MILLER AVIATION is offering installation and service on a range of avionics components manufactured by Honeywell, Magnastar and Cal Corporation. Miller previously was authorized to exchange Honeywell products, "but now we have the authority to quote, sell and install the full line of Honeywell's avionics products. With the addition of Magnastar and Cal Corporation's quality equipment, Miller Aviation is now able to offer an even larger selection of avionics components and systems," the company said.
BRIAN JAMES was appointed chief financial officer and corporate vice president of The Aerostructures Corporation. James joined Aerostructures in 1991 as vice president of finance. Before that, he was a group controller for Textron.
CORPORATE AIRCRAFT manufacturers and operators enjoying the current business boom will be glad to know the airline industry is taking steps to convert more airline business travelers to corporate aircraft users. As if airline load factors in the 80-plus percent range weren't enough to drive business travelers away, the Association of Flight Attendants and American Airlines executives and pilots asked FAA last week to implement and enforce uniform carry-on baggage rules.
US Airways will begin regional jet service Jan. 19 under a code-share agreement with Mesa Airlines, Farmington, N.M., which will operate the 12 Canadair RJ aircraft specified in the pact. US Airways Express is a network of nine regional airlines, but none of the regional carriers in the Northeast has regional jets in service. A US Airways spokesman said there are no plans at present to increase the number of regional jets.
Cornerstone Logic, Greenville, S.C., released Version 3.00 of AeroClub Manager, a software system developed to help flying clubs manage day-to-day activities. Improvements in the latest version include new modules for tracking pilot account balances, setting up beginning balances and improving reporting and accounting procedures. The management program also provides aircraft and pilot tracking, flight tracking, leaseback reporting and maintenance tracking.
RONSON AVIATION, Trenton-Mercer, N.J. Airport, added an eight-passenger Citation II business jet to its charter fleet, which also includes two Beech C99 15-passenger airliners.
PRESIDENT CLINTON, along with a number of other top government officials, is scheduled to visit a Cessna Aircraft facility in Wichita today, but the presidential visit has a lot more to do with "workfare" than aviation. Clinton will participate in the dedication of expanded facilities for Cessna's 21st Street training program in which welfare recipients are hired and trained in basic sheet metal assembly techniques.
Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-137-AD; Amdt. 39- 10159; AD 97-21-06) - requires repetitive inspections of the torsion tubes and fittings of the elevator and rudder assemblies to detect stress corrosion cracking and replacement of cracked parts. This action also requires accomplishment of a modification that constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This amendment is prompted by reports indicating that stress corrosion and cracking in these parts has been found on some airplanes.
A MEXICAN OPERATOR, Servicio Aereo Saltillo, S.A. de C.V., asked the Transportation Department for a one-year exemption to engage in charter transportation between Mexico and the U.S. and between other countries and the U.S. Saltillo operates a King Air C90A turboprop, XA-RXT, and anticipates it will operate 60 roundtrip flights annually between Mexico and the U.S. Among the principal users of the aircraft are executives of Agricola Gapa, S.A., de C.V., a large potato farm owned by the president of Saltillo.
WAYFARER AVIATION added a Challenger 601-3R and a King Air 200 to its fleet this month and is basing both aircraft in Massachusetts where they will be available for charter Dec. 15. The Challenger is the fifth in Wayfarer's fleet.
Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 97- NM-05-AD; Amdt. 39-10168; AD 97-21-15) - requires a modification of the electrical system in the equipment bay area by replacing certain cables, clamps and fairleads with new components. This amendment is prompted by a report indicating that the incorrect size of electrical cables were used in the generator feeder circuit to certain busbars from the generator contractors. As a result, the electrical cables are not compatible with the generator rating requirements and can overheat.
National Air Transportation Association charged that the Federal Aviation Administration was "abusing its authority" by threatening 30-day revocation notices unless operators develop their own approved maintenance program for aircraft equipment. In a Nov. 10 letter to Dennis Piotrowski, FAA assistant manager, Aircraft Maintenance Division, NATA noted that a local Flight Standards District Office in the Central Region considers original manufacturer's instructions for continued airworthiness inadequate and/or incomplete.
