SUPERIOR AIR PARTS has appointed Carter Aircraft Engines of Elizabethton, Tenn. and Texas Skyways of Boerne, Texas as distributors of the Millennium Cylinders line. The appointments bring the number of Superior Air Parts distributors in the U.S. to seven. Superior Air Parts, Dallas, Texas, manufactures replacement parts for Continental and Lycoming piston engines and the Allison 250 turbine engine. In addition, Superior Air Parts distributes other aviation-related products.
HARTZELL PROPELLER is offering an extended spinner that will accommodate the Top Prop three-bladed, high-performance propeller system on Cessna 177B and 177RG Cardinals. The spinner can be purchased separately or as part of the propeller conversion kits. For more information, call (800) 942-7767 or (513) 778-4201.
The Defense Department should retain control of the Global Positioning System for national security reasons but it should drop its current ability, called Selective Availability (SA), by which it can degrade the accuracy of GPS signals to civil users, according to a congressionally mandated report issued last week. The U.S. also should offer basic GPS free for all users to forestall foreign competition in a marketplace for GPS products that is "exploding," the report said.
PROFESSIONAL AVIATION MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATION appointed Stan Mackiewicz, a 21-year aviation industry veteran, executive director. Mackiewicz, a member of the Parks College of St. Louis University Advisory Board, most recently served as program director for UNC Airwork, overseeing program management, marketing and product support of business aircraft engine overhaul and repair services.
With three quarters gone in fiscal 1995, sales at nacelle- and aerostructures-specialist Rohr are about 10 percent behind 1994's pace, but thanks to tight belts, a new program and a little recovery on existing programs, pre-tax profits ballooned more than a third to $50 million, Rohr reports in financial results posted late last month.
Garrett Aviation Services acquired Carrier Aircraft Interiors, the Los Angeles, Calif. provider of aircraft interior design, refurbishment and modification services, Garrett Aviation officials announced late last month. Terms of the acquisition were undisclosed. Founder Bob Carrier will continue to head the business, which still will operate under the Carrier name.
The Aerospace Industries Association expects nearly six percent of the aerospace work force to be eliminated this year, and the trade association estimates that "non-production labor" will absorb the brunt of the cuts.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Model 206A, 206B, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3 and 206L-4 helicopters (Docket No. 94-SW-08-AD; Amdt. 39-9247; AD 95-11-14) - requires removal and replacement of certain crosstube assemblies. This amendment is prompted by two accidents attributed to crosstube failures and 27 field reports that indicated corrosion or metal fatigue may cause a failure of the affected crosstubes. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the crosstubes and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
STEPHEN MOSHER was promoted to director of engineering for Elsinore. Mosher will oversee all engineering, design and FAA certification activities at Elsinore's Santa Barbara, Santa Ana, Seattle and Dallas locations.
MESA AIR GROUP last week took delivery of the first of two 79-passenger Fokker 70s. Mesa unit America West Express will begin two daily roundtrips between Phoenix and Des Moines June 9 with the F70. The second delivery will take place later this month.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES late last month elected John Armour, deputy director of aviation operations for Boston Logan Airport, chairman for the 1995-1996 year. Other officers elected at the association's annual meeting in Boston were Neilson Bertholf, of Phoenix, first vice chairman; Peter Drahn, of Madison, Wis., second vice chairman, and Loretta Scott, of Grand Prairie, Texas, secretary-treasurer. Armour replaced Tim Campbell, of Nashville, as chairman.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION has published its 1995 edition of the Business Aviation Safety Journal. The 96-page publication covers a number of safety issues affecting the industry including human factors, medical, training, preflight, and flight operations. The Journal also contains accident analyses. For details, contact NBAA at (202) 783-9000.
FRANK MILIAN was promoted to senior vice president of Atlantic Aviation Flight Services as well as its parent company, Atlantic Aviation Corp. Milian, who most recently served as vice president and general manager of Atlantic Aviation Flight Services, has more than 25 years of industry experience. Atlantic Aviation officials attributed the promotion to the "tremendous growth of Atlantic's charter operations." Atlantic Aviation Flight Services recently added a Challenger 601-3A to its service, increasing its fleet to 14 turbine-powered aircraft.
