LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. was selected by FAA to develop a satellite-based system for controlling oceanic air traffic. Under the Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) program, Lockheed Martin and its partners will upgrade FAA oceanic air traffic management systems at Oakland, New York and Anchorage. The three centers provide services to aircraft operating across the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, supporting 80 percent of the world's controlled oceanic airspace.
Heico Corp. of Hollywood, Fla. and American Airlines parent AMR Corp. formed a joint venture under which "AMR will invest" with Heico to "accelerate development of additional FAA approved replacement parts."
MERCURY AIR GROUP INC. filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission this month to offer 1.4 million shares of common stock, at an anticipated offering price of between $9 and $11 per share. VMR Capital Markets, U.S. will lead the underwriting group. Mercury Air Group announced earlier that it planned to
Raytheon Aircraft has checked off the last two big items on the Premier I list of things to do, winning FAA approval for flights into known icing and for operation of the aircraft by a single pilot. To obtain single-pilot authorization, a Premier I made six flights into high-workload environments, instrument meteorological conditions and night flights. The icing flights, completed in April, included flights into known icing and using residual ice shapes to determine aircraft handling in icing conditions.
ASKED if the softening economy has hurt sales at Gulfstream Aerospace, Jim Holcombe, senior vice president of marketing for the Savannah, Ga.-based airframer, responded that the company has had a strong sales year so far, particularly in the first quarter, for its top-end business jets. But, Holcombe added, the company has seen somewhat of a slowdown on the maintenance and refurbishment side. That slowdown has been felt by other companies providing those services.
AMERICAN GENERAL CORP., Bethany, Okla., said its revenues fell by about one-third in the quarter ended March 31, compared with the same period a year ago. The company had revenues of $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2000, but sales declined to $2.6 million in the most recent period. The lower sales resulted in a net loss of $598,587, compared with a profit of $38,183 in the first quarter a year ago.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8866 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 FR 145.45(f) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Celsius to establish and maintain a number of fixed locations within Celsius for the repair station Inspection Procedures Manual (IPM) and to assign IPMs to key individuals within departments. Grant, April 10, 2001, Exemption No. 6657B
GARRETT AVIATION SERVICES tapped former General Electric executive Jeff Garwood to succeed retiring president Ron Frederick. Garwood returns to lead GE's aviation maintenance and overhaul chain after serving a stint with Commerx Inc. as chief executive. Garwood first joined GE in 1992 after spending five years with McKinsey Consulting in Houston. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1984 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and received a master's in business administration from the University of North Carolina.
TEN MAJOR AIRPORTS were selected by FAA to participate in the Inherently Low-Emission Airport Vehicle (ILEAV) pilot program that is aimed at improving air quality by encouraging the use of alternative fuel vehicles. The airports include Baltimore/Washington, Baton Rouge, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Atlanta, New York Kennedy and LaGuardia, Sacramento and San Francisco. The airports selected are "diverse by size, location and types of vehicles and fuels," said Woodie Woodward, FAA acting associate administrator for airports.
The nation's largest fractional providers banded together to create a new Fractional Aircraft Business Council (FABC) under the umbrella of the National Air Transportation Association. "The FABC will represent and promote the interests of aviation businesses that sell and manage fractional ownership programs," NATA said. Many of the fractional providers already are members of NATA and other industry associations, including the National Business Aviation Association. But the council will provide a forum specifically targeted for the growing fractional segment.
Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-347-AD; Amendment 39-12231; AD 2001-10-05) - requires removing certain foam filters from the cabin ducting installation located below the dado panels on the left- and right-hand sides of the airplane. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent an increased risk of spreading a fire or failure of the cabin to pressurize adequately if certain foam filters are installed. FAA estimates that 38 Bombardier Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes on the U.S.
AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-72-AD; Amendment 39-12230; AD 2001-10-04) - supersedes AD 2000-14-51, which requires inspection of the wing lower spar cap and modification or replacement of any cracked wing lower spar cap. This AD lowers the safe life for the wing lower spar cap on Air Tractor AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes. This AD is the result of numerous reports of cracks in the 3/8-inch bolt hole of the wing lower spar cap on the affected airplanes.
