National Air Transportation Association urged the Department of Transportation to exclude on-demand operators from a proposal "clearly designed for large scheduled airlines" to require the collection of certain passenger information for use in the event of an air disaster. In comments on DOT's advance notice of proposal rulemaking, NATA said the passenger manifest requirements are not necessary for on-demand operations. "No problems have ever been identified with post-accident notification for Part 135 companies," the association said.
THE AIR GROUP added a Hawker 700 to its charter fleet. The aircraft will be based in the New York area. The Air Group operates about 30 aircraft, ranging from small business aircraft to the Gulfstream IV, from bases in California, Colorado, Texas and New York. The Air Group also has sales offices in Van Nuys, Calif. and Teterboro, N.J.
REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION set record numbers in terms of attendance and exhibitors at its convention in Reno, Nev. this month. The records come as the association increased its membership to 76 airlines and 363 associate members. More than 1,100 people attended this year's convention, up from the 950 that attended the 1996 convention in Orlando, Fla. The number of exhibitors increased 12 percent to 159, occupying 178 booths.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has accumulated more than 1,000 hours on two Citation Excels in test flight and are looking at September for certification with initial deliveries in early 1998. Cessna Chairman Russ Meyer predicted at the time of first flight that Cessna would have at least 125 orders before the first delivery, but the company already has passed that mark, company officials said.
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-138-AD; Amdt. 39- 10020; AD 97-10-08) - requires replacement of the guide hooks of the cargo doors with new, improved guide hooks. This amendment is prompted by fatigue cracking found in the guide hooks of the cargo door. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent such fatigue cracking, which could reduce the structural integrity of the cargo door and, consequently, lead to rapid decompression of the airplane.
TOM ROTHENBUHLER was promoted to senior project engineer in the igniter and igniter-lead product design group for Unison Industries. Rothenbuhler will be responsible for the development of new products and support of other business units within the company.
ATLANTIC COAST AIRLINES promoted Thomas Moore to executive vice president and chief operating officer. In addition, ACA named John Cross vice president of technical services and Angie Shermer vice president of sales. Moore, most recently vice president for maintenance and operations, has served with the regional carrier since June 1994. In his new position, he will oversee the company's customer service, maintenance and flight operations as well as serve on the board of directors.
One week after the Federal Aviation Administration proposed requiring installation of ice-detector systems on EMB-120 Brasilias, the National Transportation Safety Board issued four urgent recommendations for the regional turboprop, including one for an automated ice detection system and others calling for minimum airspeeds, de-icing procedures and training (BA, May 19/225). The proposed AD and urgent recommendations stem from the investigation of Jan. 9 accident of Comair Flight 3272 near Detroit, Mich., in which icing may have been a factor.
FLIGHT SERVICES GROUP added four jet aircraft to its air carrier certificate - a Citation I based in Norwich, N.Y.; a Learjet 35 based in Teterboro, N.J.; a Beechjet 400A based in West Palm Beach, Fla., and a Gulfstream II based in Stratford, Conn. FSG manages 27 aircraft at 10 bases on the East Coast.
MIDCOAST AVIATION opened a new cabinetry shop at its Little Rock, Ark. International Airport facility. Midcoast-Little Rock can create custom interiors for new and used aircraft. The Little Rock facility also provides upholstery and avionics installation, aircraft maintenance and modification.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT this month held a grand-opening ceremony for its ninth U.S. Citation Service Center at the San Antonio, Texas International Airport. The center, which has 40,000 square feet of hangar space, can accommodate any Citation aircraft and will provide a range of support, including avionics and engines.
NATIONAL AIRMOTIVE CORP. received International Organization for Standardization ISO-9001 certification. NAC, Oakland, Calif., said it was the first independent engine repair and overhaul company to receive such certification, adding that ISO-9001 recognition is usually awarded to original equipment manufacturers.
The Clinton White House, which in 1993 took more time to name an FAA administrator-candidate- four months to nominate David Hinson - than any incoming administration in history (BA, April 26, 1993/161), is taking even longer this time around. Hinson left office more than six months ago and as of Friday, there still was no word from the White House on a replacement.
