When BMW Rolls-Royce launched its BR700 program in the early 1990s, the fledgling company built its business case on 600 engines. Now, just two and one-half years after the BR710 was certificated, the company is producing more than 100 engines annually, and with the addition of BR715 production for the Boeing 717 program, expects to achieve capacity production of 250 engines per year by 2000. This year, the company plans to deliver approximately 120 BR710 engines for the Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express programs; 44 BR715s are slated for the Boeing 717.
On-condition maintenance, the process by which an engine's ``health'' is closely monitored and repairs and overhauls scheduled accordingly, has long been a staple of cost-con- scious fleet operators, such as regional airlines and even some large corporate flight departments.
The Aviation Workstation Import Utility from Dallas-based ediSys Corp. is designed to ease the importation of comma-delineated files from spreadsheet and database programs into Aviation Workstation, a pilot and aircraft logbook program that features more than 20 reports and charts. The new utility is free to users of Aviation Workstation and can be downloaded from the ediSys Web site at www.aviationworkstation.com. The site also offers a way to convert data from other electronic logbooks to Aviation Workstation using the free conversion utility.
CAMP Systems International's computerized business aircraft maintenance support program for Falcon Jets will continue, following the renewal of an agreement with Dassault Aviation. This is the 26th year of the relationship between the two companies. Meanwhile, CAMP's Web site (http:// kisp.campsys.com) has been revised and updated with new information about its range of products and services.
A new executive terminal at Vandenberg Airport (X16) is to be completed in May. The facility will include a passenger lounge, pilot briefing room, crew snooze room, showers, a conference room and a business communications center. The complex, which will be operated by Leading Edge Aviation Services, also is to include two 13,000-square-foot hangars. A 5,000-foot runway (5/23) opened at Vandenberg in autumn 1998. Phone: (813) 626-1515.
Just as CRM became mandated by regulation, proponents of MRM hope a similar mandate will soon follow to cover aviation maintenance operations and training. That, in turn, is because the focus of civil aviation maintenance human factors efforts has been on commercial air transport. Proponents feel that, particularly in light of deregulation and the dominance of financial considerations in management rather than operational and technical focus, the payoff is too tenuous for widespread management embrace.
The prototype of the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 has logged more than 300 flight test hours, including 200 hours with the new Williams/Rolls-Royce FJ44-2A engines equipped with electronic fuel controls. The aircraft is being used for risk reduction prior to first flight of a conforming prototype slated for the fourth quarter of this year.
The FBO chain named Joseph Bagosy as area general manager for its European operations, Vincent Papke as general manager of the La Guardia Airport facility, and Francis Zenisky as avionics manager in Hartford, Conn.
Atlantic Aviation has signed a five-year maintenance training agreement with FlightSafety International covering the Falcon 2000/900/50/20/10, the Gulfstream II/III/IV/V, the Challenger 601/604, the Galaxy 1125/1124 and Raytheon's Hawker 1000/800/700/600. Dassault also has designated the Wilmington, Del.-based company as its newest Falcon service center, able to perform after-sale service and support on all Falcon business jet models. Atlantic reported 1998 sales in excess of $78 million, and was acquired in September 1997 by merchant banker Legg Mason.
There is much hue and cry and wringing of hands in Waukegan, Ill., as the crushing announcement sinks into 10 families who will be cut off at the pass as these words are written. The Square D Co. has decided to shut down its flight department and go to fractional ownership. The puzzlement is that Square D had not chosen a company to supply this service prior to shutdown, so it beggers the question on what financial basis was the decision made? Who supplied the comparative numbers?
For the past 27 years I've been on the other side of the desk, trying to get the best bang for my advertising buck. Or trying to cajole some recalcitrant editor to see how important it was -- for the sake of our industry, of course -- to write something favorable about my products and services.
The FAA has found the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' noise exposure maps for Anchorage International Airport (ANC), depicting noncompatible land uses, to be ``in compliance with applicable requirements.'' Copies of the maps can be viewed at FAA's Alaska Region office in Anchorage, at ANC and at FAA headquarters. For information, contact Patricia Sullivan in the FAA's Alaska Region at (907) 271-5454.
Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) have agreed to extend the comment period on a proposal to allow a 180-minute threshold for extended-range, twin-engine operations (ETOPS) for small commercial aircraft, as long as they meet an acceptable means of compliance that follows ``best industry practice.'' The comment period extension essentially delays enactment of the proposal for at least a year. French officials have advocated a 120-minute ETOPS for business jets. Despite the extension, GAMA is disappointed that the JAA has not adopted a 180-minute ETOPS rule.
Photograph: Photograph: Documentation, work sheets and manuals, have been found to be important contributors to maintenance errors. Evaluation of resources and documents used should be part of any MRM program. Since it is at the operating level where things break and fail, where humans do things wrong and where catastrophes occur, it is at the operating level where blame and punishment traditionally have been assigned.
The Operations and Training Working Group (OTWG) of the Flight Safety Foundation's Approach-and-Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR) Task Force concluded (among other things) that accidents could be reduced if flightcrews kept approaches stabilized and unhurried. Each operator should have a policy that requires a go-around if the aircraft becomes destabilized during the approach, says the Task Force, and all training programs should emphasize that policy.
The FAA has selected the former Vint Hill Farms Army installation in Fauquier County, Va., as the new site for a consolidated Washington, D.C. TRACON. The new facility will combine the operations previously housed at Baltimore-Washington International, Reagan Washington National and Dulles International airports, as well as Andrews Air Force Base
Based on the excellent safety record of FAR Part 135 operators, the NATA has petitioned the FAA to allow on-demand air-charter providers to conduct instrument flights under Part 135 without an approved weather source at the intended airport. Further, NATA is requesting that the agency permit the use of additional weather sources. Those operators qualifying for an exemption would have to use increased approach minima, provide additional crew training and satisfy higher crew experience requirements.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has appealed to ICAO to replace 121.5 MHz as the international emergency frequency in hope of accelerating the influx of new technology. USCG seeks to incorporate 406.0 MHz, which provides emergency location data via GPS satellites. If approved by ICAO, the change will require aircraft operators to exchange their battery-operated emergency locator transmitters (ELT) for more expensive GPS-based units. These ``digital ELTs'' have a stronger signal than the older versions, and provide a crash site fix within three miles.
