A healthy, yet not overly hot, economy and relatively stable interest rates have continued what can be termed a buyer's market for aircraft finance. The ready availability of money to lend in the past couple of years continues.
A provision allowing federal law enforcement officers to order the landing of aircraft they suspect of drug smuggling has died in the Senate. The measure was tacked on to the now-withdrawn National Tobacco Policy and Youth Smoking Reduction Act legislation (July, page 15). In the House, meanwhile, Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) introduced a similar order-to-land measure as a free-standing bill-H.R. 3858. No action has been taken on it to date.
Mesa Air Group will move the bulk of its operations out of Farmington, N.M. by September, B/CA is told by new CEO Jonathan Ornstein. The carrier is looking at four locations-Phoenix, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.- all of which are major operational points for the airline.
Malaysia's new Kuala Lumpur Sepang International Airport also had its opening problems for commercial operations. Press reports said up to 13 tons of food went bad at the airport (no explanation why) and had to be hauled away. Corporate aviation has remained, however, at the old Subang airport, where the general-aviation terminal is to be upgraded. Although Sepang has a better road than Subang, the time to city center is about the same.
Midwest Express, the Milwaukee-based signature airline that offers first-class seats and service at coach fares, will be the U.S. launch customer for the Fairchild Dornier 328JET with a hard order for five plus 10 options. The aircraft will be operated by Midwest Express regional unit Skyways, which currently operates a fleet of 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprops.
The French contribution to the executive jet market began with Dassault Aviation developing the Falcon 20 (originally the Mystere 20), a light twin-jet executive transport with accommodation for eight to 10 passengers and a crew of two. The prototype first flew on May 4, 1963 and originally was powered by two Pratt&Whitney JT12A-8 engines. The prototype aircraft was later reengined with General Electric CF700 turbofans, which became the standard powerplant for production aircraft.
FAA is accepting comments through September 23 on a proposal to increase the weight limit for normal category helicopters from 6,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds. The proposal also would establish a max seating capacity of nine for FAR Part 27 helicopters. Currently, there is no stipulation on seating. The agency said boosting the weight limit will make it easier to meet increasing safety requirements and responds to the market trend toward new light twins.
Did you know that the average age of the U.S. business turboprop and jet fleet is 17 years and 16 years, respectively? Or that the 1,569 new aircraft delivered in 1997 were the most delivered since 1985? These and hundreds of other stats on U.S. general aviation are contained in GAMA's 1998 GA Statistical Databook. Copies are available for $10 each from GAMA, 1400 K St., NW, Ste. 801, Washington, D.C. 20005.
We were intrigued when we learned of a pair of new concepts that aim to provide alternatives to satcom. One idea is to loft a fleet of high-tech, remotely piloted blimps into the stratosphere to provide wireless Internet capacity. There, the blimps are held in geostationary positions in the stratosphere over a major metropolitan area utilizing proprietary technologies.
Dassault Falcon Jet is claiming a world speed record for a 4,574-nm flight of the 900EX demonstrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Teterboro, N.J. completed in 11+7 hours
In celebration of B/CA's 40th anniversary, each month throughout 1998 we will present excerpts from the top features published 40 years ago. We hope you find them interesting and fun. From the August 1958 issue:
FBOs will not have to pay a 24.4-cent highway tax on aviation grade kerosene, essentially a double-dip surcharge (December 1997, page 24). The Internal Revenue Service, responding to pressure from the National Air Transportation Association, has issued a clarification of an onerous provision of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 that would have required jet fuel to be taxed as highway fuel. To avoid the additional tax levy, the purchaser of the fuel-FBOs, wholesalers and airlines-must certify that the kerosene "will be used as fuel in an aircraft."
Four daily GA slots are now open at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport, but obstacles persist. At least one crewmember must take a written, one-hour test-in Tokyo-on such things as knowledge of approaches, frequencies, STARs and SIDs. In addition, aircraft have to stop at another international airport to clear customs both coming in and going out before using Haneda, and generally the landing slots likely will be in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, Air Routing International in Houston says that parking is available at Haneda, contrary to earlier reports.
The first production Bell 427 light twin turbine helicopter made its initial flight in late June, and has joined two prototypes in the test program at the firm's Mirabel, Quebec facility. Bell now has three 427s in its flight test program and is on target to receive certification late this year. To date, the aircraft have flown as fast as 154 knots at sea level and as high as 17,500 feet. The order book stands at about 70 aircraft.
FAA withdrew a 1993 proposed rule to upgrade the flammability resistance of seat and restraint systems on airplanes certificated to the commuter category of FAR Part 23-19 or fewer passenger seats and an MTOW of 19,000 pounds or less (January 1995, page 20). The FAA says the proposal no longer meets the agency's cost/benefit criteria because the aircraft it was addressing-Part 135 scheduled operations-are now being operated under Part 121.
Edited by Gordon A. GilbertPerry Bradley in Washington, D.C.
Users are more concerned about the FAA's ability to implement policies and procedures that will allow operators to take full advantage of the burgeoning GPS infrastructure than they are with the agency's ability to manage GPS technology itself, according to the consensus of opinion at a recent symposium.
The new Embraer RJ-135 made its maiden flight on July 4, some two weeks ahead of schedule. In two flights totaling five hours, the 37-seater was put through its full operational envelope, including flight to FL 370, a maximum 0.78 Mach, all flap and landing gear configurations and full stalls at clean and full-flap configurations. Longitudinal and directional stability at aft and forward c.g. also was explored. "All tests confirmed that the ERJ-135 flight characteristics are just like the ERJ-145," said Satoshi Yokota, Embraer vice president-industrial.
The outcome of this November's election will play a major part in shaping the congressional agenda for aviation legislation in 1999. However, assuming that Republicans maintain their majorities in both the House and Senate, one of the most important initiatives will be an attempt by Representative Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) to do for aviation users what he accomplished for highway users this year.
The proposed FAA Reauthorization Bill rejects user fees and includes protection for general aviation airports. In approving the bill, the House Transportation Committee rejected the Clinton administration's plan to charge user fees and to create a Performance Based Organization for ATC. Also included: The FAA will have to reverse its decision not to release airman mailing addresses and the DOT is instructed to upgrade Loran-C throughout the transition to GPS navigation.
Skip Madsen was appointed executive vice president and CEO at this Duncan Aviation facility. Litton Industries (Woodland Hills, Calif.)-James W. Winchester, Ph.D. moved up to president of the company's Aero Products division, a provider of navigation systems. He succeeds Leo Webrand.
The economy is doing fine and flight hours are up significantly. Therefore, business aircraft operators that are planning on major maintenance, interior and paint work should schedule their appointments now for work to be performed three to five months from now. That's the word from shops we contacted.
Dassault Falcon Jet's 900B is getting a large-scale avionics upgrade and, in the process, will become the 900C. Certification efforts are underway using a Falcon 900B as the prototype. Customer deliveries are scheduled to start in early 2000 with serial number 180. (SN 179, the first actual 900C, will become a Dassault demonstrator.)
