The Month In Business Aviation: August 2020
Downside Of Aircraft Sharing
Much attention has been given to the FAA’s clampdown on illicit charter and “damp” dry leases, two of the main schemes that are used to circumvent the expense and complexity of becoming a certified FAR Part 135 air carrier.
Cessna’s 172: Still Going Strong At 65
The Collier Trophy goes to “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America” during the preceding year. One year it went to Chance-Vought’s F8U Crusader, a just-launched U.S. Navy fighter. Fine choice, but the right one?
Iceland: Aviation At The Arctic Circle
In their westward migration from Norway more than 1,000 years ago, the seafaring Vikings navigated their longboats across the treacherous North Atlantic all the way to today’s Eastern Canada.
Textron Aviation Introduces King Air 360, 360ER
Textron Aviation has unveiled the Beechcraft King Air 360 and 360ER, an upgrade of the iconic twin turboprop with new autothrottles, avionics upgrades and other enhancements to the cockpit plus a redesigned, more open cabin.
Slip Sliding On Snow: Landing Demands Close Crew Attention
For too many years aviation lacked a reliable, up-to-the-minute system for reporting runway surface conditions for pilots to make accurate landing performance assessments. Rather, we depended on subjective braking action reports or Mu-Meter readings that did not directly translate into an aircraft’s braking effectiveness.
Honeywell, Vertical Aerospace Sign Supplier Agreement
Honeywell and urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle developer Vertical Aerospace have signed a letter of intent naming Honeywell as the avionics supplier for Vertical’s passenger-carrying demonstrator aircraft.
Wrong Right-Seater: Past Flaws And Failures Forgotten
On Feb. 23, 2019, at 1239 CST (1839Z), Atlas Air Inc. (Atlas) Flight 3591, a Boeing 767-375BCF, dived from 6,000 ft. into a shallow, muddy marsh area of Trinity Bay 34 mi. east-southeast of George Bush/Houston Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) while on approach. The captain, first officer and a non-revenue pilot riding in the jump seat died, and the cargo aircraft was destroyed on impact.
Rock-Solid Reliability: Spotlight On The Nextant 400XTi
The economic downturn of 2020 has been tough on the light-jet market, flooding the field with used aircraft. But you might not know that if you’re looking for a Nextant 400XT/400XTi; as this is being written, there are just seven offered for sale. These aircraft originally sold for $5 million, or more.
Middle-Age Muddle: The Headcount Is Down By Half
To sustain the industry that has given us so much, the community has to find a way to embrace the new generation on its terms.
From Texatron introducing the King Air 360 and 360ER to small jet, turboprop utilization returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. Take a look at our roundup of the biggest stories in August.