Back when business aviation was beginning to blossom in the mid-1950s, most corporate operators were still flying piston-powered aircraft, either one of the new general aviation designs that had emerged after the war, such as the Beech Bonanza or Cessna 310, or converted military or airline transports, such as the Douglas DC-3/C-54 or Lock-heed Lodestar. Few airframe manufacturers were ready to invest the substantial sums needed to produce an all-new, turbine-powered aircraft designed solely for business transportation.
Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based CAMP Systems International is enhancing Learjet 31, 35, 36, 45, 55 and 60 maintenance programs with the addition of illustrated work cards, Internet access and other options. The new cards will provide specific procedures for all scheduled inspections and maintenance tasks, including required tools, materials and references to the factory maintenance manual. Learjet maintenance programs also will be part of CAMP's planned AviSource system, which will offer Internet access to aircraft data and other optional functions.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's undergraduate civil engineering program received Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation.
Farmingdale, N.Y.-based SAGE Parts has formed Sage Parts Plus, which comprises the assets of both SAGE Parts and Parts Plus Logistics. The companies all supply replacement parts for aircraft ground support equipment.
Because of the pivotal nature they play in coordinating flight operations, corporate scheduler/dispatchers have developed a special relationship with Corporate Angel Network, the White Plains, N.Y.-based charity that arranges free medical travel for cancer patients aboard business aircraft operated by participating donor companies. At past S&D conferences, it has been traditional for CAN representatives to pitch the good works and successes of the program.
The U.S. government has redesigned NOS (National Oceanic Service) approach charts with the goal of reducing pilots' head-down time during instrument approaches. The new plates are easier to read than existing NOS plates and present information in a logical format from top to bottom to aid in pre-approach briefings. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to convert the charts on an airport-by-airport basis, so revisions will mix the old and new formats until the transition is complete.
Singapore Airlines has ordered six Cessna 172Rs for pilot training. The new aircraft will join five other Skyhawks at the Singapore Flying College, near Perth, Australia.
Raytheon Aircraft will provide on-site maintenance and technical support for 109 C-12 aircraft -- a derivative of the King Air 200 -- under the terms of a $695 million contract with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.
Australia's general aviation community is slowly recovering from the worst fuel contamination crisis in that nation's history. Around 10 percent of the estimated 2,500 aircraft affected had been returned to service by early March, and Mobil Oil Australia had paid out more than $2 million in ``interim'' compensation.
For the first time since 1992, the FAA has received a clean financial audit from the DOT's inspector general. FAA Administrator Jane Garvey says the audit result is a ``tremendous step'' that means FAA finances now meet ``the standards of private industry for fiscal responsibility.'' The scope of the FAA's operations resembles some major industries, with more than 50,000 employees and $25.5 billion in assets.
Raytheon Aircraft is outfitting two special mission King Air B200s under a $11.4 million contract with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. The aircraft will be equipped with Zeiss Camera Systems for use in aerial mapping and photography. The company also has been chosen to provide logistics support for C-9s operated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines. The one-year contract also includes six one-year options, bringing the potential value of the contract to over $474 million.
NASA has awarded a $150 million research contract to Raytheon for the agency's Air Traffic Management System Development and Integration (ATMSDI) program. NASA hopes ATMDSI will result in increased activity at capacity-constrained airports, improved air routings, air traffic controller productivity gains and more effective use of high density air space. Raytheon's team includes representatives from Honeywell, technology consultant Booz Allen and Hamilton, software developer Seagull Technology, major universities and airlines.
US Airways and its pilots' union have reached a tentative agreement on a regional jet ``mini-deal'' that allows the addition of up to 35 RJs, but reduces their maximum seating capacity from the 69 now allowed to 50. Additionally, the deal specifies that one out of six pilots hired by US Airways will come from the company's wholly owned regional carriers, and guarantees a set number of block hours for mainline pilots.
Military aviation has a long history of requiring briefings prior to each sortie. This requirement is standard regardless of aircraft. This policy also has been adopted by most airlines, albeit somewhat modified to include a crew briefing, a departure briefing, a pre-takeoff briefing and an approach briefing. It can be argued that the single, most important briefing is the crew briefing since it may set the tone for the entire flight. However, this assertion is not universally accepted.
Aircraft completions consultant Aerospace Concepts of Canada (ACI) has tapped Bryan Landry to manage the completions of all client aircraft. Landry was preflight supervisor and modification line manager for the Bombardier Global Express and will be based at ACI's Montreal headquarters. Fred Denson, former maintenance director of Toyota's AirFlite, is joining Aerospace Concepts as director of technical completions, overseeing work at Bombardier's Tucson and Long Beach, Calif., completion centers. AirFlite is the world's first Global Express operator.
Photograph: More of this to come A Canadair Challenger CL601-3R owned by South Korea's Ministry of Transportation performed the first landing at the new Inchon International Airport (IIA) on February 28. The test flight verified the workings of control tower systems, and additional proving runs with larger aircraft are planned for the coming months. IIA is slated to open in early 2001, replacing Kimpo as South Korea's main international gateway and airline hub for Northeast Asia.