ROBERT La ROW joined Mercury Air Group subsidiary Maytag Aircraft Corp. as director of contract administration. La Row previously was deputy director of contracting at the U.S. Army's Fort Carson, Colo. installation, where he performed a variety of pre-award and post-award contracting functions for the government.
STEVE GARDNER was appointed contract administrator for BFGoodrich Avionics Systems' Military and Government Sales Group. Gardner previously spent two years in government contract administration at Technical Systems and 15 years in contract administration/cost management at Wolverine World Wide.
WITH ITS MOST RECENT agreement to purchase 20 Hawker 800XPs, Executive Jet has placed orders for 169 new aircraft valued at $2.3 billion over the past three and one-half years. This rivals mega-deals from large carriers including American, Delta and Singapore in terms of units ordered - American, for instance, ordered 103 Boeing aircraft last fall.
Allegheny County, Pa., commissioners voted to negotiate a long-term lease of Allegheny County Airport to COMARCO Inc. of Washington, D.C. The Pittsburgh-area general aviation airport has been operated on an interim basis since Jan. 1 by Bethesda, Md.-based Infrastructure Management Group, which has been assisting the county in its privatization initiative. COMARCO had the best financial offer, with lease payments ranging from $25 million to $42 million over the lease period, the county department of aviation said.
JETSTREAM Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-168-AD; Amdt. 39- 10021; AD 97-10-09) - requires repetitive detailed visual inspections for cracks on Frame 179 at the attachment bracket for the door restraint cable, and various follow-on actions. This amendment also requires installation of new doublers and stress pads on Frame 179, which would terminate the repetitive inspections.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT received a follow-on contract from Boeing Commercial Airplane Group for 200 shipsets of control surfaces for the Boeing 737 airliner. Raytheon has provided the shipsets since 1989 and the latest contract extends production through March 1989. The shipsets comprise 48 separate parts and assemblies that make up control surfaces such as leading and trailing edges and skin assemblies for the wings.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION dedicated a voice switching and control system at the Jacksonville, Fla. air route traffic control center, completing the $1.6 billion program to improve communications between pilots and controllers at 21 such centers nationwide. The digital software system can accommodate a peak traffic flow of more than 1,400 calls per minute. Its design enables air traffic facilities to configure to meet specific needs and respond to changes in traffic volume, weather and controller workload.
The Office of Management and Budget endorses user fees to fund the Federal Aviation Administration and would be willing to work around the budget agreement that the Clinton Administration has formed with Congress to ensure a successful transition from a tax-based system, Michael Diech, OMB associate director for general government and finance, told the National Civil Aviation Review Commission this month.
IF SHE DIDN'T KNOW BEFOREHAND, Linda Barker, the sole general aviation representative on the National Civil Aviation Review Commission, has learned how important her role is to the GA community. Barker, a co-owner of a Sioux Falls, S.D. fixed-base operation, said she has received calls from pilots and FBO owners around the nation expressing their fears of aviation user fees and pledging support for her work on the commission.
CASA Model CN-235 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-144-AD; Amdt. 39- 10019; AD 97-10-07) - requires disabling the brake control valve of the propeller. This amendment also requires that, before restoring propeller brake operation, the propeller brake control unit be replaced with a certain new propeller brake control unit. This amendment is prompted by reports of uncommanded activation of the propeller brake system on in- service airplanes during flight, due to the existing design of the brake control valve.
MARK GOODMAN was named special assistant to the president of The Aerospace Corp. Goodman will act as a principal adviser to President and CEO C. (Pete) Aldridge and have a key role in developing strategic plans. He formerly was director of international programs in the organization's Business Management, Space Technology Applications unit.
FORMER FAA ADMINISTRATOR Langhorne Bond defended the agency's proposal to allow the use of single-engine aircraft in commercial passenger-carrying operations under instrument flight rules after the rulemaking effort was questioned by some airline and manufacturing executives during the Regional Airline Association convention this month in Reno, Nev. Bond argued that the rule would increase safety, rather than make operations less safe as some of the regional executives suggested.
