COUNTY OF FULTON, N.Y., requests proposals until 2 p.m. Feb. 13 for a fixed-base operator at Fulton County Airport. Proposals may be obtained at the office of Jon Stead, Purchasing Agent, Supervisors Chambers, Room 205, County Building, Johnstown, N.Y. 12095; telephone: (518) 736-5545.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION approved a new instrument approach procedure based on Global Positioning System navigation at Reno, Nev. Stead Airport. Other recent improvements at Reno Stead include a new above- ground fuel farm and maintenance facility. Plans call for a new firefighting facility and upgrade of runway lighting this spring and, long term, development of a new general aviation terminal.
Duncan Aviation of Lincoln, Neb. signed a letter of intent to buy Kal- Aero, Inc., of Battle Creek, Mich., a combination that will unite two well- respected providers of maintenance, overhaul, refurbishment and completion services for the business aviation market.
ALLIEDSIGNAL Bendix/King Model KSA 470 autopilot servo actuators, Part Numbers 065-0076-10 through 065-0076-15 (Docket No. 97-CE-74-AD) - proposes to require replacing the autopilot servo actuator with a modified actuator. This proposal is the result of two reports of the affected autopilot servo actuators containing loose roll pins within the servo housing. Loose roll pins could fall out, become lodged in the output shaft clutch mechanism, and prevent the mechanism from disengaging.
KLADSTRUP-WETZEL ASSOCIATES, LTD., a Denver-based aircraft dealer, established K-W Aircraft Leasing, LLC, as a separate, affiliated organization to offer short-term leases on turbine-powered aircraft. The new organization will offer 12-, 18- and 24-month operating leases with release, fair market purchase and walk-away options. For more information, call (303) 754-0100.
Four years after then newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien killed the procurement of 50 EH-101 helicopters (BA, Nov. 1, 1993/188), the government selected E.H. Industries to supply 15 AW520 Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters for $790 million. (All monetary figures are expressed in Canadian dollars). Canada said E.H. Industries will get $593 million to supply the EH-101 helicopters, and then approximately $200 million will go for project management, training, spare parts, integrated logistics support and a small contingency allowance.
K-C AVIATION is offering a new series of training sessions for Sundstrand T62T-39 and T62T-40C series auxiliary power units. The three-day sessions, approved by FAA for Inspection Authorization renewal, will cover the complete lines and their installations, as well as borescope inspections, hot section inspections, troubleshooting of electrical interface systems and troubleshooting with an operational engine. The course will be offered April 14-16 in Dallas, July 28-30 in Appleton, Wis., Oct. 13-15 in Westfield, Mass., and Dec. 8-10 in Dallas.
AIRCRAFT OPERATORS who have been providing transportation to hunting and fishing lodges in Alaska under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations will have to upgrade to Part 135 or Part 121 requirements by the end of the year, according to a Notice to Operators FAA published this month. The notice could force a number of small operators out of business because of the cost of achieving and maintaining Part 135 or Part 121 certification. See article below.
Model ATP airplanes and HS 748 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-104-AD; Amdt. 39-10237; AD 97-25-13) - requires inspection of the main hydraulic accumulator for corrosion and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
The U.S. Air Force has identified 10 modifications to its Slingsby T- 3A trainer aircraft to resolve a persistent engine shut-off problem that has kept the fleet of 112 airplanes grounded since July.
Model SA 365N, N1 and AS 365N2 helicopters (Docket No. 97- SW-21-AD) - proposes to require inspections of the main gearbox suspension diagonal cross-member for cracks, and removal of the diagonal cross-member and replacement with an airworthy diagonal cross-member if any crack is found. This proposal is prompted by several reports of cracks in diagonal cross-members.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION officials at the agency's Small Airplane Directorate in Kansas City expect to make a determination by the end of the week about whether they will support Sino-Swearingen Aircraft's request to certify the SJ30-2 under the commuter category of Part 23. Even if such action is recommended by the Kansas City office, both the Transport Airplane Directorate in Seattle and FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. will review the issue before final approval can be granted.
