Avfuel Corp., the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based supplier of aviation petroleum products, completed the acquisition of the Aviation Fuel Sales Division of PS Trading, Inc., the fuel sales subsidiary of PS Group, Inc. The acquisition is the sixth by Avfuel in the past decade, part of a strategy of internal growth and targeted purchases that has seen the company's share of the general aviation and business aviation market grow to more than 20 percent, according to President Craig R. Sincock.
CHANDLER EVANS CONTROL SYSTEMS, a Coltec Industries unit, was selected to supply its full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) system for Turbomeca's Arrius 2K1 turboshaft engine that powers the Agusta A109 "Power" helicopter. The FADEC also is in production for the Turbomeca Arrius 2B engine powering the Eurocopter EC-135 and is in operation on, or in development for, 12 other aerospace and industrial applications. Chandler Evans, West Hartford, Conn., produces fuel controls, fuel pumps and FADEC systems for aerospace and industrial use.
EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION introduced a new aircraft finance plan developed with Green Tree Financial Services. The plan includes discounted rates for EAA members, fast quote turnaround and financing for nearly any aircraft. For more information, contact Green Tree at (800) 851-1367.
NTSB REPORTED THAT THE NUMBER OF AIR CHARTER AND GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS FELL LAST YEAR NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD last week reported that the number of air charter and general aviation aircraft accidents fell last year although the number of fatalities in GA accidents increased slightly. The accident rates for both charter and GA improved, but some Washington observers note that the rates are likely even better than the NTSB suggests since the flight hour numbers used as the basis for the rates are understated.
U.S. general aviation and air charter operators improved in terms of number of accidents and accident rates in 1997, but the number of fatalities in general aviation aircraft rose by 15, according to annual accident information released by the National Transportation Safety Board. The number of general aviation accidents fell to 1,854 in 1997, a 2.8 percent improvement from the 1,905 in 1996 and an all-time low for GA.
Federal Aviation Administration intends to evaluate an airplane's wake vortex characteristics as part of its type certification process, the agency said in a policy statement issued last week. The new policy, printed in the Feb. 25 Federal Register, stems from a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that FAA require manufacturers to determine "by flight test or other suitable means" an aircraft's wake vortex characteristics.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model BAe 146-100A, -200A and -300A and Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-163-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections of the attachment brackets between the horizontal and vertical stabilizers to detect intergranual corrosion, and follow-on actions. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
In a move that effectively exempts aviation gasoline and jet fuel from new state motor fuel taxes, the Tennessee Department of Revenue last month issued a notice to motor fuel tax registrants stating that it will not enforce the new law's registration requirements for fixed-base operators (BA, Jan. 19/24). The motor fuel taxes exempted both aviation gasoline and jet fuel, but on the condition that jet fuel purchasers register with the federal government.
The City of New York may impose extended nighttime curfews, order the phaseout of weekend operations and require a 47 percent reduction in overall operations at the East 34th Street Heliport in Manhattan because those actions are within its powers as proprietor of the facility, a federal court held in February. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled, however, that the city's prohibition on the operation of Sikorsky S-58Ts, or helicopters of a similar size, for sightseeing operations was unjust discrimination.
AI(R) APPEARS AS IF ITS HEADED TOWARD A SEPARATION UNDER ITS LATEST RESTRUCTURING AERO INTERNATIONAL (REGIONAL), the European consortium that markets British Aerospace's Avro jet line and ATR's regional turboprops, appears headed toward a separation under its latest restructuring. The final details need to be worked out, but marketing of the Avro program is slated to revert to British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Ltd. and the ATR program will become Aerospatiale-ATR as a company rather than the Aerospatiale/Alenia partnership that previously formed ATR.
AERMACCHI S.205 Series and Models S.208 and S.208A airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-140-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the landing gear rod springs to assure they are made with a wire diameter of 4.5 millimeters and replacing any that have a wire diameter of 4.0 mm. This proposal is prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Italy. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of the landing gear caused by an insufficient wire diameter of the rod springs.
