Jet Aviation is now operating from its new base at Love Field in Dallas, the former Jet East facility that Jet Aviation agreed to buy earlier this year (BA, Sept. 13/119). The transaction closed in October and the new Dallas base "will greatly enhance our global ability to provide world-class service to our growing customer base," said Thomas M. Hirschmann, chairman and chief executive of Jet Aviation.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP. relocated its international sales headquarters in London to Farnborough, England because the new location "gives us excellent access to customers transiting through the country and region and is more convenient for the majority of our customers," said Ernie Edwards, vice president-international sales. He said a "significant increase in international sales activity" also prompted the move, noting that, "After North America, Europe is the world's most robust large-cabin business jet market."
G. HARDY ACREE, a pilot and accredited airport executive, has taken over as director of airports for the County of Sacramento, California. Acree had been deputy director of Houston's George Bush International Airport. In his new post he will oversee operations at Sacramento International, Mather and Executive Airports. The county said immediate areas of concern will be development of a new master plan for Sacramento International and implementation of a marketing strategy to obtain nonstop international service at the airport.
Model 328-100 series airplanes [Docket No. 99-NM-207-AD; Amendment 39-11411; AD 99-23-15] - adopts a final rule that requires replacement of a flight attendant panel and modification of its associated wiring. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the disabling of the "Fasten Seat Belt" and "No Smoking" signs when they are required to be illuminated.
GENERAL DYNAMICS hired David Heebner, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, as vice president for strategic planning. Heebner, who joins the company next month, will report directly to Nicholas Chabraja, chairman and chief executive officer. Heebner will work with Chabraja and GD's four business group leaders to develop, evaluate, select and implement business strategies. During his 31-year military career, Heebner held a number of key positions, including assistant vice chief of staff and director of program analysis and evaluation.
DIFFERENT FOLKS have different views of how serious potential Y2K problems in aviation might be as we near the end of the year. Avemco Insurance Company is warning its policy holders to "avoid flying the last few days of the year. There are some indications that systems issues may crop up prior to year end, especially if the software programs employ weekly or monthly processing," the insurance company said. At headquarters of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which is just across the ramp from Avemco headquarters at the Frederick, Md.
MEANWHILE, FAA Administrator Jane Garvey is still planning to make her highly publicized Dec. 31 flight from Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. to DFW and then on to SFO. Garvey is scheduled to depart DCA at 1710 EST and arrive in SFO at 00:07 on Jan. 1. However, today's edition of BA affiliate Aviation Daily points out that the real test of ATC Y2K system readiness will occur before Garvey's flight departs. That's because most ATC equipment in the U.S.
Model 328-100 series airplanes [Docket No. 96-NM-110-AD; Amendment 39-11408; AD 99-23-12] - adopts a new airworthiness directive, applicable to all Dornier Model 328-100 series airplanes, that requires repetitive inspections to detect damage and discrepancies of various control cables and certain fairleads/swivel guides for the autopilot, elevator, rudder, aileron, and engine; and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Model ATP aircraft [ Docket No. 99-NM-177-AD] - proposes a new airworthiness directive (AD) that would require a one-time inspection of the orientation of certain bolts of the rudder standby control system (SCS), and reinstallation of the bolts, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent uncommanded engagement of the rudder SCS, which could reduce controllability of the airplane.
An experimental Ilyushin Il-114T regional turboprop freighter crashed Dec. 4 just after takeoff from Domodedovo Airport near Moscow. Witnesses said the airplane climbed only about 30 meters and then crashed 400 meters from the end of the runway. Five of the seven crewmembers were killed in the accident, while the captain and flight engineer were seriously injured and hospitalized in intensive care. Airport officials reported strong cross winds at the time.
K. WOLFRAM SCHAEFER was named director of business analysis for Worldwide Flight Services, Inc., the former AMR Services operation that was acquired by a Castle Harlan, Inc. equity investment fund earlier this year. Schaefer had been with McKinsey&Company, where he specialized in business and strategic plan development in the Frankfurt and Chicago offices.
THE WHITE HOUSE said it plans to nominate Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Villhard to the post of assistant director for space and aeronautics in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Villhard has been assigned to the National Science and Technology Council since August 1997.
