During its planning and evolution, Honeywell's newest turbofan, the AS907, went through the same MSG-3 process as the Challenger 300 airframe it propels. The engine's design team included technicians from flight departments, service centers and the government, who helped to develop, build and validate the AS907's maintenance functionality. And once it was assembled, the powerplant underwent the most rigorous testing of any engine the firm has yet brought to market.
A boon to pilots needing ``special issuance'' medical certificates. The FAA has taken concrete measures to relieve the backlog of medical certificate applications that at times has exceeded 50,000. The FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division filled several critical positions that have been vacant, ordered mandatory overtime for medical review staff, and implemented a digital imaging system that converts paper medical files to an electronic format, allowing the applications to be processed electronically.
The U.S. resumed the drug interdiction program with Colombia that allows the use of deadly force against civilian aircraft. The ``Airbridge Denial Program'' had been suspended after the tragic shootdown of a missionary aircraft in Peru in 2001.
As vice president of tech services for a major express freight contractor servicing the automobile manufacturing industry, Mitch Noble has one of the most challenging jobs in aviation maintenance. It's not just that USA Jet Airlines, the operations end of Active Aero Charter, fields a fleet of 1960s-era McDonnell Douglas (OK, Boeing) DC-9s and Dassault Falcon 20 freighters; the Willow Run, Mich.-based cargo hustler writes response-time guarantees into its on-call contracts.
Last-minute international concerns slowed its progress, but the FAA has finally sent the new FAR Part 91 Subpart K regulations governing fractional ownership to the Federal Register for publication. FAA staffers are putting together a series of packages that will include new inspector guidance, management specifications, operations specifications and Advisory Circular material. The regulations won all the necessary governmental approvals in early July, but had been delayed as FAA officials gave them a final look.
There was strong language from another FAA union also. Tom Brantley, president-elect of Professional Airways System Specialists (PASS), accused FAA Administrator Marion Blakey (see ``Marion's Way,'' page 90) of using ``bullying'' tactics on agency employees. He said Blakey sent a ``Dear Colleague'' e-mail to ``many'' employees on Sept. 9 claiming there might be ``the possibility of a furlough'' if the administration's version of the FAA reauthorization legislation, which contains the contract tower expansion provision, didn't pass before Sept.
HiEnergy Technologies, Inc. has a technology it calls CarBomb Finder designed to detect explosives hidden in vehicles. Bogdan Maglich, the company's chairman, CEO and chief scientific officer, told our sister publication Homeland Security & Defense that the device uses an accelerator to ``bombard the target'' with neutrons. Legal restrictions in the United States would bar its use if anyone were within 3 feet of the suspect car, Maglich said, but it could examine them at screening points at FBOs and corporate flight operations after occupants exit a vehicle.
The Westchester Aircraft Maintenance Association (WAMA) held its 2003 golf outing at Casperkill Country Club, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with just fewer than 150 in attendance. During the event, B/CA's own Dave Benoff, aircraft maintenance editor, caught the duffers and swingers in action. At the evening's dinner festivity, the players had a chance to see themselves immortalized in a slide show.
National Air Services, a fractional jet operator based in Saudi Arabia, has contracted with MedAire, Inc. for a complete bundle of services. MedAire (www.medaire.com) will provide 24/7 emergency physician advice from its hospital-based Global Response Center, which can be contacted from anywhere around the world using an aircraft's existing communications system. The center also coordinates patient care on the ground. National Air Services' flight crews will receive both initial and recurrent training from MedAire in handling inflight illness and injury.
With Bombardier's Challenger 300 recently receiving its type certification, the super-midsize business jet derby has become as exciting a horse race as Seabiscuit's championship run. Now, as then, there are five main contenders for the trophy: Cessna's Citation X, Dassault Falcon's 50EX, Gulfstream's G200, and the latest, Bombardier's Challenger 300, are already well out of the starting gate, while Raytheon's Hawker Horizon is getting ready to step onto the track. How did we arrive at those five?
Wilson Locking Systems is now offering its PropLock anti-theft device for general aviation aircraft. About the size of a tissue box, the device clamps onto the propeller base in approximately five to 10 seconds. Any attempt to crank the motor throws the propeller out of balance. Constructed from manganese with a neoprene inner core, the PropLock is designed to be durable on the outside, yet not scratch the propeller itself. Price: Call for pricing Wilson Locking Systems 1295 Clark Rd., Ste.
-- AirNet Systems, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, has appointed Gary W. Qualmann chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary of the company. Previously, Qualmann was CFO and treasurer of Metatec, Inc. -- Boston JetSearch, Inc., Bedford, Mass., has added George B. Dom as a senior vice president. Dom recently retired from the U.S. Navy, where he held a number of aviation-related leadership positions, including commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. Boston JetSearch is an independent consulting firm for corporate jet buyers.
