SPARTAN SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS signed an agreement with Diamond Aircraft Industries to purchase 42 of the London, Ontario manufacturer's Katana DA20 aircraft for flight training at the Tulsa, Okla. school. The agreement, signed by Bill Brooks, vice president of Spartan, includes an option for an additional 10 of the two-seat trainers when IFR certification is complete.
REP. BOB CLEMENT (D-Tenn.) last week introduced FAA reform legislation, H.R.2403, that mirrors the controversial proposal drafted by Senate aviation subcommittee leaders and the Clinton administration. Clement, a member of the House aviation subcommittee, opposes the FAA reform bill, H.R.2276, sponsored by the House aviation subcommittee leadership.
TIMOTHY HEWIT was appointed marketing manager of DeVore Aviation's Lighting Systems Division in Albuquerque, N.M. Hewit will be responsible for all DeVore's aircraft lighting products including forward facing lights, position lights, landing and taxi lights and anti-collision lights.
ALTHOUGH FAA plans to replace old computers at five air route traffic control centers, the organization that represents the major scheduled airlines expressed concern about what the agency will do to "lessen the impact of outages in the interim." In a letter to Administrator David Hinson, Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett recommended that FAA and contractor Loral discuss actions needed to install the newer computers ahead of the October 1997 schedule.
ROBERT HILBURN was appointed director, sales and business development, for Europe and Latin America for Emery Worldwide. Hilburn, who is based in Houston, Texas, joined Emery in 1988 and most recently served as director of global accounts.
Aerospatiale General Aviation has developed cargo versions of its TBM 700 single-turboprop and TB20 Trinidad single-engine piston-powered aircraft. The TBM 700C will be fitted with a 3.9 by 3.54-foot cargo door and separate pilot door "to allow for maximum usage of available cargo space." Officials said the aircraft can carry up to 1,820 pounds of cargo and is adaptable for a variety of missions including medical evacuation, freight transport, liaison, aerial photography, surveillance and radio relay.
House leaders and some senators last week joined the general aviation industry in its strong opposition to a Senate proposal to transform the Federal Aviation Administration into a 100 percent user-funded agency. The proposal, (S.1239) introduced by Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) and ranking member Sen. Wendell Ford (D-Ky.), would make FAA a quasi-independent agency that would be completely funded through "performance-based" user fees on the industry.
AlliedSignal Aerospace, noting acceptance by Congress of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's list, said Friday it plans to vacate the U.S. Army's Stratford, Conn., engine plant in 1997. AlliedSignal Engines President James Robinson announced the decision, which had been anticipated since AlliedSignal acquired the former Textron Lycoming Turbine Engine Division late last year, to the plant's remaining 1,200 workers Friday.
DAVID SALKOVITZ joined Dassault Falcon Jet as supervisor of interior design. Salkovitz, who has nearly 15 years of aircraft interior design experience, will work with operators of newly purchased Falcon business jets on interior and exterior design. He previously operated his own aircraft interior design business, Executive Aircraft Design.
FAA REFORM AND USER FEES will continue to be a focal point this week on Capitol Hill with hearings planned on reform legislation and debate scheduled for the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill. House and Senate negotiators failed to reach agreement last week on some provisions in the appropriations bill - which calls for new and increased aviation user fees - and delayed action until Wednesday. The House aviation subcommittee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on legislation by Reps.
JSX CAPITAL CORPORATION, a British Aerospace company, leased four Embraer Brasilias to Atlantic Southeast Airlines. The Brasilias, slated for delivery beginning this month, will replace the Delta Connection carrier's retiring Embraer Bandeirante fleet at Dallas/Fort Worth. The Brasilia lease follows a previous agreement between ASA and JSX Capital sister company, Asset Management Organization, for five BAe 146 jets with options on 15 more.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION members last week voiced concern that the Senate proposal to shift to a user-funded FAA would harm safety. More than 90 percent of respondents to an NATA survey on the proposal said the imposition of user fees for ATC services would influence an operator's decision to use air traffic control and feel this would negatively affect safety, the association said. "Safety has always been the number one concern of the aviation industry - collecting user fees will shift the FAA's focus away from safety," NATA President James Coyne said.
