VOUGHT AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES will cut its work force by 1,200, with initial notices to be handed out at the end of this month. The cuts, which will affect all the company's locations, are expected to be completed by mid-2002. Dallas-based Vought employs 6,000 workers in its commercial aerostructures business, fabricating wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles, thrust reversers and other parts for Boeing and a number of other original equipment manufacturers.
JOHN J. (JACK) SERRELL, 85, a long-time member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Board of Trustees, died in a Newton, Mass. nursing home Oct. 28. Serrell joined AOPA in 1957 and was elected to the Board of Trustees in May 1967. He became the association's treasurer in 1974, a position he held until retiring in 1998. He was elected Trustee Emeritus in May 2000.
The proposed Sonic Cruiser is likely to be of an all-composite structure, said Michael Garrett, vice president-marketing management, airplane programs at Boeing's Commercial Airplane Group during a visit to Munich.
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY hired two aviation security experts and is studying the feasibility of installing a facial recognition program at Boston Logan Airport. Massport hired Rafi Ron, a top Israeli aviation security expert, and Len Limmer, former head of security at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, as consultants. The facial recognition program is in initial discussion stages with federal authorities and private companies and "could become a model for a national system to be installed at major commercial airports," it said.
RICH IUDICE was appointed director of flight operations at Dassault Falcon Jet's Teterboro, N.J. flight department. He will be responsible for all flight operations at DFJ. Iudice joined DFJ in 1989 and previously served as a U.S. Navy pilot.
UAL Corp., which last week posted unprecedented losses and is facing wrath from some its employee unions for its pacts with Gulfstream and Dassault, is seeking an outside partner to continue investment in its new fractional ownership venture, Avolar. "In light of our current cash needs, we're in active discussion with outside investors to take over future Avolar funding requirements," said Jake Brace, UAL chief financial officer, when announcing the company's third quarter results Thursday. UAL Corp.
DASSAULT FALCON JET'S 7X business jet was always planned as a three-engine aircraft instead of a twin jet, said Dassault Chairman Charles Edelstenne, because "we foresee you may have some ETOPS regulations" on business jets. The French manufacturer, which features other trijet models in its product line, has been a supporter of ETOPS restrictions on twin-engine business jets, restrictions that other segments of the business aviation community oppose.
FAIRCHILD AIRCRAFT, INC., Models SA226 and SA227 series airplanes [Docket No. 2000-CE-28-AD; Amendment 39-12462; AD 2001-20-14] - requires replacement of the brake shuttle valves with parts of improved design and installation of a shield over the hydraulic lines. This AD also requires replacing the rubber fuel hose with a metal device for certain SA226 series airplanes. This AD is the result of a report of a wheel brake system malfunction caused by a faulty brake shuttle valve.
Illustration: Graph: Used retail jet and turboprop deliveries inside and outside North America for September 2001 (see related graphs on Pages 219 and 220 of the hard copy of this issue.) Used Retail Deliveries Sept. 1998 Sept. 1999 Sept. 2000 Sept. 2001 L M H L M H L M H L M H Jet North 57 34 21 44 33 22 57 34 22 34 16 7 America Jet Outside 8 2 2 7 3 1 4 4 2 7 3 5 N.
DHL AIRWAYS reorganized management responsibilities to complete its senior management team. Vicki W. Bretthauer was named senior vice president of operations. Formerly senior vice president of administration, she will be responsible for all airline and flight operations. The cargo airline also expanded the role of Chuck Thomson, vice president of human resources and labor relations, to include responsibilities for ground safety, security, facilities, purchasing and interline ticketing.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 series airplanes (Docket No. 98-NM-122-AD; Amendment 39-12475; AD 2001-21-04) - requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain structures. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority.
BAE SYSTEMS LIMITED Model BAe 146-200A series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-150-AD) - proposes to require replacement of the signal summing units (SSUs) for the stall identification system with new, improved parts. This action is necessary to prevent stall identification and stall warning signals from occurring at the same time, leading the flight crew to take action based on erroneous information, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.
