Larry L. Risley, the guiding force behind the dramatic growth of Mesa Airlines, plans to retire as chief executive officer of Mesa Air Group by April 30, the company said Friday. Risley, 53, who recently had hip surgery, will retire April 30 or upon the hiring of his replacement, whichever comes first. He will continue to serve as the non-executive chairman of the board of Mesa Air Group. A committee of outside board members was formed and will begin the search for a new chief executive.
TIM MOORE was named program manager for Unison Industries' General Aviation Marketing Group. Moore, who previously served in customer service and engineering positions for General Electric Aircraft Engines Division, will be responsible for managing the development of advanced electronic propulsion controls for general aviation aircraft as well as overseeing OEM customer relations.
DASSAULT FALCON JET and Executive Jet plan to announce the details of their agreement on a fractional aircraft ownership program Dec. 19 at Dassault headquarters at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport.Dassault officials said earlier they were developing a fractional ownership plan with a company already in the business. It is expected the new agreement will involve Executive Jet's purchase of a number of Falcon 2000 business jets.
Rohr, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., reported earnings of $14.9 million, or 55 cents per share, for the first quarter of fiscal 1998 ended Nov. 2, 1997, more than double the $6.8 million, or 29 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Sales for the first quarter were $277.7 million, up 38 percent from $201.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 1997. Rohr, which designs and manufactures engine nacelle systems and other components for large commercial aircraft, said its firm backlog decreased slightly to $1.4 billion on Nov.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-25-AD; Amdt. 39-1018; AD 97-22-11) - 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. This amendment will include a statement of consequences if the limitation is not followed. This AD results from several incidents and five documented accidents involving airplanes equipped with turboprop engines where the propeller beta was used improperly during flight.
HNTB AVIATION, Kansas City, Mo., leads a team selected to provide architectural and engineering services for a new terminal, parking garage, control tower and aircraft rescue and firefighting building at Wilkes- Barre/Scranton, Pa. International Airport. Other team members, all from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, are Acker Associates, Michael J. Pasonick Jr. Inc. and Highland Associates.
AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION said booth space at its 41st Annual Convention and Trade Show is already 60 percent sold with more than 120 exhibitors expected. The convention, scheduled April 7-10 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla., will include sessions addressing the Part 145 rewrite, training, over-head costs, GPS training, tracking parts and closing sales. In addition, Linda Finch will be a featured speaker.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION published a special report, Protection Against Icing: A Comprehensive Overview. The 235-page document lists a wide variety of information on ground deicing and anti-icing programs, several reports on in-flight icing, various U.S. and foreign advisory circulars on the subject, and, a listing of icing-related aviation accidents from 1946- 1996. To obtain a copy of the report, contact FSF at (703) 739-6700.
PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN delivered the first of two BN2T-4S Islander aircraft to Malaysian operator Sabah Air. Sabah Air, which ordered the two aircraft and placed an option for a third, will use the Islander for aerial survey and photography as well as charter flights. Sabah Air provides a variety of air services including passenger and cargo transport, search and rescue, oil support, powerline work, air medical, and flightseeing.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT is staging a grand opening celebration this month at the company's newest base at the West Palm Beach, Fla. International Airport. The FBO chain has been on the airport for years, but as part of its purchase earlier this year of International Aviation Services, it was required to sell its former facility at PBI. Signature is now operating out of the former International Aviation base next to Jet Aviation at the end of Runway 27R.
WOODLAND AVIATION added two King Air turboprops to its charter fleet. The company, which operates a Beech Starship 2000, added a King Air 200 and F90. Woodland Aviation is an authorized Raytheon/Beechcraft dealer.
DASSAULT FALCON JET named H.M. (Mike) Strange vice president of industrial operations at its Little Rock, Ark. completion center. Strange succeeds Roy Pickens, who was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the center (BA, Nov. 10/202). Strange will oversee new Falcon completions and the operations of the Jet Center, a company-owned maintenance facility. He previously was manager of corporate completions for Raytheon Aircraft Co. in Little Rock and before that, served as vice president of manufacturing operations for Arkansas Aerospace.
