BAE Systems Regional Aircraft in Prestwick, Scotland hopes a gross weight increase and an optional freight conversion will make its veteran ATP turboprop attractive to regional operators. The company says the 64- to 72-seat ATP fits a ``natural capacity gap'' between smaller turboprop freighters such as the Fokker F27, BAe 748 and Convair 580, and narrowbody jet freighters in the DC-9/727 class. The first cargo-configured ATPs will be ready in around 18 months.
Aviation Week&Space Technology (AW&ST) has named Bombardier the ``Best-Managed Large Aerospace Company.'' The award, which was based on criteria created by the magazine and Standard&Poors Compustat, follows recent increases in the manufacturer's revenues and shareholder return. AW&ST said it named Bombardier because of its technology, plant and equipment resources, research and development investments, and strong record of financial operating performance.
The first production model of New Piper's Meridian began flight testing at the manufacturer's Vero Beach, Fla., headquarters and is expected to be delivered to Richard Dumais of Texas this month. Dumais has owned several Piper aircraft, including an Archer, a Saratoga, a Malibu and two Malibu Mirages. Once flight-testing is completed, the aircraft will undergo interior and exterior completion prior to delivery. FAA type certification of the Meridian was expected to be announced as early as the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture in late July.
The National Air Transportation Association has taken exception to the FAA's final rule entitled ``Type Certification Procedures for Changed Products.'' ``With this new rule, the FAA has ignored the reality of the aircraft and the industry the agency oversees,'' said Jim Coyne, president of NATA. The new rule requires all major type design changes (STCs) for aircraft modifications, upgrades and safety improvements to either comply with the latest version of the certificate standards or provide supporting data to justify an exception.
Rolls-Royce Corp. (RR) and the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Workers of America (UAW), Local 933, have opened a $6.5 million joint training facility at RR's Indianapolis facility.
Caribbean operator Winair is near to closing the purchase of two de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft from the Canadian government. According to the St. Maarten Herald, the Windward Islands Bank has approved a $2.6 million loan to fund the acquisition, which will enable the St. Maarten-based carrier to increase frequencies to the islands of Saba, Statia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Barths, Anguilla and Tortola.
Airline reservations system giant Worldspan has entered into a ``strategic alliance'' with Flightserv.com, operator of Private Seats, a public charter service using corporate aircraft. Under the terms of the arrangement, Worldspan will provide marketing and distribution services to Flightserv.com and also will acquire an equity stake in the company. Private Seats operates between Teterboro Airport and Atlanta's Dekalb Peachtree Airport, using Cessna Citations. Worldspan is jointly owned by subsidiaries of Delta Air Lines, TWA and Northwest Airlines.
The FAA has proposed $60,000 in fines against Royal Air Freight of Waterford, Mich., for allegedly failing to investigate the backgrounds of 13 new-hire pilots. The Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) requires that an air carrier conduct a background investigation, no later than 90 days after allowing an individual to begin service.
American Eagle flights will carry TWA code-share passengers between Los Angeles and seven California cities. The move is designed to beef up TWA's West Coast presence as it mounts a 70-percent service expansion in Los Angeles. According to Marc Siegel, TWA's managing director for regional alliances, the code-share applies only to through service between other TWA destinations and Bakersfield, Fresno, Monterey, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.
Matthew Beirne has been promoted to vice president, new aircraft programs and Michael Walling is now vice president, technical group. Christophe Chicandard joins the leasing and financing organization as vice president for airline marketing. Chicandard is a veteran of Airbus Industrie, ATR and Aerospatiale.
Executive Jet, Inc. has inaugurated its new operational headquarters complex at Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. The new complex includes an 80,000-square-foot hangar with an additional 45,000-square-foot support area. Executive Jet said it manages more than 286 aircraft, with more than 428 aircraft on order. In the last four years, Executive Jet has order 716 new aircraft for its NetJets program.
The 2000 General Aviation Industry Awards Program named Gregory Brown of Fountain Hills, Ariz., as Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year; Arthur Giessman of St. Louis, as Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year; and Robert Lenert of Hartford, Conn., as Avionics Technician of the Year. The awards were presented during ceremonies at EAA AirVenture 2000 in Oshkosh, Wis., in July.
Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has approved a local ordinance that limits the number of Stage 2 aircraft allowed at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Southern California. Once adopted, the rule will prohibit the basing of any additional Stage 2 aircraft with noise levels above 77 dBA, with exceptions for flights conducted for maintenance purposes.
