Aero Twin introduced folding utility passenger seats for the Cessna 206H. STC approval was obtained for installation for commercial operators and for floor structure modification. The utility floor modifications involve removal of the foot-wells and installation of standard seat/cargo rails throughout the passenger/cargo area, providing ample tie-down provisions and flat-floor convenience. Seats can be installed in minutes. Up to four individual seats, in a variety of configurations, can be used.
The Canadian government is about to release a request for proposal for a new maritime helicopter. Two tenders are planned--one for the helicopter itself, the other for the mission suite it would contain. Although the government will make separate decisions, Ottawa has already determined the provider of the mission equipment, not the helicopter, will serve as prime contractor for the entire project. Program cost is pegged at $3 billion, to be allocated equally among the aircraft, mission suite and support systems.
The threat of suicide air attack against key elements of the U.S. space launch infrastructure and the lack of funding for security measures have been growing concerns at the NASA Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Singapore Airlines and Brierley Investments Ltd. have both increased their investments in Air New Zealand with equity injections of NZ$150 million ($63.5 million) each at NZ$0.67 per share. This raises SIA's stake to 34% from 25%, and this could soon rise to 40%. In addition to allowing SIA to take a larger stake than 25%, the New Zealand government also extended a $233-million credit facility plus a two-year revolving credit facility of $85 million for working capital.
Leo M. Geballa has become vice president-specialty products for AirNet Express, Columbus, Ohio. He was a global account manager for protective services for BAX Global.
Glen Kassan and Josh Schechter have been appointed to the board of directors of Puroflow Inc., Van Nuys, Calif. Kassan is executive vice president and Schechter an associate of Steel Partners Services Ltd.
Last week's terrorist attack on New York directly affected countless numbers of people and businesses in many different ways, and The McGraw-Hill Companies--the parent of Aviation Week&Space Technology--was among them. Its Standard&Poor's business unit, which is headquarterd practically in the shadows of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, was forced to suspend some of its operations. That includes the electronic data feed from S&P to Aviation Week for its weekly market performance listing and the AW Aerospace 25 and AW Airline 25 stock market indexes.
Ross Burnett has been appointed managing director of Mexican operations for BAX Global Inc., Irvine, Calif. He was general manager for Mexico for Yellow Freight Lines.
The all-in-one Dynamics 4290 accelerometer/microphone and differential amplifier has both constant current operation and DC/AC amplification, automatic calibration and a low pass filter. It lets test engineers interface sensors requiring both constant voltage and high-bias voltage excitation. With a frequency response of 100 KHz., the signal can either bypass the module or be routed through a user programmable four-pole Butterworth low-pass filter. Price per channel installed in a 32-channel system (chassis included) starts at $480. R.C.
Randall W. Chapman has been named director of the Systems Technology Center of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Research Corp. He was both deputy commander of the 607th Air Support Operations Group and commander of the U.S. Air Force's South Korea Air Liaison Office at Osan AB.
Sabena Belgian World Airlines' flight crews take strong issue with management's new recovery plan, scheduled to be implemented soon. It involves massive job cuts, including an estimated 600 flight attendants, in a desperate attempt to save the virtually bankrupt carrier. Leaders of the Belgian Cockpit Assn., the pilots' union, claimed that Sabena Chief Executive Christoph Mueller's ``management by conflict'' is further weakening hopes to restore profitability.
NASA's Deep Space 1 probe, running on fumes after a three-year mission to test 12 advanced technologies with an asteroid flyby, will try for a last hurrah Sept. 22 with a very close approach to the comet Borelly. The 820-lb. spacecraft is targeted to plunge into the comet's coma and attempt to pass within about 1,200 mi. of the nucleus to image the comet's hard core with its camera. However, the same camera that must take the image is also used as a backstop for the probe's star tracker, which failed in 1999.
NASA Johnson Space Center has awarded Evergreen Air Center a multiyear contract to provide maintenance support of two Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. They are used to ferry space shuttles to Cape Kennedy from overhaul facilities or off-Cape landing sites.
Honeywell is targeting hundreds of 10-20-year-old high-end business jets for facelifts. The avionics manufacturer's quest will accelerate this month with the expected FAA approval of the retrofit hardware and installation package for integrated attitude and navigation cockpit displays and inflight e-mail and satellite television upgrades for the cabin.
James McQueeney has been appointed vice president/general manager and Jeff Barger director of finance for the Oklahoma City and Mexicali, Mexico, facilities of the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Dan O'Malley has been named general manager of the Mexicali site. McQueeney was director of production at the Savannah, Ga., facility, and Barger was corporate financial controller for operations. O'Malley was senior manager of the composite manufacturing unit in Savannah.
The global climate for expansion of business aviation is cooling compared with recent years as concerns about a soft world economy persist, driving down demand for products and services across all segments of the industry.
Tom Hall has become vice president-sales and marketing for Thales Computers, Raleigh, N.C. He was president/CEO of PEP Modular Computers of Pittsburgh.
Chris Bade has become vice-president operations for Raytheon Commercial Electronics, Lexington, Mass. He was vice president-strategic planning and business development.
Aero Services Executive, a French charter operator based at Le Bourget near Paris, has taken delivery of an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) and plans to fly the airplane nonstop from France to New Orleans for the National Business Aviation Assn. convention Sept. 18-20.
John Schiefen has been promoted to product support manager from manager of government sales for Unison Industries, Jacksonville, Fla. Brian Wenzel has been appointed marketing communications manager.
India put its air force and other military units on a high state of alert, fearful that it too could be subject to terrorist raids similar to those carried out in the U.S. last week. The fears of Indian government officials were fueled by a statement by Osama bin Laden comparing the plight of Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir to that of the Palestinians in their battle with Israel. Indian air force radar operators are told to keep a watch on suspicious activities, with fighters on alert to intercept aircraft, an air force official said.
Boeing's planned Sonic Cruiser transport aircraft will be built essentially from composite materials and titanium, and probably have little aluminum structure in its high-speed design, according to the program manager.
The Telecom Company of Iran (TCI) says financing and licensing for a Ku-band telecom satellite to provide voice, television and data services to the Middle East and Central Asia is complete and the project ready to progress. According to M.H. Entezari, TCI board member, the 12-transponder, high-power Zohreh project has lined up the Iran Broadcasting, the Central Bank of Iran, oil and gas companies and service providers as its main partners. However, Entezari declined to say when the spacecraft would be contracted or launched.
Dan Buzz has been promoted to vice president-modifications and completions from engineering assistant manager for systems and equipment for the Lincoln, Neb., facility of Duncan Aviation.
American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 loaded with enough fuel for a transcontinental journey, cleared the crest of a small ridge in Arlington, Va., by a few hundred feet with its engines wailing. It slightly lowered its nose, clipped trees and parking lot light poles, and then hit the Pentagon like a torpedo--at ground level and almost perpendicular to the outside wall.
