Jet Aviation West Palm Beach received Brazilian DAC maintenance approval to work on aircraft registered in Brazil. With the new approval, the facility, which is a Dassault Falcon Jet Authorized Service Center, can service Brazilian-registered Falcon aircraft without a lengthy authorization process, said Kurt Thompson, director of maintenance.
The Corporate Angel Network competed its 15,000th flight July 26, when a Flight Options Hawker 800 transported an eight-year-old brain cancer patient from Tampa, Fla., to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City. "It's especially appropriate that our landmark 15,000th flight be made by Flight Options, the first fractional jet ownership provider to join the Corporate Angel Network," said Bonnie LeVar, Corporate Angel Network executive director.
Helijet and Alaska Airlines plan to introduce helicopter service between Vancouver and Whistler Resort under a marketing partnership between the two companies. Alaska, subsidiary Horizon and Helijet have signed frequent flyer and codeshare agreements that begin Sept. 8, pending government approval.
Cessna Aircraft won an order from the Louisiana State Department of Agriculture and Forestry for 18 Skylane 182s. The aircraft, slated for delivery in 2003, will be used for forest fire surveillance. Twin City Aviation, a Cessna Sales Team Authorized Representative (CSTAR), negotiated the contract. The Louisiana State Department of Agriculture and Forestry has operated Cessna aircraft for about 30 years and currently has older Cessna 172s and 182s in its fleet.
Bombardier received a follow-on order from Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair for a CRJ700 and two CRJ200 regional jets. The order, valued at more than $73 million, brings the number of options Delta Connection has converted this year to six. The Delta feeder network converted options for three Bombardier CRJ200s in May. Under the most recent contract, ASA will operate one of the CRJ200s and the CRJ700, and Comair will operate the other CRJ200. The three aircraft are slated for delivery in September 2003.
A new government study says corrosion costs the U.S. nearly $300 billion each year, more than three percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. The study, which was performed by CC Technologies Laboratories, Inc. of Dublin, Ohio under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration and NACE International (The Corrosion Society) of Houston, Texas, was a requirement of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which was signed into law in 1998.
Jan Calloway was appointed manager of business development at Thunder Aviation of Chesterfield, Mo. She will manage advertising and public relations and work to build market presence and maintain customer relations. Calloway, who has 19 years of administrative and marketing experience, was most recently an assistant to the president of a St. Louis aviation company.
Aerospace Products International signed a multi-year agreement with Gulfstream to provide logistics services for the business jet manufacturer's aftermarket product support program. API, a First Aviation Services subsidiary, will provide Gulfstream with "aerospace aftermarket information technology" and "worldwide logistics capabilities," said Jerry Schlesinger, API president and CEO.
Helijet and Alaska Airlines plan to introduce helicopter service between Vancouver and Whistler Resort under a marketing partnership between the two companies. Alaska, subsidiary Horizon and Helijet have signed frequent flyer and codeshare agreements that begin Sept. 8, pending government approval.
Raytheon produced its 350th Beechcraft King Air 350 last month. The aircraft will be ferried to an Australian customer. In addition, the company next month will deliver its 1,800th Beechcraft King Air B200. Raytheon has sold nearly 6,000 King Airs of 17 different models.
Mario Longhi Filho, 48, took over as president and chief executive officer of Howmet Castings Aug. 1. Longhi succeeds James R. Stanley, 60, who plans to retire at the end of the year. Succeeding Longhi as president of the Alcoa Wheel and Forged Products business is Raymond B. Mitchell, 44, who has been chief financial officer of Alcoa Europe in Geneva, Switzerland. Longhi began his career at Alcoa Aluminio in Brazil where he held management positions in both the smelting and refining areas. Mitchell, who began his career with IBM, has been with Alcoa since 1994.
George Batchelor, 81, one of the pioneers of air service between Miami and Latin America, a millionaire and noted philanthropist, died July 30 in Miami. He made his fortune with three main aviation companies - Batch Air, Arrow Air and International Air Leases - with heavy emphasis on Latin America, concentrating on air freight and aircraft leasing. He donated million of dollars to the University of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital.
