Pratt&Whitney agreed to buy The Nordam Group's Propulsion Systems Division (PSD), the first outright acquisition under a plan to increase P&W's overhaul work from a $300 million business in 1994 to a $1 billion core enterprise by 1998. Located in Springdale, Ark., PSD repairs engine cases, frames and other components for both large and small commercial and military gas turbine engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft. Nordam's Tulsa, Okla.-based hushkit manufacturing business is not included in the planned sale.
BFGOODRICH AEROSPACE developed new brakes for Beech King Air 90, 99, 100, 200 and 300/350 series aircraft that officials say will "improve pilot control for smoother braking and increase design landing energy capabilities." BFGoodrich, which has supplied brakes for King Airs for more than 30 years, said the new brakes are standard on all new King Airs and retrofit kits will be available for existing aircraft.
Cessna Aircraft delivered 200 new turbine-powered aircraft in 1995 and officials say the company may be looking at a record performance this year. While delivering 113 Citation business jets and 87 single-engine turboprop Caravan utility aircraft last year, the company booked new orders for more than 230 aircraft - 145 Citations and 88 Caravans. "Total sales volumes are approaching the record levels of the later '70s and we are on track to surpass $1 billion in 1996 and set an all-time record for sales revenues," said Chairman Russ Meyer.
DORNIER received an order from Italian startup regional airline Minerve for two Do 328s, plus one option. The aircraft will be delivered this spring. The German regional aircraft manufacturer also said that Proteus of Dijon, France, will operate two 328s on behalf of Europair, a project group within Air France. Services are to begin in April. The Do 328 order book now stands at 82 firm and 77 options to 22 customers.
San Francisco, Calif.-based PLM International last month sold its Austin, Texas fixed-base operation, Austin Aero, to Fort Worth Jet Center. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Austin Aero, to be called Austin Aero Jet Center, has more than 100,000 feet of hangar space in addition to pilot lounges, conference and waiting room areas and computerized weather information services. Fort Worth Jet Center officials said the 24-hour facility will provide concierge services, Jet A and aviation gasoline, aircraft cleaning and complete line service.
Bombardier's de Havilland unit received orders and options from Great China Airlines of Taiwan for up to 12 of the Dash 8 Series 400B aircraft, the latest iteration of the Dash 8 family that is slated for certification before the end of the decade. Great China Airlines, the launch customer for the 74- to 78-seat B model, placed firm orders for six of the -400Bs and options for six more with expectations the new aircraft will eventually replace the airline's current fleet of 12 56-seat Dash 8 Series 300 aircraft.
"DEVASTATION PREVENTION" meetings is how the National Air Transportation Association is billing its series of nationwide seminars on FAA's proposed flight and duty time regulations, which the association says could have major adverse consequences for air taxi operators (BA, Feb. 5/53). The 10 NATA sessions will begin this month in Florida and run through mid-March. A list of dates and locations appears below.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION hired Kristine Estes as manager of government and industry affairs. Estes formerly was an aviation analyst with Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm and FAA contractor Phaneuf Associates. Estes specialized in FAA regulatory projects, including those affecting Part 135, as well as in the evaluation of petitions for exemptions and rulemaking.
MIDCOAST AVIATION plans to build a 45,000-square-foot hangar adjacent to its St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport facility in Cahokia, Ill. The company has applied for $1.8 million in Illinois industrial revenue bonds for the project. Midcoast, which currently has more than 170,000 square feet of hangar, shop and office space at Parks Airport, said it needs additional aircraft space because of its increasing commercial and government aircraft contracts including a contract to support the Defense Department's fleet of Gulfstream C-20s (BA, July 31/46).
A multi-company task force successfully completed a preliminary design review of six composite components designed for advanced ducted turboprop engines and Pratt&Whitney officials say the program is demonstrating that use of composites will permit significant reductions in engine weights.
