CASSANDRA BOSCO, manager of communications for the National Business Aircraft Association, was selected as the 1997 recipient of the Alpha Eta Rho award. Alpha Eta Rho, the international aviation fraternity, annually recognizes an individual "who has given exemplary service to the aviation industry, including the field of aviation education." Bosco has worked for NBAA for nearly 10 years, and before that was communications assistant for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
MILLER AVIATION, a factory authorized Twin Commander service center, is offering a replacement of the lower wing spar cap on Twin Commander aircraft covered under AD 94-04-14. The AD calls for certain Twin Commanders to undergo repetitive inspections for corrosion of the lower wing spar cap. The modification, developed by Miller, is intended to prevent the onset of corrosion, Miller officials said. For more information, call Dave Rodgers, customer service manager, at (800) 288- 4228.
Canadian engine-maker Orenda Recip Inc., which is developing an aluminum block OE-600 V8 series of aircraft engines, is expanding into new applications, including Piper and Cessna aircraft, as certification approaches. Flight testing is under way, and the company expects certification this year on the 600-horsepower version of the V8 series, the first in a family of engines that will range from 500 hp to 750 hp.
Wiggins Airways, Norwood, Mass., this month acquired Manchester, N.H.- based fixed-base operator Stead Aviation. Stead Aviation has provided complete FBO services for general aviation and corporate aircraft since 1967. Founder Ed Stead will retain a seat on the Wiggins Airways board and Paul Taylor will remain executive vice president and general manager of the facility.
CIBC WOOD GUNDY completed bridge financing for TACA International Airlines, S.A. to acquire eight Cessna Caravans in 1997. El Salvador-based TACA took delivery of four Caravans earlier this year and ordered the additional eight, with options for eight more in 1998, in June (BA, June 30/292).
National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration revise registration procedures and strengthen training requirements for owners of experimental kit-built aircraft. The recommendations, adopted during a board meeting Aug. 1 at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in and convention in Oshkosh, Wis., stem from accident investigations that uncovered inadequate flight training and problems with the information flow from manufacturers to owners.
ROY NORRIS became the second top-level executive to part ways with a business jet manufacturer in three weeks with his resignation last week as president of Raytheon Aircraft. Norris's decision follows similar action in late July by former Gulfstream Aerospace President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Breidenbach (BA, Aug. 4/49). See article below.
AVIATION RULEMAKING ADVISORY COMMITTEE will meet next month to discuss training and qualification issues. The meeting, to be held Sept. 11 at the Regional Airline Association in Washington, D.C., will include a status report from the Air Carrier Pilot Pre-employment Screening Standards and Criteria Working Group. Attendance is open to the public, but space may be limited. For information, call Regina Jones at (202) 267-9822.
WINNER AVIATION, Youngstown, Ohio, was selected as a Raytheon Aircraft service center for all Beech turboprop and piston-engine aircraft. Winner will be responsible for Beech aircraft customers in the Great Lakes region with a concentration on Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. The company said it has met the necessary training requirements and will complete associated equipment and inventory requirements for the new authorization by Sept. 1. Winner also is a service center for Twin Commander, AlliedSignal TPE331 and TFE731, UNC Airwork, King and Collins Avionics.
ZEEV NACHMONI was appointed corporate vice president and general manager of Israel Aircraft Industries Electronics Group. Nachmoni previously served as deputy general manager of the Electronics Group and general manager of IAI's Tamam Division.
Roy Norris, president of Raytheon Aircraft since September 1994, resigned Wednesday, citing a desire to "do something on his own," Raytheon officials announced last week. Raytheon Aircraft Chairman and Chief Executive Art Wegner, in an interoffice communication to Raytheon Aircraft employees, said Norris had elected to resign and expressed a great sense of satisfaction with the accomplishment of the company during his tenure. "We all wish Roy the best in his future endeavors," Wegner said.
Fairchild Aerospace appointed Roland Dilda, a 29-year Pratt&Whitney veteran, senior vice president, San Antonio operations. Dilda, who will report to Fairchild President Jim Robinson, will be responsible for Fairchild Aircraft Service and Merlin Express companies, manufacturing, engineering technology, quality control and operations planning and control.
