CANADIAN simulator manufacturer CAE sold a Maxvue visual system to China (Xi/an) Aircraft Industry Group for the simulator of its new MA-60 regional airliner. The visual system will be installed in a simulator being built by Beijing Aviation Simulation company. The sale of the Maxvue system "represents a significant achievement," said Martin Gagne, vice president of visual systems at CAE. "This is a new customer for CAE and the introduction of this regional aircraft to the market in China provides great potential for growth."
EBIZJETS, which facilitates executive jet transportation services, moved its headquarters to Norwell, Mass. "eBIZJets has been experiencing extremely rapid growth during the past two years due to the growing popularity of private jets and the company's leadership position in the business," said CEO John Williams. "The move to larger space was essential to accommodate our increased staff and upgrade and enhance our flight and IT facilities." The new offices are five times as large as the previous offices in nearby Hingham, Mass.
STELLEX TECHNOLOGIES subsidiary Stellex Paragon Precision won a five-year contract from Honeywell to produce secondary and rotating components for auxiliary power units for a wide range of commercial and military applications. The Stellex unit was selected by Honeywell to produce six additional rotating and stationary components under a long-term agreement. The new work is valued at $25 million over the life of the deal.
Model G-159 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-143-AD) - proposes to require repetitive non-destructive testing inspections to detect corrosion of the skin of certain structural assemblies, and corrective action, if necessary. This proposal also would require X-ray and ultrasonic inspections to detect corrosion and cracking of the splicing of certain structural assemblies, and repair, if necessary.
Both pilots aboard a Model 25D Learjet were injured Tuesday when they encountered control problems with the plane and crashed one-quarter mile short of the runway at the Salina, Kan. Municipal Airport.
INNOTECH-EXECAIRE AVIATION GROUP of Montreal, Quebec recently named four regional sales managers to develop business opportunities in the U.S. Alden Andre, based in Troutdale, Ore., will cover the Northwest. Angela Leopold, who lives in Santa Clarita, Calif., will be responsible for the Southwest. Carlton Matson will handle customers in the Midwest, while Fran Gallagher will be in charge of the Northeast. Ray Mekulski, with more than 30 years of industry experience, will head sales efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Model PA-46-310P, PA-46-350P, and PA-46-500TP airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-23-AD; Amendment 39-12256; AD 2001-12-01) - requires inspection of the left and right inboard flap drive bellcrank assemblies to ensure that the welding is complete and adequate and replacement of any assembly that has incomplete or inadequate welding. This AD is the result of reports of several instances where the bellcrank in the flap control system failed.
THE BATTLE OVER MEIGS has begun to intensify in Illinois. Gov. George Ryan (R) made banner headlines in the Chicago Sun-Times Thursday with remarks that Meigs "should be part of a master plan for air transportation. Meigs Field is an important part of that plan."
House transportation appropriations subcommittee Wednesday approved a $13.3 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2002, a $690 million improvement over this year's budget and only $12 million shy of the Bush Administration request. The recommended budget matches funding levels set out by comprehensive aviation reauthorization legislation passed a year ago and fully funds emerging technologies in FAA's Free Flight program.
JOE HEMMER was appointed head of U.S. security for Flight Services Group, part of the PrivatAir Group. Hemmer, who will be based at FSG headquarters in Stratford, Conn., will represent the PrivatAir Group's interest in security matters before the Federal Aviation Administration and other organizations and train personnel on security and safety requirements. He formerly was supervisor for security-related issues at an American embassy in Southern Europe.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER is using this week's Paris Air Show to give prospective employees an opportunity to "Meet The Management." Members of the manufacturer's management board and the heads of several business units will be on hand at the company exhibits in Paris to meet qualified professionals and recent graduates and introduce people to the idea of joining Fairchild Dornier. In addition to three formal sessions with executives, members of the company's human resources team will be at the show all week to discuss employment opportunities.
CHRISTOPHER W. HANSEN, Boeing's senior vice president of government relations, will retire at the end of the month. Hansen, 52, joined the corporate offices of General Dynamics in 1975 and moved to Boeing's Washington, D.C. office in mid-1986. He was named senior vice president of government relations and became a member of Boeing's executive council in January 1999. Hansen was in charge of consolidating the Washington offices of Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell and Hughes after a series of recent mergers and acquisitions by Boeing.
