A study by the National Transportation Safety Board of recurring computer outages and power failures at FAA air traffic control facilities says the shortage of qualified technicians is exacerbating the problem of outmoded equipment.
MORE THAN 350 FAA SAFETY INSPECTORS were in Washington, D.C. last week for a training session on implementation of Part 121 operating standards for commuter and other commercial aviation operators. The new rules, published last month (BA, Dec. 18/263), are due to go into effect in March 1997.
KANSAS CITY, MO., AVIATION DEPARTMENT is accepting bids until 3 p.m. Jan. 31 for the lease of four aircraft hangars at Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport. For more information, contact Raymond Anderson, assistant director-commercial development, at (816) 243-3020.
Only a half-year out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, New Piper Aircraft has entered the financing arena with its newly formed Piper Financial Services, Inc. (BA, Jan. 22/35). Piper created the unit this month to provide customers a variety of financing and leasing options. "When combining the advantages of new aircraft operating costs and the two- year Piper warranty with Piper Financial Services' competitive rates, the door to modern aircraft ownership is open to many more of America's pilots," said Larry Bardon, director of marketing and sales for Piper.
Fokker Chairman Ben Van Schaik has a month to find a new partner and salvage as much of the company as possible, thanks to a cash infusion from the Dutch government and a court order shielding Fokker from creditors while he and his team try to replace Daimler-Benz. Daimler-Benz pulled the plug on its 51 percent stake in the Dutch airframer Monday, leaving in doubt the fate of dozens of airplanes and thousands of workers.
BUSINESS/PERSONAL/REGIONAL AIRCRAFT -- FOURTH QUARTER UNIT SHIPMENTS 4th Quarter Cal 95 Year AMERICAN GENERAL AIRCRAFT CORP. - Single-Engine AG-5/B Tiger 0 0 Total 0 0 ATR (Avions de Transport Regional) - Multi-Engine ATR-42 5 12
BFGOODRICH updated its product catalog of instrument and avionics capabilities for general aviation, corporate and rotary wing aircraft. The catalog, contained in a looseleaf binder, provides the latest product and cross-reference information and price list. For more information, call (512) 251-3441.
Joe Dorfler, the "product lead" for the Global Positioning System program at FAA, will leave the agency in two weeks for a job in private industry. Richard Arnold, leader of the integrated product team managing FAA activities in GPS and the Wide Area Augmentation System, told BA sister publication Aviation Daily that Dorfler has done "an outstanding job putting WAAS together," adding that he does not expect any program disruptions or delays. "We have formed a team to handle the WAAS contract, so we do not expect any big hitches," Arnold said.
BOMBARDIER REGIONAL AIRCRAFT DIVISION delivered the 100th Canadair Regional Jet to Comair of Cincinnati, Ohio, the North American launch customer for the RJ. The aircraft delivered last week is the 29th for Comair, which has firm orders for 16 more and options for an additional 25.
DON OLVEY has joined PRC Aviation as senior associate. Olvey recently retired from Delta Air Lines after 30 years of service. Olvey, who will provide dispatch and flight control services with PRC Aviation, held a variety of positions in flight dispatch operations, including supervisor of flight control training, while with Delta.
HELI TECH said its Model 300 compressor blade wash system has been added to the Pratt&Whitney Service Approved Tool Line and related maintenance literature. The HELI TECH Model 300 is a twin-tank wash and rinse system that could be transported onboard the helicopter. The system includes wash tank agitation and flow controls for the wash and rinse cycles. HELI TECH, Eugene, Ore., manufactures a range of compressor blade wash systems, from the portable model 300 to trailer-mounted systems.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT said Friday it won the U.S. Army's C-XX medium range transport aircraft program. Cessna said the program calls for the purchase of 35 Citation Ultra business jets over a five-year period. The aircraft will be used for high-priority personnel and cargo flights. Cessna is teamed with DynCorp, which will provide on-site maintenance support, and FlightSafety International, which will provide pilot and mechanic training.
JOE POWELL was appointed sales representative for AVSCO Aviation Service Company. Powell, who has 19 years of general aviation sales management experience, will represent AVSCO in Central and South Florida.
