The FAA is proposing a series of regulations to permit greater use of enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) and facilitate installation without the need for special conditions. Under the proposal, operators would be permitted to rely on EFVS from 100 ft. above the touchdown zone to the runway on certain straight-in IFR instrument approaches, including Category II and Category III approaches. The proposal would also permit the dispatch and approach when the destination airport is below minimums.
International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) has topped 700 registered operators. IS-BAO was launched by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) 11 years ago to provide a series of standards and best practices that operators can voluntarily assimilate and document. The standard, which includes a safety management system program developed by the International Civil Aviation Safety Organization, has since become internationally accepted.
Evidently, I'm a helicopter highbrow, or a rotary-wing wimp. Or both. This realization came just recently. By way of background, our middle son is training to fly the AH-64 and was keen to have his parents share in the learning experience. Accordingly, and quite unexpectedly, he gifted us both with helicopter flight lessons. (No, not in an Apache.)
Rennes, France-based charter operator Voldirect SAS and Daher-Socata announced the French civil aviation authority has granted Voldirect and Air operator's Certificate (AOC) that enables the airline to fly commercial passengers on the TBM 850 in IFR conditions. The company is operating its first TBM 850 from Rennes Airport serving customers in western France. EASA is currently working on the development of its rules in order to add this type of operation.
In a bizarre and embarrassing gaffe while reporting follow-up details on the July 6 crash of Asiana Flight 214 during a landing at nearby San Francisco, a daytime anchor on KTVU in Oakland, Calif., told viewers on July 12: “KTV was just learned the names of the four pilots on who were on board the flight. . . . The NTSB has confirmed these are the names of the pilots on board Flight 214 when it crashed.
Capt. Edward A. Sarkisian (B757/767 — United Airlines Via email )
I read Ross Detwiler's “Two Tiers of Training” (June 2013, page 40) with great interest. I agree that we must leave the technology aside and “fly the plane” with basics when in a critical phase of flight. Let's not get distracted by the technology. Use it in its proper modes, and if idiosyncrasies occur, put it aside if in a critical phase of flight. I recognize Ross's name from TEB from decades back when I flew for several charter operations there, followed by a few different corporate flight departments.
Signature Flight Support Dublin Ltd. acquired the assets of gategroup's aircraft deicing business at Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW). This announcement follows BBA Aviation's acquisition of gategroup's deicing, washing and cabin cleaning business at London Heathrow and London Gatwick, which will be operated by Aircraft Service International Group (ASIG). Deicing services will be available to both business and general aviation as well as commercial airline customers, marking Signature's entrance into commercial ground handling services at Dublin Airport.
ExecuJet, Zurich, appointed Paul Desgrosseilliers general manager of the company's Haite Aviation Services, the company's joint venture with the Sichuan Haite Group, based in Tianjin, China.
A preliminary report of the facts involved in the July 7 Alaska crash of a TPE331-powered de Havilland Otter that killed the pilot and nine passengers was expected to be issued by the National Transportation Safety Board within weeks of the accident. However, no probable cause is likely to be determined for several months. The late morning crash of the DHC-3T occurred on takeoff from Runway 25 at Soldotna Municipal Airport. The aircraft (N93PC) was operated by Rediske Air, Inc., a long established charter firm and well regarded in the Kenai area.
You know the drill. Same stuff, different day during the simulator session. If it's Tuesday, it must be time for V1 cuts. Wednesday, it will be electrical malfunctions and engine fires. Thursday, we'll see single engine circling approaches. Just put an X in every FAA or EASA required box and let's go home.
David James (Director Swift Flite Pty Ltd. Lanseria, South Africa)
From the bottom end of Africa — Johannesburg to be precise — I would like to say how much I particularly enjoy your monthly Viewpoint editorial. Always informative, interesting and amusing! BCA is such a superb product — all of us in our small aircraft management and air charter business appreciate the hard work that goes into the well-presented articles. Great work. Director Swift Flite Pty Ltd. Lanseria, South Africa
One of the challenges of aviation's so-called Golden Age was the installation of radios. After all, how would you connect to the circuit to ground? The answer turned out to be using the metal airframe as a substitute for good old terra firma. Still, early radios were plagued with interference and noise issues. One solution was to add braided wire shielding to prevent stray electric fields from interfering with the radio transmission.
