Boisture was responding to questions from BA about an Internet report circulating last week that claimed the GV wing failed in a test rig at 130 percent of the ultimate wing load, short of the 150 percent requirement.
ASKED WHETHER he agreed with Flight Options competitor Kenn Ricci that the fractional aircraft arena is now a two-horse race between NetJets and Flight Options since FO doubled its fleet with the addition of Raytheon Travel Air's aircraft (BA, April 15/175), Santulli responded, "Whether it's a two-horse race, or a three-horse race or a five-horse race, NetJets horse is way in front and no can pass us. I'll guarantee that."
Pilot: Resumption of V-22 testing to be treated like first flightWhen the V-22 Osprey takes to the air again next month, the event will be treated as if it were the first flight of a new aircraft, according to Chief Test Pilot Tom MacDonald. "That makes us go through a much more detailed planning process and approval process," MacDonald said. "By doing it that way ... we're being incredibly safe and conservative. It'll be a simple flight."
Triumph Group, Inc., Wayne, Pa., acquired the assets of Ozone Industries, Inc., East Lyme, Conn., a subsidiary of BBA U.S. Holdings, Inc. Triumph said the assets it purchased are used in conjunction with the design, development, testing and manufacturing of aircraft hydraulic systems and components for the defense and commercial markets. Those products include nose wheel steering assemblies and hydraulic quick-disconnect couplings. Ozone also holds an FAA repair station license.
GD BUYS MANUFACTURER OF COMPOSITES - General Dynamics, the parent firm of Gulfstream Aerospace, signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the nearly six million shares of Advanced Technical Products (ATP) for a purchase price of $33.50 million per share, or about $197 million. In addition GD would assume $26.2 million of ATP's net debt and retire approximately $16.2 million in ATP stock options, bringing the transaction's value to approximately $250 million. The acquisition would be immediately accretive to GD's earnings, the company said.
Momentum continues to grow on Capitol Hill for arming airline pilots with weapons, but senior government officials caution that they must continue testing the systems before they are used on airliners. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) and aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) last week introduced legislation to allow pilots to carry firearms. "The decision to arm pilots and crew was not taken lightly.
THE U.S. NAVY declared it will sell the former El Toro Marine air base for mixed-land use instead of releasing it for use as a commercial airport as some Orange County, Calif. officials had planned. The decision follows a series of reversals for airport supporters during elections March 5, when voters passed a referendum to alter El Toro's zoning requiring non-airport uses. Airport supporters also lost an essential swing vote on the county board.
Model EMB-135 and -145 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-68-AD; Amendment 39-12730; AD 2002-08-18) - requires repetitive inspections of the actuator clutches of the primary and backup pitch trim systems of the horizontal stabilizer for proper pitch trim indications, and replacement of the actuator, if necessary.
NEW BILL PROPOSED TO ALLOT $1 BILLION IN AERONAUTICS R&D - A wide-reaching bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week would authorize $1.15 billion in aeronautics research and development in the next five years to compete against a recent unified European investment in the industry.
Karen Tripp, who headed communications for avionics maker Rockwell Collins for a number of years, is joining General Electric Aircraft Engines to lead that firm's communications programs. Tripp, who was vice president of communications at Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will join GEAE headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio later this month or early in June in the newly created role of general manager, global communications. She will report to David L. Calhoun, president and CEO and serve as a member of the executive team.
General aviation billings dropped 20 percent as shipments fell 18.8 percent in the first three months of 2002, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported last week, calling the decline predictable in the post-Sept. 11 economy. General aviation plane-makers shipped 521 airplanes worldwide in the first three months of 2002, down from the 642 shipped during the same period in 2001. U.S. manufacturers alone reported a 23.2 percent drop in deliveries, GAMA said. See BA's compilation of worldwide deliveries on Pages 213 and 214.
A HOUSE PANEL this week is expected to question Bush Administration officials about why restrictions are still in place for general aviation at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). The subcommittee on the District of Columbia, chaired by Rep. Connie Morella (R-Md.), will hold a hearing Wednesday on DCA issues, including noise abatement and the ban on general aviation.
