A US Airways Express worker at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was killed in early August after walking into a spinning aircraft propeller. The unidentified employee died instantly after being struck by the propeller of a Bombardier Dash 8 bound for New York's Westchester County Airport (HPN). The carrier suspended most of its outbound service on the day of the accident and resumed normal operations the next day.
Boeing received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for the satellite-based component of its planned Air Traffic Management System. The Boeing system relies, in part, on satellites to gather and provide data to pilots and air traffic controllers including communications, navigation and aircraft tracking. The FCC approval clears the way for Boeing to build a constellation of satellites to support the system.
It is ironic that as navigation systems have become more accurate -- thanks to GPS, high-spec flight management systems, and other yields of computerization and improved software -- the experts tell us we still need to attend to basics. These include crew coordination and adherence to good cockpit procedures, religious reliance on crosschecking, and faithful maintenance of flight logs and plotting charts. And just because you're flying behind an all-glass panel with all the bells and whistles doesn't mean you should forget about your dead-reckoning skills.
Aero Taxi, an FBO that provides aircraft charter and management at New Castle County Airport (ILG) in Delaware, is constructing a 15,000 square-foot hangar. ``We have been asked to make bids on several occasions in the last three months for corporate flight departments,'' said Air Taxi President Dirk Dinkeloo. `` In order to meet this demand we had to double our hangar capacity.'' Completion of the new facility is expected in.
Perhaps it's time to step back and take a look at the fixed-wing business turbine aircraft market and also view the fractional market activity at mid-year.
AviationNow.com, Aviation Week's Web portal has launched a new online video feature dubbed AvWeek TV. The new section includes stories relating to business and general aviation, as well as military programs, space exploration and the airline industry. B/CA Editor-in-Chief Bill Garvey is a frequent contributor, with B/CA Editors Fred George and Richard Aarons slated for future segments. Access to the features is free at www.AviationNow.com, which is also home to B/CA's Internet content.
Alaska Aerofuel has opened a new facility at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) offering operators a pilot's lounge, conference room, computer access, flight tracking, cable television, crew bedrooms with showers, crew cars and a courtesy van. ``Because of our location and low fuel prices, you will save time, money and travel distance as compared to other Alaska cities,'' said Robert Hawkins, Alaska Aerofuel's general manager.
Your reputation -- good or bad -- follows you forever. The way others regard your character is important since your future will probably be shaped by those opinions. When you manage a group of pilots and mechanics, your behavior will be measured right from the start. You will be expected to set the standard by which your department will operate. And when it comes to ethical behavior, you'd better set the right tone right away.
Adventurer Steve Fossett piloted his Cessna Citation X to two more speed records in late July. En route to his latest around-the-world balloon attempt, Fossett clocked 704.452 mph flying from Perth to Brisbane, Australia and 755.59 mph from Perth to Hobart. Fossett and his two copilots benefited from tailwinds as high as 174 mph. Once sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the feat will stand as the fastest aviation record ever in a non-supersonic aircraft.
Rifton Aviation has been FAA-certified to operate under FAR Part 135, which enables the Stewart International Airport (Newburgh, N. Y.) FBO to offer services as an on-demand charter operator. A Falcon 2000 was the first Rifton aircraft to receive the certification, and plans are to qualify a Gulfstream IV and a Citation Excel.
Healthy backlogs in the business aviation and regional airliner markets coupled with stability in its government business will help propel Rockwell Collins as an independent company, said company President and Chief Executive Clay Jones. Speaking to reporters recently in Washington, D.C., Jones outlined his vision of the recently spun-off Rockwell Collins, with plans to grow through strengthened and integrated product lines, acquisitions and alliances.
August 10: NTSB investigators are looking into the cause of a Papillon Helicopters Eurocopter AS-350 B2 Ecureuil crash in the Grand Canyon. According to eyewitnesses, the helicopter impacted a 3,700-foot cliff near Meadview, Ariz., and burst into flames. The pilot and five passengers were killed and the lone survivor suffered severe burns and internal injuries. The helicopter was returning to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas after a sightseeing flight.