The National Air Transportation Association asked the Federal Aviation Administration to revise its proposed approach to classifying unapproved parts, saying the agency's definition will "improperly link safe and properly approved parts to the category of unapproved parts." FAA this summer proposed a draft advisory circular, 21-29B, Detecting and Reporting Suspect Unapproved Parts, which outlines what constitutes an unapproved part (BA, July 21/30). NATA urged FAA this month to delete certain portions of the definition that "create unnecessary ambiguity."
GALAXY AEROSPACE, which last month moved to its new headquarters location at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas (BA, Aug. 4/54), set Sept. 4 as the formal rollout date for its new intercontinental Galaxy business jet.
BURBANK-GLENDALE-PASADENA AIRPORT AUTHORITY is soliciting statements of qualification for fixed-base operation services. The authority is proposing an FBO on a 15.7-acre site on the southwestern portion of the airport, including 114,517 square feet of hangar space and a 15.4-acre parcel of vacant land located on the northwestern portion of the airport. Mercury Air Group is the current occupant. For a copy of the request for qualifications, call Diana Murphy at (818) 840-8840.
SF340A and 340B (Docket No. 96-NM-130-AD; Amdt. 39-10095; AD 97- 16-04) - supersedes an AD that requires inspections for improper connections of the wire harness installation to the cartridges of the fire extinguishers in the engine nacelles, correction of any discrepancy, and modification of the wiring. This amendment adds a revised modification of that wiring, which, if accomplished, would terminate the inspections currently required by the AD.
HONEYWELL INC., Minneapolis, Minn., and Pelorus Navigation Systems, Calgary, Canada, received FAA type certification for their Satellite Landing System, becoming the first differential Global Positioning System ground station to win the approval. The SLS-2000 system was installed last year at Minneapolis/St. Paul International and Newark International airports. Honeywell used the two systems to conduct first-flight tests and support the certification process.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received FAA Level C approval for its de Havilland Dash 8 flight simulator. The approval specifically is for the simulator's replication of the Dash 8 Series 100, and FlightSafety said it expects the device to receive FAA Level D approval for the Series 200 in the next few months and the Series 300 in the next year. The simulator, built by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla., is housed in FlightSafety's Toronto airline training center.
ADVANCED AERODYNAMIC AND STRUCTURES received 22 more orders in the past month along with non-refundable deposits for its new Jetcruzer 500 turboprop executive aircraft, AASI officials said last week. The latest orders, which the Long Beach, Calif. manufacturer valued at $26 million, brings the total backlog to 53 Jetcruzers. AASI expects to begin delivery of the single-engine turboprop in the third quarter of 1998. AASI is offering the aircraft for $1.295 million.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE AVIATION OFFICIALS established a National Journalism Award to recognize "superior news coverage of aviation issues by both the mass media and the aviation trade press." The first journalism award will be presented during NASAO's 66th Annual Meeting Sept. 7-9 in Tulsa, Okla. Nominations may be submitted to a state aviation agency director or to the NASAO Washington, D.C., office by fax at (301) 585-1803.
TERRY BOYER was named to head the new Learjet parts division for Professional Aviation Associates. Boyer, who has 17 years of experience in aviation distribution, will develop and manage the new division.
Model R44 helicopters (Docket No. 97-SW-19-AD; Amdt. 39- 10092; AD 97-16-02) - requires inspections of the belt tension actuator switches (up-limit switches) for proper operation and replacement, if necessary, and replacement of a certain part-numbered clutch assembly. This amendment is prompted by six occurrences of prematurely worn sprag clutches.
The Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Aviation Administration will review the agency's progress in implementing recommendations from the government task force formed last year after the ValuJet DC-9 crash in the Everglades. Recommendations from the group, led by Linda Daschle when she was FAA deputy administrator, include creation of a national certification team to help field offices process audits and air carrier certifications, and an increase in the number of safety inspectors in key areas.
NIGEL ARGENT was appointed director, sales and marketing for Innotech Aviation's Vancouver operations. Argent previously was with Odessey Aviation, a Mississauga-based management and charter company. He will oversee Innotech's Western region sales in airframe, engine, avionics installation, maintenance, repair and custom interior refurbishing capabilities.
