ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY Model R44 helicopters [Docket No. 2000-SW-67-AD; Amendment 39-12466; AD 2001-20-18] - Requires establishing a life limit of 2,200 hours time-in-service (TIS) for affected horizontal stabilizers. This amendment is prompted by engineering analysis that indicates that certain vertical-to-horizontal stabilizer attach channels will crack sooner than the original life limit of the horizontal stabilizer.
TIMCO ENGINEERED SYSTEMS, an Aviation Sales Company subsidiary, received FAA approval for its Secure Cockpit System. "While this new product will not materially impact our overall revenue, we are dedicated to improving airplane safety. We are in a position to ensure the rapid installation of this product for customers requesting it," said Gil West, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
GOODRICH CORP. plans to eliminate about 2,400 aerospace and corporate jobs and close about 16 facilities, it said last week. The moves are expected to save about $125 million when completed, most of which will be done in the first half of 2002. Goodrich earnings were up about 25 percent in the third quarter, but officials said they expect repercussions in their aviation work due to the market slowdown following the Sept. 11 attacks.
THE NORDAM GROUP and Bomhoff, Inc., two leading suppliers of aircraft interior components, signed an agreement to form a new entity, Bomhoff Nordam LLC. Russ Bomhoff will serve as CEO of the new entity. The two companies will market the products both through the new firm and through their individual companies.
CASTLE HARLAN closed the sale of Fort Worth, Texas-based airline ground service provider Worldwide Flight Services to Vinci, S.A., of Paris, France. Value of the deal, including working capital and other adjustments, was placed at $285 million. Worldwide had revenues of about $345 million in 2000. It provides cargo, passenger and ramp handling and technical services to more than 300 airlines and airport authorities in 94 airports worldwide. Castle Harlan had acquired Worldwide in April 1999 from AMR Corp.
Cessna Aircraft, reacting to reports of slowing sales by its distribution network, notified employees in Independence, Kan. and Columbus, Ga. of additional layoffs as the company slows production of its single-engine piston-powered aircraft line.
The Navy and Marine Corps are planning three consecutive block upgrades of the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft, a Naval Air Systems Command spokeswoman said this month. The objective of the first, including a redesign of the nacelle and software upgrades, is to deliver a safe and operational aircraft to the fleet, the spokeswoman said in response to questions.
GARMIN LTD. adopted a shareholder rights plan that the company said is designed to ensure that shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of a proposed takeover. As part of the plan, the board of directors declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right on each outstanding common share. The rights will trade with Garmin common shares and become exercisable if a person/group buys or announces an intention to buy 15 percent or more of the company's outstanding shares.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP. Model S-76A helicopter [Docket No. 2000-SW-46-AD] - Proposes superseding an existing airworthiness directive that currently requires a service life limit on certain landing gear parts based on hours time-in-service (TIS). This action would add another method of calculating the life limit for certain landing gear parts based on cycles and would require the operator to choose and record the method of calculating the service life of each part in the rotorcraft history or equivalent record.
GOODRICH introduced its next generation IceHawk wide area ice detection system in Las Vegas last week. The new system, available in 2002, "provides real-time images of frozen contaminants on aircraft surfaces and features 25 percent range increase, improved accuracy, color video camera for improved aiming and enhanced cold temperature performance," the company said. "The IceHawk system is the only on-ground, wide area ice detection system approved by the FAA to replace tactile inspection requirements."
OFFICIALS AT First Equity Development, Inc., which is serving as a financial adviser to Mooney Aircraft Company in its bankruptcy proceeding (BA, Oct. 1/153), are pleased with the response to the company's proposed sale. The Connecticut-based investment bank has received two purchase proposals for the Kerrville, Texas manufacturer and expects to receive a couple more in the near future. Officials hope to complete their analysis and make a recommendation to the parties within a couple of weeks.
INSPECTECH AERO SERVICE, INC. won a major order for "smart" aircraft windows that darken automatically, eliminating the need for shades, the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. company said. InspecTech, which did not disclose the company that placed the order because of "non-disclosure agreements and for competitive reasons," described the customer as "one of the top five jet manufacturers in the world." The Suspended Particle Device (SPD) windows incorporate a fast-responding light-control technology invented by Research Frontiers Inc., of Woodbury, N.Y.
