Petitions for Exemption Docket No.: 28345 Petitioner: Air Vegas Sections of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR 135.180(a) Description of Relief Sought: To permit Air Vegas to operate its fleet of six turbine-powered Beechcraft C99 (B-C99) aircraft with 15 passenger seats without Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS I) installed. Docket No.: 28454 Petitioner: Civil Air Patrol Sections of the FAR Affected: 14 CFR Subpart F, Part 91
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION received more than 1,000 responses in less than a week from an alert it issued late last month asking members to join the Alliance of manufacturers, low-fare airlines and general aviation interests that formed late last year to support the House version of FAA reform legislation and fight off potential user fees (BA, March 25/138). The number of responses represented one-quarter of the association's membership.
BRUCE LANGSEN was named executive vice president of Inventory Locator Service. Langsen, who joined the company in June 1993, previously was vice president of marketing and sales. In his new position, Langsen will be responsible for the unit's daily operations.
SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT COMPANY officials Friday broke ground and began site preparation for a new 180,000-square-foot manufacturing plant at the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport's industrial park 10 miles south of Martinsburg, W.Va. The plant will have 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 60,000 square feet of office and cafeteria space. The ground breaking featured Ed Swearingen, the designer of the SJ30 entry- level business jet, who is chairman of Sino Swearingen Aircraft Co., and Jack Sun, chairman of Sino-Aerospace Investment Corp.
PRECISION AIRMOTIVE introduced a new line of electric starters for aircraft piston engines. Precision Airmotive said its Lamar Permanent Magnet Starters weigh about 40 percent less than conventional starters, but "deliver sufficient torque to start virtually any general aviation piston engine in nearly any environment." Precision said its patented design replaces field windings with lightweight permanent magnets.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION won a 60-day extension of the comment period on an FAA notice of proposed rulemaking covering inspection and possible replacement of crankshafts in some 46,000 Textron Lycoming engines. Doug Macnair, director of aviation standards for AOPA, said the proposed rule, 94-ANE-44, "could cost aircraft owners more than $1 billion.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN AVIATION CONFERENCE, held March 7-9 in Minneapolis, Minn., attracted 1,400 attendees, up 38 percent from last year's 1,015, organizers said. The number of exhibitors grew 62 percent, from 53 in 1995 to 86 this year. In addition, officials said Women in Aviation, International, which opened to members in January 1995, has passed the 1,000-member mark.
A Congressional amendment that would permit agencies such as the National Park Service to assess overflight fees on air tour operators flying over most public lands is being vigorously opposed by the United State Air Tour Association (USATA), which represents air tour providers, and Helicopter Association International.
Honeywell signed a letter of intent to purchase Smiths Industries Aerospace's Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) business in Grand Rapids, Mich. Honeywell will acquire FOG's design and manufacturing patents and related technology, equipment and services.
SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT COMPANY said its SJ30 business jet design successfully completed 145 hours of wind tunnel testing at the University of Washington's low-speed wind tunnel. The test results "will substantiate the aerodynamic design predictions and validate stability and control characteristics of the SJ30-2," the company said. Officials opted to build the -2 version of the aircraft, with uprated Williams FJ44-2C engines, instead of the original SJ30 design that designer Ed Swearingen has been trying to get into production since the late 1980s (BA, Feb. 12/65).
The Inmarsat Assembly, which agreed that organizational changes "are in urgent order" to remain successful, has developed a series of principles for its future structure.
AIRSPACE REGULATION by agencies other than FAA will be a hot issue in Washington, D.C. this week. The House Resource Committee is scheduled to consider an amendment Thursday that proposes to permit land management agencies such as the National Park Service (NPS) to impose charges for overflights of federal lands, a measure strongly opposed by the United States Air Tour Association (USATA) and the Helicopter Association International. See article on Page 134.
