Kaman reported profits of $23.5 million for the first nine months of this year, compared with net earnings of $22.2 million during the same period in 1998. Losses incurred by the moribund K-Max program were offset by the sale of 16 SH-2G Super Seasprite military helicopters to Australia and New Zealand.
A Japanese mirror manufacturer has the solution for all flight crews who have wished for ``eyes in the back of their head.'' FF Mirror Air is a lightweight, plastic mirror with bright, wide-angle views without the risk of breakage associated with glass mirrors. Currently used in the overhead bins of several major airlines -- including over 100 Japan Air Lines 747s -- FF Mirror Air gives cockpit crews a look into the cabin without turning away from the instrument panel.
Edited by Paul RichfieldMike Vines, in Birmingham, England
British Aerospace (BAe) Regional Aircraft plans to bring its first Avro RJX regional airliner to the marketplace in July 2001, subject to a final program launch decision. The first of the BAe-146-derivative aircraft will be an 85-seat RJX-85, the company says, while the second likely will be an RJX-100, with provision for up to 110 seats.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) will strictly enforce an existing ban against Glycol-based deicers this winter. The ban was enacted last winter due to concerns over toxicity and the airport's proximity to a local reservoir. Airport manager Joel Russell said the ban will be enforced through spot inspections and monitoring of runoff for evidence of Glycol.
In an effort to increase new pilot training starts, Cessna is offering a new financing program in conjunction with SallieMae to make flying lessons more affordable. Available through Cessna Pilot Centers around the country, the loans allow students to pay as little as $50 per month for private pilot lessons. Cessna also has introduced a new leaseback program for buyers of single-engine aircraft. The manufacturer says the leasebacks are based on tax strategies offering individual owners tax advantages currently enjoyed by corporate aircraft holding companies.
FlightSafety International is building two new facilities, including a 110,000-square-foot center at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport and a Dassault Falcon Jet maintenance technician training facility in Little Rock, Ark. FSI's Savannah-based On-Board Safety and Flight Attendant School has been expanded to include a plunge pool for evacuation training and additional classrooms and simulator bays.
Edited by Paul RichfieldDavid Rimmer, in Vero Beach, Fla.
Although New Piper hasn't committed to producing a pure jet, the manufacturer says that it has defined much of the proposed aircraft's performance, including five- to six-seat capacity, 370-knot airspeed and one-stop Los Angeles to New York range at a cost of $2.5 million.
Europe's Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) has recommended that its 27 member nations approve the MD Explorer helicopter for Category A single-pilot IFR operations. The eight-place, twin-turbine helicopter was the first to receive FAA approval for Category A single-pilot flight, which involves the safe continuation of flight in the event of engine failure during takeoff or landing. Around 17 Explorers are used for aeromedical missions worldwide; the high-time aircraft (3,200 hours) is operated by REMSA in Reno, Nev.
AlliedSignal's Bendix/King IHAS 5000 and IHAS 8000 take aim at the three major causes of fatal accidents in general aviation aircraft: Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), hazardous weather and mid-air collisions. The announcement of the two new Integrated Hazard Avoidance System product lines is new, but AlliedSignal has been quietly developing the system since mid-1998. ``We've had these systems for air transport aircraft for quite a while.
Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey has suffered delays of up to several hours in recent weeks, due to conflicting runway configurations at the three major New York airports. The FAA blames low ceilings and poor visibility for the problem, and says ``last-minute diversions'' will not shorten arrival times, and substantial ground stops should be anticipated by all TEB-bound aircraft on IFR flight plans.
DeCrane Aircraft Holdings expands its holdings with the acquisition of International Custom Interiors, Inc., a supplier of upholstery and furniture for corporate and VIP aircraft.
Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California honored several Women in Aviation at its annual gala. Those honored include Katherine Cheung, the first Chinese women aviator; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American female aviator; and Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
Few of us will ever fly at Mach 3, but a select few can own a watch that pays tribute to those who have. The Swiss-made North Eagles Mach 3 Limited Edition Chronograph has a stainless steel bracelet, steel case and sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 660 feet. Only 2,145 watches have been manufactured -- one, the company says, for every mile per hour in the SR-71 Blackbird's record-breaking 64-minute flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.
IFR operations from small airports always present challenges; add mountainous terrain and you can have real trouble. Most of us operate out of small, non-tower airports from time to time and have to deal with remote ATC facilities, void-time IFR clearances, or picking up a clearance once airborne. None of these situations is particularly comfortable. On a void-time clearance, the idea, as you know, is to call an ATC facility on a land-line, and to pick up your clearance along with the clock time at which your clearance expires.
U.S. regional airlines continued to grow in the second quarter, despite increasing gridlock at airline hubs and anticipation of an airline industry downturn. According to the Regional Airline Association (RAA), regional airline revenue passenger miles increased to 5.2 billion during the quarter, a 23-percent increase over the same period in 1998. Passenger enplanements reached 19.9 million in the second quarter, compared with 17.5 million in second quarter 1998.
British software producer AvSoft has launched new software to track helicopter fleet information. Called HeliCAS, the software is a sister publication of ACAS for fixed-wing aircraft. HeliCAS tracks all pertinent information about the western-built turbine helicopter fleet, including owner and operator names, age, engine type and serial numbers. Information for Russian-built helicopters is available at an additional cost. Price: $5,950/annual subscription for single user; discounts available for multiple sites and users AvSoft Ltd.
There is no single, descriptive notation for the modification business, although the overworked word ``diversity'' best describes it. The major point is utility. After-market modification helps improve performance, safety, comfort and compatibility with a changing operating environment. Modifications in their various forms extend the useful life of many designs. Frequently, newly developed mods bring seemingly obsolete or unsupportable designs back to life. One Mod Begets Another
The Department of Justice gave formal approval to the $14 billion merger of AlliedSignal and Honeywell, subject to divestitures proposed in an October agreement with the Department's Antitrust Division. Both companies expect to consummate the merger before the end of the year, following approval by the EC.
Rockwell Collins and U.K.-based FLS Aerospace have joined forces in a bid to become the dominant provider of avionics and inflight entertainment equipment maintenance in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Collins will provide training, parts and technical support for its own equipment through FLS's dealer network, while FLS will perform similar functions for airline and business aviation customers with non-Collins equipment. FLS is seeking to expand through acquisition, a strategy used successfully by its primary U.S.
Air Botswana's fleet of three ATR-42-300 aircraft was destroyed on October 11, when a disgruntled pilot stole one of the aircraft and crashed it into two others sitting empty in front of the passenger terminal at Sir Seretse Khama Airport in Gabarone, Botswana. The pilot was killed but no other injuries were reported. According to local accounts, the pilot had been grounded recently for medical reasons, and broadcast his intentions over the aircraft's radio prior to his fatal dive.
Transport Canada Examining CAT I Visibility Requirement discuss raising the visibility requirements for Category I approaches. The current standard is 1,200 RVR; the focus of the meeting will be determining a new RVR requirement, perhaps as much as two-times higher. A formal recommendation is expected by year-end, but it likely will be a year before a final rule can be implemented. The review stems in part from the crash of an Air Canada regional jet at Frederickton, New Brunswick, and subsequent Transportation Safety Board recommendations.
