Federal Aviation Administration signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Bermuda government to provide air traffic control services. The agreement comes as the U.S. plans to close the Naval Air Station in Bermuda and cease ATC services. The new agreement calls for FAA and the Bermuda government to share ATC responsibilities. FAA will provide ATC services for en route transAtlantic air traffic passing through Bermuda airspace and approach control services for all flights.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY will hold an "Automatic Cockpits: Meeting the Challenge" seminar during the National Business Aircraft Association convention this fall in Las Vegas, Nev. The seminar, Sept. 24- 25 at the Las Vegas Hilton, will focus on how to gain the greatest benefit from automation in the cockpit. Seminar costs $549. For more information, contact Embry-Riddle's Division of Continuing Education at (800) 359-4550 or (904) 226-6186.
REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION will hold its Human Resources Seminar Aug. 6-8 at the Stouffer Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. The seminar will cover a variety of topics including crew resource management outside the airplane, the state of the regional airline industry, airline labor relations, OSHA regulations, and alcohol and drug testing program. For more information, call Deborah McElroy at (202) 857-1170.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS added 10 regional sales centers, citing "huge increases in demand for its new Millennium cylinders for piston engines and ST250 series parts for Allison 250 turbine engines." Superior, based in Dallas, Tex., said it signed an agreement with Airborne Express under which Airborne will ship any order overnight from Dallas. Superior's new regional sales centers are in : Portland, Ore.; San Jose, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; Atlanta, Ga.; Lakeland, Fla.; Allentown, Pa., and Anchorage, Alaska.
ONE POSSIBLE SCENARIO, according to sources, would be exempting 10-19- seat aircraft no longer in production from equipment retrofits proposed in 95-5. This approach would require the new equipment on yet-to-be- certificated aircraft, but officials considering this option apparently have not resolved the issue of what to do with aircraft currently in production. Sources say differing opinions about the Part 135 upgrade rule within the FAA are causing "high-level rifts."
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL received Level C certification from France's DGAC for its Fokker 70/100 full flight simulator at Paris Le Bourget Airport. Built by FlightSafety's Simulation Systems Division in Tulsa, Okla., the simulator is equipped with the VITAL VIIe color daylight/twilight/night visual system. FlightSafety said it expects FAA certification of the system by the end of the month. In addition, the DGAC re-certified FlightSafety's de Havilland Dash 8 simulator with the addition of a flight management system.
BOEING and four European manufacturers have put a hold on plans to develop a 600- to 800-seat airliner. Boeing, along with Aerospatiale, British Aerospace, CASA and Daimler-Benz Aerospace, said they had "completed the second phase of their two and one-half year joint study examining the feasibility of developing a Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) airplane," adding that the participants "have confirmed the technical feasibility of such an airplane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is developing the architecture to integrate new technologies that will underpin the future worldwide airspace system and will present its timetable at an agency-hosted conference in early December in Denver, the agency said.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is seeking comments on a proposal by Pendleton, Oregon officials to impose a $3 passenger facility charge at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport. The PFC would run from Dec. 1, 1995 through the end of 2001. The city hopes to collect more than $153,000 for new firefighting equipment, runway and taxiway marking, perimeter safety and security signage and related improvements. For more information, contact Don Larson in FAA's Seattle Airports District Office at (206) 227- 2652.
LORAL DATA SYSTEMS, Sarasota, Fla., won FAA certification for a new solid state cockpit voice recorder, the Fairchild Model A200S. Loral said the recorder, which was approved under technical standard order C123, is the first unit to be approved by FAA that offers a two-hour recording capability. The manufacturer said the new CVR meets all applicable regulatory standards, including EUROCAE ED-56A and the proposed FAA TSO C123a, which extends the fire survivability requirements to one hour.
THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY of Hong Kong is seeking expressions of interest from parties capable of providing maintenance for airside group support equipment at the new Chek Lap Kok Airport. The authority said it is seeking firms to inspect, repair and maintain powered and non-powered airside vehicles used by ground handlers, air carriers and other airport users. Interested parties should respond by Aug. 4 and submit formal submissions by Sept. 5. For more information, fax Chern Heed, PAA's commercial director, at (852) 2824 3383.
The Federal Aviation Administration has established a government- industry consortium to develop the framework for an Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN), the agency said last week. Designed to provide fast, error-free and continuous communication between aircraft and other airspace system users, ATN eventually will replace current systems as it grows worldwide as part of International Civil Aviation Organization's Future Aviation Navigation System, FAA Administrator David Hinson said.
