SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP. named Copterline Oy of Finland an authorized S-76 maintenance center to provide repairs, spare parts and other services for S-76 operators throughout Europe. Copterline, based at Helsinki's Malmi Airport, is Finland's largest privately held helicopter operator. It began regularly scheduled S-76 passenger service in May between Helsinki and Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
Pratt&Whitney Canada (P&WC) parent United Technologies bought small-engine component specialist Turbotech Repairs, Inc. from Sabreliner Corp. in a deal that company executives say will strengthen P&WC's aftermarket services. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. "This acquisition is an important step in our efforts to expand our global aftermarket services focused on offering customers reduced operating costs for aerospace, APU and industrial market segments," said Gilbert Gaudette, vice president of P&WC Service Centers.
BOMBARDIER won reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, European Joint Aviation Authorities and Transport Canada for the Global Express. The approval permits the Global Express to operate in RVSM airspace, which currently is limited to certain tracks over the North Atlantic and Pacific but will eventually extend above the U.S. Aircraft can maintain as little as 1,000-foot vertical separations in RVSM airspace, but must demonstrate that they meet stringent equipment and certification standards.
JET AVIATION WEST PALM BEACH completed two Sikorsky Black Hawk S-70A helicopters with VIP interiors. The completion required removal of the rotors and 100 cowlings and fairings, hand sanding of 10,000 rivets and reshaping of the helicopter doors before the interior could be installed. The interior included double-club seating and a divan for four. Once completed, the helicopters went through a test inspection program that covered weight and balance, acoustics and water tightness.
SENATE AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE Chair Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is expected to introduce legislation shortly to tackle airport capacity constraint issues. That legislation is said to contain language providing for peak-hour pricing, addressing airline scheduling practices and streamlining the environmental review process for airport expansion projects.
Model S-76B and S-76C helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-01-AD; Amendment 39-12134; AD 2001-03-51) - publishes an AD that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Model S-76B and S-76C helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires, for certain main rotor shafts, initial and recurring fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPIs). Replacing each affected main rotor shaft on or before reaching 1,000 hours time-in-service (TIS) is also required. This amendment is prompted by four reports of shaft cracks.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE sold a second Global Express aircraft to Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for flight checks of navigation aids. The price was about $52.1 million, including an Aerodata flight check system. The aircraft is to be delivered before December 2002.
Model TBM 700 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-61-AD; Amendment 39-12139; AD 2001-05-03) - requires the application of Loctite on attaching bolt/screw threads of inboard, central, and outboard carriages; increasing the tightening torques of associated hardware; and replacement of central carriage attaching bolts. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for France.
MARK KNIGHT was promoted to director of operations for Premier Turbines. Knight, who has 20 years of turbine engine overhaul and repair experience, joined Premier Turbines eight years ago and most recently was manager of technical services.
DOUGLAS N. KOBAYASHI joined Nova Advisory Group International (NAGI) as senior vice president-maintenance and engineering. Kobayashi most recently had been president and chief executive officer of Dee Howard Aircraft Maintenance, L.P. Before joining Dee Howard, Kobayashi held several management posts with Conair in Abbotsford, British Columbia. A graduate of the Cranfield Institute of Technology in England, Kobayashi spent 20 years with the Canadian Defense Forces before joining private industry.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL SIMULATION in Tulsa, Okla. is building two more Beech 1900D full flight simulators with delivery slated in the first and second quarters of 2002. The simulators will be based at locations "most convenient to the growing number of operators of the versatile Raytheon aircraft," with at least one of them slated for Europe. FSI said it will have six 1900D simulators in service next year.
FAA OFFICIALS have nearly finished a benchmark study of air traffic congestion at 31 major U.S. airports and hopes to have the results "by the end of the month or thereabouts," according to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey. She told BA last week the agency is conducting one final round of talks with the airports.
