A farm kid interested in aviation, college grad Tiahrt soon got a job at Boeing Wichita, and remained some 14 years. His programs included the Space Station's environmental controls, weapons interface on the Comanche and maintenance for Air Force One. A political conservative, he ran for a seat in the state house (and lost), state senate (and won) and in 1994 against veteran congressman Dan Glickman, whom he defeated. 1 What was Boeing's reaction to you running for Congress?
Starman Brothers Auctions is planning to hold its annual spring consignment auction of aircraft and related equipment on June 10, 11 and 12 at C.E. Page Airport in Yukon, Okla. All aircraft and inventories must be delivered before June 5. The headquarters hotel of the auction is the Biltmore Hotel of Oklahoma, which is located in Oklahoma City. For more information, call Starman Brothers at (402) 592-1933 or visit www.starmanauctions.com.
Signal Aviation Services, Inc., West Lebanon, N. H., welcomed Hobart (Hobie) Livingston to its Cessna single-engine aircraft sales team. Livingston has served as a USAir captain, director of safety at Pan American/Boston-Maine Airways in Portsmouth, N.H., and, most recently, general manager for Diamond Aircraft's New England distributorship based in Somers-worth, N.H.
And here comes Embraer with two new P&WC-powered small jets -- a $2.75 million six- to eight-place ``widebody'' VLJ and a $6.65 million crossover light (and entry level) six- to nine-place jet. Unveiled at a May 4 press conference in Washington, D.C., both will have a common fuselage cross-section, greater than the Eclipse 500 and Mustang, and will offer a fully enclosed lavatory, glass cockpits and FADEC. Embraer has estimated demand for approximately 3,000 VLJs and entry and light jets over the next decade, not including the air taxi market.
Rockwell Collins' Tailwind 550 satellite television system won an FAA STC for installation aboard a Boeing Business Jet. Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland, completed the installation. The multi-regional satellite TV system provides access to more than 450 television channels aboard aircraft flying in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Tailwind 550 includes a lightweight, fuselage-mounted antenna that provides reception on the ground and during all phases of flight. Tailwind 550 is certified on Boeing 737 and 747 models.
Designed for aircraft that do not have a conveniently located push-to-talk switch, ASA's portable switch mounts to the yoke with a Velcro strap. The switch will work with any general aviation headset, intercom and radio. This item is particularly useful for pilots who frequently rent general aviation aircraft that may not have a push-to-talk switch installed. Features include a low-profile ergonomic button, heavy-duty gold-plated plugs and jack, coiled cord, hook and loop mounting strap, and molded strain relief. Price: $24.95
Federal security officials are drawing closer to publishing a plan under which business aviation flights could return to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but they're believed to be insisting on some very burdensome restrictions. Sources detailed some of the conditions business aviation operators will have to comply with to get back into DCA, and it appears the hurdles will be significant.
CAE announced that European training for the Dassault Falcon 7X, Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy and Dassault Falcon 2000EX EASy aircraft will begin in the fall of 2006 at CAE's training center at Burgess Hill, U.K. In 2004, CAE was awarded an exclusive contract by Dassault to provide entitlement training for pilots, maintenance personnel and cabin crew for the Falcon 7X aircraft. In North America, Dassault training will take place at CAE's new business aviation training center in Morris County, N.J., which is currently under construction.
In today's environment of high security awareness and caution, aircraft theft prevention is a high priority for all aircraft managers. Raytheon Aircraft Services' Secure Start 1000 disables an aircraft's engine starting circuits until the correct code is entered via a double access code keyboard. After three incorrect attempts, a siren blast announces a possible intrusion. When the correct access code is entered, the keyboard flashes to announce that the circuits are unlocked. The tamper-resistant unit remains locked out and cannot re-engage during flight.
Designed for the busy pilot, the Pilot Portfolio briefcase has a padded pocket for a laptop computer, plus plenty of room for a headset, charts or a change of clothes. A padded transceiver pocket on the outside allows easy access to your handheld radio or cell phone. The protective cover flap conceals a variety of pockets for pens, pencils, AA flashlight, fuel tester, electronic E6B and sunglasses. The soft-sided design converts to shoulder bag with detachable shoulder strap. Overall dimensions: 18.0 by 5.0 by 12.0 inches. The Pilot Portfolio comes in a variety of colors.
