With the December 1995 publishing of a notice of proposed rulemaking to reduce flightcrew work hours (B/CA, January, page 15), there is an increasing awareness among experts of what constitutes appropriate duty time and crew rest (B/CA, November 1995, page 76).
One of the keys to winning World War II was the rapid conversion of American industry to military manufacturing. Besides building millions of weapons and tens of thousands of vehicles and ships, the arsenal of democracy produced nearly 300,000 aircraft during the war, as aviation technology advanced from biplanes to jets. But by mid-August 1945, when final victory was at hand, U.S. military contracts for $9 billion worth of aviation equipment, including 31,000 aircraft, were canceled. Within two weeks, 450,000 factory workers were idled.
Following a nearly three-year review of its ``Age 60 Rule,'' the FAA now has decided not to change the rule. In addition, the agency said it is denying all pending petitions that were filed requesting rulemaking or exemptions to the rules. When the FAA launched its review in early 1993, proponents of allowing airmen over the age of 60 to serve as airline pilots were hopeful that the agency was taking the first steps toward modifying the rule (B/CA, June 1993, page 23).
``Legacy,'' a new CD-ROM produced by NASA's Langley Research Center, places 179 NASA and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA's predecessor agency) reports literally at your fingertips. The reports, described as ``general aviation highlights from eight decades of NACA/NASA research,'' range from basic studies of landing technique and spin recovery to detailed studies of a range of stability and control issues.
Inadequate pilot training and fuel contaminated with water caused the crash of a helicopter near Boston on February 22, 1995, said the NTSB. Two Massachusetts State Police (MSP) pilots and two AT&T employees died when the Eurocopter AS-350B crashed into a Harvard University boat house. The Safety Board said the fuel came from an MSP fuel-storage tank that had not been maintained in 14 years and that contained rust and water. The Board's report on the accident also said the MSP had provided the pilot with only one training session in the past five years.
This FBO and FAA-certificated repair station added three new staff members: D. Chris Heredia as vice president and general manager, James Welch as technical service salesperson and Jim Wilcox as manager of avionics.
Corporate traffic to international airports Hanoi (VVGL), Danang (VVDN) and Ho Chi Minh City (VVTS) has increased, according to operator reports from the last six months. Ground handling and overflight services are arranged by Southeast Asia Air/Bangert Associates, with U.S. offices at 11 Green St., Boston, MA 02130. Phone: (617) 522-7810 (Jeppesen U.K.). R.B.P.
There are no reports yet of new turboprop deliveries for December 1995 and only one such sale was closed in December 1994. Three resales were listed-one each for Raytheon, Gulfstream and Piper. There were ten resales in December 1994. While November revisions added no new sales, the update included eight resales. None of these were reported initially.
Airframe manufacturers' maintenance and operations meetings scheduled for this year include: Canadair Challenger, Montreal, May 22-23; Cessna Citation, Wichita, April 29-May 1; Dassault Falcon Jet, Boca Raton, Florida, June 3-4; Gulfstream, Savannah, May 21-23; Learjet, Tucson, May 1-3; and Raytheon Beechjet, San Antonio, May 5-7. Raytheon will hold M&O meetings for Hawker Jet operators regionally: March 11 in Atlanta, March 15 in Houston and March 25 in Los Angeles.
Just before the new year, the FAA hosted its second safety summit-this time to formulate strategies to meet Transportation Secretary Federico Pena's stated goal of zero accidents. The event brought together about 300 representatives from all walks of aviation to review progress on the specific tasks Pena set at the agency's first safety summit in early 1995. ``Zero accidents is the only acceptable standard of safety, one that we must achieve every day, on every flight,'' Pena said in his opening remarks at the New Orleans meeting.
The first meeting of the new Southeastern Aviation Safety Roundtable Committee is scheduled for April 23 in Orlando. Representatives of corporate flight departments based in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and North and South Carolina are invited to attend. The aim of the group is to meet periodically to discuss safety issues of mutual concern. For more information, contact David Carlisle of SunTrust Banks' aviation department in Orlando at (407) 237-4486.
The Las Vegas Hilton recently installed a TCAS that is supposed to shut off the hotel's laser show when it detects an aircraft in a laser beam's path. But, the system is not completely reliable below 1,200 feet.
