AVIATION GENERAL INC. formed Strategic Jet Services Inc., which will provide consulting, sales, brokerage and refurbishment services for jet aircraft. Daniel Cretsinger, who has more than 20 years of aviation experience with FAA, ADI, the Kaman Corp. and Sabreliner Corp., was named president and chief executive officer of SJS. American General is a publicly traded company with two wholly owned subsidiaries - Commander Aircraft Co. and SJS.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model Viscount 744, 745, 745D and 810 (Docket No. 98-NM-217-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires repetitive inspections for cracks and corrosion in the inboard and outboard engine nacelle structures on the wings; replacement of any cracked fitting and mating struts and treatment or replacement of any corroded fittings or struts. This action would require repetitive inspections to detect cracking or corrosion of the eye end fittings and repair, if necessary. This action also would limit the applicability of the existing AD.
AIRCRAFT COMPONENT TRANSPORT was recently formed in Dallas, Texas by D. Casey Kidwell and Dwight Jones, who have more than 35 years of aviation industry experience, to provide point-to-point component delivery without interim docking in an 18-state area. For more information, contact the company at (817) 929-1695.
MARK HARRIS was named managing director, business operations for Rockwell Collins. Harris, who will oversee Collins Support Services' business development, contracts and customer programs, previously was director-aircraft program management for Northwest Airlines.
The General Accounting Office has begun to investigate a recent decision by the Federal Aviation Administration to release the operators of Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport in Kansas City, Mo. from their airport grant assurances and allow the airport to close. FAA signed a memorandum of agreement releasing Kansas City from its obligations to operate the airport. GAO is expected to send a team to Kansas City this week to begin its inquiry. The investigation apparently is part of a larger report on FAA's grant assurance enforcement program.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION continues to wrestle with finding a position on the issue of how FAA should regulate fractional aircraft programs (BA, Sept. 28/137). NATA's Air Charter Committee spent hours debating the issue last week before coming up with a recommendation that not all members of the committee are happy with. The final decision is up to NATA's board of directors, which is scheduled to meet Oct. 30.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers won an election last week giving it the right to represent flight instructors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla. The election followed a two-year organizing campaign by the union.
SUSAN McLEAN was appointed customer service representative for Professional Aircraft Accessories. McLean, who has a customer service background, will be the primary contact for customer inquiries on repair or overhaul status.
KAMAN AEROSPACE INTERNATIONAL CORP. broke ground last month for a support center for the Royal Australian Navy's future fleet of SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite helicopters. Kaman will be the first tenant in the new Aviation Technology Park located next to HMAS Albatross near Nowra, New South Wales, the air station where the Super Seasprites will be based. Australia contracted with Kaman for 11 Super Seasprites. Deliveries will begin in 2001.
SCOTT WATSON was named director, business support director for Rockwell Collins' Support Services unit. Watson, who joined Rockwell 20 years ago, most recently was manager-Dallas Service Center.
ON THE WEST COAST, an aircraft management, charter and sales executive says "we're just starting to see the beginning twinges" of a slowdown in aircraft sales. He mentioned one well-qualified prospect who was on the verge of buying a used aircraft but backed away when the stock market slide accelerated, and another company operating multiple aircraft that decided to put a couple of the planes up for sale.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION, which covered a host of aviation issues, ran into snags last week after senior House legislators, including House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) opposed airport operating slot provisions in the Senate-passed version of the bill. House and Senate negotiators Friday continued to debate the bills with some factions seeking either a stripped-down, six-month or one-year reauthorization without any other provisions, except for some airline competition language.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will present its American Spirit Award to Experimental Aircraft Association President Tom Poberezny next week at its annual meeting and convention in Las Vegas, Nev. The association is recognizing Poberezny's "significant contributions to the aviation community," including his efforts with the Young Eagles and GA Team 2000. "Tom is an outstanding supporter of general aviation in all its forms, including the use of general aviation aircraft for business aviation," said NBAA President Jack Olcott.