SCOTT NEWELL was named charter sales marketing representative for Million Air Dallas. Newell, who joined the fixed-base operation in 1992, will be responsible for developing the charter aircraft operation that now includes seven aircraft.
Calling it the best chance to achieve reform, several general aviation industry leaders have begun to rally around a proposal by Reps. John Duncan (R-Tenn.) and Jim Lightfoot (R-Iowa) to establish the Federal Aviation Administration as an independent agency (BA, July 3/12). Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association "wholeheartedly" embraced the joint action and the National Air Transportation Association's board of directors Friday unanimously endorsed the proposed bill.
A division of Raytheon was selected by FAA last week for a contract that could be worth nearly $900 million over the next seven years if all options are exercised. FAA said Raytheon Support Services Company, a unit of Raytheon Engineers and Constructors, was selected "to provide engineering and construction management support of the FAA's Capital Investment Plan over the next several years." The agency said Raytheon and ATC Services, Inc.
A comprehensive federal government restructuring bill (H.R.1923) introduced in the House last month would establish a private air traffic control corporation, impose fees for airlines' use of slots at high-density airports and make cuts in aviation programs. The bill, introduced by Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.), would create a non-profit private Airways Corporation to operate the ATC system. It would require the Transportation Department to establish by Sept. 1 slot fees at high-density airports high enough to raise $300 million each year.
HUDSON GENERAL CORP. promoted Frederick C. Knapp from director-fuel services and planning to vice president. In addition, Patricia Hannigan, who had been manager of fuel services, was named general manager of fuel services. Knapp, who previously held management positions in the aviation and petroleum industries, joined Hudson General in 1993. Hannigan has been with the company since 1982.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION has issued special conditions for SIAI Marchetti Model S211A airplanes. FAA said the airplanes will have unusual design features, including performance characteristics, that are not adequately addressed by applicable airworthiness standards. The special conditions "will establish a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the current airworthiness standards," the agency said. For more information, contact Mike Downs in FAA's Kansas City office at (816) 426- 5688.
AVIATION METHODS, INC., has opened on operating base at the Leesburg, Va., Municipal Airport, near Washington's Dulles International Airport. The Leesburg facility was formerly known at Page Flight and was acquired by AMI this spring from Signature Flight Support. Leesburg base manager is Leonard Alexander, a 35-year industry veteran who previously managed the facility for Signature. AMI has three aircraft based at Leesburg - a Challenger 601-3A, a Gulfstream II and a CitationJet.
AVRO INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE signed a memorandum of understanding with Lufthansa CityLine to install an Avro RJ simulator at the Lufthansa Training Center in Schonefeld, Berlin. The simulator, scheduled to be operational by June 1996, will be used to train Lufthansa CityLine pilots and engineers as well as other Avro RJ operators. Reflectone of Tampa, Fla. will supply the new simulator, which will be configured to Lufthansa CityLine's Avro RJ flight deck and certificated to FAA Level D.
A new organization, the General Aviation Parts Association, has been formed in Wichita, Kan., to represent the interests of distributors and dealers who supply aircraft parts to the general aviation market. The group held its first meeting this month, attracting about 50 participants to discuss proposed FAA regulation of parts distributors, proposed accreditation programs, stricter "tagging" requirements for parts, and paperwork and traceability issues.
Piper Aircraft Corp., which operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the past four years, is expected to complete that process today with the sale of the company to Newco Pac. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami early last week approved a plan of reorganization under which Piper will be sold to Newco Pac - comprising outside investors and company creditors - in a transaction valued at nearly $95 million (BA, July 3/3).
Helicopter Association International nominated former FAA Administrator Donald Engen to be the next director of the National Air and Space Museum. In a letter last month to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Michael Heyman, HAI President Frank Jensen said that "there could not be found a better qualified or more proven person to serve as director." The director position was vacated in early May when Martin Harwit resigned, citing the "controversy and divisiveness" surrounding the museum's plans to display the Enola Gay (BA, May 8/197).
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are co- sponsoring an MU-2 operators conference on the eve of this year's National Business Aircraft Association convention in Las Vegas, Nev. The one-day conference will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25 at the Flamingo Hilton Hotel. Former astronaut and Eastern Airlines President Frank Borman will be among the guest speakers for the event. For more information, contact June Spencer at (800) 927-1521, or fax, (713) 644- 2118.
FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) at Butte, Mont., is scheduled to close July 26. Services formerly provided by that facility will be provided by the automated FSS in Great Falls, Mont.