NEW WORLD AVIATION added two more Gulfstream business jets to its executive fleet. The addition of its first Gulfstream IV and third G-IIB brings New World's fleet of charter aircraft to five. Besides the Gulfstreams, the company operates a Model 35 Learjet and has a Model 355 Twin Star helicopter based within five minutes of Manhattan. In addition to charter services, which the company markets to corporate flight departments, entertainers and business executives, New World is an FAA approved Gulfstream II III and IV certified repair station.
Docket No.: 29703 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 145.49(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit VSD to subcontract the maintenance of certain components to the original equipment manufacturers who are not FAA-certificated repair stations. Grant, Feb. 2, 2001, Exemption No. 7436
Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. completed a second SJ30-2 airframe and moved it from the company's headquarters building where it was assembled to the structural test facility on the opposite side of San Antonio International Airport. The static test unit, which will be fitted with an extensive instrumentation package, is the second of five SJ30-2 airframes to be assembled for FAA certification testing.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won contracts from Air France to provide pilot training services for its regional airline subsidiaries and associates. One of the contracts, extending seven years, calls for pilot ground school and simulator training for Embraer 120, Beech 1900D and Fokker 100 aircraft at the FlightSafety Paris/Le Bourget learning center. Another contract, with a 10-year span, provides for EMB-145 training at the ICARE training facility at Morlaix in western France.
MEDAIRE, INC. reached agreement with Boeing Business Jets to provide medical management services on BBJ 2 aircraft. The agreement expands an earlier contract for MedAire to provide services to operators of the original BBJ aircraft. The services include flightcrew medical training and 24-hour access to MedAire's MedLink Telemedicine Center, staffed by board-certified emergency care physicians. BBJ 2 aircraft also will be equipped with an aircraft first aid kit and automated external defibrillator.
Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 Airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-82-AD) - proposed to supersede AD 99-17-08, which currently requires modifying the generator 2 excitation by removing certain diodes and installing a new 5-amp circuit breaker and suppression filter found on certain Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes. FAA determined that the A250 voltage spike suppression filter in the modification kit can cause circuit breaker 235 to trip because of overload. In extreme circumstances, this can lead to overheating of wiring.
NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD is scheduled to host talks in Washington this week between representatives of Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., and the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which represents PHI's 575 helicopter pilots. A 30-day cooling-off period is scheduled to expire March 24, after which the pilots would be free to strike unless an agreement is reached. PHI is the largest provider of helicopter services to the energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico and also operates an aeromedical division that provides transport for hospital patients.
Executive Jet, Inc. partnered with its Columbus neighbor, The Ohio State University, to pursue a number of mutual interests, including pilot recruitment, research and product development, the company announced last week. Under the partnership, the university's College of Engineering and Executive Jet will develop an accelerated flight training program for students as well as experienced industry pilots who want advanced pilot training.
THOMAS MARTINO was appointed vice president of program management, passenger systems for Rockwell Collins. Martino formerly was a senior director in Passenger Systems Operations. In his new position he will be responsible for aircraft installation and installation design efforts along with his program management oversight.
B/E AEROSPACE, INC., the manufacturer of aircraft seating and other cabin interior products, filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell 3.5 million shares of B/E common stock to the public. The offering will consist of approximately 2.4 million shares issued to former stockholders of three companies B/E recently acquired, and approximately 1.1 million shares being offered by B/E. The three recent acquisitions involved Alson Industries, Inc., T.L. Windust Machine, Inc. and DMGI, Inc.
JOSEPH GULLION joined AAR as vice president of strategic planning and acquisitions. Gullion has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, most recently as president of Boeing Airplane Services. He also has served as vice president of global sales, marketing and new business development for AlliedSignal Aerospace.
AIRPORT PEAK-HOUR PRICING proposals are gaining momentum in Washington as government officials grapple with ways to ease growing congestion in the nation's airways. A number of industry economists and analysts recommended allowing the nation's most crowded airports to charge higher prices for takeoffs and landings during the busiest times of the day.