Alpha Flying took delivery of two of the five Pilatus PC-12s it purchased for its fractional-ownership program called PlaneSense. To date, the Norwood, Massachusetts company has sold three one-quarter shares in one aircraft to two owners. Quarter shares in the new, single-engine turboprop cost $635,000. Monthly management fees are $4,700 per quarter share, and owners are allotted 175 occupied flight hours per quarter share per year at $510 per hour. Alpha is guaranteeing a six-hour response time.
Arthur Stewart and his company, Gary Aerospace Corporation of Hindo, Texas, and Jose L. Mendiola and his company, JLM Aviation International of Naperville, Illinois, were convicted of manufacturing and marketing counterfeit slat track roller-bolt assemblies for Boeing 727 wings. The bogus parts were marketed to domestic purchasers as well as to Mexicana Airlines. The U.S. Department of Justice, which prosecuted the case, said that sentencing is scheduled for March 12.
Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, New York recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its continuous operation of a corporate aircraft. The purchase in 1945 of the company's first airplane-a military surplus C-47 version of the DC-3-had been encouraged by Kodak vice president Edward Peck as a ``means of being more responsive in the post-World War II boom economy,'' said Kodak officials. Kodak employees were wasting far too much time waiting for trains and commercial flights at a time when civil aviation was in its infancy.
Three new Raytheon turboprops were delivered in December-two King Air C90B's and one King Air B200. Thirteen sales were listed in December 1994. There were 22 resales in December, compared to 71 listed in December of last year. Raytheon listed sales of six used Beech models and there were six Piper resales. Gulfstream and Cessna each posted three resales. Preliminary figures also included two Mitsubishi and one Swearingen model.
FlightSafety International has purchased Dalfort Flight Training's Boeing aircraft simulator training centers. The facility at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is equipped with two B727-200 simulators and one B737-200 simulator, while the center at Standiford Field in Louisville, Kentucky contains a B747-200 simulator. All four training devices are FAA Level C approved. Meanwhile, FSI is offering Maintenance Resource Management training at eight different locations starting February 20-21 in San Francisco and ending June 18-20 in White Plains.
Owners of the aircraft broker Aero Toy Store have purchased the former ATC Jet Center at Florida's Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and changed its name to Executive Jet Center. At press time, the FBO was undergoing a complete renovation. In addition to traditional line services, the operation offers on-site rental cars and crew loaner cars, free membership to a nearby gym, shower and snooze rooms, private phone and modem communication facilities, WSI flight planning, separate crew and passenger lounges and large-screen TV with satellite programming.
An increase of at least 25 percent in aircraft operations is expected in the Atlanta area during the 1996 Summer Olympics. To prepare for the onslaught, the FAA has released its ATC and security plans for the airspace and airports in the region, effective July 15-august 9. During the Games, slot reservations will be required for landings and takeoffs at 11 airports, and temporary towers will be installed at six usually uncontrolled airports in and around Atlanta. (See this issue's Observer for more details.)
''Education Taking Flight'' is the theme of the 1996 International Women in Aviation Conference, March 7-9 in Minneapolis. Invited general-session speakers are retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Chuck Yeager, chairperson of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program; Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee; FAA Administrator David Hinson; B. Steadman, president of the International Women's Air and Space Museum; and Wally Funk, Mercury 13 astronaut candidate.
The Air Line Pilots Association asked for it . . . and got it. The RAA, which, ``has to work in this town,'' applauded on cue. DOT Secretary Federico Pena issued the new ``Commuter Safety Rule,'' one year to the day after his famous ``smoking-wreckage'' speech of December 14, 1994 at Raleigh/Durham that followed the crash of an American Eagle Jetstream 31 claiming the lives of 15 persons. ``One level of safety'' was the long-standing ALPA message, and it had been embraced by President Clinton appointee Pena.
New from IntelliVox is IntelliTimer, a digital-audio timer that counts out loud-in a human voice-either up or down. The device can time procedure turns, approaches and holds. In a countdown, the timer beeps at 10-second intervals and an-nounces the minutes yet to go. When fewer than 30 seconds re-main, it announces how much time is left every 10 seconds. The timer operates on a nine-volt battery and plugs in between the pilot's headset and the phone jack. A ``disable'' switch is included. Price: $199. IntelliVox, P.O. Box 9961, Trenton, NJ 08650. (908) 792-1913.
Aero International (Regional) officially opened for business January 1 as the Airbus Industrie for the European regional aircraft manufacturers. AI(R) was announced at 1995's Paris Air Show following years of positioning and negotiations over who would build what and where.
