GAIL JOHNSON was promoted to vice president, assistant secretary and administrative assistant for Sabreliner. Johnson, who has been with Sabreliner since 1978, is now a member of the company's executive committee.
AVIATION RESOURCES PARTNERS, INC., filed a complaint in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, against BAA USA, Inc., charging the British firm with reneging on a joint contract with the Chicago minority consulting firm for operation of six Indianapolis, Ind. airports (BA, Sept. 18/122). A spokesman for BAA USA responded that, "We maintain that all of the charges in their suit are without merit and we expect that we will contest them vigorously."
David Thissell, founder of the Northeast Aircraft Maintenance Corp. in Plymouth, Mass., and Evelyn Carlson, instructor with Sunrise Aviation in Santa Ana, Calif., were selected for the 1995 General Aviation Maintenance Technician and Flight Instructor of the Year awards.
ALLIEDSIGNAL LTS101 series turboshaft and LTP101 series turboprop engines (Docket No. 95-ANE-16) - proposes to require identifying, removing and replacing certain defective power turbine rotors. This proposal is prompted by reports of workmanship deficiencies on certain power turbine rotors that can reduce the published life limit of the disk. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent power turbine rotor failure, which could result in loss of engine power. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Nov.
THE HOUSE AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE hopes to vote this week on legislation to reform the Federal Aviation Administration. The legislation, lauded by industry and criticized by the administration, would establish FAA as an independent agency and remove the aviation trust fund from the federal budget. Also this week the full House is expected to vote on the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill. The bill will go to the House floor without the controversial provision allowing FAA to raise up to $10 million in user fees. See article below.
SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT appointed Heli-North Aviation as a distributor of Schweizer Models 300C, 300CB and 330 helicopters in Ontario, Canada. Heli- North, of Garson, Ontario, made an initial commitment for six Model 300CB helicopters in conjunction with its distributorship. The company, which provides airframe/engine maintenance and repair services, operates a fleet of seven helicopters for flight training and charter.
LOCKHEED MARTIN INFORMATION SYSTEMS won separate five-year contracts to provide simulation and training support at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The company will receive $146 million to support the 58 Special Operations Wing, providing training for the MH-53J, MH-60G and the UH-1N helicopters, and for the Lockheed C-130, HC-130P and MC-130H.
3rd Quarter Cal 95 Year AMERICAN GENERAL AIRCRAFT CORP. - Single-Engine AG-5/B Tiger 0 0 Total 0 0 ATR (Avions de Transport Regional) - Multi-Engine ATR-42 2 7 ATR-72 3 18
PRAXAIR, INC., Danbury, Conn., is raising prices Nov. 1 for U.S. customers for liquid oxygen, nitrogen, argon and hydrogen. The industrial gas supplier said the increases will average eight percent for oxygen, six percent for nitrogen, 12 percent for argon and eight percent for hydrogen, but warned that individual adjustments will vary depending on local supply conditions, contract terms and other variations. "Record levels of demand for industrial gases continue to drive our production and distribution costs higher," said Paul J.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., which has been trying for months to justify the launch of its MD-95 airliner, finally got the job accomplished Thursday, announcing an order for 50 of the 129-seat airliners from Valujet Airlines, and options for 50 additional units. The MD-95 will be powered by twin BMW/Rolls-Royce BR715 turbofans, uprated versions of the BR710 powerplants selected earlier for the Gulfstream V and Canadair Global Express very long-range business jets. Certification is scheduled for mid- 1998 with deliveries beginning one year later.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION selected American Eagle Group of Dallas, Texas as the new underwriter for the AOPA Aircraft Insurance Program. The association said the underwriting change "expands coverage and availability" hull and liability insurance to more of the 110,000- plane, owner-flown fleet.
The National Transportation Safety Board will discuss the Dec. 13, 1994 fatal crash of a Flagship Airlines/American Eagle Model 3201 Jetstream this Tuesday (Oct. 24) at a meeting at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C. Immediately after the accident, which NTSB describes as a "controlled collision with terrain," Transportation Secretary Federico Pena ordered FAA to accelerate the pace of efforts to bring Part 135 operating standards up to the level of Part 121 scheduled carriers (BA, Dec. 19/263).
