FINANCIAL DEPOSITS on aircraft that aren't delivered can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on one's perspective. Fairchild Dornier 428JET customer Midwest Express, which had ordered a fleet of the twin turbofans before the manufacturer canceled that program, said last week it received $39.5 million in returned deposits from Fairchild Dornier, which recently filed for insolvency.
GE AIRCRAFT ENGINES said FAA awarded type certificates for three CF34-8 growth engines. The engines, designed to produce maximum takeoff thrust of 14,510 pounds, have been selected to power twin-engine airliners scheduled to enter service over the next two years. The CF-34-8C5 will power the 86-passenger Bombardier CRJ900; the CF34-8D will be used for the 70-passenger Fairchild Dornier 728JET; and the CF34-8E will power the 70-passenger Embraer 170/175.
Textron said sales by its Aircraft unit rose $25 million in the quarter ended March 31, but operating profits were down $28 million. Revenues at Cessna Aircraft were up $56 million, "primarily due to higher pricing on Citation business jets, higher used aircraft sales and increased spare parts and service sales," Textron said. Those increases were partially offset by lower sales of single-engine piston aircraft.
AFTER SPENDING the past seven months focusing on aviation security, Congress last week turned its attention to matters that were key issues before the Sept. 11 attacks, such as airport capacity. The House aviation subcommittee Wednesday cleared a comprehensive bill that would streamline environmental reviews for airport expansion projects. The subcommittee also moved to facilitate construction of contract towers and reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board. In the Senate, the Commerce Committee approved a bill that would cement the Dec.
GROWING CONFIDENCE in an improving economy is reflected in increasing interest in high-end business jets among the nation's largest companies, according to Gulfstream President and COO Bill Boisture."We are just beginning to see the Fortune 500 companies get off the bench," Boisture said during a conference call with stock market analysts last week, adding, "We will welcome their return to our business flow."
YVON TURCOT was promoted to senior vice president of public affairs at Bombardier Aerospace. He will be responsible for corporate communications, public and government relations. Turcot was formerly the vice president, public affairs.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is challenging FAA's forecasted decline in the number of student pilots, criticizing the agency's "faulty" analysis. "After extensive review of the data, we determined that the total number of student certificates held has been understated for the last two years," said Tim Pennington, AOPA manager of statistics and analysis. AOPA believes that when FAA changed to an electronic reporting system in 1999, FAA offices lost records of student pilots and did not count them.
RICHARD BRADEEN was named vice president, amphibious aircraft and defense services at Bombardier Aerospace. He also will oversee the company's business at Belfast City Airport in Northern Ireland. Bradeen was previously Bombardier's vice president, corporate audit and risk assessment.
SENATE transportation appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and ranking Republican Richard Shelby (Ala.) Wednesday expressed concern that FAA is considering using the entire $3.3 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds for the purchase of explosive detection systems at airports. In the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, Congress authorized the use of AIP money for security-related expenses in 2002 only.
Model 407 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-08-AD; Amendment 39-12711; AD 2002-06-52) - publishes an amendment adopting AD 2002-06-52, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Bell Helicopter Model 407 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires a one-time replacement of certain bearings and, before further flight, adding a limitation and caution to the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) and at specified intervals, inspecting, replacing, and lubricating certain oil cooler blower bearings.
SPEAKERS at last week's FAA General Aviation Forecast Conference in Wichita, Kan. generally agreed that production of single-engine, piston-powered aircraft will increase very slowly, if at all, in the next few years. John Rodgers, director of FAA's Office of Aviation Policy and Plans, said the fixed-wing piston fleet will contract through 2003 and then remain flat in 2004. He said the piston fleet will grow a total of only two percent from 2004-2013.
General aviation security continues to come under criticism from key legislators as two senators last week appealed to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to beef up protection around private aircraft operations. During a Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) called fixed-base operations the "biggest weakness" in the national transportation system. Campbell charged that there is "no consideration at all" given to securing FBOs and private aircraft operations.
