Accidents and fatalities involving U.S. twin-turbine helicopter operations decreased in 1997 compared to 1996, but while total accidents of single-turbine helicopters decreased, the number of fatalities increased, according to Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. In 1997, twin-turbine rotorcraft had nine accidents (one corporate), three of which were fatal, resulting in three fatalities. In 1996, the accident figures were 11, six and 14, respectively.
A delay in finishing the rail link between Chek Lap Kok Airport and Hong Kong's downtown business district will postpone opening of the airport until at least early July, rather than April as originally planned (January, page 28). The railway is now scheduled to become operational in June. Hong Kong plans to close the existing Kai Tak Airport in the city's business district as soon as Chek Lap Kok opens. AMR Combs is still on tap to run the airport's FBO (October 1997, page 20).
Irrespective of the admiration for Senator John McCain's (R-Ariz.) superb Vietnam record and subsequent POW tour in the Hanoi Hilton, this senator is bad news for general and corporate aviation, particularly corporate jet operations. His proposal for air traffic control fees are patently unfair and very nearly as asinine as the Clinton administration's, which would charge a big number for each leg of a biz jet flight, thereby increasing variable operating costs by thousands per month. God only knows how these legs would be fiscally monitored.
Mesa Air Group and United are still at it, this time over their code-sharing agreement at Denver. After pulling the plug on Mesa subsidiary WestAir at Los Angeles and San Francisco and awarding those markets to SkyWest, United has informed Mesa that it will terminate its code-share at Denver on April 22. United will, however, enter into a new six-month agreement with Mesa on April 23, subject to renewal for two more six-month periods.
Operators of Bell helicopters in Latin America are now eligible to participate in a preferred policyholder program offered by United States Aviation Insurance Group. The program was initiated in February 1996 with partners Bell Helicopter and FlightSafety International as a means to encourage a high level of safety while at the same time help to resolve concern over dramatic fluctuations in insurance premiums and coverage limitations. Participants must meet specific aircraft equipment, maintenance and pilot/mechanic training requirements.
In a meeting with the NBAA in February, providers of flight tracking software pledged to come up with a mechanism in May for de-identifying general aviation aircraft. The most likely solution appears to be an option that will allow any operator to contact a single clearinghouse, possibly the NBAA, that will ensure N numbers of specified aircraft are removed. Several providers process the FAA's aircraft situational display data and make it available to subscribers.
Widening interest in general aviation and heightened activity in aircraft purchasing have prompted the Aviation Education and Development Group to expand its Aircraft Sales Seminars, according to Ed Sieb, Group president. The program, which had been held quarterly since its start two years ago, will be held five times this year: March 12-14, May 14-16, July 16-18, Sep-tember 17-19 and November 12-14. All seminars are held in Oklahoma City.
Britain's IEC International launched a range of passenger information products, the result of the company's recent acquisition of In-Flight Systems from Hunting Aviation. Products include an audio track selector that enables several passengers to choose the same individual track simultaneously. There is also a digital versatile disc player with surround sound and a TV tuner (for ground-only operation) that can be controlled from the front panel or through a cabin management system.
Following a public hearing early this month, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners will send its recommendation on an FAR Part 36, Stage 2 non-addition rule at Van Nuys Airport to the L.A. City Council for a final decision. Commissioners also will be reviewing an economic analysis update and availability of noise contours. As expected, effective February 13, the nighttime curfew for Stage 2 aircraft departures at the airport was expanded from 2300 to 2200 local (January, page 22).
The year-end delivery rush propelled 1997 new turbine aircraft sales well beyond 1996 levels, Aviation Data's final accounting of 1997 revealed. "Thanks to some late-arriving overseas information, we made adjustments to some of the international figures for October and November that really helped boost the view of preowned sales, as well," said Peter Simmonds, AvData's business-turbine analyst.
Enclosed in this issue of B/CA is a salary survey form for both flight crews and maintenance staff. The results of the anonymous survey will be published in B/CA's August issue. Please fill out the postage-paid card, located between pages 16 and 17 and return to B/CA by April 1.
An Anonymous Incident Reporting System (AIRS) will be launched by the NBAA on the member-only portion of the association's Web site. The NBAA says that member companies will be able to report incidents "without legal repercussions." AIRS is one of the first projects to be managed by the NBAA's new Safety Committee, chaired by John Lauber of Airbus Industrie and a former NTSB member. B/CA editor in chief Richard Aarons also is on the committee.
