FAA signed a letter of intent to exercise options for 21 Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) systems and associated equipment and services from Sensis Corp. in a deal potentially valued at about $100 million. ASDE-X provides traffic management for the airport surface environment using a combination of surface movement radar, transponder multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast sensors to display aircraft position.
Business Aircraft Manufacturers presented a mixed outlook for the industry last week as they released their third-quarter financial figures. Honeywell is talking about additional layoffs, Gulfstream's business jet deliveries were off sharply and Dassault is considering a reduction in production rates next year. Most OEMs remain cautiously optimistic, however, with Textron reporting that its Cessna Aircraft unit has sold about 70 percent of the 250 business jets it plans to produce in 2003. See articles below.
CMC Electronics won a contract from Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge, England, to supply its global positioning system-based flight management system, the CMA-900, for three C-130 aircraft that Marshall Aerospace will upgrade for the Australian Air Force. The aircraft are slated for delivery in February 2003. The CMA-900 is in service on aircraft operated by more than 40 airlines as well as on the P-3.
Model SR20 and SR22 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-41-AD; Amendment 39-12908; AD 2002-21-02) - requires replacement of the self-locking retaining nut on the roll and yaw trim cartridges with a new self-locking retaining nut with a higher axial load capability. This AD is the result of a report that, during a production flight test, the self-locking retaining nut on the yaw trim cartridge came off.
Mark Larsen was named chair of the National Air Transportation Association's Aircraft Maintenance and System Technology Committee. He is the engine program sales manager and regional sales manager for Garrett Aviation Services, based at Knoxville's McGee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tenn. Larsen, who has 20 years of business aviation experience in operations, sales and customer support, succeeds Karl Florian.
Business Aircraft Manufacturers presented a mixed outlook for the industry last week as they released their third-quarter financial figures. Honeywell is talking about additional layoffs, Gulfstream's business jet deliveries were off sharply and Dassault is considering a reduction in production rates next year.Most OEMs remain cautiously optimistic, however, with Textron reporting that its Cessna Aircraft unit has sold about 70 percent of the 250 business jets it plans to produce in 2003. See articles below.
TIMCO BUYS AIRCRAFT SEATING UNIT FROM DUOCOMMUN - Timco Aviation Services, a major provider of aircraft overhaul and maintenance services, acquired Brice Manufacturing Co. of Pacoima, Calif. from Duocommun, Inc.
Keystone Helicopter Corporation selected Component Control to provide a $1 million upgrade to its business software, including the addition of the Quantum Control e-business package for maintenance, repair and overhaul operations and inventory control as well as core finance and accounting. Keystone said it chose Quantum Control after reviewing more than 20 aviation enterprise resource planning software providers.
Aviall Services, Inc. signed an agreement with Honeywell Engine Systems and Accessories that expands Aviall's worldwide aftermarket parts distribution rights for the manufacturer. Aviall said the latest agreement "significantly broadens the product line offering" of the Honeywell Engine Systems and Accessories parts that it can distribute. The Dallas-based parts supplier estimated that the agreement will boost its sales by more than $20 million per year.
Mark Larsen was named chair of the National Air Transportation Association's Aircraft Maintenance and System Technology Committee. He is the engine program sales manager and regional sales manager for Garrett Aviation Services, based at Knoxville's McGee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tenn. Larsen, who has 20 years of business aviation experience in operations, sales and customer support, succeeds Karl Florian.
Vector Training Systems received FAA approval for its aircraft reference data for the Piper Warrior. The approval, granted by the agency's National Simulator Program, clears the path for flight schools operating Vector's Piper Warrior flight training devices (FTDs) to seek FAA Level 3 approval. Vector delivered two Piper Warrior FTDs to the Odegard School at the University of North Dakota, and FAA Level 3 approval is expected later this month.
