When Igor Sikorsky dreamed about building the helicopter, he regarded it first and foremost as a life-saving tool. But he also envisioned that because of its unique capabilities the helicopter would do many practical jobs an airplane was incapable of performing. That vision has proven prophetic. Tens, even hundreds of thousands of people owe their continued existence to a life-saving lift by a helicopter. Beyond that, these remarkable rotary-wing flying machines today do things in matter-of-fact fashion that even its creator could never have imagined.
Avocet Lives! Israel Aircraft Industries engaged Forecast International to help it calculate the future market for its six- to eight-place, twin-turbine Avocet/IAI Professional Business Jet (ProJet). According to Jonathan Watson, director of Forecast's Consulting Group, the initial step was an online survey of a cross section of industry participants at a dedicated Web site. For the purposes of this research, Forecast defined the entry-level light jet market as all twin turbofan-powered civil aircraft with six seats and an MTOW of 4,000 to 9,000 pounds.
The National Air Transportation Association, Alexandria, Va., has promoted Jacqueline Rosser to senior manager, regulatory affairs. Rosser is also staff liaison for the NATA Air Charter Committee.
The last two active-duty Lockheed Martin C-141 StarLifters assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) were retired in ceremonies held Sept. 16, closing out the turbofan-powered airlifter's 39-year career with the active-duty U.S. Air Force. Crews from two Air Force Reserve Command units, the 452nd AMW at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., and the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, will continue to fly 20 C-141s until summer 2006, when the last StarLifter is scheduled to be retired. A total of 285 were built between 1963 and 1968.
The Global 5000's six, 8-by-7-inch CRT displays may look dated compared with today's large-format flat-panel screens, but they get most jobs done well. Bombardier's choice of colors, symbols and graphics is consistent and conventional, easing the transition to this glass cockpit. Honeywell's Primus 2000XP offers fully interactive system synoptic displays, and the Global 5000's Central Aircraft Information Maintenance Systems provide best-in-class maintenance diagnostic and troubleshooting tools.
The TSA is authorizing airport screeners to make more use of pat-down searches of passengers to detect explosives at airports in the wake of suicide bombings aboard Russian aircraft. New protocols also will include a requirement for passengers to take off outer garments, such as suit and sport coats, athletic warm-up jackets and blazers, for X-ray before stepping through the metal detectors.
As the NBAA's former senior vice president of operations, Bob Blouin, was preparing to leave his post after a seven-year stint, he paused long enough to grant B/CA an interview for our report. Here are his thoughts on the current ban on general and business aviation at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
King Schools' one-hour online pilot RVSM certification training course includes guidance from the FAA's recently issued Operational Policies and Procedures and also Basic Operator Information, as well as the latest DVRSM ``Frequently Asked Questions.'' Pilots who have previously purchased the King RVSM course will be notified by e-mail of this free update.
According to an AOPA bulletin to members, Safire Aircraft CEO Camilo Salomon has been locked out of his office at Miami Executive Aviation at Opa Locka (Fla.) Airport for failure to pay rent. He said he is continuing to pursue financing for his company to develop a very light jet.
If you regularly fly into places like Santa Monica (SMO), Teterboro (TEB), or Manassas, Va. (HEF), there's a good chance you've had to take evasive action to avoid an inflight collision with another aircraft. For whatever comfort it may be, you aren't alone. In fact, it's crowded out there.
Raytheon Aircraft Services, Wichita, has appointed Randall Deal as Northeast Region sales manager, based in Atlantic City, N.J. Previously, Deal was director of sales and marketing for Raisbeck Engineering.
The FAA is still the issuing agency for TFRs, announced via Flight Data Center (FDC) NOTAMs, although in the last two years the TSA, the Secret Service, the FBI, and other federal security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies have played an increasingly larger role in requesting them. There are eight types of TFRs that can be issued, including special notices and flight restrictions.
