PHIL WRENN was appointed to the international sales staff for Dallas Airmotive. Wrenn, who has 15 years of turbine-engine experience, primarily is responsible for Dallas Airmotive's Rolls-Royce Spey and Tay overhaul and repair international sales operations.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
French aviation authorities and the manufacturers of the ATR-72 turboprop that crashed Oct. 31, 1994, near Roselawn, Ind., did not ignore or suppress technical data that could have prevented the accident, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's former top aircraft certification official.
NORMAN HILL was named Rolls-Royce Spey and Tay engine sales and service manager for Dallas Airmotive. Hill previously was director of maintenance for a Las Vegas-based corporation, where he was responsible for maintenance of Gulfstreams, Beechjets, Citations and other business aircraft.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service thinks major engine overhauls are capital expenditures rather than expenses, and tax attorneys agree that even though it only represents IRS's opinion in a single case, the theory could easily be applied broadly throughout the industry with multi-million- dollar effects.
UNITED STATES AIR TOUR ASSOCIATION will host its first Air Tour Summit Oct. 2-4 at the Kona Kai Resort in San Diego, Calif. The meeting, which USATA plans to hold annually, will include seminars on regulations, legislation, insurance, marketing, media and other air tour issues. Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, National Transportation Safety Board and Congress are expected to participate. For more information, contact Lori Clair at (703) 683-6222.
AVIATION USERS likely will begin paying the aviation excise taxes before the end of the month as President Clinton is expected to sign into law a measure that temporarily renews the taxes. The measure, included in the small-business tax relief bill, H.R.3448, calls for the taxes to take effect seven days following Clinton's signature. H.R.3448 was sent to the White House last week and Clinton has until Aug. 20 to sign the bill. See article below.
BRUCE JENNER has merged his aviation interests with The Summit Group of Columbia, S.C. to form a new company that will specialize in the sale of corporate aircraft. The company, Bruce Jenner Aviation, will be based in South Carolina, where Summit Group principals Rick Crout and Mike Rash will sell aircraft. Jenner, who has owned several aircraft and accumulated 5,000 hours as pilot in command, and his wife Kris will maintain their offices in Los Angeles.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT, which earlier this year signed an agreement to buy all four of International Aviation's fixed-base operations (BA, April 15/167), hopes to close on that deal upon completion of the due diligence review next month. The acquisition would reinforce Signature's presence on the East Coast and adds a base in the Southwest. Signature, however, continues to eye new locations for its FBO chain - particularly west of the Mississippi - and is expected to announce at least one more deal by the end of the year.
Citing concerns that the Federal Aviation Administration's flight and duty time proposal may impede air medical service, 15 House legislators appealed to FAA Administrator David Hinson to exempt air medical services from its proposed restrictions. In an Aug.
NASA expects to award cooperative agreements in October for government/industry partnerships aimed at improving reciprocating and gas turbine engines for light aircraft under its General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) program. The U.S. agency said the GAP program was established "to develop technologies and manufacturing processes for revolutionary, low- cost, environmentally compliant propulsion systems and to flight demonstrate" them on advanced aircraft of six or fewer seats.
DPI LABS, La Verne, Calif., delivered a cabin management system for a VIP Boeing 727-100RE refurbished by Associated Air Center of Dallas, Texas. The cabin management system provides the interior and entertainment switching controls in the cabin. The controls include reading and table lights, ceiling and fluorescent indirect lighting, entertainment and flight attendant call.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION said Joyce Fleischman will serve for an interim period as principal deputy inspector general, making her in effect acting inspector general. Fleischman, most recently deputy inspector general at the Department of Agriculture, this week will replace Mary Schiavo, who resigned July 8 (BA, July 15/27). Fleischman, who worked at the Department of Energy from 1979 to 1986 was deputy inspector general at the Department of Interior from 1986 to 1995. She joined the Department of Agriculture in November 1995.
