ROBERT SHAW, JR. is the new vice president and general manager of Midcoast Aviation's Little Rock, Ark., maintenance center. Shaw has more than 30 years' experience in aviation operations management. In addition to operating his own consulting firm before joining Midcoast, he had held senior management positions with Arkansas Aerospace and Page Avjet.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO READING A GOOD BOOK? A new joint venture that includes an affiliate of Harrah's Casino is marketing a new system "to provide interactive, in-flight gaming entertainment to passengers on long- haul international flights." Harrah's, along with Creator Capital, Inc., and its wholly owned Sky Games International Corp., said they have formed a joint venture called Interactive Entertainment to market the new product.
JOHN MEENAN has been named to the newly established position of vice president-administration for the Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C. Meenan will be responsible for overseeing security, passenger and cargo facilitation matters and environmental affairs - and their coordination with airports - for the airline trade group. Meenan, who spent nine years with the U.S. Secret Service, joined ATA in 1985 as assistant general counsel.
HUGHES AIRCRAFT OF CANADA LTD. won a $17.8 million (U.S.) contract to provide an air traffic control system for the People's Republic of China. The Systems Division of Hughes, based in Richmond, British Columbia, was selected to supply seven enroute air traffic control centers and to integrate and install those centers. Hughes also will provide training and logistics support. "This is a first step in our involvement in the air traffic control infrastructure development within China," said Ken Tollstam, manager of new business development for the company.
FAA's recent actions on aviation safety are "laudable," but the agency "must overcome a number of longstanding problems if this proactive posture is to be effective in the long term," the General Accounting Office said last week. At a Senate Commerce Committee oversight hearing, Kenneth Mead, GAO director-transportation issues, said FAA continues to have training problems in two critical areas, certification of advanced technologies and aircraft inspection.
Summary: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions (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.
THE AVIATION SAFETY CONFERENCE the Transportation Department staged in Washington last week drew nearly 1,000 attendees - including top airline management executives - and came up with some 70 recommendations aimed at improving safety that FAA officials plan to pursue.While the focus of the conference was on scheduled airlines, many of the ideas have applicability for the entire aviation community. See article below.
CHARLES GILMORE has joined Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, Neb., as manager of aircraft services, responsible for all service areas: airframe, engine, accessories and machinists. Gilmore joined Duncan from an Ohio company where he served as director of maintenance for the flight department. He has more than 20 years experience working for corporate flight departments.
Cessna Aircraft, saying it anticipates a major expansion of its business over the next several years, has named as executive vice presidents a veteran Cessna marketer and a man with extensive experience in the engine business. Cessna Chairman and Chief Executive Russ Meyer said the appointments of Gary W. Hay, a 29-year Cessna employee, and David G.
New orders for 60 Jetstream 41 twin-engine commuter aircraft from Trans States Airlines and South Africa's SA Airlink boosted AlliedSignal Engines order book for TPE331 turboprops by at least 138 engines, many of which will be delivered this year, the company said. AlliedSignal said the deal is valued at more than $220 million, including spares and service. More than two-thirds of the engines will be delivered to Trans States, which began receiving the Jetstreams this month. Deliveries to SA Airlink are to begin in February.
DOT Secretary Federico Pena and FAA Administrator David Hinson pledged the government will act quickly on 70 key recommendations produced by nearly 1,000 safety experts at a two-day Aviation Safety Conference in Washington last week. Both Hinson and Pena earlier had announced "zero accidents" would be the goal for the airline industry, and Hinson said he wanted the emphasis to shift from "after-the-fact analysis and reaction" to "anticipatory analysis and proscription" in attempts to prevent air crashes.
Piper Aircraft Corp. plans substantial increases in aircraft production rates and number of employees this year, continuing a trend that began several years ago.
One month after prohibiting flights of ATR-42 and -72 aircraft into known or forecast icing conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday lifted that restriction for operators who comply with a series of new operating limits and pilot training requirements.
KATHLEEN BROCKMAN was named director of airports for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. She has been working in the association's airports division since 1993, specializing in airport compliance, environmental and military base conversion issues. Previously, she managed AOPA's toll-free information hotline in AOPA's aviation services division.
