While U.S. flight operations have remained flat in recent years, European operations are continuing to slide year over year, particularly in the western countries, according to the latest figures by Eurocontrol. Operations have climbed throughout the year in Europe, but when compared with the previous year's levels, traffic is down across the board. And 2012 levels were down from 2011. In July, the number of arrivals in Europe was 3% fewer. Departures were down 2.2%, internal flights within Europe were off 2.8% and overflights through Europe were down 3.3%.
Not long from now, it is likely you will receive an instruction like this from the control tower of a U.S. civil airport: "You are number two to land, Runway Two-Seven Right, behind the UAV on short final. Say contact.”
Water utility is now possible for operators of Brantly helicopters with the recent certification of floats. Neoprene treated fabric floats, developed and manufactured by Garrett Corp., measure 168-in. long by 20-in. diameter, weigh only 40 lb., are interchangeable with regular gear and allow top speed of 90 mph.
Surf Air, a membership airline that began operations between three California cities in June using three Pilatus PC-12s has placed 25 pilots on its roster and is adding more. Meanwhile, FlexJet, Bombardier's Dallas-based fractional program, says sustained growth is prompting it to hire more front-seaters. Interested applicants should have at least 2,500 hours of total flight time, 500 of which should be multiengine and 500 turbine, plus an ATP and a First Class medical.
Since guide dogs, alert dogs and other animals often accompany disabled people in their travels, be sure to consider not only where the animal will be stationed once aboard the aircraft, but where the animal will be able to relieve itself before, during and after long flights. Also, define who is responsible for providing escort assistance to an airport service animal relief area and how passengers accompanied by a service animal can obtain assistance for this purpose. And bring a scooper, just in case.
SimCom Training has completed the first initial training course for the new Total Eclipse using its recently qualified level-D full-flight simulator equipped with new IFMS avionics. The six-day course includes ground school, 14 hr. of brief/debrief time, and 18 hr. of simulator training. “The new simulator is extremely realistic and allows you to train for every conceivable emergency,” said Mike Bryant, the first customer to complete the new program.
Nextant Aerospace, Cleveland, appointed James Immke to vice president of Quality and Safety. He joined the company in 2010 and has over 20 years of quality and safety experience in highly regulated industries, including aerospace and defense.
A young American company is reporting steady progress in its development of a water-cooled, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged 350-hp “Flat-V” diesel engine intended to replace gasoline power plants on light general aviation aircraft and for use in unmanned aerial vehicles. Engineered Propulsion Systems, Inc. (EPS) says its Vision 350 has now undergone heat-load and high- altitude tests, along with vibration testing when fitted with aluminum Hartzell props.
Flight Display Systems, Alpharetta, Ga., appointed Aria Bahawdory technical sales consultant. He aviation background includes a four-year tour with the U.S. Navy conducting search and rescue operation; Imagine Air Jet Services and most recently he owned Mid Air Aerial Photography. Joyce Reeves has been promoted to inside sales coordinator and will serve as the main interface for all customers calling the Alpharetta sales office.
A “disabled” passenger today can range from someone on crutches after a skiing accident to renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who has managed to survive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) decades longer than his doctors predicted.
Ontario, Canada-based Flying Colours has been appointed by Raisbeck Engineering as an Authorized Sales and Installation Centre for the entire King Air product line. Previous accreditations from Beechcraft and Blackhawk will allow the company to undertake King Air maintenance, refurbishments, modifications and paint work in additional to full completions all under one roof.
Cessna Aircraft Co. selected Aviation Occupant Safety's (AOS) inflatable side-facing passenger protection system as standard for the side-facing seating configuration on the new midsize Citation Latitude business jet. AOS is a joint venture between two global safety restraint industry leaders: Aircraft Belts, Inc. (ABI) and Key Safety Systems (KSS).
To “unleash the potential for development of innovative civil applications” for unmanned aircraft in Europe, a 2012 European Commission white paper stated, “the first priority is to achieve a safe integration of RPAS [Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems] into the European air system as soon as possible.”