The FAA is introducing 13 new area navigation (RNAV) departure routes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport that the agency hopes will reduce delays, fuel consumption and congestion by providing direct routing for properly equipped aircraft. RNAV procedures use information programmed into the aircraft's flight management system to provide precise flight path guidance from the runway to the en route airspace, with minimal communications between pilots and controllers.
Gulfstream Aerospace is claiming a speed record for a seven-hour, 19-minute Gulfstream 450 flight from DuPage Airport, 30 miles west of Chicago, to London Luton Airport. Gulfstream said the flight carried two pilots, a flight attendant and four passengers. The plane departed DuPage at 6:31p.m. (local) on May 15 and flew 3,500 nm at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.85, landing at Luton at 7:50a.m. (local) the next morning.
Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer's new senior vice president for corporate aviation (B&CA, May 2005, page 22), presented some specifics of the company's very light and light jets. The VLJ will carry up to eight people and be powered by 1,615-pound-thrust P&WC PW617F engines. Range will be 1,160 nm (NBAA IFR reserves) at 0.70 Mach with four people. The airplane is designed for short takeoff distances and is capable of flying at 41,000 feet. It is expected to enter service in mid-2008. The light jet will be powered by 3,200-pound-thrust P&WC PW535E engines.
President Bush nominated Edmund ``Kip'' Hawley as the next Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Currently, Hawley serves as a technology consultant in California and is a member of the FAA's Air Traffic Services Committee. Prior to this, Hawley was vice president of Transportation Services for Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, Neb., and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Executive Director of Governmental Affairs for the DOT.
Executive Jet Management reported 2004 revenue jumped 35 percent compared with 2003, reflecting a 35 percent increase in charter hours flown. The EJM fleet of more than 100 aircraft flew 28,451 flights, 2,150 of which were international. The company predicted that revenues will be up more than 25 percent in 2005 as new offices in San Jose, Calif. and Teterboro, N.J. and an expanding outside sales force continue to bring in business.
Gulfstream operators will be able to buy spare parts worldwide from representatives of either Gulfstream Aerospace or Aerospace Products International. Under an agreement between the companies, 33 API sales representatives will supplement Gulfstream parts sales representatives to provide worldwide spare parts sales support for the Gulfstream product line.
The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) called in the European Ombudsman to sort out a complaint of maladministration against the European Commission (EC). The association claims the EC published incorrect and misleading information on new passenger rights when flights are cancelled or delayed.'' We have been forced to take this action to ensure that consumers, who have had their expectations raised by the EC, get the correct information regarding their travel rights,'' said Andy Clarke, ERA director of air transport policy.
The Gulfstream G150, manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries, made its first flight from Ben Gurion International Airport May 3. The wider-fuselage successor to the G100 spent four and one-half hours aloft during its initial flight. The pilots conducted checks of handling qualities and systems, cycled the landing gear and operated the flap/slat system. Maximum altitude on the flight was 20,000 feet and the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 250 knots. IAI said the program remains on schedule for type certification by FAA and Israeli aviation authorities by early 2006.
It's as true today as it was for Charles Lindbergh and his not-so-lucky contemporaries in the 1920s. Outside of aerial combat, crop dusting, and airborne firefighting, perhaps oceanic crossings represent the most challenging -- and potentially dangerous -- operations involved in air transportation.
Stevens Aviation plans major improvements and expansion of its operations at Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) Airport in South Carolina, assuming its current lease, which expires in October of 2006, is renewed. The plans include building a new hangar and an operations building from which it will serve locally based and transient aircraft with fueling, flight planning, concierge, and other services.
The laser-based Visual Warning System went operational in the National Capitol Region on May 21. VWS, fielded NORAD in coordination with the FAA and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, illuminates aircraft, which have penetrated the NCR ADIZ and cannot be contacted by radio, with ground-based low-level red and green laser beams. The lasers are narrow-beam, meaning that if you can see the flashes, you are the target.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp. announced that its Integrated Angle-of-Attack computer system has been integrated into Universal's EFI-890R Electronic Flight Instruments to create a Low Airspeed Awareness (LAA) display. Premier Air Center's East Alton, Ill. facility recently certified the system in a Falcon 20, and is already working on a second installation and plans certification of a similar Safe Flight Integrated Angle-of-Attack computer
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's School of Corporate Training & Professional Development and McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week Group are presenting a series of seminars to address heightened concerns about aviation security. The three courses, which will focus on terrorist threats as they pertain to the transportation industry and provide insight into the means to combat the threat, are relevant to all public safety, law enforcement and transportation industry employees at all levels of management.
