National Business Aviation Association recently promoted a number of its staff members, including Robert Blouin and Pete West to senior level positions. Blouin, who joined the association in March as vice president, operations (BA, March 31/142), was promoted to senior vice president, operations. West, a 10-year NBAA veteran and former vice president, government affairs, will take on additional responsibility for public affairs in his new position as senior vice president, government and public affairs.
Models M20F, M20J and M20L airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-51-AD; Amdt. 39-10251; AD 97-26-08) - requires removing the fuel cap retaining lanyard from the fuel filler cap assemblies. A report of lost engine power during flight because of fuel starvation prompted the action. The investigation revealed that the airplane fuel float became trapped by the fuel cap retaining lanyard, keeping the float from following the fuel level. This condition caused the pilot to get a false fuel quantity reading.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION adopted a resolution calling for its members to phase out operation of Stage 1 aircraft by 2005. NBAA estimated that less than one percent of more than 6,800 business aircraft operated by its members are Stage 1. FAA currently bans Stage 1 aircraft weighing more than 75,000 pounds and the resolution stems from a joint effort with FAA to call on "all NBAA members to refrain from adding Stage 1 aircraft to their fleets beginning in January 2000 and furthermore recommends ending operation of such aircraft by January 2005."
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Phil Boyer wrote to President Clinton and other top Administration and congressional leaders this month, asking for action in finding and appointing members of an FAA Management Advisory Council (MAC). Creation of a 15-member MAC was specified in the FAA Reauthorization Act that Clinton signed in October 1996, but 15 months later Clinton still has not appointed any members.
Pilots looking for jobs had a banner year in 1997, according to a survey by Atlanta-based AIR Inc. The company reported more pilots were hired in 1997 than at any other time in history, with 11,936 pilots finding work. Major airlines hired the most pilots, 32 percent, or 3,854, and national carriers hired 3,194. Jet operators added 1,946 employees to the payroll and non-jet operators 1,762. December was a strong employment month with 178 of 227 carriers hiring. Eight of the 14 major airlines produced 269 new pilot jobs in December.
IAN LOWDEN was promoted to vice president for Simat, Helliesen&Eichner. Lowden has served with SH&E for eight years, helping develop the company's business in commercial strategy for airlines and airports.
BMW ROLLS-ROYCE hopes to generate operational profits "around the year 2000," according to the managing director, Klaus Nittinger. The joint venture, which was set up in 1990, has so far invested 1.8 billion Deutsche marks. To date, it has won 500 firm orders for its BR700 engine series. The company puts the value of its order book at 2.5 billion marks. The manufacturer is aiming at increasing its sales from 500 million marks in 1997 to about 1 billion marks in 1999.
DASSAULT ELECTRONIQUE and Sextant Avionique are forming a joint venture to market products developed by the parent companies to airlines and aircraft manufacturers.
Preliminary figures show that western-built turboprop and commuter hull losses in 1997 totaled 36, or five more than in 1996, according to Airclaims. "Based on previous experience, the final number of turboprop total losses for 1997 is likely to increase as more losses become known, a poor result," it said. Estimated cost of major hull losses suffered by turboprop and commuter aircraft was $109 million, "which is considerably up on 1996 but is similar to the annual average for the first part of the 1990s which is $100 million," Airclaims said.
Model HS 748 (Jetstream) series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-222-AD; Amdt. 39-10248; AD 97-26-05) - requires inspections of the inspection holes in all engine "W" frame socket fittings to determine if certain fasteners have been installed, or if the inspection holes have been reworked, and corrective action, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
BRIAN SCHANK was promoted to regional sales manager for K-C Aviation, responsible for sales in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Indiana and Wisconsin. A 10-year K-C Aviation employee, Schank formerly was technical service administrator on Canadair, Falcon, Gulfstream and Raytheon aircraft.
AVCARD, the provider of credit cards, commercial transaction data and contract fuel to corporate flight departments and fixed-base operators, said its cardholder base has grown to more than 22,000 aircraft, in part as a result of the two-year contract that began in October from the U.S. government. Avcard noted that the number of cardholders should grow by 1,000 in the next few months as it issues the remaining government cards. The contract calls for aircraft operated by all departments of the U.S.
