IPTN of Indonesia apparently has settled on Mobile, Ala., as the site of its U.S.-based N-250 assembly plant, according to wire and Alabama news reports. A company spokesman declined to confirm or deny the reports. Other possible sites had included Portland, Ore., Phoenix, Ariz. and Macon, Ga. IPTN wants a share of the U.S. airline market with the 70-passenger high-speed turboprop, which is scheduled to make its first flight this year.
ART KEEFE was named vice president of development for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Keefe, most recently director of the office of development for the Humane Society, has nearly 19 years of fund raising experience.
REGIONAL aircraft manufacturer representatives, contemplating establishing their own association, last week apparently put those plans on hold after the Regional Airline Association's board of directors proposed creation of an associate membership council. The manufacturers, who held a closed-door meeting during the RAA convention in San Antonio, Texas, were hoping to address problems with public perception of the safety of their products, but failed to reach a consensus for a plan of action. See related article below.
WILLIAM WAGNER, chief pilot of Townsend Engineering for 17 years, was named treasurer of the National Business Aircraft Association. He replaces Dennis Keith, who recently retired from Frito-Lay, resigned his positions on NBAA's executive committee and board of directors and joined the Business Jet Solutions Division of Bombardier (BA, May 8/193). Townsend served on NBAA's board for nearly five years and has chaired its Industry Affairs Committee.
PRECISION STANDARD'S Pemco World Air Services division won a contract to install environmental control systems on U.S. Army helicopters. Pemco will install the ECS units in TH-67 Creek training helicopters at the company's Dothan, Alabama facility, which recently won a U.S. Navy contract for H-3 Sea King helicopters. Value of the latest contract was not revealed, but Chairman Matthew L. Gold said Precision Standard's backlog remains strong at $139 million at the end of March. That compares with a backlog of $153 million a year ago.
While some segments of the aviation community have acquiesced to FAA and Transportation Department mandates for raising Part 135 standards to Part 121 levels, the National Air Transportation Association is charging that the tougher rules for commercial operators may reduce, rather than improve, the level of safety among small aircraft operators.
MIKE SHOJAAT was named senior associate-avionics services for Intertrade, Ltd. Shojaat previously served with Rockwell Collins as manager of marketing operations.
U.S. ARMY'S Aviation and Troop Command wants to acquire eight off-the- shelf, FAA-certified, transport aircraft with rear ramp cargo loading capability. The aircraft must be capable of carrying 24 troops or two half-size cargo pallets and be capable of operating from 1,500-foot runways within the state of Alaska. For more information, call the contracting officer at (314) 263-3073.
TWIN COMMANDER 680, 681, 690 and 695 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-20- AD) proposes to require installation of a placard warning the pilot to observe turbulent air penetration speeds. Two accidents involving Model 690 airplanes where the affected airplanes encountered turbulence while descending at high speeds prompted the proposed action. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent structural damage to the airplane caused by excessive turbulence and subsequent loss of the airplane.
JAMES C. HEALEY joined Gulfstream Aerospace as regional vice president- Europe. Based in Monaco, he will be responsible for Southern and Eastern Europe and will report to Craig Mundt, senior vice president based in London. Healey had been with Cessna Aircraft for the past 17 years, serving as director-international sales for Europe, Africa and the Middle East since 1985.
JETSTREAM AIRCRAFT, INC. delivered its 50th Jetstream 41 to Atlantic Coast Airlines, a United Express carrier that accounts for more than one-quarter of the Jetstream 41 orderbook. The latest delivery, part of Atlantic Coast's recent order for 20 aircraft, brings the carrier's total order to 37 aircraft. Jetstream Aircraft, a subsidiary of British Aerospace Holdings, Inc., said it has received orders and options for 139 Jetstream 41s.
LOCKHEED MARTIN FINANCE CORP., Burbank, Calif., named Scott H. Siegel general counsel and secretary. LMFC President Kathleen H. Anderson said Siegel, 40, has spent 10 years representing financial institutions in secured transactions and most recently was with California Federal Bank. LMFC provides financing assistance, leasing, loan, syndication and asset- based term debt to support sales of Lockheed Martin.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT officials, hinting for some time that the company is weighing options for new jet products, say that a 50-passenger regional jet is one such possibility. Raytheon Aircraft President Roy Norris said during last week's RAA convention that the company would avoid the already crowded 30-passenger turboprop market and noted that small jets are now selling. Other officials noted Raytheon can draw on technology acquired from British Aerospace with the Hawker program and its own expertise in composites.
