BRIAN OLDS was named president and general manager at AAR Aircraft Sales & Leasing. He was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Midway Airlines. Olds began his aviation career in 1990 at AAR and was named general manager in 1996.
The Boeing Co. has signed an agreement with FlightSafety International (FSI) to buy all of FSI's interest in FlightSafety Boeing Training International (FSTBI), the joint venture the two companies formed in 1997. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. FSBTI has 800 employees in 21 locations, 70 full-flight simulators, and "numerous" fixed-base and maintenance training simulators, Boeing said Sept. 23. Boeing will call the new company Boeing Training International, and its headquarters will remain in Seattle.
HONEYWELL AEROSPACE TRADING'S (HAT) aircraft components business has expanded its coverage to include regional airliners and business jets. HAT buys and sells used and excess equipment including avionics, auxiliary power units, engines and environmental control units.
GLEN GROSS was named regional director of East Coast operations at Atlantic Aviation. He will be responsible for operations at six airports and also will serve as the general manager of Atlantic Long Island. With 18 years of aviation management experience, Gross previously worked at Hudson General at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.
CINCINNATI MACHINE, which produces automated fiber placement and tape laying systems, has been named to the supplier team for Boeing's Sonic Cruiser aircraft. The company will join an enterprise team headed by Vought Aircraft Industries of Dallas. Cincinnati Machine builds the Viper fiber placement machines used by Raytheon Aircraft in constructing the composite fuselages for the Premier and Horizon business jet.
HOUSE COMMITTEE WARNS FAA OF BUDGET CRUNCH - The Federal Aviation Administration should "aggressively seek productivity and efficiency gains where possible" as trust fund revenues start to dwindle during the soft economy, which could cause a budget shortfall, the House Appropriations Committee warned the agency in report language to the $60 billion fiscal 2003 transportation appropriations bill. The measure - which the committee began considering last week - just days before fiscal 2003 begins -- contains a $13.6 billion budget for Federal Aviation Administration.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-10229 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.434(c)(1)(ii) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Air Wisconsin to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying pilot-in-command (PIC) while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and a landing when completing initial or upgrade training as specified in Sec. 121.424. Grant, May 22, 2002, Exemption No. 7778
The Federal Aviation Administration should "aggressively seek productivity and efficiency gains where possible" as trust fund revenues start to dwindle during the soft economy, which could cause a budget shortfall, the House Appropriations Committee warned the agency in report language to the $60 billion fiscal 2003 transportation appropriations bill. The measure - which the committee began considering last week - just days before fiscal 2003 begins -- contains a $13.6 billion budget for Federal Aviation Administration.
Model 390 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-37-AD; Amendment 39-12884; AD 2002-19-04 - requires replacement of the inboard fuel probe mounting brackets with ones of improved design. The AD is the result of reports of a design problem with the fuel probe assembly brackets. The actions specified by this AD are intended to correct the required air gap clearance between the fuel probe and the adjacent wing fuel tank access panel, which could result in arcing between the two conductive materials in the event of a lightning strike.
FAA is finishing up the charter that outlines plans for the sweeping review of Part 135 and other regulations governing business jet operations, Nicholas Sabatini, associate administrator for regulation and certification, told Aviation Week Group editors Thursday (BA, Sept. 16/123). While the review is expected to cover a range of operations, including fractional use of business jets, Sabatini said he did not expect the Part 135 review to result in major changes to the agency's new fractional aircraft operation rule that creates a new Subpart K to Part 91.
Model 212 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-28-AD; Amendment 39-12885; AD 2002-19-05) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires, at specified intervals, inspecting for a cracked tail boom and replacing any cracked tail boom. That AD also requires modifying the tail fin and tail boom within 100 hours time-in-service. This amendment requires modifying and visually inspecting certain vertical fin left-hand spar caps for cracking, loose fasteners, corrosion, or disbonding.
BIZJET INTERNATIONAL expanded its fixed-base operations in Tulsa, Okla. to include a pilots lounge and weather briefing station. The FBO, a Lufthansa Technik Service unit, also is part of AvFuel's dealer network.
