Honeywell Inc. acquired Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG's Airport Systems, an international supplier of airport lighting products and systems, airport information management systems and project services. The deal follows the March 10 acquisition by Honeywell of Hughey&Phillips, the airfield and obstruction lighting specialist.
PIAGGIO P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-21-AD; Amdt. 39-10595; AD 98-13-07) - requires a leak check of all lavatory water tube/hose connections and repairs if leaks are found. This AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent water leakage from the lavatory water duct system, which could collect in the fuselage, freeze in cold weather conditions and cause the rudder control system to jam.
THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS was down in the first half for U.S. registered business jets and turboprops operated for business, corporate and air taxi purposes, according to preliminary data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. The number of business jet accidents fell from 13 in the first half of 1997 to eight in the most recent period, but two fatal accidents claimed two crew members and three passengers this year, compared with just one accident in last year's first half that claimed two crew members and two passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration is slated to receive nearly $9.9 billion in fiscal 1999, its highest appropriation ever and $250 million more than the Clinton Administration requested, under a $47.5 billion transportation appropriations bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week. FAA would get nearly $800 million more than it did in fiscal 1998 despite earlier concerns that appropriators may have to cut FAA's budget to free up money for highway projects included in this year's highway spending bill (BA, June 15/259).
GEN. RON FOGLEMAN, USAF, (Ret.) was named vice chairman of Mooney Aircraft, Kerrville, Texas. Announcement of Fogleman's appointment was made by Paul S. Dopp, chairman of Mooney and its controlling shareholder, AVAQ Mooney, Inc. Fogleman, a 1963 graduate of the Air Force Academy, was chief of staff of the Air Force from 1994 until he retired in September 1997.
DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS, which has been busily acquiring aerospace manufacturers in recent months (BA, July 13/18), said Friday it had agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Donaldson, Lufkin&Jenrette, Inc. for $23 per share of common stock.
ATLANTIC AVIATION CORP. named Mike Ward vice president of operations. Ward will be responsible for development and control for Atlantic's fixed-base operation facilities. He formerly served as director of sales and marketing for Chrysler Pentastar Aviation, where he promoted a range of general aviation services.
PRIESTER AVIATION acquired two Gulfstream IIs and a Hawker 700 for its charter department, increasing its capacity by 30 percent. The Gulfstreams will undergo avionics and equipment upgrades and all three aircraft will have new paint and interiors installed before entering service. The aircraft join two other G-IIs, three Falcon 20s, three Learjet 35s and two King Air 90s at Priester.
STEVE LOFGREN joined the charter sales and marketing department at Priester Aviation, Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Ill. Lofgren had been with Signature Flight Support in Orlando, Fla. and before that worked for Sporty's Pilot Shop and served on the staff of the National Air Transportation Association. He first worked at Priester a number of years ago while attending college.
SUZANNE ALTON was named customer service supervisor for AMR Combs' operation at Denver International Airport. Alton had served as a customer service representative with AMR Combs since 1994 and, before that, was with Continental Airlines for nine years.
A NEW LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM for use in fuel pipelines has been developed by Vista Research, Inc. Vista, based in Mountain View, Calif., claims its system can detect leaks as small as .004 percent of the pipeline volume within a three-hour test. The system works by calculating the expected change in volume as the outside ground and air conditions cause temperature changes in the fuel in the pipeline.
AEROSPATIALE AND ALENIA, partners in the ATR consortium, appointed Antoine Bouvier president and chief executive of the regional aircraft manufacturer. Bouvier joined Aerospatiale's Aircraft Division in 1990 and moved to ATR two years later. Most recently he headed the ATR Business Unit, which was created in 1995 following an Aerospatiale reorganization.
BRITISH AEROSPACE named four new managing directors. Kevin Smith, deputy group managing director, was promoted to group managing director-new business. Smith is responsible for the international marketing and sales organization. Tony Rice, formerly chief executive for British Aerospace Asset Management, was named group managing director-commercial aircraft. Rice is responsible for Airbus, Regional Aircraft and Asset Management.
DeCrane Aircraft Holdings, Inc., which has been expanding its aviation business base, acquired Dettmers Industries, a designer and manufacturer of seating and other cabin interior products for the corporate aviation completion market.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT named Paul Shira general manager of the company's fixed-base operation at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. An eight- year veteran of Signature and a 1989 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Shira has held a variety of positions at Signature's Meigs Field and O'Hare bases, including serving as operations supervisor at both airports and business manager at O'Hare.
SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE'S latest bill to reauthorize FAA programs does not include any new user fee provisions, but Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) last week continued his campaign for a user fee system to fund FAA.McCain, in stating opposition to a proposed passenger facility charge hike, said Congress should reform the entire aviation tax system before it looks at specific measures such as PFC increases.
WILLIAM B. GOULD IV resigned as chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Gould had been chairman of NLRB since March 1994. He is returning to his duties as a law professor at Stanford University Law School.
AVIATION CHARTER SERVICES added a Hawker 800A to its charter fleet. The business jet is the second Hawker 800 in Aviation Charter Services' fleet of 11 aircraft, which also include Learjets and King Airs.
B/E Aerospace struck an agreement in principle to purchase Aerospace Lighting Corporation (ALC), marking the third acquisition for the cabin interiors specialist this year that will further its corner on the corporate market. The acquisition, subject to definitive documentation, is expected to be complete by early fall. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Federal Aviation Administration late last month proposed increasing the maximum weight limit for normal category rotorcraft from 6,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds and allowing up to nine passenger seats. The proposal is the result of an industry working group review, which agreed that a 7,000- pound limit would allow some rotorcraft to remain within Part 27 while meeting the latest standards. The working group also determined that with technological advances a 7,000-pound limit may accommodate a nine-passenger capacity in the future.
CESSNA Model 182S airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-59-AD; Amdt. 39-10598; AD 98-13-10) - adopts an AD without prior notice that requires repetitive inspections of all engine exhaust muffler end plates (four total) for cracks and replacement of any muffler where an end plate is found cracked. The AD also requires fabricating and installing a placard that specifies immediately inspecting all engine exhaust muffler end plates any time the engine backfires upon start-up.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. MUNICIPAL AIRPORT requests proposals until 3 p.m. Aug. 7 for management and development of the old Colorado Springs Airport passenger terminal, including the construction of new fixed-base operation facilities. For information and to obtain proposal documents, call Regina Willingham at (719) 550-1900.
General aviation aircraft manufacturer Lancair will test a new NASA ice removal system on its Lancair IV aircraft and then offer the system later this summer on its Columbia 300 four-seat aircraft. NASA nicknamed the Electro-Expulsive Separation System the "ice zapper," calling it a "lightweight, patented device [that] will zap dangerous ice from wings and other aircraft parts during flight." NASA said the system could help meet its goal of improving commercial aircraft safety.
Steven M. Sliwa, who has served as president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University during a period of dramatic growth for the Daytona Beach, Fla. school, will step down at the end of the year to pursue opportunities in the private sector.