Michael Blake, a long-time Sikorsky executive, has been named senior vice president of Bell Helicopter's commercial business unit. Blake spent 27 years at Sikorsky, most recently as head of the RAH 66 Comanche military helicopter program, which was canceled early this year. Bell CEO Michael Redenbaugh said Blake ``brings skills and experience to help continue the journey to our vision . . .
Whether it's pilot training, aircraft type approval, operational certification, or the fundamental ``rules of the air,'' aviation is held to myriad standards.
Maintenance managers are responsible for providing their workers with a safe work environment. To that point, it's important to know that collectively falls are the second highest cause of injuries that result in lost work time. That is true for all industries. (The worst offenders are bumping into things and things dropping onto people.)
In an historic wide-scale employment of RNP RNAV procedures, Transport Canada granted WestJet approval to begin RNP 0.10 RNAV operations throughout Canada (for comparison, RNP 0.3 corresponds roughly to non-precision approach position accuracy requirements). The Canadian agency approved design criteria for the new procedures based on the U.S. FAA's Advisory Circular 120-29A, and, in an unusual action, delegated responsibility for the RNP procedure deployment to Naverus of Seattle.
The TSA is seeking comments on an interim rule transferring background check authority for aliens seeking flight training in the United States from the FBI to the TSA. The rule also includes security-training standards for flight school employees. The interim rule, which was published in the Sept. 20 Federal Register, establishes standards for the TSA security threat assessment process and proposes a fee to cover the costs of conducting threat assessments.
The NBAA is encouraging pilots to avoid filing multiple flight plans for the same flight where possible and to cancel other flight plans that will go unused prior to calling for clearance. Multiple flight plans cause ATC confusion and can result in delays. By reducing multiple flight plans, ATC will have a more accurate traffic demand count leading to better system planning.
Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW307A turbofan seems on track for second quarter 2005 certification and should meet the manufacturer's specific fuel consumption numbers ``with some margin,'' claims Catrina MacKenzie, vice president for the program. This assures the Falcon 7X (see ``Special Report: Dassault Falcon 7X,'' page 126) will make its scheduled first flight in early 2005. The engine is flat rated at 6,100 pounds of thrust up to 18.4C and it will enter service with a 7,200-hour TBO, according to P&WC.
Last summer, we were bumming around the local airport on a Saturday morning, chatting with the crew of a fractional ownership turboprop. Presently, the passengers arrived and the crew greeted them. The pilots quickly settled the folks in the cabin, stowed their luggage, shut the cabin door and started the right engine.
Hubert Laurenz Naimer, founder and president of Universal Avionics, died in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 12 at the age of 82. Naimer spent more than 40 years in the cockpit of high-performance aircraft. His love of aviation led to several inventions and innovative products, such as the UNS-1 FMS first introduced in 1982. Since then, over 15,000 FMSes have been shipped. Until his death, Naimer led the company and continued to work with his engineers on new product concepts and designs. His son, J. L.
Newly installed NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen outlined his thoughts on the future of the industry and his role at the NBAA at a luncheon Sept. 17 at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y. Approximately 500 people assembled in General Electric's corporate hangar to hear Bolen's speech, along with a presentation by Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell, which made the event the largest in the seven-year history of the association's REACHBAC meeting series.
Less than five years after NASA's Richard Whitcomb won the National Aeronautic Association's Wright Brothers Trophy for inventing the super-critical wing, the Rockwell Sabreliner 65, the first civil jet incorporating just such an airfoil, went into production. The Sabre 65's airfoil, designed by a team led by James Raisbeck, was completely redesigned forward of the spar to reshape the airfoil. More sweep and fuel capacity were added along with the change in chord section.
Dennis Day, chief pilot for Kellett Investment Corp. and O'Gara Aviation Co., both of Atlanta, died Sept. 10, flying his Christen Eagle. Day is survived by his companion, Ann Weiss; son, John; daughter, Kelly; mother, Donna; and brothers Douglas, Kevin and James. The family has asked that donations be made in his name to the American Cancer Society.
