Aviation Sales will manage consignment of components from 30 737 aircraft acquired from Continental Airlines by Republic Financial Corp. of Denver. Aviation Sales will disassemble aircraft at its Ardmore, Okla., facility.
The U.S. National Airmotive Corp (NAC) has been awarded a follow-on contract worth over $21 million for the overhaul and repair of Royal Saudi air force helicopter engines. NAC had a previous contract for technical support of the Allison T56 turboprops of the RSAF's 65-strong Lockheed C-130 fleet, to which will now be added the AlliedSignal T53s of Bell 205s, Allison 250s from Bell 206s, Pratt&Whitney Canada PT6Ts in Bell 212s, and General Electric T58s from Sikorsky SH-3Ds. Similar powerplants from three RSAF fixed-wing aircraft also are included.
Northwest Airlines picked France's Snecma to overhaul its 140 CFM International CFM56-5 engines. The carrier selected Snecma over General Electric, the previous contract holder. Snecma and GE are partners in CFM International. The CFM56-5 powers Northwest's current fleet of 50 Airbus A320s, plus 20 more the airline has on order through 2010. Snecma will maintain the engines at its facility near Paris.
British Aerospace Aviation Services will convert 11 Airbus A300-B4 passenger aircraft to freighters for C-S Aviation. The $150 million contract includes options for 10 more, and brings total number of orders and options BAe has received from C-S to 31 aircraft. First converted aircraft recently began service with Heavylift Cargo Airlines. With options, work will continue through mid-2000.
Numerous aviation trade organizations are keeping their eyes glued on Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 145 as their top regulatory and legislative priority for 1998. Part 145, which governs repair stations, is the focus of an FAA rewrite and of legislation pending in Congress. House Resolution 145 could restrict the right of U.S. carriers to farm out their maintenance work to foreign repair stations.
National Air Transportation Association (NATA) named Ric Peri manager, technical services. Peri most recently was aviation manager of industrial systems for the U.S. Coast Guard aviation division.
PacAero was named exclusive distributor for Derlan's line of radiant power and lighting systems. PacAero also obtained repair and overhaul rights for the company's emergency lighting, dimmer switch and inverter switch product lines.
AAR Allen Group International will warehouse Boeing-owned airframe parts for 737-700 aircraft in Amsterdam. AAR also will provide limited inspection and repair and service, and provide a spares exchange service under a two-year agreement.
Pacific Systems named Patrick T. Flynn chief operating officer and Ross Mahon operations manager. Flynn previously was vice president/general manager of SAS Fluid Power Inc.
Brown&Sharpe named Philip James group vice president of the measuring systems group. James most recently served as executive vice president of Ingersoll Intl.
Euravia Engineering and Supply Co., Ltd. named Colin Roberts general manager for operations. He formerly was general manager for the power plant division of HAECO.
Hydro-Aire, a Crane Co. subsidiary, named Kevin Wright vice president of sales and marketing; Vernon C. Sanders vice president of new business development; Robert Mackness vice president of engineering; and Mark Dinius purchasing manager.
Team Aer Lingus, the aircraft maintenance arm of Ireland's national carrier, will be sold for a nominal sum as part of a deal to secure a new partner for the unit. Boeing, General Electric and BFGoodrich are said to be interested, according to Team Aer Lingus.
Boeing will provide re-engine kits for four KC-135 tankers and four RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft under a $64.8 million contract from Oklahoma City ALC, Tinker AFB. Two of the tanker kits are in support of a foreign military sale to Singapore. Also, Boeing received a $452 million contract to provide for engineering and manufacturing development of functional improvements to the E-3 AWACS aircraft.
Honeywell will use Aerospatiale's ATEC Series 6 universal, on-board automatic tester to develop and maintain test program sets for Honeywell avionics on Boeing 777 and 737-600/700/800 aircraft. Also, China Southern Airlines will use the ATEC Series 6 for on-board testing of its Airbus A320 and 777 avionics and Philippine Airlines ordered an ATEC Series 6 unit together with 10 test program sets for the avionics on its A320s, A330s and A340s.
Wingspan Air and Space Channel will launch an international, 24-hour aerospace-related television service April 2. Programming will include news and current events, as well as historical, educational and entertainment features. Wingspan initially will be distributed via satellite to viewers in North America and Europe. Within 14 months of launch, it will be available worldwide.
Snecma would be the sole owner of landing gear maker and servicer Messier-Dowty, as well as landing gear repair and overhaul businesses formerly owned by Britain's TI Group, under a $332 million deal Snecma and the TI Group agreed upon in December. Under a letter of intent signed by the two companies, the TI Group would sell its 50% stake in Messier-Dowty to Snecma, which already holds the other 50%. The deal is subject to European Union approval.
Shanghai Airlines ordered Collins TCAS II for retrofit on two Boeing 757s. Equipment is capable of growth to meet standards for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast(ADS-B).
Tracor Systems Division has been awarded a $14.3 million USAF contract option to convert 24 retired McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms into QF-4 pilotless target drones. This was the third production option from a previously announced contract, with a total value of $90.8 million, and followed a second production option for 36 QF-4s. The last ECM-equipped F-4Gs were retired from USAF service only last year, although all USAF F-4E fighter-bombers were withdrawn some years earlier.
Icelandair won contracts to provide heavy maintenance on five Blue Skandinavia Boeing 757s and four Air Holland 757s. Both contracts are for three years.
Jack Hessburg, chief mechanic, new airplanes, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, was a key member of the 777 development team. An outspoken advocate for human factors programs in aviation maintenance, he recently spent several months with the NTSB in Washington, D.C., where he talked with O&M's Donna B. Kaulkin. This is the second in a series of conversations with MRO Pathfinders. Edited for length and clarity.
Elliot Aviation will market the new Advisory Ice Detection System manufactured by Rosemount Aerospace, the aircraft sensors division of BFGoodrich. System is designed for use on King Air twin-engine turboprops.
