AN INTIMATE VIEW of Beech Aircraft in the 1950s, and Learjet during the company's formative period in the 1960s, are only two of the topics covered in a new book, Alex In Wonderland, by Sandor (Alex) Kvassay, who held top marketing jobs at both companies. The Hungarian-born Kvassay displays an eye for detail and an irrepressible sense of humor in describing aviation industry top executives he's known, a fascinating collection of well-known customers and anecdotes from a lifetime of travel that has taken Kvassay to both poles and most places in between.
PAUL HAWTHORNE has joined Aviation Sales Company as vice president of quality control. Hawthorne formerly spent 11 years with Federal Express, most recently as a director of aircraft records and quality assurance programs.
BEECH Models 1900, 1900C and 1900D airplanes (Docket No. 93-CE-41-AD; Amdt. 39-9136; AD 95-02-18) - corrects an AD calling for repetitive inspections of the engine trusses for cracks (BA, Feb. 27/95). The AD inadvertently specified a 100-hour time-in-service inspection interval. The inspection interval should be 3,000 hours time in service.
TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL IO-346, IO-520, and IO-550 series reciprocating engines (Docket No. 94-ANE-57; Amdt. 39-9150; AD 95-03-14) - supersedes an existing AD that requires initial and repetitive inspections of the engine mount brackets for cracks and eventual replacement with improved engine mount brackets. This amendment clarifies the procedures to determine which engine mount brackets must be inspected. This amendment is prompted by reports that the engine mount bracket part numbers, which are ink stamped, can be easily obliterated.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has established a parts distribution operation in Bahrain to support Gulfstream operators in the Middle East, Africa and surrounding regions. Under an agreement with DHL Worldwide Express, Gulfstream will house spare parts in a facility in Bahrain that will be available for distribution 24 hours per day. The company said the arrangement will provide immediate turnaround, with shipment on the next scheduled flight to a particular region.
MIDCOAST AVIATION's maintenance, modification and refurbishment center in St. Louis recently received a Class IV repair station rating from the Federal Aviation Administration. The center is the second Midcoast facility to hold the rating; its Little Rock, Ark. facility previously received Class IV designation.
The City of Manchester, N.H. is seeking proposals for a fixed-base operation to occupy a 58,500-square-foot building at Manchester Airport. The building includes about 25,000 square feet of hangar space and nearly 28,000 square feet of office space. Additionally, the facility will have 170,000 square feet of paved ramp on 8.2 acres at the airport. Manchester officials have scheduled a mandatory pre-proposal meeting and site visit April 3. For more information, contact David B.
FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, deliveries of used business jets to North American customers rose in 1994, but deliveries outside the continent declined, according to information compiled by Aviation Data Service of Wichita, Kan. The number of used turboprops delivered to North American customers was about the same as in 1993, but turboprop deliveries in other parts of the world fell to about half the number recorded in 1991. See charts on Pages 107-108 of the hard copy of this issue.
WARREN MORNINGSTAR was named director of media relations for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Morningstar formerly served as senior television news producer for a Salt Lake City, Utah station.
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a rule that would require the modification of fuel system vents on Part 25 aircraft to help prevent the spread of fire following an aircraft accident.
HARTZELL received a supplemental type certificate for a three-bladed propeller conversion for the Cessna A185 aircraft. The STC will allow the aircraft to be fitted with the same propeller as the one on the Cessna 206. Hartzell said the propeller will improve the aircraft's heavy load/short field performance as well as hot/high operations. The conversion kit costs $6,795, including three-bladed propeller, polished spinner and STC paperwork. For more information, call (800) 942-7767.
FOKKER Model F28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 0100 series airplanes and other transport category aircraft equipped with Honeywell Standard Windshear Detection and Recovery Guidance System (Docket No. 95-NM-11-AD; Amdt. 39-9153; AD 95-04-01) - requires a revision to the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual to alert the flight crew of the potential for significant delays in the windshear detection and recovery guidance system detecting windshear when the flaps of the airplane are in transition.
