
FAA is asking Congress to create a five-member commission that would oversee a consolidation of some of the agency's facilities and services. FAA wants to use the Defense Department's Base Closure and Realignment Act as a model to "create a fair process by which FAA can realign and consolidate its services and facilities to help reduce FAA capital, operating, maintenance and administrative costs on an agency-wide basis with no adverse effect on safety," the agency said in a draft of recommended legislation to Congress.
El Salvador last month returned by FAA to Category 1 status, following the agency's June 2000 downgrade from Category 2 in its safety oversight assessment program. The downgrade was attributed to what analysts then called "a weak civil aviation agency." The upgrade involved reforms in the county's air safety regulatory structure and several visits by FAA inspectors. Areas under improvement include airline certification procedures and maintenance controls.
Peggie Giles was named director of U.S. fixed-base operator sales for Jet Aviation. Based in Bedford, Mass., Giles will be responsible for promoting Jet Aviation services to new and existing flight departments and handling sales for all of Jet Aviation's U.S. locations. She first joined Jet Aviation in 1984 and was most recently manager of customer service at Jet Aviation Bedford.
Coyne added that it's time to start playing "hardball" over some of the access restrictions - particularly at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). He summed up the ongoing temporary flight restrictions in one word - "stupid" - asking why a plane flying at 3,100 feet is considered less of a security threat than a plane flying at 3,000 feet, or why an airplane taking off from Richmond, Va. is considered safer than one from DCA.
FAA last week extended the comment period until March 3 on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that would require that all passenger and flight attendant seats in transport category airplanes used in passenger-carrying operations meet improved crashworthiness standards. FAA released the SNPRM Sept. 26, and comments originally were due Dec. 3. FAA, however, extended the comment period at the request of the Aerospace Industries Association, The Boeing Company and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
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
Pratt & Whitney opened its China Customer Training Center in Beijing. The new training center, a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and the China Aviation Supplies Import & Export Group Corporation, will provide maintenance and engineering management training to domestic and international carriers in the region that operate PW engines - large and small - including the PW4000, the PT6 and the PW100.
Mercury Air Centers appointed Kenn Ricci, chairman and CEO of Flight Options, and Dick Dodson, former president and CEO of BBA Aviation, to its board of directors. Mercury Air Group President and CEO Joseph Czyzyk said Mercury Air Centers would implement an aggressive business plan for growth. "That's why it is important to have guidance from a board that not only understands the financial aspects of our business, but also understands the dynamics of the current business aviation climate," Czyzyk said.
U.S. CUSTOMS SHELVES BORDER CROSSING PROPOSAL - The U.S. Customs Service last week shelved a proposal released one month before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that would have standardized and eased certain aircraft border crossings. The notice of proposed rulemaking, published in the Aug. 3, 2001, Federal Register, would have standardized the Custom Service's Overflight program, which allows private aircraft owners/operators to apply for exemptions from special landing requirements in the south.
Energy & Engine Technology Corporation acquired the fixed-based operation at Stevens Field Airport in Pagosa Springs, Colo. and took over operations last week. The company financed $150,000 for Wind Dancer Aviation Services, which is projected to bring in about $920,000 in sales from FBO operations and about $1.2 million in sales from product development activities during 2003. Sales are expected to increase in 2004 and 2005, due in large part to an estimated $16 million capital improvement campaign at Stevens Field.
