GREAT LAKES AVIATION, which suspended operations in May under pressure from FAA, named Jeffery L. Redlin director of maintenance. Redlin has 16 years experience in airline maintenance including positions at Continental Express, Mahalo Air, Maverick Airways and InterAir in Zimbabwe, Africa. Great Lakes, which subsequently resumed limited service (BA, June 9/258), also named Chester H. Hooper director of cost control and quality assurance oversight. He had previously been with Great Lakes from mid-1994 to mid- 1995 as executive vice president-operations.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., which announced a 5,000-nautical-mile Gulfstream V business jet development program more than five and one-half years ago (BA, Nov. 4, 1991/181), delivered the first completed production airplane last week to publishing magnate Walter Annenberg. The aircraft delivered July 1, Serial No. 507 and painted white with gold trim, is a 6,500-nm airplane capable of nonstop flights such as Tokyo-New York and Los Angeles-Moscow. Annenberg's aircraft will be based in a new hangar at the New Castle County Airport in Delaware.
Discovery of cracks in the center pressure bulkhead of Canadair Regional Jets touched off a fleet-wide inspection late last month, and Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier dispatched 80 technicians to make repairs to aircraft found with cracks. The problem was discovered at Skywest Airlines after a drop in pressurization in one aircraft from the normal 8.3 psi to 7.6 psi. Transport Canada issued an airworthiness directive calling for inspections by all RJ operators within 10 flight hours. FAA issued an AD last Monday.
TULSAIR BEECHCRAFT celebrated its 50th anniversary as a Phillips 66 Aviation branded fixed-base operation. Tulsair, which became a Phillips 66 dealer two years after it opened in 1945, is only the second FBO to reach the 50-year mark with Phillips 66, Phillips officials said. The FBO has three jet fuel and two aviation gasoline refuelers, six hangar facilities and a separate maintenance hangar. Operators of 75 aircraft base their aircraft at the FBO.
SIMCOM INTERNATIONAL plans to equip all of its simulators with Bendix/King KLN 90B global positioning system units. "GPS continues to become the dominant navigation source for general aviation," said Simcom President Walter David. "It is important that our simulators reflect the typical general aviation twin and turbine panel and that our customers have the opportunity to refresh their skills with prevailing technology." Simcom, based in Orlando, Fla.
NAV CANADA opened an air traffic control tower with current-technology equipment in Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport. Nav Canada also set up a new flight information center in Quebec City.
DUNCAN PORTER joined Western Aircraft as an inside sales representative for the corporate jet market. Porter, who has more than 14 years of experience in the aviation industry, previously served as a sales representative for KC Aviation, Dallas.
Model G-73 (Mallard) series airplanes modified in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA2323WE (Docket No. 96-NM- 282-AD; Amdt. 39-10049; AD 97-13-03) - requires revising the airplane flight manual to prohibit positioning the power levers below the flight idle stop and to provide a statement of consequences of positioning the power levers below the flight idle stop. This amendment is prompted by incidents and accidents involving airplanes equipped with turboprop engines in which the propeller beta was used improperly during flight.
AERO INTERNATIONAL (REGIONAL) signed a memorandum of understanding with Newcourt Credit Group to establish an aircraft leasing effort. Newcourt, which operates an international network of 34 offices, specializes in financing a range of equipment and capital assets through secured loans, conditional sales contracts and leases. The agreement with Newcourt will allow AI(R) to offer preferred lease financing for the ATR family of aircraft.
"DUE TO PERSISTENT BOMB THREATS" at its headquarters building in downtown Washington, D.C., the staff of the National Business Aircraft Association was forced to vacate the building for most of last week, particularly unfortunate timing since NBAA's board of directors was in town for a quarterly meeting. The board sessions were moved several blocks away to the University Club, and NBAA staffers not involved in those meetings were working from their homes.
Williams International, engaged in a $37 million turbine development program with NASA to build a small jet engine using low-cost manufacturing techniques, said last week it is "on schedule" to demonstrate its "all- composite, turbofan-powered V-Jet II light aircraft" at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association convention next month in Oshkosh, Wis.
