The Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics has approved runway extensions at Monroe Municipal Airport (EFT) and Carl's Field (RPD) in Rice Lake, Wis. The WBA said the Monroe project would extend the RW12-30 to 4,500 feet in order to better suit the needs of business aircraft at the airport. In addition, Carl's Field will be lengthened to 5,500 feet and widened to 100 feet, and will include taxiway and lighting upgrades.
I am struck with the sturdiness of accident statistics in the face of society's best efforts to produce more palatable outcomes. The NTSB, for example, just reported that the total number of persons who died in 1999 in transportation accidents was 43,986 -- down two persons from the total that fell victim to such mishaps in 1998. Two people! And look at the breakouts by transportation category -- highway fatalities rose from 41,501 in 1998 to 41, 611 in 1999. Deaths at roadway/railway grade crossings declined from 431 to 402.
Four thirty nine Hotel, Albuquerque. I have an amendment to your clearance.'' Those words often make pilots wince as they contemplate burying their heads and hands in the cockpit to reprogram the FMS and other systems in response to new directions from ATC.
Mechanical failure is suspected as the possible cause of an October airplane crash, which killed Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, his son Roger and a longtime aide. Roger was reportedly flying the 1980 Cessna 335 at 6,500 feet when he reported a problem with its gyroscope. The airplane crashed in rain and fog in Festus, Mo.
Bombardier says it has received its 100th order for the new Continental business jet and construction of the first Continental (serial number 20001) is proceeding on track in Wichita. Bombardier introduced the aircraft at the 1998 NBAA show, and launched the program at the Paris Air Show in June 1999. First flight of the super-midsize business jet is expected by mid-2001, with certification following in third quarter 2002 and first ``green'' deliveries before the end of that year. As the Continental develops, so does its powerplant.
Avcon Industries hopes to receive certification for a long-delayed cargo version of Learjet 24, 25, 35 and 36 series aircraft by the end of the year. The FAA cleared the way for the STC with a partial exemption from FARs governing how smoke, flames or noxious gases are prevented from entering the cockpit. Avcon's Larry Franke says the rules were intended for larger aircraft, adding that full compliance with them would have made the retrofit cost-prohibitive.
Honeywell is developing a new avionics system designed to make IMC operations as easy as clear-weather flying thanks to the use of ``lifelike graphics.'' Branded the Bendix/King APEX, the new system is earmarked for the business and general aviation market, with versions for single- and multiengine piston aircraft, helicopters, turboprops and light jets. John Murphy, Honeywell's general aviation avionics chief, described the system as a ``breakthrough development'' that uses hardware developed for the space shuttle and the Boeing 777.
Reliance Aviation has purchased TAC Air Service of Miami at the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport (TMB). The construction project includes two hangars, which will increase the FBO's total hangar space to more than 80,000 square feet. Reliance also has added aircraft management, charter and sales.
The CJ2's standard avionics package includes a left-side, eight- by-10-inch PFD; left-center, eight-by-10-inch MFD with engine gauge display; and right-side, five-by-five-inch Smiths flat-panel EADI and EHSI, flanked by conventional air data instruments. Collins also supplies the RTA-800, 24-watt, solid-state weather radar, a single ALT-55B radio altimeter, a single solid-state AHC-3000 attitude-heading reference system, single ADC-3000 digital air data computer and FCS-3000 digital flight guidance system.
Flight Services Group and Del Monte Aviation, an FBO at Monterey Peninsula Airport, Calif., have entered into a partnership to jointly market charter flights for Del Monte's Citation III and Learjet 35A managed aircraft. The partnership also calls for Del Monte to expand its marketing and service operations to support Flight Services' other charter and managed aircraft.
Cessna has named Aeromont LTD at Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay and Wallan Aviation, located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as authorized sales representatives for its Caravan and Citation product lines.
Long before launching for the NBAA's 53rd annual convocation, I was well aware of business aviation's robust health. The association had presented me with convention facts and figures beforehand -- total number of vendors, booth space square footage, estimated attendees, aircraft on display -- which were all giddily impressive. Still, I was eager to get to New Orleans and take measure for myself. Once there, the full impact didn't strike until I began pacing the enormous Ernest N. Morial Convention Hall, most of which was full of airplane people and things.
Ogden Corp. has agreed to sell Flight Services Group (FSG) to Consolidated Lambda Holdings, an affiliate of Latsis Group of Greece. PrivateAir Holding, another affiliate of the Latsis Group, will manage FSG, in addition to its charter operation in Geneva, Switzerland. PrivateAir operates Boeing 737, 757 and BBJ aircraft, and says the addition of FSG will allow it to diversify its product line.
You can't expect much wisdom from the politicians and bureaucrats who populate Washington, but occasionally somebody from out of town shows up with an interesting idea. The latest to fit that description is John King, one half of the John and Martha King team that has produced and distributed some five million aviation training videos over the past 25 years. Addressing an NTSB General Aviation Accident Prevention Symposium in late September, King called for a major course correction in how student pilots are taught.
The DPS450 is a fully automatic, no manual sequencing unit that uses a menu-driven electroluminescent display and tactile membrane keypad with a controller that automatically generates and maintains the input altitude, airspeed or VSI values. The display is fully programmable for a range of test requirements and can be configured for individual aircraft types with limits and referred units of measurement. Barfield will offer the RVSM certifying DPS450 digital pitot-static/air data tester in January 2001. Price: $21,950 Barfield Inc.
Photograph: Piper Malibu Meridian With FAA certification received, New Piper's Malibu Meridian turboprop has taken precedence over the piston Malibu Mirage on the company's Vero Beach, Fla., production line. New Piper built 66 Mirages this year, but suspended production in August to put manufacturing muscle behind the Meridian program. The company claims 135 wholesale orders, and plans to deliver more than 100 Meridians in 2001. ``We met our performance and design goals and achieved basic certification within weeks of our original goal,'' says Charles M.
The FAA has certified Avidyne's FlightMax 850/750/650/450 series of multifunction displays. The 850 is designed for light jets and turboprops, while the 750 is mainly for turbines and high-end pistons. Rockwell Collins says it will offer a situational awareness package including the FlightMax 850, Collins TCAS and optional TAWS interface.
Labor considerations have led American Eagle Airlines to become the first U.S. carrier to buy the new, 44-seat variant of the Embraer ERJ-145 family of regional jets -- the ERJ-140. The decision to buy 44-seaters follows American Airlines pilots' refusal of their latest tentative contract -- a deal that would have removed the current 67-aircraft cap on the number of RJs (with 45 seats or more) that Eagle may operate.
Cessna Citation X aircraft for the 2002 model year will incorporate several improvements, including increased gross weight and engine thrust and an expanded standard equipment line. Maximum takeoff weight will be increased by 400 pounds, from 35,700 pounds to 36,100 pounds, allowing the Citation X to carry up to seven passengers with full fuel in typically equipped airplanes.
