Jim Keenan was named senior vice president of commercial engines for Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. He will have full responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Commercial Engines Division, said Robert F. Leduc, president of the division, who said Keenan's appointment will provide Leduc with more time to focus on critical customer and employee issues as well as long-term strategic initiatives. The Commercial Engines unit serves more than 500 customers worldwide and has more than 7,000 employees.
Alenia Aeronautica and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics sold the first five of what is expected to be a total of 12 C-27J Spartan airlifters to the Italian government. Alenia and Lockheed jointly developed the C-27J, and the contract is valued at more than $200 million. The first C-27 will be delivered to the Italian Air Force by mid-2005, with the final aircraft to be delivered by late 2006. Powered by Rolls Royce AE21002 engines, the C-27J Spartan is based on the twin-engine C-27A/G.
The Aviation Service division of BBA Group PLC, the British parent company of Signature Flight Support, has added several new locations to its network of fixed-base operations and acquired a freight and ground handling company.
Jeff Flack joined Innotech Aviation as regional sales manager for the Southeast U.S., based in Greer, S.C. John Moyn, Innotech's vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S., said Flack will be responsible for marketing the company's business aircraft maintenance, refurbishment, overhaul and repair services at its facilities in Montreal, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario. Flack previously held sales and marketing posts with Stevens Aviation, B/E Aerospace and Raytheon Aircraft.
Lawrence M. Falco was named division manager of Barnes Aerospace Apex Manufacturing Division in Phoenix, Ariz. He will be responsible for all of the division's activities. Most recently, Falco was division manager of the Barnes Aerospace Ceramics Division. His career also includes positions with Precision Components International in Columbus, Ga. and with Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn. from 1991 to 1996.
Brian F. Gunderson, a long-time aide to Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas), was named chief of staff in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Gunderson, who held a variety of positions in Armey's office from 1985-2000, most recently has been Armey's top aide, helping to manage the House Republican legislative agenda, including last year's passage of the Trade Promotion Authority legislation.
Just over three years since development began, Eclipse Aviation was scheduled to roll out the first Eclipse 500 business jet last weekend, the first of what company officials believe will soon be a fleet of thousands of aircraft for the owner-flown and air taxi markets.
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO STREAMLINE AIRPORT PROJECTS - The House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday designed to expedite consideration of airport expansion projects, a move aimed at increasing the land-side capacity of the national airspace system.
Boeing recently launched a new website dedicated to aviation safety information. The website, www.boeing.com/safety, will "provide extensive information about all the things industry does every day to ensure the highest level of safety for the flying public," said Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Keystone Helicopter, West Chester, Pa., said Argosy Investment Partners II LP of Wayne, Pa., has joined Keystone's outside group of institutional investors. Terms of Argosy's involvement were not disclosed, but Steve Townes, CEO of the helicopter company, said "We welcome Argosy's investment experience and capital resources as we continue to grow Keystone Helicopter internally as well as through follow-on acquisitions."
The House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday designed to expedite consideration of airport expansion projects, a move aimed at increasing the land-side capacity of the national airspace system.
Boeing recently launched a new website dedicated to aviation safety information. The website, www.boeing.com/safety, will "provide extensive information about all the things industry does every day to ensure the highest level of safety for the flying public," said Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
BBA GROUP ADDING LOCATIONS, EXPANDING FACILITIES - The Aviation Service division of BBA Group PLC, the British parent company of Signature Flight Support, has added several new locations to its network of fixed-base operations and acquired a freight and ground handling company.
GULFSTREAM LP Model Astra SPX and 1125 Westwind Astra series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-114-AD) - proposes to require revising the airplane flight manual to advise the flightcrew to don oxygen masks as a first and immediate step following a cabin altitude alert. This action is necessary to prevent incapacitation of the flightcrew due to lack of oxygen. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 90 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $5,400, or $60 per airplane. Send comments in triplicate by Aug.
Jeff Flack joined Innotech Aviation as regional sales manager for the Southeast U.S., based in Greer, S.C. John Moyn, Innotech's vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S., said Flack will be responsible for marketing the company's business aircraft maintenance, refurbishment, overhaul and repair services at its facilities in Montreal, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario. Flack previously held sales and marketing posts with Stevens Aviation, B/E Aerospace and Raytheon Aircraft.
Cessna Aircraft and its parent company Textron agreed to pay $1.6 million last week to settle a wrongful death suit brought by the family of former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and another man who were killed in the crash of a 1980 model Cessna 335 while Carnahan was campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat on Oct. 16, 2000. The National Transportation Safety Board recently determined that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot's failure to control the airplane while maneuvering because of spatial disorientation.
Cessna Aircraft and its parent company Textron agreed to pay $1.6 million last week to settle a wrongful death suit brought by the family of former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and another man who were killed in the crash of a 1980 model Cessna 335 while Carnahan was campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat on Oct. 16, 2000. The National Transportation Safety Board recently determined that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot's failure to control the airplane while maneuvering because of spatial disorientation.
HOUSE VOTES TO ARM AIRLINE PILOTS - The House of Representatives approved an amended bill last week to arm airline pilots, making more than 70,000 commercial pilots eligible to voluntarily receive training in the use of firearms and carry them in the cockpit.
Meghan Newman joined Thunder Aviation NA Inc., in St. Louis, Mo. as charter manager. She is responsible for scheduling and dispatching charter aircraft and pilots and also is involved in helping the company acquire additional aircraft. She reports to Rick McGuire, director of charter operations. Newman is a pilot and holds a bachelor's degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Providing red carpet service can drive up costs for fixed-base operators, as one unfortunate FBO in the Southeast U.S. learned recently. The exhaust blast from a Hawker making a turn on the ramp blew a welcome mat off the ground and into the air toward an idling Citation business jet. The mat blew into one of the Citation's engines, causing extensive damage to the powerplant. The incident occurred shortly before the FBO's insurance coverage was due to renew. Not only did the cost of the insurance go up, but the deductible amount on the policy increased ten-fold.
Goodrich was awarded a technical standard order approval from FAA for a new Solid-State Vertical Reference System Model VRS-3000. The system is designed as a replacement for conventional spinning mass type vertical gyroscopes and provides traditional Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC) 407-synchro information for pitch and roll attitude, Goodrich said. The company expects military aircraft and helicopters that are subject to high vibration will benefit from the newly approved system.
AIR TAXIS SCRAMBLING TO COPE WITH NEW TSA RULES - Air taxi operators across the nation were struggling last week to comply with new Transportation Security Administration regulations for aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds, an effort complicated by the fact that TSA will not immediately tell callers whether the rule applies to them or what the new rule requires.
Providing red carpet service can drive up costs for fixed-base operators, as one unfortunate FBO in the Southeast U.S. learned recently. The exhaust blast from a Hawker making a turn on the ramp blew a welcome mat off the ground and into the air toward an idling Citation business jet. The mat blew into one of the Citation's engines, causing extensive damage to the powerplant. The incident occurred shortly before the FBO's insurance coverage was due to renew. Not only did the cost of the insurance go up, but the deductible amount on the policy increased ten-fold.
GULFSTREAM LP Model Astra SPX and 1125 Westwind Astra series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-114-AD) - proposes to require revising the airplane flight manual to advise the flightcrew to don oxygen masks as a first and immediate step following a cabin altitude alert. This action is necessary to prevent incapacitation of the flightcrew due to lack of oxygen. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 90 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $5,400, or $60 per airplane. Send comments in triplicate by Aug.