BOMBARDIER REGIONAL AIRCRAFT has shuffled assignments in its customer service operation, naming Jeff Mihalic vice president and general manager, customer services. Barry MacKinnon, formerly director of marketing strategy, was named vice president, marketing and airline analysis. Chris Beaton, formerly vice president, customer support, was named vice president, international sales, replacing John Howarth. Howarth was appointed senior adviser to John Giraudy, president of Bombardier Regional Aircraft.
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is stepping back from its order for the Fairchild Dornier 728 regional jet. A GECAS spokesman confirmed to BA affiliate Aviation Daily. "We have notified Fairchild Dornier that we have canceled our order according to the terms of our agreement." He noted that "the uncertainty surrounding the situation" was too great to keep the contract on the books. GECAS had ordered 50 728s, plus options for an additional 100 aircraft, for a total list value of $1.5 billion.
The House Appropriations transportation subcommittee Wednesday angrily demanded that the Transportation Security Administration, which according to DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead will run out of money by the end of May, justify its $4.4 billion budget supplemental request. The subcommittee also said TSA should not plan to get the 72,000 employees it wants. Subcommittee Chair Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) chided TSA for lack of budget accountability because it justified only about half its supplemental budget request.
Models (ERCO) 415-C, (ERCO) 415-CD, (ERCO) 415-D, (ERCO) 415-E, (ERCO) 415-G, (Forney) F-1, and (Forney) F-1A airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-79-AD) - proposes to revise an earlier proposed airworthiness directive that would have superseded AD 86-22-09 and would have applied to all Univair Aircraft Corporation Models (ERCO) 415-C, (ERCO) 415-CD, (ERCO) 415-D, (ERCO) 415-E, (ERCO) 415-G, (Forney) F-1, and (Forney) F-1A airplanes with the gascolator connected to the side of the carburetor.
A new real-time, in-flight weather information service developed under the NASA Small Business Research program is expected to hit the market later this year, NASA announced Friday. ViGYAN, Inc., of Hampton, Va., developed the service, the Pilot Weather Advisory system, and sold it to WSI Corporation, which will introduce it to the market. The service provides a continuous satellite-based broadcast of weather information to aircraft cockpits.
BOISTURE HAD COMMENTED a couple of months ago that the Fortune 100/Fortune 500 firms were remaining on the sidelines in regard to aircraft purchases (BA, Feb. 18/81). Last week he acknowledged that in the fourth quarter of 2001 and first quarter of 2002 "we had experienced some pricing pressure in particular with respect to the [Gulfstream] V product" as a result of pre-owned inventory and some new inventory buildup at Gulfstream's competitors.
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.
The Justice Prisoner and Alien Tranportation System (JPATS) is looking to update its fleet of aircraft, which is used to transport 1,000 prisoners and illegal aliens daily throughout the U.S. and Central America. JPATS, a division of the U.S. Marshals Service, had a budget of $80 million last year but the program is looking to cut costs by replacing and standardizing its fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft this year, said Kent Pekarek, chief of JPATS.
AIRSHOW has expanded its audio-video line of AirPlay products for the business aviation market. The new products include a DVD player, a five-disc CD player, a multi-standard video cassette player and a five-channel audio amplifier. The products have met FAA standards, Airshow said, adding that it is slated to receive parts manufacturing authority for the new equipment. Airshow also has extended its standard warranty for its Tailwind 100 TV system from three to five years.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-10800 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.9(a) and 91.531(a)(1) and (2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit certain qualified pilots of its Cessna Citation Model 500 series airplanes, equipped with certain supplemental type certificates, to operate those aircraft without a pilot who is designated as second-in-command. Grant, March 11, 2002, Exemption No. 5517F (Previously Docket No. 26734)
Air Methods Corporation signed a non-binding letter of intent to buy a major air medical service provider, the company announced last week. Terms of the agreement and identity of the other party have not been disclosed but the companies have agreed on a price and some key conditions, Air Methods said. Final negotiations for a binding agreement are expected to take place during the second quarter of this year, according to the letter of intent. The deal is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2002.
