Most ``aviation people'' got into the business because of a love for flying and the machinery that makes it possible--the shiny corporate jets, prop-driven planes, and helicopters sitting out on the ramp. The aircraft are what it's all about, right? Everything else, all the infrastructure ranging from ground-service equipment to airports themselves, exists to support the medium of flight.
With just a few days remaining in 1998, the FAA suddenly rescinded the January 1 effective date of a Class B Airspace for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. At press time, no new date was set and FAA officials were not available to comment. Meanwhile, a reduction in flying operations at Florida's MacDill Air Force Base prompted the FAA to propose revising several subareas of Tampa's Class B Airspace.
Edited By Gordon A. GilbertRobert A. Searles and Gordon A. Gilbert
General Electric recently took delivery of the first Boeing Business Jet and plans to put the aircraft into service in August after being completed by Raytheon in Waco, Texas, and having long-range fuel tanks installed. GE is scheduled to receive its second BBJ later this year. But the burning question for GE is where will it hangar its BBJs?
Cold and wet winter weather is in the northern hemisphere once again. And with it comes the most insidious and potentially hazardous icing conditions of the year, if aircraft accident statistics are an accurate indicator. ``Eighty percent of the icing related accidents occur between November and March,'' claims Wayne Sand, president of Aviation Weather Consulting, a Boulder, Colo.-based firm that specializes in aircraft icing.
Mercury Air Group of Los Angeles is in the early stages of discussion with a company interested in acquiring the business, which includes 15 FBOs nationwide. Meanwhile, the Mercury Air Center in Charleston, S.C., designated a Phillips 66 Aviation Performance Center, opened December 9, 1998. The facility includes two heated hangars with the capacity to house G-Vs.
Despite Mobil and Exxon's announced agreement in December 1998 to merge, a decision on how their respective flight departments will be affected will not be made until midyear. A spokesperson for Mobil said, ``We can't speculate on any staff function at this point. Details have not been worked out.'' Exxon wasn't available for comment. The merger, which will create a new company named Exxon Mobil Corp., is still subject to shareholders' and government approvals. Until then, each company is functioning independently.
Pending legislation to resolve Airport Improvement Program appropriations proposes the idea of integrating a cost-sharing program for funding the contract tower program. In smaller communities, the operations of contract towers that fall below a specified cost/benefit ratio criteria could, then, be partially funded by local sponsors, according to Spencer Dickerson, executive vice president of the U.S. Contract Tower Association. He estimates that about 26 airports could lose funding without this solution.
Throughout the year, SimuFlite Training International will replace its photographic, slide-based projection systems used in the firm's ground schools with interactive digital presentations.
To help Bell 407s get a grip in deep snow, Paravion Technology has developed snow pads that attach to the top of the skids. After the first installation, the STCed pads' ``quick-mount'' hardware enables them to be removed and attached again without using tools. Price: $3,495 per set. Paravion Technology, 2001 Airway Ave., Fort Collins, Colo. 80524. (970) 224-3898; fax: (970) 224-3899.
Representatives from maintenance providers, academia and government met recently to start a campaign to combat what they see as a critical shortage of mechanics. Hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., the campaign aims to address four specific questions: How can repair stations collaborate with academia and the government to benefit the industry? How can maintenance companies better retain and motivate employees? How can more people be attracted to maintenance careers? And how can repair stations fill personnel gaps?
According to the Flight Safety Foundation, if the average rate of approach and landing accidents (ALAs) is not stemmed, 23 fatal accidents per year can be expected by 2010. To help reduce ALAs, a FSF task force developed eight conclusions that are not only universally applicable, but they are all operational (not equipment) based. No additional avionics or other pieces of equipment are required. Pilots will recognize a lot of ``back to basics'' in this list:
AAR (www.warehouse.aarcorp. com)--Registered users of this site may access the parts inventories from both AAR Allen Aircraft and AAR Cooper Aviation, complete a search for the parts they are looking for, and place orders 24 hours a day. Confirmation of shipping is sent via fax or e-mail. Registration can be made on line. Gift of Wings (www.giftofwings. com)--A Web-based aviation catalogue featuring novelty and children's items as well as serious products for the professional aviator. Contains a credit card security feature.