Air Methods Corp., Denver, Colo., reported soaring revenues and profits for the third quarter and strong gains for the first nine months, due primarily to an acquisition this summer.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION board of directors named Art Wegner, chairman, chief executive and president of Raytheon Aircraft, chairman and David Caplan, chairman and chief executive for Pratt&Whitney Canada, vice chairman for the upcoming year. Wegner has been serving as acting chairman of the association since the summer, when former Chairman Fred Breidenbach stepped down as president and chief operating officer of Gulfstream Aerospace (BA, Aug. 4/49).
Model C-212 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-120-AD; Amdt. 39- 10167; AD 97-21-14) - requires an initial inspection of the restrictor pistons on the shock absorbers of the left and right main landing gear to determine the number and condition of threaded screw pins that are installed; replacement of any discrepant pin; and repetitive inspections of certain pistons. Modification of certain pistons by the installation of two additional pins terminates these inspections.
GEORGE SIMMONS was appointed director of Seattle operations for Teledyne Controls. Simmons, who has been with Teledyne Controls for 19 years, will oversee the strategic direction of the business and commuter avionics product line. He formerly has served as director of the ACARS product line, director of systems engineering, regional director-Pacific and director of sales and marketing-aircraft systems.
HOWMET CORPORATION promoted John Ritter to senior vice president and chief financial officer and B. Dennis Albrechtsen to vice president of manufacturing and general manager of Whitehall Casting. Ritter will oversee corporate development, marketing, planning and contract management in addition to his current responsibilities for finance, information systems and audit. Albrechtson will be responsible for manufacturing of Whitehall Casting and Titanium Casting in Whitehall, Mich. as well as Structural Casting in Hampton, Va.
FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY William Perry was appointed to Boeing's board of directors. Perry, who served as secretary of defense from February 1994 to January 1997, also serves on the boards of United Technologies Corp., Hambrecht&Quist and other technology companies. His term at Boeing will expire in 2000.
Dassault Falcon Jet named aviation industry veteran Roy Pickens senior vice president and general manager of its expanding facility in Little Rock, Ark. Pickens succeeds William Bracas, who resigned to pursue new opportunities. "Our Little Rock facility will deliver some 40 Falcons in 1997, a record number. This dramatic improvement in capacity would not have been possible without Bill Bracas' devotion and leadership during a time of busy growth," said John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon Jet.
Metal component manufacturer Precision Castparts Corp. reported record sales, gross margins, earnings before interest and taxes, and income in the second quarter of fiscal 1998. The Portland, Ore. company reported sales of $318.1 million for the second quarter ended Sept. 28, 1997, a 30 percent increase over sales of $244.9 million in second quarter of fiscal 1997. Precision said acquisitions completed during fiscal 1997 contributed nearly 45 percent of the increased sales.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received Level D certification from Transport Canada for the Canadair Challenger 601-3A/34 flight simulator located at the Bombardier Business Aircraft learning center in Tucson, Ariz. Designed and built by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla., the simulator previously received FAA Level D certification. FlightSafety expects to add a Challenger 604 full flight simulator to the Tucson center in the first quarter of 1998.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT appointed Peter Herr vice president-international sales. In his new position, Herr assumes the additional duties of sales in the Far East along with his sales responsibilities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Herr will coordinate activities with regional sales managers and international dealers in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan to further develop sales in the Far East. He joined Raytheon in 1978 as a research and development engineer.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model 4101 (Jetstream) airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM- 164-AD; Amdt. 39-10122; AD 97-19-02) - requires repetitive functional testing of the main entrance door, cleaning and lubrication of the "speed" lock and "G" lock systems, and repair, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by reports of flight crews and ground crews being unable to open the main entrance door.