B. Coleman Aviation will develop a new Chicago-based FBO and general aviation facility at Chicago-Gary International Airport. Features include more than 25,00 sq. ft. of terminal and hangar area, and a 12,500-sq.-ft. airside canopy large enough to provide year round shelter for a Gulfstream V or Bombardier Global Express aircraft. Completion is scheduled for spring 2014.
In 1990, Congress adopted sweeping noise legislation that called for the phaseout of Stage 2 airliners by Dec. 31, 1999. The business aviation community strongly objected to any similarly timed phaseout for business jets, because hushkits either weren't available for many models and a number of the aircraft were still too young to put out to pasture. Objectors also argued that aircraft weighing less than 75,000 lb. were inherently quieter than their larger counterparts.
While the FAA refused to provide an executive-level employee for BCA to interview on unmanned aircraft integration, its Public Affairs office invited us to submit questions. Here are the FAA's responses to some of those queries: BCA: Does the FAA have any idea how many UASes, both civil and military, are being operated right now in the NAS? How many COAs has the FAA awarded to operators?
The founders of Marquis Jet have struck a potential $1.4 billion deal with Beechcraft to launch new “private membership” venture, Wheels Up, which will be anchored around a fleet of King Air 350i's. The agreement includes firm orders and maintenance for 35 aircraft, with options for up to 70 more. Deliveries will begin this year with the remaining firm orders to be delivered at a rate of 1-1.5 per month, running through 2015. The options would then continue over the next few years.
LightSquared, Inc., may be going down, but not without a fight. The now bankrupt company had planned to use radio spectrum to create a wireless data network spanning the U.S., and was given a preliminary go-ahead by the federal government to do so. However, the GPS industry strongly objected, arguing that transmissions from the new network would interfere with existing GPS equipment used in aviation and a host of other industries and ultimately succeeded in stopping LightSquared after the latter had invested heavily in the project.
Pilatus has teamed with Beijing Tian Xing Jian Yu Science Co. to produce components and assemble PC-12 and PC-6 Porter single-engine turboprops in Chongqing, China, with China the intended market. The facility opened in August. Pilatus, which has initially committed to supplying 50 aircraft, notes that only civilian aircraft will be assembled at the facility, and the company has no plans to build components or assemble its PC-7 MkII, PC-9M and PC-21 military trainers there.
Yes, a picture can be worth a thousand words, and until recently, an aviator had to create a mental image of destination weather using charts and obscure abbreviations to make the final Go/No-Go decision. However, thanks to the Internet, it is now possible for a flight crew to actually see the current conditions at a wide variety of locations, including mountain passes, highways, runways and even FBO ramps.
Turbine business aircraft are so reliable, passengers are so predict–able and ATC services are so dependable that it's easy to slip into a cozy cocoon within which you're completely isolated from possible weather, mechanical, operational or physiological contingencies. In reality, though, “what if” contingencies pop up with alarming regularity. Some result in fatal consequences.
Transporting disabled passengers carries extra responsibilities and planning. Dealing with an emergency will likely require alternate procedures that should be clearly defined and reviewed before flight by the crew and the passenger (or accompanying assistant, if one is present). In a cabin depressurization, for example, how will the disabled passenger be fitted with an oxygen mask? In the event of a crash that damages the primary exit, how will the passenger be assisted in deplaning? For more on crash survival, see “Get Out! Get Out! (BCA, June 2013, page 26).
During the past decade, Cessna and Honeywell have struggled to grow Sovereign's Primus Epic avionics suite into a mature system. Block point upgrades have been slow in coming and much needed improvements have been released in dribs and drabs. The Phase II package, available as SB680-34-03, improves autopilot performance during approach, removes a CAS warning message when the APU is operated in flight and makes changes to the flight data recorder interface to certain flight control position sensors needed for JAR/EASA certification.
To no one's surprise, Richard Santulli is a major force in aviation once again. Before founding NetJets, the former Goldman Sachs wunderkind had begun RTS Helicopter Services, a leasing operation that grew to become among the largest such organizations in the world. RTS wound down as Santulli turned his focus to NetJets, but after severing relations with the fractional operation in 2009, the following year he founded Milestone Aviation Group.