The National Air Transportation Association's Jim Coyne noted recent accidents involving charter operations raise questions about ``what we can do as an industry to improve safety.'' The association is working with its charter-operating members to develop recommendations for proactive charter-safety programs. But he said one of the first steps for improving safety must come from the federal government. ``We do not have good data at the federal level,'' he said, citing studies highlighting the FAA's lack of information on charter activity.
Elliott Aviation was awarded an STC to install a Rockwell Collins TCAS-4000 TCAS II/ACAS along with Transponder Flight ID aboard King Air B200 and 350 turboprops that are equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
Voyager Jet Center, Pittsburgh, named Karl Foerster vice president, director of operations. Foerster joined the company in 2003 following 13 years as a pilot with US Airways.
Anyone who has experienced a wheel or tire failure during a tire pressure check will appreciate a device that can protect against this potentially deadly occurrence. Alberth Aviation says its aviation tire cage is designed for ease of use while providing protection not found on truck ``cage'' type systems. The unit is constructed from one-quarter-inch-thick steel plates and double walled on four sides for half-inch-thick protection. Its dimensions are 28 inches wide by 42 inches high by 45 inches deep, and it weighs 1,200 pounds.
(a) General. No person may operate a civil aircraft of U.S. registry -- (1) At cabin pressure altitudes above 12,500 feet (msl) up to and including 14,000 feet (msl) unless the required minimum flight crew is provided with and uses supplemental oxygen for that part of the flight at those altitudes that is of more than 30 minutes' duration;
The Government Accountability Office called on the TSA to develop a plan to implement a risk-management approach to strengthen general aviation security. The GAO, which recently released its long-awaited review of general aviation security, also said the FAA should establish a process to review and revalidate restrictions. The GAO said that while increased federal oversight is needed, ``continued partnership with the private sector is critical to long-term success.''
Aircraft Investor Resources LLC, a joint venture of Epic Air LLC in Bend,Ore. and TAM (Tbilisi Aircraft State Association) of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, plan to leverage their investment in the composite-construction Epic LT single-engine turboprop to create the Epic Jet, a $1.9 million, six-seat, twin-turbofan VLJ capable of cruising as fast as 385 KTAS, as high as FL 410 and as far as 1,300 nm. About the same external size as the Citation Mustang, the Epic Jet will have a similar cabin cross section but about two feet less interior length.
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 was a massive tax package that took months of sometimes-contentious debate before it passed in Congress last October. The act contains well over 100 provisions, including some high-profile issues such as international trade tariffs. George W. Bush signed it into law on Oct. 22, 2004, without fanfare, but legislators ballyhooed the bill as a bipartisan effort that will ``end sanctions on U.S. exports, provide needed tax relief to U.S.
Piper Aircraft, known for its design conservatism, broke the mold when it earned certification of its PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV in 1984, soon thereafter renamed the Cheyenne 400LS when Lear Siegler briefly took control of the company. Focused on creating a machine that would outperform rival Cessna's Citation I, Piper's engineers stripped the PA-42-720 Cheyenne III of its PWC PT6A-41 engines, beefed up the fuselage, increased the pressurization and then bolted on a pair of highly flat rated, 1,000-shp AiResearch TPE331-14 turboprops to create a 350-plus KTAS screamer.
Business Jet Center of Dallas planned in December 2004 to officially open its new executive FBO in Oakland International Airport's historic original terminal. The highly renovated 7,000-square-foot art deco building, erected in 1929, contains two conference rooms, offices, pilot and passenger lounges with views of the OAK North Field ramp, a private outdoor patio, and a state-of-the-art flight planning center. The Exxon Avitat dealer is also constructing its own fuel farm near the FBO accommodating 40,000 gallons of Jet-A and 12,000 gallons of avgas.
On Dec. 1, 2004, at 1623 EST, a Gulfstream IV, G-GMAC, crashed while landing at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport. The two pilots, one flight attendant and six passengers were uninjured in the incident. VMC prevailed on arrival for the flight that departed from London Luton Airport. ATC cleared the flight for the ILS Runway 19 approach, sidestep to land on Runway 24, a 6,013-foot-long, 150-foot-wide asphalt runway.
