At the direction of Congress, the FAA is issuing a rule that gives several options to safely track and dispose of aircraft parts that have reached their practical life limit. FAA regulations already forbid the use of parts that have actually reached their life limits. The new rule requires a person removing a life-limited part from an airplane to use an approved method that deters reinstallation both after reaching the life limit or if so little life remains that the part should not be reinstalled.
Tucson-based Securaplane Technologies is one of the pioneers of aircraft-mounted security systems, claiming to equip 25 percent of the large aircraft corporate fleet (e.g., Falcon 900s, Global Expresses and Gulfstream IVs and Vs). According to Securaplane's president, Dick Lukso, the company offers three levels of ``embedded'' security systems:
The Groen Brothers Aviation Hawk 4 gyroplane will be used at the Salt Lake City Olympics as an observation aircraft by the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command (USOPSC), according to the company. Although the aircraft is not yet FAA certified, it will operate under public use laws and is expected to begin its Olympics service on January 20.
Gulfstream Aerospace says it will close its Alliance Airport completions center in Texas within the next three to six months, leaving most of the center's 355 employees and 80 contractors unemployed. The Alliance facility was the former headquarters of Galaxy Aerospace, which Gulfstream acquired in June 2001. While some Alliance employees with ``key skills'' may be offered other positions within Gulfstream, virtually all that will remain of the former manufacturer will be the airplanes themselves. Galaxy employed some 400 people at the time of the sale.
Cessna has formalized its emphasis on business process management with the appointment of David Porter to vice president of business process, reporting directly to Cessna CEO Gary Hay. Porter has led the start-up phase of process-based management at Cessna for the past 15 months, while holding the position of director, parts, service and customer accounting. The company has established design teams for diagnosis, redesign and implementation of processes throughout the company.
Mesa Air Group is growing its America West Express and US Airways Express fleets. The company announced that it has taken delivery of two Embraer ERJ 145s and nailed down financing for two more for its US Airways Express fleet, bringing its total ERJ fleet to 25. Mesa also announced that it had obtained financing for 20 of the 40 Bombardier CRJ 700s and CRJ 900s it has ordered to add to the CRJ 200s it currently flies in its America West Express contract operation.
A 7,000-hour helicopter pilot with extensive combat and commercial experience, Groen co-founded GBA with his brother, Jay, in 1986 with the goal of bringing to market a modern gyroplane -- an aircraft supported by a freewheeling rotor and propelled by a pusher propeller. They believe its $158-per-flight-hour cost and $750,000 purchase price will help their Rolls-Royce-powered Hawk 4, now in flight test, revolutionize the rotary wing industry. 1 The gyroplane virtually disappeared 60 years ago for want of a market. What makes it a good idea now?
It's only 5,948 nm between New York and Tokyo as the crow flies, but very few birds can make this journey nonstop. About 85 percent of the year, there's a headwind of up to 34 knots that increases the equivalent still air distance to 6,424 nm, assuming a 0.80 Mach cruise speed. Holding all other factors constant, a G-V, or any other aircraft having a maximum NBAA IFR range of 6,500 nm, can fly nonstop between these two cities.
The FAA's second annual analysis of runway incursion severity, expected this quarter, will show that the most dangerous types of incursions accounted for a lower percentage of overall events in 2001 compared with 2000, agency officials reported.
America West pilots are chipping in to pay their furloughed colleagues' COBRA health insurance premiums. Pilots voted in December for ALPA, their union, to assess working pilots every month to support a fund that will reimburse the out-of-work pilots whose health benefits will terminate on February 15. The fund will be active for a maximum of 12 months or until the last of the 179 furloughed pilots returns to work, whichever is earlier. Maintaining health insurance would cost some pilots with families as much as $900 per month.
Universal Weather and Aviation has introduced a group of international ground service providers called UVglobal Network. Universal said its network members are strategically located all over the world where corporate stopovers are common. All network members speak English and are uniformed for easy recognition. In addition, all locations offer operators phone, fax, Internet, SITA and/or AFTN cellular phone service. Maintenance and ground support equipment, including vehicles to support passenger handling, will be available at all sites.