Regional Airline Association's board of directors, with the approval of the Presidents' Council, last week proposed creation of an associate council and a change in the associations membership criteria. In addition, RAA's board agreed to establish two new committees dealing with safety and public relations.
JAMES HAILER was appointed manager of legislative affairs for Aerospace Industries Association. Hailer, formerly manager of congressional affairs for the American League for Exports and Security Assistance, will monitor international, civil aviation and environmental issues for AIA.
Elliott Aviation received an FAA supplemental type certificate Thursday for installation of a head-up display (HUD) in a Cessna Citation II, which the company said is the first STC issued for installation of a HUD system in a business jet.
Department of Transportation has issued an International Air Transportation Policy that targets freer trade and better access to foreign markets, DOT officials said. The new policy, the first such statement since 1978, includes specific steps and strategies to create freer trade in aviation services. The U.S. already has acted on a number of those steps such as extending invitations to a group of countries to enter into open aviation agreements. The policy also urges priority for building aviation relationships between the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration has issued a request for proposals for research, engineering and development (RE&D) projects in the agency's Small Airplane Directorate in fiscal 1998. FAA said it is searching for proposals that focus on aircraft certification programs in the Small Airplane Directorate, which oversees airworthiness activities of normal, utility, acrobatic and commuter category airplanes. FAA noted that the proposal should not address other areas of FAA oversight such as flight standards, air traffic or airway facilities.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Restricted Category Model UH-1A, UH-1B, UH-1E, UH- 1F, UH-1H, UH-1L, UH-1P, TH-1F, and TH-1L helicopters (Docket No. 95-SW-03- AD; Amdt. 39-9225; AD 95-10-08) - requires verification that the tail rotor control system is rigged in accordance with applicable maintenance manual; a fluorescent penetrant inspection for cracks at the roots of the gear teeth on the pinion and gear of affected 42-degree tail rotor drive gearbox assemblies, and replacement of the 42-degree gearbox pinion or gear if cracks are found.
Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating nearly 30 pilots and FAA inspectors who they believe have been involved in issuing or receiving aircraft type ratings for which they were not qualified. Tony Broderick, FAA's associate administrator for regulation and certification, told reporters last week that the agency has removed certification authority from four of the six FAA inspectors implicated, adding that the other two individuals previously retired.
GREENWICH AIR SERVICES, INC. named Robert J. Vanaria, 49, to the newly created position of senior vice president-administration and chief financial officer, reporting to Eugene P. Conese, Sr., chairman and chief executive officer. Vanaria, who spent 12 years as senior vice president and CFO at Foamex International, Inc., will have overall responsibility for finance, treasury, legal, tax, human resources and information systems at Greenwich.
Garmin International plans to break ground this month for a new $8 million headquarters facility in Olathe, Kan. The new building initially will provide more than 100,000 square feet of space to house Garmin's administrative, engineering, marketing and production offices. Garmin, currently spread out over four buildings in Lenexa, Kan., said the new facility will bring all of the company's departments back under one roof. Vinyard Construction of Overland Park, Kan., was selected as the general contractor for the project, slated for completion by early next year.
Rockwell's Collins Commercial Avionics received a contract from Bombardier to supply dual ALT-4000 digital radio altimeters and dual HF- 9000 high-frequency communication systems for the Global Express long-range business jet. The ALT-4000 radio altimeter measures aircraft height up to 2,500 feet and is accurate within two feet at altitudes below 100 feet, Collins said. Four preset altitude trips are available to initiate functions such as autopilot gain programming, mode switching and crew signalling.
BOTH RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT and Fairchild officials agree that FAA's initiative to upgrade regional airline standards will add to the cost of the airplane, but do not yet have firm estimates of how much. Estimates of industry observers have ranged from as low as $100,000 to up to $1 million, but these depend on the outcome of the final rule. FAA's Kathy Hakala said there is some flexibility in drafting a final rule on new hardware requirements for aircraft operated by Part 135 scheduled carriers, noting that FAA is seeking comments and cost estimates from the industry.
The AlliedSignal TFE731-60 turbofan, which will power the Falcon 900EX, received FAA certification, AlliedSignal officials announced last week. The engine will provide the Falcon 900 derivative with a 4,500- nautical-mile range. AlliedSignal has delivered four development TFE731-60 engines to Dassault for flight tests and is building the first three certified production engines. Dassault, which announced the 900EX during last fall's National Business Aircraft Association Convention (BA, Oct. 10/156), has scheduled the first flight for later this month.
