DICK CROFTON was named vice president of the Business Aircraft Division for The CIT Group/Equipment Financing. Crofton has served in a variety of sales and management positions since joining CIT Group in 1975.
WAYFARER AVIATION, White Plains, N.Y., is engaged in a six-month test of a new software program developed by Mach-1 Software, Inc. of Sausalito, Calif. The system is designed to integrate Wayfarer's aviation management requirements including flight scheduling, charter sales, crew logistics, client management, maintenance operations and aircraft inspection tracking, plus inventory and financial control.
MOONEY Models M20J, M20K, M20M and M20R airplanes (Docket No. 98-CE-47-AD) - proposes to require grinding the surface of the main landing gear leg bracket, inspecting this area for cracks and replacing any cracked bracket. The proposal results from the manufacture of several main landing gear leg brackets using laser pattern cutting. Brackets produced through the laser pattern process develop minor cracks at the bends, which could propagate over time.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP. Chairman Ted Forstmann announced that all 5,500 non-executive, full-time Gulfstream employees were granted options to purchase 100 shares of the company's common stock at $43 per share. In a ceremony at Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Ga., Wednesday, Forstmann said the options were intended to "honor the men and women of Gulfstream. They believed. They dreamed. They cared.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR-42 and ATR-72 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-146-AD) - proposes to require one-time inspections to verify the correct shape of the stiffeners for the upper engine cowl and to detect wear of the aft upper fittings of the rear engine mounts, and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
RELIEF FROM PROVISIONS of the Fastener Quality Act inched closer as the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday approved legislation, H.R.3824, to recognize FAA as the sole authority on aviation fastener standards. The committee, however, included an amendment to require the Commerce Secretary to determine duplicative efforts between the Fastener Quality Act requirements and regulations promulgated by other agencies. While not controversial, the amendment drew concern from Sen.
ALLIEDSIGNAL INC. won FAA certification for its XK516 radio, "the first type certification for a commercial production high-frequency airborne communication system capable of handling both voice and data messages," according to the manufacturer.
FIRST PRODUCTION model of Bell Helicopter's 427 light twin helicopter made its first flight last month at the company's plant outside Montreal, Quebec. Two prototypes had logged more than 300 flight test hours before the first production model flew. The company said it has more than 70 orders for the 427 and anticipates certification late this year.
SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL (STI), the Melbourne, Fla. maintenance company, received Joint Aviation Authorities approval. STI plans to expand its aircraft maintenance services to operators in the Caribbean, Central and South America. STI provides a variety of maintenance and modification work, including high-end avionics and autopilot installations, on general aviation and regional airline aircraft.
BOMBARDIER this month took delivery of the first production Pratt&Whitney Canada PW150A engine for its 70- to 78-seat de Havilland Dash 8Q Series 400. The 5,071-shaft horsepower engine received Transport Canada certification in June (BA, July 6/2). The 350-knot Dash 8Q Series 400 is in flight test at Bombardier's Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kan. and is scheduled for certification in the first quarter of 1999.
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP., Duluth, Minn., completed the flight testing of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) on the SR20 airplane and the company said FAA testing of the CAPS system is expected to be completed by the end of July. The Cirrus SR20 will be the first certified production aircraft equipped with an airframe parachute as standard equipment. The system is designed to decelerate and lower the entire aircraft and its occupants to the ground in case of emergency.
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-85-AD; Amdt. 39- 10587; AD 98-12-34) - requires installation of a structural reinforcement plate on the vertical stabilizer forward beam. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent in-flight structural deformation or failure of the vertical stabilizer and subsequent loss of airplane controllability.
The Federal Aviation Administration should provide oversight and enforcement of aircraft operated by federal civilian agencies and those aircraft operations should meet a mandatory minimum safety standard, according to a panel that reviewed the government's non-military flight operations.
KEITH PLUMB was named aircraft marketing representative for Executive Aircraft Corporation. Plumb most recently served as market analyst/corporate and regional aircraft for AVITAS Aviation Consulting and also has worked for British Aerospace and TriStar Airlines.
Atlantic Coast Airlines is committed to using Global Positioning System navigation in its operations but often finds that FAA has no processes in place to enable it to make the transition, Thomas Moore, the regional carrier's executive vice president and chief operating officer, told the RTCA Spring Forum last month in Washington, D.C. Moore called for a "national forum" to address a "process for designing and implementing GPS operations." FAA "has developed all this technology but is not doing anything with it," he said.
REPS. CONNIE MORELLA (R-Md.) and Steve Horn (R-Calif.) were named co-chairs by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) of a House task force to address Year 2000 computer data logic problems. The House group is the counterpart of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem chaired by Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah).
FLIR SYSTEMS INC., Portland, Ore., completed a public stock offering of 2.4 million share of common stock by the company and a shareholder at a price of $17.25 per share. Proceeds will be used to repay certain debts. FLIR makes thermal imaging and broadcast camera systems for a wide variety of government and commercial markets. Its products can be mounted on airplanes or helicopters and used for airborne observation, search and rescue, drug interdiction, reconnaissance, navigation safety and related missions.
BFGOODRICH AEROSPACE'S SMARTboot ice detection and protection system was selected as standard equipment on the New Piper Aircraft's Malibu Mirage. The SMARTboot monitors the presence of ice over wide areas of the de-icer boot and measures ice thickness on both the tail and wings. The system includes electrical conductor strips installed on existing pneumatic de- icer boots. The strips detect ice formation, beginning a flow of electricity. The information is displayed to the pilot on a control panel in the cockpit.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL'S Tucson, Ariz. training center won FAA Level D certification for its new Challenger 604 full flight simulator. The unit, built by FSI's Simulation Systems Division in Tulsa, Okla., uses the latest version of the high-definition VITAL Chroma View system to provide realistic visual displays. The Tucson facility also houses Level D simulators for the Challenger 601-3A/3R and Model 31A and Model 60 Learjet business jets.
SECURAPLANE received FAA parts manufacturer approval for its BC-1301 main ship battery charger installed on Canadair Challenger 604 and Regional Jet aircraft. Securaplane, Tucson, Ariz., designs and manufactures emergency battery systems, aircraft electronic security systems and wireless aircraft smoke detection/reporting equipment.
Allied Pilots Association, which represents the pilots of American Airlines, established a Graphic Navigation Committee to pursue solutions in flight deck display technology in response to the global growth of air transportation.
JEFFREY ROBBINS was named director of sales and marketing for Professional Aircraft Accessories. Robbins most recently was vice president of Daytona Dash Distributor. He also has served as director of marketing and general manager for an aircraft parts facility in Florida.
GALAXY AEROSPACE named Jetport, a new full service fixed-base operation at Hamilton Airport in Ontario, Canada, as an authorized service center and sales representative for Canada. The 45,000-square-foot facility opened in July 1997 and is a BP fuel supplier.
Avidyne Corporation's Avidyne Flight Situation Display (FSD) received FAA Technical Standard Order approvals under TSOs C113 and C110a. These TSO approvals, in conjunction with existing STCs, allow pilots to use the Avidyne Flight Situation Display under instrument conditions. This certification also includes enhanced displays of the Stormscope data as well as new flight planning and navigation management functions.
GALAXY AVIATION OF PALM BEACH, INC., appointed Brad Kost general manager. Kost will oversee day-to-day operations of the general aviation facility, which provides services to charter, airline and corporate flight crews. He joins Galaxy from Signature Flight Support, where he was a general aviation manager at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport facility. Before that, Kost was operations manager for American Beechcraft Company in Leesburg, Va.
