TRIUMPH GROUP merged its former Great Western Steel Co. and Triumph Industries into TriWestern Metals Co., which will be led by Jack Malec, formerly president of Great Western and Triumph Industries. Triumph Group said the creation of TriWestern "provides economies of scale that will enhance our steel processing and electrogalvanized products and services."
TAG AVIATION USA appointed Lance Fera vice president of client services. Fera will be based at Tag's White Plains, N.Y. center where he will manage 45 corporate clients and oversee nearly 200 employees. A 22-year Honeywell veteran, Fera previously was director of sales and marketing for Honeywell Commercial Electronics Systems.
NEAL KEATING was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer-Commercial Systems for Rockwell Collins. Keating has spent 22 years with Rockwell Collins and Rockwell Automation in positions of increasing responsibility. He most recently was vice president and general manager of Passenger Systems and also has been vice president and general manager of Air Transport Systems. In his new role, he will direct the Air Transport, Business and Regional and Passenger Systems businesses.
Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
BANNER AEROSPACE AIRCRAFT SERVICES received FAA approval to provide maintenance and repair services on EMB-120 turboprop aircraft. Based in Georgetown, Texas, Banner Aerospace Aircraft Services provides maintenance, repair and upgrades for PT6A and TPE-331 engines and Beech King Air through 1900, Citation I, II and V, Merlin/Metro, Twin Commander 680 and 690, MU-2 Piper Cheyenne and EMB-120 aircraft.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT is taking a cautious approach to the slowing economy by laying off some personnel at its single-engine production facility in Independence, Kan. Cirrus Design, on the other hand, says increased efficiencies in its single-engine manufacturing process will enable the company to show a profit later this year. Cirrus, with a backlog of more than 600 orders, plans to open a second production line in the second half of the year. See articles below.
The United States Air Tour Association, which is fighting National Park Service flight restrictions at Grand Canyon National Park, was joined at a House hearing Wednesday by representatives of a diverse mix of organizations in opposing NPS efforts to limit or ban access to public lands.
SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT CORP. delivered a 300CB to Central Illinois Air Corp. of Mattoon, Ill. Central Illinois is leasing the 300CB from Helicopter Services of Mattoon for flight training purposes.
CJ610 series turbojet and CF700 turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-58-AD; Amendment 39-12238; AD 2001-10-12) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires removal of certain unapproved parts before further flight. This amendment requires removal of additional unapproved parts. This amendment is prompted by the discovery by the FAA of additional unapproved parts not listed in the original AD that have been introduced into the field and might be installed on the affected engines.
THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE is putting the final touches on an in-depth report on the general aviation industry.The report is said to be filled with data on the industry but not to draw any strong conclusions or recommendations.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION, which last week unleashed an advertising blitz to promote the benefits of Chicago's Meigs Field, agreed to join the 2001 Chicago Delay Task Force charged with developing and recommending solutions to reduce aircraft delays at O'Hare International Airport and surrounding airspace. AOPA joined the task force at the request of the City of Chicago and the Federal Aviation Administration. The manager of FAA's Chicago Airports District Office and Chicago's Deputy Aviation Commissioner will co-chair the task force announced Monday.
Paced by strong performance by its Aerospace unit, Bombardier reported significant gains in revenues and earnings for the fiscal quarter ended April 30. Revenues jumped 23 percent, from $3.3 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2000 to $4 billion in the most recent period. Monetary figures are expressed in Canadian dollars. Net income rose 24 percent, from $195.1 million (before special item) a year ago to $241 million. The company's order backlog at the end of April totalled $32.6 billion, up 15 percent from a year ago.
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. was selected by FAA to develop a satellite-based system for controlling oceanic air traffic. Under the Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) program, Lockheed Martin and its partners will upgrade FAA oceanic air traffic management systems at Oakland, New York and Anchorage. The three centers provide services to aircraft operating across the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, supporting 80 percent of the world's controlled oceanic airspace.
