HAROLD (SLIM) ROBERTS, a St. Louis area aviation pioneer, died July 9 at his home in Chesterfield, Mo. He was 87. Roberts received his pilot's license and mechanic's certificate in the late 1920s from Von Hoffman Aviation Co., performed as a stunt pilot and wing walker in a flying circus and worked with Charles Lindbergh at Robertson Aircraft in 1928. He subsequently joined American Airlines at Midway Airport in Chicago and later, Marquette Airlines (which was later purchased by Trans World Airlines) in St. Louis. Roberts worked for St.
NASA and FAA are sponsoring a general aviation design competition for students at U.S. aeronautical and engineering universities, the second year of a program designed to permit undergraduate and graduate students working with faculty advisers to participate in a national effort to develop technologies for a small aircraft transportation system. The program also is intended to help raise student awareness of "the economic relevance of general aviation and its value for business and personal use," according to NASA.
GARY BOKOWY was named sales director for the Upper Midwest region for Learjet. Bokowy most recently served as director of marketing and dealer development for recreational boat manufacturer Four Winns and previously held sales management positions with Cessna.
LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS moved the third C-130J Hercules transport into final assembly in Marietta, Ga., last month, one of 25 aircraft the company is building for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense. The first two units, which went into final assembly in March and May, are scheduled for completion by October.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT expanded its U.S. operations with the addition of six new sales representatives. The new representatives are: Matt Amundson, based in Huntsville, Ala.; Debbie Crawford, in Kirkwood, Mo.; John Delawyer, in Austin, Texas; Jonathan Guenthner, in Walnut Creek, Calif.; Scott Laughery, in Indianapolis, Ind., and Shawn McGeough, in East Brunswick, N.J.
S-TEC CORPORATION and Downtown Airpark, Inc., both of Oklahoma City, Okla., began installing a System-65 flight director/autopilot in a Series 690 Twin Commander last month, part of the effort to obtain a supplemental type certificate for use of the System-65 in the Twin Commander.
Fokker expects to record a first-half net loss that will be greater than the net loss for all of last year. The Daimler-Benz Aerospace company blamed the expected result on the past depressed state of the market, but even more on "the steep decline of the U.S. dollar." The poor results have "necessitated further far-reaching reorganizations for which considerable additional provisions had to be made," Fokker said.
JETSTREAM Model ATP airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM-168-AD; Amdt. 39-9263; AD 95-12-13) - requires installation of modified engine de-ice timers, modification of the electrical wiring for the duct heat of the engine air intake, and installation in the air intake duct of the right engine. This amendment also requires associated revisions to the Airplane Flight Manual. This amendment is prompted by reports of ice that accreted in the engine air intake ducts and was ingested into the engine. This resulted in engine power rollback.
RONALD VOGT was named associate counsel in the Law Department of DynCorp. Vogt previously worked in government contract law for the Washington, D.C. law firm of Howrey&Simon.
Cray Research, Inc., Eagan, Minn., said Learjet, Inc. of Wichita, Kan., has acquired a Cray J916 compact air-cooled supercomputer, Cray's fourth order from the light aircraft industry. Learjet plans to use the computer for computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis to support the design of new and existing aircraft.
HARRIS CORP., Melbourne, Fla., is part of an international consortium awarded a multi-million dollar contract for the first two phases of a three-phase, eight-year contract to develop and install a Total Airport Management System (TAMS) for Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, saying a hearing on the Department of Transportation's management and diversity training revealed alleged abuses that were "nothing short of shocking," adopted a provision in the DOT fiscal 1996 appropriations bill that would "prohibit training which is likely to induce high levels of psychological stress, attempts to change participants' personal values or lifestyle outside the workplace, or which relates to skills or knowledge which has no bearing on one's official duties in the workplace." The provision bans training methods associated wi
WHILE THE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION and Defense make plans to phase out Coast Guard funding for the Loran C navigation program by 2000 (BA, July 3/3), the House Appropriations Committee said it "remains convinced that the federal government and users can benefit from the technology well into the next century." In report language accompanying the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill, the committee directs FAA to develop a plan for "future funding, upgrading and support of Loran in cooperation with other elements of DOT." The committee also encouraged the age
REP. DAVID SKAGGS (D-Colo.) late last month introduced legislation, H.R.1954, that joins a growing number of bills designed to further regulate air tour operators. Skaggs' bill resurrects a proposal to make air tour operators concessionaires of the National Park Service. This would give NPS the authority to award concession rights and to regulate air tour operations.
DUNCAN AVIATION, Lincoln, Neb., said its avionics shop now has the capability to repair and overhaul Honeywell 450, 560 and 870 radar units as well as the Bendix RDR-2000. Duncan officials said the addition of new radar test equipment permits its 10 radar technicians to work on radar systems that interface with Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS). Duncan also is developing a program under which it will provide loaner radar units to aircraft operators whose radar units are being repaired.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
TAFA is distributing a 12-page color brochure detailing its Model 9000 arc spray system, used for engine repair, corrosion protection and weld seam repairs. The brochure provides information on the TAFA spray gun, control consoles and family of wires available. To obtain a copy, contact the manufacturer at 146 Pembroke Road, Concord, N.H. 03301; telephone (603) 224-9585.
FlightSafety International's Simulation Systems Division is building two advanced full flight simulators for the Saab 340 regional aircraft. The simulators, which will meet Level D standards, are expected to receive certification by the end of 1996. FlightSafety said it has not finalized the ultimate location of the simulators, but that company officials are evaluating training locations in the Asia Pacific region for one of the simulators. FlightSafety already bases a Level D Saab 340 simulator at its San Antonio, Texas training center.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill in late June, leaving unchanged the $8.343 billion package for the Federal Aviation Administration that passed the transportation appropriations subcommittee (BA, June 26/274).
FIELD AVIATION relocated its head office to Toronto International Airport, on the upper floor of the Aerocentre Flight Lounge Building. The new mailing address is 2450 Derry Road East, P.O. Box 6023, Toronto AMF, Ontario L5P 1B9. The company's telephone, (905) 566-5400, and fax numbers, (905) 566-5411, remain the same.
Raytheon Aircraft Company executives believe they won the highly competitive Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) procurement because they focused on giving the armed services an aircraft that met Pentagon objectives while doing their best to hold down initial procurement and long-term maintenance and operating costs.
AGUSTA Model A109A, A109AII and A109C helicopters (Docket No. 94-SW-12-AD; Amdt. 39-9290; AD 95-13-10) - requires a modification of the tail boom vertical fin to create inspection openings that permit initial and repetitive visual inspections for cracks in the vertical fin rear spar attachment area. This amendment is prompted by four reports of cracks in the tail boom vertical fin rear spar attachment area. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the vertical fin attachment caused by cracks and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Avionics manufacturer Honeywell signed an agreement with Ramensky Priborostroitelny Zavod (RPZ), the leading Russian manufacturer of inertial reference systems, for co-production of Honeywell navigation systems to customers in the former USSR.
JETSTREAM Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM-218-AD; Amdt. 39-9265; AD 94-14-07 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires modification of the mounting structure of the elevator controls on the rear pressure bulkhead. The AD was prompted by results of a structural analysis indicating that certain structures in the elevator control system may be subject to deformation when maximum load is exerted by the pilot(s) in the event of a jam in the elevator control cables.
AVIALL signed an agreement with Dow Corning that broadens the scope of products and services for distribution. Under the agreement, Aviall will distribute a variety of Dow Corning's aerospace sealants, lubricants and compounds, corrosion protection materials and runway repair sealants.