Despite industry objections, Federal Aviation Administration last month issued airworthiness directives on more than one hundred aircraft calling for certain operating restrictions in icing conditions. The ADs, proposed in September (BA, Sept. 22/123), apply to both single- and multi-engine general aviation aircraft ranging from Beech Barons and King Airs to Cessna Citations, Commander and Piper models. In all, general aviation aircraft produced by more than 20 manufacturers are covered.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer received an order from Business Express Airlines for 20 of its ERJ-135 37-seat regional jet. The order follows an announcement that Trans States Airlines increased its agreement for the 50-passenger ERJ-145 to nine firm with options for 18 more.
Bell Helicopter, which agreed to assume The Boeing Company's 49 percent interest in the 609 civil tiltrotor program (BA, Feb. 16/77), also signed an agreement to purchase Boeing's single-engine commercial helicopter business, the companies announced last week. Boeing announced two weeks ago that it would sell its commercial helicopter business, and observers speculated that Textron would be the buyer. Terms of the transaction, subject to due diligence and regulatory approvals, were not disclosed.
LOCKHEED Model 1329-23 and -25 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-93-AD) - proposes to require replacement of a certain tailpipe V-band coupling with a new tailpipe V-band coupling. This proposal is prompted by reports indicating that the flight crew received a fire/overheat warning as a result of displacement of engine tailpipes, which allowed hot exhaust gases into the engine bypass duct.
BOMBARDIER HAS GARNERED 75 FIRM ORDERS FOR THE LONG-RANGE BUSINESS JET BOMBARDIER, a few months away from certification for the Global Express, has garnered 75 firm orders for the long-range business jet. The Global Express is expected to win certification in May or June with the flight test program accumulating 1,399 flight hours in 508 flights by January. Bombardier expects to send the second Global Express aircraft to its completion center in Montreal in the near future for custom fitting.
BOB STOUT was appointed corporate director, human resources for FlightSafety International. Stout, most recently vice president of human resources for Sanofi, Inc., will oversee human resources for FlightSafety's international workforce.
AAR COOPER AVIATION was named a worldwide distributor for Ameri-King Corp., the Fountain Valley, Calif. manufacturer of general aviation avionics. Ameri-King produces the AK-450 emergency locator transmitter as well as altitude encoders, GPS/NAV switches and relampable annunciator panels.
Bell boosted its Model 609 orderbook to 61 with sales for three of the Model 609 tiltrotors in Japan. The sale to Mitsui Bussan Aerospace paves the way for Bell to penetrate a key market. "We are hoping to create a new concept in Japan," said MBA president Mosanori Sugaya. Mitsui is Bell's longtime sales agent in Japan. Sugaya said the Model 609 is a natural for the island nation's unique operating conditions. This includes wide stretches of urban area separated by central mountainous regions and large tracts of water.
ADVISORY CIRCULAR LEAVES THE DEFINITION OF UNAPPROVED PARTS AMBIGUOUS FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION late last month issued its Advisory Circular on unapproved parts, but the AC still leaves the definition of unapproved parts ambiguous. National Air Transportation Association noted that the document, "Detecting and Reporting Suspect Unapproved Part," offers guidance on identifying and handling suspected parts, but said the new definition of unapproved parts "is far too complicated.
MONICA KONYAR was appointed regional sales manager for the Great Lakes Region for Textron Lycoming. Konyar, an 11-year Lycoming employee, has served in a number of capacities, including quality assurance, production control and, most recently, customer service.
PACIFIC AEROSPACE&ELECTRONICS, INC., Wenatchee, Wash., acquired Balo Precision Parts, a Butler, N.J., designer and maker of hermetic enclosures and modules for aerospace and military uses. "This acquisition is a precise fit with our strategy to vertically integrate and increase our product offerings and should create even stronger synergies among our Electronics Group Companies," Don Wright, Pacific president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.
AIRMOTIVE, Burbank, Calif., appointed Michael Carroll president and chief operating officer. Carroll has more than 30 years of industry experience, holding key management positions at the Ages Group, AAR, Pan American World Airways and American Airlines.
AVIATION INTERNATIONAL (REGIONAL) delivered an ATR 42-300 regional turboprop to Societe Martinique Aeronautique. The aircraft will be flown between the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Societe Martinique Aeronautique and new parent Air Guadeloupe operate four ATR aircraft - two ATR 72s and two ATR 42s - on their Caribbean routes.
