The Senate Wednesday approved a provision that would lift limitations on public aircraft use for law enforcement, search and rescue and other emergency operations. The provision was offered by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and adopted in a 56-44 vote as an amendment to the fiscal 1999 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations legislation, which the Senate passed last week.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday approved by voice vote its version of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 1998, the compromise bill to regulate air tours over national parks. The legislation, H.R.4268, introduced less than a week before the committee vote, had strong support from the committee with Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), ranking Democrat James Oberstar (D-Minn.), aviation subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) and subcommittee ranking Democrat William Lipinski (D-Ill.) all co-sponsoring (BA, July 20/25).
DALE POLLY joined Airwork as PT6 regional manager for Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. He will operate from his home in Elizabeth, Colo. Polly, an airframe and powerplant licensed technician, has more than 20 years of aviation maintenance experience and has been involved in corporate aviation since leaving the U.S. Navy in 1980. He previously served as director of maintenance at Wright International Express' Denver, Colo. base, at Mayo Aviation and Haggan Aviation.
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION agreed to investigate the government-subsidy dispute between Brazil and Canada concerning regional jet manufacturers Bombardier and Embraer. The WTO will create two panels, one to look into Canada's financial aid for development of the Canadair Regional Jet and the other to investigate the use of the ProEx interest-rate equalization program to boost exports of the Embraer RJ-145.
Gulfstream Aerospace outbid at least two other competitors to buy premier aircraft completion center K-C Aviation - a $250 million acquisition that will substantially increase Gulfstream's capability to perform completions on the Gulfstream IV-SP and Gulfstream V models it manufactures and simultaneously deny that completion capacity to its principal competitors in the high-end business jet market.
RMI TITANIUM CO., Niles, Ohio, signed a letter of intent with New Century Metals, Inc., Solon, Ohio, that calls for NCM to exchange all of its outstanding common shares for shares of RMI common stock. NCM manufactures and distributes titanium, stainless steel and nickel to a variety of markets including aerospace.
Britten-Norman, the Short Takeoff Or Landing (STOL) aircraft manufacturer headquartered on the Isle of Wight, will be sold to a British holding company under an agreement with Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland.
Textron posted earnings of $306 million on revenues of $5.6 billion for the first half of 1998, increases of 15 percent and nine percent over the same period in 1997. The Providence, R.I.-based conglomerate cited the performance of Cessna Aircraft in helping to boost the parent company's financial report. Textron said its Aircraft segment's revenues were up 14 percent while income rose 15 percent "due to higher results at Cessna Aircraft. Cessna posted increases in revenues and incomes, reflecting higher sales of business jets, single-engine aircraft and Caravans.
The Federal Aviation Administration, under pressure from flight attendant unions to adopt federal limits on the number and size of carry-on baggage that passengers may bring into the airplane with them, opted instead to issue an advisory circular that provides recommendations to the airlines on how to control carry-on baggage. FAA said carriers' carry-on bag policies should address the number and size of carry-on baggage, the use and handling of child restraint devices and minimize or eliminate the chances of articles falling out of overhead luggage bins.
Signature Flight Support plans to open a new fixed-base operation at Denver's Centennial Airport next summer, becoming the third major FBO on the busy business aviation airport.
A BOEING PAINT-STRIPPING SYSTEM, to be used by the U.S. Navy to strip Boeing T-45A training aircraft, went into operation at the Kingsville, Tenn. Naval Air Station. To house the robotic gantry Flashjet Coating Removal System, the Navy modified one of six bays in the Kingsville Corrosion Control facility. Boeing said the system can be used to strip other carrier-based tactical aircraft.
OWNERS of more than 25 percent of U.S.-registered aircraft would have to inspect the fuel strainer assembly under a proposed airworthiness directive published by FAA. The proposed AD would apply to some 50,000 airplanes built by Cessna Aircraft, primarily single-engine models. See article on Page 36.
STANLEY J. GREEN, the former long-time counsel for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, will join the Washington, D.C. law firm of Davis&Bentzen, effective Aug. 3. Green retired in 1991 after 22 years as vice president and general counsel for GAMA and since has served with the Washington law firm of Dunaway&Cross, which represents the Aerospace Industries Association. Green will continue to represent aviation clients, especially with FAA certification and National Transportation Safety Board matters.
AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION named John W. Douglass president and chief executive officer. Douglass, 57, has been assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition since Nov. 1, 1995. He will succeed Don Fuqua Sept. 18. Fuqua, a former Florida congressman, has headed AIA since January 1987.
SAAB Model SF340A and Saab 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-117-AD) - adopts a new AD requiring modification of the detachable center inlet component of the air intake system of the engine. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified in the AD are intended to prevent fuel and/or oil that may be present in the nacelle from entering the air intake system of the engine, which could result in a fire. The AD is effective Aug. 20.
The Senate Friday passed 90-1 the fiscal 1999 transportations appropriations bill, S.2307, which recommends a nearly $9.9 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration (BA, July 20/28). Also last week, the House Appropriations Committee approved its own fiscal 1999 DOT appropriations measure, recommending $9.5 billion for FAA. The largest difference is in the Airport Improvement Program, with the Senate seeking $2.1 billion and the House approving $1.8 billion. Both recommendations are above the Clinton Administration request for $1.7 billion.
NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT, preparing to roll out its first new turbine product of the decade, is looking "beyond" the single-turboprop Meridian to developing a new jet, according to a company executive. The company is reviewing its entire line and is considering new products in all areas, from single pistons to a possible turbofan-powered aircraft, he said. See article on Page 41.
NATIONAIR INSURANCE AGENCIES opened a Seattle, Wash. office headed by Richard F. Keltner, a 25-year veteran of the aviation insurance business. Keltner, who spent 21 years as a naval aviator, is an airline transport pilot and is a commercial helicopter and glider pilot. He was formerly a senior underwriter with Associated Aviation Underwriters.
HENRI ZIEGLER, 92, credited as "the founding father" of the Airbus consortium, died July 23. The company said he was the principal inspiration behind the Airbus A300B program launched in May 1969 and the driver behind creation of the consortium's integrated management and sales structure. He served as managing director of Airbus until retiring in 1975.
The Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday issued a notice of proposed rule making that would require the owners of more than 50,000 Cessna aircraft to conduct inspections of their aircraft. The NPRM is applicable to Model 150, 152, 172, 177, 180, 185, 188, 206, 207, 210 and 337 airplanes. It would require measuring the visible length of standpipe (tube) in the top assembly of the fuel strainer assembly for the correct length, and replacing any fuel strainer assembly that does not have the correct length of standpipe.
HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL board of directors elected James T. Cheatham chairman and Peter Wright, Jr. vice chairman. Cheatham is president and owner of Verticare, a helicopter company he bought in 1970. He has been involved in HAI for more than 30 years and served on its Safety Committee for 12 years. Wright is chief executive of Keystone Helicopter Corp. where he began working in 1968.
Stan Roth, 50, the founder and president of Executive Aircraft Corp. of Wichita and Newton, Kan., and his brother, Jim, were killed July 18 when the Sabreliner business jet they were flying over Eastern Kansas suddenly went into a dive and crashed in the Flint Hills area about 75 miles northeast of Wichita.
The New Piper Aircraft Corp. next month will roll out its first new turbine-powered aircraft since emerging from bankruptcy in the summer of 1995 and one year after the company formally announced the project (BA, Sept 8, 1997/99). Development of the single-engine Meridian is on time, on schedule and within budget, according to Larry Bardon, director of marketing and sales for Piper. First flight of the aircraft is slated by the end of the month, following the Aug. 13 rollout, with certification and deliveries expected in the second quarter of 2000.
RMI TITANIUM, Niles, Ohio, reported net income of $51.1 million, of $2.49 per share, compared with $23 million, or $1.13 per share, in the first half of 1997. Revenues were up 24.7 percent to $185.5 million. The second quarter results included a $21.7 million, or $1.06 per share, adjustment to the company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance. The company manufactures titanium mill products and other components for the aerospace, energy exploration, refining, chemical processing equipment, pulp and paper production, medical implant and consumer goods markets.
JOHN DECKER was named parts manager for Mayo Aviation, Englewood, Colo. He will direct the aviation parts support activity for the company's fleet aircraft, retail parts sales and compliance with FAA parts regulations. He began his career in 1989 with Pioneer Tube and Steel and joined Intelligent Electronics in 1994 as operations manager. Decker retired as a master sergeant from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1988.
