FOKKER Model F28 Series airplanes (excluding Model F28 Mark 0100 series airplanes). (Docket No. 95-NM-170-AD; Amdt 39-9673; AD 96-13-05) - adopts a new AD requiring a one-time detailed visual inspection to detect cracking of the elevator gust lock housing and the gust lock support structure, and repair or replacement of cracked parts. FAA said the amendment is prompted by a report of failure of an elevator gust lock housing due to fatigue cracking.
HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL is warning that as a result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, "towers hundreds of feet tall can appear by the thousands, unannounced within the next few years." Local zoning boards previously had authority to bar unsafe obstructions, but HAI said the Telecommunications Act renders those boards "effectively powerless." The Federal Communications Commission also has some control over towers, but HAI said FCC has "historically acted only in the most egregious cases....
MIKE BOWEN was appointed vice president of Dunlop Aircraft Tires. Bowen, previously director of operations for the company's former service center in Miami, Fla., is responsible for the company's operation in Crewe, Va.
TWIN COMMANDER 500, 680 and 690 series airplanes (Docket No. 96-CE-22- AD; Amdt. 39-9650; AD 96-12-08) - requires, for airplanes that do not have a nose landing gear drag link bolt with the manufacturer's serial number, manufacturer date and the last three digits of the drawing number 055 on the bolt head, replacement of the nose landing gear drag link bolt with one that has been manufactured with the proper heat treatment.
Defense electronics specialist Tracor is selling off a piece of the AEL Industries business it bought only four months ago because the unit - the 100-employee Instrument Services Division - isn't in one of Tracor's strategic areas.
THE SENATE Monday is scheduled to begin consideration of a small-business tax relief bill, H.R.3448, that includes a short-term reinstatement of the aviation excise taxes that expired Dec. 31. The aviation excise tax provision, however, would only renew the taxes only through Dec. 31, 1996, and the passenger ticket and freight waybill taxes would not apply to any amount paid before the effective date, even if the transportation occurs during the reinstatement period. The tax renewal would be effective seven days after the bill is enacted.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT appointed Corporate Aircraft Services Co. Ltd., (CAS) a subsidiary of Commercial Associates Corp. Ltd. (CAC), as the authorized Citation sales representative in Thailand. CAC also represents Bell Helicopter Textron. CAC and CAS are establishing Siam Aerospace Technology Co. to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul support for Cessna, Bell and other civil and corporate aircraft in Thailand. The new firm will be based in Lopburi.
STEVEN MCCONNELL was appointed president of AAR Aircraft Turbine Center. McConnell joined AAR in 1983 and became senior vice president and general manager of the Aircraft Turbine Center operation in June 1989.
ALLIEDSIGNAL COMMERCIAL AVIONICS CAS-81 traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (Docket No. 96-NM-81-AD) - proposes to revise an existing AD that requires a revision to the airplane flight manual to provide the flightcrew with procedures to cycle power to the TCAS processor via the circuit breaker or power bus, and to perform a TCAS functional test to verify proper operation of the TCAS. That action was prompted by reports of failure of the audio output of the CAS-81 TCAS.
Sabreliner Corp. of St. Louis, Mo., has purchased Turbotech Repairs, Inc., of San Diego, Calif. for $4 million. Turbotech, founded five years ago, had sales of $4.8 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The company is a components overhauler for Pratt&Whitney PT6 and PW100 engines as well as AlliedSignal auxiliary power units. In 1995, Turbotech was named an authorized maintenance center for the Allison 250 engine.
James A. Robinson, who takes over today as president of Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH after a short tenure as head of Learjet (BA, July 1/1), said his mission at the German company is "to stop the bleeding." Carl A. Albert, chairman and chief executive of Fairchild Aircraft, acquired the German manufacturing operation under very favorable terms after Daimler- Benz decided to get out of the business because of heavy financial losses (BA, June 24/284).
A K-MAX "aerial truck" helicopter operated by Kimberly-Clark moved over 40 million pounds of timber in 24 days of flying during May, according to helicopter manufacturer Kaman Aerospace and Kimberly-Clark. The former Scott Paper logging operation moved more than 834 tons of wood per day, averaging 8.52 hours of flying per day for a total of 206.8 hours flight time during May, said Steve Daniels, director of commercial aircraft operations for Kaman. The K-MAX operated by Kimberly-Clark has logged more than 2,500 hours since it was delivered in October 1994.