``I found myself in airplanes with ever higher speeds and ever shorter wings until I was in a craft with no wings at all.'' Former astronaut Neil Armstrong during acceptance of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in Washington, D.C. ``I'd rather have marshals help on the ground than have them on the plane to shoot it out with someone -- at that point it's too late.'' Douglas Laird, a former security director for Northwest Airlines (Los Angeles Times) ``There are no hijackers on business jets.''
FlightSafety International, Flushing, N.Y., has promoted Anthony Graham to manager of its La Guardia Learning Center and George Ferito to assistant manager at the Dallas/Fort Worth Learning Center. Graham is an 8,000-hour ATP pilot and has served as a Saab 340 instructor and program manager. Ferito, who has three type ratings on corporate jets, joined FlightSafety from Bombardier's Flexjet program.
The AOPA has asked the FAA to drop its plans for proposed Class B airspace for Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). The association said declining traffic at the North Carolina facility is not likely to meet the criteria necessary to warrant establishment of Class B airspace.
Massachusetts will exempt aircraft and parts from its five-percent state sales and use tax beginning in March. The action brings Massachusetts in line with neighboring states Delaware, New Hampshire and Connecticut, which provide aviation tax relief to one degree or another. The AOPA was very active in supporting state legislators' efforts to strengthen aviation business in the state through tax relief, with officials calling it ``a rare win.''
Illustration: When a corporation is designing its helipad, the site selection needs to be level, free and clear of obstacles, and isolated from wandering executives or curious onlookers. This illustration gives an example of how such a site could be designed. However, the site needs to be designed not only for the company's current helicopter, but also for its future helicopter needs. It was 1:15 in the afternoon on a snow-covered helipad when the 43-year-old executive walked up to the Bell JetRanger pilot and asked for a ride back to the office.
Boeing has won the airborne two-way broadband satellite communications license race; it announced in December 2001 that the Federal Communications Commission has licensed its Connexion service. However, ARINC is in hot pursuit in a long race with many dark horses still to run. Boeing has positioned Connexion as an inflight passenger entertainment and information service with the entertainment content already packaged (by Screaming Media).
Mercury Air Centers, Atlanta, has appointed John Rahilly as vice president of operations. Rahilly will be responsible for the daily operations of all 19 Mercury FBO locations. Before joining Mercury, Rahilly was vice president of technical services for BBA Aviation, with responsibility for Signature Flight Support's regional maintenance centers.
Offshore Logistics, Inc. has acquired Pueblo Airmotive, Inc., the companies announced. Offshore Logistics is a major provider of helicopter transportation services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. Pueblo Airmotive will continue as an independent subsidiary of Offshore. It is a Tucson-based turbine-engine repair and overhaul station that specializes in helicopter engine maintenance.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Air Routing International will collaborate to create courses for the NBAA's Scheduler's Professional Development Program (SPDP). Courses will be developed by Air Routing and offered online by Embry-Riddle. The first course will launch this year. The scheduler program courses will be modeled after the ERAU's Corporate Aviation Management Certificate Program (CAMCP). The partners are considering development of additional courses that could lead to an SPDP certificate.
Cyprus: Two unidentified individuals attempted to gain access to the Foreign Broadcasting Information Service (FBIS) post in Nicosia in January. The FBIS is a U.S. government service that monitors foreign broadcasting in the region. The two men escaped and security forces conducted a search but found no explosive devices. A few days before the incident, Cypriot officials received information that al Qaeda operatives based in Lebanon might attempt a terrorist attack against U.S. and British interests in Cyprus. Source: AirSecurity
IMAR Corp. President Rob Shellow describes his company's Aviation Security Tape as ``probably the least technical security system ever invented, short of the deadbolt lock.'' Shellow, who has a broad background in law enforcement and government service, makes no claims to have originated the practice of taping over aircraft doors, hatches and access panels to determine if an airplane has been illegally entered or tampered with. ``It started with air crews using Scotch Tape,'' he said in an interview from his office in Bethesda, Md.
Edited by David RimmerBy David Rimmer Florida Airports Welcome Regionals Code-share turboprops replacing jets
Two Florida coastal cities that lost much of their scheduled jet service following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are welcoming new regional airline turboprop service.
