HONEYWELL increased production of Spectra, the company's high-modulus polyethylene fiber used in armor and protection applications. Honeywell will invest $20 million to install a new production line and "additional drawing capacity" at the company's Colonial Heights, Va. facility by the end of the third quarter 2002. The company also plans to build a new Spectra plant during the second expansion phase.
Avolar, United Airlines' business aircraft program, received Part 135 certification for charter/air taxi operations from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company, which has ambitious plans to offer a range of business aviation services from fractional business aircraft operations to interlining with United's airline operation, is also continuing to pursue Part 121 commercial air carrier certification, using an Embraer RJ 135, Avolar said.
Raytheon Company is writing off more than $700 million in connection with commuter and general aviation business at Raytheon Aircraft Corp., the latest in a series of financial setbacks for the Wichita-based RAC.
U.S. general aviation manufacturers reported slight increases in billings for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, despite a drop in deliveries sparked in part by airspace restrictions that began during the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association said Friday. GA manufacturers posted $2.1 billion in billings for the third quarter, $100 million more than third quarter 2000 results. For the year to date, the plane-makers brought in a record $6.5 billion in billings.
CHARLES RYAN, president and chief operating officer of aircraft component specialist Nordam Group, was killed Monday along with two other men after a pontoon plane they were in crashed into a lake in Northern Canada. The plane went down as it was preparing to land on a lake in a remote area north of Montreal. In addition to Ryan, the pilot and James Pielsticker, chairman and founder of Arrow Trucking, died. Five others were injured in the crash. The group was on a hunting trip.
THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION'S 33rd Assembly this month agreed to adopt a "balanced" approach to regulating aircraft noise and emissions, an approach strongly backed by the U.S. The agreement came after more than a week of wrangling over the issue, as the U.S. and developing nations supported aircraft restrictions as a last resort and European nations, Australia and Japan pushed for a clearer path to aircraft restrictions.
DISAPPOINTED with continuing restrictions on GA aircraft in enhanced Class B airspace, general aviation leaders took their concerns to the National Economic Council last week where they told staffers about how severely the restrictions are damaging aviation businesses. By week's end it appeared that FAA was ready to begin modifying Class B restrictions around at least some of the 30 affected airports.
MIKE ROWLAND was appointed vice president for Gulfstream 100 and 200 programs at Gulfstream Aerospace. Rowland will oversee the G100 and G200 programs and manage Gulfstream's business with Israel Aircraft Industries, which manufactures the two aircraft. He has 13 years' experience at Gulfstream and was most recently the head of the company's EC-37 program.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were scheduled to vote Saturday on a new four-year contract with the aircraft manufacturer.The proposed agreement is believed to call for wage increases of three percent in each of the first three years and two percent in the fourth year and for workers to assume some of the costs of their health insurance coverage. The contract would cover some 6,100 workers represented by the IAM.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a new heightened security rule for private operators that requires changes affecting aircraft, crew, passenger and luggage screening. Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 91 requires operators of aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds to develop a security program when notified by FAA. The agency will release a notice to airmen alerting operators when to implement the programs. The program must be FAA-approved and "be tailored to meet various threats," the agency said.
SPAR AEROSPACE LTD. won a $16 million contract to support 32 Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules aircraft. The work will include engineering support and maintenance, repair and overhaul. Work will be done at Spar's Edmonton, Alberta facility.
SHORT BROTHERS Model SD3 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-229-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of the installation of the bearing housings of the elevator torque shaft assembly, and corrective action if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent failure of the elevator torque shaft, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 75 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $9,000, or $120 per airplane. Send comments in triplicate by Nov.
BILL MCLEOD was named eastern division vice president, sales, midsize accounts at Gulfstream Aerospace. He will oversee Gulfstream aircraft sales in the eastern United States and all of Canada. McLeod has served Gulfstream for 19 years, most recently as the regional sales director for new aircraft sales in the mid-Atlantic region.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION, which lost its initial court challenge of a ban on Stage 2 aircraft at Naples, Fla., Municipal Airport, filed a notice of appeal and has until Oct. 23 to formally appeal the ruling (BA, Aug. 13/67). The association still is waiting the formal findings and conclusions from a California judge on a decision in favor of the City of Los Angeles upholding a Stage 2 non-addition rule at Van Nuys, Calif., airport (BA, Sept. 3/103).
