In 1908, the directors of the Cochran, Payne and McCormick Bank of Williamsport had a problem: They held $150,000 worth of bonds in the failing Demorest Manufacturing Co., a once-major employer in their small, central Pennsylvania town. The Lycoming County firm had started as a metal fabricator in 1845, turned to making sewing machines in 1888 and added bicycles to its line in 1891. But now the workforce had dwindled to just 47 people who were producing a handful of small, diverse products, including duplicating machines, cup vending dispensers, typewriters and gas irons.
B&CA posed a list of questions to FAA headquarters, asking the agency to comment on the practice of ``certificate-sharing'' and to elaborate on certain sections of FAA Notice 8400.83, which addresses the issues of operational control and ``doing-business-as'' pseudonyms (d/b/a's). Public Affairs Officer Les Dorr responded for the agency. B&CA: One critic says it can take up to three years to receive FAA authorization to serve as an air charter operation. If true, why so long?
Air Chef of Columbus, Ohio, has acquired Rita's In-Flight Catering of Boston from the Rossi family. Air Chef said Paul Rossi, president and general manager of Rita's, will stay on through the integration process to ensure a smooth transition to the new management team. Rita's began 45 years ago as a small neighborhood restaurant and now serves aircraft operating into the busiest Boston-area airports, including Boston Logan (BOS); Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass.
The Senate adopted a measure ordering the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a risk assessment of general aviation airports and assess beefing up general aviation security. The measure, offered by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), was included in the fiscal 2006 homeland security appropriations bill. Clinton called the measure a ``common-sense amendment'' that is designed to provide a good analysis of the threats ``so we can be smart about how we address them.'' Clinton added that she believes general aviation is a significant contributor to the national economy.
The next NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum will be held at Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver on Sept. 15. The Regional Forum is a day-long learning and networking experience designed to meet the needs of the regional business aviation community, and to provide an introduction to local business leaders interested in learning more about business aviation. The Denver event will feature approximately 40 aircraft on Static Display, 60 indoor exhibitors and hundreds of attendees.
The Senate Commerce Committee has approved the nomination of ``Kip'' Hawley to serve as assistant secretary of Homeland Security with responsibility for the TSA. He succeeds Adm. David Stone, who left the TSA in early July. The NBAA endorsed the nomination. ``Mr. Hawley's government and private sector experience uniquely qualifies him for this demanding and vital national Homeland Security position,'' said NBAA President Ed Bolen.
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT computers can generate a screw-up in a millionth of a second that would otherwise take a human hours or days to accomplish. Still, it's important to remind ourselves that the dozens of computers onboard any modern airplane can only work with the raw materials fed to them by programmers, and that's exactly what pilots become when they program waypoints and other operational information into navigation systems. The smallest fat-fingering of the nav system keyboard can lead to monumental navigation blunders.
I am a pilot employed by Rader Aviation Inc. in Summersville, W.Va. When I get my hands on a B&CA, one of the first things I read is Cause & Circumstance. July's column (``A Danger Unquestioned, an Inexplicable Silence,'' page 86) hit me right at home. I feel that there are lessons to be learned from every accident. I commend you for the quality work your magazine does in this area.
Dassault Falcon Jet, Teterboro, N.J., named Jacques Chauvet vice president of Falcon customer service for the Eastern Hemisphere. Chauvet, who will be based in St. Cloud, France, is now responsible for all Falcon-related customer service for Falcon operators in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East. His counterpart is Gerry Goguen, senior vice president of customer service for the Western Hemisphere, who is based at the Teterboro, N.J., Airport. Chauvet replaces Claude Frey, who retired after serving with Dassault since 1965.
Aircraft Components Co. (ACC), Inc. of Tulsa, will be the exclusive overhaul agency for several Japanese-manufactured components for the MU-2 aircraft. Under an agreement with Mitsubishi, ACC will repair and overhaul struts, actuators, motors and other similar components. The agreement follows the recent merger of ACC and Turbine Aircraft Components. Mary Pat Barnes, co-owner of ACC, said that ACC will be expanding its inventory and overhaul service to other aircraft and products this year.
