SimuFlite Training International recently introduced Gulfstream IV initial maintenance training and improved its Hawker 800 ground school with new multimedia materials.
Photograph: FSF President Emeritus Jerry Lederer (left) listening to Najeeb Halaby during the anniversary event. In the aviation industry, safety is everybody's business. But for the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), safety has been its only business for a half century. Nonprofit and independent, the Alexandria, Va.-based foundation is a neutral clearinghouse that disseminates objective aviation safety information. Through its advisory committees, the FSF identifies threats to air safety, analyzes those problems and recommends practical solutions to them.
The first annual NBAA Golf Tournament, held September 21 before the formal kickoff of the association's convention, attracted roughly 150 participants. Among them were (left to right, front row) Steve Hawks, pilot for Amoco of Chicago; Allen Lane, director of aviation for Amoco; George Reich, a consultant to Boeing Business Jets and president of R.T. Hawk&Associates; and John Petri, director of aviation at Unilever United States of White Plains. Immediately behind Reich is Gordon Wilson of Amoco.
With the snow and ice season coming, crews will face an ever increasing choice in how to have aircraft decontaminated prior to flight. Type IV deicing fluids, new to the market in 1996, are expected to be in much wider use this season, with at least three new vendors joining Union Carbide in offering Type IV fluid. The new fluids are Octagon Max-Flight, Safewing MP IV and Kilfrost ABC-S.
Aircraft Parts International (Memphis)-Jerry Schlesinger has been appointed president of this parts distribution subsidiary of First Aviation Services.
Photograph: The CMS Touch Screen from Hunting Aviation has been designed to allow the operator control of the different functions of the cabin. Computer-driven engineering, space-age materials and almost unlimited options in furnishing, lighting, communications and entertainment media are offering business aircraft operators more flexibility and capability in what they put into their aircraft than ever before.
Mesa Airlines on November 30 expanded its new Fort Worth Meacham Field Canadair-Regional-Jet hub with service to Austin. The carrier now offers seven daily roundtrips on weekdays with a slightly abbreviated schedule on weekends. The city is the third CRJ destination from Fort Worth since May, when it inaugurated service to Houston Hobby. It added San Antonio in September and in October began CRJ service between San Antonio and Colorado Springs.
In early 1998, the NTSB expects to issue a final report on one of its longest-running and baffling accident investigations-the 1994 USAir Boeing 737 crash near Pittsburgh. The report is expected to contain a probable cause centering on a malfunction in the rudder control system and the pilot's inability to regain control (January, page 75).
FAA is now accepting applications for up to five airports to participate in a pilot program to convert their ownership from government to private industry. Private companies generally have access to more funding sources than government, but federal rules have restricted the ability of governments to sell or lease their airports. This program is intended to determine if such restrictions should be withdrawn. Congress has authorized the DOT to exempt the selected airports from meeting certain statutes regarding the receipt of federal funding (October, page 26).
(http://aee.hq.faa.gov)-Advisory Circular 36-1G, noise levels for U.S. and foreign aircraft, is available at this site. Future updates of this AC will only be published on the Internet. For each aircraft model, the following data are shown: MTOW, MLW, en-gine model, number of engines, noise levels in EPNdB, FAR Part 36, stage category and notes, such as flap configuration.
Barry Valentine will leave his job this month as acting deputy administrator of the FAA, a role he's occupied since Jane Garvey was confirmed as administrator in August. Previously, Valentine served as acting administrator. His departure and the long period in which the deputy position has been only temporarily filled has spurred general aviation interests to press Congress for a quick confirmation of George Donohue as the next deputy administrator. Donohue, who was nominated in June, is currently associate administrator for research and acquisition.
Dallas-Under new ownership, Business Jet Center at Love Field is building a new, three-story FBO terminal and replacing its front asphalt with a concrete ramp in order to handle heavier business aircraft. With these upgrades, scheduled to be completed in mid 1998, the company will be named a Phillip 66 Aviation Performance Center. (214) 353-8777.
Tronair has developed a multi-head towbar for business aircraft with gross weights up to 125,000 pounds. Attachment heads can accommodate Gulfstream G-V and Canadair Global Express aircraft, and were designed for a quick change and to save storage space. The towbar is constructed of aluminum, with welded heads. Price: $1,559 for the towbar; attachment heads are $2,075 for the Global Express and $2,094 for the G-V. Tronair, S. 1720 Eber Rd., Holland, Ohio 43528. (419) 866-6301; fax:(419) 867-0634.
A new member of Avionica's line of flight data recorder readout systems is the hand-held Ruggedized Service Unit (RSU). This miniaturized computer plugs into the FDR and can read more than 180 hours of data fed through it in real time while aircraft systems are functioning. Then, the RSU downloads the stored data from the FDR. Price: $15,000 to $18,000 for the RSU and software that enables the user to interpret the data; $10,000 to $13,000 for the RSU alone. Avionica, Inc., 14380 S.W. 139th Ct., Miami, Fla. 33186. (305) 559-9194; fax: (305) 254-5900.
Next time you're flying VFR in the vicinity of Cherry Point, N.C., be aware of six new Restricted Areas. The areas, associated with Camp Lejune, cover various altitude ranges, but the highest tops out at 18,000 feet msl. Cherry Point Approach Control can advise when the areas are hot.
Kansas City, Mo.-Executive Beechcraft recently completed building a hangar at its Kansas City Downtown Airport FBO. The company also plans to add an on-site restaurant and full-service inflight catering in March 1998. (816) 842-8484.
By the end of this month, NASA plans to offer free of charge a slide presentation on "Alertness Management in Flight Operations." The presentation includes 54 35-mm slides and a script that flight departments can use for education and training of pilots, managers, schedulers, dispatchers and flight attendants. The script can be used as is or as a jumping off point for specific policies on fatigue countermeasures for an individual operation. To order, phone (415) 604-6647 or fax (415) 604-2177.
HBAcorp's FACTS of Olympia, Wash. and SimuFlite Training International have teamed to offer quarterly programs in aircrew emergency training at SimuFlite's D/FW Airport facility.
AirCell is doggedly determined to get FCC approval to use its planned airborne cellular communications system. Currently, the FCC bans the use of cellular phones in flight. The Boulder, Colo. company has been trying to obtain the approval since 1992 (January 1993, page 22) and says tests of its system under an experimental FCC license show no interference with ground-based cellular systems or other essential electronics.
