The New York City Economic Development Corporation this month issued a request for proposals for a private company to replace the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as operator of New York Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. The move furthers the privatization goal of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who says the two airports under the Port Authority's management have "suffered from decades of neglect."
GARY DEVLIEG was named vice president-technology center for Crane Aerospace. DeVlieg formerly was manager-landing gear and door systems for Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION and the National Business Aviation Association urged members to contact their congressional representatives in support of Rep. Bud Shuster's AIR-21 version of FAA reauthorization legislation, which is the subject of debate in a House-Senate conference committee. Noting that conferees are scheduled to resume negotiations this week, AOPA said, "It is vital AOPA members call or fax their senators today in support of AIR-21.
SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-84-AD) - proposes to revise AD 98-19-15, which currently requires incorporating information into the Limitations Section of the airplane flight manual (AFM) that imposes a speed restriction and a minimum pilot requirement for Fairchild SA226 and SA227 series airplanes equipped with Barber-Colman pitch trim actuators, Part Number (P/N) 27-19008-001/-004 or P/N 27-19008-002/-005.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SERVICES established a joint venture with Aerolineas Ejecutivas to operate Raytheon Aircraft Services-Mexico in Toluca, 35 miles west of Mexico City. The Mexican firm, in business since 1968, has been a Raytheon Aircraft dealer since 1993. As a Raytheon Aircraft authorized service center, RAS-Mexico will provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the entire Beech product line, plus line maintenance for Hawker business jets.
AVCARD, the Hunt Valley, Md.-based aviation credit card firm, won a new five-year contract to continue providing services for the Defense Energy Support Center's (DESC) AIR Card (Aviation Into-Plane Reimbursement) program. AVCARD said the new contract came as the result of a request for proposals issued in July "which generated significant interest from other industry providers."
USED RETAIL JET DELIVERIES Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for August 1999 (see related graphs on Pages 195 and 196 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries AUG. '96 AUG. '97 AUG. '98 AUG. '99 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 51 26 19 41 36 12 57 32 10 68 46 21 America
FAIRCHILD AEROSPACE received an $11.9 million order for a 328JET from Locat s.p.A., an Italian leasing company headquartered in Milan, Italy. The 32-passenger aircraft will be delivered in April to Air Vallee, Aosta, Italy, which will operate the aircraft between Aosta and Rome.
Model CFE738-1-1B turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-39-AD) - proposes to require, on certain engines identified by serial numbers, a one-time visual inspection of Stage 2 high-pressure turbine (HPT) aft cooling plates, for nicks, dents, and scratches, and if present, dimensional inspection of indentation depth, repair if indentation is within acceptable limits, and, if necessary, replacement with serviceable parts.
Gulfstream Aerospace has spent more than $5 million in five years to win European Joint Aviation Authorities approval for the G-V business jet, but has fallen victim to a "concerted effort" by Europe to promote its aviation industry at the expense of the U.S. industry, the leading Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee charged last week. Rep.
The CIT Group credited the continued strong economy, improving technology and growth in fractional programs in forecasting steady demand for corporate aircraft in the coming year. The CIT Group/Equipment Financing, which recently finished its Fourth Annual Corporate Aircraft Outlook, predicts sales of new corporate aircraft will increase 3.3 percent this year and next, despite a drop in turboprop unit sales. The Outlook also forecast that the used aircraft market will "remain healthy" but trend downward in 2000.
The Mexican attorney general's office said it will purchase 24 Bell 206L-4 LongRanger helicopters valued at $35 million to use in anti-drug activities. The Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) is the anti-drug office in Mexico that operates helicopters for drug eradication spray missions. Currently the PGR operates a large fleet of Bell helicopters to locate, spray and eradicate marijuana and poppy plantations usually located in remote, mountainous regions of the country.
A flight attendant on Amway Corporation's Falcon 900B was seriously injured this month when the aircraft performed several pitching oscillations while the crew was descending for an approach into Kent County Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. where the flight department is based.
HOUSE AND SENATE conferees held two short meetings last week to begin efforts to resolve differences in the separate House/Senate versions of FAA reauthorization legislation, but their staff members worked into the weekend trying to reach agreement. Time has become critical, since the House and Senate are slated to recess once Congress and the Administration reach agreement on the outstanding appropriations bills. Once that happens, congressional aides and Washington lobbyists agree that Congress may recess without finishing the FAA reauthorization bill.
THE EUROPEAN JOINT AVIATION AUTHORITIES "often acts more like a trade association than a regulatory agency," according to Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee. Lipinski last week took JAA to task for delaying European certification of the Gulfstream V. See article below.
Thayer Aerospace, a major provider of components for business jet and air transport aircraft manufacturers, completed construction and moved into a new manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kan. recently. The new facility covers 80,000 square feet and houses Thayer's high-speed machining division, large five-axis division, turning division, gear and spline division and the company's new sheet metal operations.
BOEING selected Marconi Aerospace ASD Division of Rockville, Md. to be part of the Project Wedgetail team, the Royal Australian Air Force's new airborne early warning and control system aircraft program. Boeing was previously designated as the preferred tenderer for Wedgetail and plans to provide Model 737s modified for air surveillance work. ASD will provide a range of the aircraft's avionics, including cockpit tactical mission displays, command and control consoles and mission computers.
RAYTHEON reported a net loss of $169 million for the third quarter even though sales rose seven percent to $4.7 billion. The loss includes pretax charges of $599 million "for asset write-downs, restructuring provisions and contract adjustments.
Model R44 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-46-AD; Amdt. 39-11331; AD 99-17-17) - publishes an AD that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Robinson Model R44 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires, prior to further flight, replacing certain yoke assemblies with airworthy yoke assemblies. This amendment is prompted by an incident in which, during cruise flight, the pilot heard a loud bang and became aware of lack of tail rotor effectiveness due to a cracked yoke assembly.
Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-99-AD) - proposes to require repetitively inspecting the wing attachment bushings in the fuselage front and rear spar frames for gaps, and replacing the bushings if a gap exists that exceeds a certain length. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for the United Kingdom.
General Dynamics reported third quarter net earnings of $184 million on sales of $2.22 billion, increases of 15.7 and 23.3 percent, and the Falls Church, Va. company said the newly acquired Gulfstream Aerospace accounted for a significant portion of sales and operating earnings.
PRESIDENT CLINTON Oct. 9 signed into law the fiscal 2000 transportation appropriations legislation. The legislation provides $10.08 billion in spending authority for FAA, but has raised concerns from the agency for limits in the operations accounts (BA, Oct. 18/173). The bill also raises industry concern because it completely pays for FAA spending through aviation taxes and eliminates the general fund contribution.
Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-220-AD; Amdt. 39-11310; AD 99-19-21) - requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking around certain fastener holes and adjacent areas of the front spar of the horizontal stabilizers; and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment also requires repetitive X-ray inspections, cold working of certain fastener holes of the front spar of the horizontal stabilizers, and follow-on actions; and installation of new fasteners, which constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections required by this AD.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) included $15 million in the fiscal 2000 defense appropriations legislation for supersonic engine sonic boom research. The measure, which would provide a boost to Gulfstream and Lockheed Martin's research in this area in an effort to develop a supersonic business jet, would make available up to $15 million to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for supersonic aircraft noise mitigation research and development efforts.
United Technologies entered into an agreement to acquire Cade Industries for $5.05 per share in cash, and the assumption of about $20 million in Cade's debt for a total transaction value of approximately $129 million. Cade designs, develops, manufactures, overhauls and repairs high technology composite components for the aerospace and air transport industries. It also designs, builds and services jet engine test facilities and related ground testing equipment.
