. . . when taken in moderation. Sen. John McCain may well come into the fold. The worm turns? Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. As such, his influential panel has jurisdiction over a broad range of business including telecommunications and transportation. Sen. McCain is no friend of business aviation, seeking to tax us out of our brookies and make the Trust Fund pay for the whole flippin' FAA, whose fiscal aberrations are . . . I was going to say laughable, but it ain't funny. User fees?
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's aviation technologies department opened a new 10,000-square-foot helicopter laboratory at Southern Illinois Airport. The facility can house 13 helicopters and will be used to help train students in the school's helicopter maintenance program.
GE Capital Aviation Training held an Airbus ADOPT launch day at its London-Gatwick Training Centre to introduce European operators to the company's new Airbus training programs.
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.
National Air Service (NAS) of Saudi Arabia signed a $170 million deal at the recent Dubai Air Show to acquire 14 Raytheon Hawker 800XP business jets. The aircraft will be operated under the NetJets Middle East fractional ownership program, a subsidiary of New Jersey-based Executive Jet. The Hawkers will operate alongside 12 ordered Falcon 2000s and Gulfstream IVSPs in the NAS fleet.
Colgan Air of Manassas, Va,. has placed a firm order for three Saab 340Bs, plus three options. The Saabs will fly routes under Colgan's new code-sharing agreement with US Airways. The first delivery is planned for early this year.
Garmin International has introduced two new panel-mount GPS units to complement an aircraft's existing avionics package. Both the GNC 420 and GPS 400 offer GPS technology and a full-color, moving map display. The GNC 420 also includes a 10-watt comm radio and is certified for non-precision approaches. The manufacturer says the new units are designed for pilots with ``limited needs and a desire to spend less'' while still having the latest technology. Price: GNC 420, $7,995; GPS 400, $6,795 Garmin International
Following a one-year trial, U.S. Customs said it will continue to offer inbound aircraft customs clearance at Burbank and Van Nuys Airports in California. Previously, international aircraft were obligated to stop at LAX or other en route airports before continuing on to VNY or BUR. Pacific Coast Forecasting's Mike Wittman, who spearheaded the effort to bring customs to the airports, said inbound flights would often plan for fuel stops at airports with customs agents and less congestion than LAX.
Sporty's Pilot Shop has produced a general aviation calendar for 2000. The calendar measures 17 by 12 inches, and features photos of popular general aviation aircraft including the Pilatus PC-12, a Learjet 31 and Sporty's Cessna 172 sweepstakes aircraft. A portion of the proceeds will go to the AOPA. Price: $10.95 Sporty's Pilot Shop Clermont County Airport Batavia, Ohio 45103 Phone: (800) LIFTOFF Fax: (513) 735-9200 www.sportys.com
The FAA has issued an emergency order suspending the repair station certificate of Milner Aviation Electronics of Dalton, Ga. The action stems from Milner's refusal to allow the FAA to inspect it, the company's inability to provide company manuals and training records, and violations of parts inventory and storage rules. Additionally, Milner is accused of mixing aircraft and non-aircraft parts, and of using non-calibrated test equipment.
Photograph: The Kilkeary family breaks ground on a new headquarters building for L.J. Aviation, which the family owns and operates. From left is Edward Kilkeary, Jr.; Kristin (Kilkeary) Rullo; Edward M. Kilkeary, Sr. (with shovel); his wife, Mary Ann; and Kellie Ann, Dan and Brad Kilkeary. L.J. Aviation has broken ground for its new corporate headquarters expansion at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa., and a recently completed hangar is now open for business.
UPS Aviation Technologies, a division of United Parcel Service, re-ceived FAA approval to install a variety of navigation, communication and surveillance equipment in 21 aircraft including the Raytheon King Air C90, Cessna 402 and 208 Caravan. The aircraft and equipment are part of the Alaska Capstone program, which is designed to evaluate how technology can increase safety for aircraft flying in remote areas.
Pratt&Whitney Canada Chairman and Chief Executive Officer L. David Caplan will retire as CEO on April 1, to be replaced by Gilles P. Ouimet, the company's current president and chief operating officer. Caplan's retirement caps a 40-year career at Pratt and Whitney, with the last 15 spent as CEO. He will continue to serve as chairman at least until March 31, 2001, at which time the company plans to ``reevaluate the situation,'' extending Caplan's tenure or appointing a successor.
The European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA) is conducting four research projects, known as the ``X-Noise'' initiative, to reduce average aircraft noise signatures a total of 6 dB by 2005. The X-noise projects are seeking ``technology-based solutions'' to internally generated engine noise, while developing active noise control techniques. The European Union (EU) and AECMA are funding X-noise, as part of a three-phase noise-reduction program. Cost of the current phase is expected to be 27 million Euro.
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.
Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures (AASI) says it has the final machinery in place to begin full-scale production of the proposed Jetcruzer 500, its six-place, single-engine turboprop. Chairman and CEO Carl Chen says maximum speed cruise and pressurization tests should be completed in the first quarter, and he hopes to begin delivering aircraft later this year. Long Beach, Calif.-based AASI has sustained losses of nearly $50 million since 1990, despite a claimed $200 million order backlog.
Dallas Airmotive says it sold 24 Stage III Technologies Hush Kits in the past three months, including seven to Tyler Jet at NBAA. The hush kits are designed for Gulfstream II and III aircraft.
New software from Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP) is designed to simplify access to aircraft maintenance information. ATP's Maintenance Director 2.4 enables users to view and update maintenance records from remote sites. Files are electronically transferred to and from aircraft base and remote facilities. The company also has introduced Learjet Maintenance Libraries on CD-ROM. Available by subscription, the Learjet CD-ROM library is faster and easier to maintain than paper or microfiche libraries.
Advanced survival training for pilots, flight attendants and passengers is available from Survival Systems Training's new training facility at Groton-New London Airport in Connecticut.
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.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines has named five new vice presidents: Bryan LaBrecque -- senior vice president corporate services; Jeff Simmons -- vice president for finance and CFO; Donna Gertz -- vice president customer service support; Larry Beck -- vice president information technology and systems support; and Eva Holley, vice president for inflight services.
