DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, noting that the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill cuts the Essential Air Service subsidy from $30.9 million to $22.6 million, said Friday it will use the funds available "to maintain the highest level of flight service possible to all eligible communities." DOT said it will limit EAS subsidies to two roundtrips on weekdays from a participating city. In addition, flights to second hub airports and weekend flights no longer will be eligible.
LAWRENCE RYTTER was appointed president of Telephonics Corporation's Command Systems business. Rytter previously spent 26 years with the AAI Corporation, most recently as president of AAI Systems Management.
KELLSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC., Sunrise, Fla., completed the expansion of its credit line with BankAtlantic, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The increased credit line will fund the acquisition of commercial jet engines to support the company's engine parts business, adds a construction loan to finance expansion of Kellstrom's warehouse complex and reduces interest rates. The $750,000 construction loan will convert to a permanent mortgage upon completion of the building expansion program, expected in May.
KEITH WINDHAM was appointed director of commercial and regional airline sales for Avsco Aviation Service Corporation. Windham, formerly an account manager for Barfield/Avsco, will oversee customer service and airline sales.
The establishment of a new office to handle issues involving suspected unapproved aircraft parts - and other recommendations from an agency task force - have drawn a cold response from the aviation industry (BA, Nov. 13/212). Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and chairman of the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, and other industry officials gave the agency bad marks for its failure to consult with other groups working on the issue.
While disappointed that the Senate Commerce Committee passed legislation to impose user fees on the industry, general aviation leaders were hopeful that the measure would receive strong opposition on the Senate floor. The Senate Commerce Committee this month approved by voice vote legislation, S.1239, to make the Federal Aviation Administration a quasi- independent agency funded completely by user fees (BA, Nov. 13/210). The approval, however, came after an unsuccessful attempt by Sen.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE probably will not conduct the first flight of the Gulfstream V business jet until the week of Nov. 27. Officials had expected the aircraft might fly last week (BA, Nov. 13/209), but technical and flight test personnel were methodically working through a series of detailed checklists last week leading up to engine run and taxi tests. Instead of trying to conduct the first flight during Thanksgiving week, officials decided to focus on next week.
Bombardier's Regional Aircraft Division said an order for 10 additional Canadair Regional Jets from Cincinnati-based Comair, has boosted the total RJ orderbook to 132 aircraft. Comair currently has 26 RJs in its fleet, 19 aircraft on firm order and options for another 25 of the 50- passenger twin-jets. All of the airline's firm orders are planned for delivery by the end of 1996. Beginning next month, Comair will be operating 188 daily RJ flights to 48 destinations.
Following the abrupt resignation of Stockton Smith as top executive of Atlantic Aviation this month, Ben E. Waide III, the former director of DuPont's corporate aviation department, was named the new chairman and chief executive officer of the fixed-base chain.
FLIGHT SERVICE STATION at Red Bluff, Calif. has closed. The Automated FSS in Rancho Murieta, Calif. will provide services formerly provided by the Red Bluff facility.
MESABA HOLDINGS, parent company of Northwest Airlink carrier Mesaba Airlines, ceased paying quarterly dividends. Instead, the company said it will "concentrate our working capital on acquiring new aircraft and growing our regional airline systems," said Bryan Bedford, chief executive. Mesaba recently announced plans to replace its fleet of Fairchild Metro IIIs with new, more cost-effective airplanes.
NEW PIPER PA28, PA-32, PA-34 and PA-44 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-37-AD) - proposes to require inspection and modification of the flap lever assembly. This proposal is prompted by reports of worn flap handle attach bolts and elongated holes in the flap lever to cable mounting attach point. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of the flap handle attach bolt and sudden retraction of the flaps, which could result in loss of control of the airplane. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Dec.
ROBERT MARTENS, who abruptly departed the helm of the American Eagle network in mid-summer, was named chairman and chief executive of Business Express, Inc. and a member of the company's board of directors, effective Nov. 16.
HAWTHORNE AVIATION said its Allentown, Pa., facility received the state FBO Customer Service Award for 1995, presented by the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania. Hawthorne operates under a management contract with the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, providing services at the Lehigh Valley International Airport that serves Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, Pa.
AT NTSB, whose appropriations are included in the DOT bill even though the safety board is an independent agency, about 20 percent of employees were furloughed for three days. Those layoffs, which included administrative law judges, forced the postponement of NTSB appeals proceedings that had been scheduled for last week. Other activities - including the agency's latest public hearing on the September 1994 USAir 737 accident at Pittsburgh - continued.
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES Department of Airports named Lloyd W. Klefstad manager of the Ontario, Calif. International Airport (ONT). Klefstad has been chief of airports construction and maintenance at Los Angeles International for the past six years. He will assume his new duties Nov. 27.
President Clinton last week signed the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill, which provides nearly $8.2 billion in funding for the Federal Aviation Administration and calls for personnel and procurement reform. The bill would exempt FAA from many federal personnel and procurement regulations beginning April 1. The delay in implementing the personnel and procurement reform was intended to give House and Senate leaders time to pass legislation calling for over-all reform of the FAA.
In a summary of departmental layoffs issued during last week's budget battle in Washington, DOT said that of the 1,002 employees assigned to the Office of the Secretary (OST), 635 "non-excepted" employees were furloughed. The number of OST personnel temporarily laid off because they were deemed non essential might have been higher, but funds were available from other sources for 335 of the 1,002. All DOT personnel were scheduled to be back on the job by week's end after President Clinton signed the fiscal 1996 DOT appropriations legislation Wednesday night.
BANDY HINGE, the Burbank, Calif. supplier of aircraft hinges and other components, has changed its name to Bandy Machining International. Bandy President Bradley Call said the name change reflects "Bandy's growing product diversity and worldwide presence. While precision machined hinges are still at the core of our business, our product line continues to expand." The company also produces posts, spars, rails, tracks, stringers, door assemblies, access panels and a variety of other machined parts, Call noted.
GREENWICH AIR SERVICES has entered into an agreement with majority owner Greenwich Co. Ltd. by which GCL will be merged into Greenwich Air Services and Greenwich Air Services will be the surviving entity. GCL's holdings into Greenwich Air Services represents almost all of GCL's assets. As part of the merger, Greenwich Air Services will acquire and cancel the 3.95 million shares of its common stock held by GCL and, in turn, issue to GCL stockholders 3.95 million new shares.
AVIATION RULEMAKING ADVISORY COMMITTEE has accepted new task for its FAR/JAR Harmonization Working Groups to address noise issues in aircraft and rotorcraft. The working groups are expected to recommend a process to harmonize International Civil Aviation Organization noise regulations with comparable Federal Aviation Regulations.
TURBULENT SKIES, The History of Commercial Aviation by T.A. Heppenheimer, was published by John Wiley&Sons, Inc. The book provides a detailed look at the development of commercial aviation, with information on both technological development and changing business practices, from shortly after the end of World War I through the 1980s.
JOSEPH LOPINTO was named director of consulting services for Aviation Research Group/U.S. Lopinto, based in Madison, N.J., has 30 years of corporate flight operation experience and has spent 12 years in the aviation consulting business.