Charter brokerage Blue Star Jets was behind the booking of the Challenger 600 that crashed attempting to take off last February at Teterboro. Based in Manhattan, Blue Star was founded in 2001 by former securities trader Richard Sitomer to offer charter arrangements and card memberships at claimed discounted rates. A year ago, CEO Sitomer told B&CA that his company uses a bidding system to obtain the best fares for its customers.
Universal Avionics' GLS-1250 GPS Landing Sensor System received TSO C129a, Class B1/C1 and approval from the FAA on June 17. The GLS-1250 when interfaced with Universal Avionics FMSes receives GPS differential corrections from SCAT 1 ground stations and provides Special Category 1 precision approach capabilities. FAA STC Type Inspection Authorization flight tests were successfully conducted at multiple airports in Norway with Avinor, the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, using ground stations provided by Park Air Inc.
Dallas Airmotive, Dallas, appointed Henrique ``Ricky'' Delgado Dos Santos as regional sales manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, where he will offer turbine engine overhaul and repair services.
Stevens Aviation (Greenville, S.C.) -- Ward Brooks has been promoted to vice president of aircraft sales for this aircraft sales, brokerage, acquisitions and service company. He will be responsible for managing both the firm's new and pre-owned aircraft sales activities. Brooks, who joined Stevens in 1980, has served in a number of management roles, including general manager and maintenance manager. He mostly recently was in aircraft sales management.
On June 30, Perfect Jet Travel, Inc. began scheduled, nonstop air service Thursday and Sunday afternoons in both directions between Dallas and Los Angeles and Aspen, Colo,, using large-cabin business jets such as the Gulfstream III and IV, Challenger 604s and Falcon 2000s. Passengers purchase only the seats they need on each flight, which Perfect says can save them up to 80 percent of the cost of traditional jet charter. Travelers can choose any combination of departure and return dates.
Four more former military airports have entered the DOT's Military Airport Program, Secretary Norman Mineta announced. Williams Gateway in Mesa, Ariz.; Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla.; Guam in Agana, Guam; and Rickenbacker in Columbus, Ohio, will receive funds for three years to further develop as civilian facilities. The number of airports participating in MAP now totals 15.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. said its Little Rock, Ark., facility won a trophy from fractional aircraft provider NetJets, Inc. for outstanding performance. The Little Rock facility services and performs scheduled maintenance on NetJets' fleet of Hawker 400XPs, Hawker 800XPs and Hawker 1000s.
The 100,000-pound aircraft weight limit at Teterboro Airport remains stubbornly embedded in the report accompanying the FY 2006 Transportation Appropriations bill. Boeing and certain operators had been hoping to convince the airport to modify the weight restrictions to enable the Boeing Business Jet to access TEB. But Congress has barred the airport from raising the weight limitation in the past two appropriations bills.
American Legend Aircraft Co., Sulphur Springs, Texas, has appointed Bryan Hurley vice president of manufacturing. Hurley has 15 years of manufacturing management experience, holding management roles in a variety of industries. He will head up pro- duction of the Legend Cub.
INSTEAD OF ENJOYING THE amazing success of the Washington Nationals baseball team this summer, officials at the NBAA and other aviation trade groups are arm wrestling with the Internal Revenue Service. The problem is some new IRS interpretations that could cost aircraft owners millions of dollars in lost depreciation and other expenses for using their corporate aircraft.
Well regarded for producing an aircraft with ``jet-like'' performance, Piaggio may soon drop the ``-like.'' Forecast International's latest Internet survey says it has been hired by ``a world-ranked aircraft manufacturer to evaluate the future market for light and medium jets.'' The picture on the Connecticut-based market analysis firm's Web site shows a low-wing rear-twin-turbofan-powered aircraft whose windscreens are nearly identical to the distinctive glass on Piaggio's P-180 Avanti. The new jet however, lack's the 180's canard.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is working with the FAA in the hope of developing acceptable restrictions that would reduce the number of flights into Teterboro Airport (TEB) without violating FAA guidelines. The FAA warned in July that proposed restrictions could violate grant assurance agreements. PANYNJ is getting strong support from Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), who has inserted a measure into the FY 2006 transportation appropriations bill to ensure that the weight limitation at the airport is not raised above 100,000 pounds.
Chantilly Air, Manassas, Va., added four crewmembers to its growing team. Pilots Chris Buckland, Eddie Fernandez, Jason McMahon and Mike McCoy recently joined the company, an aircraft charter and management service in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
