HONEYWELL EMPLOYEES got a new boss last week when the board of directors picked TRW head David M. Cote, 49, to serve as president, chief executive and elected him to a seat on the board. Honeywell Chairman Larry Bossidy, who returned to head Honeywell after its proposed merger with General Electric didn't fly, will continue as chairman until June 30 when Cote adds that title. Both men are veterans of General Electric. Cote spent 25 years with GE in aircraft engines, silicones and appliances before joining TRW in November 1999 as chairman, president and CEO.
Gulfstream Aerospace plans to move its customer sales and design functions from the company's production and completion centers to the former Galaxy Aerospace facility at Alliance Airport near Fort Worth, Texas.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION touched off a spirited debate on its aviation manager's e-mail site last week when it raised the question of whether corporate/business aviation pilots should be permitted to carry weapons to help prevent potential terrorists and hijackers from taking over their aircraft.While there did not appear to be a consensus by week's end, a lot of pilots had strong opinions - both pro and con.
EXTEX, a manufacturer of RR-250 turbine engine parts in Mesa, Ariz. has chosen Rheinland Air Service of Moenchengladback, Germany as its distributor in northern Europe. The partnership will allow operators of European-based RR-250 powered helicopters overnight access to more than 300 part numbers. RAS provides maintenance service for 90 aircraft types and models and operates a full-service FBO with an avionics installation and repair facility.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 900EX and Mystere Falcon 900 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-418-AD) - requires repetitive operational tests of the flap asymmetry detection system to verify proper functioning, and repair, if necessary; repetitive replacement of the inboard flap jackscrews with new or reconditioned jackscrews; and repetitive measurement of the screw/nut play of the jackscrews on the inboard and outboard flaps to detect discrepancies, and corrective action, if necessary. This action also would require revision of the Airplane Flight Manual.
ONTIC ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING extended the list of Honeywell products it supports and services. The products, produced by Honeywell's Torrance, Calif. facility, include radar liquid coolers, fans and blower assemblies on E2C Hawkeye, Hawkeye 2000, Sikorsky S-76, Bell 206, AV8B Harrier, AWACS, UH1 and CH-46 aircraft.
John Giraudy, who began his aviation career more than two decades ago as a salesman for de Havilland Aircraft, was named president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Regional Aircraft. Giraudy, who had been senior vice president of marketing and sales, replaces Steven Ridolfi, who was appointed executive vice president, programs and strategic planning for Bombardier Aerospace. A native of St. Lucia, Giraudy joined de Havilland in 1981. He was sales director for Europe and Africa and was named director of marketing for de Havilland in 1986.
JAY ARCEMONT was named flight department manager at Woodland Aviation in Sacramento, Calif. He will be responsible for developing new business and managing customer service. Arcemont has more than 17 years of aviation experience and is a pilot with an ATP rating.
General aviation groups are asking international leaders to make sure that they recognize the differences between large commercial and business/general aviation operations as they develop a series of new security standards this week during an International Civil Aviation Organization Council meeting. The ICAO Council Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 19 and 20) is holding a high-level, Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security during which member states will endorse a plan to strengthen aviation security worldwide.
HARRIS BELMAN was named vice president of homeland security at BAE SYSTEMS. In the newly created position, Belman will lead market research to apply BAE technology to homeland security efforts. He was most recently vice president of business development at BAE's information and electronic systems integration sector.
THE AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION is lobbying the government of Puerto Rico to keep open Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan. The airport, better known as Isla Grande Airport, accommodates 300 aircraft and more than 120,000 annual operations, according to AOPA.
TURBOMECA Models 2 S1, 2 B, and 2 C turboshaft engines (Docket No. 2001-NE-10-AD) - proposes to require initial and repetitive visual inspections for fuel leaks, and replacement of fuel pumps that are found leaking fuel. In addition, this proposal would require removal from service of fuel pumps that are found with pump wall thickness below minimum specifications.
NASA's Glenn Research Center in Ohio has awarded 15 fixed-price contracts for new aircraft propulsion technologies. The contracts total $1.5 million over nine months and will focus on establishing the scientific or technical merit, feasibility, benefits and challenges of the proposed technologies. A two-year Phase II period may follow the initial awards, to be funded at no more than $250,000 per year. Awards went to M-DOT Aerospace of Phoenix, Ariz.; Nielsen Engineering&Research of Mountain View, Calif.; Technology in Blacksburg Inc.