A Department of Transportation administrative law judge late last month said the landing fees at Los Angeles International Airport are unreasonable in part, primarily because rental charges for the land under the airfield and apron are not based on historical costs. In a recommended decision on the complaint by airlines against the city of Los Angeles, John Mathias contended that using current market value for the airfield and apron is inappropriate. DOT will issue a final decision on that complaint by June 30.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION scheduled two more public meetings this month on the agency's proposed rule to upgrade commuter operations and certification standards. The meetings are scheduled for 9 a.m. June 14 at McCormick Place, East Building, 2301 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago and 9 a.m. June 21 at the Hacienda Hotel, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South in Las Vegas, Nev. For information, contact Linda Williams in FAA's Office of Rulemaking at (202) 267-9685.
DARRYL LINK was appointed aerospace product specialist for Cadillac Plastic and Chemical Company's Northwest business unit. Link will develop new markets and assist in new manufacturing techniques for the aerospace industry.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-1A11, CL-600-2A12, CL-600-2B16, and CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-18-AD) - proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires an inspection for cracking in the rudder control quadrant, replacement of any cracked quadrant with a new assembly and a retorquing of the castellated nut, as necessary. This action would require a follow-on inspection of certain rudder control quadrants to detect cracks that start at the inside root radius of the spigot, modification of any cracked quadrant and eventual modification of certain quadrants.
JETSTREAM AIRCRAFT, which produces three commuter turboprop models, has established a Commuter Air Safety Perceptions Group to battle the negative publicity attached to turboprops. An early initiative of the group is a video that directly addresses criticisms from groups such as the International Airline Passengers Association, which has charged that the public should avoid travel on turboprops whenever possible.
ATR has distributed a booklet on its icing tests and expects to furnish flight crews within the next 60 days a video that provides more details on the subject of icing as well as its test results. The 10-page booklet, ATR Icing Conditions Procedures, was available during the Regional Airline Association convention this month in San Antonio, Texas.
THOMAS SCHLESSINGER was appointed vice president of operations for Lucas Aerospace Cargo Systems. Schlessinger will be responsible for planning and directing activities at the Lucas plant in Brea, Calif. Schlessinger previously was plant manager of Sundstrand's Puerto Rico and Brea facilities.
ROBERT VANARIA was named to the newly created position of senior vice president-administration and chief financial officer of Greenwich Air Services. Vanaria formerly served as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Foamex International.
ROCKWELL'S COLLINS COMMERCIAL AVIONICS delivered the initial shipset of its AVSAT 6000 satellite-based precision navigation and communication equipment for flight tests aboard the Canadair Challenger 604.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace's engine unit, Motoren-und Turbinen-Union, saw full-year 1994 profits tumble two-thirds to only 20 million marks, while pre-tax profits slid 68 percent to 51.1 million marks, but executives say some of the blame falls on the strong mark. Group sales came to 1.23 billion marks, nearly 11 percent ahead of 1993's pace, and executives predicted in Freidrichshafen that sales this year should hit 1.5 billion marks.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT named Dan Smartt vice president-treasurer and president of Beech Acceptance Corporation, Inc. (BACI) and Ken Tomoda vice president- controller. Both Smartt and Tomoda report to the chief financial officer. Smartt will oversee the company's sales organization, network of independent dealers and international banking organizations. He joined the company in 1975 as a member of the Finance Division and was appointed president of Travel Air Insurance Company in 1987.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION released its 1995 General Aviation Statistical Databook. The publication provides statistics on domestic general aviation shipments, aircraft fleet composition, exports and safety trends. Other information includes general aviation fleet utilization and pilot and airport statistics. The databook costs $10. To order, write GAMA at 1400 K St., N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C. 20005- 2485.
