RMI TITANIUM COMPANY named Dana J. Johnson to its board of directors. Johnson is dean of the College of Business and Economics and professor of finance at the University of Delaware.
The Office of the Chief Counsel has been examining for about three months the issue of what regulations should apply to operators of fractional aircraft ownership programs and an agency spokesman said Friday the matter remains "under active review." Currently the operators of fractional aircraft ownership programs operate the aircraft under the provisions of Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week awarded type certification to The New Piper Aircraft's latest version of the Saratoga, the turbocharged PA-32R-301T Saratoga II TC. Piper plans to begin delivery of the new Saratoga next month. Powered by a new 300-horsepower Textron Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A turbocharged engine, the Saratoga TC can operate at altitudes above 20,000 feet, reach a maximum speed of 192 knots, and has a range of 822 nautical miles.
ERA AVIATION expanded its code-sharing partnership with Alaska Airlines in the Yukon-Kusokwim Delta region of Western Alaska. Era, which flies to 17 villages in the Western Alaska region from Bethel, will carry the Alaska Airlines designation in computer reservation systems. Era operates 18- passenger de Havilland Twin Otters under FAA Part 121 standards on its routes from Bethel. In addition to its service in Western Alaska, Era operates from its base in Anchorage to eight cities in south central Alaska and the Yukon.
While voting to approve the nomination of Jane Garvey as FAA Administrator last week, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee provided an unusually detailed list of reasons why he thinks Garvey is the wrong person for the job.
GARVEY'S NOMINATION was approved by a 20-0 vote by the Commerce Committee, but that didn't stop Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) from detailing a lengthy list of concerns about Garvey's ability to handle the FAA job. See article below.
FLOOR STOCKS TAX on aviation gasoline and jet fuel is due Aug. 1, the National Air Transportation Association reminded members. The tax applies to retailers and distributors with inventories of more than 2,000 gallons of aviation fuel on March 7, 1997, when the aviation excise taxes were renewed. The Internal Revenue Service has assessed the floor stocks tax to capture any untaxed fuel within the fuel distribution and storage network, NATA said. Aviation gasoline is taxed at 15 cents per gallon and jet fuel is 17.5 cents per gallon.
NINA COX, an eight-year veteran of K-C Aviation, Dallas, Texas, who had been marketing coordinator, was promoted to manager of advertising and promotion. Cox, who was with Arkansas Aerospace in Little Rock, Ark., before joining K-C Aviation, will coordinate all the company's advertising programs, develop and implement sales programs, trade shows and data base marketing.
HUGH MCELROY was named vice president and general manager of Airwork, Millville, N.J., where he will have responsibility for all Airwork operations including the Miami, Fla. and Millville overhaul facilities, four regional shops and international sales. A 17-year veteran of the company, he began in 1980 as an engineer and quality control supervisor. He is an FAA airworthiness and engineering representative (D.A.R. and D.E.R.) and holds an airframe and powerplant rating.
HARTZELL was selected to provide a scimitar propeller system for the new Kestrel K-250 composite utility aircraft. The three-bladed, constant- speed, aluminum propeller will incorporate scimitar blades allowing for improved low-speed thrust performance for takeoff, acceleration and climb. The K-250, powered by a 250-horsepower Continental engine, is a high-wing, four-place aircraft. The aircraft is scheduled for certification early next year.
MERCURY AIR GROUP acquired a minority interest in Patriot Aviation Services, Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware-based Patriot Group. Patriot Aviation, based at Roswell, N.M., is a certified FAA repair station that provides a wide range of aircraft maintenance, overhaul, painting and related technical services, heavy scheduled maintenance checks and major modifications, including passenger to freighter conversions.
AN AGREEMENT for an outside investor to take a controlling interest in Mooney Aircraft of Kerrville, Texas could come as soon as this week. Discussions have been going on for more than a year about increasing the number of shareholders to provide the financial backing Mooney needs to expand operations (BA, April 21/175), and an official told BA Friday he believes an agreement is "imminent."
MARJORIE K. DELONG, who joined SimuFlite Training International in 1990, was named manager-market development, a new position in which she is responsible for identifying and developing key market segments for future company growth. She had been manager of sales and marketing information services.
