BOMBARDIER'S 415 Multi-Purpose aircraft made a successful two hour and 35 minute first flight last month from the company's facility at North Bay Airport. The aircraft is derived from Bombardier's Model 415 fire-fighting aircraft. In addition to its fire-fighting capabilities, the new model is equipped with sensors that will help in applications such as search and rescue, coastal patrol, environmental monitoring and control of illegal immigration.
FRACTIONAL AIRCRAFT PROVIDERS are demanding customers who seek significant price breaks on fuel, but fixed-base operators still covet their business because they operate so many flights. George Ball, vice president of logistics for Executive Jet, told an overflow crowd at last week's NATA convention that his company bought more than six million gallons of fuel last year with an average uplift of 451 gallons.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NORMAN MINETA swore in the first group of federal security directors hired by the Transportation Security Administration last month.
The Department of Transportation's plans to transition to the Global Positioning System as the primary means of navigation will be delayed while new infrastructure to support the technology continues to be installed and tested, the department said in its 2001 Federal Radionavigation Plan, released last week.
AIRCRAFT SHOPPER ONLINE (ASO) is collaborating on a new DVD-based video, Global Business Jet TV (CGBJTV), designed to provide a forum for dealers and brokers to sell business jets. ASO will distribute the video on a quarterly basis to some 6,300 pilots and senior executives who own and operate medium, large and long-range business aircraft. GBJTV of the United Kingdom is the producer of the video, and ASO is acting as the exclusive sales agent for GBJTV. The videos, to be issued beginning in May, will include two- to three-minute tours of selected used aircraft.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, will buy Derco Holding, Ltd. and its aerospace and repair service units for an undisclosed price. Derco, of Milwaukee, Wis., specializes in military aircraft logistics, component distribution and repairs and aftermarket program management. The deal, which will join Derco with Sikorsky's customer service business, is expected to close this month, subject to regulatory approval, said UTC.
Honeywell's new AS900 turbofan successfully completed bird ingestion tests, another milestone in the march toward certification next quarter. The engine maintained power and operational capability as it ingested two 1.5-pound birds to simulate a strike, Honeywell said.
250-C28 series engines (Docket No. 2001-NE-31-AD; Amendment 39-12685; AD 2002-06-08) - requires removal of third-stage turbine wheels, Part Number 6899383, with certain serial numbers, from service before exceeding new, reduced life limits. This amendment also establishes a drawdown program to require the removal of those turbine wheels that exceed the new lower limits. This amendment is prompted by the potential to experience uncommanded shutdown caused by fractures of third-stage turbine blade tips and shrouds.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER, fast running out of funds for its aircraft development programs, is expected to file for insolvency tomorrow (April 2). Fairchild Dornier had been talking with Boeing about a possible partnership and said it was pursuing discussions with prospective strategic partners (BA, March 18/129). Barring some unexpected, last-minute agreement - most European firms were closed for a four-day holiday weekend - it was anticipated that Fairchild Dornier officials would make the insolvency filing this week.
CHARLES THOMAS was appointed sales director, western United States, Pacific Rim and Australia for Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft. Thomas, who has 15 years of corporate aircraft sales experience, will be based in Las Vegas, Nev.
Models R354, R375, R389, and R390 propellers (Docket No. 2000-NE-18-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of the hub joint mating surfaces for fretting. This proposal is prompted by reports of fretting on the joint mating faces of propeller hubs. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of the hub due to loose hub through bolts. There are approximately 418 propellers of the affected design in the worldwide fleet. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 169 propellers installed on airplanes on the U.S.
THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S executive in charge of airports, Associate Deputy Under Secretary Kevin Houlihan, is on a 30-day leave of absence and Mike Robinson has been named to take over his responsibilities as acting associate deputy under secretary, a TSA spokeswoman said. The position reports directly to TSA chief John Magaw. TSA Deputy Undersecretary Stephen McHale said Houlihan is in the process of hiring a half-dozen deputies to whom the federal security directors would report. Robinson is a former director of the Michigan State Police.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL'S Cessna Learning Center won FAA's Level D certification for its Citation Encore full flight simulator. The simulator was designed and built by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla. The FlightSafety Visual Simulation Systems division in St. Louis, Mo. built the new simulator's visual system.