Although it said most evacuations were carried out without difficulty or injuries, the NTSB has recommended further study of aircraft evacuations. The board wants the FAA to require ``one level of safety'' that applies to larger commercial aircraft and those seating fewer than 44 passengers, which currently do not require evacuation demonstrations. The NTSB also wants the FAA to study optimum escape hatch dimensions, methods of communicating emergency procedures to passengers and the high failure rate of evacuation slides.
A majority of mechanics responding to an Australian Transport Safety Bureaus (ATSB) survey said that management is unaware of or accepting maintenance shortcuts. The ATSB survey of 4,600 Australian Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAMEs) also found that 69 percent of those responding admitted it was ``sometimes necessary'' to bend the rules while only 38 percent said management actively discouraged shortcuts. Pressure is the primary reason for cutting corners, the mechanics said, with the majority of pressure claims coming from non-airline respondents.
BFGoodrich is funding a research project with Dartmouth College to create a new aircraft deicing system. Based on patented technology by Dr. Victor Petrenko, a Dartmouth engineering professor, the system utilizes electrodes to break down ice and water on aircraft surfaces, shedding accumulated ice. BFGoodrich has acquired exclusive rights to the process for all aerospace applications. The company is funding the research through its BFGoodrich Breakthrough Innovation Thrust for Excellence (BRITE) program created to develop and bring to market new technologies.
In 1986, the NTSB offered funding to the Department of Labor for a new study to evaluate the aviation maintenance technician as a skilled professional. The Department of Labor turned down the offer, claiming the funding would be better suited elsewhere. Today, maintenance managers say the shortage of technicians is due to low pay, image and a lack of professional standards.
Amphitech, a Canadian technology company, is flight testing a new obstacle awareness radar system for helicopters. Known as Oasys, the radar is designed to alert pilots to obstacles in their flight path, including power lines, other aircraft, terrain and towers in all weather conditions. Current flight-testing involves a Bell 412P helicopter to determine the system's functionality in a variety of flight conditions. Amphitec hopes to have the Oasys available in second quarter 2001 with initial pricing planned at $225,000.
Agilent Technologies, a recent Hewlett Packard spinoff, is providing $1 million in equipment and technical support to The Flying Hospital, operator of a Lockheed L-1011-50 equipped with surgical suites, recovery rooms and classrooms. The aircraft, its largely volunteer crew and medical staff provide medical care and education in developing countries.
James Raisbeck has donated $2 million to Purdue University, his alma mater, to advance aeronautical engineering education at the school. The money will be used to create a professorship devoted to the development of coursework in the Schools of Technology and Aeronautics and Astronautics. Raisbeck hopes the new interdisciplinary courses will enable students to apply engineering theory to real-world aeronautics applications. A 1961 Purdue aeronautical engineering graduate, Raisbeck is owner and CEO of Seattle-based Raisbeck Engineering and Raisbeck Commercial Air Group.
Less than a year after the fatal crash of one of its Learjet 35s, carrying golfer Payne Stewart, two business associates and two crewmembers, Orlando-based SunJet Aviation has been sold to new investors. The company is now known as Orlando Jet Center and has most of the same staff and services as the former SunJet. In an interview with B/CA earlier this year, SunJet President Jim Watkins said an FBI raid and other government tactics directed at his company reminded him of the incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge.
Two labor groups representing Belgium's pilots and flight engineers -- the BFCA and the ABPNL -- have merged to form the Belgian Cockpit Association (BeCA). Student pilots and job seekers are invited to join the association, though most members are flight crews working for Sabena, Dat, Sobelair, Eat-DHL, Virgin Express, City Bird, Air Belgium and Constellation. Consult the group's Web site at www.beca.be for more information.
Honeywell plans to develop PC-based training software for FlightSafety International students receiving initial type ratings in Honeywell FMZ-2000-equipped business and regional aircraft. The new software will enable flight crews to develop FMS proficiency on ordinary laptop or desktop computers. Honeywell says the software, known as PC-FMS, will utilize authentic FMS aircraft code, resulting in a realistic training experience. Rockwell Collins has a similar system already in use at FSI.
Current TAG Aviation USA Chief Financial Officer David Weil takes on added responsibility as CFO and vice president, finance for Geneva-based parent company TAG Aviation Holding. Mark Dennen has been promoted to vice president, finance for TAG USA.
