Bombardier's entry in the very-long-range business jet market made a successful first flight Oct. 13, nearly five years since officials of the Canadian conglomerate announced preliminary plans for the Global Express aircraft (BA, Nov. 4, 1991/179) and about 18 months before certification is expected in the second quarter of 1998. The first aircraft was rolled out in late August when officials announced they had 52 firm orders (BA, Sept. 2/105).
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION named Ben Phelps national safety coordinator and Jack Cole chief of staff. Phelps served as president of the San Angelo, Texas local from 1987 to 1996 and Cole previously served as president of the National Aeronautic Association. NATCA also added Sherrod Shim and Julie Goble to its communications department as director of future planning and communications associate, respectively. Shim previously was president of Employ 2020 and communications director for Siddall, Matus&Coughter Advertising.
BFGoodrich Co. sold its airport lighting product line to Hughey&Phillips, Inc., a privately held manufacturer of airport lighting components headquartered in Simi Valley, Calif. Terms were not disclosed, but BFGoodrich said the product line represented about $5 million in sales in 1995. The airport lighting line had been part of the BFGoodrich Aerospace Lighting Systems Division in Oldsmar, Fla., which will continue to supply navigation, strobe and interior lighting for a variety of aircraft.
AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL-NORTH AMERICA selected George Bean, former executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority in Tampa, Fla. as the recipient of the 1996 William E. Downs, Jr., Memorial Award. ACI-NA will present the award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to the cause of airports and aviation, at its Fifth Regional Conference and Exhibition this week. Bean served as executive director of the Hillsborough Aviation Authority for nearly 32 years, overseeing the design of Tampa International Airport.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE said FAA approved certification of the company's new Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EPGWS). American Airlines, which plans to retrofit its entire 635-aircraft fleet with the EGPWS, placed an order for the units last month (BA, Sept. 9/119).
Cirrus Design Corp. selected Trimble to supply the primary avionics on the Cirrus SR20 aircraft. "Trimble's new compact avionics system helps us achieve our goal of providing new technology at lower cost," said Cirrus President Alan Klapmeier. Trimble will provide a new fully integrated package including an advanced audio panel, and intercom, 2000 Approach plus global positioning system certified for instrument flight rules, two 760- channel communication transceivers, a navigation receiver, transponder and altitude encoder.
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY will hold its Ninth Biennial International Symposium on Aviation Psychology April 27-May 1 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. The sponsors, which also include the Association of Aviation Psychologists and The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, issued a call for papers for the meeting. Interested participants should send a one-page abstract to Lori Rakovan, OSU Aviation Program, Aviation Bldg., Room 302, 164 19th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210-1110; telephone: (614) 292- 2405; fax: (614) 292-1014.
ATLANTIC AVIATION entered into a joint venture with Texaco to build a fueling facility at Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia, Venezuela. The facility initially will provide into-plane refueling with other fixed-base operation services to come later. Construction is slated to begin by yearend and is expected to be completed early next year. Texaco, which has a 40-year supplier relationship with Atlantic, entered the aviation fuels market in Venezuela in 1991.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has a new long-term labor agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, leaving Learjet as the only one of the Wichita Big Four aerospace manufacturers that has not concluded a new contract. The current Learjet agreement is due to expire Nov. 3. See article on Page 181.
KRN AVIATION, Mesa, Ariz., took delivery of a shipment of Aerostar aircraft parts it bought from New Piper Aircraft Inc., earlier this year. KRN said the parts inventory has an approximate retail value of $3 million. For more information, contact KRN at (602) 830-2182; fax, (602) 830-1373.
THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORP. said Gulfstream Aerospace "will add $120 million over five years to its three underfunded pensions that cover over 5,600 workers and retirees" under an agreement worked out between the company and the agency. PBGC said Gulfstream agreed to contribute additional funds at the time of its recent initial public stock offering.