ZURICH voters approved the privatization of Zurich Kloten Airport in a referendum Nov. 28. The privatization process will consist of merging the airport's management company, currently owned by the Canton of Zurich, with the company that owns the airport's real estate. Operations and real estate will be merged into a new, partly private company that will be set up in 2000. Its value is estimated at 1.64 billion Swiss francs (U.S.$1.04 billion). The canton will be the new company's majority shareholder, with a stake estimated at SF1.2 billion.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100) airplanes [Docket No. 98-NM-192-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive, applicable to certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 and 200) series airplanes, that currently requires repetitive inspections to detect cracks of a certain bulkhead web of the fuselage at certain locations, and repair, if necessary. This action would revise the repetitive inspection intervals for certain airplanes, and would require modification or repair, as applicable.
Hundreds of employees in four FAA units - the Offices of Regulation and Certification, Airports, System Safety and Civil Rights, this month voted for representation by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Some 87 percent of eligible employees in those units voted to join Council 26 of AFSCME.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, said that because of "lingering uncertainties as to the precise effect on air travel of the Y2K phenomenon, the Church has instructed all employees and missionaries worldwide not to travel by air between midnight Thursday Dec. 30 and midnight Wednesday Jan. 5." That precautionary warning "may be subject to change in some parts of the world as developments unfold," the church said.
FAA will keep the random rates for alcohol and drug testing at minimum levels for covered employees in safety sensitive positions in 2000, the agency announced this month. The alcohol random testing rate will remain at 25 percent and the drug-testing rate at 10 percent - the lowest rates allowed by law. The alcohol testing random rates can range from 10 percent to 50 percent while the drug random rate can either be set at 25 percent or 50 percent. FAA determines the random rates by the percentage of positive random tests in a given period of time.
STELLEX PRECISION MACHINING INC. of Wellington, Kan. entered into a long-term contract with Cessna Aircraft Co. to supply a variety of components. Stellex, a subsidiary of Stellex Aerostructures, Inc. and Stellex Technologies, Inc., said the multi-million dollar deal runs through 2004 and covers 77 different part numbers of wing skins, spars, stringers and other machined components, which will be used on the Citation X business jet.
Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Inc. reported increases in revenues and earnings despite charges for restructuring of its German operations. The company, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, said net income for the quarter ended Oct. 31 was $151.1 million on revenues of $3.2 billion. That compares with earnings of $125.5 million, on revenues of $2.6 billion in the same period a year ago. All monetary figures are in Canadian dollars.
The merger of AlliedSignal, Inc. and Honeywell, Inc. was completed Dec. 1, with AlliedSignal Chairman Lawrence A. Bossidy taking over as chairman of the new Honeywell and Michael R. Bonsignore, the chairman and chief executive of Honeywell, assuming the role of CEO of the new merged entity. Bossidy, 64, is scheduled to retire April 1, 2000, at which time Bonsignore will add the title of chairman (BA, June 14/272).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration late last month issued an expansive proposal mandating most employers to develop and implement ergonomics protection standards. The proposal in particular would cover aviation businesses that have workers who lift, lower, push, pull or carry objects, such as aircraft, engine and component manufacturers and interior and completion shops. The proposal also would cover aviation service contractors, cargo handlers and any operations involving heavy objects, the National Air Transportation Association said.
Model SA-365N, SA-365N1, and AS-365N2 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-60-AD; Amdt. 39-11398; AD 99-23-02) - requires replacing certain defective electrical modules with airworthy electrical modules. This amendment is prompted by the discovery of several defective electrical modules. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent loss of electrical continuity, which could cause loss of critical rotorcraft electrical systems and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that 41 helicopters on the U.S.
Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 99-NM-01-AD; Amdt. 39-11393; AD 99-22-15) - requires repetitive inspections of the left and right roll spoiler actuators to check for signs of leakage and deformation of the housing, repetitive inspections of the gap between the left roll spoiler actuator housing cap and the actuator housing, repetitive torque checks of the left roll spoiler actuator housing cap attachment screws, and corrective action, if necessary.
JEPPESEN and Mechtronix Systems, Inc. are marketing a new series of Level 2 and 3 training devices. KLM Flight Academy of Tucson, Ariz. was the launch customer for the Jeppesen Ascent FTD. The devices, designed for general aviation, are available for single-engine, fixed-gear; single-engine, complex; and twin-engine, piston aircraft training.
FRANCE Model SA330F, G, J, and AS332C, L, and L1 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-01-AD; Amdt. 39-11403; AD 99-23-07) - requires inserting statements into the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) prohibiting flight under certain atmospheric conditions. This amendment is prompted by one incident in which a Multi-Purpose Air Intake (MPAI) inlet seal deflated after the P2 air system line, which feeds the seal, clogged due to the formation of ice.