MELINDA MCGINTY was promoted to manager of client services for SimuFlite Training International. McGinty, who previously served as supervisor of account representatives, will manage SimuFlite's account representatives and customer services staff.
The Federal Aviation Administration predicted Friday that the size of the general aviation fleet will decline slightly as older aircraft are taken out of service, but said the number of turbine-powered aircraft will continue to grow as will the number of hours flown.
Assembly of the first Embraer EMB-145 regional jet was proceeding as planned late last month with the mating of the fuselage sections at the factory in Brazil and the arrival of the first wing shipset from Gamesa of Spain, the manufacturer announced. Embraer, which hopes to roll out the 50-passenger aircraft in mid-year, plans to carry out the -145's flight test and certification program with one prototype and three pre-series aircraft, plus a static test airframe. The flight articles will be used in a 13-month, 1,100- hour certification test program.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONFLICT between what FAA forecasters say the agency is attempting to do for general aviation and what the industry says FAA is doing to general aviation.While critics claim FAA's proposals to make its airmen medical standards more stringent are unnecessary and will increase the cost of flying, FAA's new forecast document claims the agency's General Aviation Action Plan is designed to provide "regulatory relief and reduced user costs achieved through reduced rules and processes..." See articles below.
CHRISTOPHER CRUM was appointed operations manager for Garrett Aviation Services. Crum will be responsible for all hangar operations, including airframe, engines, avionics, modifications and customer service.
Farnborough Airport, one of the oldest landing facilities in the United Kingdom and the site of a major international aviation exhibition every two years, has been declared surplus by the British Ministry of Defense. An MoD spokeswoman told BA Friday that operation of the facility will not change in the immediate future, but confirmed that MoD has given five years' notice to end the current operating agreement with the Urban Development Corp.
THE AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION reiterated its criticism of FAA's proposed medical standards revisions, calling for the agency to withdraw the entire rulemaking package (BA, Jan. 23/35). AOPA President Phil Boyer charged FAA with "greatly exceeding the statutory mandate of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958."
ROHR, INC., Chula Vista, Calif., reached an agreement with Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing PTE Ltd. to form a joint venture to establish an overhaul and repair facility in Singapore. The joint venture, named Rohr Aero Services-Asia, will overhaul and repair commercial nacelle components and thrust reversers for airlines in the Asia-Pacific region and provide spare parts storage and distribution. The joint venture will be owned equally by both companies. Dale M.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION officials will be in the Twin Cities today to outline the group's Learn To Fly (LTF) program for local flight training schools and fixed-base operators. Minneapolis-St. Paul is the second test market for the revamped LTF program (BA, Feb. 27/89).
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association named a new legislative director and promoted a researcher on the staff of its downtown Washington, D.C. congressional lobbying office. Mary M. Johnston, former legislative director for Rep. Bob Carr (D-Mich.), was named director of legislative affairs. Carr, the former chairman of the House transportation appropriations subcommittee, was defeated in his attempt to win a Senate seat in the last election. Johnston will work with William S.
The National Business Aircraft Association Friday said its member companies contribute more than $1 billion annually to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The association said its member companies collectively spend more than $11 billion on commercial airline tickets each year, 10 percent of the value of which goes into the aviation trust fund. Combined with taxes paid on fuel for corporate aircraft operations, the NBAA said its members spend an estimated $1.2 billion in taxes to the trust fund.
PAN AM SYSTEMS, which participates in a weather information service for aviation users, said that service has been expanded to include 30 non- federal automated weather observing systems at airports in Iowa. PAN AM installed its Z-Link satellite communications system in Iowa, allowing the Federal Aviation Administration's National Airspace Data Network to carry information from AWOS units in the state. PAN AM now transmits weather data from more than 100 non-federal AWOS sites nationwide.