Heico Corp. of Hollywood, Fla. and American Airlines parent AMR Corp. formed a joint venture under which "AMR will invest" with Heico to "accelerate development of additional FAA approved replacement parts."
MERCURY AIR GROUP INC. filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission this month to offer 1.4 million shares of common stock, at an anticipated offering price of between $9 and $11 per share. VMR Capital Markets, U.S. will lead the underwriting group. Mercury Air Group announced earlier that it planned to
Raytheon Aircraft has checked off the last two big items on the Premier I list of things to do, winning FAA approval for flights into known icing and for operation of the aircraft by a single pilot. To obtain single-pilot authorization, a Premier I made six flights into high-workload environments, instrument meteorological conditions and night flights. The icing flights, completed in April, included flights into known icing and using residual ice shapes to determine aircraft handling in icing conditions.
ASKED if the softening economy has hurt sales at Gulfstream Aerospace, Jim Holcombe, senior vice president of marketing for the Savannah, Ga.-based airframer, responded that the company has had a strong sales year so far, particularly in the first quarter, for its top-end business jets. But, Holcombe added, the company has seen somewhat of a slowdown on the maintenance and refurbishment side. That slowdown has been felt by other companies providing those services.
AMERICAN GENERAL CORP., Bethany, Okla., said its revenues fell by about one-third in the quarter ended March 31, compared with the same period a year ago. The company had revenues of $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2000, but sales declined to $2.6 million in the most recent period. The lower sales resulted in a net loss of $598,587, compared with a profit of $38,183 in the first quarter a year ago.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8866 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 FR 145.45(f) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Celsius to establish and maintain a number of fixed locations within Celsius for the repair station Inspection Procedures Manual (IPM) and to assign IPMs to key individuals within departments. Grant, April 10, 2001, Exemption No. 6657B
GARRETT AVIATION SERVICES tapped former General Electric executive Jeff Garwood to succeed retiring president Ron Frederick. Garwood returns to lead GE's aviation maintenance and overhaul chain after serving a stint with Commerx Inc. as chief executive. Garwood first joined GE in 1992 after spending five years with McKinsey Consulting in Houston. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1984 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and received a master's in business administration from the University of North Carolina.
TEN MAJOR AIRPORTS were selected by FAA to participate in the Inherently Low-Emission Airport Vehicle (ILEAV) pilot program that is aimed at improving air quality by encouraging the use of alternative fuel vehicles. The airports include Baltimore/Washington, Baton Rouge, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Atlanta, New York Kennedy and LaGuardia, Sacramento and San Francisco. The airports selected are "diverse by size, location and types of vehicles and fuels," said Woodie Woodward, FAA acting associate administrator for airports.
The nation's largest fractional providers banded together to create a new Fractional Aircraft Business Council (FABC) under the umbrella of the National Air Transportation Association. "The FABC will represent and promote the interests of aviation businesses that sell and manage fractional ownership programs," NATA said. Many of the fractional providers already are members of NATA and other industry associations, including the National Business Aviation Association. But the council will provide a forum specifically targeted for the growing fractional segment.
Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-347-AD; Amendment 39-12231; AD 2001-10-05) - requires removing certain foam filters from the cabin ducting installation located below the dado panels on the left- and right-hand sides of the airplane. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent an increased risk of spreading a fire or failure of the cabin to pressurize adequately if certain foam filters are installed. FAA estimates that 38 Bombardier Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes on the U.S.
AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-72-AD; Amendment 39-12230; AD 2001-10-04) - supersedes AD 2000-14-51, which requires inspection of the wing lower spar cap and modification or replacement of any cracked wing lower spar cap. This AD lowers the safe life for the wing lower spar cap on Air Tractor AT-400, AT-500, and AT-800 series airplanes. This AD is the result of numerous reports of cracks in the 3/8-inch bolt hole of the wing lower spar cap on the affected airplanes.
