As soon as we settled into the left seat of the fourth-ever-built Do 328, a pre-production veteran of the flight-test program, we were immediately impressed with the excellent outside visibility, roominess in the cockpit and clean design layout. There is plenty of storage space for chart binders, manuals and checklists. The pilot-in-command, occupying the right seat, was Meinhardt Feuersenger, Dornier's chief test pilot.
Airports in Alaska, particularly Anchorage International (PANC), have become the primary launch points for corporate-aircraft flights from North America to Japan, Korea, Russia, China and other Pacific Rim destinations.
The reference stall speed for transport aircraft will be 1-g instead of the minimum speed obtained in a stalling maneuver, if the FAA adopts a proposed rule. As currently defined, the agency says that Vs can be less than the lowest speed at which aerodynamic lift supports the airplane's weight. Applying multiple factors, such as 1.3 times Vs to get a landing reference speed, may not provide as large a speed margin as the FAA intended. The proposal also would harmonize the rule with those proposed by Europe's Joint Aviation Requirements Part 25. Comments are due May 17.
In this issue, Product Previews on page 86 includes an item titled ``Weather Super Highway.'' At the press time, the manufacturer, Airshow Incorporated, changed the name of the product from Genesys to The Airshow Network. In April, the system will serve other graphical information besides weather. In addition, pricing now starts at $18,000.
An increasing number of corporate operators are using Seattle as the starting point of their Pacific Rim flights, particularly if the destination is Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan or a point farther south. The rationale is: Overnight in Seattle, and start the long legs of the trip the next day.
European business travelers traditionally have high expectations when they climb aboard an aircraft, be it powered by turbofans or turboprops. Those expectations may be dampened, however, as airlines face the economic realities of a deregulated environment.
New York City officials have decided to open a new heliport on Manhattan's west side within the next two years instead of establishing a floating heliport on a surplus U.S. Navy aircraft carrier moored further north on the Hudson River (B/CA, September 1995, page 32). The land-based facility, which would be located on Pier 76 at 38th Street and 12th Avenue, currently is the site for the city's pound for towed cars. Once the new heliport opens, New York plans to close the West 30th Street Heliport and reduce operations by 50 percent at the East 34th Street Heliport.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace's Dornier 328-110 stands out at the airport like an S-class Mercedes at curbside. Historically, mid-size turboprops are safe, reliable workhorses that have made no pretense about pampering passengers with jetliner quiet, smoothness or speed. There is nothing luxurious here, just basic public transportation to and from the terminal building.
For aircraft maintenance personnel, Advanced Electronic Applications offers the 30-137 Antenna Analyst, a hand-held diagnostic unit. It enables users to gather comprehensive an-tenna performance information in an easy-to-read graphic format. The unit can be connected to an IBM-compatible computer. The Antenna Analyst weighs 1.6 pounds and measures 4.3 inches by 2.25 inches by 8.5 inches. Alkaline or NiCd batteries can be used. Price: $750. Advanced Electronic Applications, P.O. Box C2160, Lynnwood, WA 98036. (206) 774-5554.
The new BMW/Rolls 710 turbofan that powers the Gulfstream V and Global Express business jets failed its initial bird ingestion test. The engine, fed four 1.5-pound bird carcasses, was just a few seconds short of its required 10-minute post-ingestion run when a blade tip came off. If production-configured blades had been used, they would have withstood the test, said Fred A. Breidenbach, Gulfstream president and CEO. Although disappointing, the failure ``is no big deal,'' and the test soon will be re-run with production-configured blades, Breidenbach said.
Forming a corporation in Delaware in order to register an aircraft in that state may provide some limited liability protection and possible tax benefits over registration in other states, according to Daniel F. Stargatt of Wilmington-based Delaware Registry Limited. But he advises those interested to consult accountants and an experienced tax and liability attorney in the state where the aircraft will be used and kept.
National Air Transportation Association has prepared guidelines to assist FBOs in complying with new regulations that require background checks for employees who will be allowed unescorted access to secure areas at airports (B/CA, November 1995, page 16). The NATA package includes a copy of the final rule (FAR Part 107.31), basic information and instructions, and a standardized pre-employment background-check application. The package is free to NATA members, and is available to others for $50. Contact NATA in Alexandria, Virginia at (703) 845-9000.
