On The Fly…

Lycoming IO-540 line back up to speed after airline lost parts…Charles B. Johnson took over Cessna from Russ Meyer…Bombardier Aerospace announced 3,000 job cuts, none in Wichita…Doolittle Raiders planning 61st Reunion at Travis AFB…Feminine side of Amelia Earhart featured in museum exhibit…Boeing’s efficient airliner will come in two sizes…EAA published AirVenture planning guide.

Lycoming has smoothed out a minor production glitch in its IO-540 recall effort. Spokeswoman Sue Bishop said the line had to be slowed down after problems were found in an unidentified part and replacements were temporarily lost by the airline shipping them. Everything's back up to speed now and the schedule is being maintained...

There's been a change at the top at Cessna. The company announced Sunday that President and Chief Operating Officer Charles B. Johnson is taking over full responsibility for Cessna from current CEO and Chairman Russ Meyer. Meyer will remain as chairman and "be involved in strategic business matters." Johnson has been with the company since 1979 and has been president since 1997...

Bombardier Aerospace is cutting another 3,000 jobs at its plants in Toronto, Montreal and Belfast in the seemingly endless effort by the industry to rationalize some of the worst market conditions in decades. And although Bombardier's Wichita plant was spared, the announcement came as the U.S. Department of Labor released statistics showing aerospace employment is at its lowest level since 1953, with 689,000 jobs...

The Doolittle Raiders will mark the 61st anniversary of their historic bombing raid over Tokyo April 18 at Travis Air Force Base. Surviving members of the 16 B-25 crews that took off from the carrier USS Hornet only to run out of fuel over China will attend a gala featuring actor Cliff Robertson as keynote speaker...

Amelia Earhart's feminine side is featured in an exhibit at Purdue University's Stewart Center Gallery. The exhibit includes medals, love letters, fan mail and photos of the aviatrix with Purdue coeds. Gallery director Craig Martin said the exhibit shows her role and impact on Purdue and "some indications of her importance as a feminist"...

Boeing will build two versions of its 7E7 super-efficient airliner. The company is planning a Model 300 that will seat up to 220 passengers and a 400 that will accommodate 250. Boeing continues to claim that engine advances, lighter materials and aerodynamic advances will create an airliner that flies faster but uses less fuel than current designs, including the best Airbus has to offer...

Now's the time to start planning your trip to EAA AirVenture 2003. EAA has published the latest version of its Oshkosh Planning Guide. It's on the EAA Web site and offers tips on how to get there, where to stay and how to make sure you don't miss anything at flying's biggest love-in.