BARRY ECCLESTON, the former executive vice president for business development of Fairchild Dornier, joins Honeywell today (Sept. 30) as vice president, Commercial Aerospace Europe. He will be responsible for commercial activity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before joining Fairchild Dornier, Eccleston was president and chief executive of Rolls-Royce International Engines division. In his new role at Honeywell, Eccleston will report to Lynn Brubaker, vice president and general manager of the company's Commercial Aerospace unit.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT ADVANCES QUIET SUPERSONIC BIZJET CONCEPT - Defense contractor Northrop Grumman, partnered with Raytheon Aircraft, unveiled a supersonic cruise aircraft design last week whose sonic boom could be seven times lower than Concorde's, despite flying at more than twice the speed of sound and at ranges of some 6,000 nautical miles.
SIMCOM TRAINING CENTERS, in partnership with Pilatus Business Aircraft, is developing a second Pilatus PC-12 simulator. The new simulator will have actual aircraft parts in the interior and panel. It also will be equipped with a wrap-around visual motion cueing system, day/night/all-weather visuals and a range of flight profiles for the PC-12. The simulator will be installed at SimCom's facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. in early fall 2003. The two companies are also working to upgrade the first simulator, located at SimCom's Orlando center.
Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
HONEYWELL AEROSPACE TRADING'S (HAT) aircraft components business has expanded its coverage to include regional airliners and business jets. HAT buys and sells used and excess equipment including avionics, auxiliary power units, engines and environmental control units.
CAE plans to open a new training facility in Mesa, Ariz. as part of a 10-year training contract valued at about $50 million (Canadian) that the training provider won from Mesa Air Group. CAE will train Mesa pilots on Bombardier CRJ and Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. CAE will install CRJ200/700/900 and ERJ-145 full flight simulators at the new center. CAE also will operate a CRJ200/700/900 integrated procedure trainer at the new center. Mesa Air Group operates 126 aircraft to 147 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
IO-540, LTIO-540 and TIO-540 series reciprocating engines (Docket No. 2002-NE-03-AD; Amendment 39-12883; AD 2002-19-03) - supersedes emergency AD 2002-17-53 that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Textron Lycoming LTIO-540 and TIO-540 series engines, rated at 300 horsepower or higher. That action requires, before further flight, replacing certain serial-numbered crankshafts that were hammer forged with crankshafts that were press forged (BA, Sept. 23/138).
ALTHOUGH INDUSTRY analysts believe the business jet market will weather the economic downturn, manufacturers continue to feel the impact. Canadian manufacturer Bombardier last week announced its latest cost-cutting initiatives, including layoffs and program stoppages. Swiss manufacturer Pilatus also has taken steps to reduce costs, sending 300 of its 1,300 employees into part-time work. The Pilatus cutback is expected to last until the spring. See article on Page 148.
ROLLS-ROYCE signed its 100th customer for its aeromanager.com portal. Launched in 2001, the site provides a range of aftermarket services, including interactive technical manuals, engine health monitoring, engine leasing, on-line parts ordering and other information on repair and overhaul. Nordam Europe became the 100th customer when it joined the service this month. Rolls-Royce said it is on target to meet its goal of 150 customers by the end of the year.
AVIATION GENERAL'S stock began trading on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the new ticker symbol AVGE.OB after the company recieved notification from Nasdaq that it would be de-listed from the SmallCap market.
ROLLS-ROYCE signed its 100th customer for its aeromanager.com portal. Launched in 2001, the site provides a range of aftermarket services, including interactive technical manuals, engine health monitoring, engine leasing, on-line parts ordering and other information on repair and overhaul. Nordam Europe became the 100th customer when it joined the service this month. Rolls-Royce said it is on target to meet its goal of 150 customers by the end of the year.
ALL WEATHER INC. (AWI) of Hunt Valley, Md., delivered its new integrated display system program to the Aeronautics Division of Tennessee's Department of Transportation. The new software/display program - StormFront - will be used by the state to provide pilots with real-time access to some 37 Automated Weather Observation Systems (AWOS) throughout the state.