C. Dennis Wright, a veteran technical affairs executive who spent more than a dozen years with the National Business Aircraft Association, joined RTCA, Inc. as vice president and corporate secretary. The Washington-based organization, formerly known as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, said Wright's new position was created by the RTCA board "to assist in managing the expanding work program of the organization."
FAA EASTERN REGION is requesting letters of interest by Feb. 18 in documenting and disseminating aviation weather observations at various locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. Letters should be submitted to FAA, AEA-55B, Attn.: Nadene Fontano, Acquisition Management Branch, Eastern Region, Fitzgerald Federal Bldg. 111, JFK Airport, Jamaica, N.Y. 11430; fax: (718) 995-5685.
DASSAULT FALCON JET has planned a series of one-day regional conferences in February and March for Falcon operators. The conferences will cover latest product and system developments and improvements in customer support program offerings. The conferences also will serve as a forum for Falcon operators to present ideas and concerns to Dassault management representatives. The conferences are scheduled for: Feb. 17 in Detroit; Feb. 18 in Sydney, Australia; Feb. 19 in Chicago; Feb.
BARRY VALENTINE, former FAA executive, joined the board of advisers of The Americas Group consulting firm. The Americas Group, based in Miami, Fla., assists U.S. and European companies develop and implement market entry strategies for the Caribbean and Latin America and provides similar assistance to Latin American companies seeking access to U.S. financial or commercial markets.
BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE GROUP named Brad Cvetovich vice president and general manager of the company's customer services organization. Cvetovich, 62, is a 30-year veteran of customer service, engineering and manufacturing assignments who worked at North American Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas before joining Boeing in 1990. He will be responsible for more than 4,500 Boeing employees in the Seattle area, in Long Beach, Calif., and worldwide who provide technical and logistics support for more than 10,000 airplanes in the combined Boeing and Douglas fleets.
STATE OF MARYLAND will loan $1 million to the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority in Cumberland, Md., for construction of a 20,000-square-foot maintenance hangar at the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport.
Models MX-7-420 and MXT-7-420 airplanes and Models M-7-235 and M-7-235A airplanes modified in accordance with STC SA2661SO with gas turbine engines, certain amphibious floats and certain propellers (Docket No. 97-CE-40-AD; Amdt. 39-10257; AD 97-26-14) - requires amending the limitations section of the airplane flight manual to prohibit the positioning of the power levers below the flight idle stop while the airplane is in flight. The airplane flight manual amendment will include a statement of the consequences if the limitation is not followed.
ADVANCED AERODYNAMICS&STRUCTURES INC. appointed Arthur Ruff vice president of manufacturing. Ruff is responsible for all manufacturing operations for the single-turboprop Jetcruzer and the long-range twin Stratocruzer aircraft. He has more than 25 years of aerospace manufacturing experience, serving as director of manufacturing for Cessna Aircraft, program manager for Fairchild Corp. and manager of manufacturing systems for Martin Marietta Missile Systems.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR JANE GARVEY continued to impress general aviation leaders last week with her message about the importance of FAA/industry cooperation and partnership. The administrator spent a good portion of the week meeting with GA leaders, first in a strategizing session with the General Aviation Action Plan Coalition - which comprises most of the GA industry associations - and then in Wichita, where she toured the plants of Raytheon, Cessna and Learjet and had individual sessions with senior officials from those companies.
DYNCORP, the Reston, Va.-based provider of high technology services, named Paul T. Graham corporate vice president and treasurer. Graham, an eight- year veteran of DynCorp, has been director of finance for the $1.2 billion company.
National Business Aviation Association scheduled a meeting early next month to address concerns surrounding the release of general aviation flight tracking information. NBAA was among the industry associations that sought release of the aircraft situational display (ASD) data by FAA and has been involved in a marketing agreement with Flyte Comm of Florida for the dissemination of the information. However, since FAA began providing the data in August 1996, concerns have cropped up about potential misuse of the information (BA, Dec. 8/243).
INDUSTRY LEADERS in Wichita conveyed to Garvey the need for good communication between FAA and the industry as well as for timely and consistent answers regarding general aviation issues. Another concern is modernization of the air traffic control system. Garvey, in turn, stressed that improving safety is in everyone's interest and can be accomplished only through coordination between FAA and industry.
