Atlantic Coast Airlines retired its last Jetstream 32 on December 3, 2001, and marked the event with an arrival gate ceremony for the passengers and crew of the last J32 flight to Washington Dulles airport. ACA had operated as many as 28 of the aircraft, all from Dulles, prior to beginning a phase-out of the type as part of its planned transition to an all-jet fleet by 2003. At this point, ACA operates 114 aircraft (73 percent regional jets). In 2003, the airline expects to operate 158 regional jets (96 Bombardier CRJs and 62 Fairchild 328JETs).
The $15.5 billion merger of Conoco and Phillips Petroleum will create the third-largest U. S. energy company behind ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco. Since the recent drop in oil prices, competition among the oil providers has intensified and some analysts say that the smaller companies will be swept away. ConocoPhillips' headquarters will be located in Houston. However, the company's research and development (R&D) operations and aviation services will continue to be located in Bartlesville, Okla., Phillips' home for more than 84 years.
Swiss civil aviation was dealt another serious blow in late November with the crash of a Crossair aircraft on final approach to Zurich (ZRH). The Avro RJ100 impacted terrain less than six miles from landing at night in light snow, killing 24 of 33 on board, including the two pilots and one flight attendant. It was the carrier's second fatal cash in less than two years. In January 2000, all 10 aboard a Crossair Saab 340B died when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Niederhalsi, Switzerland.
Nothing is more important than having the proper quantity and quality of fuel on board, so take the time to verify that the job of refueling is properly accomplished. In addition to knowing the proper procedures for fueling your aircraft, consider the following:
The first flight of the Bell 609 tiltrotor is now planned for midyear, according to Bell Helicopter. Four test aircraft are planned, two were to be completed by year-end 2001 and two this year. Certification is expected in late 2003. The Bell/Agusta partnership says it now has 85 advance orders from customers in at least 18 countries. Initial deliveries will be fulfilled from Bell Helicopter's Texas production facility, with deliveries from a new production line Agusta will set up in Italy coming on stream in 2006 or 2007.
The Citation Excel delivers on the promises made by Cessna when it was introduced during the 1994 NBAA convention, according to dozens of operators contacted by B/CA. Few operator groups surveyed by B/CA have expressed more satisfaction regarding the performance, comfort and utility of their aircraft. ``Every airplane is a compromise. The Excel isn't the fastest and it doesn't fly the farthest, but it's just the best in class. No other airplane in this class compares with the Excel,'' explained Jim Peters, Excel chief pilot at Executive Jet.
Fuel systems on corporate turboprops or turbojets often consist of a broad array of tanks, valves, pumps and sophisticated fuel control units. And while much of the operation of these systems may be almost transparent to the pilot, they still require a fair degree of knowledge on the part of the pilot to be properly managed. Nothing is more basic to our engine's operation than fuel, so having a thorough understanding of the fuel system forms an important cornerstone of our ability to safely operate the aircraft and effectively troubleshoot problems.
Savannah Air Center (SAC), an aircraft completions shop at Georgia's Savannah International Airport, has started its second expansion in order to keep up with client demands. ``Our business had already begun to expand, but we didn't have the appropriate facilities to accommodate the work,'' said company CEO Frank Dodds. ``After we have completed all three phases of construction, we won't have to lease space offsite anymore.''
``They ought to have the security at commercial airports that they have at Teterboro.'' Radio host and fractional owner Don Imus (``Imus in the Morning'') ``We don't want an airport, we want to continue working the land.'' Guillermo Olivares, one of the thousands of farmers who marched through Mexico City waving machetes to protest construction of a new international airport 15 miles east of the city (Associated Press) ``Business needs to react quickly and our planes go where commercial airliners can't.
NASCAR's recently formed Race Team Aviation Association (RTAA) traveled to the NBAA convention to help attract new members and raise awareness of the group's existence. ``We need representation for our aviation activities,'' explains RTAA President Wayne Cook, who is also aviation coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization was established a few months ago to promote air safety and improve communication with air traffic control centers across the country.
American Airlines, which purchased TWA in 2001, has retired the TWA identity for both its mainline and regional aircraft. On December 2, all former Trans World Express operations were renamed American Connection and moved from the former TWA counters to American's facilities. The carrier's aircraft also will be repainted in a livery similar to that of American Eagle. Carriers bearing the American Connection name now include Trans States, Chautauqua and Corporate Airlines, all of which feed traffic through the former TWA hub in St. Louis.
