Signature Flight Support is offering a free Web-based fuel tracking system to airline customers. The Fuel Management System (FMS) is password protected and available online only to Signature airline customers that manage fuel inventories in the United States. Steve Lee, vice president of marketing and business, said the FMS system, originally developed for Federal Express, provides a real-time fuel database to airline customers instead of transmitting the information via telephone orfacsimile.
Aeromedix is now an authorized distributor of Woodside Biomedical's ReliefBand, which offers an effective remedy for motion sickness without the adverse side effects normally associated with anti-nausea drugs. The three ReliefBand models available are the original 144-hour disposable RB-6, a new 48-hour disposable version and the reusable 144-hour RB-R. ReliefBand is an FDA-approved, drug-free device that uses an electrical pulse to stimulate the P-6 meridian.
Originally designed for the International Space Station, Pilot Communications has introduced a panel-mount version of the Independence headset called the PA 17-79 DNC XL-P. The new version weighs only 9.9 oz. (280.7 g) and also can be used with a nine-volt battery pack allowing the unit to be portable and used in various aircraft. The Independent series headset has incorporated into its design a proprietary DSP circuit that enhances audio within the speech frequency.
When working in an area that restricts the use of electrical lighting, an alternative light source is necessary. The Coppus Pneumatic Safety Lamp is activated with compressed air through an internal turbine generator that produces 250 watts of light. Safety features include an over-pressure trip to prevent overspeed of the generator and an air turbine shutoff that cools the lamp should a gasket or lens break. The explosion-proof lamp is designed to provide lighting in hazardous environments and is constructed from bronze, aluminum and non-sparking materials.
IEC International (Berkshire, England) Trevor Carris was appointed to director of the airline division, and Neil Morgan has been named business development manager.
The market for new turbofan engines is expected to remain strong for the remainder of the decade, according to a recent Forecast International/DMS study. ``Booming demand for corporate and larger regional jets'' will fuel the demand for about 4,500 new engines annually through 2009. The light jet transport segment will account for about 39 percent of the engine market during the study period.
The future of Concorde passenger service grew uncertain in mid-August as British and French regulators suspended the supersonic transport's airworthiness certificate. Having concluded that a burst tire caused the July crash of an Air France Concorde shortly after takeoff, killing 109 people aboard the aircraft and four on the ground, safety officials called for ``appropriate measures'' to be taken to prevent a recurrence. Airline officials now must decide whether any such fix is economically justifiable given Concorde's age and reportedly thin profit margins.
The DOT has awarded AirServ, sister company of Indigo Air, a certificate of public convenience and necessity, clearing the way for Indigo to begin public charter service with a fleet of Falcon 20s. Indigo Air has been operating corporate charters since January and expected to begin public charters within weeks of the DOT action. Initial service will connect Chicago's Midway Airport with ``several New York [City] Metropolitan airports'' with near-term plans to add service between Chicago and Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
Newly launched manufacturer Alliance Aircraft says it has signed an agreement to sell up to 450 regional jets to Global Airlines, a proposed New York-based airline.
Asserting that identifying and correcting mistakes can help reduce the overall accident rate, Flight Safety Foundation Chairman Stuart Matthews called on a congressional committee to protect aviation workers from prosecution when inadvertent errors lead to aircraft accidents. Matthews told members of the Aviation Subcommittee of the U.S.
Sabretech officials say they will appeal a federal court verdict fining the defunct maintenance company for its role in the 1996 crash of a ValuJet DC-9 in the Florida Everglades. A U.S. District Court Judge in Miami placed the company on three years probation, imposed a $2 million fine and ordered it to
Threatening aviation professionals with criminal indictments will undermine industry safety initiatives. What's the most troubling trend in civil aviation these days? According to representatives of pilot and mechanic unions, the NTSB, trade associations and attorneys, it is the growing tendency of prosecutors to launch criminal investigations into aviation accidents.
Japanese regional The Fair took delivery of its first Bombardier CRJ200. The ex-European aircraft is the first CRJ in Japanese service. It will be joined by an additional CRJ200 this year and two new CRJ200s planned for delivery in 2002.
Premier Turbines-Independence is now a certified Honeywell Authorized Warranty and Repair Station for Rolls-Royce A250 accessories. Premier is a division of Sabreliner.
BFGoodrich is joining fellow aerospace giants United Technologies and Honeywell as a part owner of online parts and services marketplace MyAircraft.com. The site is designed as a parts and information clearinghouse, allowing participants to view technical publications, comparison shop, conduct auctions, and order parts and services using a standard Web browser.
Three aviation organizations and five airport businesses are banding together to fight the Los Angeles City Council's Stage 2 non-addition rule at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The group plans to take the case to Federal District Court, followed by a formal complaint with the FAA, contending that local officials cannot implement such policies at airports that have received federal funds. Van Nuys' non-addition rule, which took effect on June 10, restricts the amount of based and transient Stage 2 traffic permitted at the Southern California facility.
Trans States Airlines' pilots approved a new contract agreement on July 28 after two years of negotiations, narrowly averting a strike. After reviewing the tentative agreement in Washington, D.C., the leaders of Trans States' ALPA chapter unanimously ratified the contract. Trans States pilots had been eligible to strike since May 27, a date that marked the end of a federally imposed 30-day ``cooling off'' period. Trans States' pilots rejected their first tentative contract agreement, which was reached on May 26.
Menzies Aviation Group, a U.K.-based aviation services provider, will acquire the ground handling operations of Ogden Aviation Services for $118 million. When the deal is closed, Menzies will provide ground handling services at 63 airports in 21 countries including London Heathrow, Los Angeles International and Schipol in Amsterdam. Ogden's executive offices will relocate from New York to Menzies' headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Everest VIT, Inc. is now offering VideoProbe XL PRO, the next generation of 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm video borescopes with digital features. This small-diameter remote visual inspection tool includes an integrated file management system, image manipulation options, digital zoom and internal tools that allow you to measure, gauge, grasp, hook or magnetically adhere loose parts during an inspection. The integrated file management system has an internal flash memory and an integrated 1.44MB disk that allows export of images into JPEG or BMP format. The 32-lb.
BAE Systems' Asset Management division has leased and sold several BAe 146 aircraft recently. Ireland's Aer Lingus leased two BAe 146-300s, WDL of Germany has purchased a BAe 146-200 and Qantas Australia has leased a 200 series aircraft for use on Qantas Airlink regional services.
The working relationship between controllers and pilots has played a major role in developing the safe and dependable air transportation system we have today. Pilots place a heavy reliance on the unseen voices of the ATC system. Pilots, literally, put their own lives and the lives of their passengers in the hands of controllers.