MORE THAN a dozen legislators encouraged Transportation Security Administrator John Magaw to consider the "smart card" concept - using identification cards with encoded biometric data - for passenger screening at airports as advocated by the National Air Transportation Associaton and other groups. In a Feb. 8 letter authored by Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) and signed by 14 members (BA, Feb. 4/59), the members said they supported the use of such cards.
PILATUS BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2B, BN-2T, and BN2A MK. III series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-39-AD; Amendment 39-12639; AD 2002-02-11) - requires repetitively inspecting certain oleo attachment brackets for cracks and replacing any cracked bracket found during any inspection. In working with the United Kingdom, FAA determined that the bracket may, as an option, be replaced with a newly designed steel bracket, increasing the length of time between the repetitive inspections. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect and correct cracked oleo attachment brackets.
CESSNA finished 2001 with sales revenues totaling $3 billion and an order backlog of $5.2 billion. The manufacturer delivered more than 1,200 units: 76 Caravans and 821 single-engine piston aircraft and a record 313 Citations. "Although we were planning to ramp up Citation production in 2002, the declining economy caused us to reevaluate our original plan," said Gary Hay, Cessna chairman and CEO. "Our quick reaction mid-year has, thus far, allowed us to hold our production schedule and employment numbers stable for our Citation and Caravan lines."
HONEYWELL won FAA certification for its MARK XXI Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System designed for non-radio-altimeter-equipped helicopters. The safety system and Honeywell's KMD 550 Multi-Function Display will be installed on Blue Hawaiian EC-130B4 helicopters.
HONEYWELL last week unveiled two new traffic alert and collision avoidance systems for general aviation aircraft. The new products - the KTA 970 TCAS I and the KMH 980 TCAS I/GA-EGPWS - will be marketed toward high-performance piston twins, turboprop and light-to-medium business jets. The systems can track up to 60 aircraft and display up to 30 aircraft that are 40 nautical miles away. In addition to TCAS I, the KMH 980 includes a Class B terrain awareness and warning system. Honeywell will begin delivery of the new units next month.
To commemorate what would have been Charles Lindbergh's 100th birthday, grandson Erik Lindbergh announced plans to recreate his grandfather's historic Spirit of St. Louis flights, including his nonstop, solo flight across the Atlantic. The New Spirit Flights are scheduled in the spring. Beginning April 14, Lindbergh, 36, will depart San Diego's Lindbergh Field and follow the "Lone Eagle's" 1927 flight plan from San Diego to St. Louis to New York.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS350B, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350BA, AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-74-AD; Amendment 39-12626; AD 2001-26-55) - publishes an amendment adopting AD 2001-26-55, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of ECF Model AS350B, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350BA, AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N helicopters by individual letters.
EDO CORP. said CEO James M. Smith, 60, will take on the additional post of chairman when Neil A. Armstrong retires in May. The former Apollo astronaut has been chairman of EDO since its merger with AIL in 2000 and served as chairman of AIL since 1989.
VANCE&ENGLES opened a sales office in Mexico City and named Sergio Maza as vice president of Mexico operations. The new office is the seventh that Vance&Engles has opened since the partnership was formed in 1993. Maza has 46 years of business aviation experience in marketing, charter and fixed-base operations in Mexico. In addition to the continental U.S. and Mexico, Vance&Engles has representation in Western and Eastern Europe.
BAE SYSTEMS LTD. Model BAe 146 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-05-AD; Amendment 39-12631; AD 2002-02-03) - requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking of the horizontal butt joint of the rear pressure bulkhead and repair, as necessary. This amendment also requires installation of new joint plates on the aft face of the rear pressure bulkhead, which terminates the requirements of this AD. This action is necessary to prevent cracking of the horizontal butt joint of the rear pressure bulkhead, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.
SCOTT SWAIN was promoted to director of maintenance at Aerodynamics, Inc. He will supervise a 32-person team that provides 24-hour maintenance support. Swain has worked at ADI since 1986 and was most recently service manager.
THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE later this month is expected to consider Rep. John Mica's (R-Fla.) bill to provide up to $7.5 billion in direct aid and loan guarantees to aviation businesses ravaged in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The general aviation relief bill, H.R.3347, cleared the aviation subcommittee in December and has been one of several efforts brewing on Capitol Hill to compensate the industry for its losses.
