Air Canada is planning to consolidate its regional airline subsidiaries -- Air Nova, Air Ontario and AirBC -- into a single carrier. Joseph Randell, Air Nova's president, will head the new entity. Canadian Regional Airlines will join the consolidated carrier if its sale does not go through, Air Canada says.
The largest pilot union is upset over a television network's use of cockpit voice recorder tapes from a fatal airline crash. In a January 18 program relating to the English language proficiency of air traffic controllers and pilots, ``Dateline: NBC'' broadcast the final words of the pilots of an American Airlines aircraft that crashed into a mountain near Cali, Colombia in 1995.
Edited by Paul RichfieldPaul Richfield, in Las Vegas
Conspicuous at this year's HAI convention -- a show best known for displays of the latest helicopter hardware -- was one of the earliest rotorcraft: the 1945 Gazda Model 100 Helicogyro. The brainchild of Antoine Gazda, an Austrian World War I flying ace who designed the Oerlikon 20mm cannon used by both sides in World War II, the Helicogyro em-ployed a number of advanced features.
Ibis Aerospace is pricing its proposed AE270P turboprop at $1,895,500. The pressurized, single-engine turbine can be configured to carry up to 10 passengers in commuter configuration or six to seven as a corporate aircraft. The AE270P is a joint venture of Ibis and Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody. Ibis plans to display the aircraft at this year's Farnborough, Experimental Aircraft Association and NBAA shows. The AE270P will compete with such aircraft as the Pilatus PC-12 and New Piper's Malibu Meridian.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy David Rimmer, in Las Vegas
Despite predictions of a moribund civil helicopter market to come, the recent Heli-Expo 2000 show in Las Vegas was the site of much commercial activity. Eurocopter logged the first U.S. sale of an EC155 twin-turbine helicopter, an order for eight AS350B2 AStars from the Los Angeles Police Department and several other orders from law enforcement, EMS and sightseeing operators.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Mike Vines, in Birmingham, England
British Aerospace (BAe) has begun flying its corporate shuttle BAe 146-100 in the livery of its newly created support arm, BAE Systems. Leased from British Aerospace Asset Management, the 66-seat jet is one of eight aircraft the company bases at Warton, Lancashire. The aircraft is configured with a double club-four seating arrangement forward, and 58 passenger seats in the rear.
NTSB members and investigators believe fatigue could be the most significant factor in human error, and, of course, human error is a causal factor in 80 to 100 percent of accidents depending on how you keep score. Interestingly, fatigue is a killer regardless of the transportation mode -- air, rail, highway or marine. In 1999, the NTSB issued Safety Report SR-99-01 in which it urged the FAA and other transportation oversight agencies to step up research and education on operator fatigue.
Robinson R44 operators can increase their helicopters' utility with a new agricultural spray system from Apollo Helicopter Systems, a division of Airwolf Filter. Derived from an earlier system for Robinson R22s, the DTM-4 can cover 300 acres per hour in a lightweight system that's both fast to fill and easy to install. With an installation and removal time of only 15 minutes and tank refilling time of under 30 seconds, Apollo says the system offers greater productivity than other spraying platforms. Price: $16,000 Apollo Helicopter Systems
Pontiac, Mich.-based Aerodynamics, Inc. (ADI) has added 17,000 square feet to its aircraft interior shop. Now totaling 44,000 square feet, the facility can accommodate up to five Gulfstream-class aircraft at once. ADI, which has been in business for more than 40 years, performs interior modifications on Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Falcons, and has been a Raytheon service center for more than three decades.
The NTSB has recommended that all turbine-powered aircraft exempt from current flight recorder rules be equipped with ``crash-protected'' video recorders. If adopted, the mandate will first affect aircraft that carry passengers for hire, and take effect within five years of the FAA issuing a TSO (technical service order) regarding the devices.
Fifty years ago, a chapter in the long and storied history of Beech Aircraft ended when Walter Herschel Beech succumbed to heart failure at the age of 59. The Tennessee farm boy who had risen to become the president and chairman of one of the big three general aviation airplane manufacturers died quickly and unexpectedly at his Wichita home in 1950. However, his three decades of accomplishment as a 10,000-hour pilot, flight instructor, engineer and manufacturer qualified him as a true aviation pioneer.
Jeff Shapiro has been named president of Bristol, Tenn.-based subsidiary Edwards and Associates. Edwards manufactures customization kits and sells used helicopters.
Cessna is creating a leadership scholarship for students of Kansas State University's aviation maintenance and piloting programs in Salina, Kan. Juniors and seniors will be eligible for the annual scholarship, which is designed to help pay for the students' bachelor's degree, private pilot lessons or transitional curves for turboprop or jet training. Cessna has committed $250,000 to create the award.
Dan Stearns has been named Southeast Region account manager in the aftermarket sales group. Steve Wayman joins as accounts manager for the military and government sales group.
NetJets is equipping all of its aircraft with Vision Safe's Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS), which enables pilots to see even in dense smoke. EJA will equip its aircraft with units for pilot and copilot by September. An additional 470 EVAS units were purchased for future NetJets aircraft. FlightSafety International will begin EVAS simulator training this year.
Charter operator The Air Group has opened new offices in Chicago and San Francisco. The Windy City contact number is (888) 861-8676 and in the Bay Area it's (888) 606-8890.
Saying it's a ``serious and continuing problem,'' Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee, has called for the FAA and NTSB to convene a National Summit Conference on Runway Incursions.
Responding to a petition from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the FAA agreed to exempt certain local sightseeing flights from drug and alcohol testing requirements. The exemption applies to flights operated by NATA members for charity and community events operated in day VFR conditions no farther than 25 sm from the point of origination. Pilots must have a minimum of 200 hours, cannot fly in more than four such events per year and must submit to an alcohol and drug briefing from the event sponsor.
This month, Wisconsin Aviation will break ground on a 19,600-square-foot hangar at the Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wis. The new hangar will feature four bays, each measuring 70 feet by 70 feet and furnished with heat, restroom facilities and a vehicle garage door with access from the parking lot. Wisconsin Aviation recently added an FAA-certified avionics repair station to its MSN operation, with approval to repair a variety of avionics including S-Tec, Sigma Tec, Northstar, BFGoodrich, Century and Garmin.
MidAmerica Jet is leasing a second Jetstream 32P for on-demand charter. The company also operates Mitsubishi Diamonds, Beech King Airs and manages a Lockheed JetStar II.
The FAA has chosen Rockville, Md.-based Computer Sciences Corp. to develop software for the agency's Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CDPL). CDPL is designed to automate certain communications between flight crews and air traffic controllers, resulting in reduced errors, improved safety and less congestion, the agency says. Initial rollout is planned for June 2003 at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center with the remainder online by the end of 2003.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Mike Vines, in Birmingham, England
U.K.-based ``niche'' operator FRA Aviation plans to acquire Australia's National Jet Systems Group (NJS) in a bid to bolster its commercial flight and maritime surveillance operation. Pending regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close within the next several weeks, and is valued at $39.2 million. A unit of Cobham, Plc., FRA owns and operates one of the world's largest fleets of civil ``special mission'' aircraft, which are engaged primarily in providing air defense training for the British military.
