GARMIN LTD. appointed Gene Betts, Donald Eller and Thomas McDonnell to its board of directors. The appointments fill existing vacancies and the three new directors will stand for re-election at the shareholders' annual meeting June 8. Betts is senior vice president and treasurer of Sprint Corp., Eller is a private investor and McDonnell is president, chief executive and director of DST Systems Inc.
BOEING unit The Preston Group sold a third Total Airspace&Airport Modeller (TAAM) software license to The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. MITRE, the federally funded research and development center, will use the TAAM in its analysis of alternate airspace designs for FAA, particularly in the terminal area. MITRE has used TAAM for several FAA initiatives since October 1998.
Illinois Governor George Ryan (R) proposed $15 million in his fiscal 2002 budget for South Suburban Airport land acquisition in Peotone. Combined with past, unspent amounts that would have to be renewed by the state legislature, the state could have $45 million for land by mid-May, an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman said. The airport, whose construction is far from certain, would open with a single 12,000-foot runway and a 10-15-gate terminal.
SAFE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT CORPORATION said its N1 computer won FAA certification on the Cessna Citation CJ1 and CJ2. The computer is offered as a factory option or can be retrofitted on the aircraft at Cessna Service Centers. The computer, priced at $10,288, provides real-time target N1 thrust settings for takeoff, climb, cruise and go-around. In addition to the CitationJet models, the computer is installed on Bravo, Citation V, Ultra, Encore, Excel, Beechjet 400A, UC-35A, and Boeing RC-135 aircraft.
JOSEPH MURLI was appointed vice president-manufacturing for Kamatics, a subsidiary of Kaman Corp. Murli most recently was chief operating officer for Sterling Autobody in Natick, Mass., and, before that, was director of U.S. operations for Ensign Bickford. He also has held various manufacturing management positions at Pratt&Whitney Aircraft.
SIM AUTHOR, INC. provided its FlightViz data visualization software to Saint Louis University's Parks College of Engineering and Aviation. FlightViz is a high-resolution, graphics-oriented software that provides actual flight and simulator data. Parks College will use FlightViz for its undergraduate aviation safety classes including its Flight Operations Quality Assurance program coursework. Parks also will couple the software with its flight training simulators for use as a debriefing tool.
Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-299-AD; Amendment 39-12107; AD 2001-03-04) - requires repetitive ultrasonic inspections to detect damage of the actuator lugs of the flight spoiler center hinge; corrective action, if necessary; and eventual replacement of the flight spoilers with new, improved spoilers. This action is necessary to prevent uncommanded deployment of a flight spoiler, which could reduce controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.
Gulfstream V operators would be required to repetitively replace nose wheel steering actuators with new or reworked components, under a proposed airworthiness directive issued by FAA.
JEFF RUTH joined Jet Aviation as a sales associate in its West Palm Beach, Fla. facility. Ruth previously founded Palm Beach Jet Sales, Inc., a Coral Springs, Fla. aircraft brokerage firm. He also has served with Tyler Jet and Universal Jet Trading.
THE EC'S ASSESSMENT was more somber, stating that its first-phase investigation indicates that "the merger may bring about horizontal overlaps (e.g., in the market for large regional jet engines) likely to significantly reduce the existing degree of competition in this market, as well as vertical effects (e.g., to the extent that Honeywell is a supplier of components to competing engine manufacturers) and conglomerate effects (e.g., stemming from the possible bundling of jet engines, avionics and non-avionics) likely to foreclose competition in these markets." The EC's Ph
Manufacturer's service bulletin requirements prohibiting operators from flying Model 45 Learjets into known icing have been adopted by FAA in an airworthiness directive. The restriction resulted from an incident in which a Model 45 aircraft experienced anti-ice system difficulties, generating a warning to the flight crew of an overheat condition of the horizontal stabilizer. Subsequent inspection revealed a fragment of metal from the system's bleed air manifold lodged in a section of the system's ducts.