Stevens Aviation in Greenville, S.C., has developed a refreshment cabinet with room for two separate hot/cold one-gallon containers, capable of maintaining temperatures for up to seven hours without power, and large drawers for storing snack bags, upright six-packs and coolers. The cabinet, which features LED lighting, Lexan mirrors and Sorrell countertops, is approximately 26 inches wide, 32 inches high and weighs 55 pounds. Although originally developed for installation on a Piaggio P180, Stevens says the cabinet is readily adaptable to other aircraft.
The accident rate for professionally flown business jets and airliners has just about bottomed out at two to three accidents per million flight hours in recent years, according to safety statistics often quoted by Dassault and others. That's mainly because mechanical failures have nearly been eliminated. However, Dassault says, of the few accidents that do occur, about 40 percent involve pilot error or lack of action, and that's unacceptable within the business aviation community. The only way to reduce those kind of accidents is to improve pilot performance.
The Gulfstream III inbound to Aspen's Sardy Field (ASE) on a charter from Los Angeles was running late as it neared the Red Table VOR for a VOR/DME-C approach. It was just after sunset in late March 2001. As darkness and clouds filled the valley guarded by the high Rockies, the crew hoped for a straight-in to Runway 15. They had only enough time (and fuel) to make one approach before a night landing restriction would force them to divert to nearby Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL) in Rifle, Colo.
GAMA's board of directors recently voted L-3 Communications and Mooney Airplane Co. as members of the association. L-3 Communications will be represented on the GAMA board by Adrienne L. Stevens, president, Avionics Systems. Mooney will be represented by J. Nelson Happy, vice chairman, president and CEO.
The EcoMat is an oil-absorbent mat that has three components. First, a containment dish prevents oil and other petroleum distillates from penetrating to the hangar floor. Next, a reusable absorbent pad sits inside of the dish. Finally, a grid layer is placed on top, which allows liquids to pass through to the pad. The EcoMat is manufactured from rubber and polyurethane. It measures 25 by 42 inches and features a beveled edge and anti-slip foot cushioning. Price: $39.95 Willow Creek New Products P.O. Box 925 Nampa, ID 83653 Phone: (888) 930-4888 www.ecomat.com
AirCell Inc., announced that Robert L. Crandall, the retired American Airlines chairman, has joined the company as senior advisor and a member of its board of directors. AirCell is a supplier of cellular and Iridium satellite-based airborne telecommunication systems for business aircraft and airliners.
WiFi wireless Internet laptop connections are gradually spreading throughout airports in the United States, but growth will probably continue to be incremental as the industry tries to develop effective business models, according to Rebecca Khamneipur, managing director of the Wireless Airport Association and senior director of transportation security policy for the American Association of Airport Executives.
Owner William Bohlke sold his St. Thomas Virgin Islands FBO to Susan Howard Hancock, who has renamed it St. Thomas Jet Center. Bohlke says he is holding on to his St. Croix FBO. The St. Thomas Jet Center was completely rebuilt in 2002 with a 10,000-square-foot hangar/office facility. Hancock is a 20-year aviation veteran, having held positions with AVCARD, Mercury Air Centers and Jet Aviation West Palm Beach.
Cessna Aircraft Co. has selected Hillsboro Aviation as its authorized Caravan dealer in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Hillsboro was already an authorized dealer for all Cessna single-engine piston airplanes for Oregon and southwest Washington with additional shared sales territory for northwest and eastern Washington, and northern Idaho.
The Boeing Dash 80 has made its final flight -- to Washington Dulles Airport. The original basis for the Boeing 707 and the KC-135 aerial tanker designs will go on permanent display at the new Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven Udvar-Hazy Center. The test aircraft's arrival presented a media opportunity to photograph three generations of passenger aircraft parked together: the Dash 80, an Air France Concorde, and the propeller-driven Boeing Stratoliner 307, all to be displayed in the museum.
Mxi Technologies announced an agreement with Boeing to provide maintenance, engineering and logistics software modules for the Boeing Enterprise One comprehensive maintenance management system for airlines. Under the terms of the agreement, Mxi Technologies will supply software to support maintenance and engineering staffs and cover logistics functions, including spares procurement and inventory transactions. Mxi Technologies specializes in aviation maintenance management software.
As a particular aircraft type grows older and factory support for it dwindles or disappears, it is a sad but true axiom that a percentage of the fleet will be sacrificed to keep the remaining aircraft flying. In other words, beyond a certain point, the principal source of parts for the type will be salvage yards dealing in used pieces from parted-out aircraft. Terry White of White Industries identified the sacrificial segment as characteristically representing 15 to 25 percent of a given fleet that is not considered economically upgradeable.