FlightSafety International's 14th Bombardier CRJ simulator and second Citation CJ1 simulator have received FAA Level D Certification, according to FSI officials. The CRJ-200 simulator is installed at FSI's Memphis Learning Center and is the second one at that facility. The Citation CJ1 is installed at the San Antonio Learning Center, which has undergone a substantial expansion with added classrooms, simulator bays and briefing rooms. The expanded facility now has a total of six Citation simulators.
King Air 100 and 200 aft jump seat kits by Aviation Fabricators are interchangeable with the OEM seats and installation kits. The company now has an STC and FAA PMA approval for the kits, which sell for about one-half Raytheon's list price.
Dr. Lavine says doctors face a learning curve with LASIK, but do not need to perform a high number of procedures to be proficient at it. It would be ideal if a surgeon had done at least 50 of them, but surgeons who are very skillful could probably achieve excellent results after having done far fewer than that.
The Canadian Business Aircraft Associa-tion (CBAA) will take over statutory responsibility for some business aircraft operating rules and regulations from Transport Canada beginning in 2003. Under a program called the Business Aviation Operational Safety Standards System (BA-OSSS), ``the industry will develop, administer and generally pave the way ahead for safety and other functional criteria,'' said Rich Gage, president of the CBAA. ``Government agencies will be reduced to oversight capability, and safety intervention as critically required.''
According to the Mayo Clinic, a leader in the field of health care, the complex structure of the eye is compact: Each of your eyes, lying within protective sockets formed by the skull and surrounding tissues, measures about one inch in diameter. The bridge of your nose, your eyebrow and your cheekbone protect the delicate workings of your eye. These bones and the tissues surrounding your eye are known as the orbit.
AvData, Inc. says fractional ownership continues to grow. According to the Wichita company, the major fractional providers now operate more than 650 aircraft for more than 3,300 shareholders who own more than 4,600 shares. The fractional leader, EJI's NetJets, operates 400 of those aircraft with 550 more on order.
Delta Air Lines and Western Michigan University's College of Aviation are seeking women and minority scholarship applicants for a ``European-style ab initio'' professional pilot program for college graduates and undergraduates. Delta awarded $1.6 million to WMU for scholarships to increase the number of women and minorities training for pilot positions with commercial air carriers. Applicants should have little or no previous flight experience and must meet both academic and aptitude requirements for selection.
It's a not-too-well-kept secret -- lethal firearms are sometimes carried aboard corporate aircraft, especially when they travel to ``dangerous'' destinations. The operators who carry have always been a small minority, but that may change. Since the events of September 2001, the numbers of corporate crews who are thinking about arming themselves is growing rapidly.
Garmin has acquired ADHRS technology with the purchase of the assets and technology of Sequoia Instruments of Los Gatos, Calif. ADHRS (Air Data and Attitude Heading and Reference System) technology places Garmin squarely on a fast track to develop a complete family of avionics products and integrated systems. ADHRS replaces attitude and reference gyros with a potentially lower cost, lighter weight, more reliable and less costly sensor package.
Able Aviation, an air charter and aircraft management company in Fort Pierce, Fla., has received repair station approval from the FAA and General Electric to overhaul all GE-610 and GE-CF700 engines. The new repair facility will operate under the name Able American Jet Propulsion and will include the maintenance operations for the company's two Learjet 25s and its management customers. ``This makes us the only GE overhaul facility in Florida, and one of only seven in the entire United States,'' said Gary L. Burdsall, Able Aviation's president and CEO.
Advanced Navigation and Positioning Corp. (ANPC) has received FAA Type Approval for its TLS (Transponder Landing System) precision approach aid. The TLS is an offset-sited Category I precision approach system designed for use at airports where terrain or limited real estate precludes the use of traditional ILS. Since it essentially spoofs an aircraft's standard ILS equipment into displaying CAT I lateral and vertical guidance relative to an approach path rather than the system's ground antennas, it requires no special equipment on the aircraft.
The new 2002 FAA budget contains a lot to cheer about, not the least of which is the prohibition of new, unauthorized user fees, the recognition of the value of the ASRS in its current form and WAAS funding.
Islip, N.Y. on Long Island is backing down from its $50,000 landing fee for flights arriving at MacArthur Airport (ISP) between 2300 and 0600. Islip enacted the ordnance imposing the fee on September 10, 2001, and while not collecting the new fee, supposedly in deference to the events of September 11, said that it eventually would do so.