Congress this month adopted legislation that would temporarily renew the aviation excise taxes and make a number of other changes to the tax code long sought by industry leaders. The legislation, a small-business tax relief bill, H.R.3448, received Senate approval late Aug. 2 following House passage earlier that day (BA, Aug. 5/58). H.R.3448 renews the 10 percent passenger ticket, 6.25 percent waybill, $6 international departure, 17.5-cents-per-gallon noncommercial jet fuel and 15-cents-per-gallon aviation gasoline taxes through Dec. 31.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION released its 1996 Statistical Databook. The Databook compiles shipment and billings for U.S. general aviation manufacturers as well as general aviation fleet and flight activity. In addition, the Databook provides information on the U.S. pilot population, airports and aeronautical facilities, and general aviation forecasts. For more information, contact GAMA at (202) 393-1500.
JAMES VINCENT was named senior vice president and general manager for AAR engine sales and leasing. Vincent, who joined AAR in 1979, most recently was vice president and general manager, Pratt&Whitney product line for AAR Aircraft Turbine Center.
FOKKER Model F27 Mark 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-28-AD) - proposes to require a one-time visual inspection for missing rivet heads or loose rivets of the applicable stringer-to-rib connections in the upper and lower wing skin and repair, if necessary. In lieu of the one-time visual inspection or in addition to that inspection, the proposed AD also would require replacement of certain rivets with certain new rivets in all applicable rib-to-stringer connections of the upper and lower wings.
SHORTS Model SD3-60 and SD3-SHERPA series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM- 09-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection for cracks and/or corrosion of the gland nut on the shock absorber of the main landing gear, and follow-on actions. This proposal also would require repair or replacement of any cracked/corroded gland nut with a new nut. This proposal is prompted by a report that, due to stress corrosion and cracking of the gland nut on the shock absorber, the main landing gear collapsed on an in-service airplane.
ROBERT MUNRO was appointed manager for Challenger and Westwind training for SimuFlite Training International. Munro previously was a training consultant for a number of aviation firms including SimuFlite and Canadair Business Aircraft Division.
RAYTHEON'S E-Systems unit will outfit four Raytheon-built Hawker 800XP light jets as airborne reconnaissance aircraft for the Republic of Korea. In addition, Korea is buying four more Hawkers from Raytheon that will be outfitted by Loral. Raytheon said its portion of the program could be worth up to $250 million over the life of the contract.
DASSAULT FALCON JET CORP. named George Yundt regional sales manager for the northern midwest territory covering Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Yundt, who was a corporate pilot and flight department manager for seven years, most recently was a systems integration consultant with Business Systems Solutions, Inc. in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which in the past has protested efforts by the City of Chicago to close Meigs Field, this month told city officials that the "current situation is different" and the agency does not have the authority to prevent the city's plans to close the airport and turn it into parkland. In an Aug. 2 letter to Chicago Acting Commissioner of Aviation Hugh Murphy, FAA said it considers "Meigs to be a very useful and popular facility that makes a substantial contribution to airport capacity for general aviation.
HARRY COMBS, the aviation pioneer who founded the former Combs Aircraft and later became president of Gates Learjet, was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame Aug. 1. Combs was inducted along with former astronaut Donald "Deke" Slayton, manager of NASA flight operations for the Apollo space program; Enola Gay Captain Paul Tibbets and U.S. Navy pilot David McCampbell, a holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Combs learned to fly in 1928 at the age of 15 and founded Combs Aircraft in 1938.
Diamond Aircraft developed an aircraft rental program for its two-seat Katana DA20 aircraft that the company said is patterned after the automobile industry. Through its network of dealers and flight centers, Diamond will offer Katana DA20 aircraft for rent on an hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis. Departing from the standard "per-hour" program available at most fixed-base operations, Diamond said its Diamond Flight program does not limit hours on the airplane, but requires that the aircraft is returned with a full tank of gas.
BBA Group, which holds a 68 percent stake in Signature Flight Support, will acquire the remaining interest from Acadia Partners. The acquisition - which officials say will allow BBA to "take full advantage of Signature's future growth" - is subject to the approval of BBA shareholders this week. Acadia, former owner of the Butler fixed-base operation chain, retained a 32 percent interest in the company after Butler merged with Page Avjet to form Signature Flight Support (BA, Sept. 28, 1992/125).
