FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION plans to phase out most current ground- based navigation systems by 2010 and some - such as Omega and Loran-C - even sooner in transition to a satellite-based navigation network. Noting the transition time lines are consistent with the 1994 Federal Radionavigation Plan, FAA said it will discontinue support for a large number of ground-based systems such as VHF omnidirectional range, distance measuring equipment and instrument landing system. The U.S. will terminate Omega at the end of 1997 and Loran-C funding by 2000.
Charging that "this proposal is not well thought out," the General Aviation Manufacturers Association last week called on President Clinton to reconsider his proposal to assess a $225 charge on business aircraft for each flight made (BA, Sept. 2/101).
Police Aviation Services, a major provider of air support to police agencies and aero-medical services, ordered 10 McDonnell Douglas twin- turbine MSD Explorer helicopters. The manufacturer said the transaction is the largest in Europe for the eight-place MD Explorer. Three MD Explorers will be delivered next year, beginning in June. Three more are scheduled for delivery in 1998 and the remainder in following years. The first aircraft will go into service with the Wiltshire Constabulary Air Support Unit.
THE BATTLE over Meigs Field heated up on several fronts last week, with the state of Illinois announcing that it was prepared to operate the airport as a state facility or take the city of Chicago to court to keep Meigs operating. At the same time, several industry trade associations said they hired legal counsel and were prepared to file a lawsuit in federal district court to keep the airport open.
The University of North Dakota's UND Aerospace will provide "all factory-authorized training for McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, including transition and recurrent training for both pilots and maintenance personnel on the company's family of civil helicopters," the school and the manufacturer announced last week.
A press release from the General Aviation Airports Coalition that appears to take the city's side in the controversy over plans to close Meigs Field attracted sharp criticism from a number of aviation groups that have been battling to keep the airport in operation.
RON BAUER joined the composite business segment of Norton Performance Plastics Corp. as manager, business development. Bauer previously was vice president, business development for Kaiser Aerotech and previously held marketing and sales positions with Rogerson Aircraft and Ciba Composites.
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL GROUP was awarded a five-year contract valued at $106 million to provide a range of services to the U.S. Navy. The new contract consolidates two contracts to support the Navy's East and West Coast fleet training requirements and test and development activity. The contract covers target towing missions, air intercept training, radar target services, electronic warfare training and support of research, development and testing for the Naval Air Warfare Center.
AVIATION MATERIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (AVMATS), Chesterfield, Mo., was named an authorized dealer for Collins General Aviation Division. AVMATS, also an approved dealer for AlliedSignal and Honey-well, is authorized to service, repair and perform flight line maintenance on Collins equipment. AVMATS provides spare parts and rotables, avionics and installation, interior refurbishment, auxiliary power unit reconditioning and instrument repair and overhaul.
PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN BN2, BN2A and BN2B series airplanes (Docket No. 96- CE-33-AD) - proposes to require, for certain airplanes modified with a 70 amp direct current generation system, removing the 70 amp terminal diodes and installing new terminal diodes with a higher amp rating. This action is prompted by reports that one or both diodes were failing. The actions prompted by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of electrical power to navigation, communications and light systems. Comments on the proposal must be sent in triplicate before Oct.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT awarded a contract valued at $7.6 million to Harbert- Yeargin of Raytheon Engineers and Constructors to build an 8,000-foot runway at Beech Field. The runway will replace an existing 5,000-foot runway, which will become a taxiway. Raytheon Aircraft said the new runway will move aircraft movements further from highways, expanding operational margins. Raytheon Aircraft also is moving the control tower, adding an east-west taxiway and building an intraplant road south of the runway. The runway is expected to be operational by next fall.
RANDY MURDOCK joined Precision Standard's Pemco Nacelle Services Unit as director of sales and marketing. Murdock, who has 20 years of aviation experience, previously was sales manager for Lockheed Martin's Thrust Reverser Business Unit.
Alenia of Italy and Lockheed Martin will jointly develop and market a new airlifter called the C-27J that will be based on Alenia's G 222 airlifter and technology from Lockheed Martin's C-130J, the companies announced last week at the Farnborough Air Show.