The U.S. Air Force has exercised its sixth and final option for T-1A Jayhawk trainers, a block of 32 aircraft scheduled for delivery from July 1996 through May 1997. Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) said the latest contract option is valued at $127 million, which brings the total funded value of the company's Jayhawk contracts to more than $755 million covering 180 aircraft.
AS A RESULT of its investigation into icing problems with the ATR-42 and -72, FAA plans to review the certification icing tests of similar aircraft in an effort to make sure other models do not encounter control problems in severe icing conditions.
Gulfstream Aerospace said a surge in fourth-quarter sales for both the Gulfstream IV-SP and the Gulfstream V business jets made 1994 the best year for sales in the company's history. Gulfstream officials said they sold "almost 60 new and pre-owned aircraft" and are "poised to enter the last half of the decade in a strong competitive stance." While not disclosing the number of firm orders in hand, Gulfstream said G-V sales "are on pace to approach a backlog of 100 aircraft before the first G-V is delivered in November 1996."
REGARDING THE AMBITIOUS SCHEDULES for implementing changes discussed at last week's aviation safety conference in Washington, D.C., FAA Administrator David Hinson told participants he's found out something during the nearly 18 months he's been reporting to Transportation Secretary Federico Pena: "He [Pena] has a high energy level and is impatient...so I am impatient," Hinson said.
Green Tree Financial (GTF) Corp., a St. Paul, Minn. diversified financing firm with a loan portfolio of approximately $9 billion, is moving aggressively into financing new and used general aviation aircraft for terms of up to 20 years.
ED BURT was named vice president, operations engineering, for Grimes Aerospace Co., Columbus, Ohio. A 17-year veteran of the aerospace industry, Burt previously worked for BASF Magnetic Products, Cessna Aircraft, Korry Electronics and Twin Commander Aircraft. In his new capacity he will incorporate the engineering discipline for production efficiency improvement and product cost reduction using design for manufacturing assembly (DFMA) concepts.
FAA said it is investigating a near midair collision between an Allegheny Commuter de Havilland Dash 8 and a Cessna 172 on Jan. 10 one mile northwest of Baltimore Washington International Airport. The near collision occurred at an altitude of 800 feet as a result of an operational error, the agency said. The two aircraft came within 50 feet vertically and zero miles horizontally, according to preliminary information, FAA said.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY'S Eighth annual Aviation Law/Insurance Symposium will be held Jan. 26-27 at the Daytona Beach Marriott in Daytona Beach, Fla. The program includes presentations on federal preemption, aircraft registration, product liability, insurance trends and issues, FAA enforcement and related topics. Advance registration is $395. For more information, call the school at (904) 226-6186; fax, (904) 226-6220.
GARRETT TURBINE ENGINE COMPANY ATF3 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 93- ANE-39; Amdt. 39-9066; AD 94-23-04) - requires a one-time inspection for cracks of the curvic and bore area of the high pressure turbine (HPT) rotor assembly disk and replacement, if necessary, with a serviceable disk. This amendment is prompted by several reports of cracks discovered during routine inspections of HPT rotor assembly disks. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent an uncontained failure of the HPT rotor assembly disk.
Raytheon Aircraft Company, which announced a series of marketing department changes in November (BA, Nov. 21/222) only to see two of the key individuals move to new jobs at Cessna Aircraft (BA, Dec. 5/242), has named Karl Childs vice president-domestic business jet sales. Childs had been a senior executive in the Raytheon Corporate Jets organization before RCJ became part of Raytheon Aircraft Company last year. Reporting to Childs will be Mike Langston, general sales manager, Eastern Region; and Mike McMillan, general sales manager, Western Region.
WAYFARER KETCH CORP., White Plains, N.Y. and Aircraft Charter Group, Inc., added three aircraft to their charter fleets. Wayfarer added a second Gulfstream III and certificated the company's first Learjet, a Model 55, this month, while ACG added a Model 35A Learjet. The Lear 55 is based at Teterboro, N.J., the Lear 35A is located in Bridgeport, Conn., and the Gulfstream III is based at Farmingdale, N.Y. Wayfarer Ketch is a management and charter company that owns 32 percent of ACG, which is headquartered in Connecticut.