The engine auto-ignition system on the Saab 340's General Electric CT-7 turboprop is now a ``no-go'' item. AMR Eagle Simmons Airlines in mid-November 1995 suffered an instance in which slush and/or ice got past the ``splitter'' (separator) and resulted in a flameout. The auto-ignition system failed to re-light the engine.
A 1,002-shp Pratt&Whitney Canada PT6B-37 was selected to power the single-turbine Agusta A119 Koala helicopter (B/CA, July 1995, page 14). First flight of a prototype with the PT6 installed is targeted for late this year, while certification of the seven-passenger aircraft is planned for mid 1997. The estimated price is $1.5 million. Two prototypes with Turbomeca provisional engines have been flying since 1995. Agusta also continues developmental work on the ``Power''-a beefed-up version of the twin-turbine A109 series, equipped with two 639-shp P&WC PW206s.
FAR Part 135 commuter airlines operating aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats have until March 19 to submit their plans for reshaping their training programs so they comply with the requirements for Part 121 carriers. The FAA-approved training program must be activated no later than March 19, 1997. The rule also mandates crew resource management training and allows certain Part 135 operators more extensive use of simulators. Meanwhile, effective March 1, new duty-time rules are in force for flight attendants (B/CA, February 1995, page 20).
Several accidents and incidents in the past months have triggered an increasing awareness of the importance of human factors and CRM in maintaining safe flight. There has been a revival in sharing insights and experiences about safety issues within the aviation community.
This year's European Business Air Show (EBAS), opening on April 30, will be held in Cannes, France. The event comes before the famous film festival and hopes to provide some impressive exposure of its own for corporate, charter and private aircraft users.
Upstart Western Pacific, the low-fare jet carrier that is giving the new Denver airport fits, has another pin to stick into the Federico Pea doll. The Colorado Springs carrier, which gained quick recognition for the advertising on the sides of its B-737s, has confirmed that it plans to begin commuter service to Colorado ski resorts as well points in New Mexico and Wyoming by midyear.
Dallas-based Aviall, which has been shedding individual business units since it spun-off from Ryder System Incorporated in mid 1993, signed a letter of intent in February to sell its airline engine and component repair operations to Greenwich Air Services. The move would make Miami-based Greenwich one of the world's largest independent aircraft engine repair facilities. Following the sale, Aviall's only remaining business will be its parts-distribution services and Inventory Locator Service, an electronic marketplace for buyers and sellers to find aircraft parts.
A new breed of engines is making possible a new generation of business aircraft-faster and higher flying, more fuel efficient, and more economical. For instance, the Canadair Challenger 604, Cessna Citation Excel and Bravo, Falcon 50EX, Falcon 900EX and IAI Astra SPX all are updated versions of existing designs that owe their existence largely to improved powerplant technology. Powerplant improvements also are behind new breeds of aircraft like the ultra-fast Cessna Citation X and the ultra-long-range Gulfstream G-V and Bombardier Global Express.
National Airmotive Corporation has increased its Allison 250 overhaul warranty from 500 hours with proration of one year to 1,000 hours or two years (not prorated). The Oakland, California company also boosted the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter System component work warranty to 1,000 hours or one year. NAC, owned by First Equity Development, has been in the overhaul and parts-distribution business since 1960.
National Air Transportation Association urged the FAA to reject a recent petition filed by the NBAA. The petition asks the agency to revise FAR Part 91.501 to include government operations, allowing government agencies to recoup some of their operating expenses. NATA charges that the petition, if granted, creates a ``loophole'' to circumvent the purpose of a law adopted in 1995 that requires government-owned or -operated aircraft to meet essentially the same rules as commercial operators do (B/CA, April 1995, page 26).
Construction of the Do 328 is a joint manufacturing venture involving firms on three continents. Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH in Oberpfaffenhofen builds the wing, rear fuselage, top and bottom fairings, the radome and the empennage. The company assembles the pressure vessels from aluminum fuselage shells built by Daewoo Heavy Industries in Korea, cockpit shells made by Aeromacchi in Italy and other components. Westland Aerostructures manufactures the engine nacelles and all the doors. The engine mounts are made of lightweight titanium.
When using airborne radar for terrain-strike avoidance, heed these warning signs: First, in some aircraft you'll discover that there's always a mountain peak showing on your radar display. At FL 430 over Mississippi, you'll have a strong echo showing at seven nm or so.