RAYTHEON COMPANY won a major contract from the Greek government for a number of weapons systems and aircraft trainers. Raytheon will build 45 T-6A Texan II trainers, the same aircraft going to the U.S. Navy and Air Force for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS), for Greece, along with providing spares, a ground-based training system, factory training for the initial cadre of pilots and related services. Deliveries of the T-6As to Greece could begin as early as July and extend through 2002.
DENNIS WALDEN was appointed vice president and general manager-Western region operations for Garrett Aviation Services. Walden served with Gulfstream Aerospace for more than 26 years, leaving the company in 1995 as vice president, general manager of completions and service and support centers. Most recently, he was vice president of Marathon Coach of Eugene, Ore.
NICO BUCHHOLZ was named head of commercial operations for German engine manufacturer BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH, effective Nov. 1. He will be responsible for BR700 engine family marketing, sales and business management. Buchholz, 37, joins BMW Rolls-Royce from Airbus Industrie in Toulouse where he is regional director responsible for commercial activities within Europe and other business projects. He studied at the Berlin Technical University and at Cranfield College of Aeronautics and Management in the United Kingdom.
Sabreliner Corp. won a five-year U.S. Army contract with a potential value of $15 million to repair and overhaul Allison T703 engine for OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The work will be carried out by Sabreliner's Premier Turbines facilities in Neosho, Mo., and Independence, Kan. The T703 is the military equivalent of the Model 250-C30R. The initial award is $4.2 million. The contract is the fifth for military helicopter engine work awarded to Sabreliner, the most recent of which was announced in February.
LOUISE B. TIMKEN, one of the first women to operate her own Learjet, died at her home in Canton, Ohio Oct. 3. Mrs. Timken, the widow of Henry Timken who headed the roller-bearing manufacturing Timken Company in Canton, began flying with her husband in general aviation aircraft in the 1930s. She learned to fly in 1943. The Timkens began flying jets in 1958 when they bought a French-built Morane-Saulnier MS 760 "Paris I," which they used until they bought a Model 23 Learjet, S/N 15, in 1965. The Timkens flew together until his death in 1968, after which Mrs.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model 146 and 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-129-AD) - proposes to require a one-time measurement to determine the thickness of the outer links of the side stays of the main landing gear and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal also would provide for replacement of a thin outer link with a new or serviceable part in lieu of certain follow-on inspections. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
RANDY RAEDLEIN was named turbine service sales representative for the Northwest region for West Star Aviation. Raedlein served for more than 20 years as director of maintenance for Tenneco and Boise Cascade Corporation and also has worked with Western Aircraft of Boise, Idaho and Bombardier Aviation Services of Tucson, Ariz.
What is likely to be one of the priciest acquisitions of a fixed-base chain in U.S. history is scheduled to unfold over the next few weeks as AMR Corp. divests its AMR Combs holdings to concentrate on the company's airline businesses.
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS SYSTEMS CORP. entered into a business agreement with Thrane&Thrane (TT) of Denmark under which Universal Avionics will have exclusive rights to market TT SATCOM systems to corporate and commercial operators. Universal will market the TT-5000 series Inmarsat Aero-I system, a three-channel system which can simultaneously support two voice/fax or modem data channels and one packet data channel. Universal called the system "a logical extension" of its UniLink multi-mode data link.
Comair, the North American launch customer for Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet and the largest RJ operator in the world, ordered another 50 of the aircraft last week as part of a long-term agreement with the Canadian aircraft manufacturer.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which launched its Airport Support Network nearly a year ago in an effort to stymie the continued loss of general aviation airports, reported early success with the program and the appointment of nearly 450 airport representatives to date (BA, Dec. 15/259).
THE EUROPEAN JOINT AVIATION AUTHORITIES Operations Committee last month proposed up to a 180-minute extended-range, twin-engine operations (ETOPS) threshold for commercial aircraft weighing less than 100,000 pounds, provided that operators meet an acceptable means of compliance (AMC).At an initial glance, the AMC appears to closely follow common practices of commercial business jet operators, leading U.S. officials to believe the "JAA acted in a responsible manner," said Ron Swanda, vice president-operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and the U.S.