Raisbeck Engineering has earned Brazilian certification of its new swept-blade turbofan propellers for Beechcraft King Air 200 series aircraft. The higher-thrust props, which Seattle-based Raisbeck developed in cooperation with propeller manufacturer Hartzell, markedly improve takeoff performance without increasing cabin noise levels. Raisbeck says the new props especially enhance operations to and from higher-altitude airports on hot days and permit operators to carry greater payloads and fuel for more range.
ICG (International Communications Group), Newport News, Va., appointed Carlos Monsalve vice president Sales, Commercial Aircraft Systems Air Transport Division, responsible for the CAS global sales team, alliance partners and distribution network, in addition to assisting in marketing concepts and developing sales and product strategies. He reports to Armin Jabs, ICG's president of CAS.
A total support solution for Eurocopter helicopters in deployed operations was launched recently by Eurocopter, DAHER, DCI, Eurotradia and Vector Aerospace. Designated E-HOTS (Eurocopter Helicopter On Theatre Services), the consortium consolidates the five partners' expertise and pools their resources providing a turnkey support package that covers a range of services for rotorcraft in any deployed operation such as humanitarian and crisis relief missions, conflict zones and oil and gas exploration.
With the recent addition of Apollo Jets to its roster, the Air Charter Safety Foundation has raised to 104 the number of companies that are members of the Alexandria, Va.- based organization. Meanwhile, the Jeff Baum, president and CEO of Wisconsin Aviation and David Hewitt, president of Hewitt & Company, were recently installed as ACSF chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Baum succeeds Dennis Keith, president of Jet Solutions, LLC whose term expired June 30. Both Baum and Hewitt were founding members of the organization.
Eurocopter, Marignane, France, appointed Matthieu Louvot head of Support and Services reporting to Dominique Maudet, head of Global business and Service.
Business jets may be pummeled by pols in Washington, but they're certainly valued in Vegas. The annual National Business Aviation Association convention, set for Oct. 22-24, is now the fifth-largest trade show in the U.S. This year it will feature more than 1,000 exhibits displayed across 1 million sq. ft. of floor space, as well as the two static aircraft displays — 100 larger aircraft will gather out at Henderson Executive Airport, and another 10-15 piston singles, light turboprops and helicopters will be inside the Las Vegas Convention Center itself.
First it was Mexico denying operators overflight permits for alleged nonpayment of navigation fees. Now, it's Venezuela. Applying for overflight permits from the Venezuelan civil aviation authority Instituto Nacional de Aeronautica Civil (INAC), some international business aviation operators in the past year have been surprised when they subsequently received huge invoices for allegedly overdue navigation fees from previous trips. These can amount to tens of thousands of dollars, often charged for flights never made in Venezuelan airspace.
FlightSafety International, LaGuardia Airport, N.Y., promoted Christopher Weinberg to chief Information officer responsible for all aspects of FlightSafety's Information Technology programs as well as FSI's Competitive Advantage, Continuous Improvement, and Business Systems teams.
Musical chairs in Washington. In a rare 100-0 vote, the U.S. Senate in late June confirmed Anthony Foxx to become U.S. transportation secretary, succeeding Ray LaHood. The former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., assumes leadership of a Cabinet department that oversees the FAA, the Maritime Administration and numerous other related federal agencies. Two weeks later Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced she was resigning her Cabinet post and likely become president of the University of California system.
Bell Helicopter is re-entering what it calls the Short Light Single (SLS) turbine market with a new, as yet unnamed successor to the ubiquitous JetRanger. Since production of the latter ended in 2010, both the Robinson R66 and Eurocopter EC120 have rushed to fill the void. The new aircraft, which is to make its first flight in 2014, will be powered by a 450-550 shp Arrius 2R, similar to the EC120's power plant and the first Bell product to use a Turbomeca engine. The new aircraft will be a mix of metal and carbon fiber construction.
A modified Diamond DA42 will be used for flights over Alaska later this year to measure greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost. Aurora Flight Sciences has performed flights of its Centaur aircraft over the Chesapeake Bay to calibrate the specially developed measurement system. The twin-diesel Centaur was developed as an optionally piloted aircraft (OPA), but will be flown manned for the measurement flights over Alaska's Northern Slope, says Aurora. The research mission is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