BRITISH AEROSPACE is bringing together its Asset Management Organization (AMO, BAe 146 sales and leasing) and JSX Capital (pre-owned turboprop sales and leasing) businesses under a newly formed umbrella unit, the BAe Asset Management (BAe AM) division. Tony Rice was named chief executive of BAe AM. Also named were: Bob Wheeler, finance director; Bernard Bradpiece, director of corporate finance; Jeremy Barnes, director of aircraft finance and Niels Petersen, commercial project director.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY'S Prescott, Ariz. facility will host an aviation safety symposium - The Role of the Director of Safety in Aviation - April 18-19. Co-sponsored by Embry-Riddle, America West Airlines and Associated Aviation Underwriters, the symposium will assemble safety professionals from government, industry and academia.
Federal Aviation Administration officials will meet this week with the presidents of unions representing agency personnel to "talk about reform initiatives" the agency is developing to satisfy an April 1 congressional reorganization deadline, Monte Belger, associate administrator for air traffic services, said last week. Belger confirmed FAA will not be able to come up with enough funds in its new budget to offer incentives for air traffic controllers to work at its busiest facilities.
PAUL WILSON was named vice president-corporate planning for Howmet Corp. Wilson is a 14-year Howmet employee who previously served as executive vice president for the Cercast Division, vice president of structural sales and manager of marketing and business planning. In his new position, Wilson will develop strategic plans for the corporation.
National Air Transportation Association is soliciting input from general aviation repainting and maintenance facilities as part of an effort to get the Environmental Protection Agency to modify its regulations regarding hazardous air pollutant emissions.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION relocated to new quarters last week. FSF headquarters is now at 601 Madison St., Suite 300, Alexandria, Va. 22314. The new telephone number is (703) 739-6700; fax, (703) 739-6708.
MERCURY AIR GROUP announced a public offering of $25 million in 7.75 percent convertible subordinated debentures due Feb. 1, 2006. The debentures are convertible into shares of Mercury Air Group common stock at $10.03 per share. Mercury said the proceeds will be used "to repay the outstanding balance on its revolving line of credit; to fund the company's continued growth, including possible acquisitions; and for general corporate purposes."
JOE DORFLER, a key member of FAA's Global Positioning System office who announced his resignation last week (BA, Jan. 29/44), is joining the Air Transport Association in mid-month as program manager-air traffic technology applications. Dorfler, who played a significant role in designing the Wide Area Augmentation System and Local Area Augmentation System to complement GPS, will be responsible for coordinating and implementing communication, navigation and surveillance capabilities for "Free Flight" and related matters for ATA.
JOHN CAPELLAN was appointed maintenance coordinator for a Hawker 1000 client for K-C Aviation Transportation Services. Capellan, former chief of maintenance for Northrop/Grumman, will be based at Teterboro, N.J.
GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE is expected to release its findings today regarding Cessna Aircraft's protest of a Defense Department decision last June to award the Joint Primary Training Aircraft System contract to Raytheon Aircraft (BA, June 26/221). The contract - for 711 aircraft valued at more than $7 billion over the next 20 years -is one of the last big military sales opportunities for GA manufacturers in the foreseeable future.
Aviall, which sold off its business aviation engine overhaul and aircraft services last year (BA, March 20/121), plans to depart from the engine overhaul business altogether with the sale of the remaining engine services units and focus on its more profitable parts distribution operations, company officials announced last week. Aviall, which is holding discussions with interested parties, retained Salomon Brothers to assist in the sale.
Rand Corp. recommends that FAA not be allowed to use the $500 million Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for the Global Positioning System until the U.S. has negotiated international agreements on the use of such technology. Rand also is recommending that organizations such as Inmarsat take a secondary, "value-added" role in providing GPS services, leaving "national security and public safety" functions to the U.S. government.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to issue draft copies of Cooperative Agreement Notices within about a month, followed by requests for proposals, for development of new turbine and intermittent combustion propulsion systems for general aviation aircraft.
BFGOODRICH AEROSPACE AVIONICS SYSTEMS received STC approvals for its traffic alert and collision avoidance system TCAS 791 for Beech 99, Cessna Citation and Gulfstream G-III aircraft. BFGoodrich, which has received approval for the TCAS 791 system on about three dozen regional and business aircraft, said it is nearing completion of STCs for additional aircraft.