DAVID ONN, president of Israel Aircraft Industries International (IAII), also was named to the post of chairman. IAII is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries. Onn has been IAII's president since 1994. Previously he was vice president of marketing for IAI Ltd.
After months of often contentious negotiations between air tour interests and representatives of the environmental community on how to control commercial air tour flights over national parks, the two sides have generally agreed on a series of recommendations they believe, "if properly implemented, will provide a workable process whereby the agencies and the public can decide whether commercial flightseeing is appropriate over a particular park and if so, under what conditions flightseeing may or may not take place."
AVIATION INTERESTS expressed disappointment at recent suggestions by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley that he would support closing Meigs Field earlier than the 2002 date he agreed upon in a deal early this year with Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar (BA, Jan. 13/14). Daley reportedly told students at the University of Chicago Law School that once Gov. Edgar retires in 14 months, he hopes that "very shortly" the new governor will understand the need for turning the Meigs Field site into parkland and "it will be done very quickly."
FLIGHTCRAFT added a Citation 501SP and a Westwind II to its charter and management fleet. Flightcraft will operate and provide maintenance for the seven-passenger Westwind, which will be based at the company's Eugene, Ore. facility. Flightcraft will acquire, finance, refurbish and manage the Citation ISP for its owner and base the aircraft in Portland. Flightcraft, which has added five aircraft to its charter and managed fleet this year, operates more than 30 aircraft throughout its network of operations.
SCL, Terminal Aero Santiago, a consortium of Vancouver Airport Services (YVRAS), Agunsa, Sabco and Dragodoes, was awarded a 15-year contract to build an international terminal, control tower, cargo and landside infrastructure at the Santiago International Airport in Chile. The contract is valued at $200 million (U.S.).
PALWAUKEE, ILL. MUNICIPAL AIRPORT is soliciting proposals for operation of a full-service, fixed-base operation at the airport. To obtain proposal documents, contact the airport manager's office at (847) 537-2580; fax, (847) 537-8183. Proposals are due by 4 p.m. Jan. 2.
LITTON INDUSTRIES will manage integration of the total avionics system for the Kaman SH-2G Super Sea Sprite program for the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy. Kaman is providing 11 SH-2G helicopters that will operate from Australian frigates and four Super Sea Sprites that will be based on New Zealand frigates.
ROBERT STEGER joined Avatar as purchasing manager. Steger previously was director of technical purchasing at Solair Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and before that spent 10 years with AAR Allen Aircraft in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
PILATUS Models PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4 and PC-12 airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-18-AD; Amdt. 39-10180; AD 97-22-08) - requires amending the limitations section of the airplane flight manual or the pilot's operating handbook to prohibit the positioning of the power levers below the flight idle stop while the airplane is in flight. This amendment will include a statement of consequences if the limitation is not followed.
SAAB Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-135-AD) - proposes to require an inspection to determine the serviceability of the fire extinguisher of the forward lavatory waste bin and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal also would require installation of a placard adjacent to the fire extinguisher in the forward lavatory waste bin. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a civil airworthiness authority.
The Italian Air Force became the fourth customer for the new C-130J transport last month when it placed an order for 18 of the new J models, which will supplement its existing fleet of 12 C-130H models. Deliveries to the Italian Air Force are scheduled to begin in 1999. The Italian order brings to 73 the number of C-130Js on order from Lockheed Martin. The Royal Air Force was the launch customer in 1995, with an order for 25.
Flyte Comm of Florida, which provides flight tracking information on airline and general aviation aircraft for various aviation uses, has begun an effort to strengthen its security policies surrounding the release of general aviation flight data. Flyte Comm officials said they would "honor requests from aircraft owners or operators to remove their flight identification from any products produced by Flyte Comm" using FAA aircraft data. In addition, Flyte Comm urged other providers of flight tracking information to do the same.
A PRECISION RUNWAY MONITOR system designed and built by AlliedSignal Electronic&Avionics Systems (EAS) was commissioned by FAA at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the manufacturer said, the first production PRM to win approval by the agency. AlliedSignal said the PRM permits flights to conduct safe simultaneous approaches and landings on closely spaced parallel runways during inclement weather. The system is designed to provide controllers with real-time visual and audible aircraft monitoring alerts.