REACTING to the slight increase in general aviation accidents last year, Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, said "this is a signal to push forward to new efforts, especially in recurrent training and pilot decisionmaking." Landsberg said "weather and maneuvering (low-altitude) flight continue to lead fatal accident causes, while takeoff and landing accidents are the largest components of the total accident record."
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA County Board of Supervisors approved an operating agreement with ABX Air, Inc., the operating entity of Airborne Express, to conduct air freight service at the new airport at the former Mather Air Force Base. The cargo carrier plans to begin construction in April on a 32,000-square-foot facility with office and warehouse space. Tentative schedule calls for the facility to be operational by October.
BEECH (RAYTHEON) Model BAe 125-800A and Hawker 800 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-142-AD) - proposes to require a detailed visual inspection of the fuel feed hose assemblies of the auxiliary power unit to detect overheating, degradation, proper routing and adequate clearance, and correction of any discrepancies found. This proposal is prompted by reports of heat damage to the fuel feed hose assembly of the APU due to contact between the hose assembly and hot surfaces.
WAYFARER AVIATION added three aircraft to its charter certificate: a Canadair Challenger 601-3A-ER based at White Plains, N.Y.; a Challenger 600 based in Teterboro, N.J.; and a Gulfstream II based in Islip, N.Y. Wayfarer, formerly Wayfarer Ketch, now manages or operates 15 aircraft, 12 of which are on its charter certificate.
FAA'S ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR AIRPORTS, Cynthia Rich, is leaving the agency at the end of January to pursue career opportunities outside the Washington, D.C. area. James Washington, deputy director of FAA's Office of Air Traffic, will replace Rich on an acting basis. Rich, who was director of the Cleveland Department of Port Control, was named head of the FAA Airports office in March 1994.
CESSNA Model 441, 500, 550 and 560 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM- 56-AD; Amdt. 39-9456; AD 95-25-10) - requires replacement of outflow/safety valves with serviceable valves. This amendment is prompted by a report of cracking and subsequent failure of outflow/safety valves in the pressurization system. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent such cracking and subsequent failure of the outflow/safety valves, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.
NationAir Insurance Agencies, Ltd. reached agreement in principle to purchase the assets of Minneapolis, Minn.-based aviation insurance agency Weber&Bauer. Under the agreement, John Weber will join NationAir April 1 with responsibility for former Weber&Bauer accounts. NationAir will merge those accounts into its Minneapolis office.
A blue ribbon panel of outside experts the Federal Aviation Administration assembled last year to look into efforts to replace power conditioning systems at the 21 air route traffic control centers has endorsed the agency's approach, FAA Administrator David Hinson said Friday in Washington, D.C.
Eight people, including four top executives of a regional Coca-Cola bottler, were killed last week when their Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop crashed during an early morning flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Pocatello, Idaho. NTSB said the aircraft, N693PA, departed from Salt Lake at 5:50 a.m. MST Jan. 15. At 6:17 the pilot reported an emergency of an unspecified nature and the aircraft disappeared from controllers' radar screens. The wreckage was found in a valley northwest of Malad City, Idaho.
British Aerospace's 146 sales and leasing arm, Asset Management Organization, called 1995 a record year with transactions valued at nearly $250 million, a 40 percent increase over 1994. AMO customers signed leases for 54 aircraft during 1995, with 29 new leases and 25 lease extensions. In addition, AMO sold an aircraft to United Kingdom carrier Manx Airlines.
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES received Federal Aviation Administration certification for its Astra SPX business jet aircraft this month. The Mach .82 aircraft accumulated more than 350 flight test hours for certification, including eight crossings of the Atlantic. Powered by AlliedSignal TFE731- 40s rated at 4,250 pounds of thrust each, the aircraft has an IFR range of more than 3,000 nautical miles. Astra Jet plans to deliver the first Astra SPX aircraft to operators in Canada and Germany in the first quarter. Officials said the backlog extends to November.
United Kingdom officials this month rejected the proposed sale of Belfast City Airport from owner Short Brothers plc to Belfast International Airport Ltd (BIA). The Monopolies and Mergers Commission concluded that the two airports could not be expected to compete under common ownership, U.K. Competition and Consumer Affairs Minister John Taylor said. "As a result of this loss of competition, airport charges would be higher and competition between airlines would be reduced," Taylor said.
