WILCOX ELECTRIC has filed a petition for review and a request for expedited consideration with the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in protest of the Federal Aviation Administration's denial of Wilcox's protest against the agency's award of the Wide Area Augmentation system sole source contract to Hughes Aircraft. "Wilcox continues to believe that the FAA made a mistake in not recompeting the WAAS contract after easing technical requirements and extending contract delivery," said Wilcox Business Development Vice President Wayne Dohlman.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL is developing an interactive software package for flight management system training. The personal computer-based system presents aircraft avionics and FMS displays, including seven cockpit control panels or displays. The training device incorporates a multi- function control display unit, autoflight control panel, primary flight display, navigation display, navigation database and secondary flight controls.
BFGOODRICH PRESIDENT David Burner was elected chief executive officer. John Ong is relinquishing that title but will stay on as chairman until he retires June 1. Ong decided not to remain a director after he retires.
MELINDA GLAU was named aviation manager at Million Air Houston Hobby Airport. Glau, who has been involved with general aviation at Intercontinental and Hobby airports since 1985, served as marketing director for Owners Jet of Texas, Inc., before it became part of the Million Air chain. She also has served as an aircraft dispatcher and customer service representative.
MEANWHILE, the Department of Transportation, which has refused to help fight to keep Meigs open, last week announced a $138 million grant to the City of Chicago for airfield improvements, passenger security and better access at Chicago Midway Airport.
JETSTREAM Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-271-AD) - revises an earlier proposal that would have required a high frequency eddy current inspection for cracks of the boundary angle and joint angle of the rear pressure bulkhead, and repair, if necessary. That action also proposed to require modification of the rear pressure bulkhead of the fuselage. That proposal was prompted by a report of fatigue cracking in the rear pressure bulkhead of the fuselage.
DOWTY AEROSPACE AVIATION SERVICES has teamed with Atlantic Aviation to provide propeller support and services for Gulfstream I operators. Under the agreement, Atlantic will remove and install G-I propellers at either its facility in Wilmington, Del. or at the customer's site. Dowty will perform the repair and overhaul services. Dowty, Sterling, Va., services landing gear, hydraulics and flight control actuation systems in addition to propellers and accessories.
WOODLAND AVIATION added a Beech Starship 2000 to its charter fleet. Woodland, a Raytheon Aircraft corporate aviation center, has fixed-base operation facilities at Yolo County Airport near Davis, Calif. and Watts- Woodland Airport in Woodland, Calif. In addition to charter, Woodland provides aircraft maintenance, parts, avionics, sales, management and interior refurbishment services.
Praxair, Inc., of Danbury, Conn., completed the acquisition this month of Miller Thermal, Inc., an international supplier of thermal spray technologies that had been part of Illinois Tool Works' Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Terms were not disclosed. Miller Thermal's equipment and products are used in the aerospace, automotive and industrial markets.
GREG HAMPTON was promoted to director of corporate communications for Jet Support Services Inc. Hampton most recently was a regional sales manager for JSSI. Before joining JSSI, he was director of customer support and sales director at Turbomeca Engine Corp.
ALLIEDSIGNAL T5311, T5313, T5317 and T53 series engines (Docket No. 96-ANE- 25) - proposes to require removal and replacement of the N2 spur gear nut retainer (lock cup). This proposal is prompted by reports of N2 spur gear nut retainer separation. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent N2 accessory drive assembly disengagement due to N2 spur gear nut retainer separation, which could result in an uncommanded engine acceleration. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Jan.
ROBIN Model R2160 airplanes (Docket No. 92-CE-25-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections of the weld area between the strut and lower plate of the nose landing gear leg for cracks and replacement of the strut when cracks are found. The proposed AD is the result of several reports of cracks in the weld securing the nose wheel steering bottom bracket to the nose landing gear.
