SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT COMPANY tapped aviation veteran Chester Schickling as vice president-marketing. Schickling, most recently director of regional airlines sales at Standard Aero, has held senior management posts with Fairchild Aircraft, CASA Aircraft USA and the former Beech Aircraft Corp. In his new position, Schickling will oversee marketing of the SJ30 light twin-engine business jet.
K-C AVIATION will design and complete a Challenger 601-3R for Boeing Aircraft Company, a piece of business that K-C Aviation officials are delighted to have. "To have been selected by a company with such a long, rich history in aviation, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, is a proud moment for K-C Aviation," said President John Rahilly. "We are providing the 'best for the best,'" he added.
Airlines once again would be exempt from the 4.3-cent-per gallon fuel tax exemption under a measure the House aviation subcommittee adopted last week. In separate action, the subcommittee approved a bill to require air carrier employers to maintain pilot records for up to a five-year period and share that information with other airlines upon request. The 4.3-cent- per gallon fuel tax exemption was added to legislation to reauthorize FAA programs. The amendment, offered by Reps.
MCCAULEY PROPELLERS, Vandalia, Ohio, announced new responsibilities for two members of its product support department. Jeanetta Muhlenkamp was appointed to the post of technical writer and Kathy Brooks to support services coordinator.
Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research established an Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center in a cooperative effort with the aviation industry and other universities. The center will provide research and develop a framework to support the civil aircraft industry and accelerate technology transfer, officials said. Cessna Aircraft, Raytheon Aircraft and Boeing are full corporate partners in the venture. The university added that some 21 small business manufacturers also are participating.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), frustrated with his inability to obtain action on his controversial aviation user fee proposal in FAA reform legislation, has found a new channel for the proposal - a bill that reauthorizes FAA programs.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE added a third Gulfstream V aircraft to the flight test program. Two test G-Vs have accumulated more than 300 flight hours and demonstrated bank angles exceeding 45 degrees at 51,000 feet at a speed of Mach .80, the company said. Certification of the 6,500-nautical mile aircraft is expected later this year with first customer deliveries in the first half of 1997. Gulfstream said it has more than $2 billion in orders for the new business jet.
THE CURFEW on night aircraft departures from the Van Nuys, Calif. Airport would be moved back to 10 p.m. from 11 p.m. under a proposal approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners. The change, if approved by the Los Angeles City Council, would amend Van Nuys Airport Noise Control Ordinance No. 155727, which currently prohibits any aircraft, except in an emergency, from departing the airport between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. the next day if that aircraft generates more than 74 dBA on departure.
DCX, INC., Franktown, Colo., said it signed a binding letter of intent to purchase all outstanding stock of Airtech International Corp. of Dallas, Texas. DCX designs and manufactures ground support cables that connect diagnostic equipment with avionics systems aboard military and commercial aircraft for performance evaluations while Airtech distributes advanced air-purification systems manufactured by Honeywell.
NEW PIPER Models PA-28-140, PA-28-150, PA-28-160, and PA-28-180 airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-51-AD; Amdt. 39-9606; AD 96-10-01) - requires a complete landing light support replacement. This action is prompted by reports of two accidents and two incidents resulting from the landing light retainer support seal breaking apart and entering the carburetor. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the landing light retainer support seal from being ingested by the updraft carburetor, which could result in rough engine operation or engine failure.
NEW PIPER PA-31, PA-31P and PA-31T series airplanes (Docket No. 95- CE-45-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 93-25-08, which requires replacement of the main landing gear actuator reinforcement bracket with an improved part. The proposal would require the same action, but correct the applicability of the AD. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent the main landing gear from extending when not selected and while the airplane is in flight because of an actuator reinforcement bracket failure.
JEFF MILFORD was appointed line service manager for Regent Aviation. Milford previously held management positions with Hudson General and Signature Flight Support.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL said FAA approved its maintenance training program for technicians needing Inspection Authorization (IA) renewal. Lonnie Williams, corporate sales manager of maintenance training, noted that maintenance technicians with an IA are required to accumulate 16 hours of additional training every two years, adding that each of SimuFlite's maintenance training courses will cover those hours.
