GROUND TEST ARTICLE for the first production V-22 tiltrotor aircraft has begun operations at Bell Helicopter Textron's Flight Research Facility in Arlington, Texas, the Bell Boeing team reported. About 400 hours of rotor whirl tests with the GTV, a fully functional wing, engine and rotor system, will be logged during the next year, the team said. Data will be used to predict operational test performance of the initial production V-22, aircraft No. 7, when it flies at NAS Patuxent River, Md.
FLIGHT VISIONS, INC., the Sugar Grove, Ill. manufacturer of head-up display systems for commercial and military aircraft, named two men to sales and marketing positions. Karl Zogg was named sales manager and Jim Burch is the director of military marketing and sales. Zogg is a University of North Dakota graduate who has held a variety of flying and aviation sales jobs. Burch spent 16 years as senior international marketing manager for Litton Industries and was program manager for Northrop's Newberry Park division.
FORMER MEMBERS of the U.S. Army 4th/506th Helicopter Co. and 152nd Maint. Det. will hold a reunion Sept. 11-14 in Savannah, Ga. For more information, contact Janice Paul at 142 N. Franklin, Red Cloud, Neb. 68970 or Loren Strange, 407 Sherwood Dr., Maryville, Tenn. 37801.
HARVEY FERGESON was named Southeast regional manager for Midcoast Aviation. Fergeson, who has more than 34 years of aircraft experience, will be responsible for Midcoast activities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SERVICES beginning today will implement a package of service guarantees to its retail customers purchasing fuel. The Max Service Guarantees program covers cleaning services, assistance with engine covers and gear pins, complimentary local ground transportation, baggage assistance, wing protection mats for over-wing fueling, complimentary newspaper for morning departures, and ground power unit start. Raytheon Aircraft promises 100 gallons of free fuel or a top-off, whichever occurs first, if the services are not provided.
ELECTRIC FUEL CORPORATION received FAA approval for a new battery-powered, water-activated survivor locator light, SurvivalLite. The emergency lights are attached to life vests required for over-water commercial flights, the company said. The company, which said it has initial orders for 60,000 lights, plans to begin deliveries in the second quarter. SurvivalLite runs on a magnesium copper-chloride battery.
Organizers of a proposed industry-wide learn-to-fly promotional program say general aviation needs to attract a minimum of 100,000 new student pilots annually - a 50 percent increase over current levels - to reverse the continuing decline in the U.S. pilot population.
The Regional Airport Authority of Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky. reached agreement with Johnson Controls for the operation of a newly constructed fixed-base operation at Louisville International Airport. The five-year agreement calls for Johnson Controls to provide fueling services for 16 airlines serving Louisville International as well as maintenance, storage, fueling and ground support services for corporate aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration today will replace an 11-foot-high stack of procurement rules with a document of fewer than 100 pages, and a one-foot-thick stack of personnel statutes and rules with a 41-page document. The new way of doing business likely will involve putting the $475 million Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) under the new procurement rules and charging overflight fees for the first time to help finance the changes.
ENSTROM Model F-28, F-28A, F-28C, F-28C-2, F-28F, 280, 280C, 280F and 280FX helicopters (Docket No. 93-SW-27-AD; Amdt. 39-9540; AD 95-06-03) - supersedes an existing AD that requires initial and repetitive inspections of a certain main rotor transmission clutch assembly for bearing roughness, noise, lock-up, or improper oil level, and replacement of the clutch assembly, if necessary. The AD requires replacement of the clutch assembly at certain time-in-service intervals.
Offshore Logistics, Lafayette, La., signed a letter of intent to buy up to 50 percent of the capital stock of Bristow Helicopter Group Limited. Offshore Logistics officials said the transition "is conditional upon the satisfaction of several conditions," including due diligence review, the signing of a definitive agreement and various regulatory approvals. Terms of the agreement were not revealed.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CF34 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 94-ANE-19) - proposes to reduce the allowable operating cyclic life limit for certain fan disks. This proposal is prompted by an updated stress and life analysis. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent fan disk rupture, engine failure and damage to the aircraft. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before May 24 to FAA, New England Region, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, Mass. 01803-5299. Specify docket number.
