FAA's new Management Advisory Council (MAC) and the Air Traffic Control subcommittee named Thursday are expected to work closely together, particularly given the ties between the heads of each group. Ed Bolen, who is president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, was elected chairman of the MAC by his fellow members. Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-Kan.) will chair the ATC group. Before joining GAMA in mid-1995 (BA, May 29, 1995/233), Bolen served as Kassebaum's legislative director and general counsel on Capitol Hill.
Docket No.: 30182 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Sec. 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit All West to operate certain aircraft under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder installed in the aircraft. Grant, Sept. 26, 2000, Exemption No. 7358
Rockwell Collins completed its purchase of K Systems, the parent of Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics, under a deal valued at $300 million (BA, Nov. 6/211). The acquisition, the fifth for Rockwell in four years, is part of the company's strategic plan to grow its business base through purchases and alliances. "The acquisition reinforces Rockwell Collins objectives to expand our aviation electronics content across multiple platforms," said Rockwell Collins President Clay Jones.
The National Business Aviation Association, working with an Atlanta, Ga.-based insurance firm, is offering loss-of-license insurance and term life insurance for NBAA member pilots. NBAA said it joined forces with Harvey Watt of Atlanta, a company that has been in business for 50 years and which specializes in writing loss-of-license coverage.
Docket No.: 30085 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Sec. C36.105(c)(1) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit an additional alternative flyover airspeed criteria for use in the 14 CFR Part 36 noise certification. The petitioner is requesting the alternative level flyover reference airspeed be 90 percent of the never-exceed airspeed, (0.9 VNE), for the Model MD900 helicopter noise certification. Grant, Sept. 27, 2000, Exemption No. 7360
The naming of a successor to General Electric Chairman Jack Welch when he retires next year following completion of the Honeywell acquisition touched off a series of changes in the company's senior manage-ment ranks. The management shuffle was triggered by Welch's designation of Jeffrey R. Immelt as his successor as chairman and chief executive. One of the three principal contenders for the top GE spot had been W. James McNerney, Jr., who had headed General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE).
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), who has chaired the House transportation appropriations subcommittee for the past six years, last week introduced a bill that would create a 21-member independent commission to review FAA. "Since more Americans are flying today than ever before, we need to ask whether FAA is up to the job of making sure our skies remain safe and our airports become more efficient," Wolf said. "Aviation safety is something we should all be concerned about."
Kellstrom Industries Inc., of Sunrise Fla., last week closed its acquisition of the aircraft and engine parts resale business of Aviation Sales Co. (AVS), spending less than originally planned. Kellstrom originally expected to pay $50 million in cash and related costs, but instead paid about $30 million, according to Kellstrom Chief Financial Officer Oscar Torres. The company will "lease rather than purchase certain operational equipment and AVS's parts distribution facility in Pearland, Texas, and its main 545,000-square-foot facility in Miramar, Fla.," Torres said.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which rebuffed FAA's first attempt to exempt its members who conduct charity flights from alcohol- and drug-testing rules, is praising the agency for changing the exemption to make it less bureaucratic. "Now we have a program that pilots can really use," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "FAA did the right thing for the right reasons."
ECLIPSE AVIATION, Albuquerque, N.M., said it secured an additional $65 million through the company's second round of private equity funding. The latest funding infusion raises the total capital raised to $125 million.
MATTHEW STASIOR joined CharterHub Inc. as chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors. Stasior served with Bain and Company and Salomon Bros. as well as Microsoft and MicroCap 1000.com.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT is seeking FAA approval to exchange land with Southern Illinois University for the expansion of the university's aviation school. Southern Illinois Airport would release 2.056 acres (Parcels 1A and 2A) that it acquired in 1948 in exchange for 9.076 acres (Parcel 5) that the university owns. FAA will accept comments on the proposal until Dec. 22. For more information, contact Dennis Rewerts, program manager, at (847) 294-7195 or fax (847) 294-7046.
AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION scheduled its 44th Annual International Convention and Trade Show April 26-28 at the Hyatt-Regency Reunion Hotel in Dallas, Texas. FAA Administrator Jane Garvey is slated to be the keynote speaker at the show, focusing on certification issues, regulations, standards, and safety initiatives. The convention will include more than 30 hours of technical workshops, management sessions and some 50,000 square feet of exhibits. For more information, contact AEA at (816) 373-6565.
SPORTY'S PILOT SHOP is offering an aircraft Emergency Medical Kit. The kit, designed by an aviation medical examiner who is a crash survivor, includes a pain reliever, allergy medicine, burn ointment, eyewash, and scissors, among other items. Sporty's is offering the kit for $39.95. For more information, contact Sporty's at (513) 735-9000.
AMSTERDAM'S SCHIPHOL AIRPORT took a step toward privatization with the decision of the Dutch government to proceed with the sale of its 75.8 percent stake in Schiphol Group. Officials said the first 40 percent of the shares would be placed on the market in April 2001. Schiphol Group has campaigned for privatization to raise money on international capital markets and to take part in international partnerships, privatization and alliances.
Model OH-13E, OH-13H, and OH-13S helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-36-AD; Amendment 39-11984; AD 2000-18-52) - publishes an AD sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Bell Model OH-13E, OH-13H, and OH-13S helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires a liquid penetrant or eddy current inspection of the threads on each main rotor blade grip for a crack.
ROLLS-ROYCE appointed Peter Kontich vice president-international operations, aero repair and overhaul. Kontich will manage improvement of Rolls-Royce's global maintenance, repair and overhaul network. Kontich formerly was a principal in A.T. Kearney's Aerospace and Defense Practice and has more than three decades of commercial air transport experience.
Docket No.: 24237 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Secs. 91.177(a)(2) and 91.179(b)(1) Description of Relief Sought: To permit the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), 160th Special Operations Regiment (160th SOAR) to operate under Exemption No. 4371, as amended, when the 160th SOAR and the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) are conducting joint operations.
1. Revise existing guidance and information about high-altitude operations to accurately reflect the time of useful consciousness and rate of performance degradation following decompression and to highlight the effect of hypoxia on an individual's ability to perform complex tasks in a changing environment and incorporate this revised information into both the required general emergency training conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 121 and 135 and training and flight manuals provided to all pilots operating pressurized aircraft.
COMVIEW VISUAL SYSTEMS installed an air traffic control simulator in the German Air Force's new training center in Bavaria, Germany. Evans&Sutherland Computer, GmbH, which built the center, awarded the contract to Comview for the simulator. The simulator, which ComView said features one of the largest display systems designed for ATC training, is 3.8 meters high with a cylindrical circumference of 40 meters. The system uses 32 projectors that create a 360-degree horizontal by 45-degree vertical image.
BRIAN MOODY was appointed chief financial officer of DeCrane Aircraft's Cabin Management Group. Moody previously spent 11 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, most recently in the Transaction Services Group.
THOMAS CONNELLY was promoted to vice president of technical services for Flight Services Group. Connelly will be responsible for the Maintenance, Line Service and Purchasing Departments as well as act as a customer liaison. He joined the company in 1989 as aircraft maintenance manager and became director of maintenance in 1994.
Docket No.: 30186 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.314(c), 25.857(c)(2) and 25.857(c)(4) Description of Relief Sought: To permit three Model L-188C airplanes to operate without their Class C cargo compartments being fitted with built-in fire extinguishing or suppression systems controllable from the cockpit, and provide a means to control ventilation and drafts within the compartment so that the extinguishing agent used can control any fire that may start within the compartment.
RON JENNINGS was promoted to director of business development for Elliot Aviation. Jennings will be based in Elliot's headquarters in Moline, Ill., where he will over see sales and marketing of Elliot's maintenance, avionics, interior completions and technical products department to large accounts. He has 16 years of technical services experience, including six with Elliott.
Companies providing on-demand charter transportation under Part 135 would be subject to more unannounced inspections by federal regulators and FAA would include business jets along with large airline-type aircraft in its review of aging transport aircraft systems and structures if FAA implements recommendations adopted Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