BRYAN BATENHORST was named service manager for Duncan Aviation. Batenhorst, who most recently served as assistant service manager, joined Duncan 15 years ago as an aircraft troubleshooter in the Instrument Department. He also was a resource manager of component services, production control scheduling specialist, and operational planning coordinator.
FRASCA INTERNATIONAL sold a Model 242 twin-engine flight training device to General Flying Service Pty. Ltd., located at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria, Australia. The FTD will include a Frasca FVS-200HR visual system, graphical instructor station, global positioning system, flight director and autopilot. General Flying Service, the largest privately owned flight training school in Australia, will use the FTD for ground synthetic exercises required for a commercial license, the night visual flight training rating and command instrument rating.
NEW PIPER PA31, PA31P, and PA31T series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE- 45-AD; Amdt. 39-9788; AD 96-21-11) - supersedes AD 93-25-08, which requires replacement of the main landing gear actuator reinforcement bracket with an improved part. This action retains those requirements, but changes a model designation in the applicability section of the AD from Piper Model PA-31- 310 airplanes to Piper Model PA-31 airplanes.
DASSAULT AVIATION won French DGAC approval for its Falcon 50EX, the upgraded version of the Falcon 50, with U.S. certification expected shortly. Dassault will begin shipment of the Falcon 50EX in January.
NBAA'S Eighth Annual Schedulers&Dispatchers Conference will be held Feb. 4-7 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, contact NBAA at (202) 783-9000.
A NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING to permit use of single-engine aircraft under IFR conditions in Part 135 operations is expected to be published in Tuesday's (Dec. 3) Federal Register. The proposal, which will have a 60- day comment period closing Feb. 3, was signed by former FAA Administrator David Hinson only about a month ago (BA, Nov. 11/215) and is one of the first rulemaking efforts to use expedited procedures outlined in the Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996.
ROLLS-ROYCE CANADA added four Tay engines to its engine lease pool as part of its Gulfstream support program. The addition brings the number of Tay engines to 10 and the total number of Tays, Speys and Darts in its lease pool to 24. "The growth in Gulfstream IV flying hours has increased the need for additional engines to support our customers' operations," said Douglas Cribbes, vice president, aero business, for Rolls-Royce Canada.
REP. FRANK WOLF (R-Va.) will return as chairman of the House transportation appropriations subcommittee when the 105th Congress convenes next month. Wolf became chairman of the subcommittee in 1995, but some observers speculated he might decide to take the treasury-postal appropriations subcommittee chairmanship, which was vacated when Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R- Iowa) left to run unsuccessfully for the Senate.
ROHR, INC., Chula Vista, Calif., signed a contract with Nomads, Inc., a Detroit travel club flying a Boeing 727-200 aircraft, for a Super 27 re- engine kit. The kit includes new nacelles, struts, engine mounts and thrust reversers fitted to new Pratt&Whitney JT8D-217C/219 engines. The improvements meet FAA Stage 3 and ICAO Chapter III noise requirements, the company said.
Bell and Boeing last month formally launched a six- to nine-passenger civil version of its tiltrotor (BA, Nov. 18/227). The two companies teamed in 1982 to develop and produce the V-22 Osprey military tiltrotor and decided to go ahead with a civil version following a year of market tests, the companies said during the NBAA convention in Orlando. Bell Helicopter Chairman Webb Joiner and Boeing Defense and Space Vice President Jim Morris said they hope to deliver the first civil Bell Boeing 609 in 2001.
BOEING BUSINESS JETS named K-C Aviation of Dallas, Texas and Jet Aviation of Basel, Switzerland as designated completion centers for its new Boeing 737 line of business jets.
SCHWEIZER Model 269A, A-1, B, and C and TH-55A helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-05-AD) - proposes, for helicopters with a certain rotor transmission ring gear installed, inspections of the ring gear teeth for pitting, wearing, cracking or corrosion, and replacement of the ring gear if deterioration is found. The proposal also would require creating a main rotor transmission component log card, if none is available, and making a notation on the main rotor transmission component log card if a ring gear is changed.
