COLORADO legislators are considering adding funding in appropriations legislation for radar at Eagle County Regional Airport in Vail, Colo., Bryan Burns, president of Vail Valley Jet Center, said. Eagle County has had trouble getting airport funding to install radar at the airport because its traffic is seasonal, skewing the overall cost/benefit numbers. The lack of radar is particularly a problem during peak seasons when air traffic control is trying to handle increased traffic at a number of airports throughout the resort area by assigning landing slots.
United Airlines, one of the world's largest providers of scheduled airline service, is preparing to launch a new subsidiary that will offer fractional aircraft ownership in business jets, as well as providing aircraft management and charter services. The Chicago-based carrier, which has seen a decline in the number of high-yield business travelers on its scheduled flights as the economy has slowed down, wants to tap into the lucrative and rapidly growing fractional ownership business.
GEORGE MARSH joined Dassault Falcon Jet as a field service representative based in Columbus, Ohio. Marsh formerly was a senior service technician with ITW/Hobart Ground Power Division in Troy, Ohio. He also has maintained corporate aircraft for Stevens Aviation, L.M. Berry and Company, Kraft and NCR Corporation.
A BEECH BONANZA F35 operated by Basler Turbo Conversions was destroyed on impact with terrain and the pilot killed April 17 during an approach to Runway 36 at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft, N888SM, was conducting a maintenance test flight.
TITANIUM METALS CORP. reached a settlement of the litigation against The Boeing Company in regard to the parties' 1997 long-term titanium purchase and supply agreement. TIMET said it will receive a cash payment pursuant to the settlement, adding that the parties also have entered into an amended long-term agreement that "provides Boeing with the right to purchase up to 7.5 million pounds of titanium products annually from TIMET through 2007. Under a separate agreement, TIMET said it will establish and hold titanium buffer stock for Boeing at TIMET's facilities.
Bombardier Aerospace delivered its 500th Canadair Regional Jet to Atlantic Coast Airlines last week. The Series 200 model was the carrier's 43rd delivery from a firm order for 96 of the 50-seat regional jets. ACA also holds options for 80 more CRJs.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive Friday covering Rolls-Royce AE3007 turbofan engines used on Embraer ERJ-145 and ERJ-135 regional jets because of reports of "rapid failures of the No. 1 bearing" in the engines.
THREE PEOPLE aboard a Cirrus SR20 airplane were killed April 10 when the aircraft, N116CD, hit mountainous terrain and burned northwest of Sierra Vista, Ariz. The Part 91 flight took off from Tucson International Airport about 1830 enroute to Albuquerque, N.M. The National Transportation Safety Board said instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan had been filed. The aircraft was found April 14 near the crest of a ridgeline at 5,200 feet MSL.
Model 205A-1, 205B, 212, 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-06-AD; Amendment 39-12181; AD 2001-08-04) - supersedes an existing AD that requires inspecting the locking washer on each main rotor actuator for twisting or damage to the tab and replacing any locking washer that has a twisted or damaged tab. Replacing certain locking washers, regardless of condition, also is required within a specified time period. Installing a certain airworthy locking device on each actuator constitutes terminating action for the requirements of that AD.
ORGANIZERS of the EBACE business aviation exposition in Geneva, Switzerland "were very, very pleased" with the event and its acceptance, said National Business Aviation Association President Jack Olcott. The event drew more than 3,600 attendees, about 20 percent more than anticipated, and some 185 exhibitors. "People felt it was a very auspicious beginning," said Olcott, noting that it was the first conference of its size focusing strictly on business aviation.
ATLANTIC AVIATION added a Gulfstream II-SP to its charter fleet. The 11-passenger aircraft is based in Morristown, N.J. Atlantic Aviation's Flight Services Division manages and operates 23 turbine-powered aircraft.
BFGOODRICH won Swiss government certification for its Skywatch Traffic Advisory System, an active surveillance system that operates as an air-to-ground or ground-to-air interrogation device.
The day before General Dynamics announced plans to buy Newport News Shipbuilding, President Bush said he plans to nominate a top GD executive as Secretary of the Navy.