BELL Model 206L, 206L-1 and 206L-3 helicopters (Docket No. 96-SW-13-AD; Amdt. 39-9729; AD 96-18-05) - supersedes an existing priority letter AD that requires a visual inspection of the tailboom skin in the areas around the nutplates and in the areas of the tailboom driveshaft cover retention clips for cracks and corrosion using a 10-power or higher magnifying glass. This amendment requires the same actions as the existing AD, but corrects a part number that was incorrectly stated in that AD.
AVIATION CHARTER SERVICES, Indianapolis, Indiana, added a Raytheon Hawker 800A to its charter fleet. The addition increases Aviation Charter Services' fleet to 10. Based at Indianapolis International Airport, Aviation Charter Services has been in service since 1974 and operates out of two locations in Central Indiana.
JETCORP, Chesterfield, Mo., developed a hydraulic filter cleaning and testing procedure for hydraulic filters used on Falcon 10, 20, 50 and 200 models. JetCorp said the FAA-certified procedure will allow operators to reuse certain SoFrance filters instead of replacing them, saving up to 50 percent of the cost. For more information, contact Larry Matthews or Jerry Brown at (314) 530-7000.
RAYTHEON Model 125-800A, Hawker 800 and Hawker 800XP series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-136-AD) - proposes to require the filling of two tooling holes on the firewalls of the left and right engine pylons with sealant. This proposal is prompted by notification from the manufacturer that these holes were not sealed during production. The actions specified by the proposal are intended to prevent an engine fire from spreading to the fuselage and to the lines that carry flammable fluid that are located inboard of the firewall.
BRIT AIR of Morlaix, France signed a follow-on order for three Canadair Regional Jet aircraft valued at $60 million. The carrier ordered its first RJs in October 1994 and currently operates six of the 50-passenger airliners. The first of the three aircraft just ordered will be delivered in November.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION is sponsoring another Air Traffic Users Dialogue with the Federal Aviation Administration and Minnesota aviation officials Sept. 27 at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington, Minn. For more information, contact Paul Smith at (202) 783-9255.
ALLIEDSIGNAL AEROSPACE received Russian certification for its TPE331- 14GR/HR turboprop engines on Antonov AN-38 aircraft. The 27-passenger AN- 38 entered the Russian certification flight test program in early 1995 and has completed more than 50 percent of the scheduled certification test flights. The aircraft, designed to meet FAR Part 25 standards, is expected to receive Russian Interstate Registry approval in early 1997.
SAAB Model SF340A and 340B series airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-181-AD; Amdt. 39-9713; AD 96-17-05) - requires the installation of a mechanical flight idle stop on the control quadrant of the flight compartment. This action also requires a revision of the airplane flight manual to ensure the use of certain operating procedures after the mechanical flight idle stop is installed. Additionally, this action provides an optional terminating action for the requirements of this AD.
Embraer landed its first major order for the EMB-145 50-passenger regional jet with a potential 200-aircraft agreement from Continental Express. The carrier, which will be the launch customer for the EMB-145 in North America, placed 25 firm orders - valued at $375 million - and 175 options for the twin jet. Deliveries of the aircraft are slated to begin by yearend. All 25 of the aircraft on firm order are to be delivered by the third quarter of 1998. The options would cover deliveries over the next 12 years.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION said its Oct. 17-19 annual convention, AOPA EXPO, in San Jose, Calif. will set a record for number of exhibitors. The association sold 300 exhibit booths for its 1995 convention in Atlantic City, N.J. and had signed up exhibitors for 360 booths for the San Jose show by the end of August. AOPA expects more than 10,000 registrants to attend this year's convention. In addition to the exhibit hall in the San Jose Convention Center, the meeting will include a static aircraft display at Reid-Hillview Airport.
Raytheon Aircraft received orders for four Hawker 800XPs and four Beech King Air B200s from Jet.Time, a new fractional aircraft ownership program owned by National Airways Corp. of Johannesburg, South Africa. The aircraft will be delivered beginning at the end of this year through the first quarter of 1997. Jet.Time, expected to be operational in the second quarter of next year, will offer 25-percent shares, entitling owners to 200 flight hours annually under a five-year contract. Jet.Time is guaranteeing aircraft availability with six hours notification.
Executive Jet Aviation will buy 25 Citation Xs and 20 Citation VIIs over the next several years, the latest chapter in on ongoing relationship that has made EJA one of Cessna Aircraft's best customers.
