HELIJET INTERNATIONAL bought the former Island Valley Airways 8,500-square-foot hangar and passenger lounge at Langley Airport in British Columbia - and is looking at launching scheduled helicopter service from Langley to the provincial capital of Victoria. Helijet currently operates its helicopter services between downtown Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle. A company official said a decision about service form Langley to Victoria would be made by the end of this month. The earliest service could start would be this fall.
OFFSHORE LOGISTICS, INC. won a five-year contract renewal valued at more than $70 million to provide helicopter flight support for the Minerals Management Service and the Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract renewal begins Oct. 1 and covers 17 helicopters at seven bases. OLOG's Air Logistics subsidiary will manage the contract.
Runway incursions increased during the last four years at U.S. airports primarily due to an upsurge in less severe incursions, while the most serious class of near-collisions is actually holding steady, a Federal Aviation Administration study found. The study, released Wednesday, for the first time assigns levels of risk to runway incursions at U.S. airports. The agency tracks incursions on a daily basis, publishing the data on its web site. U.S. airports have reported 190 incursions in 2001 through June 20, putting them on pace to report about 400 for the year.
BOMBARDIER sold five Continental business jets to TAG Aeronautics, its exclusive distributor in 22 Middle East countries. The order is valued at $75 million (U.S.).
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association jointly developed an AOPA/COPA Guide to Cross-Border Operations. The guide provides information on cross-border flight procedures, regulations and Customs requirements. Specific topics include preflight planning, flight plan requirements, Canadian air traffic fees, sources for charters, tourist information, FAA and Transport Canada contact information and advice on climate, currency, languages, banking and pets. The publication is available through both associations.
EMBRAER and AAR signed a three-year agreement under which AAR Aircraft Component Services will become an authorized service center for maintenance and repair of components installed on aircraft manufactured by Embraer.
MIRKO ZGELA was named vice president-engineering at Innotech-Execaire. Zgela will develop the Innotech Engineering Services group and expects to double its size to build both the technical scope and the market reach of the company. Zgela has gained management experience in his two most recent positions at Martec Limited's Aerospace Group and at the Canadian Department of National Defence's Directorate of Transport and Helicopter Engineering&Maintenance.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION scheduled a meeting July 19 to discuss "public concerns with the FAA field approval process." The meeting will be held in the Third Floor auditorium, 800 Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C. FAA has come under criticism from industry groups for lack of uniformity among the different regional offices for field approvals. For more information, call (202) 493-5228.
Model 737-600, -700, -700C, and -800 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-126-AD; Amendment 39-12251; AD 2001-09-51) - publishes an AD that was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Boeing Model 737-600, -700, -700C, and -800 series airplanes by individual notices. This AD requires inspection of the small jam nut on the elevator tab control rods to detect inspection putty and to determine its condition; a torque check of the small and large jam nuts on the tab control rod, if necessary; and corrective actions, as applicable.
A Canadian helicopter pilot made a complete flight in a Bell 205 helicopter using only a helmet-mounted enhanced synthetic vision system (ESVS). The pilot, working for the Institute for Aerospace Research (IAR) at Canada's National Research Council (NRC), had no independent outside visual reference. "The effect is that of turning zero-zero meteorological conditions into...virtual VMC," NRC said, the equivalent of daylight visual conditions.
CRAIG BOHLING was appointed engine department technical representative/training coordinator for Duncan Aviation. Bohling has 26 years of aviation experience, including 23 with Duncan. He has spent 21 years working with TFE731 engines, and also is familiar with TPE331, GE610, PT6 and JT15 engines.
FAA'S PLANS to reduce separation standards for aircraft that fly in U.S. airspace received a boost from a congressional panel last week.The House transportation appropriations subcommittee Tuesday recommended providing $1 million to the agency next year "to begin a serious analysis and modeling of the potential to reduce separation standards between aircraft." The subcommittee's recommendation won immediate praise from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which has advocated reevaluation of lateral separation standards.
FIATAVIO AND AGUSTA signed a contract for production and logistics support of the T700/T6E1 engine for the Italian multi-role NH 90 helicopter fleet. The engine contract is the first awarded after signing of the NATO Helicopter Management Agency memorandum of understanding for production go-ahead. The program will include 196 helicopters and 396 engines. The initial procurement covers 232 engines for 116 helicopters. The T700/T6E1 was co-developed and will be co-produced by GE Aircraft Engines and FiatAvio.
