KATHLEEN HULL, who joined the National Business Aircraft Association in August 1992 as senior manager-convention services, was promoted to vice president-convention&seminars, officials announced last week. Hull has overall responsibility for the association's annual meeting and convention as well as for the direction of NBAA seminar programs. Before joining NBAA, Hull served as sales manager for BA sister publication Business&Commercial Aviation magazine.
AMERICA WEST AIRLINES is eliminating 500 mechanics' jobs and has signed a five-year contract with the BFGoodrich Aerospace Transport Repair&Maintenance Division (TRAMCO) to provide heavy maintenance for the entire America West fleet, which includes more than 90 Boeing 737s and 757s and Airbus A320s. Work will be performed at TRAMCO's Everett, Wash., facility.
AEROSTAR PA-60-600 (Aerostar 600) series (formerly Piper Aircraft Corp.) airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-81-AD; Amdt. 39-9431; AD 95-23-11) - requires repetitive inspections of the fuselage horizontal stabilizer attach fittings for cracks and replacement of any cracked fuselage horizontal stabilizer attach fitting. This action is prompted by a report of several cracks found on the forward horizontal stabilizer attach spar fitting.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY confirmed late Friday that it plans to seek full FAA certification of the Citation X business jet on a schedule that will ensure delivery of the first customer airplane in June. The company originally had planned to seek basic certification of the X by the end of this year (BA, Dec. 4/241).
HAMILTON STANDARD 14RF, 247F, 24SF and 6/5500/5 series propellers (Docket No. 95-ANE-32; Amdt. 39-9420; AD 95-22-12) - supersedes an existing AD that requires initial and repetitive inspections of the propeller control unit (PCU) servo ballscrew internal spline (BIS) teeth for wear and replacement, if necessary, of PCU servo BIS assemblies. This action increases the repetitive PCU servo BIS teeth inspection interval from 1,500 to 2,500 hours time in service for propellers that have a ballscrew quill damper installed.
Cessna Aircraft Chairman Russ Meyer named three senior executives to new posts last week, a move that appears to set the stage for an orderly succession in the top management of the company Meyer has headed since 1975.
BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT, Cleveland, Ohio, officials are seeking FAA authorization for a $3 passenger facility charge through Feb. 1, 1997. The PFC is expected to generate $57.8 million to help fund a confined disposal facility project. Officials requested that air taxi/commercial operators be exempt from PFC collection requirements. For information, contact Robert Conrad in the Detroit Airports District Office at (313) 487-7295.
AVRO Model BAe 146 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-210-AD; Amdt. 39-9428; AD 95-23-08) - requires inspections for cracks and damage of the fastener holes in the butt strap at rib 2 at the lower surface of the right-hand wing, repair of any discrepancies, and replacement of the fastener bolts. This amendment is prompted by a report that certain wings were manufactured with a reduced edge margin between the fastener hole centers and the edge of the butt strap. This condition can result in a decrease in the long-term damage tolerance residual strength of the wing.
BUSINESS TRAVELERS with unpredictable schedules may start booking away from certain hotel chains imposing $25 and $50 penalties on guests who check out before their scheduled departure dates. The Hyatt, Westin and Hilton hotel operations are planning or considering such fees if guests depart one or more days early, leading to a backlash from the Business Travel Contractors Corp. (BTCC).
JET SUPPORT SYSTEMS, a fixed-base operation, charter and aircraft management firm, has formed an aircraft sales division. JSS hired former Learjet sales directors Joseph Mormando and Robert Stanford to head the new sales division. Mormando, a 30-year industry veteran who spent the past seven years with Learjet, was named vice president, marketing and sales. Stanford, a sales director with Learjet for the past 12 years, will be director of aircraft sales.
EVANS&SUTHERLAND, Salt Lake City, Utah, said Stuart Anderson, general manager of the company's Commercial Simulation business, was selected as the first representative from the industry to be awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society's Flight Simulation Silver Medal for contributing to the development of flight simulation technology and visual display systems. The award will be presented to Anderson, a native of Lutton, England who first began working with visual system integration in 1967, during ceremonies this Thursday (Dec. 14) in London.
