If you want to learn the secrets of an aircraft -- whether under the aluminum and composites it has the heart of a Belgian plough horse or is really a hangar queen -- ask the mechanics who maintain it day in and day out.
Saab Aircraft Leasing (SAL) is getting into the executive air transport market, with the unveiling at the NBAA Convention of a corporate-configured Saab 340A. The Saab 340 has staked its claim as one of the most popular regional turboprop airliners. Now SAL, and its partner, Piedmont Hawthorne, have developed a 27- to 33-seat business-class shuttle version, with leather seats and a full-service galley. SAL hopes that the aircraft will be the first of a new breed of corporate shuttles derived from the Saab 340A and 340B.
On April 28, 1988, a 19-year-old Boeing 737 operated by Aloha Airlines suffered the loss of a major section of the upper fuselage while flying at 24,000 feet. The NTSB attributed the accident to failure of the operator's maintenance program to detect corrosion damage.
New Piper president and CEO Chuck Suma says he'd have a ``tough time predicting'' what, if any impact, the Eclipse 500 will have on sales for the Vero Beach, Fla.-based manufacturer.
Pratt&Whitney Canada is moving its recently acquired Altair Avionics electronic monitoring and data capture subsidiary into larger quarters in Norwood, Mass., to accommodate expected growth. Altair designs, builds and supports electronic monitoring systems for airframes and engines and provides Internet-based data management services. P&WC wants its customers to use Altair software such as Turbine Tracker to capture and track engine parameter exceedances, and performance and usage data, and to generate trend analysis information.
Marion Blakey's nomination as FAA Administrator was approved by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate, and she has been sworn in and is on the job as you read this. During her live televised confirmation hearings before the aviation subcommittee of the Senate commerce committee, there was not a single unkind word said about the candidate. By the end of the day-long hearings, most senators were pronouncing her name correctly (there is only one l in Blakey).
-- Keep the aircraft clean. Dirt, grunge, grime and grease put moisture and contaminants in contact with metals, greatly enhancing the prospects of corrosion. -- Pay particular attention to lavatories and food service areas, and clean these areas promptly and thoroughly after use to avoid accumulation of contaminants.
The U.S. Commerce Department now has an online newsletter to inform U.S. aerospace and defense companies of foreign trade opportunities. The Aerospace&Defense e-Market Express lists trade opportunities and disseminates market research and lead information. It's updated monthly at www.oceac.com/buyusa/ame/index.htm.
Safe Flight Instrument officials say interest remains high in both its N1 Computer found on many Citations and the AutoPower System for Bombardier Challenger 604s. The White Plains, N.Y.-based company recently delivered the 400th N1 for installation on a Cessna CJ2. The N1 helps reduce engine repair costs and extend engine life with accurate displays of N1 thrust settings for takeoff, climb, cruise and go-around.
Transport Canada certified Bombardier's 86-seat CRJ900 on Sept. 13. Joint Aviation Authorities and FAA certification are expected soon. Bombardier established the program in July 2000. An 895-hour flight test program wrapped up in June at the company's flight test center in Wichita. The first production aircraft is being prepared for delivery to launch customer Mesa Air Group this month.
Lufthansa Technik reports that it will restructure its Hamburg, Germany, operation to make it even more friendly to big-jet corporate and VIP aircraft ranging from the BBJ and Airbus A319C. Company officials said that of 40 jobs currently under way in Hamburg, 30 are non-airline, non-military air transports. Over the past year, they said, corporate/VIP aircraft accounted for more than half of Hamburg's total business.
Pilots have dreamed of a day when they could receive the same kind of weather information in the cockpit as they could obtain on the ground, in real time. That day has arrived.
Bombardier, which has become a major international aerospace manufacturer through the acquisition of companies that have fallen on tough times, has a team of engineers in Germany to assess insolvent regional aircraft maker Fairchild Dornier in what could be the beginning of a takeover of the 728/928 programs. Bombardier apparently is one of three potential investors interested in taking over parts of the German regional manufacturer, but discussions with the other potential buyers are supposedly not as far advanced as those with Bombardier.
``It's not your fault. It's just that your name is on the master terrorist list.'' Unidentified ticket agent after detaining an innocent 70-year-old grandmother from boarding a shuttle flight (for the second time). (The New Yorker)
Di Blasi of America has created an angled NavPad kneeboard, which can accommodate a number of handheld GPS units or personal digital assistants (PDAs). The NavPad is shaped for a leg-conforming fit and is secured with a Velcro strap. The GPS or PDA attaches with Velcro to the front-top surface of the NavPad, which is raised 30 degrees to allow a clear view of the screen. Price: $49.95 Di Blasi of America, Inc. 2633 Lantana Rd., Ste. 19 Bldg. 207 Lantana, FL 33462 Phone: (800) 342-2214;
In its annual analysis of the business aviation market, Forecast International has projected that the hottest selling jets over the next decade will be in the entry-level category, followed by long-range jets.
Signature Flight Support, Orlando, has named Paul Reynolds as general manager of the company's DeKalb Peachtree Airport in Atlanta. Reynolds, who began his aviation career in the U.S. Air Force, brings over 20 years of experience to his latest position. His curriculum vitae includes Avolar, Executive Jet, Airborne Express and Westates Airlines.
We like to think that we have good judgment, and that regardless of the situation, we will always make the right call. We train, we practice, and we follow the SOPs. We use the checklists and follow the rules. But despite experience and professionalism, flight crews still get themselves into trouble -- sometimes deep trouble.
The prototype Extra 500PA turboprop crash-landed during a test flight just a week before it was to debut at the Berlin Air Show in May. Both crewmembers walked away uninjured. A spokesman for Extra said that engine response had not been immediate and that the aircraft's power management system was being studied.
EBACE 2002: Recipients of this year's European Business Aviation Awards are Richard E. Gooding, managing director of London City Airport, and Jean-Pierre Jobin, director general of Geneva International Airport. The awards were presented during the EBACE second annual awards reception and banquet in Geneva on May 29.
Jet Aviation's Biggin Hill facility won approval from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority to operate as a JAR-145-approved maintenance facility. The new status permits the Biggin Hill operation to perform maintenance, repairs, defect rectifications, inspections and avionics modifications on Citation, Challenger, Falcon, Gulfstream and Hawker business jets. The Biggin Hill operation includes two hangars totaling more than 55,000 square feet.
Duncan Aviation has won a string of STCs for installations in various aircraft. It received an STC for installation of the IS&S Air Data Computer as part of an RVSM package for the Gulfstream G-100. It also has approval for installation of the Universal TAWS and an optional MFD in Citation 500s and 650s, the Hawker 800 series, and the Learjet 55, which satisfies the upcoming Class A and B TAWS requirements.
Challenger 604s are now being delivered with the Bombardier/Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 PrecisionPlus avionics upgrade, starting at s/n 5500. It's also available for retrofit for all Challenger 604s as a $65,000 upgrade with a 25-day turnaround time or as an exchange package for $115,000.
Stevens Aviation Dayton at Dayton, Ohio (DAY), is now an authorized by Raytheon to perform heavy and scheduled maintenance, airframe maintenance and engine repair on Premier Is. Stevens provides turboprop and jet aircraft services also at facilities in Denver, Colo. (BJC), Nashville, Tenn. (BNA), Lexington, Ky. (LEX), and Greenville, S.C. (GYH and GSP).
