SCOTT CLEMENTS was promoted to director of investor relations for Honeywell. Clements will provide communications and guidance for current and prospective Honeywell investors. He joined Honeywell in 1992 in financial planning and reporting and most recently was controller and director of finance information systems and logistics for Honeywell's China operations in Hong Kong.
The Department of Transportation endorsed many of the findings in the National Civil Aviation Review Commission financial report issued in early September but expressed concern over some of the details of the proposals for future funding of the Federal Aviation Administration (BA, Sept. 1/89). In an Oct. 17 letter to NCARC Chairman Norman Mineta, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater called the report "very thoughtful and thorough....I believe the direction you outlined for the FAA is a very positive one."
Gulfstream Aerospace revenues swelled to $464 million in the third quarter of 1997, a 63 percent increase from the $284 million in revenues in third quarter 1996, the company reported last week. Net income for the third quarter of 1997, excluding a one-time, non-cash benefit from the release of a tax valuation allowance reserve, increased to $54.3 million, or $0.70 earnings per share, compared with $17.2 million, or $0.22 earnings per share, in third quarter 1996, the company said.
U.S. GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS posted record billings in the first nine months of the year and manufacturers worldwide reported more than a 50 percent increase in deliveries in the third quarter of 1997. See this article and BA chart of worldwide unit shipments below.
CHRYSLER PENTASTAR AVIATION added a third Gulfstream IV to its charter fleet. The G-IV will be based at Dallas Love Field and operated by a newly formed company, Platinum Air Carters, Inc., on Pentastar's charter certificate. Ron DeSerrano, former aviation manager for Dresser Industries, will be president and chief pilot for Platinum Air Charters. The new company hopes to add more charter aircraft, aircraft management and aviation consulting services in the future.
BMW Rolls-Royce successfully completed a 150-hour endurance test of its BR715 turbofan engine, the latest milestone in a program that is expected to achieve certification next September. The manufacturer, which conducted the test at its Development and Assembly Center in Dahlewitz,Germany, said the BR715 is capable of a maximum thrust of 22,000 pounds. Thrust reverser cyclic tests are being conducted before the engine is torn down and inspected. The BR715 also was selected to power the Boeing MD-95 100-seat airliner.
DUNCAN AVIATION formed a partnership with Audio International of Little Rock, Ark. to offer three entertainment system packages for mid-size business jets. The packages - the Executive Level, the Premium Level and the Presidential Level - will reduce both installation cost and turntime, Duncan officials said. "Duncan Aviation has been installing customized entertainment systems in business aircraft of all types for many years," said John Slieter, vice president of completions and modifications for Duncan.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK., MUNICIPAL AIRPORT COMMISSION requests proposals until 2 p.m. Nov. 14 for the lease of two corporate hangars and adjoining ramp space totaling 226,638 square feet at Little Rock National Airport. The space is available for aircraft maintenance, modification, renovation, painting, interiors and avionics, but not fixed-base operations. To obtain RFP documents, contact Deborah Ledwell, airport manager, at (501) 372-3439.
8GCBC airplanes (Docket No. 97-CE-37-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 87-18-09, which requires an inspection of the sides of the front and rear wood spars for compression cracks and repair or replacement of any wood spar found with compression cracks. This proposal would require installing inspection holes on the top and bottom wing surfaces, repetitively inspecting the front and rear wood spars for damage, repairing or replacing any damaged wood spar, and installing inspection covers.
AAR CORPORATION'S aircraft maintenance facility in Oklahoma City, Okla., won a contract valued at $12 million to provide logistics support for 11 aircraft operated by the U.S. Marshals Service. The one-year contract calls for AAR to provide line maintenance, scheduled heavy maintenance and parts inventory supply and management. The USMS aircraft are operated out of Oklahoma City, El Paso, Texas and Alexandria, Va.
FRANK (SKIP) DUNKER was named service operations manager for Ronson Aviation. Dunker joined Ronson in 1995 as manager, technical support and most recently has served as building and ramp manager. He also has service with American Beechcraft Company, Janelle Aviation, Atlantic Aviation and the flight department of Asplundh Tree Expert Company.