Spirent Systems is providing its AvVisor cabin display system as optional equipment on Cessna Citation business jets. First installation of the system is on a Cessna Model 550 Citation Bravo destined for an international customer. Cessna is certifying the system on its aircraft type certificate and Spirent already has supplemental type certificate approval on the Model 525 Citation.
Implementation of the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) in Atlanta has been delayed because local controllers say they don't have the staff to spare for the required training on the system.
Implementation of the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) in Atlanta has been delayed because local controllers say they don't have the staff to spare for the required training on the system.
ALL NINE PERSONS aboard a Beech King Air 200, N26SJ, escaped injury last month when the aircraft's airstair entrance door departed the airplane during cruise at FL 190 near Hillsdale, Wis. April 22. The aircraft, being operated under Part 135 of the FARs by Flying Dollar Air, Inc., was in visual meteorological conditions when the door separated, causing minor damage to the aircraft. The crew made an emergency landing at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. The flight had departed from St. Paul Downtown Holman Field in St. Paul, Minn.
STEVE L. STRETCHBERRY was named director of aviation at Kennedy/Jenks Consultants' public works group in San Francisco. He will work with clients to expand, upgrade and renovate airports. Stretchberry was previously director of aviation for CH2M Hill, where he worked on the expansion of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
ASKED WHETHER he agreed with Flight Options competitor Kenn Ricci that the fractional aircraft arena is now a two-horse race between NetJets and Flight Options since FO doubled its fleet with the addition of Raytheon Travel Air's aircraft (BA, April 15/175), Santulli responded, "Whether it's a two-horse race, or a three-horse race or a five-horse race, NetJets horse is way in front and no can pass us. I'll guarantee that."
NLX Corp., Sterling, Va., said its King Air 350 full flight simulator won FAA Level D approval at the CAE SimuFlite training center at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. The Model 350 simulator is the second of five Level D devices NLX is building for CAE SimuFlite, the manufacturer said, part of a deal it originally signed with GE Capital before GE sold the simulator training center to CAE. NLX also is scheduled to deliver Cessna CitationJet, Falcon 900 B/C/EX and Falcon 2000 simulators during the next 12 months.
KAREN TRIPP PICKED TO OVERSEE COMMUNICATIONS AT GE ENGINES - Karen Tripp, who headed communications for avionics maker Rockwell Collins for a number of years, is joining General Electric Aircraft Engines to lead that firm's communications programs.
Skyjet, Bombardier's online charter broker service, launched a new block charter program for its high-volume customers. Under the Premier Fleet program, customers purchase a block of hours on a specific aircraft type and pay a fixed hourly rate along with an annual payment. The program eliminates positioning fees and the cost of empty legs on one-way flights.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION will hold a May 13 meeting at Washington Reagan National Airport to discuss the prospects for reopening the facility to corporate and business aviation flights. Representatives of the Transportation Security Administration have been invited to attend and NBAA officials say they hope this will be the last public meeting before business aviation flights are restored (BA, April 15/177). The meeting will be held in the lobby of Signature Flight Support's fixed-base facility.
BOMBARDIER WORKERS RETURN TO PRODUCTION LINES - Bombardier employees in Canada were expected to return to work early this morning after voting to accept an arbitration settlement that ended a three-week strike last Friday.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey tapped Charles Keegan to head the Office of Research and Acquisitions. Keegan succeeds Steven B. Zaidman, who retired from FAA last month. Keegan, who will continue to manage the agency's Operational Evolution Plan, also will oversee the modernization of the nation's airspace system, including research, acquisition, integration, development and deployment of air traffic control systems.
SINEX AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES partnered with Jouve Data Management, Inc. to provide production management software to maintenance shops. The pact combines the Sinex FleetCycle maintenance production software with the JDM AirGTI digital maintenance manual and job card software applications. "The Sinex FleetCycle products are literally conduits to the line and hangar floor for the JDM AirGTI products," said John Miller, president and CEO of Sinex.