AN OWNERSHIP CHANGE at Alliance Engines appeared likely last week, with a management buyout seen as one possible scenario. Alliance, headquartered in Maryville, Tenn., was formed 18 months ago by Duncan Aviation and K-C Aviation to provide a range of engine services for the turbine-powered business aircraft market (BA, Oct. 3, 1994/138). The company has been progressing rapidly toward achieving full operational status, but veteran Duncan executive Rob Warner, who headed Alliance since its inception, recently left the company.
Aero International Regional, the marketing coalition of British Aerospace and the ATR consortium, received orders and options from Continental Express for 20 ATR 42-500 aircraft valued at $260 million. Eight aircraft are to be delivered this year, beginning in May.
The Clinton Administration is seeking congressional approval for $150 million in new or increased aviation user fees in its fiscal 1997 budget, but an FAA task group has pinpointed about $345 million in aviation taxes that the agency could collect next year, according to a report released last week by Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R-Iowa). The report, Illustrative User Fees for Aviation Regulation and Certification, was developed by a User Fee Task Group that studied a number of possible certification and licensing fees.
JETSTREAM HP137 Mk1, Series 200 and Models 3101 and 3201 airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-44-AD) - proposes to revise an earlier proposal that would have required repetitive inspection of the main landing gear pintle to cylinder interface for cracks and replacement of any cylinder with cracks exceeding certain limits. The proposal was prompted by reports of main landing gear cracks in the area of the pintle to cylinder interface on three of the affected airplanes.
A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT on "Robinson Helicopter Model R-22 inflight breakup accidents involving loss of main rotor control" is on the agenda for Tuesday's National Transporation Safety Board meeting in Washington, D.C. The R-22 has been the subject of numerous safety recommendations by NTSB during the past 18 months (BA, Aug. 1, 1994/50).
ROBERT HALDEMAN was appointed sales manager of Allison 250 components for Dallas Airmotive. Haldeman, who served as production supervisor of Dallas Airmotive's main A250 overhaul facility in Dallas, will be responsible for A250 component sales throughout North America.
NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT delivered two PA-44-180 Seminoles to Canada for use by the Sault College Aviation Technology program in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The aircraft, sold through Piper's Canadian distributor, Aviation Unlimited, are the first new Seminoles to be registered in Canada since 1980. The 180-horsepower Seminoles will be used for twin-engine flight training. Aviation Unlimited will support the aircraft, including technical assistance, warranty work and customer service.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL has planned a 20,000-square-foot expansion of its Falcon Jet Learning Center in Teterboro, N.J. Airport to provide more space for new simulators, classrooms and customer facilities. The expansion will house three new simulators, added flight training devices, briefing and classrooms and an exercise facility. The center currently is equipped with flight simulators for Falcon 10, 20, 50 and 900 aircraft.
SUNDSTRAND AEROSPACE, Rockford, Ill., named Jet Aviation of Zurich, Switzerland a service center for its line of auxiliary power units. The Zurich facility also is an authorized service center for Cessna Citation business jets and all models of the Hawker business jet.
BANNER AEROSPACE appointed Tucker Nason, president of Harco for the past 13 years, president and chief executive officer of its Burbank Aircraft Supply subsidiary. Nason, who also will remain at the helm of Harco, has 38 years of experience in the fastener industry. Before joining Harco, he was group vice president in charge of fastener distribution for Kierulff Electronics. Banner acquired Harco from Fairchild Corp. last month through the issuance of 4.4 million shares valued at $26.8 million (BA, March 25/134).
The Alliance Airport Authority in Fort Worth, Texas approved a bond sale "not to exceed" $250 million for the purchase and construction of a regional sorting facility for Federal Express. The new facility is expected to be operational in October 1997 at the airport. Assistant Fort Worth City Manager Ramon Guajardo said concerns by Federal Express that Alliance has only one runway were answered when the city committed to widening Taxiway Bravo to meet minimum standards for use as a backup runway.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-256-AD) - proposes to require replacement of outflow/safety valves with serviceable valves. This proposal is prompted by a report of cracking and subsequent failure of outflow safety valves in the pressurization system. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent such cracking and subsequent failure of the outflow/safety valves, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.
MERCURY AIR GROUP increased its regular quarterly dividend to $.0125 per share from $.01 per share and announced a 10 percent dividend on its common stock. The increased cash dividend and the stock dividend are payable May 1 to shareholders of record April 16 and 17, respectively. Mercury is an aviation services and cargo company.