HELI-DYNE SYSTEMS delivered the third of four McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD900s to Allegheny General Hospital LifeFlight. Heli-Dyne configured the helicopters with a quick-change, two-patient emergency medical service interior. Allegheny General LifeFlight, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., took delivery of its first MD Explorer helicopter in July and is scheduled to take delivery of its fourth next month.
The Department of Transportation Friday issued a requirement for airports and commuter airlines operating aircraft with 19 to 30 seats to provide boarding assistance devices for passengers with disabilities. The new requirements call for carriers and the airports they serve to jointly develop a plan within nine months on acquiring the devices. Effective date of rule will be at the end of November. The rule, however, does not specify whether the carriers or the airports will be responsible for the costs of the devices.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT is building a new 30,000-square-foot hangar at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport to house its flight demonstration fleet. The $1.2 million facility, located east of Raytheon's Demonstration Flight Department offices, is expected to be completed before yearend. Raytheon will move its Hawker flight demonstration program from Little Rock, Ark. to the new facility. The company said, however, it has no plans to relocate its other activities at Little Rock - including completions, aircraft painting, customizing and aftermarket support - to Wichita.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR David Hinson told BA last week he remains hopeful that a new regulation to permit use of single-engine aircraft under IFR conditions in scheduled or charter passenger carrying operations will be issued before his tenure at the agency ends next month (BA, July 8/13).
VisionAire, Chesterfield, Mo., which is developing the Vantage six- place, single-engine business jet, plans a rollout and first flight next month, officials said, with ground breaking expected on an assembly plant by yearend. The company scheduled a Nov. 8 rollout ceremony for the all- composite Vantage at Scaled Composites, Inc. in Mojave, Calif. and is planning for the inaugural flight later that month. VisionAire also hopes to break ground this year for an assembly plant to be built in 1997 in Ames, Iowa.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS, Dallas, Texas, announced a number of key appointments that the company said will "reestablish our position in our traditional markets," focusing on piston engine products and distribution for general aviation.
JET AVIATION'S Basel, Switzerland base will build a 19,900-square-foot hangar that will be used exclusively for aircraft exterior painting. The new facility, which will accommodate aircraft as large as Boeing 737- 700/800, is expected to be completed in mid-1997. Jet Aviation Basel, founded in 1967 and the first unit in the Jet Aviation Group of companies, has been painting up to 30 aircraft a year in another hangar that will now be converted for maintenance work.
AVREPS INTERNATIONAL signed an agreement to expand the marketing efforts of Northstar Technologies, the wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Marconi Company Electronics that produces GPS products. AvReps will market the products to avionics sales and service facilities, corporate aviation departments and original equipment manufacturers.
OMEGA ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCIAL SERVICES is offering a new small ticket leasing program for dealers and jobbers in the retail fueling industry. The program provides financing packages of up to $75,000 for many items that conventional lenders consider undesirable, Omega said. Omega, Bothell, Wash., provides products and services to the fueling industry.
EXCERPTS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1996 FAA Funding Provisions -- Sense of the Senate Sense of the Senate provision stating that the aviation excise taxes should be reinstated for 18 months while long-term funding options for the FAA are developed. -- Fees
FOKKER Model F27 Mark 050 and F28 Mark 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-79-AD) - proposes to require installation of the bonding cable for the housing of the lavatory pump and filter assembly and the lavatory bowl. This proposal is prompted by a report indicating that the housing of the lavatory pump and filter assembly is not grounded properly. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent such improper grounding, which could result in an electrical fire and/or injury to passengers and crewmembers.
FOKKER Model F27 Mark 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-88-AD) - proposes to require an inspection of the left-hand elevator torque tube assembly for cracking or loose or sheared rivets. It also would require repair or replacement of discrepant parts, as appropriate. This proposal is prompted by a report of fatigue cracking found on the torque tube support.
IT WILL BE A LOT DRIER in the passenger cabins of commercial aircraft if Samuel J. Burris has his way. In a formal rulemaking petition to FAA, Burris is asking the agency "to prohibit U.S. air carriers from serving, and passengers from consuming, alcoholic beverages on all foreign and domestic flights." In publishing notice of the petition in the Oct.
