Air Partner in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is offering an aircraft matching service for air charter customers. The Air Partner database uses a network of contacts that matches available aircraft, using customers' location and budget criteria.
Bombardier plans to invest around $170 million to build a new final assembly plant at Montreal's Mirabel Airport for 70- and 90-seat variants of the Canadair Regional Jet. Construction of the new facility began in September, and completion is expected in spring 2001. Employment at Bombardier's Mirabel plants is expected to reach 1,700 by 2003. Bombardier launched the CRJ900 in July at the Farnborough Air Show, on the strength of firm commitments for 34 aircraft and options on 28 more.
Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003, The Centennial Celebration has joined Aviation Week's ``The Next Century of Flight'' program, a multimedia education campaign celebrating the 100th anniversary of powered, controlled flight. The Dayton group already has begun staging events to commemorate the anniversary, culminating in an extensive celebration and air show in July 2003. Dayton, Ohio, is the home of the Wright brothers, the U.S. Air Force Museum, the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Dayton Aviation heritage National Historical Park.
Early this year, a consortium of companies led by Honeywell and United Airlines (UAL) showed off a proof-of-concept, data-link weather system that potentially could be installed in airliner cockpits as early as 2001. Using a data-link weather display in the cockpit as a strategic planning tool to avoid hazardous weather, airlines could save as much as one percent in actual time en route, Honeywell officials claimed.
German television reporter Leonard Diepenbrock won Sporty's 2000 Skyhawk Sweepstakes. Sporty's will award a Cessna Millennium Edition Skyhawk SP next summer in the 2001 giveaway.
UltraTech International's new Ultra-SpillGuard captures spills and overfills when delivering fuels and chemicals by tanker trucks. The flexible containment pad features a tapered sealing ring that accommodates a broad range of sump diameters. Constructed from a resistant urethane, the Ultra-SpillGuard folds to allow storage into a side box or any compact area. UltraTech said SpillGuard's rugged, yet lightweight, construction is reusable and easily cleaned with absorbent pads. Price: $189.00 UltraTech International, Inc.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is seeking nominees for the most needed -- and most threatened -- airports in the United States. Saying there's a need to ``strengthen the most vulnerable parts of our national transportation network,'' NATA President Jim Coyne hopes to focus attention and financial resources on preserving vital airports.
Aviation Partners Boeing has won STC approval for the ``blended winglets'' earmarked for the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). The approval is the culmination of a two-year flight test program, which Boeing says validated the performance gains expected with the modification. Built by Aviation Partners, the winglets are said to give the BBJ a 300-nm range increase, while allowing for an additional 4,000 pounds of payload to be carried.
Teamster-represented pilots at Horizon Air voted on August 15 to authorize a strike if an agreement between the union and the airline cannot be reached. Horizon pilots have sought their first contract for the past three years. Of the 446 pilots who took part in the balloting, 419 voted to strike, 10 voted not to strike and 17 ballots were declared void. Prior to any strike, however, the National Mediation Board must release both sides into a 30-day ``cooling-off'' period as stipulated by the Railway Labor Act.
The Regional Airport Authority for Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., has asked the FAA to extend Louisville International Airport's (SDF) passenger facility charges through 2018 so that it may accelerate the voluntary relocation of airport neighbors most affected by aircraft noise. Airport manager Jim DeLong says that while the airport purchased more than 2,600 homes between 1989 and June 2000, 1,100 homes still remain in the voluntary relocation area. Of those eligible, 90 percent are expected to accept the buyout offers.
French aerospace giant Snecma has completed its acquisition of Sopartech, the company that controls Labinal, the French aircraft engine and equipment manufacturer. Snecma manufactures numerous aircraft components including Messier-Dowty landing gears, braking systems and thrust reversers, and is an equal partner with General Electric in the manufacture of CFM56 engines. Snecma says it plans to integrate complementary businesses such as Labinal's Turbomecca-Microturbo engine manufacturing arm and its aircraft systems division to increase market share and penetration.
Jet Aviation has recognized Pratt&Whitney Engine Services as its preferred engine repair and overhaul vendor for Pratt&Whitney PT-6A and JT-15D series engines. The agreement covers Jet Aviation's service facilities in Bedford, Mass.; Dallas; and Teterboro; as well as its recently renovated facility in West Palm Beach Florida.
Continental Express (ConEx) has placed a firm launch order for 75 Embraer ERJ-145XR regional jets, with options for 100 more. The $1.02 billion deal -- which includes a 10-year maintenance agreement with engine-maker Rolls-Royce -- launches a new ERJ-145 variant designed to enable full passenger loads on long point-to-point routes.
JetFleet Management Corp. (JMC), located in Burlingame, Calif., appointed Jack Humphreys as the director of aircraft maintenance. Prior to joining JMC, Humphreys held positions at Raytheon, Johnson Controls and Wien Air Alaska.
The FAA has selected El Segundo, Calif.-based Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) to provide software support and integration for various agency systems. The five-year contract, valued at up to $329 million, includes CSC support of the FAA Free Flight Program, en route automation, Departure-Spacing Program, Center-TRACON Automation System and the Aeronautical Data Link.
B/CA has teamed with the Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US) to produce CompAir, a computer program to help aircraft dealers, owners and prospective buyers compare turbine aircraft costs and performance. The CD-ROM also contains an archive of more than 200 B/CA articles focusing on more than 90 popular turbine aircraft. CompAir users can use the software and database to prepare professional presentations complete with photos, charts and text to help decision-makers evaluate and compare aircraft options.
Concern over the vulnerability of government-operated business aircraft to heat-seeking missiles has led Gulfstream to offer an electronic missile jamming system as a retrofit option. The system chosen was Sanders' AN/ALQ-204 Matador, a combat-proven infrared countermeasures system (IRCM) that has been installed on a variety of civil and military aircraft.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Paul Richfield, in Farnborough, England
Bombardier launched the 90-seat variant of the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) at the Farnborough 2000 air show, but the future of the BRJ-X 100-seat regional jet remains the subject of speculation. Driving the Canadian plane-maker's decision to build the CRJ900 is the perception that a market exists for at least 800 large regional jets over the next decade, principally in Europe.
The DOT has awarded AirServ, sister company of Indigo Air, a certificate of public convenience and necessity, clearing the way for Indigo to begin public charter service with a fleet of Falcon 20s. Indigo Air has been operating corporate charters since January and expected to begin public charters within weeks of the DOT action. Initial service will connect Chicago's Midway Airport with ``several New York [City] Metropolitan airports'' with near-term plans to add service between Chicago and Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
NASA unveiled three new technologies to make aircraft safer and airport operations more efficient. The agency recently demonstrated a wake vortex prediction tool that may increase runway capacity by as much as 15 percent. The Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) uses winds and atmospheric conditions and aircraft performance information to space traffic more efficiently. Developed by the Langley Research Center, NASA has been testing the system at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for the past three years.
Internet jet charterer Flightserv.com has suspended service while attempting to secure additional working capital. The Atlanta-based company began service between Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey and Atlanta's Dekalb-Peachtree Airport in April using Cessna Citation IIs chartered from the Atlanta area. Company sources said it hopes to have flights available again this month and may consider acquiring its own aircraft rather than relying on independent operators for lift.
