CESSNA AIRCRAFT said it is increasing the maximum operating speed (MMO) for the Citation X business jet to Mach .92, based on more than 600 hours of flight tests, plus airframe static tests. Cessna also said certification of the Citation X has slipped slightly, from August to November, due to additional FAA requirements, but first customer deliveries are still set for spring 1996.
THE FIRST TELEVISION ADS for NATA's Learn To Fly program began running this month in Southern California, the first of four test markets for the LTF program before it goes national later this year.
DON PETERSEN was named an airframe service sales representative for Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, Neb. An airframe mechanic with the company since 1989, Petersen has held several positions, most recently as the airframe shop's resource manager. Before joining Duncan, Petersen held maintenance and management positions with Motorola Inc. Corporate Aviation in Wheeling, Ill., McDonnell Douglas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Seattle Jet Center and Lake Union Air of Seattle.
Eleven of the 12 living former Federal Aviation Administration administrators support restoring FAA independence, former Administrator Najeeb Halaby told Congress last week. Halaby, testifying before the House Transportation aviation subcommittee, said all 12 former administrators support other elements of a four-point FAA reform plan: dedicating the aviation trust fund exclusively to FAA; liberalizing procurement and personnel rules, and outsourcing four activities.
JETSTREAM AIRCRAFT INC. said the first Jetstream 41 full flight simulator is now operational at the Reflectone Training Center in Sterling, Va., near Dulles International Airport. The simulator has been approved for "Level C" operations.
DOYLE GARRETT was promoted to team leader-service managers in Duncan Aviation's customer service area. He will oversee the maintenance and repair service of every airplane that comes to Duncan's facility in Lincoln, Neb. in his role supervising and directing the service managers who are the primary customer contacts. Garrett joined Duncan in 1978.
AIR TAXI OPERATORS and corporate aircraft operated on Part 135 certificates could be affected by a series of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations - primarily aimed at older airline transports - that call for expanding the number of parameters recorded on flight data recorders. See article on Page 91 of the hard copy of this issue.
RAYTHEON CORPORATE JETS Model Hawker 800 and 1000 and Model DH/BH/HS/BAe 125 Series Airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM-137-AD; Amendment 39-9107; AD 94-26- 12) - This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive, applicable to certain Raytheon Corporate Jets Model Hawker 800 and 1000 and Model DH/BH/HS/BAe 125 series airplanes, that requires inspections to detect cracking of the sidestay jack pivots of the main landing gear, and replacement of the sidestay jack pivot assemblies with new assemblies.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION is supporting legislation (H.R.635) introduced by Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) to exempt persons traveling on an air ambulance from paying the 10 percent passenger ticket tax.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL has installed a new Beech 1900D full flight simulator at its LaGuardia Airport training center in New York. The simulator will be certified to FAA "Level D" standards.
In a formal Federal Register notice that only a bureaucrat could love, FAA has declared that the new airport in Denver will be known as Denver International Airport and that it will open for business Feb. 28.
CHALLENGE AIR CARGO is building a $20 million, 165,000-square-foot air cargo facility at Miami International Airport. The fully automated facility, to be located at the northwest corner of the airport on Northwest 67th Avenue (Perimeter Road), will feature a "high-bay" section that will permit stacking cargo three tiers high. The automated cargo system is being designed and manufactured by Rapistan-Demag.
Alliance Engines, a new engine overhaul company formed late last year by Duncan Aviation of Lincoln, Neb., and K-C Aviation (BA, Oct. 3/138), has leased a 48,600-square-foot building in the Big Springs Industrial Park in Maryville, Tenn., and said it plans to invest more than $8 million in the facility. The lease agreement was signed Thursday by Alliance representatives and officials of the Industrial Development Board of Blount County. The Maryville site was selected after a nationwide search process that included hiring a site consultant.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION will hold its 22nd annual International Operators Conference March 27-30 in Dallas, Texas. For more information, call NBAA at (202) 783-9284, Ext. 2.
PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION PA-25 series airplanes (Docket No. 92-CE-63-AD) - This document proposes to revise an earlier proposed airworthiness directive that would have required repetitively inspecting the wing forward spar fuselage attachment assembly for cracks or corrosion on certain Piper Aircraft Corporation (Piper) PA-25 series airplanes, and replacing or repairing any cracked or corroded part.
REFLECTONE, INC., said last month it expects to receive a contract early this year worth about $70 million over the next three years from Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, to provide two C-130J full-flight simulators and other related training devices and services. Lockheed plans to negotiate a contract with Reflectone U.K. Ltd., for the training system. The anticipated contract stems from a recent decision by the British Ministry of Defense to order 25 C-130J Hercules transports.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began machining wing skins for the Bombardier Global Express long-range business jet last week, and officials said they are nearing the end of the joint definition phase for the aircraft. Bombardier officials said Mitsubishi employees machined a wing skin destined for the lower center section, adding that all major tooling for the Global Express program has been completed at MHI's Oye plant in Nagoya, Japan. Machining of additional components is expected to begin soon.
A ONE-DAY SEMINAR on aviation excise taxes is being offered by the National Air Transportation Association. The seminar, "To Fly And To Owe...All You Need To Know About Aviation Excise Taxes," will be held May 9 in New Orleans, La., immediately prior to NATA's annual convention, which begins May 10.
GASTON HEBERT, executive vice president of de Havilland Aircraft since November, was named president of the regional aircraft manufacturer by Bob Brown, president of Bombardier Aerospace Group-North America. He succeeds Ken Laver, who left the company. Hebert, 48, joined Bombardier in 1979 as vice president of engineering and research and development in the Mass Transit Division. In 1991 he became vice president-technology at Bombardier's head office and spent three years in Europe managing the company's participation in the Eurotunnel project.
LOCKHEED Model 382 series airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM-88-AD; Amendment 39- 9110; AD 94-26-15) - This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive, applicable to certain Lockheed Model 382 series airplanes, that requires inspection of a kingpin riser on the lower surface of the outer wing to determine fastener placement. This AD also would require repetitive inspections for fatigue cracks in the kingpin riser if the fasteners are positioned outside certain limits, and repair, if necessary.
REP. BUD SHUSTER (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, put lobbyists on notice last week that actions will mean a lot more than lip service when it comes to support of his legislation (H.R.842) to remove the Highway and Airport and Airway Trust Funds from the unified federal budget (BA, Feb. 13/69).
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Federico Pena has had two tough weeks on Capitol Hill.First, his plan to transfer funds in the Highway and Airport and Airway Trust Funds into a unified transportation account was sharply criticized by members of Congress, and last week his proposal to restructure the nation's air traffic control system engendered some outspoken attacks on Pena by members of his own party.
STEVEN E. KOENIG was promoted to senior vice president at Tech/Ops International, San Mateo, Calif., where he had been a vice president since late 1993. Koenig will concentrate his efforts on the recently signed agreement between Tech/Ops International and TUNISAIR to jointly conduct a feasibility study toward development of an independent aviation maintenance facility in Tunis, Tunisia. Before joining the technical service management company, Koenig spent 14 years with Fokker Aircraft, including 10 as vice president-sales.
The Clinton Administration's 1995 proposal to corporatize the nation's air traffic control system - very similar to the version Congress ignored last year when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress - was met with skepticism by Republicans and sharp criticism from Democrats last week when Transportation Secretary Federico Pena outlined the latest edition of the United States Air Traffic Services Corporation (USATS) concept to the House Transportation aviation subcommittee.
