Ground handling damage is one of the fastest growing areas of loss and is contributing to higher insurance rates, according to USAIG. Towing accidents are among the most expensive, and appear to be rising as the fleet of large business aircraft grows. ``These are the worst claims we're seeing,'' USAIG's Dave Mulhall told a Morristown, N.J., meeting of corporate operators -- the first in a series of awareness sessions the insurer is planning nationwide. Jackknifed tugs are one common problem.
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.
An FBO has filed a complaint with the FAA, alleging that Memphis' airport authority has consistently favored the expansion plans of its sole competitor. According to Wilson Air Center founder Bob Wilson, the airport is resisting his efforts to expand, while Signature Flight Support has been allowed to effectively double its size.
The Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group of Montreal has placed a firm order for five Cessna Citation business jets worth more than $40 million. Delivery of the aircraft -- two Citation Excels, one Sovereign, one Ultra Encore and one CJ2 -- is planned to begin in 2002 and run through 2005. Owned by IMP Group International, the Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group is an aircraft sales, charter and management firm with nine FBOs and an extensive maintenance, repair and overhaul business.
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
Emergency medical transportation provider Air Methods is adding a Bell 206L-1 to its operation at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The company already operates a Bell 222U for Mercy Air Life.
EXTEX of Mesa, Ariz., and Phoenix-based Chromalloy Arizona will cooperate on several levels to support the Allison 250-powered helicopter market. Chromalloy has agreed to repair EXTEX first-, second- and fourth-stage turbine nozzles for C20, C20R and C30 engines, while EXTEX will supply Chromalloy with ``proprietary components'' for use in the repair of OEM nozzles. According to George Hicks, EXTEX's regional manager, the deal will be of particular interest to offshore operators faced with fluctuating crude oil prices.
Four recent aviation school graduates have received Cessna Citation V type ratings funded by a SimuFlite Training International scholarship program: from left, Patrick L. Denney, 25, a flight instructor at Western Michigan University; Elisabeth A. France, 22, a pilot for Ohio University; Ryan R. Johnson, 23, a flight instructor at Kansas State University; Jennifer L. Shultze, 26, a flight instructor for Wright Aero of St. Cloud, Minn.
The New Piper Aircraft is positioning itself for a stock offering, and President Chuck Suma said the company will not develop a jet until the offering is successfully floated. Piper has done some preliminary work on an entry-level jet in the sub-$2.5 million price range, but Suma said the large non-recurring investment in a clean-sheet program is incompatible with an IPO. Instead, he said the company will focus on adding new technology to the Cherokee line and getting the Malibu Meridian into service.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Perry Bradley, in Fort Worth, Texas
Three years after announcing formation of the company, Galaxy Aerospace has cut the ribbon on its new headquarters, delivered the first Galaxy midsize jets, and is defining its next aircraft. We were starting from scratch, and a lot of people said `Who do these kids think they are kidding?''' Galaxy President Brian Barents said, recalling the 1996 announcement of plans to form Galaxy by combining the forces of Israel Aircraft Industries and the Pritzker family.
In a bid to jump-start sales, MD Helicopters has reduced the price of its MD600N helicopter to $1.2 million, a $50,000 decrease. MD Helicopters bought Boeing's commercial helicopter product lines in February, and immediately cut the prices of three of five helicopters: the MD Explorer ($900,000), MD520N ($35,000) and the MD500E ($12,000). Forty-five MD600Ns are operating worldwide; the aircraft is a stretched variant of the single-turbine MD500 series equipped with a NOTAR system. The U.S.
To freshen up before touchdown, executive passengers can step into a Steam Bath/Shower available now from CoreMax Aerospace for long-range executive aircraft. The unit, which can be custom built to ``virtually any shape, size and color,'' has a typical installed weight of 175 pounds. (Size and designer-specified amenities will vary.) Users control the temperature inside the enclosure, which can reach 115F in about eight minutes. Price: Varies according to size, design and shape of shower enclosure CoreMax Aerospace
AMR's absorption of Business Express Airlines (BizEx) is progressing, with the regional carrier's move to American Airlines' terminals and ticket counters in late September. AMR acquired BizEx in March, and after some debate has reached agreements with unions representing its pilots, flight attendants and maintenance workers. All 1,300 BizEx employees were expected to be offered jobs within American, American Eagle or other divisions of parent company AMR, a company spokesman said.
