Sabreliner's SabreTech unit is selling its Miami maintenance base, the facility alleged to have erroneously mislabeled filled oxygen canisters as empty before they were loaded as cargo on the ill-fated ValuJet DC-9. According to accident investigators, the canisters may have caused or contributed to a fire aboard the aircraft that crashed in the Everglades on May 11, 1996. The sale comes several months after St.
The International Air Transportation Association and ICAO have produced a Future Air Navigation System Starter Kit. The kit provides an ``in-depth understanding of the issues'' behind the implementation of FANS. Now in the test phase, FANS is a satellite-based communications, navigation and surveillance system for flights over oceanic and other remote areas (B/CA, August 1995, page 16). Copies of the kit are available for $145 each. Contact IATA in Montreal. Phone: (514) 844-6311; fax: (514) 844-9089.
Corporate aircraft operations, as well as commercial flights, are included in a new FAA rule that permanently bans the transportation of oxygen generators as cargo on passenger airplanes. The rule results from the May 1996 crash of a ValuJet DC-9 in Florida in which oxygen generators being carried as cargo might have contributed to the cause of the accident (B/CA, July 1996, page 18). The accident prompted at least one company to develop a central oxygen system for corporate airliners. (See item below.)
Investigators looking into the cause of the January 9 crash of a Comair Embraer EMB-120 near Ida, Mich. said the wreckage indicated the crew tried to shut down the right engine and activate an engine fire-extinguishing system. However, NTSB officials on site said there was no indication of fire. The aircraft went into a left bank that increased to 40 degrees, at which point ``the aircraft departed controlled flight,'' according to officials. The accident killed all 26 passengers and the crew of three.
The year 1996 was comparatively strong for overall new turbine-powered helicop-ters, yet sales of these aircraft for corporate use, delivered in the United States in that period, accounted for only about 12 percent. According to the highly respected Helicopter Market Letter published by Aastad Company of Chadds Ford, Pa., that total of new turbine helicopters was 151 units. Used turbine helicopters delivered in 1996 accounted for 635, including 278 military surplus units. (Aastad tallies sales and deliveries only after an aircraft registration has been filed.)
Aero Services International, an Exxon Avitat FBO at Midway Airport, recently completed a $250,000 facilities upgrade to include a 24-hour security camera surveillance system of the hangars, offices and lobby. The FBO also completed remodeling projects in the lobby, vending area, conference room, crew lounge, snooze rooms and showers. A flight-planning room contains an on-line WSI weather-briefing system. Computer and modem hookups are provided, and a massage therapist ``offers 15-minute stress-free massages twice weekly.'' Phone: (312) 582-5720; fax: (312) 582-1047.
New training aids from the Flight Safety Foundation cover the avoidance of controlled-flight-into-terrain accidents and ground deicing procedures. The CFIT program, developed by Boeing, includes a CFIT checklist that the FSF originally released two years ago. The ground deicing program, called ICEMAN, is CD-ROM based and includes modules for flightcrews and dispatchers as well as for ground deicing crews. For information and to order either program, contact the Alexandria, Va.-based FSF at (703) 739-6700.
Escalating construction costs will cause a significant delay in the opening of Bangkok's new Nong Ngu Hao Airport, according to Airports, a weekly newsletter published by The McGraw-Hill Companies' Aviation Week Group. Airports says the scheduled completion date of 2000 has been postponed for at least three years. The project was originally budgeted at about $3.79 billion (U.S.), but is expected to cost more than $6.63 billion.
AIR, Inc., an Atlanta-based aviation career information company, purchased the assets of its former competitor, the Future Aviation Professionals of America. FAPA abruptly went out of business in September 1996 (B/CA, October 1996, page 14). Because AIR purchased only the FAPA assets, there is no requirement for the company to handle any outstanding obligations for the 8,500 former FAPA members. However, AIR says it will offer former members ``similar services at a lower cost than those offered by FAPA.'' AIR, Inc.
The third annual convention of the European Business Aviation Association is slated for March 18-20 in Brussels, Belgium. Issues to be discussed at the meeting include aircraft aging, RVSM, ETOPS, JARs, flight-time limitations and preventing CFIT accidents. For more details, contact the EBAA in Brussels. Phone: +32 2 721-4272; fax: +32 2 721-2158.
