The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week approved a bill to secure an agreement struck between Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) and Illinois Gov. George Ryan (R) to expand Chicago O'Hare International Airport and ensure the continued operation of Meigs Field. A companion bill in the Senate already has won Senate Commerce Committee approval and is awaiting consideration on the Senate floor.
Westchester County Airport, White Plains, N.Y., is seeking proposals for a replacement Flight Information Display System. The proposals are due Aug. 8, and county officials have scheduled a mandatory pre-proposal meeting July 16 at the airport administration offices. For a copy of the request for proposals, contact Tom Rumbarger, Property Manager, Westchester County Airport, 240 Airport Rd., White Plains, N.Y. 10604; telephone: (914) 995-4885.
TWO FATAL MALIBU CRASHES CLAIM SIX - Federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of two fatal accidents involving Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft that resulted in six fatalities in less than a week.
Roy Norris, the veteran business jet marketing executive who took control of the troubled Jetcruzer 500 program at Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures, Inc. last year, has dumped the Jetcruzer because of technical problems and is focusing his energy on expanding the product line at newly acquired Mooney Aircraft (BA, May 20/236).
Rockwell Collins named Clayton Jones chairman of the board, in addition to his current responsibilities as president and CEO. Jones will succeed Donald R. Beall, whom the board appointed to chair the newly created executive committee.
Banyan Air Service will purchase the assets of Cav-Air's fixed-wing maintenance division, parts distribution, FBO services, and leasehold. The acquisition will help the FBO to combine its 50-acre property with Cav-Air's 35 acres. "Their center field location, larger ramp area, and additional fuel storage will complement our business, paving the way for a new terminal as the nerve center supporting one million square feet of hangars on 85 acres, serving approximately 500 based aircraft," said Don Campion, Banyan president.
National Air Transportation Association purchased the Aircraft Ground Service Guide (AGSG) and Aircraft Towing Guide (ATG) from Sandpiper Publications. The publications, which will be folded into the association's Safety 1st Program, are reference sources for fixed-base operators, airports, pilots, government agencies and consulting companies. AGSG provides information on aircraft fuel requirements and capacity, performance specifications, ground-power locations, tire pressure requirements and pertinent aircraft weights and dimensions.
Norris believes he'll be successful with Mooney, in part because the Kerrville,Texas manufacturer will have the lowest production costs in the industry. Of his GA manufacturing competitors, Norris says, "No one is making any money building piston engine airplanes. They're all operating at a loss," he said.
MEDAIRE President and CEO Joan Sullivan Garrett was named to a three-year term on the Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governors. Garrett previously served on FSF's Fatigue Countermeasures Committee and chaired the Oxygen Committee.
Honeywell completed a four-month trial of its WINN weather information service on an Airbus A-320 and is now offering the service to the airline industry. WINN provides graphic and text information on weather patterns, enabling crews and operations personnel to determine the best route around bad weather. Honeywell's Data Center collects and processes the information and transmits it to the cockpit and airline operations centers at specified intervals. WINN was developed through a cooperative research agreement among NASA, Honeywell and Honeywell's partners.
The Museum Of Flight, the independent, non-profit museum based at the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Company in Seattle, Wash., kicked off the first of a three-phase master expansion plan that will double the facility over the next 10 years. Museum organizers have raised $59.3 million to launch the project, and the first phase includes building an 88,000-square-foot addition at the north end of the facility to house the Personal Courage Wing.
Jet Source of Carlsbad, Calif. received Part 145 certification for its maintenance repair station. Located at Palomar-McClellan Airport, Jet Source provides powerplant and airframe maintenance, maintenance management, avionics, flightline and bench repair and entertainment systems support and retrofit.
Radio Personality Don Imus joined the Corporate Angel Network as a NetJets fractional aircraft owner. Imus is the first fractional aircraft owner to participate in CAN, a national public charity that arranges free transportation for cancer patients traveling to treatment centers. Imus and his wife Deidre run a nonprofit working cattle ranch in New Mexico for children with cancer, and he said CAN recently flew one of the kids from his ranch. "I found the program rewarding, efficient and hassle-free...and I'm happy to be a part of it," Imus said.
While Roy Norris has spent most of his career focusing on selling upper-end business jets, the new chairman and CEO of Mooney Aerospace Group says he's looking forward to the excitement and growth potential of building and selling smaller aircraft. Competition between the business jet manufacturers has dissolved into a market share contest, he said, with the No. 1 question being, "Who's going to give the next biggest discount to EJA?"
National Air Transportation Association purchased the Aircraft Ground Service Guide (AGSG) and Aircraft Towing Guide (ATG) from Sandpiper Publications. The publications, which will be folded into the association's Safety 1st Program, are reference sources for fixed-base operators, airports, pilots, government agencies and consulting companies. AGSG provides information on aircraft fuel requirements and capacity, performance specifications, ground-power locations, tire pressure requirements and pertinent aircraft weights and dimensions.
TEXTRON LYCOMING reciprocating engines (Docket No. 2000-NE-36-AD; Amendment 39-12779; AD 2002-12-07) - supersedes emergency AD 2000-18-53 that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of certain Textron Lycoming reciprocating engines. That action required before further flight after receipt of that emergency AD, replacement of the oil filter converter plate gasket or the converter plate kit.
Rolls-Royce said orders for fractional aircraft operations accounted for about 16 percent of business jet deliveries in 2001 and expects that figure to double within the next 20 years, demonstrating the trend that new customers are being introduced to the corporate jet market through fractionals. Officials told a media roundtable in Washington, D.C. last week they are cautiously optimistic about the future but expect "a depressed market" during 2003.
Cessna Aircraft handed over a Citation Excel and Bravo to two Canadian fractional ownership providers. AirSprint, based in Calgary, took delivery of the first of two Citation Excels on order. The second is slated for delivery in February. Jet-Share, based at Toronto's Pearson Airport, will operate three Bravos to serve customers in the southern Ontario market.
June has been a tough month for top executives of business aircraft manufacturers, with both Cessna and now Pilatus making CEO changes. See article below.
Rockwell Collins named Clayton Jones chairman of the board, in addition to his current responsibilities as president and CEO. Jones will succeed Donald R. Beall, whom the board appointed to chair the newly created executive committee.
The Bush Administration's Commission on the Future of the Aerospace Industry plans to get input from airlines and European regulators as it drafts its final report, Commission Chairman Robert Walker said last week. The Commission was created by the White House in 2001, and must issue a final report to the President by Nov. 27. The Commission will publish its third interim report on June 26, and has scheduled one more public meeting on Aug. 22.
Jet Source of Carlsbad, Calif. received Part 145 certification for its maintenance repair station. Located at Palomar-McClellan Airport, Jet Source provides powerplant and airframe maintenance, maintenance management, avionics, flightline and bench repair and entertainment systems support and retrofit.
Gulfstream Aerospace rolled out its first production Gulfstream V SP, S/N 5001, last week at the company's Savannah, Ga. headquarters, and FlightSafety International said a Gulfstream V simulator at FSI's Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington training center won Level D certification from FAA.
Federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of two fatal accidents involving Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft that resulted in six fatalities in less than a week.
Norris believes he'll be successful with Mooney, in part because the Kerrville,Texas manufacturer will have the lowest production costs in the industry. Of his GA manufacturing competitors, Norris says, "No one is making any money building piston engine airplanes. They're all operating at a loss," he said.
