DAVID MONTGOMERY was named director of manufacturing operations for Smiths Industries Aerospace's Clearwater, Fla. manufacturing plant. Montgomery will oversee assembly, test, production control, engineering and facilities management. Before joining Smiths Industries in 1996, Montgomery served as operations manager at Honeywell/Group Technologies.
MARC FRUCHTER AVIATION signed an agreement to add a Westwind to its Part 135 charter fleet. The Reading, Pa.-based on-demand operator expects the aircraft to receive authorization for operation under its certificate and to be available for charter in December. Marc Fruchter said the arrangement was "slightly unusual" for the charter firm because it owns most the aircraft it operates, but will manage this particular aircraft. Marc Fruchter also operates two Beechjet 400As, two Beech King Air 200s and a Beech King Air C90 turboprop.
AlliedSignal Aerospace expects to win FAA certification in the first quarter of 1998 for a new version of its Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) designed for customers who operate older aircraft with analog avionics systems. The EGPWS can display nearby terrain and provide much earlier terrain warnings than traditional ground proximity warning systems (GPWS). The expanded system currently is certified for use on several business aircraft with digital avionics.
BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE GROUP will not send any new 737-700 aircraft to final assembly for the next 25 days and is halting production of the 747 for 20 manufacturing days as the company struggles to cope with parts shortages resulting from major production rate increases. "Boeing has been going through all the growth pains associated with ramping up from a production schedule of 18 airplanes per month just 18 months ago to 40 planes per month today," said President Ron Woodard.
Arinc and Mitre have formed SkySource, a company that will provide a "single, integrated source of aeronautical information that will facilitate collaboration" between airspace users and FAA, the companies said Wednesday at the Air Traffic Control Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. They said the new company, welcomed by several industry leaders, will be instrumental in developing the Free Flight regime. Mitre is setting up a separate affiliate to participate in SkySource.
2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-167-AD; Amdt. 39-10099; AD 97-16-07) - requires replacement of the existing fire, tailpipe and bleed-air overheat detector control units with new, improved units. This amendment is prompted by reports indicating that false engine and auxiliary power unit fire warnings were issued from the fire detector control units due to moisture or induced voltages of the detector control unit. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent such false fire warnings, which could result in unnecessary diversion of the airplane.
MILLER AVIATION is offering U.S. Customs service on site at its Binghamton, N.Y. Regional Airport terminal. The Binghamton Regional Airport is providing the service, available to all inbound or outbound flights. The U.S. Customs office is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is on-call during non-office hours seven days a week.
BBA GROUP PLC formed Aviation Services Group, which consists of Signature Flight Support, Dallas Airmotive and International Turbine Services, Inc. Richard (Dick) Dodson, Signature president, was named president and chief executive of the new business unit.
THE CARLYLE GROUP acquired UNC Aviation Services and UNC/Lear Siegler subsidiaries from UNC, Inc. The combined operations will be renamed Lear Siegler Serivces, Inc., with headquarters remaining in Annapolis, Md. John H. Moellering was named president and chief executive officer of the new entity.
The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing to amend the terminal area surrounding the Anchorage, Alaska International Airport (ANC), including a new requirement to maintain two-way communications between air traffic controllers and pilots operating in areas east of the airport.
Cessna Aircraft's single-engine assembly plant in Independence, Kan., was continuing to produce Model 172s last week, according to top Cessna executives, despite a two-month strike at engine supplier Lycoming and an audit of manufacturing operations by FAA officials.
FRASCA INTERNATIONAL, Urbana, Ill., received an order for a King Air C90 flight training device (FTD) from QuickTurn, a division of SimuFlite Training International. The FTD will be used in QuickTurn's C90 program, which provides ground school instruction and advanced flight training for individuals and smaller flight departments. The FTD will be equipped with a four-screen, three-channel Frasca visual system, King Air cockpit, KLN- 90B global positioning system, King KI-256 flight director, graphical instructor station, instructors cab, and digital sound system.
SUSAN K. HOWARD, a 10-year veteran of aviation credit card services provider Avcard, was promoted to director of international marketing of the Hunt Valley, Md. firm. Howard, who was manager of international marketing for the past three years, "has been instrumental" in the expansion of Avcard's international fuel/services network, which has more than tripled over the past three years, company officials said. Avcard also announced that Tarique A.
Executive Jet, Inc. expects to hire more than 200 pilots in 1998 as the company attempts to keep pace with surging demand for its NetJets fractional aircraft ownership program. EJA hired 106 pilots in 1996 and currently has 350 pilots on the payroll, according to Richard G. Smith, III, EJA's executive vice president of operations. "We plan to have over 470 pilots by the end of 1997," said Chief Pilot Bill McNeer. "We'll be running two classes every month in 1998."
MIDCOAST AVIATION is expanding its facilities at St. Louis, Mo. Downtown- Parks Airport (CPS) and Little Rock, Ark. National/Adams Field Airport (LIT). Midcoast is building a new 50,000-square-foot hangar at its St. Louis site. The hangar, slated for completion in December, will include about 20,000 square feet of backshops. In Arkansas, Midcoast is negotiating with the Little Rock Airport for a facility expansion. The company also opened a new 6,000-square-foot cabinetry shop in Little Rock.
A notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at giving the Federal Communications Commission authority to preempt state or local zoning laws to facilitate rapid construction of new television broadcast towers could pose a serious threat to aviation safety, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
The Justice Department said FAA's proposed security screening program does not illegally discriminate against travelers, but it recommended five steps to help prevent violations of civil rights. FAA said it would adopt the recommendations. DOT Secretary Rodney Slater, who met recently with civil rights groups that expressed concerns about screening, said safety is DOT's highest priority, but "we must also be vigilant about protecting the civil rights of airline passengers."
K-C AVIATION, which has been involved in the Challenger completion program since the aircraft's inception in 1980, has begun its 200th Challenger aircraft completion. The Challenger 604 is expected to be delivered to Boeing Aircraft Company later this year. The aircraft will be the third Challenger K-C Aviation has completed for Boeing.
Pratt&Whitney Eagle Services completed the acquisition of Interturbine's Flight Repair Group, which the U.S. firm said will create "one of the largest jet engine parts repair organizations in the world." Interturbine, headquartered in The Netherlands, agreed in July to sell its repair facilities in Dallas, Texas and Singapore to Pratt&Whitney. The Flight Repair Group specializes in repair and refurbishment of engine airfoils, stators and cases.
Rolls-Royce PLC named James Guyette president and chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce North America, Inc., effective last week. Guyette will join the board on Jan. 1 following the retirement of John Sandford, and also will become a member of Allison Engine Company's board. Guyette recently was executive vice president, marketing and planning, for United Airlines.
PAUL EDWARDS was named vice president of business development for Smiths Industries Aerospace's Civil Systems Division. Edwards is responsible for worldwide marketing, alliances and strategic planning for the unit. He previously served as director of strategic planning for the Civil Systems unit.
FALCON 900 operators will have more training options as both FlightSafety International and SimuFlite Training International are planning to add full-motion Falcon 900 simulators. FSI said its Simulation unit in Tulsa, Okla., will build the new 900 unit, which will be the company's fourth Falcon 900 series simulator and the second 900EX version, which "at this early phase in the program is evidence of FSI's commitment to support this model of Falcon Jet," FSI said.