CANADIAN simulator manufacturer CAE sold a Maxvue visual system to China (Xi/an) Aircraft Industry Group for the simulator of its new MA-60 regional airliner. The visual system will be installed in a simulator being built by Beijing Aviation Simulation company. The sale of the Maxvue system "represents a significant achievement," said Martin Gagne, vice president of visual systems at CAE. "This is a new customer for CAE and the introduction of this regional aircraft to the market in China provides great potential for growth."
EBIZJETS, which facilitates executive jet transportation services, moved its headquarters to Norwell, Mass. "eBIZJets has been experiencing extremely rapid growth during the past two years due to the growing popularity of private jets and the company's leadership position in the business," said CEO John Williams. "The move to larger space was essential to accommodate our increased staff and upgrade and enhance our flight and IT facilities." The new offices are five times as large as the previous offices in nearby Hingham, Mass.
STELLEX TECHNOLOGIES subsidiary Stellex Paragon Precision won a five-year contract from Honeywell to produce secondary and rotating components for auxiliary power units for a wide range of commercial and military applications. The Stellex unit was selected by Honeywell to produce six additional rotating and stationary components under a long-term agreement. The new work is valued at $25 million over the life of the deal.
Model G-159 airplanes (Docket No. 96-NM-143-AD) - proposes to require repetitive non-destructive testing inspections to detect corrosion of the skin of certain structural assemblies, and corrective action, if necessary. This proposal also would require X-ray and ultrasonic inspections to detect corrosion and cracking of the splicing of certain structural assemblies, and repair, if necessary.
Both pilots aboard a Model 25D Learjet were injured Tuesday when they encountered control problems with the plane and crashed one-quarter mile short of the runway at the Salina, Kan. Municipal Airport.
INNOTECH-EXECAIRE AVIATION GROUP of Montreal, Quebec recently named four regional sales managers to develop business opportunities in the U.S. Alden Andre, based in Troutdale, Ore., will cover the Northwest. Angela Leopold, who lives in Santa Clarita, Calif., will be responsible for the Southwest. Carlton Matson will handle customers in the Midwest, while Fran Gallagher will be in charge of the Northeast. Ray Mekulski, with more than 30 years of industry experience, will head sales efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Model PA-46-310P, PA-46-350P, and PA-46-500TP airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-23-AD; Amendment 39-12256; AD 2001-12-01) - requires inspection of the left and right inboard flap drive bellcrank assemblies to ensure that the welding is complete and adequate and replacement of any assembly that has incomplete or inadequate welding. This AD is the result of reports of several instances where the bellcrank in the flap control system failed.
THE BATTLE OVER MEIGS has begun to intensify in Illinois. Gov. George Ryan (R) made banner headlines in the Chicago Sun-Times Thursday with remarks that Meigs "should be part of a master plan for air transportation. Meigs Field is an important part of that plan."
House transportation appropriations subcommittee Wednesday approved a $13.3 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2002, a $690 million improvement over this year's budget and only $12 million shy of the Bush Administration request. The recommended budget matches funding levels set out by comprehensive aviation reauthorization legislation passed a year ago and fully funds emerging technologies in FAA's Free Flight program.
JOE HEMMER was appointed head of U.S. security for Flight Services Group, part of the PrivatAir Group. Hemmer, who will be based at FSG headquarters in Stratford, Conn., will represent the PrivatAir Group's interest in security matters before the Federal Aviation Administration and other organizations and train personnel on security and safety requirements. He formerly was supervisor for security-related issues at an American embassy in Southern Europe.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER is using this week's Paris Air Show to give prospective employees an opportunity to "Meet The Management." Members of the manufacturer's management board and the heads of several business units will be on hand at the company exhibits in Paris to meet qualified professionals and recent graduates and introduce people to the idea of joining Fairchild Dornier. In addition to three formal sessions with executives, members of the company's human resources team will be at the show all week to discuss employment opportunities.
CHRISTOPHER W. HANSEN, Boeing's senior vice president of government relations, will retire at the end of the month. Hansen, 52, joined the corporate offices of General Dynamics in 1975 and moved to Boeing's Washington, D.C. office in mid-1986. He was named senior vice president of government relations and became a member of Boeing's executive council in January 1999. Hansen was in charge of consolidating the Washington offices of Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell and Hughes after a series of recent mergers and acquisitions by Boeing.
