Top officials of engine maker Textron Lycoming, who have been wrestling for more than a year with a series of crankshaft failures in the company's 300-horsepower piston engines, believe they will be able to begin installing improved new crankshafts in some 950 grounded aircraft early next year.
TAC Air added the 10th facility to its fixed-base operation chain with the acquisition of Krystal Aviation at Lovell Field in Chattanooga, Tenn. The facility, managed by Terry McDowell, includes eight hangars with 120,000 square feet of space along with 44,000 square feet of office space. The facility also has 31 T-hangars and two fuel farms that store 80,000 gallons of jet fuel, 15,000 gallons of avgas and 10,000 gallons of automobile fuel.
Raytheon Aircraft is laying off another 220 workers at its Wichita and Salina, Kan. plants, but Lancair is gearing up to recall some of its laid-off workforce. The Bend, Ore. manufacturer said it found a group of "enthusiasts" who will provide the funds necessary to get the company back into production. See articles below.
Mike McClain was named vice president of business development at Atlantic Aero. He was most recently president of West Star Aviation in Grand Junction, Colo., where he managed the company's transition from a piston engine and turboprop aircraft facility to a turboprop and business jet facility. McClain also has worked in sales and marketing at Duncan Aviation, Alliance Engines and Dallas Airmotive.
A General Accounting Office report on Airport Improvement Program spending confirmed fears among some airport industry officials that increased security spending has come at the expense of other airport projects. The report, available at www.gao.gov, said FAA cut more than $300 million in fiscal 2002 from non-security projects, making room for $562 million in security spending. That sum is 17 percent of the $3.3 billion available this year, and the highest award for security projects since 1982, the report said.
Model 427 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-43-AD) - revises an earlier proposed airworthiness directive for Bell Model 427 helicopters that would have required modifying each auxiliary fin by relocating the upper tuning weights to a lower position. That proposal was prompted by several incidents of main rotor blades contacting the top of the fin that have resulted in an upper tuning weight becoming loose.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-12437 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.333(c)(3) Description of Relief Sought: To permit Larry Nicoludis, while operating between Flight Levels 250 and 410, to have his oxygen mask out of its storage container, properly fitted, connected and on, and resting in his lap, in hand, ready for use in less than three seconds.
FlightSafety International is planning to begin pilot training at its new facility in Orlando, Fla. in February. The 52,000-square-foot center will have space for eight full flight simulators, multi-media interactive classrooms, pilot briefing rooms and other customer-service amenities. The center will specialize in Cessna Citation training and will be next to a new Cessna service facility that is slated to open in 2003. FlightSafety plans to first install Citation Bravo and CJ2 simulators with Citation Excel and X simulators following.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association was recognized with a special appreciation award from the Civil Air Patrol for its response during the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The CAP, the civilian auxiliary for the U.S. Air Force, noted the "key role" AOPA played in keeping non-military pilots updated on airspace restrictions.
Bombardier handed over the 700th 50-seat CRJ series regional jet (Serial Number 7700), to Spanish carrier Air Nostrum. The delivery increases Air Nostrum's CRJ200 fleet to 16 aircraft. The airline ordered 21 of the aircraft in March 2000. Air Nostrum, which has a franchise agreement with Spanish flag carrier Iberia, also has taken delivery of 16 of the 29 52-seat Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft on order.
Lee Air developed a wireless lighting controller for business jets. The system allows aircraft operators to control certain exterior and interior lighting from up to 50 feet away from the aircraft through a remote key fob. Raytheon Aircraft selected the control as standard equipment for door access lighting on the Premier I aircraft.
Goodrich Corporation's Aviation Technical Services unit teamed with aircraft aftermarket supplier Tracer to streamline the sale of its spare parts inventory. Under the three-year alliance, Tracer will market and sell Aviation Technical Services' spare parts inventory to customers including airlines and maintenance repair and overhaul shops. The inventory includes airframe and engine parts, auxiliary power units, wheels and brakes and a number of aircraft expendables.
