PHIL BOTANA, a 23-year veteran of the aviation services industry, has joined Business JetSolutions as vice president-flight operations for the FlexJet program. Botana succeeds Gary Hart, who left to become president of Raytheon's new Raytheon Travel Air fractional aircraft ownership program (BA, June 9/253). Botana, who has been privately consulting - including work with Business JetSolutions - for the past couple of years, has held a number of senior posts for companies including Signature Flight Support, its predecessor Butler Aviation and Executive Jet Aviation.
Standard Aero purchased the assets of Marysville, Tenn.-based Alliance Engines, giving the Canadian gas turbine engine and accessory overhaul specialist a home for its AE3007 repair work and an opportunity to expand into other engine and auxiliary power unit markets. Terms of the transaction, completed July 31 after an initial agreement earlier in the month, were undisclosed.
RAYTHEON Model 400, 400A, 400T, MU-300 and MU-300-10 airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-68-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires replacement of outflow/safety valves with serviceable valves. That AD was prompted by a report of cracking and consequent failure of outflow/safety valves in the pressurization system. The actions specified by that AD are intended to prevent such cracking and consequent failure of the outflow/safety valves, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House transportation appropriations subcommittee, who earlier asked the Transportation Department inspector general to investigate cost overruns in the Wide Area Augmentation System, now has asked the IG to investigate the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). Both of the FAA programs, which involve hundreds of millions of dollars, were contracted under FAA's new acquisition reform program.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE Aug. 4 swore in Jane Garvey as the 14th FAA administrator. The swearing in follows confirmation by the Senate in late July (BA, Aug. 4/47).
UNC Incorporated's UNC Lear Services received a contract renewal from the U.S. Air Force Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to provide maintenance, repair and support services for the Department of Defense and other federal agency customers worldwide. The contract, which covers two years with options for four two-year extensions, carries a potential value of more than $1 billion. The award was the seventh consecutive field team contract for UNC Lear Services, which has provided 80 million hours of labor in support to the U.S. military since 1961.
DAVID HENDERSON, who had served as director of corporate communications for Gulfstream Aerospace over the past two years, has left the company to join Edelman Worldwide Public Relations in Washington, D.C. as vice president, marketing and communications. Henderson will oversee the development of aerospace and other marketing opportunities. Before joining Gulfstream, Henderson headed the public relations firm of Henderson/HP in Kansas City, Mo., where he assisted in the introduction of the Learjet 45.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S rule to allow commercial single-engine aircraft operation under instrument flight rules not only was one of the first aviation regulations to be issued without full Transportation Department review, it also was issued before Office of Management and Budget review. The rule, which has an effective date of May 3, 1998, carries a special provision to allow single-engine IFR operations sooner "pending OMB clearance on paperwork requirements." That clearance should come within 60 days. See article below.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR-42 and ATR-72 series airplanes (Docket No. 95- NM-84-AD; Amdt. 39-10075; AD 97-15-02) - requires replacement of the attachment clips on the wing-to-fuselage fairings and on the upper cowlings of the engine nacelle with new improved attachment clips, and the addition of cup washers on the wing-to-fuselage fairing panels on certain airplanes.
BELL Model 214B, 214B-1 and 214ST helicopters (Docket No. 94-SW-26-AD; Amdt. 39-10077; AD 97-15-04) - supersedes an existing AD that establishes a mandatory retirement life of 60,000 high-power events for the main transmission upper planetary carrier. This amendment requires changing the method of calculating retirement life for the carrier from high-power events to a maximum accumulated Retirement Index Number of 120,000.
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS last week denied a request by the Department of Justice for a 150-day stay in litigation over air tour overflight restrictions at Grand Canyon National Park. The Justice Department asked for the voluntary remand of litigation to allow FAA to address a "potential discrepancy" in the Dec. 31 rules that curb air tour operations at the park, but sought to keep those rules in effect while the litigation is put on hold (BA, July 21/25). The Court of Appeals ruled last week that it would remand the litigation if FAA stays the Dec. 31 rules.
DELIVERIES of new business, personal and regional aircraft were up 25 percent in the first six months, compared with last year's first half, according to BA's worldwide compilation of shipments that appears below.
U.S. general aviation manufacturers continued their trend of increased shipments and record billings in the first half of the year, according to statistics released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association last week. Billings for the manufacturers in the first six months of 1997 leaped 60 percent to nearly $2 billion and shipments rose 16.5 percent to 586 units. Jet deliveries increased nearly 50 percent in the first six months of 1997 to 142 units, compared with 95 in the first half of 1996.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL's Beech 1900D full flight simulator based at the Advanced Flight Simulation Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University received FAA Level D certification. Embry-Riddle and FlightSafety will operate the simulator as part of their partnership to provide a range of pilot training and other academic opportunities. The partnership also will serve as a venue for research and development for the aviation industry as well as provide initial and recurrent training for airline customers.
Superior Air Parts, the Dallas, Texas-based manufacturer of FAA approved replacement parts for Lycoming and Continental engines, is continuing to operate after filing for protection under Chapter 11 in federal bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Del.
KAL-AERO, Battle Creek, Mich., was named an authorized service center for Galaxy Aerospace. The appointment continues Kal-Aero's designation as a factory authorized Westwind/Astra service center. Kal-Aero has performed aircraft support service for Westwind and Astra operators for more than 30 years, including airframe inspections, custom paint and interior refurbishments, avionics installation, aircraft modifications and accessories overhaul.
WILLIAM DOLNY was promoted to regional sales manager, western region for SimuFlite Training International. Dolny joined SimuFlite in 1994 as an account representative and was named supervisor of account services in 1996.
THE JET CENTER, a Van Nuys, Calif.-based unit of Garrett Aviation Services, signed a two-year agreement with Gulfstream to provide maintenance for Gulfstream aircraft in the Gulfstream/Executive Jet Netjet shared ownership program. Under the agreement, The Jet Center will perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Gulfstream will authorize all maintenance and Executive Jet Fleet Services of Columbus, Ohio, will approve return-to- service documentation.
THE EUROPEAN UNION'S competition authority approved a merger of the air traffic management divisions of Thomson CSF and Siemens AG. The partners' new joint venture, Airsys ATM SAS, also will take over Siemens' airport turnkey activities.
JAMES FARRELL was named director of human resources for AMR Combs. Farrell will manage all human resources activities for AMR Combs' domestic fixed- base operations. He joined the company in 1988 and most recently served as director of personnel for AMR Services Corporation.
Several senators, air tour operators, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Park Service appealed to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) last week to hold off moving his national parks overflights bill until a working group studying overflights policy develops recommendations. At the same time, some senators expressed serious reservations about supporting McCain's bill, S.238, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a national policy for national parks overflights and FAA to implement that policy unless it poses safety risks (BA, Feb. 10/58).
Model 2000 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-221-AD; Amdt. 39- 10089; AD 97-15-17) - requires replacing the Abex alternating current electric motor with a new modified Abex AC electric motor having an improved fan. This amendment is prompted by reports indicating that the integrated hydraulic package (IHP) unit stopped functioning during flight because the fan on the AC electric motor came into contact with the housing of the motor due to inadequate clearance.
LARRY MIKULSKI was appointed sales and marketing manager of Holometrix Inc. Mikulski, formerly director of sales at Empire Technologies, will be charged with expanding the company's business base and supporting the introduction of new products.