Jet Aviation Kassel received a German LBA supplemental type certificate to install new radar and a flight management system on a Citation II. The Citation will be equipped with a new Honeywell RDR 2000 weather radar system and a new Universal UNS-1L FMS, a navigation system with additional memory and a high-speed microprocessor.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University won a $2.7 million, three-year contract to provide flight safety management and mishap investigation instruction to the United States Air Force, Air National Guard and international flight safety officers. Under the contract, 700 flight safety officers will be trained annually at the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
Model A119 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-12910; AD 2002-21-04) - supersedes an existing emergency airworthiness directive for Agusta Model A119 helicopters. EAD 2002-17-52 issued on August 21, 2002 and sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of Agusta Model A119 helicopters by individual letters.
The TSA Chief was much more enthusiastic about the National Business Aviation Association's proposed Transportation Security Administration Access Protocol (TSSAP) idea, however. Loy reiterated earlier comments that TSSAP procedures - under which pilots who met certain requirements could be pre-cleared - seems like a reasonable approach for permitting flights into airports covered by a TFR or instead of the current waiver process for international flights (BA, Oct. 7/159).
The First Annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference&Exhibition (LABACE) was rescheduled from the originally planned January date to March 13-15, 2003. "The new dates for LABACE2003, which resulted when space became available at Sao Paulo's Transamerica Expo Center in March, will provide enhanced opportunities to interface with officials from the new Brazilian government that will be in place from January 1st on," said Jack Olcott, president of the National Business Aviation Association.
HPN HANDS OUT NOISE-ABATEMENT AWARDS, DISTRIBUTES CURFEW COMPLIANCE BROCHURE - Westchester County Airport officials last week presented their annual noise-abatement awards to based operators and unveiled a new brochure designed to encourage transient-operator compliance with the midnight to 6:30 a.m. voluntary curfew at HPN.
HONEYWELL PLANS DEEPER CUTS AS CIVIL AVIATION REMAINS SLOW - Honeywell posted a $560 million before-tax profit in the third quarter, turning around the $498 million loss reported in the third quarter of 2001, but the ailing airline industry and sluggish economy are spurring Honeywell to cut up to 5,000 more positions, Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote said last week. Honeywell already has reduced its work force by about seven percent, a move that helped the company show a profit despite a four percent decline in sales in the third quarter that ended Sept. 30.
FAA signed a letter of intent to exercise options for 21 Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) systems and associated equipment and services from Sensis Corp. in a deal potentially valued at about $100 million. ASDE-X provides traffic management for the airport surface environment using a combination of surface movement radar, transponder multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast sensors to display aircraft position.
Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill was recently named an approved repair station by the Presidency of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia. The approval will allow the facility to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, airframe and engine repairs, avionics modification, inspections, defect rectifications and painting on Falcon, Hawker and Gulfstream aircraft registered in Saudi Arabia.
ROLLS-ROYCE NAMES SCHLUMBERGER EXEC TO HEAD ENGINE MAKER - Dugald Euan Baird, the chairman and chief executive officer of global technology services company Schlumberger Ltd., was named last week to succeed Sir Ralph Robins as head of British engine maker Rolls-Royce plc when Robins retires early next year.
Air Canada Jazz selected Rockwell Collins to upgrade avionics in its fleet of 10 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft. The upgrades will include installing the HGS 2100 Head-up Guidance System, the addition of datalink capability and dual Collins flight management systems. Air Canada Jazz is the 12th airline to buy the HGS for its Bombardier CRJ fleet.
FAA OPENS INVESTIGATION OF SANTA MONICA AIRCRAFT RESTRICTIONS - The Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into a Santa Monica, Calif. "Aircraft Conformance Plan" designed to keep large business jets off Santa Monica Airport (SMO) and advised local authorities to suspend action on the plan until the issue is resolved.
Robert Myers was named chancellor of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Extended Campus. He will be responsible for overall planning, resource allocation and program evaluation with a special emphasis on noncredit education. Myers was previously the executive vice president and chief operating officer of University of Maryland University College, where he co-founded UMUC Online, Inc.