RAYTHEON COMPANY, which posted large losses in the third quarter because of continuing problems at its aircraft manufacturing operations in Wichita, Kan. (BA, Oct. 22/191), plans to offer 29 million shares of common stock in an effort to raise $1 billion. The proceeds from the offering would be used to reduce debt and for general corporate purposes. Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston will act as joint managers in the offering.
An anticipated decline in orders is forcing Gulfstream Aerospace to cut jobs by four to six percent, said a Gulfstream spokeswoman. Gulfstream also plans to cut production by eight aircraft because near term sales are "suffering as a result of a pause in the economy," said Stephanie Snyder, director of corporate communications. The mix of aircraft being cut has not yet been decided, she said. In addition to the reduction of its 9,196 permanent employee workforce, the company is laying off 40 percent of its contract employees Nov. 1.
CJ SYSTEMS AVIATION GROUP started operations at AirLink, a new air medical services program serving southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. AirLink is a joint program between CJ Systems and New Hanover Health Network (NHHN) that will augment the existing emergency medical transportation system in the area.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT executives say the new Citation Sovereign business jet is "coming along nicely" and is expected to make its first flight in the first quarter of next year.
DUOCOMMUN INC. will combine Duocommun AeroStructures and Composite Structures LLC to further integrate Duocommun's marketing, engineering and manufacturing capabilities in aerostructures and to provide its customers with a full range of structural component and subassembly capabilities while reducing redundant or overlapping costs. The new organization will retain the name Duocommun AeroStructures and will be led by Bradley W. Spahr, president of Composite Structures.
HONEYWELL teamed with Cessna Aircraft to provide reduced vertical separation minimum equipment for more than 2,000 older Citation business jets. Honeywell developed the RVSM compliance package, which includes AZ-252 digital air data computer, AM-250 air data/altimeter and VN-800 vertical navigator controller, for the Citation 500, I, II, S/II and V aircraft. The package will be available for installation from authorized Cessna Citation Service facilities.
GOODRICH appointed new executives to its landing systems division. Brian Gora was named president, landing gear systems and Theunis Botha was named vice president and general manager, landing systems services division. In his new position, Botha succeeds Gora. Botha most recently was vice president and general manager of the company's turbine component services. Gora joined Goodrich in 1997 from Michelin Aircraft Tire.
Alaska Airlines installed the first of 70 hardened cockpit security systems designed by Raisbeck Engineering for the airline's fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. The Raisbeck Armoured Cockpit Security System "meets all current FAA requirements, as well as those envisioned to be implemented by April 2003," said Raisbeck. Patents are still pending. The system complies with Federal Aviation Regulations regarding standards such as pressurized compartment loads, emergency exit, ventilation and closing and locking flight compartment doors, the company said.
FORTY-FOUR DAYS after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks forced the shutdown of the national airspace system, the Transportation Department finally said Thursday it will publish a rule this week detailing how air taxi and air tour operators can obtain their share of funds provided under the Air Transportation Safety and Stabilization Act.While more than 100 large air carriers began receiving funds shortly after President Bush signed the legislation Sept. 22, smaller operators still face weeks of additional delay before they see any financial relief. See article below.
INDONESIAN carrier Merpati Nusantara Airlines wants to phase out its fleet of 14 locally produced IPTN CN-235 turboprops, but is having difficulty finding a buyer. Merpati wants to replace the 44-seat turboprops with Boeing 737s to remain competitive in the growing Indonesian domestic market, which is seeing new startup airlines. Abdul Halim, a Jakarta-based Merpati official, said the airline has put the CN-235s up for sale but has yet to receive any offers from potential buyers.
Japan's Maritime Safety Agency has requested about $30 million from the Ministry of Finance to buy the first two aircraft for anti-piracy and anti-smuggling efforts. The agency announced earlier this year it is seeking longer-range aircraft for patrol missions over the waters of Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia. The agency currently uses two Dassault Falcon 900As for that purpose, but it wants longer-range aircraft for nonstop operation between Japan and Singapore.
B/E Aerospace, Inc., responding to sharply declining demand for its cabin interior products in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, said Tuesday it is scaling back production, closing five of its 16 plants and laying off more than 20 percent of its employees.
