EUROCOPTER Model SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B and SE.3160 helicopters (Docket No. 98-SW-23-AD; Amdt. 39-10725; AD 98-10-09) - publishes an AD previously sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of the affected helicopters by individual letter. The AD requires initial and recurring inspections of the blade spar for cracks. This amendment is prompted by an accident in which a Model SA.315B helicopter lost a main rotor blade. The cause of the blade failure was fatigue cracking.
Cessna Aircraft, moving aggressively to expand its business jet market share, will announce four new or improved Citation business jet models at this week's NBAA convention, including an all new mid-size model and the long-awaited stretch of the popular entry-level CitationJet.
DENNIS BIETY joined Hawker Pacific Aerospace as managing director of the company's facilities in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. Biety, who has more than 20 years of aerospace experience, most recently served as president of Messier Services America. He also has served as managing director of the Dowty Aerospace landing gear and hydro-mechanical overhaul facility in Gloucester, U.K.
BOEING COMPANY and Israel Aircraft Industries formed a strategic relationship to jointly pursue business opportunities, the companies said last week. Moshe Keret, president of IAI, and Harry Stonecipher, president and chief operating officer of Boeing, will sign the agreement Thursday. It will lead to creation of a 14-member steering committee co-chaired by the two senior executives, with an equal number of representatives from each company. The two firms said they are working on an agreement to compete for military fighter and transport aircraft upgrade programs.
Century Aerospace Corp., which had been developing a single-engine, entry-level business jet, has reconfigured the aircraft to a twin-engine design to take advantage of new Williams International turbofans.
A/C FLYER is launching a new electronic product, aircraftbuyer.com, at this week's NBAA convention in Las Vegas. The automated, electronic service, reachable at www.aircraftbuyer.com or by calling 1 (877) ACBUYER, is designed to provide a quick connection between buyers and sellers of aircraft.
AYRES CORP. selected BFGoodrich Aerospace Ice Protection Systems Division to supply the pneumatic de-icing system that will be standard equipment on the new Loadmaster LM200 cargo aircraft Ayres is developing. In addition to the standard system, BFGoodrich also plans to have its SMARTboot ice detection system certified on the LM200 so it can be offered to customers.
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES Model 1121, 1121A, 1121B, 1123, 1124 and 1124A series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-108-AD; Amdt. 39-10802; AD 98-20-35) - supersedes an existing AD that requires repetitive inspections of the trim actuator of the horizontal stabilizer to verify jackscrew integrity and to detect excessive wear of the tie rod and replacement of the actuator or tie rod, if necessary. That AD also provides an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This amendment requires accomplishment of the previously optional terminating action.
Raytheon Travel Air, the year-old fractional ownership program that recently passed the 100-customer mark (BA, Aug. 24/81), ordered 22 of Raytheon Aircraft's Premier I entry-level business jets in a deal valued at $90 million. Raytheon Travel Air "will be the only fractional ownership program to offer the new Premier I business jet," the company said. Raytheon has placed its larger jet, the Hawker, with both Raytheon Travel Air and competitor Executive Jet Aviation.
House and Senate leaders last week agreed to a simple six-month reauthorization of Federal Aviation Administration programs, delaying action on a host of aviation initiatives covering everything from national parks overflights, airport slots, aircraft parts marking and release of airmen information to Aircraft Situational Display Information blocking (BA, Oct. 12/159). The six-month reauthorization measure was included in the omnibus budget accord that congressional and administration officials reached Thursday.
RON FULTON was named Northeast regional manager for Precision Specialty Metals, Inc., a Los Angeles stainless steel and high-performance alloy conversion mill. Fulton previously was general manager of stainless steel strip products for Allegheny Ludlum.
RAYTHEON 200 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-17-AD; Amdt. 39-10806; AD 98-20-38) - requires revising the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual to specify procedures prohibiting flight in severe icing conditions (as determined by visual cues), limiting or prohibiting the use of various flight control devices while in severe icing conditions, and providing the flight crew with recognition cues for, and procedures for exiting from, severe icing conditions.
JET AVIATION in Bedford, Mass. acquired a second hangar, doubling its capacity there to more than 42,000 square feet of hangar space. In addition, Jet Aviation secured 18,000 square feet of ramp space adjacent to the new hangar.
CH2M HILL was selected by Palm Beach, County, Fla., to design an 800-foot east-end extension and a 1,200-foot west-end extension to the primary runway at Palm Beach, Fla. International Airport. The work includes extension of the parallel taxiway and modification of the Runway 9L approach lights to accommodate the extension. The construction will be done in 1999.
ALLIEDSIGNAL FORECASTERS, who last year predicted delivery of 5,300 new business jets valued at $60 billion through 2008, dramatically raised their expectations in the latest projection of business jet buying trends through 2009.See article below.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA last week named Richard Nelson interim dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, succeeding John Odegard, who died Sept. 27 following a three-year battle with cancer (BA, Oct. 5/150). Nelson, the current managing director of aviation, joined the university in May 1996. He also will serve as interim president of the UND Aerospace Foundation and George Selestad will continue as the school's associate dean. Nelson has more than 27 years of airline operations and flight training experience.
MATTHEW ZASKE was named Midwest region account manager for BFGoodrich Avionics Systems. Zaske will be responsible for aftermarket sales to authorized BFGoodrich dealers and corporate operators in the Midwest region. Most recently, he was a first officer for Corporate Air Management in Pontiac, Mich.
Federal Aviation Administration reopened the comment period and scheduled a public meeting to discuss a proposal for Mitsubishi MU-2B series airplanes that calls for a number of modifications and operating limitations to guard against uncontrolled flight in icing conditions. The proposal, published in the May 21 Federal Register, cited three accidents with a total of 14 fatalities that stemmed from loss of control of the MU-2B while flying in severe icing conditions.
COLTEC INDUSTRIES' board of directors authorized the expansion of the stock buyback program it began in June. Effective Oct. 13, the value of the company's stock that may be acquired was increased to $100 million from $50 million. Since June, approximately 2.1 million shares valued at $36 million have been repurchased.
Federal Aviation Administration is developing a new test specification for Part 25 aircraft insulation and plans to issue a proposal requiring installation of improved materials.
PROFESSIONAL AIRCRAFT ACCESSORIES received a contract from Continental Express to service landing gear on the carrier's Beech 1900 fleet. PAA, a Banner Aerospace Company based in Titusville, Fla., repairs avionics, pressurization, aircraft accessories and airframe components.
PEMCO AEROPLEX decided to sue the U.S. Air Force over the service's decision to move forward with a contract award to Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to take on depot work now conducted at the Sacramento Air Logistics Center, McClellan, AFB, Calif. A recent General Accounting Office ruling came down in favor of Pemco (BA, Oct. 5/152), but the Air Force said Oct. 9 it will proceed with the outsourcing decision, citing readiness concerns and the size of the savings it expects to generate.