JET AVIATION is marketing Gulfstream IV interior shells to owners of G-II and G-III aircraft. The retrofit involves removal of the existing interior and installation of the larger G-IV shell into the aircraft fuselage. The new interior, Jet Aviation said, provides a roomier, brighter and quieter cabin.
Cathay Pacific placed a firm order for one new Model 45 Learjet and took an option for a second aircraft for use in the carrier's newly developed advanced pilot training program. The first aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter, will be operated and maintained by BAE Systems Flight Training (Australia) Pty. Ltd., on behalf of Cathay Pacific. BAE Systems operates a flight school at Parafield near Adelaide in South Australia.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION dealt at least a temporary blow last week to General Electric's plans to acquire Honeywell, notifying the company that it will implement a Phase II review of the proposed GE/Honeywell deal, a process that could take up to four months. As one pundit described the situation, "The [EC] ground hog came out and saw its shadow and GE has four more months of winter."
Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-347-AD) - proposes to require removing certain foam filters from the cabin ducting installation located below the dado panels on the left- and right-hand sides of the airplane. This action is necessary to prevent an increased risk of spreading a fire or failure of the cabin to pressurize adequately if certain foam filters are installed. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition. FAA estimates that 38 airplanes on the U.S.
(Docket No. 2000-SW-38-AD) - proposes to require visually inspecting screws installed on Marathon batteries and replacing certain unairworthy screws. This proposal is prompted by an explosion of a G.E./Saft battery due to failure of an unairworthy screw. Certain Marathon batteries have a similar design and could have the same unairworthy screws. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent an explosion of a battery, structural damage, and subsequent loss of power to the electrical systems.
Separate bills were introduced in the Senate and House last month to raise the retirement age for commercial pilots from 60 to 65, a renewal of a campaign that failed to get off the ground last year.
AVIATION RESEARCH GROUP/U.S., (ARG/US) Inc. developed a safety audit and analysis program for Part 135 charter operators and will provide its Charter Evaluation and Qualification (CHEQ) reports online. The CHEQ reports include information gathered from NTSB and FAA accident/incident databases, FAA's enforcement information system, FAA's registration database, Aircraft Service Difficulty Reports and the National Vitals Information System Certificated Operators database.
THE BFGOODRICH COMPANY was selected to provide its new Delevan fuel nozzle for the latest Rolls-Royce AE 3007 engine variant, the increased-thrust AE 3007A1E. BFGoodrich said the nozzle has a maintenance interval of 10,000 hours and a 30,000-hour life span. The nozzle also incorporates a "Zurich Liner" designed to lower emissions. "We took a very direct approach to understanding and satisfying the Rolls-Royce requirements as well as those of their customers," said Jim Baker, vice president and general manager of the Delevan division.
CitationShares, the fractional ownership program launched last summer by Cessna Aircraft and TAG Aviation, is adding a third Citation business jet model and expects to double the size of its current fleet by the end of the year.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION will hold its annual aviation forecast conference March 13-14 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, with Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey scheduled to present opening remarks.
Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings struck a deal initially valued at $200 million with United Airlines parent UAL Corp. to purchase three regional airlines that United would inherit with its acquisition of the US Airways Group. ACA would buy Allegheny Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and PSA Airlines concurrently as UAL closes on its deal with US Airways. The ACA agreement is subject to regulatory approvals and to UAL termination rights.
BFGOODRICH COMPANY signed an agreement to acquire the business assets of Humphrey Inc., a designer and manufacturer of inertial sensors used for guidance and control of unmanned vehicles and precision-guided systems. The business lines being acquired have revenues of about $13 million annually.
Chicago-based carrier Indigo is weighing bids from manufacturers and hopes to announce an order next quarter for up to 50 business jets with options possible on another 50 to feed its long-term plans to expand service throughout the U.S., Chairman and CEO Matthew Andersson said last week. Indigo won DOT approval last summer to offer regular and frequent service as a Part 380 public charter, which allows it to announce flights for public availablity.
FAA has proposed an airworthiness directive that would require repetitive inspections of more than 1,650 General Electric CF34 engines powering both Challenger business jets and regional jets manufactured by Bombardier.