DASSAULT FALCON JET plans to capture the spotlight at this week's Paris Air Show with two major announcements. The French manufacturer is expected to unveil a mockup of its new Falcon 9000 business jet and announce a major order from United Airlines for smaller business jets for the carrier's planned fractional aircraft program (BA, May 28/251).
Lockheed Martin partnered with Northrop Grumman Ingalls Shipbuilding in a quest to capture a share of the U.S. Coast Guard's proposed 20-year, $10 billion Deepwater aircraft and ship modernization program. The companies formed a new entity, Integrated Coast Guard Systems, and met with the Coast Guard last week at Lockheed Martin's facility in Moorestown, N.J.
Model F.28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-298-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection to detect the presence of filler plates on the engine support fittings, and corrective action, if necessary. This action is necessary to detect and correct fatigue and stress corrosion in the U-shaped upper and lower legs of the engine support fittings, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the engine support structure. FAA estimates that 22 airplanes on the U.S.
GULFSTREAM PRESIDENT BILL BOISTURE acknowledges that reaction in the Mideast to General Dynamics' acquisition of Galaxy Aerospace - which includes a long-term agreement with Israel Aircraft Industries to continue building the Galaxy and Astra SPX airframes in Israel - "was and is of some concern to us." Arab government and business customers have been a significant market for Gulfstream's products for decades. But Boisture noted that "GD made the acquisition" and "they have a well known presence" in the Middle East.
As UAL Corp. unveils the first batch of business jet orders for its new fractional ownership program, the airline giant quietly has been preparing two other legs of its business jet enterprise - a large jet charter program that will operate under Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations and a smaller aircraft charter operation under Part 135. UAL this month applied for a certificate of public convenience and necessity with the Department of Transportation for permission to launch its Part 121 operation using the Embraer Legacy business jet.
T5313B, T5317 Series, and T53 series turboshaft engines (Docket No. 2000-NE-32-AD) - proposes to require for T5313B series and T5317 series engines, initial and repetitive inspections of those compressor impellers, if installed. This proposal would also require for T53 series engines, a revised operating cycle count (prorate) for those compressor impellers if installed, and initial and repetitive inspections, with eventual compressor impeller replacement. In addition, this proposal would require the marking of those compressor impellers.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER named Wolfgang Weiss chief financial officer, effective July 1. Weiss, who will be based in Munich, Germany, replaces Rudi Lenz, CFO since 1997 and now president of Fairchild Aircraft Services, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas. Weiss had been managing director of a Bavarian company where he was responsible for marketing, sales, quality, finance and accounting.
GE ENGINE SERVICES and Industrial&Financial Systems (IFS) formed a strategic alliance to pursue the growing market for information systems in the commercial aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul industry. The two companies said they will "refine and market IFS Aviation software systems for airlines and commercial MRO providers."
MIKE BERNHOLTZ was promoted to MPI shop supervisor for Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, Neb. facility. Bernholtz, who has served with Duncan since 1991, will oversee all MPI shop activities, including scheduling, logistics and manpower.
INDIGO'S chief financial officer is leaving the company to accept a similar position with Air Wisconsin. Appleton, Wis.-based Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. said James Clarke will join AWAC as CFO. Most recently, Clarke has been CFO at Indigo, a Part 380 public charter operator that provides "regular and frequent" service with Falcon 20 aircraft between Chicago and Teterboro (BA, March 19/133).
PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC. said members of the Office&Professional Employees International Union Local 108 ratified the terms and conditions of a three-year agreement between PHI and its domestic pilots.
France Model SA-365N1, AS-365N2, and SA-366G1 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-34-AD) - proposes to revise an existing AD that currently requires inspecting each tail rotor blade for bonding separation, measuring the clearance between the tip of each tail rotor blade and the circumference of the air duct, and replacing the blade if necessary. This action would contain the same requirements but would allow the pilot to perform the daily visual check and would contain a damage allowance for certain blades.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL received FAA Level D and International Level 2 Qualification for its Gulfstream V simulator stationed at the company's Dallas/Fort Worth training center. Produced by CAE Electronics Ltd. in Montreal, the G-V simulator is one of five Gulfstream simulators in the Dallas facility.