MIDCOAST AVIATION placed a bulk order for Honeywell's new 880 Radar System, the upgraded version of the 870 Radar System. The purchase also included 10 NZ2000 flight management systems. Midcoast plans to take delivery of the units through the end of June.
INVENTORY LOCATOR SERVICE, LP is offering a package of services designed for repair stations and overhaul facilities operating under Part 145 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The services will allow customers to advertise repair and overhaul capabilities on-line to other ILS customers, access more than 30 million line items of parts availability information, list parts for sale on the ILS availability data base, send and receive e- mail and transmit faxes, and buy and sell items by equipment type and location.
BRITISH AEROSPACE ASSET MANAGEMENT-TURBOPROPS received an agreement to lease three Jetstream 32EPs to AeroVIP, a new Argentine carrier. AeroVIP will operate the aircraft out of its hubs in Cordoba and Buenos Aires.
FLIGHT DYNAMICS has begun a development program for certifying its head-up guidance system on the Challenger 604 business jet. The Category II HGS system for the Challenger 604 is a derivative of the system used on Canadair Regional Jet aircraft.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION issued special conditions for the type certification of Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. parachute recovery system, the General Aviation Recovery Device, installed in Cirrus SR-20 aircraft. FAA said current regulations "do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for a parachute recovery system." The special conditions include flight test demonstration requirements intended to ensure that the system performs its intended function without exceeding its strength capabilities.
Air Transport Association took a harsh view of the Wide Area Augmentation System at a House hearing this month, recommending a "technical time-out" for a systems and funding review after an initial system of 24 ground stations is installed. FAA Associate Administrator George Donohue said ATA was repeating "inaccurate" criticism he had seen in the press during the past year, and received varying degrees of support from the General Accounting Office, DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead and aviation leaders testifying before the House Transportation aviation subcommittee.
Commander Aircraft Company, Bethany, Okla., said its board of directors authorized issuance and sale of 360,000 shares of common stock to KuwAm Corp. and its partners, the company's majority shareholder, for $10 per share.
National Air Transportation Association asked the Federal Aviation Administration last week to scrap proposed airworthiness directives on dozens of general aviation aircraft that would require incorporating certain operating restrictions and warnings into the airplane flight manuals. FAA issued more than 20 proposed ADs last month that apply to single- and multi-engine general aviation aircraft - ranging from Beech Barons and King Airs to more than two dozen Cessna and Piper models - equipped with unpowered aileron controls and pneumatic de-icing boots (BA, Sept.
NATIONAL METAL FINISHING, INC., Mirabel, Quebec, received a contract valued between $9 million and $12 million to produce and finish wing panels for the Galaxy and Astra programs. Under the risk-sharing agreement, Israel Aircraft Industries is investing $2.7 million for tooling, concept, design, manufacture and delivery of two prototype wing panel shipsets within a five-month period. The contract initially specifies delivery of 18 wing panel shipsets, comprising 22 components per shipset for the Astra and 28 on the Galaxy.
Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-189-AD) - proposes to require a detailed visual inspection of the flap drive torque tubes in the wing root area to detect inadequate clearance between the torque tubes and surrounding structure or scoring damage to the tubes; and follow-on repetitive inspections or corrective action, if necessary. Accomplishment of certain replacement and modifications would constitute terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
Dassault Falcon Jet is calling 1997 the most successful sales year in Falcon history, recording more than $1 billion in business jet sales through late September. "This is our fourth consecutive year of vigorous Falcon sales with a healthy balance of activity across our four current models," said John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon Jet. "What is exceptional for us is the growth in Falcon sales outside the traditional North American market, where conditions are increasingly competitive," Rosanvallon said.
INNOTECH AVIATION of Montreal was named a recognized maintenance facility for Pratt&Whitney Canada turbine JT15D and PT6A engines. Innotech operates out of new 70,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance and refurbishment facilities at Montreal International Airport, Dorval, Quebec. The facility will provide components, engine and propeller changes, troubleshooting, minor engine inspections and hot section inspections.
MIDCOAST AVIATION received a supplemental type certificate to install a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS I) in Hawker 400s. The STC allows Midcoast to install the antennas on the aircraft's canopy blister rather than using the standard fuselage placement. The STC also covers installation of bottom directional antennas.