ANDY BILLER was named turboprop acquisition specialist at Duncan Aviation. He will join Duncan's JetResources Aircraft Acquisition team. Biller has worked for the last seven years as King Air sales representative at Raytheon Aircraft.
MIDWEST EXPRESS HOLDINGS deferred for one year the planned delivery of Embraer regional jets for its subsidiary, Skyway Airlines. The delivery of 20 Embraer ERJs will be rescheduled to begin January 2004, at a rate of one aircraft approximately every other month. Midwest Express said postponing Embraer deliveries would allow the company to "better focus on the acquisition of Boeing 717 aircraft for its Midwest Express Airlines subsidiary," which begins in February 2003. Midwest Express placed a firm order for 20 Boeing 717s last April.
Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-07-AD; Amendment 39-12687; AD 2002-06-10) - requires replacement of the metered connector and oxygen tubing and related components in the rear seat bench. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland. The actions specified by this AD are intended to correct the potential for insufficient oxygen quantity that is available to occupants of the rear seat bench in some emergency conditions.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE sold two Bombardier CRJ200 extended-range regional jets to Malev Hungarian Airlines of Budapest, Hungary. The airline also holds options for six additional CRJ aircraft. Malev will use the new 50-seat aircraft "to feed its own hub at Budapest's Ferihegy Airport, as well as its KLM/Northwest code sharing partners," said Bombardier. The airline also is planning to add regional services from Budapest to cities in the Ukraine, Romania, the Balkans and Western Europe.
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AG and its wholly owned subsidiary, LHT Acquisition Corporation, will merge with Hawker Pacific Aerospace by buying all of its outstanding stock at a price of $3.25 per share. Lufthansa Technik already owns about 72.7 percent of Hawker Pacific Aerospace shares. The cash offer has a maximum total purchase price of $9 million. The deal is expected to close this month.
HENRI LAURAS was appointed international sales director, pre-owned aircraft for Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft. Based in Paris, France, Lauras will be responsible for the sale of pre-owned Bombardier and non-Bombardier business aircraft in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
BOEING'S Preston Aviation Solutions unit licensed its Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) to Landrum&Brown, an international airport planning consultant, to study aircraft movements as it prepares analyses for airport investment, air traffic control, aircraft noise and air quality dispersion. Landrum&Brown used the TAAM software to study aircraft ground movements at Chicago O'Hare International airport. TAAM simulates aircraft movements gate to gate.
General aviation reached record lows in numbers of accidents last year, but a drop in hours flown drove up the accident rate for private operators, according to statistics released for 2001 by the National Transportation Safety Board last week. The GA accident rate increased from 6.33 accidents per 100,000 flight hours in 2000 to 6.56 last year. But the total number of accidents dropped from 1,838 in 2000 to 1,721 in 2001.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT CHARTER&MANAGEMENT added eight aircraft to its charter certificate. The new aircraft and their bases are: a King Air 90 in Van Nuys, Calif.; a King Air B200 in Ontario, Calif.; a Citation III in Atlanta, Ga.; a Beechjet 400A in Camarillo, Calif.; a King Air 350 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; a Diamond Jet in Owensboro, Ky.; a Beechjet 400A in Farmingdale, N.Y.; and a King Air C90 in South Bend, Ind.
Mode C transponders (Docket No. 2000-NM-284-AD; Amendment 39-12682; AD 2002-06-05) - requires, for various transport category airplanes equipped with certain Mode C air traffic control transponders manufactured by Rockwell Collins, Inc., testing each transponder; replacing certain parts in any transponder that fails the initial test with new parts and performing additional test(s); and making repairs, as necessary, so that the transponder passes the test.
UAL Corp. hopes to wind down its business jet operations by mid-May, leaving business jet manufacturers to fill in the gaps in the orderbooks that Avolar's 300-plus fleet would have accounted for. UAL Corp. announced the decision to pull out of the business jet market late last month, a little less than a year after the corporation unveiled an ambitious plan to sell shares in hundreds of fractional aircraft, provide charter and corporate shuttle service and manage aircraft (BA, March 25/141).
