The French contribution to the executive jet market began with Dassault Aviation developing the Falcon 20 (originally the Mystere 20), a light twin-jet executive transport with accommodation for eight to 10 passengers and a crew of two. The prototype first flew on May 4, 1963 and originally was powered by two Pratt&Whitney JT12A-8 engines. The prototype aircraft was later reengined with General Electric CF700 turbofans, which became the standard powerplant for production aircraft.
FAA is accepting comments through September 23 on a proposal to increase the weight limit for normal category helicopters from 6,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds. The proposal also would establish a max seating capacity of nine for FAR Part 27 helicopters. Currently, there is no stipulation on seating. The agency said boosting the weight limit will make it easier to meet increasing safety requirements and responds to the market trend toward new light twins.
Did you know that the average age of the U.S. business turboprop and jet fleet is 17 years and 16 years, respectively? Or that the 1,569 new aircraft delivered in 1997 were the most delivered since 1985? These and hundreds of other stats on U.S. general aviation are contained in GAMA's 1998 GA Statistical Databook. Copies are available for $10 each from GAMA, 1400 K St., NW, Ste. 801, Washington, D.C. 20005.
We were intrigued when we learned of a pair of new concepts that aim to provide alternatives to satcom. One idea is to loft a fleet of high-tech, remotely piloted blimps into the stratosphere to provide wireless Internet capacity. There, the blimps are held in geostationary positions in the stratosphere over a major metropolitan area utilizing proprietary technologies.
Dassault Falcon Jet is claiming a world speed record for a 4,574-nm flight of the 900EX demonstrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Teterboro, N.J. completed in 11+7 hours
In celebration of B/CA's 40th anniversary, each month throughout 1998 we will present excerpts from the top features published 40 years ago. We hope you find them interesting and fun. From the August 1958 issue:
FBOs will not have to pay a 24.4-cent highway tax on aviation grade kerosene, essentially a double-dip surcharge (December 1997, page 24). The Internal Revenue Service, responding to pressure from the National Air Transportation Association, has issued a clarification of an onerous provision of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 that would have required jet fuel to be taxed as highway fuel. To avoid the additional tax levy, the purchaser of the fuel-FBOs, wholesalers and airlines-must certify that the kerosene "will be used as fuel in an aircraft."
Four daily GA slots are now open at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport, but obstacles persist. At least one crewmember must take a written, one-hour test-in Tokyo-on such things as knowledge of approaches, frequencies, STARs and SIDs. In addition, aircraft have to stop at another international airport to clear customs both coming in and going out before using Haneda, and generally the landing slots likely will be in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, Air Routing International in Houston says that parking is available at Haneda, contrary to earlier reports.
The first production Bell 427 light twin turbine helicopter made its initial flight in late June, and has joined two prototypes in the test program at the firm's Mirabel, Quebec facility. Bell now has three 427s in its flight test program and is on target to receive certification late this year. To date, the aircraft have flown as fast as 154 knots at sea level and as high as 17,500 feet. The order book stands at about 70 aircraft.
FAA withdrew a 1993 proposed rule to upgrade the flammability resistance of seat and restraint systems on airplanes certificated to the commuter category of FAR Part 23-19 or fewer passenger seats and an MTOW of 19,000 pounds or less (January 1995, page 20). The FAA says the proposal no longer meets the agency's cost/benefit criteria because the aircraft it was addressing-Part 135 scheduled operations-are now being operated under Part 121.
Edited by Gordon A. GilbertPerry Bradley in Washington, D.C.
Users are more concerned about the FAA's ability to implement policies and procedures that will allow operators to take full advantage of the burgeoning GPS infrastructure than they are with the agency's ability to manage GPS technology itself, according to the consensus of opinion at a recent symposium.
The new Embraer RJ-135 made its maiden flight on July 4, some two weeks ahead of schedule. In two flights totaling five hours, the 37-seater was put through its full operational envelope, including flight to FL 370, a maximum 0.78 Mach, all flap and landing gear configurations and full stalls at clean and full-flap configurations. Longitudinal and directional stability at aft and forward c.g. also was explored. "All tests confirmed that the ERJ-135 flight characteristics are just like the ERJ-145," said Satoshi Yokota, Embraer vice president-industrial.
The outcome of this November's election will play a major part in shaping the congressional agenda for aviation legislation in 1999. However, assuming that Republicans maintain their majorities in both the House and Senate, one of the most important initiatives will be an attempt by Representative Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) to do for aviation users what he accomplished for highway users this year.
The proposed FAA Reauthorization Bill rejects user fees and includes protection for general aviation airports. In approving the bill, the House Transportation Committee rejected the Clinton administration's plan to charge user fees and to create a Performance Based Organization for ATC. Also included: The FAA will have to reverse its decision not to release airman mailing addresses and the DOT is instructed to upgrade Loran-C throughout the transition to GPS navigation.
Skip Madsen was appointed executive vice president and CEO at this Duncan Aviation facility. Litton Industries (Woodland Hills, Calif.)-James W. Winchester, Ph.D. moved up to president of the company's Aero Products division, a provider of navigation systems. He succeeds Leo Webrand.
The economy is doing fine and flight hours are up significantly. Therefore, business aircraft operators that are planning on major maintenance, interior and paint work should schedule their appointments now for work to be performed three to five months from now. That's the word from shops we contacted.
Dassault Falcon Jet's 900B is getting a large-scale avionics upgrade and, in the process, will become the 900C. Certification efforts are underway using a Falcon 900B as the prototype. Customer deliveries are scheduled to start in early 2000 with serial number 180. (SN 179, the first actual 900C, will become a Dassault demonstrator.)
Those planning to attend England's biennial Farnborough Air Show from September 7 to 13 can expect to see most of the major business aircraft manufacturers, as well as many of the leading engine and avionics makers. In the no-show category are Cessna Aircraft as well as Russian companies Yakovlev, Antonov, Tupolev and Mikoyan. As usual, the first five days are for aerospace trade visitors, with the public days on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13.
New Piper Aircraft is now selling its Malibu Mirage with a BFGoodrich SMARTboot tailplane ice detection and alert system as standard equipment. The six-place, single-engine Malibus are the first aircraft to be certificated with the SMARTboot. Under development since 1994, the system is designed to integrate the aircraft's current pneumatic deicer with ice detection technology that monitors up to three linear feet (by one inch wide) along the deicer area, as opposed to more typical systems that sense ice buildup at one single point.
After eight years as the European Business Air Show (EBAS), the annual event will have a different name and will welcome the airlines into the fold when the it plays again on May 20 to 22, 1999 at Germany's Dusseldorf-Express Airport. "We feel that the two sectors of aviation coexist in the same environment, and many aircraft operators are active in both business air charter and scheduled services," a spokesperson said. The event, newly dubbed Air Transport and Business Aviation, still will not include fighters, microlights, spacecraft or admit the public.
Those who remember the sparse attendance at the first NBAA Flight Attendants Conference in 1996 would have been struck by the robust group of participants gathered at the third annual conference held recently in Washington, D.C. Some 150 attendees discussed safety and training issues, inflight medical responses, the government's perspective on their livelihood and even the ways to work with U.S. Customs, Immigration and Department of Agriculture officials.
For a number of market and marketing considerations, OEMs will offer guaranteed cost programs as a sales incentive or marketing statement. These have not been included in the guaranteed maintenance cost program survey because they are offered to purchasers of new aircraft only, and because they are offered to purchasers of new aircraft only, and because they do not have a renewal option.
