Edited By Paul RichfieldBy Paul Richfield, in Farnborough, England
Engine giant Pratt&Whitney (P&W) has launched a ``technology demonstration program'' designed to bring geared turbofan engines to the next generation of business and regional airline aircraft. Speaking at the Farnborough 2000 air show near London, P&W President Louis Chenevert said the Advanced Technology Fan Demonstrator (ATFI) represents the culmination of 10 years' work and more than $700 million spent on research and development.
Northeast regional carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines has placed firm orders for three additional Bombardier CRJ200s and options for 27 additional CRJs. The carrier currently operates 30 of the aircraft and had 36 others already on order.
Horizon Air hired 17 graduates of the University of North Dakota's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. The graduates will start as first officers on Horizon's Dash 8Q-200s and Fokker 28-4000s.
Potential injury or death can result from carbon monoxide emitted by a cockpit heater. Sporty's offers a Carbon Monoxide Alarm that is ideally suited for aircraft use. The alarm audibly warns when unsafe levels reach 70 parts per million. Measuring 1.0 x 2.5 x 4.0 inches, the alarm features a continual self-testing microprocessor, low battery alarm, and operates up to one year on a standard nine-volt battery (included). Price: $60 Sporty's Pilot Shop Clermont County Airport Batavia, Ohio 45103-9747
Mesa Air Group is negotiating to return 20 surplus Beech 1900D aircraft to lessor Raytheon, and refinance 36 others. Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein said the deal, if accepted, would remove $55 million in debt from Mesa's balance sheet, while saving $4 million annually in interest expense. Once the largest Beech 1900 operator with more than a hundred units in service, Mesa now is building its fleet of regional jets while shifting its focus from rural service to hub-and-spoke operations.
BFGoodrich will supply landing gear and flight control systems for Bombardier's CRJ900. BFGoodrich already supplies components for the CRJ100, 200 and 700 as well as the Dash 8-400.
Photograph: Cape Air operates 48 Cessna 402Cs in the Northeast, Florida and the Caribbean. All are approved for single-pilot IFR flight. The company's highest-time aircraft has 18,000 hours. Despite all the talk about regional jet proliferation and the death of the 19-seat turboprop market, one operator continues to buck convention and even thrive with a fleet of 10-seat piston twins. The subject is Hyannis, Mass.-based Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines, America's largest unaffiliated regional carrier.
Airlines and corporate operators that use a ``secret knock'' to tell pilots to open the cockpit door may want to consider another procedure, as irate passengers have broken the code.
MyAircraft, a Honeywell and United Technologies ``spinoff'' corporation, has developed maintenance management software designed to enhance maintenance planning and scheduling. The software is customized with each operator's criteria and can be used as a complete maintenance platform or integrated into an existing system such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). MyAircraft said they plan to offer the ability to manage and create customized revisions to OEM-supplied information, as well as provide controlled usage by maintenance mechanics in the future updates.
The FAA recently completed installation of the 20th and final Display System Replacement (DSR) air traffic control computers at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center in Leesburg, Va. Called the ``cornerstone in building the airspace system of the 21st century'' by Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, the computers replaced 20- to 30-year-old monochrome radar screens with color displays. Lockheed Martin manufactured the DSR, which was designed to accommodate software upgrades such as graphical weather display and other enhancements.
A majority of mechanics responding to an Australian Transport Safety Bureaus (ATSB) survey said that management is unaware of or accepting maintenance shortcuts. The ATSB survey of 4,600 Australian Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAMEs) also found that 69 percent of those responding admitted it was ``sometimes necessary'' to bend the rules while only 38 percent said management actively discouraged shortcuts. Pressure is the primary reason for cutting corners, the mechanics said, with the majority of pressure claims coming from non-airline respondents.
Avidyne's FlightMax family has introduced enhanced versions of the FlightMax 440 and 740 radar indicators. Now known as the FlightMax 450 and 750, both units offer terrain base maps, pilot selectable map overlay capability, the ability to display data from multiple sensors simultaneously and an optional interface to Honeywell's EGPWS. Avidyne says the new capabilities allow pilots to enjoy many of the same benefits of an integrated glass cockpit.
Cessna's Citation CJ2 received FAA type certification and a production certificate in late June. Launched at the NBAA convention in 1998, the CJ2 is Cessna's third aircraft to receive type certification this year, following the Citation Encore in April and the CJ1 in February. The CJ2 features Collins' Pro Line 21 avionics suite, Williams FJ44-2C engines, 10-percent more wing area and a 35-inch fuselage plug. Three CJ2s will begin customer demos in the fall, and customer deliveries are slated to begin later this year.
Kissimmee Airport employee Tim Shea has vacated his position as director of aviation. Shea says he is leaving the position to seek other career opportunities and spend more time with his family. The city of Kissimmee is conducting a nationwide search for a replacement.
Government regulators say the anticipated benefits of the FAA's planned Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) may no longer outweigh the program's mounting costs. In recent hearings, the House Subcommittee on Aviation said WAAS is now nearly three years behind its original schedule, and is still several years away from meeting its Phase I contract goals.
The DOT in June ordered 20 business jet charter operators listed on the Skyjet.com flight reservation Web site to justify their authority to ``hold out to the public'' (i.e., ``fly for hire'' or otherwise act in the capacity of a commercial operator). Each of the operators received a letter from the DOT's assistant general counsel for aviation enforcement and proceedings, a copy of which was obtained by B/CA.
Embraer has decided to fit winglets to its proposed ERJ-170 regional airliner, saying the modification improves fuel economy and climb performance while enhancing the aircraft's range/payload profile. The action was triggered, Embraer says, by performance gains winglets provided an EMB-145 equipped for the military airborne early warning role. Embraer says the change will not affect the ERJ-170 development schedule or time to market, and could lead to the installation of winglets on other Embraer regional jets.
Wood Group Turbopower has a new comprehensive warranty currently available for the Pratt&Whitney Canada PT6A Turboprop. The extended warranty covers workmanship and parts for the engines' full TBO, and extends for 10 years based on the engine. Wood Group was established in 1974, and is an FAA, CAA and JAA approved repair station specializing in PT-6 engines.
The NASA Aeronautics and Support Team (NAST) commissioned a recent survey which concluded that Americans support increased federal funding for air safety research. NAST, formerly known as the NASA Langley Support Team, is an advocacy group of former NASA officials and other interested parties supporting the space agency's air safety and space exploration initiatives.
Raytheon Aircraft has sold a new Beech 1900D airliner to Impulse Airlines of Australia, and leased a Beech 1900C to Helitaxi of Bogota, Colombia. Beech 1900D production continues despite an apparent plateau in the 19-seat turboprop market. Raytheon's Wichita plant is building around 25 new 1900Ds for US Airways Express carrier Commutair, as part of a one-for-one swap arrangement involving the airline's used Beech 1900D fleet.
