After two and one-half years battling government proposals to restrict the air tour industry, United States Air Tour Association (USATA) President Steve Bassett is calling it quits. Bassett said he's leaving to concentrate on a family owned media and public relations firm, though he will continue to consult the organization. Reflecting on his tenure, Bassett said that he's ``never been in anything as intense and unfair as the [Clinton] administration's attempts to bury the air tour industry.''
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.
CIT Aerospace, the New York-based aircraft leasing and finance company, has promoted C. Jeffrey Knittel to president and Anthony Diaz to executive vice president. Knittel joined CIT from Manufacturers Hanover in 1986, while Diaz has been with the company since 1987. Both are former employees of Cessna Aircraft's financing arm.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is offering group health coverage to employees of its member companies. The plan will enable small companies to offer employee health coverage at rates usually available only to large employers. The plan is a federal ERISA plan that offers a year-end cashback bonus to participants who ``stay healthy,'' the Washington, D.C.-based trade group says.
US Airways Express carrier Chautauqua Airlines has ordered 10 Saab 340As from the manufacturer's leasing arm, with options for two more. The aircraft will help the carrier expand its route structure and replace British Aerospace Jetstream aircraft.
Two White Plains, N.Y. (HPN)-based operators of HUD-equipped Falcon 2000s are vying to become the first corporate flight departments certificated for CAT III operations. Citigroup and IBM have submitted documents to the FAA for CAT III operational approval, and other operators are expected to follow suit. The Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics head-up guidance system in the Falcon is certified for CAT III operations, but individual operators also must obtain FAA approval.
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.
Thomas Razka has been named parts specialist and inspector. Air Services is an avionics and heavy maintenance facility serving corporate aviation and the airline industry.
The NTSB is ``stretched to the limit'' and must make urgent changes to ensure its independence and integrity, according to a study by The Rand Corp., a California-based think tank. Commissioned by NTSB Chairman Jim Hall in 1999, the $400,000 study is said to provide the most comprehensive examination of the agency in its 30-year history. More than 200 interviews were conducted, along with accident case studies, site visits and a review of aircraft accident litigation.
SimuFlite Training International inaugurated its CARE line, offering 2 4/7 help for pilots and maintenance technicians. The company is upgrading the visual systems in its Level C simulator fleet, a process that will be completed by first quarter 2001.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) ordered two American Eurocopter AS350B3's with an option for a third. The helicopters will be used for aerial law enforcement. Linden, N.J.-based Liberty Helicopters has taken delivery of the first of two Eurocopter EC120Bs for sightseeing flights over New York City. Liberty now operates nine Eurocopter helicopters.
With its acquisition of Jet East at Dallas' Love Field complete, Jet Aviation is planning a further expansion to Van Nuys or Burbank, Calif., within a year and to the Chicago area within the next 18 months. Jet Aviation, whose corporate roots are in Basel, Switzerland, now operates four full-service U.S. facilities, including Teterboro; Bedford, Mass.; West Palm Beach, Fla. and Dallas.
Century Aerospace has hired Thomas C. Wykoff, an attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, as its new CEO, reporting to company founder and chairman Bill Northrup. Northrup, who relinquishes the CEO title, will focus on development of the CA-100 Century Jet, while Wykoff will oversee the company's day-to-day operations.
A British Aerospace ATP regional airliner operated by SATA Air Azores crashed in hilly terrain on Sao Jorge on December 11, 1999, killing all 35 persons aboard. Sao Jorge is one of nine islands that form the Azores, which are located around 900 miles west of Portugal.
The National Air Transportation Association aims to produce a ``public relations tool-kit'' to help FAR Part 135 operators and FBOs fight local efforts to close airports or limit their operations. The trade group has enlisted the help of PR firm Weber McGinn, which will measure anti-airport sentiment at four airports including: Palwaukee near Chicago, Flying Cloud in Minneapolis and Solberg-Hunterdon in New Jersey. Results of the survey will be announced at the next Aviation Services and Suppliers SuperShow (AS3), in Tampa from May 9-11.
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.
Pete Reynolds, Bombardier Aerospace's vice president of flight test, received the 1999 J.H. Doolittle Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP). Reynolds was instrumental in the flight test programs of a number of Bombardier aircraft, including the Global Express, Canadair Regional Jet, de Havilland Dash 8Q-400 and the Learjet 45. Reynolds performed the first flight of seven prototype aircraft, including the Learjet 28 -- the first jet equipped with winglets.
Alas, there are numbers and statistics in this month's column, but don't turn the page just yet. The numbers we'll be talking about are rich with surprises, and understanding what these numbers mean can help you improve the safety of your operation. Bob Breiling, president of Robert E. Breiling Associates in Boca Raton,
In a survey of corporate flight attendants, FANMail -- a flight attendant newsletter --found that 63 percent of those who responded felt they were fairly compensated. Full-time flight attendant salaries ranged from $18,000 to $91,000 per year, with an average of almost $48,000. Freelance flight attendants averaged $276 per day for domestic flights and $300 for international operations. Vacation policies varied widely from a low of five to nine days to a high of 42 days annually, with an average of 17.5.
