Three would-be production aircraft builders have reached milestones. Kestrel Aircraft of Norman, Oklahoma is in flight-test with its Cessna look-alike KL series and expects certification in the spring (B/CA, February 1995, page 16). A second prototype of the Cirrus SR20 has joined Cirrus Design's flight-test program. The Minnesota company is targeting early 1997 for FAA approval. Having suffered the crash of its first prototype in 1992, El Gavilan of Bogota, Colombia expects to fly a new, improved prototype of the Gavilan 358 in March (B/CA, May 1995, page 113).
Embraer's flight-test program for the 50-seat EMB-145 regional jet is expected to lead to certification late this year. In-air testing will involve four aircraft, including SN 001, the second prototype shown here on its first flight in mid-November 1995. The third aircraft was expected to fly in January, and the fourth test aircraft is set to take to the air this month. At press time, Embraer had 18 firm orders, 16 options and 127 ``letters of intent'' for the Allison-powered aircraft.
Jeppesen has introduced multicolor en route and area charts for Australia, and may decide to expand colorization to other geographical areas. Black depicts information related to en route VHF navigation; blue is used to highlight IFR facilities and procedures; green illustrates LF navaids, VFR airports, lat/long, isogonic lines and uncontrolled airspace; magenta shows MEAs, ATS routes and special use airspace; and brown highlights contours.
In today's instrument panels that are dominated by large-format displays, mechanical spinning gyro standby attitude indicators are among the last carryovers from the era of clocks and dials. Properly cared for, these instruments can go 7,000 to 10,000 hours between failures, but only if they are overhauled at regular intervals by skilled technicians. Many operators, though, report having failures at much more frequent intervals.
The new year is ``shaping up to be a very slow growth year, perhaps well under three percent,'' predicts Michael Boyd, president of Aviation Systems Research Corporation (ASRC) of Golden, Colorado.
FAA is advising operators to write or fax the agency to obtain its Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance, a book intended to reduce human error in the maintenance field. The guidelines are available in hard copy and on CD-ROM. A phone number previously set up to take orders for the publication repeatedly has been busy or temporarily out of order (B/CA, October 1995, page 26). So for further information, fax the FAA at (202) 366-7105. Or write the FAA Office of Aviation Medicine, AAM 240, 400 7th St. SW, Room 2102-B, Washington, DC 20591.
Widere's Flyveselskap has a vision, according to the company's 1994 annual report: ``Serving the rural areas of Norway, our aim is to provide the best means of transport in bringing people together.'' That was the goal of Viggo Widere's single-engine, float-plane operation when the regional airline was formalized in February 1934. In the interim, Viggo's airline has enjoyed a monopoly in serving the small communities along the country's east-coast fjords extending to the top of Scandinavia and the Russian border.
The most frequent utterance when a veteran member of Congress decides to retire is ``good riddance.'' But that wasn't the reaction when Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) announced she would not seek a fourth term in this fall's election. In fact, the thought that the gentle lady from Kansas will no longer be adding her touch of class to the Washington scene provoked widespread lamentations.
The market for new turbine aircraft continued its rebound in December 1995 as the worldwide sales total topped 1994's by 2.4 percent on a preliminary basis. Retail deliveries during the first 11 months (revised) showed a climb of more than 16 percent. First reports of U.S. year-end sales of new jets and turboprops were up 9.8 percent-updated delivery figures through November 1995 rose nearly 25 percent, according to Wichita-based AvData. On the international front, the drop in new turbine
A new downtown Tokyo helicopter service from the rooftop of the Japan Aviation Services building can whisk passengers to and from Narita, Sendai and Nagoya. Cost is approximately $1,768 per hour for single-engine helicopters and $2,600 for twins (Air Routing). Meanwhile, the Japan Business Aircraft Association reports that approval for landing slots has been granted for Haneda beginning in late 1996.
The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association is circulating among its members a draft copy of a code of ethics for aviation maintenance technicians.
BFGoodrich acquired several deicing product lines from England's Lucas Aerospace. The products, most of which are standard equipment on business and regional aircraft, include regulator/reliever valves, check valves, water separators, timers, and air injector and distributor valves. A BFGoodrich spokesperson in Akron, Ohio told B/CA ``We expect to provide full service and customer support for the products that we acquired from Lucas.''
At the request of ICAO, the U.S. DOT and others, the number of countries that still permit insecticide spraying on aircraft while passengers or crew are aboard has decreased from 25 roughly a year ago to six today (B/CA, March 1995, page 26). Barbados was the latest country to eliminate the requirement. Countries still requiring routine spraying of occupied aircraft are: Argentina, Grenada, India, Kiribati, Madagascar and Trinidad/Tobago.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is offering an Aircraft Selection, Outfitting and Retrofitting seminar on March 8 and 9 at SimuFlite Training International in Dallas. The course will cover proven procedures for getting the right aircraft and outfitting it the right way-and for the right price. The seminar fee is $600 for the first attendee and $499 for each additional attendee from the same company. For further information or to register, contact Embry-Riddle's Division of Continuing Education at (904) 226-6193.
It happened on February 9, 1989. The DC-9 was scheduled to fly from Ogden, Utah to San Antonio with a load of cargo. It was a cold, clear night in the mountain west. The captain and first officer were experienced and had every reason to expect a routine flight.
Beleaguered Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker appeared to be battling for its future as the Dutch Government and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) deadlocked on how to provide the firm with a much needed cash infusion. As B/CA went to press, Fokker's main shareholders-DASA with a 51% stake, and the Dutch government-were at odds over how to split up the burden of injecting some $1.4 billion into the firm.
FAA has established an Aviation Weather Division at its Washington, D.C. headquarters to strengthen its ability to prevent accidents and reduce delays attributable to weather. (The agency says weather accounts for 73 percent of all delays.) According to the FAA, the new division consolidates the weather experts and programs from FAA offices of Regulation and Certification, and Air Traffic Services into one point of contact for all aviation weather policy and requirements.
Omega Air in Shannon, Ireland acquired the Boeing 707 Super Q Hush Kit Program from San Antonio-based Comtran. Installation of the kit enables B707-100 and -300 and B720B aircraft to meet FAR Part 36, Stage 3 noise levels. Omega Air will handle product support and spare parts for the approximately 180 aircraft equipped with the hush kit, and will market and perform new installations from the company's Shannon facility.
Anticipating an increase of at least 25 percent in commercial and general-aviation aircraft in the Atlanta area during the 1996 Summer Olympics, the FAA has released its ATC and security plans for the airspace and airports in the region, effective July 15-August 9.
Robert L. Butcher was promoted to sales director, with responsibility for sales in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. L.M.
Jary Engels, chief pilot for Honeywell Phoenix flight operations, has devised an effective test to evaluate pilot performance using a head-up display (HUD). He puts you in a strange aircraft equipped with a prototype Honeywell/GEC Marconi HUD 2020 with which you've never flown and says, ``Your first hand-flown approach using the HUD will be a simulated Category II ILS to Williams-Gateway Airport Runway 30 Center.''
A recent NOTAM regarding eastbound altitude restrictions canceled some of those restrictions. However, they will still apply until clear of certain heavy-traffic routes that cross G583 (Air Routing).
Contrary to its announcement at the 1995 Helicopter Association International annual meeting, Bell Helicopter plans to develop a new light twin-engine helicopter rather than produce a twin version of the Model 407 (B/CA, March 1995, page 20). The new light twin will feature ``substantial'' improvements over what the 407T would have offered, said Bell, but it won't be available until about a year later than when the 407T was slated to emerge. More details about the new light twin were expected to be announced at the Asian Aerospace show in Singapore early this month.
