Rob Gillespie returned to Bombardier's business aircraft division as president effective September 1. Gillespie, who joined Bombardier in 1992, most recently was president of the company's regional airline business. He was succeeded in that post by Steve Ridolfi, who has worked his way up through the ranks of the company over the last 18 years, and helped shape its regional marketing strategy. For Gillespie, the move marks a return to the business jet side of the house.
In Beijing, BMW Rolls-Royce GmbH and Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corp. signed a letter of intent leading to close cooperation for the repair and overhaul of the BR715 engine, the sole powerplant of the Boeing 717-200 regional aircraft.
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) has signed a 10-year contract to operate up to 45 new jet aircraft as part of Delta Air Lines' regional network, with initial service beginning in April 2000. The action underscores the escalating battle between Delta and American, while sending the message that airlines may no longer be willing to honor the scope clause restrictions imposed by their mainline pilot contracts.
Duncan Aviation (Battle Creek, Mich.) -- Jim Hagon was promoted to vice president of completions at the company's Battle Creek facility. Previously, he was manager of customer service.
FAA (Washington, D.C.) -- Tony F. Fazio was appointed director of the office of rulemaking, with responsibility for developing national policies on rulemaking procedures and priorities.
Air Group Aviation, formed by Jim Haynes and Ben Bartel, has begun what it says will be a string of acquisitions of aviation service companies aimed at building a $500-million national company serving business aviation needs within five years. The group's first deal was announced September 1 and involved the acquisition of Tyler Jet Completions, Inc., in Tyler, Texas, which was founded in 1995 to support completions needs of Tyler Jet's resale operations.
The NTSB has asked the FAA to require operators of cargo aircraft with take-off weights greater than 33,000 pounds to install TCAS II equipment. Provisions for such a mandate are included in this year's proposed -- and much debated -- FAA budget, but the Cargo Airline Association has long supported using emerging ADS-B technology as a lower-cost alternative. The Safety Board also has asked the FAA to study the use of TCAS equipment on smaller cargo aircraft operating under FAR Parts 121, 125 and 129.
Bombardier is one of the few business aircraft manufacturers to own an FAR Part 142 simulator-based training facility. Starting in 1995 with 23 pilots, this year 480 pilots will attend initial and recurrent training at the facility. Both pilot and mechanic training courses now are offered. Global Express training systems, though, are still being developed, so flight crews of early production aircraft are earning their type ratings by means of the basic Part 61 method, including taking their final check rides in actual airplanes.
Over the summer, two of Omniflight's top technicians -- Jon McClure and Ricardo Lemus -- were honored with the Airborne Law Enforcement Technical Specialist of the Year Award for maintaining the San Diego Police Department's fleet of Bell helicopters.
Sunjet Aviation, the new FBO at Orlando/Sanford International Airport, offers an 8,000-square-foot general aviation terminal with passenger and pilot lounges, pilot shower, big-screen TV, flight-planning room with WSI and Flightmap, and an executive conference room. The Air BP dealer also features a 15,000-square-foot maintenance hangar and an interior refurbishing shop.
Accufleet International (Houston)--William J. Schoeffield, was promoted to president of this aviation service company. James A. Davis, the former president of the firm, was appointed president of the newly formed AccuFleet Technical Services, which will explore new testing methods for aircraft materials.
Aviation Management Systems, Inc. (Orlando) -- John W. Shaffer was named president and CEO of the maintenance repair and overhaul facility located in Phoenix and Goodyear, Ariz., and Orlando.
Bombardier Aerospace (Montreal, Canada) -- The company announced three staff changes. Robert Gillespie now is president of Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft (based in Montreal) and Steven Ridolfi is president of Bombardier Aerospace, Regional Aircraft (based in Toronto). In addition, Benn Isaacman was named chief of interior design for Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft, and is based in Tucson.
The utility of radio altimeters has been rediscovered by airline and regional carrier safety managers who are now telling pilots to use them as backup controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) avoidance systems. At the same time, business aircraft operators are discovering that this inexpensive and often overlooked device can function as a ``poor man's'' GPWS.
Lynton Aviation of Denham, England, has ordered eight Raytheon airplanes, including four Premier I business jets, and has been appointed as Raytheon Aircraft's sales representative for the Hawker, Beechjet and Horizon in the United Kingdom and Channel Islands. The FBO also will be a ``master dealer'' for Raytheon's propeller-driven airplanes in the same region. Reportedly, three of the four Premiers already have been earmarked for customers, as have one of the two King Airs and both Barons that Lynton is acquiring.
A look at the purpose of travel can lay the foundation for its cost analysis. Companies have two reasons for travel: (1) strategic and (2) operational. Strategic trips have high risk and high reward potentials. They include merger and acquisition efforts as well as critical customer or sales meetings. In other words, a strategic trip has a large impact on revenues or the state of the business.
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Million Air Oklahoma at Wiley Post Airport is now a Cessna Pilot Training Center, C-Star Sales Operation, and Cessna Service and Parts Center with full warranty repairs. Robert Mendez is the coordinator of the program.
Air Atlantic of Montreal, Canada, has been chosen to conduct major airframe and engine inspections, ADs and other work by Mesaba Airlines and Executive Aircraft Corp. on their BAe-146 and Avro RJ85 aircraft.
Efforts to install 8.33-kHz radios in aircraft before Eurocontrol's October 7 deadline are reaching fever pitch in Europe. Aircraft with a CAA dispensation will be allowed to fly into the country without radios having 8.33-kHz spacing until the January 2001, but beginning October 7 they will not be allowed into the congested airspace over the European continent above FL 245.
A recent FCC decision will allow seven additional cellular providers in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast to use AirCell's patented technology to provide air-to-ground communications for general aviation aircraft and regional airlines, bringing the total number to 14. AirCell says its systems allow airborne phone calls at a fraction of present costs, while enabling access to fax, e-mail and Internet services, and weather updates.
GE Capital (Stamford, Conn.) -- Nikos K. Kardassis was named president of GE Capital Aviation Training, which provides commercial flight training through its facility in Gatwick, England, and corporate flight and maintenance training through SimuFlite Training International, Inc.
