SEN. SLADE GORTON (R-Wash.), chairman of the Senate aviation subcommittee, last week punctuated the point when an Air Transport Association official complained that DOT is eyeing billions in new user fees at a time when the uncommitted balance of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund is expected to approach $8.6 billion by the end of fiscal 1999. The ATA official noted that if the government is going to continue to increase the industry's costs, then more money should be spent on aviation.
Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) last week warned aviation officials that unless the major airlines and airports can reach an agreement on airport funding, Congress likely will authorize the Airport Improvement Program for one year with little change or increase in funding. Most of the aviation industry agrees that AIP should receive at least $2 billion annually - airports are seeking a slightly higher level - but the airports and airlines strongly disagree about the future of the passenger facility charge.
The Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation last week drew praise for providing a reprieve for Part 135 operators from new rules covering new fire detection and suppression systems and passenger manifest requirements. FAA Thursday issued a final rule calling for an upgrade of Class D cargo compartments on commercial aircraft to meet either Class C or E fire detection and suppression requirements.
PARTICIPANTS in a meeting last week to discuss concerns about the release of general aviation flight tracking information agreed to develop a "code of conduct" governing the release and use of such information.People who attended the session at National Business Aviation Association headquarters in Washington, D.C. Monday said participants generally agreed that the benefits of having such data available outweigh potential problems.
DAYTON-GRANGER, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Bristol Aerospace Limited, Winnipeg, Canada, have teamed to develop Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS) cutter assembly technology that incorporates antenna functions into the deflector component. Dayton-Granger recently completed the first prototype WSPS Antenna unit. Flight test and evaluation by the U.S. Army is expected to begin in the second quarter.
Praxair, Inc., one of the world's largest providers of industrial gases with $4.7 billion in 1997 sales, signed a letter of intent to buy Treffers Precision, Inc., a privately held company in Phoenix, Ariz. Treffers has annual sales of approximately $17 million and 208 employees. Terms of the acquisition, which is subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino approval, were not disclosed.
BRITISH AEROSPACE ASSET MANAGEMENT placed a Jetstream 32EP with Alberta Citylink based in Medicine Hat. Alberta Citylink, a feeder to Air BC and Air Canada, provides service to Calgary, Lethbridge, Lloydminister, Cold Lake and Edmonton. The regional carrier is the fourth airline to operate the Jetstream 32EP. Corporate Express Airlines of Nashville, Tenn., AeroVIP of Argentina and O'Connor Airlines of Mount Gambier, South Australia also have launched the 32EP.
Fairchild Aerospace named two senior executives of the company to head new business units. Fairchild Aerospace President Jim Robinson announced the promotion of Michael L. Meshay to president of Fairchild Dornier's Aircraft Components and Services. Meshay will be responsible for the Airbus, international logistics and helicopters/maintenance businesses at the company's facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, Germany. He also will assume responsibility for all San Antonio operations.
BRIAN NILSSON was appointed airline customer service manager for Piedmont Aviation Services. Nilsson, a 25-year Piedmont veteran, will be responsible for the company's newly established Customer Service Department for its airline support business.
ATLANTIC TURBINES INC., a CHC Helicopter Corp. unit, won a five-year contract to provide repair and overhaul services for American Eagle's PW100 turbine engines. CHC noted that American Eagle is one of the largest operators of PW100 engines, historically spending about $20 million annually for maintenance.
THE INDEPENDENT PILOTS ASSOCIATION said it reached agreement with United Parcel Service on a labor contract that will increase pilot compensation by 27 percent over seven years. Pilots will receive a 21 percent pay increase retroactive to Dec. 30, 1995, and pay will increase an additional six percent between 1999 and 2003. In addition to the pay increase, IPA said the new agreement reduces the total number of hours pilots are scheduled as "on duty," and provides protection to reduce the effects of circadian rhythm disruption.
HORIZON AIR phased out the last of its 18-seat turboprop Metroliners last week, completing the carrier's transition to a fleet of 37-seat de Havilland Dash 8 turboprops and Fokker F28 regional jets. Horizon, based in Seattle, Wash., serves 37 cities in western North America from California through the Northwest U.S. to British Columbia and Alberta in Canada.
