Piper Aircraft recently secured Civil Aviation Administration of China approval for its M-Class line, including the Piper Meridian single turboprop and the high performance single pistons Mirage and Matrix, clearing the way for the company to build a presence in the growing Chinese general aviation market. The approval comes as Piper in recent years has focused on international expansion of its products, lining up dealers globally, including several in China.
Colorado Springs-based Trine Aerospace & Defense has developed a Stage 3-compliant hushkit to help save Learjet 20 series aircraft from extinction. At the direction of Congress, the FAA is mandating the phaseout of all Stage II business jets by the end of 2015.
NetNearU, a ViaSat Inc. company, has joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). The aim of the WBA, together with its over 100 members, is to secure an outstanding user experience through the global deployment of next generation Wi-Fi. “Joining the WBA furthers our ability to collaborate with our partners and customers in the industry.
Designers attempt to give exceptional capabilities in all areas, including price, but the laws of physics, thermodynamics and aerodynamics do not allow one aircraft to do all missions with equal efficiency. Tradeoffs are a reality of aircraft design.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation introduced its new Icing Conditions Detector (ICD) available for all aircraft types. Ice accretion is a serious hazard to all aircraft. Even miniscule amounts of frost, snow, ice or slush on the aerodynamic and/or control surfaces of the aircraft can cause significant loss in lift and flight control.
The International Registry of Mobile Assets (IRMA), an online business that was founded in 2006 under the Cape Town Convention and Protocol of 2001, has surpassed 500,000 registrations covering 110,000 aircraft “objects” valued at more than $500 billion (U.S.). The registry is averaging 7,000 registrations a month, 68% of which are en
A low-cost flight director is under development by King Radio engineers. The price goal is in the $1,000 ballpark. So far no such device is available (or known to be in development) at anywhere near this figure.
RUAG Aviation has performed an avionics modification on an Airbus Helicopter AS350 B3e that provides significant advantages over the original avionics system, according to the company. Modifications include the integration of a Garmin G500H Electronic Flight Display and an L3 ESI-2000 Standby Indicator and a Garmin GTN650 Nav/Com Dual Installation. RUAG also installed an Avidyne TAS605 and a Cobham HeliSAS autopilot and a Freeflight RA4000 radar altimeter. Whelen LED strobe lights were installed on the fuselage.
Questions for Shawn Vick This management team really understands aircraft, their values, the companies that built them and the individuals and corporations that require them.
Cirrus Aircraft has begun offering its Performance Braking System for operators of Generation 3 and newer aircraft from Cirrus Direct, the company owned parts distribution system. The high-performance, single-caliper brake system uses tubeless tires and redesigned wheel fairings to improve reliability and performance. The system is standard on new SR22T, SR22 and SR20 models. Cirrus is additionally developing the upgrade for earlier model aircraft. The system is priced at $15,300 for Generation 3 and newer models.
Garmin has received approval for its angle of attack (AOA) system for a range of general aviation aircraft. Garmin has begun shipment of the systems, which comprise a GI 260 AOA indicator, GAP 26 angle of attack probe and GSU 25 air data computer. The GI 260 AOA indicator provides audible and visual alerts as the aircraft approach stall angle of attack. The system corrects for weight, g-loading, density altitude and airspeed, providing a higher level of accuracy than lift reserve indicators. The system is priced beginning at $1,499.
The wait is over. On October 14, Gulfstream rolled out the G500, the first of two models from its secretive P42 development program. In the works since 2008, the project actually spawned two new models, the 5,000-nm G500 and the 6,200-nm G600. Both look a lot like the firm’s 7,000-nm G650 flagship, but they have less range, smaller cabin cross-sections and lower price tags. The G500 is priced at $43.5 million and the longer G600 will go for $54.5 million.
Embraer Executive Jets on Oct. 10 officially entered the midsize jet market with the delivery of its Legacy 500 business jet to a Brazilian customer. The delivery followed Brazilian ANAC certification in August. U.S. FAA certification is anticipated within weeks, Embraer executives say. The delivery marked two celebrations the Brazilian airframer held last week. The second involved the groundbreaking on an 236,000-sq.-ft. expansion that will double its footprint in Melbourne, Florida. That expansion will provide space for U.S.
Cessna has shipped the first two of three Grand Caravan EX Amphibian aircraft to Hai Au Aviation in Vietnam. The third aircraft is to be delivered later this year. The aircraft are the first of the Grand Caravan EX Amphibians to be operated in Vietnam. The aircraft are configured to seat up to 12 passengers for a range of missions, including scenic flights, transport and customized flights.
Top-notch military, airline and business aircraft flight operations have multiple layers of defense that trap risks before they can develop into mishaps. Among them are Federal Aviation Regulations, aircraft documents and manuals, safety management systems (SMSes) and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Other models use different labels, but they all illustrate multiple layers for trapping pilot errors.
In June 1968, I was among a group of despondent U.S. Air Force lieutenants hanging around the operations desk at the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phu Cat Air Base in South Vietnam. One of our friends had spread himself and his airplane over a quarter mile of rice paddy that morning. The most likely cause of the tragedy was that he’d stared a second too long at the target on his second low-angle pass. Nevertheless, he was dead, we were dejected and facing a reality, given this man’s suddenly changed status, that we had not seriously considered.
OK, everybody, listen up. On Friday afternoon between 1:00 and 5:45 and then again from 9:15 that night until about midnight Saturday you're to stay put. There's someone more important than you coming to visit, and we don't want you in the way causing trouble. Got it?
The entry-level light jet market is awash in inventory and the flood isn’t going to recede anytime soon. That creates some great bargains for used aircraft buyers. And one of the best buys out there is Embraer’s Phenom 100 because of its clean-sheet, low-drag airframe, space efficiency, operating economy and jetliner-like reliability.
RUAG is now providing real wood flooring as an option for owners and operators looking to enhance the quality of their cabin environment. Developed by Austria’s LIST components and furniture GmbH, the wood flooring can be installed by RUAG on various aircraft types.
FlightSafety International is offering online training for the ground school portion of its Gulfstream G550 recurrent pilot training course. The course is offered to pilots who operate their aircraft under FAA or EASA regulations. It replaces two days of the recurrent training course normally taken at a Learning Center and includes a 13-hr.
Pelican Products Inc., introduced the Pelican ProGear 238R lightweight, rechargeable LED flashlight that uses Fraen patented dual reflector optics. The flashlight has three modes — high, low and strobe. A battery canister is included that will accept two disposal CR123 lithium batteries to allow for alternative or extended use.
CAVU Companies released the new version of EFB-Pro for iPad/IPhone with two new features. The Fuel Tankering module helps operators decide whether tankering fuel is an economical option. Landing fee rebates with minimum purchase are also factored into the solution and calculations are aircraft specific.
