JAMES HILL was appointed training center manager for Simcom International's Scottsdale, Ariz. facility. Hill, who has more than 12,000 hours of total flight time and 4,000 hours as a flight instructor, has served as a chief pilot and aviation manager for a corporate flight department and charter operation.
DASSAULT AVIATION received approval from the French airworthiness authority (DGAC) for the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum data packages for the Falcon 900 and 900EX models. Federal Aviation Administration and European Joint Aviation Authorities approval was granted as well, Dassault said, because both agencies empowered the DGAC to provide the data package approvals. Dassault already has approval for the Falcon 2000.
KRISTINE ESTES, former manager-government and industry affairs for the National Air Transportation Association, last week joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association as manager-technical affairs and operations. Estes replaces Molly Martin Pearce, who left the association earlier this month to become manager-marketing programs for the New Piper Aircraft. Estes previously was an aviation analyst with Washington, D.C.- based consulting firm and FAA contractor Phaneuf Associates.
The BFGoodrich Company reported sharply higher earnings for the first quarter, primarily as a result of the disposition of its Tremco, Inc. coatings and sealants business. Net income totaled $85 million - which included an after-tax gain of $59.5 million from the Tremco sale - compared with net income of $19.9 million in the first quarter last year. Income from continuing operations in the first quarter was $25.5 million, compared with $24.1 million a year ago. Sales for the quarter totaled $589.9 million, compared with $531.2 million a year earlier.
LINDA SHOAF was promoted to sales representative for BFGoodrich Avionics Systems' Military and Government Sales Group. Shoaf, who has been with the company since 1989, previously was a senior contract administrator for the Military and Government Sales Group.
ROLLS-ROYCE, which last summer decided to withdraw from the large steam power generation market, reached agreement to sell its Parsons Power Generation Systems business based in Newcastle, United Kingdom to Siemens for 30 million pounds. The sale, which includes Parsons' current aftermarket business and about 880 employees, is subject to regulatory approval. Rolls-Royce also said it continues to make progress toward the sale of its other large steam power generation business, International Combustion.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT this month introduced a new version of its Katana aircraft, the DA20 C1, that will cruise at 134 knots with a sea level rate of climb of 1,050 feet per minute. The aircraft will be powered by the Continental IO240B engine and will have design improvements that Diamond officials said will increase maintainability, reduce service costs and provide greater cabin comfort.
CT58 series turboshaft engines (Docket No. 97-ANE-15) - proposes to require removal from service of compressor rear shafts, initial and repetitive inspections of 10 rotating parts until those parts are removed from service and replaced with improved parts. This proposal is prompted by a Stage 2 turbine wheel incident in 1993, which resulted in an increased awareness of small features on critical rotating parts that could affect part life.
JIM MCDONOUGH was appointed Southwest regional sales manager for Bombardier Aviation Services. McDonough, formerly a regional sales manager for the AR Group of companies, will be responsible for selling maintenance and modification services in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association believes that the federal government has not presented the scientific data to support proposals to establish what GAMA termed "severely restrictive noise standards" for commercial air tour overflights in the vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). The association also warned that the GCNP process is only the start of a plan that could severely restrict the use of general aviation and airline aircraft nationwide.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE posted strong profits for the quarter ended March 31, won FAA certification for its Gulfstream V business jet and is claiming nine flight records for a series of recent flights by one of the new long- range aircraft. See article below.
A FRONT PAGE article in Friday's Wall Street Journal claiming that fatal accident rates for corporate aircraft are two to three times worse than those of the scheduled airlines drew quick reactions from industry officials. See article below.
Models 3101 and 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 92-CE-46-AD) - proposes, for airplanes that have Kit JK 2496 and Modification JM 7537 installed, to require installing magnetic latching relays on the ignition system. This action is prompted by reports of the auto-ignition system becoming disabled when switching from ground power to the airplane's internal power. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of the airplane's internal power connection to the auto- ignition system and subsequent loss of engine power.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., said it received full type certification of its 6,500-nautical-mile Gulfstream V business jet and reported nearly a seven-fold increase in net income as revenues jumped 75 percent during the first quarter. Net income was $40 million, or 51 cents per share, compared with earnings of $6.1 million, or eight cents per share, in the 1996 first quarter. Revenues were $376 million, compared with $215 million in the same period a year ago.