Boeing has launched a stretched version of its Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), to be based on the Boeing 737-800. BBJ President Borge Boeskov says customer requests for more space -- both in the cabin and cargo hold -- prompted the creation of what Boeing is calling the BBJ II. The base price of the BBJ II will be $43 million, compared to $35.8 million for a standard BBJ. Range of the BBJ II will be 5,900 nm, 300 miles less than the BBJ. It is ``only a matter of time'' before Boeing builds business aircraft larger than the 737, Boeskov says.
United Technologies subsidiary Hamilton Sundstrand will cut 1,500 jobs in what it calls a ``natural result'' of the merger of Hamilton Standard and Sundstrand earlier this year.
Bombardier Aerospace is soliciting orders for a 90-seat version of its Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), but a firm launch decision appears unlikely before the end of the year. The Canadian manufacturer says it expects strong interest among existing CRJ customers, and emphasized European operators faced with mounting delays and other constraints. Additionally, the company says it will be able to get the CRJ 900 to the market ``faster and cheaper'' than rival manufacturers, or two years after the decision to go ahead with the program.
As the debate over fractional ownership (FO) raged over the past 16 months, it became apparent that FO represents vastly different things to different industry segments. Here's a brief rundown of some of the major players, and where they're coming from.
The Buescher Family Limited Partnership, owner of Grand Junction, Colo.-based West Star Aviation, has purchased the assets of Intercontinental Jet Corp. (IJC). Tulsa-based IJC specializes in factory-authorized service for the Mitsubishi MU-2-series aircraft, while West Star is known for its ``Dash 10'' conversion work on Cessna Conquests, as well as providing maintenance for Hawkers, Learjets and Citations. Additionally, ICJ has received STC certification for its AlliedSignal TPE331 Dash 10 conversion for the MU-2, of which 460 remain in operation worldwide.
A while back I was doing a King Air 200 refresher course at SimCom in Orlando and used one of my off evenings to experiment with the company's light-twin visual trainers. They had trainers for the Cessna 300/400 series, the Navajo-series and the turbocharged Baron.
Gentleman guard your flanks. Ever since Warren Buffett moved into Executive Jet, the concerns of chief pilots and aviation managers have accelerated. Buffett is a billionaire long-ball hitter, and his head honcho, Richard Santulli, is a brilliant persuader who has created a monstrous aviation entity out of an idea. EJA -- or EJI, if you prefer -- has millions upon millions of dollars of business jet aircraft on order.
The South African government has placed a firm order for 30 Agusta A109 helicopters, with options for 10 more. Denel Aviation -- a major South African contractor -- is likely to produce the aircraft under license from Finmeccanica, and could build civil versions as well. The Agusta order is part of a complex offset arrangement with several Italian companies, ``spanning a variety of industrial sectors,'' the company says.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Paul Richfield, in Tamiment, Pa.
Challenges facing helicopter operators in the New York City metropolitan area were a major focus of this year's Eastern Region Helicopter Council (ERHC) annual meeting, held in October at the Tamiment resort in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Still smarting over the recent closure of the East 60th Street heliport, many operators in attendance agreed that something must be done to preserve Manhattan's remaining heliports, as public antipathy for helicopters appears to gather momentum in the New York area.
Avionics Innovations rolled out its AICD II, an AM-FM-CD player designed for aviation. This unit can drive six headsets or can be directly wired to an intercom. Ancillary products, the AI-Changers for six or 12 discs, enable passengers to enjoy continuous music while in flight. The AICD II has 24 station presets, 14- or 28-volt DC operation, 150 disc-title memory (when connected to the AI-Changer) and electronic volume/bass /treble/balance/fader. The unit is compatible with previous AICD installations. Price: $1,595 (AI-Changers are priced separately)