Nav Canada plans to reduce about C$85 million (US$54.2 million) in costs through its operations as part of its plan for dealing with a possible C$145 million ($92.5 million) revenue shortfall during the fiscal year Sept. 1, 2001-Aug. 31, 2002. Cost cuts will come from corporate overhead, operations, purchasing and contracting, major projects and employee-related costs.
THE CONSULTING FIRM of Conklin&de Decker will hold a two-day Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar Dec. 3-4 in Dallas, Texas. The event will feature a number of presentations on assessing a flight department's equipment needs and missions, aircraft ownership alternatives, financing and leasing, federal and state taxes, insurance, appraisals and pre-buy inspections. The seminar will be held at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott. Registration fee is $995. For more information, contact Conklin&de Decker at (508) 255-5975.
CHICAGO'S two main airports will upgrade their existing building access-control systems based on fingerprint-recognition technology developed by SecuGen Corp. Smart card fingerprint-verification readers will be installed beginning this fall on approximately 1,100 doors at both O'Hare and Midway airports. The readers are designed to verify the smart-card holders' identities and permit access only to authorized employees to secure areas such as ramps and baggage-handling areas. The airports employ about 55,000 workers.
Honeywell launched a new company-wide initiative that will employ existing "core technologies" to enhance airborne and airport security. Frank Daly, Air Transport president, has been tapped to head the new aviation security effort. He will oversee a "global task force" drawn from of three of four Honeywell business groups working with various OEMs, including Boeing, with input from government and major airlines.
B/E Aerospace, adding to its mix of products and services, acquired Denton Jet Interiors, of Dallas, Texas, a leading provider of customized upholstery for business aircraft interiors. The addition of Denton combines its fabric expertise with B/E's existing seat design, manufacturing and certification capabilities, said Bob Ayers, vice president of business development for B/E Aerospace, and streamlines the customers' supply chain.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has experienced a higher than usual number of cancellations of orders for its Citation business jets as the economy has slowed this year, but officials are not concerned because the number is still relatively small. CEO Gary Hay said the company has seen 20 to 25 cancellations this year, a level he described as "four or five times higher than normal," but not unexpected given the downturn in the stock market this summer and other negative economic factors.
General aviation leaders last week continued their cry for help as their businesses entered the second month of terrorism-related operating restrictions and losses approached "catastrophic" proportions.
Fairchild Dornier broke ground Tuesday for its 728JET assembly facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, a $100 million, 17,640-square-meter plant that is expected to be completed in March 2003. The building will accommodate production of the entire 728JET family of airliners, the company said, ranging from aircraft with 55 to 110 seats. The 728, with 70 to 85 passengers, will be first on the production line.
EUROCOPTER France Model SA-365N1, AS-365N2, and SA-366G1 helicopters (Docket No. 99-SW-34-AD; Amendment 39-12452; AD 2000-10-08 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires inspecting each tail rotor blade for bonding separation, measuring the clearance between the tip of each tail rotor blade and the circumference of the air duct, and replacing the blade if necessary. This amendment requires the same actions but allows the pilot to perform the daily visual check and contains a damage allowance for certain blades.
AGUSTA S.p.A. Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-09-AD; Amendment 39-12450; AD 2001-20-04) - requires modifying the passenger compartment sliding doors by installing certain locking mechanism kits. This amendment is prompted by accidental opening of a passenger compartment sliding door (door) in flight due to a door locking mechanism that is too easy to accidentally open. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent accidental opening of a door in flight and subsequent loss of objects that could damage the rotor system.
JOHN HODSKINS was named Western Division vice president, sales, midsize accounts at Gulfstream Aerospace. He will be responsible for Gulfstream V-SP, Gulfstream V and Gulfstream IV-SP sales, and oversee Gulfstream 200 and 100 aircraft sales. With more than 30 years of aircraft sales experience, Hodskins was most recently Eastern Division vice president of sales at Galaxy Aerospace.