House aviation leaders last month called on the Federal Aviation Administration to require traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS II) in cargo aircraft.
National Business Aircraft Association selected J. Sheldon (Torch) Lewis as this year's recipient of the John P. "Jack" Doswell Award and R. Dixon Speas for the Meritorious Service Award. Lewis, a veteran corporate aviation marketer, has written the "Greenhouse Patter" column for BA sister publication Business&Commercial Aviation magazine for more than 30 years. He has been involved in the marketing of numerous business aircraft projects, including the Learfan, and was a corporate flight department manager and naval aviator.
EXCELAIRE SERVICE, INC., an aircraft management firm based at Islip MacArthur Airport, N.Y., added a Westwind I and Gulfstream III and II to its charter fleet. The additions increase ExcelAire's charter fleet to 10 aircraft, including a Falcon 900B, CitationJet, G-IIs and G-IIBs. The company also operates several seaplanes. In addition, ExcelAire said it is in negotiations to add another Westwind and a Learjet 35A to its charter certificate.
WAYFARER AVIATION said the Canadair Service Center in Tucson, Ariz., completed the reduced vertical separation minimums data package installation on Wayfarer's Challenger 601-3A/R business jet. Flight testing is scheduled to be completed shortly. "Wayfarer is thrilled to have completed the first RVSM installation on this type aircraft. Compliance has been a fairly tangled process, but Canadair made completing the job 'hassle free,'" said President Jim Christiansen.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION has joined the three major airlines based in Texas as well as the National Air Transportation Association in opposition to the proposed aviation taxes (BA, April 7/152). The association urged Texas officials to reject the proposal, saying that "In its quest for popular 'tax reform,' Texas risks losing its strong aviation infrastructure and economy, the third largest in the nation." NATA members and representatives from American, Southwest and Continental testified before the state legislature opposing the taxes.
DE HAVILLAND Model DHC-8-100 and -300 series airplanes (Doc-ket No. 96-NM-73-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive that requires an inspection for discrepancies and damage of the low- pressure switch adapter/snubber (located on each engine fuel heater), and replacement, if necessary. That AD also requires an inspection for gaps or openings in each nacelle and engine-mounted firewall area, and in certain weather seals in the nacelles; and correction of discrepancies.
1996 ANNUAL TURBINE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REVIEW is off the presses and available for purchase by corporate aircraft operators, prospective aircraft purchasers and others who want to assess the safety record of business jets and turboprops. Published by Robert E. Breiling Associates, the 1996 review contains nearly 500 pages of detailed narrative accounts of 275 fixed- and rotary-wing turbine aircraft accidents, identifying aircraft, operator type, phase of operation, conditions, and a factual description of reported circumstances. Publication price is $285.00 for U.S.
DIANE CREEL was appointed to the board of directors of Rohr. Creel is chief executive officer and president of EARTH TECH, a Long Beach, Calif.- based engineering firm that provides services to government, commercial, industrial and municipal clients from more than 50 offices throughout the U.S. and the Pacific.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Darden Graduate School of Business Administration will hold its Managing the Corporate Aviation Function seminar April 27-May 2 in Charlottesville, Va. The seminar, tailored to corporate aviation managers and chief pilots, will cover financial fundamentals, equipment selection and justification, operational issues and organizational behavior problems. For more information, contact the Darden School Foundation at (804) 924-3000.
MOONEY Models M20F, M20J and M20L airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-51-AD) - proposes to require removing the fuel cap retaining lanyard from the fuel filler cap assemblies. This action is prompted by a report of lost engine power during flight because of fuel starvation. The investigation revealed that the airplane fuel float became trapped by the fuel cap retaining lanyard, keeping the float from following the fuel level. This condition caused the pilot to get a false fuel quantity reading.
MAYO AVIATION added an eight-passenger Hawker 400/731 to its charter fleet. The aircraft will be based at Eagle/Vail Airport, serving both the resort areas and metropolitan Denver. Mayo, based at Centennial Airport in Denver, now has 18 aircraft in its fleet, including Hawkers, Learjets and King Airs.