DOUGLAS BLALOCK joined International Airline Support Group, Inc. as vice president-business development, parts. Blalock has 20 years of aviation industry experience, most recently serving as vice president and chief financial officer of Rovair. He also served in various capacities, including vice president of marketing, for Solair, Inc., and as Eastern regional manager of aviation sales for Marathon Battery Co.
JET AVIATION in West Palm Beach, Fla., received a supplemental type certificate to install dual AlliedSignal GNS-XIs FMS systems in Falcon 50 aircraft with Collins electronic flight instrument systems. The STC allows the use of the GPS sensor for sole sensor operation over water, remote areas and in minimum navigation per-formance specification airspace without other sensor input.
ROBERT F. TARDIO, former chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, joined GKMG Consulting Services in Washington, D.C. as a managing director. Before serving as chairman of MWAA during the construction of a new terminal at Washington National and expansion of the passenger terminal at Dulles International, Tardio was chairman of Sovran Bank in Washington.
PRICE of Gulfstream Aerospace shares rose more than three percent to $30 after the company on Monday announced establishment of a program to repurchase up to $200 million of its common stock from time to time in the open market or through negotiated transactions. "This action reflects our strong confidence in Gulfstream's current performance and future growth prospects," said Chairman Ted Forstmann.
Valley Oil continued to increase its supply terminals through the acquisition of Seymour, Texas-based Remco Fuels. Terms of the acquisition, which closed last month, were not disclosed. Remco Fuels provides Phillips 66 aviation fuel and auto gas in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma through 31 supply terminals. The addition follows Valley's expansion of 14 new supply terminals in the Midwest in September. "The purchase of Remco Fuels Inc.
TORONTO CITY AVIATION, a unit of National Helicopters, opened as a full service fixed-base operation at Toronto City Centre Airport. The FBO, which has joined the Esso Aviation associate group in Canada, is operating from short-term facilities with plans under way to open a new facility this summer.
Model Mystere-Falcon 50 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM- 190-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of the clearances around the wiring harnesses of the right-hand electrical cabinet and readjustment of the clearances, if necessary. This proposal also would require installation of protective strips on the wiring harnesses and equipment supports. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continued airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
Lynton Group, Inc. said its United Kingdom subsidiary, Lynton Group Ltd., completed the acquisition of Magec Aviation Ltd. located at London's Luton Airport from a subsidiary of General Electric Company (BA, Dec. 22/270). The Luton FBO is a full-service, 65,000-square-foot facility that provides charter and maintenance and handles a substantial portion of corporate jet traffic in an out of the London metropolitan area.
BANNER AEROSPACE sold BAI, Inc., a $10 million specialty aerospace brokerage company in San Francisco, Calif., to a consortium headed by two former employees in a cash transaction.
GREG FAIRES was appointed supervisor, avionics pricing and installation, for Midcoast Aviation's St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport facility. Faires previously was maintenance and avionics sales and marketing representative for Priester Aviation.
Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-120-AD; Amdt. 39-10238; AD 97-25-14) - requires repetitive inspections of certain refuel/defuel tube assemblies in the engine nacelles for fuel leakage, and corrective action, if necessary. This amendment also will require eventual modification of all tube assemblies, which will terminate the repetitive inspections. This amendment is prompted by issuance of continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
FEDERAL EXPRESS stockholders are scheduled to vote today on the company's proposed acquisition of Caliber System, Inc., a provider of transportation, logistics and related information services. Caliber has 33,500 employees and contractors and 500 facilities worldwide. Its operating companies include RPS, Inc., Viking Freight, Inc., Roberts Express and Caliber Logistics and Caliber Technology. If the transaction is completed, Caliber shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of stock for each Caliber common share.
SPS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Jenkintown, Pa., said its Arnold Engineering Company (AEC) subsidiary acquired the assets of Premier Microwave Corporation's solenoid business in Port Chester, N.Y. The product line, which accounted for 1997 sales of approximately $800,000, will be relocated and combined with AEC's solenoid business in Ogallala, Neb. AEC manufactures magnetic materials and components. SPS Technologies manufactures and markets aerospace and industrial fasteners, precision components, superalloys and magnetic materials.