BANNER AEROSPACE renovated its maintenance and repair facility at the Georgetown, Texas Municipal Airport. The $500,000 renovation included remodeling the administration, service, avionics and aircraft interior departments. The company also increased its maintenance capabilities by adding Beech King Air 300 series through Beech 1900D and Cessna Citation I, II and V series aircraft to its type ratings list.
Model S-76A helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-40-AD; Amendment 39-12216; AD 94-14-20 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires a one-time inspection of the tail rotor blade spar elliptical centering plug for disbonding and the addition of a retaining pad on the pitch change shaft between the output tail rotor gearbox flange and the inboard tail rotor spar. This amendment contains the same requirements as the existing AD but clarifies that the 500-hour time-in-service repetitive inspections, which could cause inadvertent damage, are not required.
EMBRAER delivered the first of a fleet of ERJ-135 regional airliners this month to SA Airlink. The South African carrier signed a deal with Embraer in December that includes firm orders for 30 ERJ-135s and options for 40 more. The carrier plans to take delivery of four more aircraft later this year.
A PENNSYLVANIA COURT overturned a 1998 state law restricting which airports could get state and federal funds, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said. AOPA claims the law, which gave Montgomery County power to veto improvements to federally or state-funded airports, was aimed at four airports, including Philadelphia-area Wings Field, known as AOPA's birthplace. AOPA, National Business Aviation Association, and other organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief against the provision.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association this week is unleashing an advertising campaign targeted at Illinois state politicians in an effort to keep Meigs Field in Chicago from closing as scheduled in February. AOPA is airing television spots in the Illinois capital of Springfield, shortly before the legislature adjourns Friday.
ELLIOTT AVIATION won approval from Raytheon Aircraft Company as an authorized service center for the Premier I business jet at Elliott's Omaha, Neb. and Minneapolis, Minn. facilities. Ellliott's technicians have completed the applicable FlightSafety International maintenance training requirements, parts and manuals have been assessed and are being purchased in advance of aircraft delivery and avionics training on the Collins Proline 21 suite is under way.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION joined the National Air Transportation Association in opposing a recent Internal Revenue Service finding that air charter companies should pay the $2.75 segment fee on a per-person basis rather than on a per-aircraft-chartered basis (BA, April 30/203). NBAA issued an alert this month warning its members of the IRS technical advice memorandum (TAM) - which stems from a dispute involving a small Minnesota operator that the IRS was auditing.
PHILIP MARRACCINI was named vice president of flight operations for CitationShares. Marraccini joined CitationShares in 1999 as a captain and was promoted to chief pilot last summer. He has 10 years of Part 135 flying experience with nearly 10,000 flight hours. Along with his aviation experience, Marraccini has a Juris Doctorate degree from Fordham University and a master of business administration degree in finance from Pace University.
The technology to support the Boeing "sonic cruiser" concept is already available, it's just a question bringing it together into a cohesive whole, the president of Pratt&Whitney said May 15 during the Aerospace Finance Conference in New York.
LONDON AIR SERVICES of Richmond, British Columbia signed a purchase agreement for a Challenger 604 business jet, making it the first charter operator based at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) to operate a large business jet, Bombardier said Wednesday.
The pilot of a Beech King Air 90 was killed Tuesday when he apparently lost control of his aircraft and crashed near Tucumcari, N.M. FAA said controllers noticed the aircraft, N221CH, was climbing above its assigned altitude of 25,000 feet and asked the pilot what was going on. He responded that he was having problems and the aircraft then went into a descent, and radar and radio contact was lost. The aircraft had departed Tucson, Ariz. just after 3 a.m. and was en route to Springdale, Ark.
ED O'BRIEN was named sales manager for Banner Aerospace Aircraft Services. A 30-year industry veteran, O'Brien most recently was a regional sales manager for Kellstrom Solair, Inc. He also has served with Winward Air, The Ages Government Group, UNC Engine&Engine Parts, United Turbine Technologies, Israel Aircraft Industries, Page Avjet and Eastern Airlines.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received Level D certification for its Citation X flight simulator in its Columbus, Ohio training center. The simulator is the third for the Citation X in the FlightSafety training network with the other two at Wichita, Kansas, and Toledo, Ohio.
