The FAA barred Santa Monica, Calif., Municipal Airport (SMO) from seeking new federal funds unless it lifts its ``unjust and discriminatory'' landing fees. In a Jan. 3 determination the FAA said that by implementing and enforcing its Airside Surfaces Maintenance Program (ASMP) and its associated landing fees, the city is discriminating unjustly in violation of ``its statutory obligations and grant assurances.'' The determination stems from a complaint filed by the NBAA on behalf of Bombardier Aerospace and Dassault Falcon Jet.
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), Chicago, added Elia Dragone as Northeast sales manager. Dragone, who brings over 20 years' experience in aviation maintenance to the position, was previously with Cessna Aircraft Co.
Because of the wide variety of previously owned Cessna Citations available, the market for these ubiquitous light jets in some ways reflects the state of the overall market for used turbine-powered business aircraft. For instance, newer models that continue to be produced by Cessna command higher prices than discontinued models such as the Citation 500. However, a closer look at each particular type of Citation indicates that, in many cases, each model has strengths and weaknesses that dictate its resale value.
The 1930 Memorial Day celebration in Burbank, Calif., was a spectacular series of events befitting the glitz and glamour of nearby Hollywood. An estimated 25,000 cars brought 200,000 people, including many movie stars, to witness the grand opening of United Airport, which was unabashedly heralded as the first multimillion-dollar aviation facility in the United States.
Since that last page ceased to be the ``first read'' every month, Viewpoint and Washington have brought meaning back to life! However, my faith was shattered in that there was one, or possibly two, errors in David Collogan's piece on Fred McIntosh in the December issue Washington, page 110). First, the definite. The Wichita State University accident occurred on Oct. 2, 1970, not 1969.
EFB hardware provider Advanced Data Research (ADR) and On-Board Data Systems (OBDS) have agreed to offer a bundled Class I/Class II EFB hardware/software package for the ADR Flite-Guide cockpit hardware family and OBDS EFB content management and distribution systems. ADR is based in Grand Rapids, Mich. OBDS is based in Montreal. Tom Murray, president of OBDS, stated that fleet-wide distribution and control of EFB content are key to establishing a formal EFB program.
If only it were possible for helicopter operators to operate full time to FAR Part 29 Category A takeoff and landing standards, they would have the same safety margins -- and peace of mind -- as do their fixed-wing transport brothers. But they cannot.
I've been reading your magazine for about six years and have always enjoyed it. I like the good grasp of facts your writers have about aviation (especially Fred George) as well as some of the great articles you've had including my personal favorite ``Jet Pets.''
The National Air Transportation Association is applauding the FAA's decision to again delay implementation of a Handbook Bulletin (HBAW 04-06) that would force some FAR Part 135 operators to implement more-complex aviation maintenance programs or seek STCs for removing seats on their aircraft. Released in August 2004, the bulletin covers Part 135 operators of aircraft with more than nine seats but that have removed, blocked off or placarded seats to enable the aircraft to be treated as if having nine or fewer seats for maintenance program purposes.
Jet Source, Carlsbad, Calif., appointed Deborah Shepard to the new position of executive charter sales representative. Shepard will be responsible for promoting Jet Source's expanding aircraft charter services nationally.
Hartzell Propeller Inc. says its new blended airfoil propeller system for the Adam A500 is the first production aircraft installation to meet the FAA's new stringent ice encounter requirements for pusher propellers. All new pusher propeller installations, such as the aft propeller on the Adam A500, must ingest airframe ice shed during an inadvertent icing encounter without causing a hazardous condition.
U.S. turboprop operators were involved in 45 accidents, of which 14 were fatal, claiming 34 passengers and crewmembers in 2004. Those totals compare with 50 accidents (18 fatal) that claimed 42 lives in 2003. The number of fatalities for corporate/executive turboprop operations quintupled -- from two in 2003 to 10 in 2004 -- the result of the Oct. 24 crash near Virginia's Martinsville/Blue Ridge Airport (MTV) of a King Air that was operated by Hendrick Motorsports Team.
Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250-C30 and -C47 engines -- Conduct initial and repetitive electrical-signal inspections of the hydromechanical unit (HMU) power-lever angle potentiometer. Replace the existing HMU with a new design HMU as a mandatory terminating action to the inspection requirements.
Ian Patterson joined international business aviation group PrivatAir as vice president of aircraft sales, acquisitions and management. He is responsible for the division's activities at PrivatAir's offices at Florida's Palm Beach International Airport.
