ACM Aviation added a Bombardier Global Express business jet to its charter fleet. Based at Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif., ACM operates a fleet of 30 corporate jets.
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) showed his support for the expansion of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I. to accommodate more passengers. The governor's statement is the latest in a debate between airport officials who want to update and expand the airport and the Warwick mayor and city residents who have protested against expansion. Almond said T.F. Green is an important part of the Rhode Island economy, and the state should "expect and welcome moderate growth" in air traffic over the next 10 to 15 years.
AIRINC SAYS POLAR VOICE COVERAGE NOW AVAILABLE - High-frequency voice coverage is now available for both airline and private aircraft using north polar air routes.
FAA IMPROVES ACCESS TO RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE DATA - FAA will make airport visibility data available to all National Airspace System (NAS) users over the world wide web, a step the agency says will give airline dispatchers, business aviation companies and general aviation pilots better decision-making tools.
Charter Services (CSI) of Albuquerque, N.M. is working with the National Air Carrier Association to form a working committee to review operating standards, ethics and safety in the air charter management industry. "By establishing corporate and ethical standards for the industry, we will influence other air charter companies to operate reputably," said Brian Florence, CSI vice president of operations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals Friday dealt air tour operators another blow when it ruled against the U.S. Air Tour Association's lawsuit to block new restrictions over Grand Canyon National Park, and it agreed that the environmentalist groups had merit in their arguments that Grand Canyon restrictions may not go far enough. The court granted the environmentalists' petition and remanded the case to the Federal Aviation Administration to address their complaints.
Cessna appointed Jim Mercer vice president, Textron Six Sigma. Mercer previously held a number of positions during his seven-year tenure at Cessna, including industrial engineer, production superintendent, product manager, director of components manufacturing and most recently director of assembly support. In his new role he will be responsible for leading all Six Sigma-related improvements at Cessna.
Raytheon Aircraft Company continues to tweak production models of its Premier I business jet to address potential problems and make improvements. The pitot tube on the left side of the Premier's nose is being moved up and slightly aft to ensure that the airplanes will comply with reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) accuracy requirements. The original configuration had the probe situated very near a joint where the radome attaches to the nose.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association filed a lawsuit in federal court against the State of Michigan earlier this month, contesting a state law that requires felony background checks for flight school students.
High-frequency voice coverage is now available for both airline and private aircraft using north polar air routes. ARINC, the Annapolis, Md. provider of voice and data services to the aviation industry, said it recently installed a one-kilowatt transmitter near Barrow, Alaska to provide the new high-frequency service. Operational use has demonstrated that "robust coverage is available well beyond 2,000 nautical miles," which ARINC said is "far enough for pilots to maintain reliable contact all the way to the Russian mainland."
Delta plans to aggressively pursue regional jet aircraft maintenance after winning a $1 billion contract to maintain the GE CF34 engines that power Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets flown by the carrier's wholly owned subsidiaries Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) and Comair. "This is a springboard," said Basil Papawoti, director, sales and marketing for TechOps, Delta's maintenance division. "With the ASA and Comair orders we now have critical mass.
Professional Aircraft Accessories will construct a new facility at Space Coast Regional Airport, located south of Titusville, Fla. The first phase of the project, construction of the 37,000-square-foot office building, is expected to be completed in February 2003. The second phase will include building two 30,000-square-foot hangars adjacent to the office building.
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) showed his support for the expansion of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I. to accommodate more passengers. The governor's statement is the latest in a debate between airport officials who want to update and expand the airport and the Warwick mayor and city residents who have protested against expansion. Almond said T.F. Green is an important part of the Rhode Island economy, and the state should "expect and welcome moderate growth" in air traffic over the next 10 to 15 years.
Sciaky, Inc., a division of Phillips Service Industries, received certification from the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program for its electron beam welding services. The company has a 10,000-square-foot welding bay that houses four electron beam welding machines, an Acuwe ld 1000 advanced arc welding system, several resistance welding machines and a testing and evaluation laboratory. Sciaky operates the largest electron beam contract welding facility in the U.S.
Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill expanded the space at its paint division to 10,760 square feet. New track-mounted curtain assemblies were installed in the facility to allow for one larger or two smaller aircraft to be painted at the same time.
APPEALS COURT SIDES WITH FAA, ENVIRONMENTALISTS IN GRAND CANYON BATTLE - The U.S. Court of Appeals Friday dealt air tour operators another blow when it ruled against the U.S. Air Tour Association's lawsuit to block new restrictions over Grand Canyon National Park, and it agreed that the environmentalist groups had merit in their arguments that Grand Canyon restrictions may not go far enough. The court granted the environmentalists' petition and remanded the case to the Federal Aviation Administration to address their complaints.
AOPA SUES STATE OF MICHIGAN FOR BACKGROUND CHECK LAW - The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association filed a lawsuit in federal court against the State of Michigan earlier this month, contesting a state law that requires felony background checks for flight school students.
DELTA CHARTER AFFILIATE OFFERING SKY MILES AWARDS - Delta AirElite Business Jets, the aircraft management and charter affiliate of Delta Air Lines, has begun offering rewards in the Delta Sky Miles program to its charter customers.
Joe O'Gorman, chairman, chief executive officer and president of DHL Airways, died Aug. 10 of a heart attack. He was 59. O'Gorman joined DHL in March 2001, and since that time had established a headquarters in Chicago and recruited a new executive management team. He had a 35-year aviation career, holding senior posts with United Airlines, US Airways, Air Cal, Frontier, Aloha Airlines and Reno Air. The DHL board of directors appointed Vicki Bretthauer, senior vice president of operations, to be acting CEO.
Raytheon Aircraft Company continues to tweak production models of its Premier I business jet to address potential problems and make improvements. The pitot tube on the left side of the Premier's nose is being moved up and slightly aft to ensure that the airplanes will comply with reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) accuracy requirements. The original configuration had the probe situated very near a joint where the radome attaches to the nose.
Sciaky, Inc., a division of Phillips Service Industries, received certification from the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program for its electron beam welding services. The company has a 10,000-square-foot welding bay that houses four electron beam welding machines, an Acuweld 1000 advanced arc welding system, several resistance welding machines and a testing and evaluation laboratory. Sciaky operates the largest electron beam contract welding facility in the U.S.
Rockwell Collins acquired Airshow last week, completing a process started in June. Rockwell will add to its existing line Airshow's portfolio of cabin electronics systems for business and commercial aircraft, including cabin environmental controls, passenger information and entertainment, business support systems, network capabilities and passenger flight information systems.
Federal Aviation Administration continued its modernization of air traffic control equipment with the commissioning of the first production ATCBI-6 secondary surveillance radar at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. This kicks off the deployment of up to 128 ATCBI-6 systems nationwide, upgrading the agency's en route radar network. The radar at Tinker will provide data to FAA's air route traffic control centers in Fort Worth, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo.
Ballistic Recovery Systems reported a 53.8 percent jump in revenues and a more than doubling of net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2002. Revenues in the third quarter were $1.5 million, compared with just over $1 million in the third quarter of 2001. Net income grew from $113,881 in the third quarter of 2001 to $229,000 in the most recent quarter. In the first nine months of the year, sales were $3.4 million, a 26 percent increase over the $2.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2001.
Don Burtis was named vice president of avionics and electronics at Eclipse Aviation, where he will lead development of electronic systems. Burtis was formerly the director of avionics and electronics.