Air Methods Corp., one of the largest providers of emergency medical transportation services, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the common stock of Mercy Air Services, an independent air medical transportation company that operates throughout Southern California. Air Methods said Mercy Air, which operates six Bell 222 and two Bell 412 helicopters, has been profitable since its inception. On a combined basis, the two companies had revenues in excess of $45.8 million for calendar 1996.
Federal Aviation Administration Thursday issued new requirements for enhanced digital flight data recorders (DFDR) that will apply to thousands of passenger-carrying aircraft in scheduled service with 10 or more seats at an estimated cost of $316.3 million. The rule, proposed a year ago (BA, July 14/27), calls for newly manufactured aircraft to be equipped with DFDRs that measure at least 57 flight parameters within three years and 88 parameters within five years. Currently only 29 flight parameters must be recorded.
INDUSTRY GROUPS have begun to meet with FAA Administrator nominee Jane Garvey, and despite her limited aviation experience, feedback has been positive. One industry executive expressed the view that Garvey appears to have the skills necessary to tackle major challenges at the agency - such as air traffic control modernization and labor negotiations. Garvey also appears willing to delegate responsibilities involving technical issues to the appropriate experts, the official said.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT Monday broke ground for its new $5.75 million fixed-base operation at Atlantic City, N.J. International Airport. The facility, slated for completion this spring, will cover more than 50,000 square feet, including 29,000 square feet of hangar space. The new FBO also will have an executive terminal, charter department, avionics and maintenance shops, parts storage and sales and administration offices. The facility will service the complete line of Raytheon aircraft as well as many other business aircraft.
G.E. (Jerry) Schlesinger, who has held senior management posts in a number of startup ventures and helped engineer turnarounds of struggling companies in the aviation business, joined First Aviation Services, Inc. (FASI), this month as senior vice president. His responsibilities with FASI, whose holdings include Aircraft Parts International in Memphis, Tenn., and National Airmotive Corp., Oakland, Calif., will include strategic planning, systems development and acquisition integration.
Federal Aviation Administration has issued a draft advisory circular that will "drastically increase" the suspected unapproved parts population, according to the National Air Transportation Association. The draft AC, 21-29B, Detecting and Reporting Suspected Unapproved Parts, updates information and provides guidance on detecting suspected unapproved parts.
Parker Aerospace, Irvine, Calif., acquired the aircraft components product line of XAR Industries for an undisclosed amount of cash. XAR, based in City of Industry, Calif., makes fuel components for the Cessna Citation business jet line as well as fuel transfer valves, level control valves, solenoid valves and aerial refueling equipment for the F-16s, F-117 and F-22 fighters. Parker said the acquisition will add about $3 million to annual sales of its Air&Fuel Division.
PRATT&WHITNEY CANADA began delivering the first production PT6A-68 turboprop engines to Raytheon Aircraft Company for the Beech MkII Joint Primary Aircraft Training (JPATS) program. The JPATS aircraft has been designated the T-6A by the military, which is scheduled to buy more than 700 of the trainers for the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT named the Raytheon Aircraft Services facility at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas an authorized service center for Hawker aircraft. The facility, which acquired special tooling and technical publications, is capable of servicing the full series of Hawker aircraft.
BUSINESS AIRCRAFT CENTER at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio was designated a Phillips 66 Aviation Performance Center. The facility, which has undergone renovation since June 1996, provides aircraft management and charter, a full service maintenance center, an avionics shop and a flight school. The facility has 14,000 square feet of hangar space and a 7,000- square-foot office complex. Business Aircraft Center expects to sell more than 750,000 gallons of fuel over the next year.
DASSAULT FALCON JET CORP. shipped the first two completed Falcon 50EXs to customers, the company said. Both aircraft were completed at Dassault's Little Rock, Ark. completion center. The first Falcon 50EX, S/N 253, was delivered to a Brazilian customer and the second, S/N 255, went to a corporate customer in the Midwest. S/N 254 is expected to be completed this month and will be retained by Dassault Falcon Jet as the executive demonstrator.
CHERI CHICK, whose friendly voice has greeted callers at NBAA for the past seven years, was promoted to manager of travel and exhibitor registration for the association. While serving as receptionist, Chick's responsibilities expanded to include a variety of research and statistical duties. Beginning July 29, she will be responsible for coordinating travel arrangements for NBAA employees and overseeing exhibitor registration for NBAA's annual convention.