JET AVIATION established Jet Aviation Engineering Services, L.P. to serve "third party modification centers and to support Jet Aviation's completion centers in Basel, Switzerland and West Palm Beach, Fla., by providing a coordinated engineering and certification process," said the company. The new business will take over certain activities of Schwartz Engineering Company and offer various services including structural design, analysis and testing and FAA certification.
UAL's new business jet operation Avolar increased its order for Dassault Falcons from 100 to 122 of the high-end jets. Avolar, which in June announced a letter of intent to purchase a mix of Falcon business jets valued at $2.5 billion (BA, June 25/295), turned the LOI into a contract that includes 46 firm orders and 76 options, Dassault said last week. The Falcons, combined with a batch of Gulfstreams, will provide a fleet of aircraft for Avolar's new fractional operation.
FAA, under the Enhanced Airplane Security Program, is providing direct funding to assist the operators of 7,000 smaller regional aircraft in improving flight crew compartment doors. The funding also will allow for continuous transmission of transponder signals in emergencies, provide for installing video cameras or other equipment to enable the flight crew to be aware of possible cabin emergencies. FAA also will fund training programs for crewmembers in enhanced security and hijack protection.
A. BIEDERMAN, a Triumph Group company in Glendale, Calif. was designated an authorized repair center for Horizon products. The business also will be a stocking distributor of spare parts for Horizon's line of engine products. A. Biederman specializes in repair and overhaul of aircraft instruments for major commercial air transports, freight carriers, regional airlines, corporate business aircraft and helicopters.
The Transportation Department is expected to publish regulations today (Oct. 29) detailing how air taxi and air tour operators can file claims to recoup damages sustained by last month's shutdown of the national airspace and subsequent restrictions on flying and the sharp drop in passenger demand in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
PARKER HANNIFIN acquired assets of the global fluid management business of Dayco Industrial from Mark IV/BC Partners. The Dayco assets, which include Imperial-Eastman products and a wide array of hydraulic and industrial hoses and connectors, generated revenues of $304 million last year. The acquired operations, which will be integrated into Parker's fluid connectors business, have 2,365 employees and 29 facilities in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 430 helicopters [Docket No. 2001-SW-21-AD] - Proposes to require changes to the electrical power distribution system. This proposal is prompted by design deficiencies in the electrical systems. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of both generators, loss of primary electrical power, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 33 helicopters on the U.S. Registry.
Raytheon Aircraft Chairman James Schuster has reorganized the company's senior management ranks for the second time in four months. Schuster, who took the top slot at the Wichita aircraft manufacturer this spring (BA, June 4/261), announced a major reorganization less than six weeks later (BA, July 16/27). At that time he promoted Richard Danforth from vice president of operations to senior vice president, Aircraft Business, and named him to a Senior Leadership Team within the company.
JENNIFER VILLA was named vice president-risk management at Tyco Capital Aerospace. She will be responsible for Tyco's aerospace business in Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Africa, Western Europe and Canada. She was most recently assistant vice president.
JOHN HEWITT was named to Nimbus Group's board of directors. He was most recently president of Knight Securities. "I look forward to serving on the board of Nimbus, as the company embarks on its visionary new course. The frequent traveler has a need for an affordable, safe, efficient and convenient alternative to airline travel, I believe Nimbus will meet this need," Hewitt said. Nimbus Group recently ordered 1,000 Eclipse 500 business jets to start a new low-cost private jet air taxi network (BA, Sept 24/141).
LOCKHEED MARTIN won a Defense Department contract to move into the next phase of Joint Strike Fighter development Friday, beating out rival Boeing for the largest defense contract ever, estimated at some $200 billion.
PILOTS at one corporate flight department and officials at several trade associations were smiling last week after the Part 91 operator was cleared to use heliports at 30th St., 34th St. and Wall Street in New York City, the first "regular business" flights for a Part 91 operator in and out of those locations since the Sept. 11 attacks.
