Canada's private sector provider of air navigation services says a proposal to extend its most-recent user fee reduction will save operators around C$15 million over the next fiscal year. Lower operating costs and higher than expected traffic prompted the move, Nav Canada says, and the company expects its revenues to exceed expenses for the third consecutive year.
The business aviation community appears to be confident that SSBJ operations will become a reality soon. The notion of a supersonic business jet able to make intercontinental leaps in just a couple of hours is a captivating one. This month's issue features three stories that attempt to set out some of the boundaries for contemplating an SSBJ -- from operator expectations to technical challenges to operational realities of supersonic operations.
Ogee.'' ``Ogival.'' These are not exactly common words, and no matter how you pronounce them (hard or soft ``g''), they just do not roll off the tongue. But it is night and I am crossing the Atlantic to do a flight test on an airplane that has an ``ogival wing.'' During the trip, I review literature about the Concorde, and thumb some pictures of the aircraft -- so advanced, and yet aging now. It is not until after the flight when I check my triple volume dictionary that I learn what ``ogee'' and ``ogival'' mean. Ogee: a molding in the form of a letter
Three senior personnel changes have been announced: Kirk Rowe has been named vice president and general manager of the company's Montreal facility, Chris Heredia is now vice president and general manager in Vancouver and Ric Simpson is the newly named general manager of the Pacific Avionics and Instruments division.
Atlantic Coast Airlines is ``exploring alternatives'' to accelerate the retirement of its fleet of 28 leased British Aerospace Jetstream aircraft. The Dulles, Va.-based airline plans to retire at least six of the 19-seat turboprops this year, and the remainder in 2001. As of March 31, ACA's J-32 lease commitments ranged from less than one year to six years, with minimum lease payments of around $41 million. ACA has placed firm orders for 39 Bombardier CRJs and 23 Fairchild 328JETs.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines has named Dan Waters as its new vice president -- flight operations. In this position, Waters will direct the daily operations of more than 1,000 ASA pilots and head the company's growing flight training program.
European regional carrier Tyrolean Airways will install Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics' Head-up Guidance System (HGS) in its fleet of 12 Bombardier Dash 8-300 aircraft. The airline already operates eight HGS-equipped CRJs.
NASA Administrator Dan Goldin sees a future where small aircraft equipped with the latest technology cross the skies effortlessly, breaking the current ``hub-and-spoke mold'' while alleviating traffic on the nation's highways. Speaking before the House Subcommittee on Aviation in May, Goldin touted NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) as part of a comprehensive travel network that will one day stretch from the intercity to the interplanetary level.
CHC Helicopters is planning to sell its Canadian Helicopters Eastern and Western divisions to a management-led group for approximately $130 million (CDN). The deal includes three heavy, 24 medium and 130 light helicopters -- nearly half of CHC's current fleet. Although CHC will retain a $25.5 million investment and a 45-percent ownership interest in the new company, it says the deal will help reduce debt, while allowing it to concentrate on offshore oil and gas operations.
Cessna has officially opened its new Citation Service Center in Sacramento, Calif. The 40,000-square-foot facility replaces a 12,000-square-foot service center that opened in 1973.
Is there any doubt? After four years of comparing the financial performance of the world's top companies, it is obvious that organizations which operate their own business aircraft -- be they turbofans, turboprops or helicopters -- do significantly better financially than those that don't.
Sporty's is now selling a line of fire protection ideal for aviation. The Halon extinguishers meet FAR Part 135 and 155 requirements and are effective on gasoline, wood/paper and electrical fires. Halon leaves no residue, won't damage avionics or electrical equipment, and is colorless and odorless. The extinguishers are compact, too, allowing for very efficient use of the limited space aboard aircraft. Price: $51.95 to $150.95 Sporty's Pilot Shop Clermont County Airport Batavia, Ohio 45103-9747
Bombardier says it has upgraded the Challenger 604 flight simulator at its Montreal Training Center with Rockwell Collins' Head-Up Guidance System (HGS) -- certified for Category II approaches -- and Safe Flight autothrottles. The manufacturer plans to open an additional training facility in Dallas this fall, which will feature Learjet 31A, 45 and 60 simulators.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Carol J. Carmody for the NTSB for a five-year term while current member John Goglia was approved for a second term. Carmody has extensive experience in aviation regulation and legislation, including service with the Air Transport Association, ICAO, the Senate Commerce Committee and the FAA, where three of her 11 years were spent as deputy director for congressional services. Goglia, the first mechanic to serve on the NTSB, remained with the agency since the expiration of his first term. His new term expires on December 31, 2003.
Under the newly launched Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) project, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to sponsor a prototype aircraft that could lead to both a supersonic business jet for the corporate operator and to a stealthy, long-range multi-purpose supersonic aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. A QSP prototype could be flying by the mid-2000s, testing a range of advanced aircraft technologies.
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) went on a regional jet buying spree in mid-June, placing firm orders for 150 aircraft with options for 300 additional aircraft. The firm orders are for 50 Fairchild Dornier 728JETs, 50 Embraer ERJ 170s, and 50 Bombardier CRJs including 15 200s, 25 700s and 10 900s. GECAS also has options on 100 CRJs, 100 728JETs and 100 ERJ 170/190s. If all options are exercised, the total value of the transactions could reach $12 billion.
Photograph: The FAA's ice protection AD affects both long and short-body MU-2s. These two were photographed in early June at Orange County Airport (MGJ), Montgomery, New York. The FAA has given operators of all (approximately 400) U.S.-based Mitsubishi MU-2s one year to modify the twin turboprop's ice protection systems, at a cost of around $27,000 per aircraft.
Mather Aviation was appointed as a Raytheon Aircraft Co. factory authorized service and warranty center for the King Air and Beechjet product lines. The agreement returns factory authorized support to Mather's Hayward, Calif., FBO. The Hayward FBO, a recent TRAJEN, Inc. acquisition, said it provides maintenance, avionics, parts and custom technical support services for corporate operators.
If this year's sell-off in the Nasdaq is any indication, fractional ownership may prove to be counter-cyclical. As tech stocks tumbled, NetJets saw interest in shares increase, particularly in Silicon Valley, according to Executive Jet Chairman and CEO Richard Santulli. ``We picked up quite a few people who decided that discretion was the better part of valor and canceled whole aircraft contracts to come with us,'' he said.