Selenia Communications, previously Marconi Selenia, now offers the LOA-1000 Laser Obstacle Avoidance System for civil and military helicopters. The device uses an eye-safe laser radar rather than RF emissions to scan an area from less than 50 meters out to 2,000 meters around the helicopter's flight path. System software algorithms perform the echo analysis that detects and prioritizes obstacles and warns the crew in time to avoid a collision.
The FAA issued an Advisory Circular (AC 70-2) on Jan. 11 covering what pilots should do if illuminated by a laser. There has been a recent wave of such incidents across the United States. Essentially, pilots are to report such events to ATC using the specific phrase, ``Unauthorized Laser Illumination Event,'' followed by the UTC time of the event, position information in latitude-longitude or fixed radial distance (FRD) from a navaid, your altitude, the color of the laser, the direction and location of its origin and any other pertinent information.
The number of business jet accidents in 2004 increased to 22, which included five fatal accidents and 19 fatalities. In 2003, there were 18 accidents involving business jets, including eight fatal accidents and 16 passenger and crew fatalities. However, there was also a marked decrease in the number of incidents involving U.S. business jets -- 37 last year compared with 62 in 2003.
Cutter Aviation, Phoenix, named Jeff Smith director of operations for the company's FBOs at Phoenix's Sky Harbor and Deer Valley airports. Smith, who worked for Cutter on two previous occasions, is formerly of Flightcraft Aviation in Portland, Ore. In addition, at Cutter's Dallas Executive Airport operation, Neil Murdoch was named line service manager, responsible for increasing tenant space utilization and transit fuel sales, and Mickey Eidson was named aircraft service advisor, responsible for maintenance of King Air aircraft.
The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) plans to break ground on another new U.S. aircraft facility on Jan. 17 to deliver the CASA CN-235 surveillance and patrol aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard. The facility is located in Mobile, Ala. EADS also recently opened a new Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss. EADS CASA won an $87.4 million contract in February 2004 for two CN-235s for the Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program. Delivery is scheduled for 2006.
Duncan Aviation has been awarded a ``multiple aircraft type'' STC that allows it to install Honeywell's Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS) system on aircraft equipped with the manufacturer's Mark V or Mark VII EGPWS systems. The STC includes the option for an ``inhibit'' annunciator switch that allows flight crews to mute RAAS warnings for 30, 60 or 90 seconds. When the customer-specified time-delay expires, the RAAS system automatically resumes issuing audible warnings.
Gulfstream Aerospace has won an FAA STC for the installation of its Broad Band Multi-Link (BBML) ultra-high-speed Internet system on both the GIV and GV. According to Gulfstream, by using the SKYLink by ARINC Direct broadband service, GIV and GV passengers can access the Internet in flight at speeds (up to 3.5 megabytes per second) that are significantly faster than other high-speed data services. In addition, the airframe manufacturer says its service costs substantially less than those offered on commercial airlines.
An Airservices Australia subsidiary won a $15.6 million contract to manage six towers in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. Airservices Pacific, Inc. won the contract over three other bidders. The previous contractor was a subsidiary of British company Serco, which operates 54 other contract towers in the United States. The contract towers in Hawaii are John Rogers Field (an Air National Guard airport in Kalaeloa), Keahole-Kona, Lihue and Molokai. The towers in Guam and Saipan are at the major airports on those islands. The contract, which begins Jan.
3M Aerospace of St. Paul, Minn., has two new aircraft sealant removal tools -- SR Cutter and SR Radial Bristle Disc -- to replace manual scrapers used during maintenance and repair. The SR Cutter is a plastic rotary cutting tool designed to remove thick sealant layers quickly and without damaging the underlying paint, anodized layer, or aluminum of the aircraft. Available in 0.40-inch diameter and 0.83-inch diameter, the SR Cutter has an integral metal mandrel for use on right-angle drills at low (850 rpm) speeds.
AgustaWestland Inc. and AgustaWestlandBell will relocate and consolidate their Virginia operations to Fairfax County, Va., this month and hire 300 new workers. The companies, currently located in nearby Arlington, Va., will occupy 30,000 square feet at the Plaza America complex in the Reston area. AgustaWestland Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of AgustaWestland, owned by Italy's Finmeccanica. AgustaWestlandBell is a joint venture with Bell Helicopter Textron and is the licensee of the US101 helicopter.