Goodrich Corporation's Aviation Technical Services unit teamed with aircraft aftermarket supplier Tracer to streamline the sale of its spare parts inventory. Under the three-year alliance, Tracer will market and sell Aviation Technical Services' spare parts inventory to customers including airlines and maintenance repair and overhaul shops. The inventory includes airframe and engine parts, auxiliary power units, wheels and brakes and a number of aircraft expendables.
Raytheon Aircraft is laying off another 220 workers at its Wichita and Salina, Kan. plants, but Lancair is gearing up to recall some of its laid-off workforce. The Bend, Ore. manufacturer said it found a group of "enthusiasts" who will provide the funds necessary to get the company back into production. See articles below.
ROCKWELL COLLINS NET INCOME IMPROVES DESPITE SLOW ECONOMY - Cost control measures coupled with increasing sales in its Government Systems division helped offset Commercial Systems declines and steer Rockwell Collins to a nearly 60 percent increase in net income for its fiscal 2002 ended Sept. 30. Net income for fiscal 2002 was $236 million, or $1.28 per share, up from $149 million, or 80 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales, however, dropped from $2.8 billion in fiscal 2001 to $2.5 billion in the most recent year.
Lycoming officials believe they have identified the forging problem that led to crankshaft failures in its LTIO-540 and TIO engines and have developed process changes and more rigorous monitoring programs to prevent a reoccurrence in new-production units. The company hopes to be able to begin installing new crankshafts by early next year in some 950 aircraft that have been grounded by the crankshaft problem (BA, Oct. 28/192).
Teledyne Technologies unit Aerosance has won FAA approval for and is offering a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system for a number of piston-engine aircraft, the company announced late last month during the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo in Palm Springs, Calif. The PowerLink FADEC, the culmination of five years of development, will electronically manage piston-powered engines on general aviation aircraft.
Angela Ferragamo was appointed marketing director at Bombardier SkyJet. She was most recently director of sponsorship marketing at MCI WorldCom where she was responsible for motorsports sponsorships.
While most aviation leaders in Congress appear safe in the upcoming elections, several tight races, particularly in the Senate, have captured the attention of aviation interests because the results could shape the outcome of pressing legislation.
Models 35, 35R, A35, and B35 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-44-AD; Amendment 39-12920; AD 2002-21-13) - supersedes AD 98-13-02, which currently requires operating limitations on Raytheon Beech Models 35, 35R, A35, and B35 airplanes. This AD is the result of Raytheon developing inspection and modification procedures that, when accomplished on the affected airplanes, will eliminate the need for the operating limitations. This AD retains the operating limitations for the affected airplanes until the recently developed inspection and modification procedures are accomplished.
Federal Aviation Administration issued a type certificate to Airbus for the manufacturer's Corporate Jetliner, clearing the use of the ACJ in both scheduled service and private operations in the U.S. With the FAA approval Airbus can begin deliveries of the ACJ - a version of the A319 airliner - to U.S. customers. The ACJ is equipped with up to six extra fuel tanks in the hold to increase range, as well as a higher ceiling (41,000 feet) and built-in airstairs for rapid access at remote airports.
LANCAIR PREPARES TO RESTART OPERATIONS - After laying off more than 200 workers over the summer, Lancair is planning this month to re-emerge from three months of dormancy with money from new investors.
While most aviation leaders in Congress appear safe in the upcoming elections, several tight races, particularly in the Senate, have captured the attention of aviation interests because the results could shape the outcome of pressing legislation.
Raytheon Aircraft, facing a sluggish economy and slightly lower aircraft production in 2003, said it will cut another 220 jobs at its plants in Wichita and Salina, Kan. The cuts, which include both hourly and salaried workers, include jobs across the entire RAC product line and were necessitated by the "continued weak economy and lower estimated [aircraft] build rates for 2003," said spokesman Tim Travis. Raytheon said a week ago that it planned to build 340 new airplanes next year, compared with an estimated 348 and 2002 and 425 in 2001 (BA, Oct. 28/202).