FRIENDS OF MEIGS FIELD are warning that a hearing this Wednesday (July 10) before the Chicago Park District board may be the last chance to protest Mayor Richard Daley's plans to close Meigs Field Airport. The city's lease on the airport property is due to expire in September and Daley is moving ahead with plans for a $27 million park development project on the Meigs Field site (BA, June 10/255).
FAA and the aviation industry need to "get going with proper labeling so mechanics do not have to guess" whether materials presented as passenger aircraft cargo are hazardous, according to SabreTech President Steven Townes. SabreTech personnel, providing third-party maintenance services to ValuJet at Miami, had "no warnings to ignore" on many of the older oxygen generators loaded onto the ValuJet DC-9 that crashed May 11 in Florida, Townes told BA sister publication Aviation Daily.
NANCY PITEK was promoted to vice president of finance for Diagnostic/Retrieval Systems, Inc. Pitek joined DRS in 1984 as manager of accounting and, after a series of promotions, was named secretary of the company in 1995.
The French government said last week that Aerospatiale and Dassault Aviation will merge to form a $12 billion entity a year earlier than the timetable it announced in February. It said details are to be worked out before January 1997, versus the early-1998 goal set down when Prime Minister Alain Juppe outlined the government's merger plan in February. French President Jacques Chirac has pressed for the merger to help streamline France's defense sector, but Dassault has strongly opposed it and predicted slow progress.
The Boeing Company and General Electric have formed a joint venture to produce a hybrid version of the Boeing 737-700 airliner with a range in excess of 6,000 nautical miles for corporate and military markets (BA, July 1/1). The two companies served notice they plan to compete directly with Gulfstream Aerospace and Bombardier for the long-range business aircraft market, offering an aircraft that will cost approximately $30 million "green" and about $35 million with long-range tanks and interior.
BANYAN AIR SERVICE, based at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Executive Airport, was designated an approved aircraft repair and maintenance facility by the Venezuelan Minister of Transportation. The approval allows Banyan to perform maintenance on Venezuelan-registered aircraft. Banyan also has the authority to inspect and return aircraft to service on behalf of the Venezuelan government. In addition, Banyan said it was appointed an authorized Piper Service Center.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION will present its 1996 NBAA Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation to Leonard Greene, an aviation pioneer and the founder and president of Safe Flight Instrument Corp. NBAA Chairman Allan Lane said Greene's contributions to aviation "are truly significant and have saved many lives by reducing aircraft accidents." Greene has been an innovator of supersonic transport, with patented designs for an SST aircraft with no sonic boom and a new type of prime mover - the turbo/ram jet engine to power it.
French general aviation manufacturer Socata plans to add a twin-piston aircraft to its line of single-engine aircraft following acquisition of the type certificate of the Grumman Cougar. Socata will redesign the aircraft with 180-horsepower Lycoming IO 360 engines, install a 24-volt electrical system and offer the new aircraft as the Tangara. The aircraft will cruise at 174 knots true air speed, with a 1,400-foot-per-minute climb rate and a certified ceiling of 20,000 feet.
AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION signed up two new members - Litton Industries of Woodland Hills, Calif., and CMS, Inc. in Tampa, Fla. Litton provides navigation, guidance and control; electronic warfare; command, control and communication and information technology systems. CMS develops advanced ordnance and munitions systems and subassemblies.
Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. reported a 25 percent increase in net profits for the fiscal year ended April 30. The company had net earnings of $6.5 million for the most recent 12-month period, compared with earnings of $5.2 million a year earlier. Revenues for the year ended April 30 were $187.3 million, compared with revenues of $175.4 million in the prior year.
BOEING, RAYTHEON AND LOCKHEED MARTIN last week submitted their cost proposals in the competition to develop FAA's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). The program, valued at approximately $1.5 billion, is planned for deployment at 156 FAA Tracons, nine Metroplex Control Facilities and about 40 Defense Department facilities, with options for more. FAA is expected to award a contract in late September.
The BMW Rolls-Royce BR710 engine, selected to power both the Bombardier Global Express and Gulfstream G-V very long-range aircraft, is on schedule for European certification next month, the engine company said. The engine late last month successfully finished the fan blade off test, which BMW Rolls-Royce said was the last of a series of stringent tests leading to certification.