AMR Eagle will acquire Business Express, both Eagle and BizEx have confirmed. Terms of the deal, expected to be completed in the first quarter, were undisclosed. BizEx is an American Connection affiliate at Boston. But it also operates as Delta Connection and Northwest Airlink in the Northeast. The future of those relationships remained in question at press time.
Brazil's largest regional airline--Transportes Aereos Regionais (TAM)--has just become much larger. The carrier began service between Sao Paulo and Miami on December 10, 1998 and will add Sao Paulo-Paris on April 2. The carrier's fleet now ranges from single-turboprop Cessna Caravans to Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The company also is the Cessna distributor for Brazil.
Hudson General, a provider of fuel and other business aircraft services at several U.S. and Canadian airports, will be acquired by members of its senior management. The management group is led by Chairman and CEO Jay B. Langer and Vice Chairman Richard D. Segal. The sale is expected to be voted upon by Hudson General stockholders at a special meeting later this quarter. Phone: (516) 487-8610.
Honeywell is expected to appeal the decision of a federal district court jury to award $250 million in damages to Litton. The verdict resulted from a retrial of damages following a finding by an earlier jury that Honeywell had illegally monopolized the market for inertial navigation reference systems (June 1998, page 30). Also back in federal district court for retrial, Litton has a separate action pending against Honeywell alleging navigation systems patent infringement (November 1996, page 24).
BFGoodrich Avionics Systems (www.bfgavionics.com)--This site includes an animated product demonstration of the company's Stormscope and electronic standby instrument systems along with specifications on all BFG avionics products. There's a section describing warranty and non-warranty services, as well as an authorized dealer locator and links to the BFG Aerospace site. The site also has direct e-mail links and telephone numbers for customer service representatives.
Tulsa, Okla.-based Nordam Group is developing what it calls an Advanced Single Pivot (ASP) thrust reverser for business and regional aircraft engines in the 2,000 to 10,000-plus pounds of thrust range.
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA), the Washington Dulles-based United Express carrier, will be flying 96 new GPS routes by the end of the first quarter. But developing the GPS routes was a Herculean task, impacting a complicated Northeast Corridor traffic-management system and, unexpectedly, the air-traffic-controllers union. On the Cusp
After an exhaustive nine-year FAA and state environmental review process, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission has been cleared for construction of a new 8,000-foot north-south runway. MAC's plans call for the runway to be operational in 2003. The runway addition is intended to offset the construction of another airport to meet the area's growth needs.
Free flight and datalink communications are almost synonymous, for without datalink, much of free flight simply won't be possible. The FAA's Next-Generation Air/Ground Communications (NEXCOM) program will replace the FAA's VHF air/ground communications system in order to provide datalink communications, provide more capacity than the limited current VHF radio spectrum, reduce interference and provide security from ``phantom controllers,'' allow for remote maintenance and reduce susceptibility to RF interference.
Jack Riley, principal owner and president of RAM Aircraft Corp. since 1976, sold his majority interest in the company to his two partners: Cecil Padgett, who was named the new president of RAM, and Doug MacKay, who is now executive vice president. The Waco, Texas, firm is noted for its piston-engine modifications. RAM currently re-manufactures Continental engines used on Beech Baron 58Ps and TCs, and on Cessna 340s and 400s.
It is said there's a book in everyone, and Dave English's was coaxed out by associates and friends who told him he had so much written material on the thrill of flight that he should compile and share it. English, a full-time pilot and part-time aviation writer, had piles of passages about aviation from books, letters from people at Boeing and NASA, reflections from inventors and groaner cliches from pilots. His volume of compelling words on flight is called Slipping the Surly Bonds, and surly it is not. Entertaining and quickly gratifying it is.
Chevron(www.chevronaviation.com)--Pilots planning a trip in which they wish to use Chevron-branded FBOs may be interested in a new Internet-based flight planning feature of the oil company's Web site. When pilots click on the trip planner, the site displays a map of the United States from which users can click on a state of their choice highlighting all of the Chevron FBOs in that area. In addition to details about the dealers' services, information on nearby hotels and restaurants are displayed.
Use it or lose it pertains to U.S. Customs clearances at California's Van Nuys and Burbank airports. Clearances have been available at any FBO on these two airports since early 1998, but U.S. Customs may discontinue the service because of lower than projected utilization.