AMR COMBS Aircraft Parts International has issued three support publications for Piper parts - Master Piper Parts Cross Reference, Master Piper Parts Guide and Master Piper Parts Compendium. The cross reference, priced at $49, contains more than 6,000 frequently used Piper parts and the vendor part numbers. The parts guide, available on a quarterly subscription basis for $69 per year or as a single issue for $29, lists more than 24,000 Piper parts in API's inventory, including suggested list prices and subscriber prices.
The final commuter upgrade rule FAA issues this Thursday will contain most of the elements of the original notice of proposed rulemaking, Regional Airline Association officials predicted last week. Walt Coleman, RAA president, also said the new rule requiring scheduled operators of 10- 30-seat aircraft now flying under Part 135 of the FARs to meet the stricter requirements of Part 121, is just one of several significant regulatory changes that segment of the industry can expect.
Raytheon Aircraft Corp., (RAC) which increased its payroll by more than 1,000 employees over the past year, said it hopes to fill another 550 positions in the near future. The company's employment reached 11,900 worldwide - including 6,390 in Wichita - at the end of November, compared with Nov. 30, 1994 employment totals of 5,260 workers in Wichita and 10,630 worldwide. RAC currently has 550 open positions, including aircraft assemblers, jig builders, tool planners and CATIA engineers.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL Friday announced the acquisition of the two flight training centers of Dalfort Training L.P., located at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas and near the Louisville airport in Kentucky. The DFW facility houses three Level C Boeing simulators: two 727-200 units and one 737-200. The Louisville facility has one Level C Boeing 747-200 simulator.
The Air Transport Association will ask the Internal Revenue Service to rescind a recently expressed policy that frequent flyer mileage accumulated in business travel can be taxed unless the traveler returns the mileage to the company. In a "technical advice memorandum" issued recently to an unidentified company, the IRS said mileage accrued toward awards "constitutes a rebate in consideration of flying on a particular airline." Under generally accepted principles of tax law, a rebate is a purchase price adjustment, IRS said.
ASKED ABOUT THE COST IMPACT of the new regulations on RAA member airlines, Coleman acknowledged that "a lot of them feel it's going to be a massive economic burden and I'm not sure how they're going to cope with it." See article below.
A new order from Gulfstream Aerospace for Tay engines for the Gulfstream IV-SP is valued at more than $250 million, Rolls-Royce said last week. A Rolls-Royce spokesman declined to state how many engines were included in the order, but the price of the Tay 611 turbofans is believed to be approximately $2.5 million apiece, which would equate to 100 engines or 50 shipsets of engines. The latest order will guarantee continued production of the G-IV-SP to 2000. The The Tay 611, with a takeoff thrust of 13,850 pounds, entered service in 1987.
Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division received a contract valued at $75 million (U.S.) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Pelangi Air for four de Havilland Dash 8 Series 200 aircraft and two Dash 8-300 aircraft. The order, announced last week during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia, comes on the heels of an order last month from another Malaysian operator, Saeaga Airlines, for one 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet and one Dash 8-300 aircraft (BA, Dec. 4/244).
ANDERS ANNERFALK was appointed director of corporate communications and public affairs for Saab Aircraft, effective Feb. 1. Annerfalk currently is public relations manager for FFV Aerotech in Arboag, Sweden.
LOCKHEED MARTIN named David S. Osterhout vice president of Washington operations. He will succeed Dan A. Peterson, who is retiring Jan. 31 after 27 years with Lockheed Martin/Martin Marietta Corp. Osterhout, 56, is currently vice president for defense and legislative affairs in the company's Washington, D.C. office.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION issued special conditions for Beech Model 58 airplanes modified by ElectroSonics Division of AiRadio Corp. of Columbus, Ohio. ElectroSonics has applied for supplemental type certificate approval to modify the Model 58 airplanes with electronic flight instrument systems. FAA said the modification contains new features that are not adequately covered by current airworthiness standards and the special conditions are intended to address the protection of these systems from the effects of high intensity radiated fields.
Textron announced the promotion of two senior executives at its helicopter manufacturing unit, Bell Helicopter Textron in Ft. Worth, Texas. Webb F. Joiner, a 35-year veteran of the company who has been president since 1991, was named chairman. Lloyd Shoppa, who has been senior executive vice president, was named to succeed Joiner as president. Shoppa, who joined the company in 1964, served as president of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada from 1990-1992.
