JET AVIATION established Jet Aviation Engineering Services, L.P. to serve "third party modification centers and to support Jet Aviation's completion centers in Basel, Switzerland and West Palm Beach, Fla., by providing a coordinated engineering and certification process," said the company. The new business will take over certain activities of Schwartz Engineering Company and offer various services including structural design, analysis and testing and FAA certification.
UAL's new business jet operation Avolar increased its order for Dassault Falcons from 100 to 122 of the high-end jets. Avolar, which in June announced a letter of intent to purchase a mix of Falcon business jets valued at $2.5 billion (BA, June 25/295), turned the LOI into a contract that includes 46 firm orders and 76 options, Dassault said last week. The Falcons, combined with a batch of Gulfstreams, will provide a fleet of aircraft for Avolar's new fractional operation.
FAA, under the Enhanced Airplane Security Program, is providing direct funding to assist the operators of 7,000 smaller regional aircraft in improving flight crew compartment doors. The funding also will allow for continuous transmission of transponder signals in emergencies, provide for installing video cameras or other equipment to enable the flight crew to be aware of possible cabin emergencies. FAA also will fund training programs for crewmembers in enhanced security and hijack protection.
A. BIEDERMAN, a Triumph Group company in Glendale, Calif. was designated an authorized repair center for Horizon products. The business also will be a stocking distributor of spare parts for Horizon's line of engine products. A. Biederman specializes in repair and overhaul of aircraft instruments for major commercial air transports, freight carriers, regional airlines, corporate business aircraft and helicopters.
The Transportation Department is expected to publish regulations today (Oct. 29) detailing how air taxi and air tour operators can file claims to recoup damages sustained by last month's shutdown of the national airspace and subsequent restrictions on flying and the sharp drop in passenger demand in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
PARKER HANNIFIN acquired assets of the global fluid management business of Dayco Industrial from Mark IV/BC Partners. The Dayco assets, which include Imperial-Eastman products and a wide array of hydraulic and industrial hoses and connectors, generated revenues of $304 million last year. The acquired operations, which will be integrated into Parker's fluid connectors business, have 2,365 employees and 29 facilities in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 430 helicopters [Docket No. 2001-SW-21-AD] - Proposes to require changes to the electrical power distribution system. This proposal is prompted by design deficiencies in the electrical systems. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of both generators, loss of primary electrical power, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 33 helicopters on the U.S. Registry.
Raytheon Aircraft Chairman James Schuster has reorganized the company's senior management ranks for the second time in four months. Schuster, who took the top slot at the Wichita aircraft manufacturer this spring (BA, June 4/261), announced a major reorganization less than six weeks later (BA, July 16/27). At that time he promoted Richard Danforth from vice president of operations to senior vice president, Aircraft Business, and named him to a Senior Leadership Team within the company.
JENNIFER VILLA was named vice president-risk management at Tyco Capital Aerospace. She will be responsible for Tyco's aerospace business in Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Africa, Western Europe and Canada. She was most recently assistant vice president.
JOHN HEWITT was named to Nimbus Group's board of directors. He was most recently president of Knight Securities. "I look forward to serving on the board of Nimbus, as the company embarks on its visionary new course. The frequent traveler has a need for an affordable, safe, efficient and convenient alternative to airline travel, I believe Nimbus will meet this need," Hewitt said. Nimbus Group recently ordered 1,000 Eclipse 500 business jets to start a new low-cost private jet air taxi network (BA, Sept 24/141).
LOCKHEED MARTIN won a Defense Department contract to move into the next phase of Joint Strike Fighter development Friday, beating out rival Boeing for the largest defense contract ever, estimated at some $200 billion.
PILOTS at one corporate flight department and officials at several trade associations were smiling last week after the Part 91 operator was cleared to use heliports at 30th St., 34th St. and Wall Street in New York City, the first "regular business" flights for a Part 91 operator in and out of those locations since the Sept. 11 attacks.