To mobilize fast assistance to a disaster site, the NBAA, in cooperation with GAMA, has developed an emergency-response program to provide transportation for an American Red Cross Quick Response Team of disaster experts and their necessary supplies.
It was a brief episode in the life of a young Navy pilot--one that would become a legend in the Atlantic fleet. It was not to be an honorable legend, mind you, but a legend nevertheless. Oh, and don't ask who it was. I am thankful it was not me, but compassion keeps me from identifying this otherwise nice person.
-- The International Aviation Maintenance Conference, backed by nine industry trade organizations and the FAA, will be held February 9-12 in Washington, D.C. The conference will address topics of concern to both general and commercial aviation. Workshops and tutorials will focus on human factors, global maintenance practices, repair station issues, parts and standardization of policies and practices. Sessions on record-keeping, aging aircraft and JAR OPS maintenance issues will be part of the program.
Bell and Boeing selected the Collins Pro Line 21 for the standard avionics package for their Model 609 tilt-rotor. The configuration in the six- to nine-passenger aircraft will include three 10-by-eight-inch EFIS displays-two PFDs and one MFD. Other Pro Line components in the tilt-rotor will be dual navcoms, VOR/ILS, DME, ADF and Mode S transponder, as well as an engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS). Optional Collins avionics for the Model 609 include a flight director, the WXR-800 weather radar and the ALT-4000 radio altimeter.
Bombardier will introduce Smart Parts Plus for customers of the new Learjet 45 (scheduled to receive FAA certification soon), as well as for the other Learjet models and the Global Express. Challenger 604 operators already enrolled in the basic Smart Parts plan can join Smart Parts Plus. But, the basic Smart Parts plan will remain available only to Challenger operator.
Salt Lake City-based Perry Group and Fokker Services in the Netherlands have signed an agreement to further pursue a reengine program for the Fokker F28. The two companies, which for the past several months have been cooperating on the effort, plan to announce the selected engine this month. Perry Group officials would not name the candidate engines other than to say they are in the 12,000- to 14,000-pound-thrust category. The two companies hope to be able to start offering engine retrofits in late 1998.
As part of its ongoing safety program directed specifically at Boeing 737s, the FAA issued an AD requiring operators to adopt flight procedures that will enable pilots to maintain control during an uncommanded yaw or roll condition. Procedures also address a jammed or restricted flight control condition. The FAA considers both conditions to be ``remote.'' This AD is the latest action directed by the FAA to address concerns about what caused two similar, but as yet unexplained, accidents involving B737s.
Walt McConnell is the new vice president and general manager of the company's air transport systems division, headquartered in Phoenix. He replaces Don Schwanz, who became president of the space and aviation control division on January 1.
Progress in bringing the Galaxy business jet to market is picking up steam again after faltering in 1996 as a result of missteps between IAI and its former Russian partner, Yakovlev. Development delays have pushed the scheduled first flight of the Galaxy to fall of this year, nearly a year later then originally planned. Consequently, FAA certification is delayed until the fall of 1998. Nevertheless, Galaxy Aerospace Corporation is confident that it will deliver 20 units in its first year of production.
Nearly 25,000 souls descended on Orlando in November 1996 for the 49th NBAA doings, which means there must have been a hundred or so members who stayed home with the flu. The building housing the exhibitors was humongous-so big that there were no crowded aisles. You could have put the entire business section of New Canaan, Connecticut in one half of the convention hall. There were one or two other conventions being held concurrent with ours in the same building.
For passenger viewing pleasure, Aerial View Systems has added another miniature video camera to its product line. The AVS420 zoom camera, with its 24X stabilized zoom lens, allows passengers to zoom from wide angle for taxiing to telephoto for an inflight view both on the main aircraft monitor and on the individual seat monitors. A zoom switch is installed at the principal-passenger seat. If none of the passengers want control, the camera automatically adjusts field of view for taxi, takeoff and landing. The 2.5-pound camera system mounts into the cockpit glareshield.
AlliedSignal said its annual business aviation survey found the highest expectation for the purchase of new corporate jets since the company started the surveys in 1991. Based on these expectations, AlliedSignal foresees sales approaching 4,400 units through 2007, but the forecast figure is fragile. If new user fees resulted in an additional $200 to $300 in hourly operating costs, 33 percent of the respondents said they would be forced to shut down operations.