KAMAN AEROSPACE INTERNATIONAL signed a $185 million contract with the New Zealand Ministry of Defense to supply four SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters to the Royal New Zealand Navy. The Seasprites are scheduled to enter service in 2000, when they will replace Wasp helicopters aboard the navy's Anzac and Leander class frigates (BA, March 17/122). The contract includes training, spares and missiles.
El Salvador-based TACA Group, which took delivery of its first four Cessna Caravans earlier this year, ordered eight more Grand Caravans. The TACA Group, comprising five airlines operating throughout Central America, will take delivery of all eight this year. Cessna estimated that the worldwide Caravan fleet will grow to 923 aircraft by the end of the year and expects to deliver the 1,000th Caravan in 1998.
MELISSA MURPHY, the veteran aviation advertising representative and magazine publisher, has resigned from Specialized Publications Corp., Parkville, Mo. Murphy was an advertising representative for Business&Commercial Aviation magazine in the Southwest U.S. for the past 13 years and was publisher of Flight Training magazine since it was launched nearly nine years ago. After a short sabbatical for travel, Murphy plans to explore new opportunities in the publishing business.
BOB HANKS was promoted to group vice president for Sabreliner Corp. Hanks will manage aircraft maintenance and modification and engine services at Perryville, Mo., material and logistics at St. Louis and serve as president of Premier Turbines. He has nearly 35 years of aviation industry experience, beginning with Rockwell International's Aero Commander Division and later moving to the Sabreliner Division.
In preparation for last week's confirmation hearing on the nomination of acting Federal Highway Administrator Jane Garvey to be the next FAA Administrator, the Senate Commerce Committee submitted a list of more than 50 questions on FAA and aviation industry issues. A number of those questions dealt directly with issues of interest to general aviation. Following are some of those questions and Garvey's responses:
AIR METHODS CORP. signed a 10-year helicopter service agreement with Welborn Baptist Hospital in Evansville, Ind., for air medical transportation services. Under the agreement, Air Methods will provide a Bell 407 outfitted with a new medical interior along with pilots and mechanics. Air Methods, Denver, Colo., operates 20 air medical programs across the U.S.
Two Midwest public relations and advertising agencies with substantial backgrounds in the general aviation industry - Sullivan Higdon&Sink of Wichita and The Avion Group of Kansas City - are joining forces this week.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUSTRALIA Models N22B, N22S and N24A airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-98-AD; Amdt. 39-10041; AD 97-11-12) - requires repetitive inspection of the stub wing upper front spar cap flanges for cracks and repair of any cracked part. This AD results from fatigue tests that show the stub wing upper front spar cap flanges could fail over time from fatigue.
BOMBARDIER Chairman Laurent Beaudoin outlined some ambitious "targets that we have set for ourselves" at last week's stockholders meeting: "double our sales in five years; achieve a pre-tax profit margin of nine percent; and thereby maintain earnings growth at a compounded annual rate of 19 percent for the next five years." During the past 10 years, Bombardier's annual revenues have soared from $1.1 billion to $8 billion (Canadian).
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) questioned how FAA could improve its certification process to encourage new general aviation products. While responding that she has just briefly looked at the certification issue, she "absolutely understands" the concerns of general aviation and called GA critical to the nation. Garvey said she hopes to reach out and work with industry leaders and hopes to "strike a right balance" so safety is not compromised and the industry is not burdened. In addition to certification, Brownback encouraged Garvey to support the U.S.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S terminal airport system at China's Long Dong Bao Airport was declared fully operational. The company is the first U.S. supplier to complete system certification and acceptance by the Civil Aviation Agency of China.
SEN. TED STEVENS (R-Alaska) expressed concern last week to FAA Administrator-nominee Jane Garvey about recent attempts to restrict national park overflights. Stevens, noting that 66 percent of Alaska consists of federal lands, said any limitations on airspace use over national parks would "severely limit our transportation system." He urged Garvey to carefully consider the effects such restrictions would have on his state before taking any action to implement them.
