Jet Aviation completed the acquisition of K-C Aviation's Transporation Services (KCTS) Division Friday, including K-C's charter sales and aircraft management operations based at Islip, N.Y. and Montvale, N.J., plus Jet Professionals, Inc. of Shelton, Conn. The deal, which the parties began negotiating in June (BA, June 10/257), will raise the total number of aircraft operated by Jet Aviation in the U.S. to 70, and to 145 worldwide.
The National Business Aircraft Association named Tom Gentry, a former naval officer with financial and administrative experience, manager of administrative and financial services for the association. Gentry joined NBAA last week after serving as administrative manager of the George Washington University Medical Center's Department of Fiscal Affairs, in Washington, D.C. During a 12-year Navy career he served as a deck officer and air department administrative officer on the U.S.S.
STEWART W. IRVINE, 75, a veteran Canadian aircraft marketer, died Sept. 14 at The Toronto Hospital. Irvine spent more than 30 years in the aviation business, having joined John Timmins and Vic Bennett in 1957 when Timmins Aviation was less than two years old. Irvine remained with the company as it changed ownership, and its name, to Atlantic Aviation of Canada in 1967 and again in 1974, to Innotech Aviation when Irvine and six others became shareholders.
JOANNA HAWKES joined AAR International as vice president finance-Europe. Hawkes formerly held a number of financial positions with Hilton International, including director of corporate and development finance.
RUSSIA was granted provisional member status in the International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association during IAOPA's 18th World Assembly in Thun, Switzerland. "Not only is Russia an expanding market for aviation products, it already has a sophisticated aeronautical industry," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "As those designers and manufacturers focus more on general aviation and integration with western industry, we should see exciting new consumer products.
TODAY IS THE DEADLINE for comments on another issue, FAA's proposal to require Part 135 operators to display the name of the certificate holder on the outside of all aircraft used in Part 135 operations. The National Air Transportation Association has petitioned FAA seeking flexibility in the name display requirements, but faxed an "Action Call" to its members Friday warning that only 25 letters in support of that petition had been received. NATA was urging affected air taxi operators to transmit their comments on Docket No.
A RURAL MARKET SYMPOSIUM designed to help small air shows in rural markets is one of the features of this year's International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) convention, scheduled Dec. 8-11 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. ICAS organizers, who have sold nearly 270 exhibit booths for the four-day show, say they expect more than 1,500 registrants. Also scheduled is a day-long Military Base Events Symposium designed to provide essential information for air show organizers in all branches of the U.S. military.
SUE SOMMERS was promoted to national marketing director for Million Air. Sommers, who joined Million Air in 1986 as customer service manager at Million Air New Orleans, most recently was director of the chain's customer development program.
Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R-Iowa) last week introduced legislation that includes the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's "Linked Financing" proposal to fund the Federal Aviation Administration.
BOMBARDIER officials say they are "very, very close" to first flight of the long-range Bombardier Global Express with low- and high-speed taxi tests as well as engine run tests under way. In addition, Bombardier Tuesday successfully completed limit load lateral gust tests on a structural test frame, the last of eight static tests necessary for first flight. Bombardier, which unveiled the Global Express last month (BA, Sept. 2/101), expects certification of the aircraft in second quarter of 1998.
IT'S NOT OFFICIAL quite yet, but FAA officials have approved expanding the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to grant the same protections to aircraft maintenance personnel provided for pilots and air traffic controllers who report safety problems (BA, May 1, 1995/181).
BARRY KRASNER, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told the NATCA convention in Pittsburgh this month he will not seek a third three-year term as head of the organization, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife.
VERSION 1.0 of TRAVEL$ENSE, the interactive business aircraft productivity tracking software developed by the National Business Aircraft Association, will be distributed to NBAA board members and others who have ordered it next week. Officials who have demonstrated "beta" versions of the software for corporate operators say the reaction has been extremely positive.
The Federal Aviation Administration Friday appointed Guy Gardner, a former astronaut and the director of the agency's Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., as associate administrator for regulation and certification. Gardner succeeds Tony Broderick, who resigned from his post on the morning the agency decided to ground ValuJet (BA, June 24/277).
FAA proposed special conditions for the LET Aeronautical Works Model L610G 40-passenger airplane. FAA said the aircraft will have a "novel or unusual design feature" associated with the use of the landing gear fairing during emergency evacuation. The proposal provides additional criteria for the emergency exits. For more information, contact Frank Tiangsing, Regulations Branch, ANM-114, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, FAA, 1601 Lind Ave., S.W., Renton, Wash. 98055-4056.
AirNet Systems, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio acquired Midway Aviation, Inc., a Dallas-based air courier that operates a fleet of 10 aircraft, primarily in the southern U.S. The acquisition is expected to add 5,000 miles per day to AirNet's existing 85,000-mile nationwide air system and add 10 new cities. In addition, the Midway acquisition will boost to five the number of AirNet maintenance bases.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION last week prohibited U.S. operators from flying in "the territory and airspace of Iran" unless the operator is a foreign air carrier or operating a U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier. FAA noted that increased military presence and activity in neighboring civilian air traffic corridors "have increased the potential threat to civil aircraft...." The Special Federal Aviation Regulation, SFAR-76, remains in effect until FAA provides further notice.
LEARJET is now shooting for "the first half of 1997" to achieve FAA certification of its new Model 45 business jet. July 1996 had been the target since the program was announced four years ago and the company had expected to deliver the first 17 aircraft in 1996 (BA, Sept. 28, 1992/126). Deliveries are now expected to begin shortly after certification next year.
HUDSON GENERAL named Michael Rubin president. Rubin, a 25-year employee of the company, had been executive vice president and chief financial officer. He will continue as CFO. Jay B. Langer will continue as chairman and chief executive officer. Paul R. Pollack was elected president and Raymond J. Rieder was named executive vice president of Hudson General LLC, the company's 74-percent subsidiary that provides services at airports throughout the U.S. and Canada.
BELL Model 222, 222B, 222U and 230 helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-08- AD; Amdt. 39-9740; AD 96-18-15) - supersedes an existing AD that requires an initial check of both surfaces of each tail rotor blade for cracks, an inspection of the blade skin if a crack of a specified size or location is found in the paint, and replacement of the blade if a crack is found in the blade skin. This AD requires the same actions, but expands the applicability to include additional blade part numbers.
LEARJET Model 60 airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-240-AD; Amdt. 39-9715; AD 96-18-01) - requires modification of the aft core cowl nozzle of the engine nacelles. This amendment is prompted by a report that the sealant material in the aft core cowl nozzle of the engine nacelle was found to extend higher than the nozzle's forward flange, which can allow it to interfere with the proper operation of the emergency fuel shutoff actuating mechanism.
Rockwell International is consolidating its Collins commercial and government avionics business and its Communication Systems Division into one organization. Effective Oct. 1, the Collins Commercial Avionics (CCA) business and Collins Avionics and Communications Division (CACD), both based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the Communications Systems Division (CSD), based in Dallas, Texas, will be joined in a new organization called Avionics and Communications, which will be based in Cedar Rapids.
The Royal Bank of Canada will arrange C$3 billion in financing for Nav Canada to acquire the Canadian civil air navigation system from the government and help finance ongoing needs, Nav Canada said. A three- tranche facility will provide the initial funding for the company until it phases in capital markets financing, Nav Canada said. Nav Canada, a non- share capital corporation, is expected to acquire the air traffic system assets at the end of October.
