TECHNOLOGY DYNAMICS GROUP, Pleasanton, Calif., acquired a majority stake in Techni-Quip Corp., a manufacturer of illumination and inspection equipment serving the scientific, photographic, medical and quality control industries. TDG, which produces fiber-optic light guides and light sources and other video and optical components for the aviation industry, said the acquisition will expand and complement its product base. TDG said it made the strategic decision in 1995 to broaden the range of markets it serves.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, which last month announced a series of new requirements for air carriers that contract out maintenance and pilot training (BA, June 24/277), initially intends those new regulations to cover only Part 121 air carriers and Part 135 carriers transitioning to Part 121.However, there is some concern in the on-demand community that the rules eventually may apply to non-scheduled airlines.
Eric Anderson, who in February was named to the newly created post of executive vice president of Aviall, was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the Dallas-based company. Anderson joined Aviall in 1988 as director of marketing for its Inventory Locator Service (ILS), was named vice president of the unit a year later and executive vice president in 1991. Anderson was promoted to president of ILS in June 1993, where he served until February when his responsibilities were broadened to include Aviall Distribution Services (BA, Feb. 26/96).
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION surpassed the 4,000-member mark, reaching an all-time high of 4,058. The association, founded in 1947 with 19 members, exceeded 3,000 members in 1988. NBAA grew by 20 percent in the past two years alone, from 3,300 members to more than 4,000. NBAA President Jack Olcott said the association's growth "directly reflects the expansion of business aviation both in the U.S. and around the world." Frontier Insurance Group of Rock Hill, N.Y. became the 4,000th member after it acquired a Beechjet 400A last month.
Mary Schiavo, the controversial Department of Transportation inspector general who drew strong criticism from both congressional and industry leaders with recent statements questioning the safety of commuter and low- fare airlines, resigned from her position, effective last week. In a letter to President Clinton dated July 3, Schiavo noted her six years of service as the IG and 14 years with the U.S. government and said, "but, there are many ways to serve.
MCCAULEY PROPELLERS received three propeller supplemental type certificates for the Cessna 172RG, Beech Sierra and Piper Cheyenne I. McCauley's BlackMac QZP three-bladed aluminum propeller was certified for the Cessna as well as Beech Sierra Models A23-24, A24 and A24R with either a Lycoming IO-360-A1B or IO-360-A1D engine and Sierra Models B24R and C24R with the IO-360-A1B6 engine. In addition, McCauley's four-bladed, scimitar-shaped propellers were certified on the Piper Cheyenne I.
ATLANTIC AVIATION received authorization to perform maintenance, modification and repairs on all corporate aircraft registered with the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation. The approval also covers engines, accessories, components, avionics and instruments.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT sold a Beech King Air C90B to Charouz Holding, a.s., a Czech company with a variety of business holdings. The aircraft, painted with the logo of Autoklub Bohemia Assistance, will be used for corporate transport, carriage of non-critical medical patients and assistance and support for auto club members. Charouz's business holdings include a retail dealership for Ford automobiles, motor racing equipment, rental cars, gasoline sales and automobile service stations and an automobile club that provides service to motorists in the Czech Republic.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION selected a team of four universities to form an Air Transportation Center of Excellence in Operations Research. The schools, the University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Maryland and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, will collaborate on air transportation safety, business and operational issues.
Illinois Transportation Secretary Kirk Brown this month asked FAA Administrator David Hinson to threaten the city of Chicago with noncompliance of grant assurances secured for Meigs Field. Brown said that over the last 10 years, FAA provided more than $1.3 million in federal funds for improvements at Meigs, all conditioned on Chicago's continued operation of the airport. Earlier this year, Hinson said FAA viewed the fate of Meigs as a "local decision."
AI(R) Marketing President Alain Brodin is returning to France in October after two lengthy postings to the U.S. as head of the ATR 42/72 marketing program in North America. He will become senior vice president-commercial for Aero International (Regional) in Toulouse, in charge of contracts and negotiation. Brodin replaces Jo`91l Le Breton, who ran ATR Marketing from mid-1985 to late 1989. Le Breton has left the company.
