THOMAS MCMILLEN was elected to the board of directors of Kellstrom Industries. McMillen, a former congressman who served on the transportation, aviation and materials subcommittee, is chairman and chief executive of Complete Wellness Centers, a physician practice management company.
JEFF MANION joined Duncan Aviation as a service sales representative in the airframe service sales group. Manion previously was a sales and service representative for CAMP Systems, where he worked with Falcon, Hawker and Learjet operators.
Allegheny County, Pa., issued a request for proposals until 4 p.m. Nov. 22 for the possible long-term lease of Allegheny County Airport with an accompanying purchase option. The FAA reauthorization act allows privatization of five airports under a pilot program (BA, Oct. 14/177).
HINSON signed a new regulation to permit use of single-engine aircraft under IFR conditions in Part 135 passenger-carrying operations and sent the rule to DOT for review, he told the session Thursday. He had expressed hope last month that the agency could issue the new rule before he left office (BA, Oct. 21/179).
DUNCAN AVIATION received a primary means supplemental type certificate for the installation of AlliedSignal's GNS-XLS flight management system (FMS) in a Citation 650. The FMS is equipped with a fault detection and exclusion program, which is necessary for Primary Means Oceanic and Remote Airspace approval that qualifies operators for overwater flight using GPS- based navigation.
In an effort to boost its share of the aircraft completion business and provide a facility large enough to handle the new Global Express, Bombardier signed an agreement to acquire the aircraft completion division of Innotech Aviation Inc., located on Dorval International Airport outside Montreal, Quebec.
SOCATA sold three additional TB20 single-engine aircraft to the Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) in Thailand. Delivery is slated for February, bringing the CATC fleet of Socata aircraft to 12. CATC ordered four TB20s in May and took delivery of the last of those aircraft in September. The aircraft are equipped with IFR, complete dual instrument panel, Stormscope, autopilot and GPS systems.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate aviation subcommittee, is expected to become chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee following last week's defeat of Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), who narrowly lost his bid for a fourth term to South Dakota's at-large representative, Tim Johnson (D). Pressler, the only Senate incumbent to fail to win reelection, lost by a 51-49 percent margin - just 8,600 votes shy of Johnson's total. The aviation community last week expressed regret at the loss of the Commerce Committee chairman.
Raytheon Aircraft finalized contracts with the top 17 subcontractors for the Beech/Pilatus PC-9 Mk.II, the winning entry in the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition, the company announced.
BELL Model 412 helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-17-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing priority letter AD that requires a daily inspection of certain swashplate support assemblies. It also requires a reduction in Vne, and installation of appropriate airspeed indicator markings and a placard. This action would require the same actions required by the existing Priority Letter AD, but would restrict the applicability to those Model 412 helicopters with a certain steel main rotor control swashplate support assembly installed.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR David Hinson became one of the first Clinton Administration officials to bolt after the election, resigning effective Nov. 9 (BA, July 8/13). Linda Hall Daschle, FAA's deputy administrator, was scheduled to take over as acting administrator Saturday. An FAA announcement Thursday said she would serve in that capacity through Jan. 31. Daschle, the wife of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), also has indicated she plans to leave government service in the near future (BA, Oct. 21/179).
DE HAVILLAND DHC-6 series airplanes (Docket No. 93-CE-45-AD) - proposes, for DHC-6 series airplanes that do not have wing strut Modification 6/1581 incorporated, to require inspection of the wing struts for cracks or damage (chafing, etc.), replacement of wing struts that are cracked or damaged beyond certain limits, and incorporation of the modification to prevent future chafing damage. This proposal is prompted by several reports of wing strut damage caused by the upper fairing rubbing against the wing strut.
TIM KLENKE was appointed service sales representative for Duncan Aviation's airframe service sales group. Klenke has served with Duncan Aviation since 1990, most recently as service manager.
The Piper Aviation Museum Foundation has purchased the former Piper Aircraft Engineering Building on W.T. Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven, Pa. with plans to establish a museum there. The three-story, 56,000- square-foot building includes three hangar bays for aircraft. The foundation kicked off a fund-raising drive to renovate the building for museum use and retire its acquisition debt. Officials hope to raise $1 million over the next couple of years - with at least half of that raised in the next 12 months - to fund the renovation effort.
