MCDONNELL DOUGLAS received firm orders and options for 14 advanced version MD Explorer helicopter from customers in Luxembourg, Japan and Puerto Rico, the company announced Friday. Tomen Corporation of Japan will acquire two of the helicopters and resell them to an undisclosed buyer. Luxembourg Air Rescue ordered an Explorer in air medical configuration. The remaining 11 were ordered from an undisclosed customer in Puerto Rico. Of those helicopters, three are firm orders and the remainder are options.
THE AUSTIN COMPANY, an international engineering and construction firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio that specializes in projects for the aviation and aerospace industries, said the firm is being sold by National Gypsum Company to Austin management. The purchase is being led by J. William Melsop, president and chief executive of Austin, along with the following officers of the company: Patrick B. Flanagan, executive vice president and chief operating officer; M.
THE MARKETPLACE is becoming downright crowded with companies offering new, 6,000-mile-plus business jets.Latest to toss its beret into the ring is Airbus, Boeing's European competitor in the airliner business. The European consortium is offering a corporate version of its A319 airliner to compete against the Boeing Business Jet, Gulfstream's G-V and the Bombardier Global Express. See article below.
JAMES ALDRICH was appointed director of engineering for Dassault Falcon Jet's Little Rock, Ark. completion center. Aldrich had a 30-year career with the U.S. Navy, retiring as a captain. He will be responsible for coordinating engineering capabilities among engineering departments at the completion center, along with Dassault Aviation in France.
Noting they have received several complaints from air charter operators about the implementation of new pilot record sharing requirements, Senate aviation leaders urged the Federal Aviation Administration to assist the on-demand industry in complying with the requirements.
DASSAULT AVIATION extended the B check invervals on its Falcon 50 series business jets from 1,200 to 1,500 hours. The company said B check intervals for the Falcon 900 series will be revised next month, adding that B check intervals for all of Dassault's other current-production models are already at 1,500 hours.
BFGOODRICH AIRCRAFT EVACUATION SYSTEMS selected Bangalore, India, as its first site in Southwest Asia to inspect, repair and certify "aircraft inflatables" and other accessories, including life rafts, life vests, escape slides, slide rafts, survival kits, cargo nets, helicopter floats, seat belts and oxygen equipment.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is proposing new advisory circulars dealing with airport lighting and also is proposing to repeal some existing ACs dealing with the issue. For further information, contract John L. Rice, AAS-200, at FAA headquarters at (202) 267-8745.
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-34-AD; Amdt. 39-10042; AD 97-11-13) - requires modifying the electrical power generation system. The AD results from reports of both generators going off-line during flight on three of the affected airplanes. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of both generators during critical phases of flight, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.
BOMBARDIER CL-215T series airplanes (Docket No. 97-NM-33-AD; Amdt. 39- 10038; AD 97-11-09) - requires revising the airplane flight manual to modify the limitation that prohibits the positioning of the power levers below the flight idle stop during flight, and to add a statement of the consequences of positioning the power levers below the flight idle stop during flight. This amendment is prompted by incidents and accidents involving turboprop airplanes in which the propeller ground beta range was used improperly during flight.
THE BIG SEVEN AIRLINES, which helped precipitate the debate over replacing the current aviation excise tax system with user fees, last week issued dire warnings about the potential effects of new charges contemplated in tax legislation on Capitol Hill. The seven airlines, operating as "The Coalition For Fair FAA Funding," warned last week that Sen.
Grimes Aerospace, which has been designing and installing aircraft lighting systems for more than 60 years, is being acquired by AlliedSignal, Inc., the aerospace conglomerate announced last week. Grimes, heaquartered in Urbana, Ohio, has been owned by an affiliate of Forstmann Little&Co. since 1986 when it bought Midland-Ross, which owned Grimes.
Ayres Corporation's Loadmaster LM200 utility aircraft program, which won a 50-aircraft firm order from Federal Express in February (BA, Feb. 17/71), continues to gain momentum and customers. Ayres late last week was concluding a deal with two cargo carriers in Europe for a total of 20 of the aircraft and hoped to make an announcement on the sale early this week. The Albany, Ga.
