GKN Westland has opened a new helicopter transmission test facility in Yeovil, United Kingdom, that is able to test 10 different helicopter gearboxes at the cost of one traditional test. The company expects the new equipment -- called the Flexible Transmissions Test Rig (FTTR) -- to enable it to perform development and production testing for its AH-64 Apache (built under license), Sea King and AB139 helicopters, as well as the new EH101.
Cessna Aircraft has delivered the 2,000th aircraft built at its Independence, Kan., factory. Frank Gallela of New Jersey's Lincoln Park Aviation accepted the aircraft on behalf of a local retail customer. Opened in 1996, Cessna's Independence plant builds the company's entire line of single-engine piston aircraft, including variants of the 172, 182 and 206. Cessna restarted piston-engine aircraft deliveries in January 1997 after a 10-year hiatus, and this year will deliver more than 900.
After reviewing 23 designs in an effort that began in April, Piper says it has chosen the exterior paint scheme that will be featured in the Piper Meridian marketing program. Created by New Jersey-based Scheme Designers, the new paint job was applied to the third production Meridian prototype, N402MM. The New Piper Aircraft Co.
NTSB investigators have completed their work at the South Dakota crash site of the Sunjet Learjet 35 in which golfer Payne Stewart and five others perished, and will now focus on the recovered wreckage, CVR and other aspects of the aircraft's crew and service history. The agency says the CVR recorded engine sounds and various alarms such as stall warnings, but no voices. Meanwhile, manufacturers are examining the remains of the engines and other aircraft components for clues to the cause of the October crash.
Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) ordered a Bombardier Global Express for use in flight inspection and calibration. The aircraft interior will be outfitted by Aerodata Flugmesstechnik of Germany with delivery to JCAB planned for December 2001.
The NBAA is polling members about a proposed ``professional certification'' program for corporate aviation managers. If adopted, the voluntary program would ``grant recognition to individuals who meet predetermined qualifications by an independent, non-governmental entity,'' the trade group says, adding that applicants would receive credit for formal education and/or work experience. The NBAA's Board of Directors plans to review the poll results and consider the issue at its March meeting.
Astronaut Eileen Collins is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the International Women in Aviation Conference, March 9-11 in Memphis. A U.S. Air Force colonel and veteran of three space shuttle flights, Collins became the first woman to command a shuttle mission (STS-93) in summer 1999. Women in Aviation, International also announced plans to award $230,000 in scholarships at the convention. The 21 scholarships include funds for flight and maintenance training, coursework in aviation management and other aviation-related educational pursuits.
Aviation consultant Conklin and de Decker offers a straightforward way to assess the cost of owning and operating aircraft. Called the Aircraft Cost Evaluator for Windows, the CD-ROM and handbook help operators compute expenses and compare them with other aircraft or other options such as fractional ownership. Tailored to jet, turboprop, helicopter or piston aircraft operators, Aircraft Cost Evaluator contains data for over 300 aircraft ranging from Cessna 172s to Boeing 747-400s and almost everything in between.
Scottsdale, Ariz.'s Southwest Jet Aviation is introducing a new fractional program utilizing a Raytheon King Air B200. Known as Ownership Options, the program is targeted at regional travelers and will provide access to the operator's jet aircraft for longer trips. Southwest expects to sell out two of the aircraft by the end of the year.
Swiss regional Crossair is planning its first aircraft livery change in six years, to coincide with the first deliveries of new Embraer regional jets. Above is an artist's impression of Embraer's ERJ-190-200 in Crossair's new paint scheme.
Airborne, an Elmira, N.Y.-based provider of charter and management services, is preparing to launch a new fractional ownership program called FirstFlight later this month. Flight operations are expected to begin March 1 with a core fleet of five used Falcon 50s, and the company expects to add Falcon 900s in the first half of this year. Service initially will be offered east of the Mississippi, although the program will be national by the end of this year, according to Craig Fahning, vice president of sales and marketing.
In a predictable move, CASA of Spain has joined the new European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS), which already encompasses Eurocopter, Arianespace and 80 percent of the Airbus consortium. Pedro Ferraras, president of SEPI, the Spanish state-owned holding company that controls CASA, says the action will strengthen Spain's role in European aerospace and other high-tech industries.
United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has acquired Michigan-based component supplier Great Lakes Turbines, which will become part of Pratt&Whitney Canada's (P&WC) service center operation. The move follows UTC's recent acquisitions of suppliers Cade Industries and Dallas Aerospace; both were merged into Pratt&Whitney's Engine Services unit. Separately, China's National South Aero Engine company has agreed to build engine parts for P&WC at a new plant in Zhuzhou, China, under a new joint-venture agreement between the two companies.
Windshield wipers help us drive safely in all weather, but until now, nothing has protected them from the elements. Now, Wiper Diaper windshield wiper covers protect wipers from harsh weather and, according to the manufacturer, improve driver visibility and will help reduce costs by lowering the frequency of replacement. Price: $11.95/pair for 20-inch blades; $14.95/pair for 30-inch blades Intromark Inc. 217 Ninth St. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222-3506 Phone: (412) 288-1300 Fax: (412) 338-0497
You have covered all the aspects of a demanding job: The right pilots, a crack maintenance team and an aircraft sufficient for the mission are in place. Your hangar and flight operations define professionalism. Have you missed anything? Take a look at your aircraft. Does their appearance reflect your high standards? Can you see your reflection clearly in the bright work? Do the deicers shine, are the windows clear and does the paint sparkle? Are the cabinets, sidewalls, carpets, leather and woodwork spotless?
``Partly cloudy should describe the weather, not your aircraft windows,'' says Robert Cupery, AP, IA and founder of Aircraft Window Repairs Co. (AWR). ``Crystal clear windows are essential for safety. The name of the game is to see and be seen in the crowded skies.'' Flight crewmembers and/or passengers need to inspect the windows while flying at altitude. Take time to look at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the window and determine if there are any bright speckles or lines across the windows that could indicate chemical or volcanic crazing.
The FAA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Pratt&Whitney JT8D engines equipped with Stage III hush kits. The NPRM calls for an airworthiness directive (AD) reducing the cyclical life limits of compressor and turbine disks due to higher wear on the affected engines. Compressor and turbine disk failure could lead to an uncontained engine failure, the FAA says. Aircraft affected by the proposed rules include, but are not limited to, Boeing 727s, 737s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9s.
Century Aerospace has selected Dallas' Alliance Airport for its new plant and headquarters, alongside fellow manufacturer Galaxy Aerospace. During the facility's 18-month construction, Century plans to rent nearby office space from Hillwood Development, a Ross Perot-owned company that has invested in Alliance. Century is rumored to be near a $20 million deal with an ``offshore partner'' to produce some Century Jet components, but says it needs a $60 million cash infusion before production of the entry-level business jet can begin.
AlliedSignal and Honeywell have received U.S. and European approval for the planned merger of the two companies. As a precondition, both suppliers agreed to divest portions of their respective aerospace businesses, but the EC demanded additional concessions, ostensibly to protect European aerospace suppliers from a Honeywell monopoly in some sectors. Honeywell agreed to withdraw from the TCAS market; AlliedSignal agreed to sell its helicopter weather radar unit; and both will allow other companies' devices to interface with their products.
Schweizer Aircraft, perhaps the nation's oldest continuously operated, family owned airframe manufacturer, is celebrating its 60th year in business this year, but the company is spending most of its time looking forward, not backward. ``I don't think I've ever seen a more exciting period than the one we're in now,'' says Paul H. Schweizer. ``We're hardly an old, stodgy company.''
