Investor confidence in the business jet market has weakened somewhat, with investors who were formerly “bullish” on the market becoming “neutral,” Wall Street analyst Morgan Stanley reports. The good news for the market is investors aren’t worried about the market worsening. But Morgan Stanley believes the weaker outlook of investors comes from “all the false starts.” The analyst notes that forecasters initially expected the signs of recovery in 2010 to last longer than they did.
Rockwell Collins recently demonstrated its Pro Line Fusion for use as a ground control station and airborne avionics for unmanned aerial system applications. The demonstration expands the work for the avionics suite, which has been selected for 17 military, rotary wing and business jet and turboprop flight decks. Most recently Pro Line Fusion was selected for AVIC’s MA-700 regional aircraft.
My left leg had begun to ache, as is often the case on long drives. We’d covered some 711 interstate miles by the time we pulled into the motel lot in Johnson City, Tennessee, that day. I’d earned a steak, a bed and a tumbler of Jack, and not in that order. Tomorrow, another 350 mi. before reaching the gate. Ugh.
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.
Induction ovens provide improved cooking methods that enhance the quality of food preparation and expand the range of “cooked onboard” items such as eggs, toast, premium meats, etc.
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.
TSB investigators determined that the accident pilot was getting a briefing on the King Air’s instrumentation and avionics systems from the assisting pilot during the flight from Georgetown, Texas, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Maverick Helicopters, an air tour operator that flies routes in Nevada and Arizona, is expanding into Hawaii beginning in spring 2015. Maverick will open a base in Maui, Hawaii, its fifth permanent location, providing tours over the island. Maverick will use Airbus Helicopters Eco-Star EC-130 helicopters for the tours.
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 FAA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Safety Management Systems. This new rule would be applicable to operating certificate holders and not FAR Part 91. While safety is always on everyone’s mind, making SMS mandatory can be problematic, especially for small operations. Fortunately, if the new NPRM becomes a rule, there will be a phase-in period to give operators time to come up to speed. The FAA has a website dedicated to SMS at: https:// www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/sms/
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.
Too Much Pressure I am in no way minimalizing the tragic loss of life at any time in aviation. However, the comment (Readers’ Feedback, September 2014, page 11) that perhaps the pilots of the Gulfstream IV that crashed at Bedford, Massachusetts, this summer were influenced by a passenger’s reputed preference to depart immediately upon arrival touches on a familiar problem.
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.
What is the one aircraft system pilots seem to know the least about? During my book research; following presentations at gatherings sponsored by the NBAA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Flight Safety Foundation; and after countless conversations with fellow pilots, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the one activated by the small switch labeled “ELT-ON.”
Until recently, search and rescue efforts for downed aircraft were keyed to emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signals on 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz, the civilian and military emergency frequencies, respectively. ELTs are designed to activate automatically by the g forces experienced in a crash. The frequencies were monitored by orbiting satellites and ground-based mission control centers.
One common trait among maintainers is a strong curiosity about how things work. Many of us were inquisitive children who would take apart just about anything our hands could hold. Nothing mechanical could escape our exploration. With more practice, we put them back together without our parent’s knowledge. The ability to understand how things work and how to repair them creates a unique kind of satisfaction that the unknowing masses can never really appreciate. It becomes a part of our makeup, rather than just something that we do.
Hamstrung in its hiring efforts from sequestration cuts, the FAA late last year decided to take a much more open approach to hiring and on Feb. 10 simply posted job openings for air traffic controller candidates. In July, Administrator Michael Huerta reported he was “pleased to announce that the FAA has extended tentative offer letters to 1,600 candidates to join this proud team as the next group of air traffic control specialists.” Training for the class began last month.
There are times when you may be forced into a situation where you need to repair a part, but the manufacturer might no longer be in business or support the thing that needs fixing. In such cases, you can develop your own repairs, using acceptable data and good shop practices, but you will need to get approval. To learn how to do this, see FAA Order 8110.54a — Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Responsibilities, Requirements and Contents. Go to www.faa.gov and search for 8110.54a.
I was an unmanned aircraft expert until I turned 16. Up until then, I built squadrons of balsa and tissue control-line airplanes and competed with them. But then I soloed in a Cessna 150, discovered girls and forgot about toy airplanes.
What is the most-complex system on your aircraft? Which system is the most error-prone? If you are flying an airplane built in the last 40 years or so, chances are the answer to both questions is the same: the pilot.
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.
