RFD is offering a four-person Aerolite 4F life raft for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The multi-seat raft holds FAA TSO C70 and UK CAA approval, and meets the -22F to +150F requirements. The raft also incorporates an inflatable boarding ramp that is required by the U.S. Coast Guard for marine life rafts under the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) international treaty. Fitted with a special furlable canopy, the Aerolite 4F provides not only a snag-free area for boarding, but also better access for airborne or surface personnel in the final stages of rescue.
Great Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) took another step toward partial privatization in early December 2000, although many in the country remain opposed to the concept. Under the terms of the plan, a Public Private Partnership will provide air traffic services that NATS now performs as a government agency.
Priester Aviation, located at Chicago's Palwaukee Municipal Airport, is planning to build a new FBO facility at PWK beginning in the spring or summer. ``It all hinges on when the airport begins construction of the 16-34 parallel taxiway, and that is a function of funding,'' said Mike Pryor, account executive administrator at Priester.
Air Technical Industries has developed a scissor lift and tilt table with a long-side-up tilt. The unit is designed for tilting long items from horizontal to vertical positions or placing them on a pallet for shipping. The lift is electrohydraulically operated by a 110-volt single-phase or 220/440-volt three-phase source, and is available with pneumatically operated controls. Capacities available range from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds with table sizes ranging from 32 by 48 inches up to 72 by 96 inches.
SimuFlite, Dallas, has named Lee Baldwin as manager of technical operations. Southwest Jet Aviation, Scottsdale, Ariz., has promoted Jeff Schlueter to president and Rich Dawson to executive vice president.
Australian air safety officials are crafting new rules that mandate personal flotation devices (PFDs) on commercial aircraft that fly even short distances over water. The move comes six months after a Wyhalla Airlines Piper Chieftain crashed into the Spencer Gulf along Australia's southern coast, killing all eight aboard. Current rules require PFDs only on flights that operate at least 50 nm from land.
Swiss regional carrier Crossair has decided to add something new to its passenger cabins: male flight attendants. The airline says the decision to introduce 40 to 80 male flight attendants came after ``careful consideration'' and that the new crewmembers will be assigned to its MD80 fleet. Crossair employs about 1,300 female flight attendants and operates a mixed fleet of MD80s, Saab 340s and 2000s, Avro RJs and Embraer ERJ145s.
Raytheon Aircraft says FAA certification of its new Premier I business jet has been pushed back to March or April. The latest problems delaying FAA approval of the $4.8 million jet involve its rudder centering mechanism, behavior in the event of full rudder deflection and the apparent vulnerability of wing hardware and fuel plumbing to a tire burst. ``Based on the number of flight conditions or test items to be accomplished, we're 96-percent complete,'' says Kevin O'Hara, a Raytheon spokesman. ``The certification program specifies 6,251
Ford Motor Co. Europe has replaced its two Boeing MD-87s with Boeing Business Jets (BBJs), aircraft used to connect London Stansted with Ford plants in Cologne, Valencia and Bordeaux. Like the MD-87s, the BBJs will be configured with 115 seats. Ford says the older aircraft were non-compliant with Europe's expected noise standards to be implemented in two years.
Rockwell Collins has completed its acquisition of Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics. Kaiser manufactures display components for military tactical and tanker/transport aircraft.
JDC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has appointed Efrain Lopez as general manager of the company's Round Rock, Texas, facility. JDC specializes in the repair, overhaul, exchange and sales of aircraft instrumentation and related products.
As an occupational medicine specialist and senior aviation medical examiner, I read with great interest the article by David Carlisle (``The Pilot's Lower Back,'' November 2000, page 83). This excellent article was well-written and contained an abundance of useful information.
Apparently NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace has some well-heeled fans. A racing or business jet aficionado recently paid $10,105 to fly with Wallace in a business jet from Charlotte, N.C., to the Chicago Grand Prix. The ``Fly with Rusty Wallace'' package on eBay also featured hotel accommodations, pit passes and other amenities for two people. There were four bids in the 10-day auction, which required a minimum $10,000 bid.
Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) is reviewing the feasibility of building a 5,000-foot runway to accommodate aircraft up to the size of regional jets. The airport panel agreed that further studies needed to be conducted on the proposed runway and alternatives to it.
Scott Aviation, Lancaster, N.Y, has appointed James Rash as vice president of engineering and marketing for the corporation's aviation/government product lines.
Edited By Paul RichfieldPaul Richfield, in Long Beach, Calif.
After more than 10 years of starts and stops, Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures, Inc. (AASI) says its Jetcruzer pusher-canard turboprop could achieve FAA type certification as early as this June. A non-conforming, non-pressurized prototype (S/N 002) has accrued around 400 flight hours, the Long Beach, Calif.-based company says, and a conforming, pressurized (but unfinished) version of the $1.395 million aircraft ``should fly [this month].''
Aircraft leasing giant debis AirFinance of Amsterdam has completed its acquisition of Shannon, Ireland-based AerFi Group. The combined company, which will operate as debis AirFinance, has a portfolio of 222 aircraft, including 29 regional aircraft as well as an assortment of Boeing, Airbus and Fokker airliners. Market value of the company's holdings is approximately $5 billion.
Much talk in Washington these days is focused on the effect the incoming George W. Bush administration could have on the aviation industry, infrastructure modernization and FAA/DOT policy. Based on the new president's statements and voting record as the governor of Texas, some industry lobbyists believe he is likely to support modernization, resist user fees and back increased funding for airports. Others say it's too early to tell.
Former National Air and Space Museum Director Walter Boyne has been named ``Aerospace Expert-in-Residence'' at the Discovery Wings Channel. A 5,000-hour pilot, Boyne also founded Air&Space magazine, serves as associate editor of Wings and Airpower magazines and edits the Walter J. Boyne Military Aircraft series for McGraw-Hill.
Eurocopter's twin-engine Cougar/Super Puma MK2+ helicopter took its first flight in late November 2000. Slated for certification in late 2002, the medium-lift craft features enhanced performance over earlier versions, including increased MTOW, internal payload, range and cruise speed. The helicopter will be available in civil and military versions, Eurocopter says, with the military version offering inflight fueling capability.