August 6: The pilot and sole occupant were uninjured when the right main landing gear of a Raytheon King Air C90A collapsed on landing in Summerville, N.C.
The U.S. Senate is considering a fiscal 2002 transportation appropriations bill that increases funding for FAA operations and calls on the agency to boost its inspector staff and promote general aviation safety initiatives. The Senate bill would give the FAA $13.26 billion in fiscal 2002, including $6.92 billion for operations, compared with the Bush administration request for $6.87 billion.
By Paul Richfield Formation Flight for Business Jets and Airliners?
With help from NASA and Boeing, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) are developing ways to help pilots to fly multiple aircraft in V-formations, an arrangement that could one day reduce the fuel consumption of transport-category aircraft by as much as 20 percent.
Hillaero Modification Center, located at Lincoln Municipal Airport (LNK), Neb., is celebrating 25 years of performing refurbishment work on business jets and turboprops. Founded in 1976 by Doug Hill, the company has grown from four employees to 32 and now offers a full range of interior ``re-rag'' and exterior painting services. The company says it has worked on more than 3,000 aircraft and the demand for refurbishment services still remains high.
Flight Options' Gulfstream IV will star on network television this fall. Twelve contestants on NBC-TV's new reality series ``Lost'' flew from the fractional operator's Cleveland headquarters to an undisclosed location where their survival skills will be put to the test. The first two-person team to make their way to the Statue of Liberty wins, but they must do so with limited cash, no credit cards, no contact with friends or family, and without using ATM cards or frequent flier miles.
Aircraft structural icing is classified in three primary categories: rime, clear and mixed. The type of ice that forms on an aircraft is largely a function of temperature and water droplet size.
Now that regulators have vetoed US Airways' proposed merger with United Airlines, US Airways says it is focusing on the future -- a future the carrier says relies heavily on regional jets. The airline hopes to finalize negotiations shortly for the introduction of 50 to 69 regional jets for use on mainline routes. Plans call for US Airways' Air Line Pilots Association members to operate the RJs, which will replace larger jets on routes through hub cities without sufficient traffic to support the larger aircraft.
StormGuard, the newest data product from DTN Weather Services, can now download live weather images to your Palm/OS or PDA via a cellular connection. This means being mobile does not limit your ability to get reliable storm information. In the download, you will receive full-color radar of the four most current five-minute updates. In addition, you get city forecasts in three-hour increments.
The AOPA continues to fight an FAA effort to revise the airspace around Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. The agency has proposed changing the airspace from Class D to more-restrictive Class C airspace, largely due to heavy general and business aviation traffic to the island during the summer vacation season. The AOPA maintains that Cape TRACON and the tower at Nantucket provide sufficient radar and separation services, eliminating the need for Class C designation.
According to the NTSB's history of crash investigation, the number of aircraft that have ditched from 1996 to present constitutes only 1.4 percent of all the recorded accidents. What's surprising is that only 14 percent of all ditching accidents were fatal. Now bear in mind that the majority of the accidents occurred in light single-engine aircraft, but corporate aviation had its share. The following are examples of just a few of them. Pacific Pilatus
Lawrence Municipal Airport (LWC), Kan., is rushing to complete $1.9 million in runway improvements before the September 28 Kansas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race at nearby Kansas Speedway.
British Airways is aiming for a resumption of Concorde supersonic London-New York service late this month, and Air France's Paris-New York service will start about a month later. Before this can happen Concorde's certificate of airworthiness has to be re-instated to both airlines. A British Airways-modified Concorde flew two verification flights out of Heathrow and they are claimed to be a complete success by Capt. Mike Bannister, chief BA Concorde pilot.
The first 2001 edition of The Official Helicopter Blue Book is now available in loose-leaf and CD-ROM formats from HeliValue$. The Blue Book contains financial and technical details on more than 120 helicopter models, their year-by-year production history, original prices when new, and recent resale price ranges. Full subscribers to the Blue Book, which is published three times annually, receive The Official Helicopter Specification Book, or it can be purchased separately.
