BOMBARDIER BUSINESS AIRCRAFT DIVISION has begun delivery of five Canadair Corporate JetLiners to the People's Republic of China. The aircraft, the corporate variant of the 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet, will be operated by China United Airlines. Bombardier valued the deal, signed in January, at about $116 million U.S., including interior completion, aircraft painting, pilot and maintenance training and spares.
WYMAN-GORDON CO., North Grafton, Mass., earned $11.9 million on revenues of $180 million in its fiscal 1998 first quarter, up from $7.8 million on sales of $134.2 million in the same period a year ago.
BRIT AIR purchased two additional Canadair Regional Jet Series 100 aircraft from Bombardier, a transaction that represents the conversion of two existing options to firm orders. Deliveries of the airline's 12th and 13th CRJ aircraft are scheduled for January and March. The Morlaix, France-based carrier currently operates nine of the 50-passenger CRJs and is scheduled to receive aircraft Nos. 10 and 11 in November and January.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
ANNETTE ROGERS joined Keeton&Rich, Inc. as director of public relations for all accounts. Rogers, who previously was public relations manager for Hyatt Hotels, will be responsible for expanding the agency's capabilities in public relations, including strategic planning, media relations, crisis communications, events coordination and employee relations.
SIMUFLITE said American Airlines is now offering "significantly discounted airfares to pilots and maintenance technicians" flying into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for training at SimuFlite. The discount applies to flights on American Airlines, American Eagle and Canadian Airlines 6000 series flights. The discount must be arranged by SimuFlite. For further information, contact SimuFlite at (800) 527-2463.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE began shipments of the new CDU-XLS upgrade for the approximately 1,700 Global-Wulfsberg GNS-X flight management systems in service today. The upgrade involves replacing the control display unit (CDU) in the cockpit and adding circuitry in the GNS-X's remotely-mounted navigation management unit. For aircraft with dual GNS-X systems, AlliedSignal said the CDU-XLS upgrades "can provide a low-cost way to replace Omega as the primary means of oceanic and remote area navigation," noting that Omega stations went off the air Sept. 30.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR-42-200, -300, and -320 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-140-AD) - proposes to require an inspection to detect corrosion of the rear spars of the wings and corrective actions, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to detect and correct possible corrosion on the rear spars of the wings, which could reduce the structural integrity of the wings.
AERO INTERNATIONAL (REGIONAL) announced that the major airframe inspection intervals for ATR 72 aircraft have been increased from 24,000 cycles to 36,000 cycles, which the regional manufacturer said will lead to a "significant decrease in the aircraft maintenance costs." The increase in inspection intervals follows a Maintenance Review Board Process involving French and U.S. aviation authorities, AI(R) and ATR operators. The new intervals may allow operators to defer the structural checks by up to five years over the current intervals, AI(R) officials said.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY will host the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) Workshop on Control Technologies for Aviation Safety April 22-24 at its Prescott, Ariz. campus. Embry-Riddle and IFAC issued a call for papers on topics pertaining to control technologies for all categories of users including business and general aviation as well as airlines and commuters.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE named Joseph K. Walker senior vice president of international sales and Shawn W. Vick senior vice president of North American sales and administration. Both will report to Bill Boisture, president and chief operating officer of Gulfstream Aircraft Inc. Gulfstream Vice Chairman Bryan Moss and Executive Vice President Gene Rainville will continue to head Gulfstream's international sales efforts, "developing new and existing sales prospects and concentrating on strategic opportunities for growth," the company said.
Fairchild Corp. will focus on the aerospace industry and spin off certain non-core assets, the company said last week. After the selloff, expected to be completed in 1998, the company will consist of Fairchild Fasteners Division and its 65-percent-owned subsidiary, Banner Aerospace Inc. The aerospace units constitute about 92 percent of Fairchild's revenue in fiscal 1997.
THE GENERAL AVIATION ACTION PLAN COALITION, which comprises most of the major associations representing general aviation, Monday told FAA Administrator Jane Garvey that it would write a letter to Senate leaders endorsing the nomination of George Donohue as deputy FAA administrator.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-146-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of the tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) leading edges and surrounding area for discrepancies and corrective action, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by the issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent separation of the horizontal stabilizer from the fin, which could reduce controllability of the airplane.
Organizers of GA Team 2000 acknowledge they have a long way to go to reverse the long downward trend in the number of annual new student pilot starts, but program officials said they are pleased with a 6.6 percent increase in student starts through the first seven months of 1997. The seven-month figures for the current year contrast with declines of 7.4 percent, and 6.7 percent, respectively, in 1996 and 1995, according to Ed Stimpson, chairman of the industry-sponsored, learn-to-fly promotional and marketing program.
PHILIP WOLFE was appointed vice president and general manager for Downtown Airpark, Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla. Wolfe previously managed Unocal Corporation's aviation department in Los Angeles for the past 10 years.
AFTER YEARS OF DECLINE in the number of new students beginning pilot training, GA Team 2000 officials say student starts were up more than six percent in the first seven months of 1997. See article below.
21ST CENTURY JET CORP. established a site on the World Wide Web designed to provide pilots, aviation department managers and executives with business jet analysis. The site is located at www.bizjets.com/
STACEY MOYE was promoted to director of special projects for the National Association of State Aviation Officials. Moye joined NASAO in June as manager of special projects and before that, supervised the online regulatory and statutory law services for LEGI-SLATE, a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.
Reliance on satellites for navigation, communications or surveillance "has the potential for vastly increased delay or total shutdown of the ATC system," former FAA Administrator Langhorne Bond told the Air Traffic Control Association's annual meeting last week in Washington, D.C. Bond questioned the value of the Wide Area Augmentation System, predicting that WAAS will be abandoned because no one will need it, and accused responsible government officials of refusing to address the vulnerability of the Global Positioning System.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE selected UND Aerospace at the University of North Dakota to provide aerospace physiology training to cockpit crews of Global Express and Challenger 604 business jet customers. The physiology training will become part of the standard crew training package for new aircraft customers. The two-day Aviation Physiology course focuses on the physiological phenomena that may occur in flight and addresses hypoxia and other effects of pressure change.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model HS 748 series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-218- AD; Amdt. 39-10143; AD 97-20-05) - requires installation of a modified aileron cable pulley guard and rubbing strips. This amendment is proposed by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent jamming or restricting of the aileron cable, which could lead to the loss of aircraft roll control.
TRIMBLE received Federal Aviation Administration and U.K. Civil Aviation Authority certifications for its three new Plus products. Trimble introduced the 2101 I/O Approach Plus navigation system for primary remote and oceanic navigation, 2101 Approach Plus for IFR operation, and 2000 Approach Plus for IFR supplemental en route, terminal and non-precision approaches.
G.E. (Jerry) Schlesinger, who joined First Aviation Services three months ago (BA, July 21/29), was named president of its parts distribution subsidiary, Aircraft Parts International (API). Schlesinger, who will continue to serve as senior vice president of First Aviation in addition to his new duties, will replace Peter LaSalle, who resigned the presidency of API to pursue other interests.
Mercury Air Group won approval from the Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Authority to begin construction of a new fixed-base operation at the Burbank, Calif. Airport (BUR) that will include a unique architectural design and offer a wide range of amenities for customers. The $5 million, 16-acre facility "will be designed in a 1930s Hollywood style art deco in recognition of the area's strong ties to the motion picture and TV industries," the company said, noting that Burbank is home to Disney, Warner Brothers and the NBC studios.