INNOTECH AVIATION LTD., Montreal, Quebec signed contracts valued at $14 million (Canadian) for completion of five Canadair Challenger business jets, two Challenger 601-3Rs and three Challenger 604s. The work to be done includes installation of customized interiors and advanced satellite communication systems in several of the aircraft. Several of the planes will go to Middle East operators. Innotech, part of the Innotech/Execaire Aviation Group, said it has designed, built, installed and certified interiors for more than 100 Canadair Challenger interiors.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY published a List of Leak Detection Evaluations, which provides information on more than 200 third-party evaluations of systems used to detect leaks from underground storage tanks. EPA officials said the list will provide information to help underground storage tank owners select leak detection systems and determine their compliance or acceptability. A limited number of printed copies are available through EPA's RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346.
DAVID H. VADAS was named director of the Aerospace Industries Association Research Center, replacing Virginia C. Lopez, who retired in November. Vadas joined AIA in 1987 as an economist. In his new role he will be responsible for the Research Center's efforts to develop and publish papers and research reports on the U.S. aerospace industry.
NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT appointed Piper Chile, S.A., based at Tobalaba Airport in Santiago, as the factory representative for Chile. Piper Chile will provide complete service, including new aircraft sales, spare parts and technical assistance, to Piper customers.
National Business Aircraft Association last week urged its members to join the Alliance, the coalition of manufacturers, low-fare airlines and general aviation interests, in an effort to ward off the Senate proposal for a user- fee-funded FAA. "New user fees on business aircraft currently proposed in S.1239 can be avoided...only if sufficient public interest is rallied in support of the Alliance for Safe and Efficient Air Transportation," NBAA told members in an Alert issued Wednesday.
ROBERTO RIVAS was appointed regional sales manager, Latin America for UNC International. Rivas, who will be based in Miami, Fla., will be responsible for selling UNC Accessory Services and UNC Airwork's auxiliary power unit capabilities throughout Latin America.
Fairchild Aircraft is stepping up efforts to sell and lease used Metro aircraft, in addition to new Metro 23s and their government counterpart C- 26s. The manufacturer said that in some areas of the world, "the economy, rate structure, and consumer demand...simply cannot financially support the operation of a new Metro 23. In such cases, a previously-owned Metro can be the solution. Fairchild is committed to using its worldwide network of Metro sellers and operators to meet these customers' needs through the sale of previously-owned aircraft."
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT said FAA decided to provide $3.3 million in discretionary Airport Improvement Program funds to extend the air carrier runway at the airport. The project will include 750-foot extensions at both ends of Runway 01L/19R during the next two years, increasing its length to 11,800 feet. "All commercial freighter aircraft will be able to operate maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) Fairbanks departures year-round" when the project is completed, the airport authority said.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL is developing a full flight Sikorsky S-76C helicopter simulator for installation at its learning center on the West Palm Beach, Fla. International Airport. The simulator, developed by FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla., is scheduled for completion next year. The simulator will meet Level D performance standards with a ChromaView visual system.
French aerospace manufacturer Aerospatiale said its losses doubled last year because of large provisions for restructuring, but the company expects to return to profitability this year. The company reported a net loss of 981 million French francs, compared with a 1994 loss of FRF483. The increased loss included a FRF1.5 billion charge for restructuring that will include cutting 3,100 jobs. The weakness of the dollar, which fell 15 percent last year, cost Aerospatiale FRF576 million, according to Chairman Louis Gallois.
DAVID HUNT was named director of regional airline sales for Saab Aircraft of America, Inc. Hunt, 54, will be responsible for sales of the Saab 340 and Saab 2000 to specific U.S. airlines. Hunt was previously with Embraer, Beech and Cessna.
Banner Aerospace this month acquired Harco, Inc., the El Segundo, Calif., distributor of precision fasteners to the aerospace industry, from Fairchild Corp. Stockholders approved the issuance of 4.4 million shares valued at $26.8 million in exchange for all the outstanding shares of Harco. As a result, Fairchild, which previously owned a 47 percent interest in Banner, owns 58 percent of the company's shares. Harco, founded in 1958 and a Fairchild unit since 1980, reported fiscal 1996 sales of about $30 million.