COLGAN AIR signed a contract to purchase up to two used Saab 340B regional turboprops. Colgan, which ordered one Saab 340B and placed an option for a second, will take delivery of the first 30-passenger airliner Wednesday.
PIAGGIO Model P180 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-50-AD; Amdt. 39-9585; AD 96-09-09) - requires installation of a shield on the front section of the engine cradle. This action is prompted by a report of power control jamming as a result of freezing conditions during a high altitude flight. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent loss of engine power or jamming of the propeller controls as a result of freezing rain entering the engine nacelle. This condition could result in loss of control of the airplane.
COLLINS COMMERCIAL AVIONICS received technical standard order approval for its improved RTU-4200 series radio tuning unit. The new liquid crystal display RTU is capable of tuning Collins Pro Line II and Pro Line 400 series radios. The RTUs also have other flight management system interfaces. The unit is slated for installation on Gulfstream IV, Falcon 900EX, Falcon 50 retrofit and Citation X aircraft.
KURT HERWALD, president and chief executive of Stevens Aviation, was elected chairman of the board of the National Air Transportation Association at the group's annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nev. last month. Michael (Mick) Pittard, chairman of Aviation Charter Services, is NATA's new vice chairman. Thomas Ransom, vice president of AVITAT/Qualitron was elected treasurer.
ZOLTEK COMPANIES, INC., St. Louis, Mo., declared a two-for-one stock split payable June 17 to shareholders of record June 3. The split will be the second in less than a year - the company issued a three-for-two stock split Sept. 29. Zoltek manufactures carbon fibers used as a reinforcement material in composites.
DASSAULT FALCON JET named Kenneth Root director of its Little Rock Jet Center. Root, a 30-year aviation industry veteran, replaces acting director Earl Philpott, who returns to his position as director of production engineering. Root was with Garrett Aviation Services since 1974, most recently as manager of component repair. In his new position, he will be responsible for the overall direction of the Falcon maintenance facility and report to William Bracas, senior vice president and general manager.
Just weeks after announcing an upgrade package for the TFE731-3 business jet engine series, AlliedSignal Engines has sold out nearly 60 percent of this year's available upgrade slots, pushing managers to consider extra vendors and re-allocation of factory work to accommodate demand. The company had 82 openings for upgrades available for this year following rollout of the -3D program May 1 (BA, April 18/159), and as of late last week 49 of those slots were taken.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT Thursday issued a temporary ban on the transportation of oxygen generators as cargo on passenger aircraft. Effective until Jan. 1, 1997, the prohibition applies to all foreign and domestic passenger-carrying aircraft entering, leaving or operating in the U.S. Violation of the ban would be "an extremely serious offense," FAA Administrator David Hinson said, with an assessment of up to $25,000 per violation. A willful violation is subject to criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and/or fines.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT, meanwhile, praised FAA last week for taking "a pretty frightening" One Level of Safety proposal and developing a workable rule that is a "non-event, nonruinous." While some analysts say the rule would result in the demise of the 10- to 19-seat category of aircraft, Raytheon Aircraft Vice President-Airline Sales Mike Scheidt eschewed those predictions, noting strong sales for its 19-seat 1900D twin-turboprop. Scheidt said Raytheon Aircraft is "delivering a lot more airline product" than other regional manufacturers.
AlliedSignal Aerospace signed a maintenance service agreement with AMR Eagle, Inc., valued at more than $8.5 million, to maintain the environmental control systems (ECMs) on Eagle's fleet of 79 ATR 72 and ATR 42 regional aircraft. The Eagle system owns four American Eagle carriers: Flagship, Simmons, Wings West and Executive. The contract calls for AlliedSignal to maintain, repair and overhaul the ECMs on the aircraft, including cooling turbines, pneumatic valves and heat exchangers.
Signature Flight Support, which runs the nation's largest chain of fixed-base operations, said it began the process last week of refunding to its customers a 17.5-cent-per-gallon fuel surcharged that had been collected during the first quarter of the year. The 17.5-cent charge was among a schedule of aviation excise taxes that expired at the end of 1995 when Congress and the White House were unable to reach agreement on an overall federal budget (BA, Jan. 1/1).