Addresses: Send comments on any petition in triplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel, Attn: Rule Docket (AGC-200), Petition Docket No. ____, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20591. The petition, any comments received, and a copy of any final disposition are filed in the assigned regulatory docket and are available for examination in the Rules Docket (AGC-200), Room 915G, FAA Headquarters Building (FOB 10A), 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20591; telephone (202) 267-3132.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP has promised a vote either late this year or early next on a provision sponsored by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) to remove the transportation trust funds - including the aviation trust fund - from the federal budget. Shuster had included the provision in a bill on the National Highway System, but agreed to strike the language from the bill in return for a guaranteed vote on it in the House.
Loral Federal Systems-Oswego will pursue the U.S. Air Force's T-38 trainer avionics upgrade program with two teammates - Loral Quintron of Chantilly, Va., also a division of Loral Corp., and DynCorp Aerospace Technology of Fort Worth, Tex. Winner of the program, expected to be chosen next March, will be in line for modification of 665 aircraft and production of 50 avionics trainers.
DANIEL GYVES was named cargo development manager for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Gyves, a former Northwest Airlines manager, will market existing services and oversee the addition of new air cargo routes from Boston.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in a departure from its usual activities, will hold a two-day conference Nov. 1-2 to address the safety implications of fatigue on transportation workers and possible countermeasures. The conference, "Managing Human Fatigue in Transportation: Promoting Safety and Productivity," will be held at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Tysons Corner, Va. in conjunction with NASA.
JACK BROOKS was appointed sales manager, aircraft maintenance and modifications for Jet Aviation. Brooks, who will be based at Jet Aviation's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility, has 36 years of aviation experience, most recently as manager of corporate sales for Page Avjet Corporation.
JETSTREAM Model BAe ATP airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-129-AD; Amdt. 39- 9329; AD 95-16-09) - requires modification of the electrical connections at the switches of the scavenge oil filter and pressure oil filter. This amendment is prompted by reports indicating that the electrical connections were miswired at the switches of the scavenge oil filter and pressure oil filter. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent the circulation of unfiltered oil through the engine without warning to the flight crew, due to miswiring of electrical connections.
Tyrolean Airways of Innsbruck, Austria ordered four Canadair Regional Jets valued at $80 million (U.S.) and took options on four additional aircraft. Canadian manufacturer Bombardier's Regional Aircraft Division said Tyrolean will become the fifth European airline to operate the 50- passenger RJ when it take delivery of its first aircraft in December. Tyrolean is a long time customer of Bombardier's de Havilland Aircraft, operating 17 Dash 8 Series 100 and 300 turboprops in a total fleet of 24 aircraft.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION officials are concerned that proposed new separation standards on the North Atlantic could cost corporate operators a lot of money without providing any significant benefit.The new separation standards will require the use of avionics that meet certain performance and reliability thresholds.
ED MARTIN has joined Aviation Material and Technical Support, St. Louis, Mo., as manager, APU services. Martin most recently served as supervisor APU programs for KC Aviation in Dallas and also has experience with Sundstrand Power Systems, Tur-bomach and Solar Turbines.
BFGOODRICH purchased Hoskins Aviation, an aviation lighting manufacturer based in Tustin, Calif., from Sheldahl, Inc. The price was not disclosed. Hoskins designs and manufactures lighting for a range of business jets including those produced by Learjet, Raytheon Aircraft and Israel Aircraft Industries, plus airliners produced by Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Fokker and a range of models built by Cessna, Commander and Mooney.
Randolph M. (Randy) Kennedy, who spent more than 20 years demonstrating and marketing Falcon business jets for Falcon Jet Corp., has rejoined that marketing team as director of market development for Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.