Mom always said it was good to share. But when it comes to sharing maintenance technicians, following mom's advice can be fraught with pitfalls. That's not to say that workers can't be brought into an operation on a part-time basis and do work legally, professionally and safely. However, casually asking someone to lend a hand on a buddy basis may not be a great idea.
A new Transport Canada rule extends passenger-carrying commercial IFR operations in single-engine, turbine aircraft to the mountainous regions of Canada, such as the interior of British Columbia and Baffin Island. Canada's single-engine, passenger-carrying IFR rules, adopted four years ago, do not apply to piston-engine aircraft modified to turbine power. Eligible aircraft include the Cessna Caravan, Pilatus PC-12 and TBM-700.
A court decision has forced the FAA to drop the infamous overflight fees, pending the outcome of an analysis of how it calculated the fees. While a U.S. Court of Appeals didn't question the authority of the FAA to charge such fees, it concluded that its method of calculating those fees was erroneous. The fees, which went into effect in May 1997, were directed at all aircraft that fly through U.S. controlled airspace, but do not take off or land at a U.S. airport (May 1997, page 10).
B/CA recently did a brief (non-scientific, subjective) flight evaluation of two relatively new and distinctive types of active noise-canceling headsets. The Sennheiser HMEC 25 represents the ultra-lightweight, minimum-earcup size units while the Lightspeed 20K exemplifies the traditional headset with large, full-size earcups (see accompany photographs). In our opinion, they both worked well and, notably, were equally comfortable to wear, something we can't say about all ANC headsets we've tried.
The smaller jets continue to be workhorses in the utility role as well as people transportation. To get an idea of what a narrow-body aircraft can do in the international arena, listen to Marvin Keyser, president of Aires Aviation International of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Aires' forte is special missions-principally aerial survey and mapping. It currently operates a pair of Piper Cheyennes for geophysics assignments, two Piper Navajos for various special missions work, and a Learjet 36 for radar mapping.
The effect of the Environmental Protection Agency's underground storage tank requirements (better known as the "yank-a-tank" rules) is drawing the attention of visitors to the Aviation Week Group Forum on CompuServe. The topic has generated speculation that many FBOs will choose to go out of business rather than bear the cost of compliance. To read more, CompuServe members can visit the forum ("Go AWG").
A bill pending at press time in the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Taxation would eliminate the sales tax on aircraft purchases, repairs and spares for airplanes with an MTOW of 6,000 pounds or more. State Representative Cele Hahn (R-Westfield), who introduced the legislation, said the general aviation industry presented excellent testimony. She feels the measure has a chance "even though there is lots of competition for tax cuts now in an election year." Connecticut adopted similar legislation in October 1997 (August 1997, page 20).
The new, stretched Dauphin helicopter previously known as the AS365-N4 has been redesignated the EC-155 to make its designation consistent with the other civil helicopters in Eurocopter's family. The 10,000-pound MTOW EC-155 will offer 40 percent more cabin volume than the -N3. Baggage volume will increase by 50 percent. The aircraft is currently in flight test and is expected to receive certification in the fourth quarter.
Salem, Ore.-based Valley Oil Co. acquired Remco Fuels of Seymour, Texas, a provider of Phillips 66 aviation fuel in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma . . . Avatar Alliance of Atlanta says it has purchased a "large inventory of rotable and consumable airframe and avionics spares for Fokker F100s . . . AAR Corp. of Wood Dale, Ill. has bought the Avsco product distribution unit from France's Sogerma . . . Rockwell Collins has expanded its business and regional aircraft avionics service center at Brazil's Sao Jose dos Campos Airport . . .
One of Learjet Inc.'s most popular models has been the 35/36 series that first entered production in 1974. The firm built 735 units during a 22-year production run, which is the longest for any Learjet model. Production finally ceased in 1995 in anticipation of the Learjet 45's arrival.
-- Marietta, Ga.-Avtech Executive Flight Center at Cobb County-McCollum Field is in the midst of a major construction program that will double the FBO's hangar and office space. The company, which pumps AirBP fuel, is adding 40,000 square feet for aircraft storage and 6,600 square feet for customer office space. Completion is scheduled by mid year. (800) 511-4016/(770) 422-2345.
Construction is underway of Bombardier's extension of the company's aviation service facility in Tucson. When completed in July, the 120,000-square-foot addition will enable the facility to more than double the number of Challenger 604 completions it can handle, according to James L. Ziegler, general manager of Bombardier Aviation Services. "Half of the new space will be devoted to Challenger completions. Now at eight per year, [capacity] will go to 20 per year," Ziegler told B/CA. "The other half will be for the Global Express," he added.