Wing Aviation, Lone Star Executive Airport, Conroe, Texas, hired Bob Howie as a Gulfstream first officer. Howie was formerly a pilot with Executive Jet Management.
The condition of the ATC displays at the Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis TRACON facilities has ``become critical,'' the DOT's inspector general said in a report just released. While the FAA has begun deploying its standard terminal automation replacement system (STARS) at smaller TRACONs, the new system won't be ready for these four sites until at least 2008.
The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has set as its priorities harmonizing European and U.S. security issues, defining fractional ownership, licensing aircraft maintenance and operations, Single Europe Sky legislation access and pricing. Formed in July 2004 with the merger of the Business Aircraft Users Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers and Traders Association, the BBGA now has increased resources ``to do more for our members,'' said Chief Executive Mark Wilson.
The U.S. aerospace industry dramatically surpassed growth expectations thanks in part to the expanding military sector. But Congress and the Bush administration need to continue to invest in air traffic control modernization and remain proactive on the international front to ensure the continued vitality of the industry, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President John Douglass said.
Raytheon Aircraft has a new, lightweight acoustic liner for the Premier I that will allow normal conversation in the cabin of the business jet during all phases of flight, according to the airframe manufacturer.
Swissport Executive Aviation has created a new pilot lounge facility at its Munich operation with access to the main terminal complex with its shops and restaurants. Flight-planning facilities and Internet access are also available. The Web site is: www.swissport.com.
Owners of older turbine-powered business aircraft face some important retrofit decisions this year, as RVSM operations begin over North America on Jan. 20 and the deadline for installation of TAWS on many FAR Part 91 and Part 135 turbine-powered aircraft is less than three months away.
Bombardier Flexjet is claiming a speed record for a Challenger 300 flight from Carlsbad, Calif., to Bangor, Maine. The aircraft departed Carlsbad on Nov. 12, 2004, at 7:58 a.m. PST with two pilots, eight passengers and their baggage and arrived at Bangor International Airport four hours and 41 minutes later. The flight had an average speed of 572 mph (497 knots) and a maximum cruising level of 41,000 feet. The flight was carrying families that have children afflicted with juvenile diabetes in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Swallowing tends to open the eustachian tubes momentarily, but swallowing with the head tilted back can work better. -- Capt. Elwood W. Hopkins, Senior Medical Officer for the U.S. Naval Academy If one ear is slow to clear, it sometimes helps to turn the head and even the lower jaw away from the difficult ear. It can also help to begin to yawn while doing the Valsalva. -- Cmdr. Jay Phelan, head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the U.S. Navy's Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Fla.
To be a complete and effective maintenance manager, you need to be knowledgeable about hardware, but also a master of the ``soft'' skills like communication, encouragement, critique or, in a word, leadership. I was recently exposed to two courses that were quite different in focus and presentation, but both were impressive in their breadth, depth and effectiveness.
The Europeans are coming, and they plan to grab a larger share of the U.S. government's defense spending, according to the Weekly of Business Aviation. Officials of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) predict it will bring in $10 billion from U.S. defense sales in the next five years, or a quarter of the contracts for which it is competing. EADS' goal for 2006 is $1 billion in revenue from U.S. defense sales, but it ``plans to gross more from the U.S. defense market in the next four to five years.'' The $40 billion potential in the U.S.
Pilatus received FAA approval for an avionics package enabling the company's PC-12 single-engine turboprop to meet RVSM requirements. The PC-12 RVSM package includes two AM-250 altimeters coupled to a KFC 325 flight control system's altitude pre-selector, along with a dual pitot-static system. AM-250 altimeters can be purchased separately for aircraft already equipped with a KFC 325. RVSM system upgrades can be performed at either Honeywell or Pilatus authorized service centers.
Embraer could emerge as the biggest beneficiary of the airline fleet restructuring trend if U.S. carriers opt to heavy up on aircraft in the 70- to 110-seat range. In a report issued in mid-December 2004, Merrill Lynch rated Embraer the only ``buy'' stock among the civil aircraft producers it tracks. EADS and Boeing were both rated ``neutral,'' and Bombardier carried a ``sell'' rating. The Embraer 170/190 family can complicate predicting new jet demand, Merrill said, due to its versatility and relatively immediate availability to replace older, larger MD-80s.