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY Model R44 helicopters [Docket No. 2000-SW-67-AD; Amendment 39-12466; AD 2001-20-18] - Requires establishing a life limit of 2,200 hours time-in-service (TIS) for affected horizontal stabilizers. This amendment is prompted by engineering analysis that indicates that certain vertical-to-horizontal stabilizer attach channels will crack sooner than the original life limit of the horizontal stabilizer.
TIMCO ENGINEERED SYSTEMS, an Aviation Sales Company subsidiary, received FAA approval for its Secure Cockpit System. "While this new product will not materially impact our overall revenue, we are dedicated to improving airplane safety. We are in a position to ensure the rapid installation of this product for customers requesting it," said Gil West, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
GOODRICH CORP. plans to eliminate about 2,400 aerospace and corporate jobs and close about 16 facilities, it said last week. The moves are expected to save about $125 million when completed, most of which will be done in the first half of 2002. Goodrich earnings were up about 25 percent in the third quarter, but officials said they expect repercussions in their aviation work due to the market slowdown following the Sept. 11 attacks.
THE NORDAM GROUP and Bomhoff, Inc., two leading suppliers of aircraft interior components, signed an agreement to form a new entity, Bomhoff Nordam LLC. Russ Bomhoff will serve as CEO of the new entity. The two companies will market the products both through the new firm and through their individual companies.
CASTLE HARLAN closed the sale of Fort Worth, Texas-based airline ground service provider Worldwide Flight Services to Vinci, S.A., of Paris, France. Value of the deal, including working capital and other adjustments, was placed at $285 million. Worldwide had revenues of about $345 million in 2000. It provides cargo, passenger and ramp handling and technical services to more than 300 airlines and airport authorities in 94 airports worldwide. Castle Harlan had acquired Worldwide in April 1999 from AMR Corp.
Cessna Aircraft, reacting to reports of slowing sales by its distribution network, notified employees in Independence, Kan. and Columbus, Ga. of additional layoffs as the company slows production of its single-engine piston-powered aircraft line.
The Navy and Marine Corps are planning three consecutive block upgrades of the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft, a Naval Air Systems Command spokeswoman said this month. The objective of the first, including a redesign of the nacelle and software upgrades, is to deliver a safe and operational aircraft to the fleet, the spokeswoman said in response to questions.
GARMIN LTD. adopted a shareholder rights plan that the company said is designed to ensure that shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of a proposed takeover. As part of the plan, the board of directors declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right on each outstanding common share. The rights will trade with Garmin common shares and become exercisable if a person/group buys or announces an intention to buy 15 percent or more of the company's outstanding shares.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP. Model S-76A helicopter [Docket No. 2000-SW-46-AD] - Proposes superseding an existing airworthiness directive that currently requires a service life limit on certain landing gear parts based on hours time-in-service (TIS). This action would add another method of calculating the life limit for certain landing gear parts based on cycles and would require the operator to choose and record the method of calculating the service life of each part in the rotorcraft history or equivalent record.
GOODRICH introduced its next generation IceHawk wide area ice detection system in Las Vegas last week. The new system, available in 2002, "provides real-time images of frozen contaminants on aircraft surfaces and features 25 percent range increase, improved accuracy, color video camera for improved aiming and enhanced cold temperature performance," the company said. "The IceHawk system is the only on-ground, wide area ice detection system approved by the FAA to replace tactile inspection requirements."
OFFICIALS AT First Equity Development, Inc., which is serving as a financial adviser to Mooney Aircraft Company in its bankruptcy proceeding (BA, Oct. 1/153), are pleased with the response to the company's proposed sale. The Connecticut-based investment bank has received two purchase proposals for the Kerrville, Texas manufacturer and expects to receive a couple more in the near future. Officials hope to complete their analysis and make a recommendation to the parties within a couple of weeks.
INSPECTECH AERO SERVICE, INC. won a major order for "smart" aircraft windows that darken automatically, eliminating the need for shades, the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. company said. InspecTech, which did not disclose the company that placed the order because of "non-disclosure agreements and for competitive reasons," described the customer as "one of the top five jet manufacturers in the world." The Suspended Particle Device (SPD) windows incorporate a fast-responding light-control technology invented by Research Frontiers Inc., of Woodbury, N.Y.