JOE FARRELL, 82, founder and former president of Ohio Aviation Company, died Nov. 4 in Troy, Ohio after a brief illness. He started Ohio Aviation in 1946 at Dayton Airport, modifying military airplanes for corporate use. he was one of the first Beech Aircraft distributors and was named Beech Aircraft's "Man of the Year" in 1974. Farrell was chairman emeritus of Am Jet Corp. at the time of his death. He is survived his son, Mike, daughter Barbara and one grandchild.
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-40-AD; Amdt. 39-9782; AD 96-21-05) - requires, for aircraft that do not have a certain elevator torque tube installed, drilling inspection access holes in the elevator torque tube arm, inspecting the elevator torque tube for corrosion, replacing any corroded elevator torque tube and applying a corrosion-preventive compound. The proposal is prompted by several reports of corrosion found in the elevator torque tube area.
WHILE SPEAKING to an FAA/industry "Challenger Session" Thursday, Hinson called the White House's plan to assess a $225 per-flight fee on business jets ill-advised and not well coordinated and expressed doubt that the proposal would go forward in its present form. The White House proposed the business aircraft flight fee in late August to help pay for a new national literacy program initiative (BA, Sept. 2/101).
HELIMART, Costa Mesa, Calif., was appointed an authorized service center for American Eurocopter. The company will provide service and support for the AS350 AStar and AS355 TwinStar model helicopters. To accommodate the additional work, Helimart said it will move its maintenance department to a larger hangar facility on the west side of John Wayne-Orange County Airport.
The Universities of North Dakota and Minnesota, Crookston have formed a joint effort to offer an agricultural aviation program and will use the Diamond Katana DA20 aircraft as the primary aircraft. UND took delivery of two Katanas, bringing its fleet of the two-seat aircraft to five. UND also operates the aircraft through its affiliation with the US Space and Rocket Center's Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., and with the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Aviation Program in Mesa, Ariz.
NOW THAT departing FAA Administrator David Hinson no longer will have access to FAA's aircraft fleet, he's in the market for a Beech Baron. As soon as he gets back to his home in Idaho, "first thing I'm gonna do is buy an airplane," Hinson told reporters at a farewell interview last week. "What are you going to buy?" a reporter asked. "Probably buy a Baron, because that's what I had when I came to the FAA and I sold it," Hinson said.
RAYTHEON Model BAe 125-800A and Hawker 800 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-142-AD) - revises an earlier proposal that would have required a detailed visual inspection of the fuel feed hose assemblies of the auxiliary power unit to detect overheating, degradation, proper routing and adequate clearance, and correction of any discrepancies found. That proposal was prompted by reports of heat damage to the fuel feed hose assembly of the APU due to contact between the hose assembly and hot surfaces.
BOMBARDIER and the Province of Ontario are feuding over Bombardier's option to acquire the remaining 49 percent of de Havilland from the provincial government Jan. 31 for C$49 million - a deal penned when the two parties acquired the manufacturer from Boeing five years ago.
American Financial Group, the property and casualty insurance business, entered into an investment agreement to purchase 350,000 shares of convertible preferred stock of general aviation insurance provider American Eagle for $35 million. If converted, the preferred shares would represent about 48 percent of American Eagle's outstanding common stock. In addition, the agreement provides for American Financial Group to name two insurance executives to join the American Eagle board of directors.
ILLINOIS GOV. Jim Edgar, who has opposed the City of Chicago's plans to close Meigs Field and turn the site into parkland, Thursday told a group of general aviation interests that he believes the effort to save the airport would be "winnable" if the state legislature were to take action.
Attempting to expand its membership beyond the ranks of air taxis and fixed-base operators, the National Air Transportation Association launched a membership drive aimed at other segments of the industry. NATA is lowering its base-dues amount from $500 to $340 per year for small aviation businesses with fewer than seven employees. In addition, NATA will offer a variety of dues payment schedules for members, ranging from annual to monthly payments.