EDWARDS AND KELCEY won a contract to study the feasibility of attracting scheduled services to the New Century Air Center, serving Olathe, Kan., southwest of Kansas City. Edwards and Kelcey will examine the air service needs of the community and will provide recommendations as to the feasibility of recruiting scheduled airlines to the New Century Air Center.
Israel Aircraft Industries reported significant gains in profits for 2000 while revenues increased at a more modest pace. The company said it had net income of $84 million last year, up 26 percent from the $67 million recorded in 1999. Revenues rose eight percent, from $2.02 billion in 1999 to $2.18 billion last year. The company also reported signing $2.6 billion in new contracts last year, an eight percent rise over the previous year.
Less than a month after it received a letter of intent from Mesa Airlines to acquire up to 80 regional jets, Bombardier landed an order from Air Wisconsin for up to 150 CRJ200 aircraft, including options (BA, March 26/145). The Air Wisconsin deal includes 51 firm and 24 conditional orders valued at $1.68 billion and 75 more options. "We are extremely pleased to be Air Wisconsin's partner," said Steven Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Aerospace, Regional Aircraft.
THE CITY OF CHICAGO got a first-hand demonstration last week of what a help a close-in, downtown airport can be in attracting new businesses. A contingent of Boeing Company executives visited Chicago last week as part of a scouting trip to help decide to which of three cities the company will move its new corporate headquarters (BA, March 26/147). Meigs Field, the city's lakefront airport, was used as the departure point for two helicopters that carried the Boeing team to a number of sites under consideration in the Chicago area.
AMPORTS expects to formally open its new FBO AvCenter at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) next month. The 40,000-square-foot facility includes a passenger terminal, heated hangar space, two large conference rooms and a VIP suite, an expanded maintenance area and new ramp deicing system.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT is reviewing its production lines over the next 30 days to consider which programs may be scaled back.The announcement of possible production cuts came as Raytheon Friday began eliminating 450 administrative and managerial positions from its Kansas operations (BA, April 9/169). See articles below.
Model AS350B, B1, B2, B3, BA, C, D, D1, and AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-12-AD) - proposes superseding an existing AD that requires measuring the tail rotor pitch control rod outboard spherical bearing for radial and axial play and replacing the control rod with an airworthy control rod if the play exceeds 0.008-inch. This action would retain those requirements but would add the Eurocopter France Model AS350B3 helicopter and an additional control rod to the applicability.
Gulfstream Aerospace remains a major element in General Dynamics's continued strong financial performance, according to GD's first-quarter financial report. GD reported net earnings of $240 million on revenues of $2.7 billion for the quarter ended March 31. Profits include a $28 million gain from a tax-related adjustment. Excluding the adjustment, net earnings totaled $212 million for the period, a 15 percent increase over the first quarter of 2000, when GD reported net profits of $184 million on sales of $2.5 billion.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE named Edward Thomas director of sales for the Learjet and Continental business jet lines in a five-state territory comprising Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, southern Illinois and Tennessee. A Kansas City native and a graduate of Wichita State University, Thomas joined Bombardier in 1995 and most recently was an international Learjet sales administrator. Darius Sidebotham is the new director of sales for the Learjet and Continental lines in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Model 750 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-63-AD; Amendment 39-12169; AD 2001-07-04) - requires removal of a certain existing bulkhead web doubler, installation of left and right bulkhead web doublers, and enlargement of the lightening holes. This action is necessary to prevent jamming of the roll control system, due to inadequate clearance between the control cable and the web, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. FAA estimates that approximately 95 Cessna Model 750 airplanes on the U.S.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION President James Coyne, TAG Aviation USA COO Jim Christiansen, Business Aviation Services Vice President and Owner Linda Barker, and Signature Flight Support President and CEO Beth Haskins Tuesday urged senior Bush Administration officials to look first to increasing capacity before taking steps to restrict aviation demand.
RAYTHEON TRAVEL AIR has begun adding Challenger 601s to its fleet of fractional ownership aircraft. The first Challenger joined the fleet March 26, four weeks earlier than planned. "We moved up the schedule because the response we've received to bringing the Challenger onboard has been tremendous," said Raytheon Travel Air President Gary Hart. Raytheon announced plans to add the Challengers earlier this year, marking the first non-Raytheon-built aircraft in the fleet.