S/H-92 ON TRACK DESPITE IRELAND SETBACK, SIKORSKY SAYS - Sikorsky expects to receive FAA type certification for the S/H-92 large-cabin helicopter at the end of the year. Three aircraft are taking part in the flight test program, which has logged 1,250 hours of a planned 1,500 hours of testing.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070, 0100, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-224-AD; Amendment 39-12827; AD 2002-14-27) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires a revision to the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) that prohibits takeoff in certain icing conditions unless either a tactile inspection is performed or specific takeoff procedures are followed.
MINNESOTA GROUP PLANNING TO RECREATE NATIONAL AIR TOUR - The Aviation Foundation of America, in cooperation with Ford Motor Co., is planning next year to recreate The National Air Tours that flew around the country annually from 1925-1931.
The Senate Appropriations Committee late last month approved a $13.586 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2003, some $4 million more than the agency requested. The budget, included in the fiscal 2003 Transportation appropriations bill, matches the dollar amounts that the Bush Administration requested for FAA in every category and gives $4 million more for operations. While it matches the budget request in total dollars, the committee altered some of the spending priorities.
Federal Aviation Administration officials were putting the finishing touches last week on a rule to create a new Subpart K of Part 91 to regulate fractional aircraft providers, and plan to have the document ready for final signoff in about a week. Administrator Jane Garvey had hoped to sign the rule before she left office, but told industry officials that if the Subpart K document wasn't ready before her departure, then the acting administrator, Monte Belger, likely would sign it shortly thereafter.
Mario Longhi Filho, 48, took over as president and chief executive officer of Howmet Castings Aug. 1. Longhi succeeds James R. Stanley, 60, who plans to retire at the end of the year. Succeeding Longhi as president of the Alcoa Wheel and Forged Products business is Raymond B. Mitchell, 44, who has been chief financial officer of Alcoa Europe in Geneva, Switzerland. Longhi began his career at Alcoa Aluminio in Brazil where he held management positions in both the smelting and refining areas. Mitchell, who began his career with IBM, has been with Alcoa since 1994.
An Aerospatiale SA315B helicopter, N3978Y, operated by the U.S. Forest Service was destroyed Wednesday when it crashed during a fire-fighting mission near Estes Park, Colo. The pilot and sole occupant suffered fatal injuries.
SENATE PANEL OKs $13.6 BILLION FAA BUDGET - The Senate Appropriations Committee late last month approved a $13.586 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2003, some $4 million more than the agency requested. The budget, included in the fiscal 2003 Transportation appropriations bill, matches the dollar amounts that the Bush Administration requested for FAA in every category and gives $4 million more for operations. While it matches the budget request in total dollars, the committee altered some of the spending priorities.
LAST-MINUTE ATTEMPT TO CONFIRM NEW FAA ADMINISTRATOR FALLS SHORT - A hurried effort to rush through the Senate confirmation of Marion Blakey as Jane Garvey's successor as FAA Administrator fell short Thursday, leaving the nation's top civil aviation post in the hands of veteran FAA executive Monte Belger.
LEARJET ANNOUNCES MORE LAYOFFS, PRODUCTION CUTBACKS - Bombardier's Learjet business jet manufacturing operation in Wichita laid off another 150 employees Friday, continuing a trend that began after last September's terrorist attacks on the U.S. Last week's reductions include 115 production workers and another 35 employees in other areas of the Wichita plant. A spokesman said the layoffs reflect a decision to reduce production rates of the company's line of business jets because of softness in the market.
The U.S. Customs Service last month began notifying commercial operators that it is raising the minimums on bonds required for international travel to $75,000. Some operators, who have few international flights, previously were required to obtain only $25,000 bonds. The increase in minimums comes at a time when insurance companies - which issue a significant percentage of the bonds - have already dramatically raised their rates.
Bombardier received a follow-on order from Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair for a CRJ700 and two CRJ200 regional jets. The order, valued at more than $73 million, brings the number of options Delta Connection has converted this year to six. The Delta feeder network converted options for three Bombardier CRJ200s in May. Under the most recent contract, ASA will operate one of the CRJ200s and the CRJ700, and Comair will operate the other CRJ200. The three aircraft are slated for delivery in September 2003.
Raytheon Aircraft Charter And Management expanded its charter fleet with three more aircraft: a Beechjet 400A based in Plymouth, Mass.; a Learjet 35A in Kenosha, Wis.; and, a Challenger 604 in Opa Locka, Fla. Raytheon Aircraft has offered charter for more than 40 years.
