After nearly a decade of hand-wringing by aircraft and engine industry executives over whether regional jets would overtake turboprops, it appears the market is beginning to vote substantially in favor of the jets, says a new investment report by Merrill Lynch Vice President Byron Callan.
Sino Swearingen Aircraft Company (SSAC) won an exemption from FAA last week to pursue certification of its SJ30-2 entry-level business jet under the Commuter Category of Part 23 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, an approval that permits the manufacturer to exceed the standard Part 23 12,500-pound gross weight limit. The approval also could establish a precedent permitting Sino Swearingen or other manufacturers to seek certification of other Part 23 aircraft with gross weights up to 19,000 pounds.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-226-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections for corrosion of the brake hydraulic accumulators in the area of the mounting straps and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
BRENT CATTANACH was promoted to avionics manager at Elliott Aviation's Omaha, Neb. facility. Cattanach joined Elliott in 1997 as an installation technician in the Des Moines, Iowa facility.
Toronto-based Orenda Recip, Inc., won Transport Canada certification for its OE-600A high-output V-8 aviation engine, clearing the way for rapid action on a host of Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modifications built around the new powerplant within the next six months. Certification had slipped twice before, to solve early teething problems - including troubles with the crankshaft - as well as to add features requested by potential customers.
HONEYWELL is upgrading its Auckland, New Zealand repair facility. The Auckland base is expected to be commissioned to perform Level III maintenance on Honeywell's traffic alert and collision avoidance system TCAS 2000 and Level IV data link Mode S transponders.
VISIONAIRE CORP., St. Louis, Mo., named Angelo V. Fiataruolo executive vice president. Fiataruolo formerly served as senior vice president-finance and administration for Canadair and began his career with Cessna Aircraft in the corporate finance department. Most recently he had been operating his own business that included aircraft brokerage, aircraft management and charter. Visionaire, which is developing the all-composite Vantage business jet, said Fiataruolo's responsibilities will include sales, marketing, service and support and administration.
JIM PHILPITT was named assistant airport manager of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla. Philpitt, former senior supervisor of airport operations at Orlando International Airport, will assist in overseeing the day-to-day operations of Lakeland.
JOE MCSHULKIS, a 42-year veteran with Atlantic Aviation, retired from the fixed-base operation chain as senior vice president, Line Service Division. Atlantic officials called McShulkis "an icon in the FBO industry and...a guiding force for Atlantic leadership for over four decades.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will hold a REACHBAC (Regional Effort to Advise Communicate with and Help the Business Aviation Community) meeting and reception April 20 near Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo. The session will include a 90-minute air traffic services users dialogue featuring FAA ATC managers from local facilities, followed by briefings and discussions on additional operational, technical and legislative issues.
SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS named Douglas Read manager of the Washington, D.C. office. He previously was program manager, engine oil licensing and certification system coordinator, transportation standards, at the American Petroleum Institute.
ARINC launched a new high-frequency data link service known as GLOBALink/HF. The first ground station became operational in January in San Francisco and the second station was deployed in early March in Hawaii. The two stations provide coverage of the North, Central and South Pacific regions, ARINC said. The planned network of 10 stations will provide coverage of most of the world, including the North Polar Region.
AFL-CIO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL unanimously approved issuance of a charter of affiliation to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents the 15,000 federal and private air traffic controllers and 1,200 FAA engineers. "NATCA's acceptance into the House of Labor is symbolic of labor's resurgence in the United States," said NATCA President Michael McNally. "The 1981 strike of 11,800 air traffic controllers and their subsequent termination by President Ronald Reagan represented the beginning of a downturn for organized labor," McNally said.
PETE WHITAKER was named branch manager of AAR Cooper Aviation's sales and distribution facility in Dallas, Texas. Whitaker has more than 20 years of aircraft parts distribution experience, managing distribution facilities in Long Beach, Calif. and Dallas.
JIM CLOUGH, who has more than 20 years experience designing corporate aircraft interiors, was named manager-styling and design at Bombardier Aviation Services in Tucson, Ariz. where he will report to Rick Zimmerman, general manager. Clough will be responsible for designing interiors for Learjet 31A and 60 aircraft and Model 604 Challengers.
LABOR UNIONS are pushing legislators to get FAA to implement small airport certification. Air Line Pilots Association President J. Randolph Babbitt noted the Nov. 19, 1996 collision of a Beech King Air and United Express Beech 1900 aircraft at the Quincy, Ill. Municipal Airport in which 14 people died in an ensuing fire. He said the airport did not have aircraft rescue and firefighting response capability at the time and was not required to.
BMW ROLLS-ROYCE delivered the 100th BR710 production engine to Gulfstream Aerospace this month for installation on the 42nd Gulfstream V production aircraft. The German manufacturer has produced 120 of the 15,000-pound thrust engines, of which 20 have been used in aircraft flight test and certification programs.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION warned members that another Handbook Bulletin FAA issued this year could "perpetuate the exorbitantly slow process of receiving field approvals from the local FAA office." The bulletin calls for field approval applicants to develop instructions for continued airworthiness for all major alterations and document those instructions on FAA Form 336. NATA, saying that the language in the bulletin is vague, said it has received reports of an FAA field office delaying the processing of field approvals based on the bulletin.
SAAB Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-291-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection for discrepancies of the flight idle stop override mechanism, and corrective action, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Air Transportation Association last week warned that if Congress adopts legislation to restrict foreign repair station use, retaliation would be likely from European nations. Labor unions, meanwhile, urged passage of the legislation, H.R.145, saying current regulation "allows unneeded and possibly unsafe" stations to receive FAA certification. H.R.145, introduced last year by Reps.
HOAC AUSTRIA Model DV 20 Katana airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-84-AD; Amdt. 39-10315; AD 98-04-02) - requires replacing the nose wheel leg of the nose landing gear with an improved part. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Austria.
Aviation industry leaders uniformly opposed user fee proposals by the Administration and National Civil Aviation Review Commission (NCARC) last week, urging congressional leaders to keep the current system intact while Congress prepares legislation to reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration airport programs.
FLIGHT SERVICES GROUP, the Stratford, Conn.-based provider of corporate aircraft management, executive charter and aircraft sales and acquisition services, added six jet aircraft to its air carrier certificate. The aircraft include a Challenger 601-1AER and Falcon 20, based in West Palm Beach, Fla.; a Challenger 600 based in Cleveland, Ohio; a Pilatus PC-12 based in White Plains, N.Y.; a Citation 501-SP based in Norwich, N.Y.; and a King Air C90 based in West Palm Beach and Stratford, Conn. FSG manages more than 30 aircraft at 13 bases.
FOKKER Model F28 Mark 0070 and Mark 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-264-AD; Amdt. 39-10322; AD 98-04-09) - requires a one-time visual inspection for cracking of the brake torque tube lever and corrective action, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
RON WRIGHT joined Lancair International as vice president of operations. Wright, who will oversee production of the Columbia 300, previously was a vice president for Mooney Aircraft Corporation.