KAMAN AEROSPACE received certification and delivered the first K-Max aerial truck helicopter to a Japanese customer. The helicopter, which received certification last month from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau, was delivered to helicopter logging company Japan Royal. Japan Royal will use the K-Max for logging and power line work. The K-Max, which received FAA type approval in August 1994, also is certified in Canada and Switzerland. Kaman has delivered 15 K-Max helicopters.
Citing security and privacy concerns, National Air Transportation Association petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to change a new requirement for aircraft to display the aircraft certificate holder.
BFGoodrich Aerospace Avionics Division received a contract from Raytheon Aircraft to supply emergency standby attitude indicators, emergency power packs and collision warning systems for its Beech MkII aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). BFGoodrich estimated the value of the contract at more than $36 million over the life of the contract, which calls for up to 711 JPATs aircraft. BFGoodrich has sold more than 70,000 of its standby attitude indicators to commercial and military users.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION released the initial edition of the Avionics Standard Communications Bus-Version C specification. The specification, unrelated to its previously released specification Avionics Standard Communications Bus-Version B, addresses the Honeywell/Cessna Citation III, Dornier 328, Cessna Citation X and Falcon 900EX. GAMA said information for the technology on future aircraft will be added as they approach or achieve certification. The specification contains interface design and implementation information and definitions.
INNOTECH, Montreal, Quebec, installed dual Universal UNS-1B Plus flight management systems aboard a Canadair Challenger 601-3R. The system replaces Honeywell flight management systems and interfaces with the Honeywell flight guidance system and EFIS displays. It also interfaces with the Universal GPS-1200 receivers, Honeywell inertial reference units and Collins Pro Line II radios. The aircraft, also equipped with Universal's multi-mission management system, is operated by a foreign government flight inspection program.
PRESIDENT CLINTON assured the National Air Transportation Association that his Administration, as it develops new national park overflights policy, continues "to seek a balance between the rights of your members to earn their livelihood and the desire of park visitors to enjoy the quiet and solitude of our national nature areas." In a July 5 letter to NATA President James Coyne, Clinton, however, noted that he has asked Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Federico Pena to develop a strategy that takes into account "the needs of visitors and the p
Cessna Aircraft, which July 3 dedicated its single-engine assembly plant in Independence, Kan. after a 10-year hiatus from piston aircraft production, received certification for the first of three aircraft models to be assembled there, the 172 Skyhawk. The certification comes 41 years after the aircraft originally received type approval and 36,000 172s later. "Certifying the new Model 172 is a major milestone in the revival of the light aircraft industry," said Pat Boyarski, Cessna's single-engine general manager.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL installed the first Cessna Citation X full flight simulator at its Citation learning center in Wichita, Kan. The simulator, designed and built by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla., will undergo certification shortly. It is equipped with a VITAL ChromaView visual system and MultiView display. The simulator was installed in the Wichita center's new addition, which eventually will accommodate five full- motion flight simulators.
FRED ESCHEU was named manager of aircraft support and service sales for Atlantic Aviation's Aircraft Services Division. Escheu has 13 years of aviation sales and marketing experience, holding positions with Aircorp Spares and Page Avjet.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUSTRALIA Models N22B, N24A and N22S airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-103-AD) - proposes, for airplanes that are not equipped with P/N 1E/N-12-57 fuselage stub fin plates, to require replacement of the existing stub fin plate with P/N 1E/N-12-57 stub fin plate. The proposal is prompted by several reports of cracks along the forward flange of the fuselage stub fin plate in the area of rib water line 138.87.
AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION'S Education Foundation established a scholarship fund for European students pursuing a degree in aviation maintenance technology. Sponsored by Mid-Continent Instrument Co., Wichita, Kan., the Monte R. Mitchell Global Scholarship will provide an annual $1,000 stipend to a European student. The scholarship was named after AEA President Monte Mitchell, who is retiring. For more information, contact AEA Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 1963, Independence, Mo. 64055; telephone: (816) 373-6565.
WILLIAM VOORHIS has joined Professional Insurance Management, Inc. as an aviation account executive. Voorhis, who has more than 22 years of aviation insurance experience, previously was vice president/general manager of Berlow Inc. in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.
The French government and ATR consortium last week charged that the National Transportation Safety Board issued an "unbalanced" report that "ignores critical causal factors" after NTSB Tuesday blamed the 1994 fatal crash of an ATR 72 near Roselawn, Ind. directly on the company and the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC).