FORMER FAA ADMINISTRATOR Najeeb Halaby was selected to receive the 1995 National Air and Space Museum Trophy for lifetime achievement. Halaby, who learned to fly in 1932, has held leadership roles in all facets of aviation. He served as a Navy carrier test pilot in World War II and created the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. He co-chaired President Eisenhower's Advisory Commission and helped transform the Civil Aeronautics Administration into the independent Federal Aviation Agency in 1958.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE said its RE100 auxiliary power unit was selected as the "standard option" for the Model 45 Learjet. The APU weighs 75 pounds and is rated at 135 equivalent shaft horsepower and can be started and operated at altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet.
CUTTER AVIATION of Phoenix, Ariz. joined Avfuel's network of dealers. Avfuel officials said the addition of Cutter is part of the company's strategic plan for growth in the western U.S., noting that it has added 28 branded dealers west of the Rockies in the past two years. Avfuel provides fuel and services to more than 700 branded dealers across the U.S. Cutter Aviation, located at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, is a full service fixed-base operation that provides fueling, aircraft maintenance, sales and charter services.
Evans&Sutherland Computer Corp., acquired Xionix Simulation, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, which E&S described as "a leading supplier of low-cost flight management system trainers." E&S said the move "further solidified its expansion into the civil airline training systems market," while Stuart Anderson, general manager of E&S commercial simulation business, added that "the changing needs of the civil airline industry has precipitated the need for value-oriented, mid-level training devices.
Carnival Air Lines and Mercury Air Group, a provider of petroleum products, cargo handling and aviation services, have signed a letter of intent under which Mercury will acquire all of the common stock of Carnival Air Lines in a "merger of equals" transaction. After consummation of the transaction, expected in the first quarter of 1996 pending regulatory approval, Micky Arison, who controls Carnival Air, will become majority owner of the merged company, a Carnival spokesman said.
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY'S Aviation Sciences Department will host The First International Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels, Nov. 2-4 on the Baylor campus in Waco, Texas. Sponsored in conjunction with Texas State Technical College, FAA and the Department of Energy, the conference will include presentations by fuel suppliers on alternative fuels and a discussion of the use of alternative aviation fuels in other countries. Registration fee is $300. For more information, contact Karin Erickson at (703) 528-2500.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association last week revised downward its report of third quarter shipments and billings after two manufacturers, Cessna and Gulfstream, modified their numbers (BA, Oct. 16/164). Dassault Falcon Jet also revised its third quarter report, bumping up international figures.
Hi-Shear Industries signed a definitive agreement this month to sell substantially all of its operating assets to a French firm, GFI Industries, S.A. The proposed sale, for $46 million in cash, would include Hi-Shear's aerospace fastener subsidiary, Hi-Shear Corp., and related companies. Hi- Shear, based in North Hills, N.Y., said the transaction "represents the sale of substantially all of Hi-Shear Industries' operating assets except for its net operating loss carryforwards and its claims against the U.S.
House and Senate negotiators last week agreed to scrap some $10 million in proposed user fees included in the fiscal 1996 transportation appropriations bill. The Senate version of the appropriations bill contained language that would have allowed the Federal Aviation Administration to raise up to $10 million in user fees to help offset cuts in FAA's operations account (BA, Aug. 7/57). GA industry leaders, fearing such fees could open the door to an ever-escalating schedule of charges on users, launched an intensive lobbying campaign against the provision.
BFGoodrich, which used a growth-by-acquisition strategy to produce a decade of earnings growth in a depressed aerospace industry, reported another strong third-quarter performance this month, but this time without an acquisition boosting profits.
BRUCE DRINKUTH was named sales manager-wholesale fuels for Signature Flight Support's Page Avjet Fuels Corporation unit. Drinkuth, who has 15 years experience in purchasing and marketing of aviation fuel, most recently was Southeast sales manager for Bell Aviation Fuels Department.
ELLIOTT AVIATION was selected by Twin Commander Aircraft Corp., Arlington, Wash., to supply the active noise control systems for Commander 690 series turboprops. Elliott will provide UltraQuiet noise control systems with supplemental type certificate approval to Twin Commander, which will market the system to retail buyers through its network of 33 worldwide dealer locations.