DORNIER Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-109-AD; Amdt. 39-10281; AD 98-01-19) - requires replacement of the main landing gear uplocks with new or modified main landing gear uplocks. This amendment is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the main landing gear to lock in the stowed position due to ice accumulation on the uplock hook and roller assembly.
Terry Graham, who had been chief operating officer at Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis, Ind., is leaving the engine manufacturer to pursue opportunities outside the company. John Ferrie, currently managing director of Military Aero Engines for Rolls-Royce plc in Bristol, England, will assume the position of executive vice president-business operations at Allison effective March 1. Ferrie will report to S. Michael Hudson, president and chief executive officer of Allison.
SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT signed the team of Flight Economy and CSE Aviation as distributor of the SJ30-2 business jet in the United Kingdom. Flight Economy, based in Stockholm, Sweden but holder of a distributorship in the U.K., selected CSE Aviation, based at Oxford Airport in England, to serve as its agent to perform all the distribution and service functions within the U.K. Flight Economy ordered six of the business jets for the U.K. territory. The aircraft are slated for delivery to CSE over a three-year period, beginning in the last quarter of 2000.
MESA AIR GROUP board of directors named Paul R. Madden chairman of the board, and James Swigart vice chairman. The election of Madden and Swigart follows the resignation last week of Mesa Airlines founder Larry Risley as board chairman. Madden, 71, is an attorney who had served as corporate and Securities and Exchange Commission counsel to Mesa Air Group from 1988 until last June, when he was named to the board.
F28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-174-AD; Amdt. 39-10266; AD 98-01-02) - requires a one-time visual inspection of the rear cargo door and luggage auxiliary structure for corrosion, repetitive borescope inspections of the rear cargo door, and removal and repair of any corrosion found during the inspections.
INTERNATIONAL LORAN ASSOCIATION will hold its 27th Annual Convention and Technical Symposium Oct. 12-16 at Ferncroft Conference Resort in Danvers, Mass. and has issued a call for papers to be presented at the event. Submissions should be sent before March 15 to Robert Lilley, Illgen Simulation Technology, 130 Robin Hill Road, Suite 200, Goleta, Calif. 93117 ; fax: (805) 692-2334. For more information about the convention and technical symposium, contact the ILA at (805) 967-8649.
VISIONAIRE CORPORATION signed a contract with Pratt&Whitney Canada to purchase 2,965-pound-thrust JT15D-5 engines to power its new Vantage single-engine business jet. The five-year agreement covers engine deliveries through 2002, with a potential contract value of $175 million.
BRADLEY BROWNELL was appointed HS125 program manager for Atlantic Aviation's Aircraft Services Division. Brownell has 17 years of aviation experience, having held positions with Camp Systems, International Aircraft Tank and Trans World Airlines.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION this week is expected to announce record billings and business jet deliveries as well as dramatic increases in piston aircraft deliveries for U.S. GA manufacturers during 1997. Cessna already reported it delivered more new aircraft in 1997 than in any year since 1985 with nearly a third of the total comprising business jets (BA, Jan. 26/33). Raytheon Aircraft last week announced record sales of $2.446 billion in 1997 with a 27 percent increase in Hawker 800XP deliveries and a 48 percent increase in Beechjet deliveries.
CESSNA FINANCE CORPORATION appointed Laura Ice as assistant general counsel and Mitchel McKinlay regional sales manager for the Ontario, Calif. branch office. Before joining CFC, Ice was a shareholder in the Wichita law firm of Adams, Jones, Robinson&Malone. McKinlay formerly was director of marketing for Great Western Aviation in Ogden, Utah.
SimuFlite Training International is offering seven scholarships valued at more than $60,000 during 1998, including six Cessna Citation pilot training opportunities and one for a maintenance training course. Four pilot scholarships are available through the University Aviation Association, an alliance of more than 199 accredited colleges and universities. Application for deadlines is March 31. Another pilot scholarship is available through the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Museum in Detroit, Mich., with an April 30 deadline for applications.
Mercury Air Group, Inc. reported the best financial performance in company history in the quarter ended Dec. 31, 1997, but the Los Angeles- based firm posted a net loss for the first six months of its fiscal year due to a bankruptcy filing by a major customer.