Bell-Boeing reported orders for 29 civil tiltrotor aircraft from companies in scheduled airline service, corporate transport, offshore oil support and emergency medical service. "These are not just customers, these are visionaries," Bell Chairman Webb Joiner said, noting their commitment to a new aviation concept four years in advance of an aircraft delivery, and to a design that only now is being frozen. Eurocopter President Jean Francois Bigay said his company's studies indicate that there is no market for a commercial tiltrotor.
DASSAULT FALCON JET CORP. expanded its sales operations in the Far East with the opening of a sales office in Hong Kong. The company, which also has a marketing representative in Singapore, will serve North Asia with the Hong Kong office. Jeffrey Habib, director of sales for North Asia, will run the office. Habib originally joined Dassault in 1993 as a Falcon demo pilot, left for a stint with Southwest Airlines, and rejoined the company in 1995 as district sales manager for the Far East.
ERA AVIATION added a fifth 50-passenger Convair 580 aircraft to its fleet, which also includes de Havilland Twin Otters and DHC-8s. The carrier recently added nonstop service between Anchorage and Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory and added twice daily service between Anchorage and Seward.
ALLIEDSIGNAL ALF502 and LF507 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 96- ANE-26; Amdt. 39-10034; AD 97-11-05) - requires initial and repetitive on- wing eddy current or in-shop fluorescent penetrant inspections of fuel manifold assemblies for cracks, and replacement, if necessary, with serviceable parts. In addition, this AD presents an optional terminating action to the repetitive inspections by replacing the fuel manifold assembly with a new, improved assembly. This amendment is prompted by reports of cracking of the fuel manifold assembly at the No.
Aero International (Regional), the European regional aircraft consortium, has "not yet convinced its shareholders" to launch a new 70- seat jet aircraft, the AI(R) 70 or AirJet, acknowledged Chairman Patrick Gavin last week at the Paris Air Show. The aircraft, intended as a European response to Bombardier's CRJ 700 and Embraer's 70-seat aircraft project, is strongly supported by Aerospatiale, while British Aerospace is reluctant to invest in regional aircraft development. The third partner of the AI(R) consortium, Alenia, is said to have an intermediate position.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE signed a three-year contract with SonicAir for logistics services, warehousing and distribution. SonicAir, Scottsdale, Ariz., will support Gulfstream both domestically and in Europe with services that include warehousing and inventory management, AOG support and overnight transportation of critical parts. SonicAir operates as an independent UPS Logistics Group Company and provides logistics planning transportation, returns management, SmartCourier services and warehousing support.
INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE SUPPORT GROUP entered into inventory consignment agreements with Express One and CCAIR. IASG will support Express One's DC-9 passenger charter service, including maintenance of certain parts inventory. IASG also signed a consignment agreement for CCAIR's excess spare parts.
S-TEC CORPORATION, Mineral Wells, Texas, received FAA supplemental type certificate approval for installation of its System 40, 50 and 52 as well as its new System Twenty, Thirty and ThirtyALT autopilots in the new Cessna 172R single-piston trainer. S-Tec produces a line of aircraft flight control systems and avionics for general aviation aircraft.
THE LEARJET 60 has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for compliance with the new reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) requirements. The approval allows operators to qualify to fly the Learjet 60 in airspace where RVSM restrictions apply. Learjet will issue a special RVSM service bulletin by the end of the month. The Learjet 60 is the second Bombardier aircraft to receive such approval. The Canadair Challenger received FAA RVSM approval in April.
ATLANTIC AVIATION completed Dassault Falcon Jet Service Bulletins 246 and 262 last month covering reduced vertical separation minimums on a Falcon 50 business jet. The Wilmington, Del.-based fixed-base operator and overhaul facility said the approval was one of the first accomplished by an independent FBO.
INTERACTIVE FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, Phoenix, Ariz., elected President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Metzler to the board of directors. Board members Adam Aron, Brian Barents, Alexander Haig, Michail Itkis, Yuri Itkis, John Pritzker and James Zukin were re-elected. The company adopted a 1997 stock option plan providing for issuance of up to 1.5 million shares of Class A common stock, 8.3 percent of outstanding shares, upon exercise of options.
JETSTREAM Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-85-AD; Amdt. 39- 10031; AD 97-11-02) - requires an inspection to determine the thickness of the intercostal that attaches the third crew member seat to the floor structure in the flight compartment, and replacement, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by a report from the manufacturer indicating that intercostals have been installed that are not of sufficient thickness (and consequent strength) to support the third crew member seat during emergency landing dynamic conditions.
