New from Universal Lift is a mechanical lifting device to board physically challenged passengers into Astar AS350 BA helicopters. The UniversaLift, constructed of high-strength, aircraft-quality materials, is powered by a built-in, maintenance-free Gel-Pack battery source. The compact lift weights 175 pounds and is rated to handle up to 360 pounds. Although the UniversaLift is designed for a specific helicopter model, other customizations are possible. Some users may receive IRS tax breaks. Price: $10,000. Universal Lift, Inc. , 1425 Rimrock Dr., Escondido, CA 92027.
Aviation fees were substantially reduced throughout the country. A previous $3,000 per landing charge is now $3,000 for all charges (Universal Weather&Aviation).
Aircraft Electronics Association is searching for a replacement for Monte Mitchell, who has served as executive director and president of this trade organization for nearly 20 years. AEA chairman Dave Vorsas says the association seeks only candidates with extensive backgrounds in avionics. After a new president is selected, Mitchell will serve as a consultant to the Independence, Missouri-based group and as executive director of the AEA's educational foundation.
When clouds first form, the cloud drop sizes typically are from 10 to 20 microns in diameter. Twenty-five microns is one-thousandth of an inch, which is also about the diameter of a human hair. Meteorologists have defined drizzle drops to be from 50 to 500 microns in diameter. Five hundred microns is 0.5 millimeters or 0.020 inch, and it is the diameter of those new fine-line mechanical pencils with the lead that always breaks.
Well, Hirsch, the 49th NBAA soiree is a wrap, and all my apprehensions about citizens staying away in droves went out the porthole upon learning that the first day's total registrants tiptoed over 20 thousand. For you 20 or 30 NBAA members who didn't make the scene, the final head count was right at 25 grand, not counting the designated others, who eschewed the convention halls for golf or gaming. The convention center was awesome, with enough wall-to-wall carpeting to cover La Guardia.
U.S. Customs Service has tabled a plan to allow pre-registered general-aviation operators reentering the United States from Canada to clear customs via telephone and, thereafter, to land at any public-use airport. In July, Canada started such a program for aircraft returning from the United States (B/CA, July, page 11). The U.S. effort has been stymied, partly because of opposition by the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents customs inspectors.
A federal district court granted preliminary approval of a settlement agreement concerning a class-action lawsuit in which owners of thousands of Continental piston engines sued Mobil Corporation over alleged damage caused by Mobil AV1 oil. The settlement reportedly would allow Mobil to reinstate its claim process in which the company will help pay for engine inspections. Mobil maintains that the use of AV1 created no threat to safety, but concedes that some engines suffered problems because AV1 did not adequately disperse lead from fuel.
BFGoodrich Aerospace Avionics Systems says it is about one year away from certificating a flat-panel, solid-state, 3-ATI, standby attitude indicator. The GH-3000 will feature a full-color, back-lit liquid crystal display and will have a typical alignment time of 2.5 minutes. The unit will consume 15 to 22 watts of power, compared with about eight watts for mechanical gyros. Uninstalled price will be about $22,500. Meanwhile, BFGoodrich purchased Hoskins Aviation, the Tustin, California manufacturer of aircraft lighting systems.
Canadair guarantees that new Global Express business jets will leave the factory at 40,700 pounds, plus or minus two percent. Considering the company's allowance that outfitting will add 6,000 pounds, the aircraft will have a typical empty operating weight of 46,700 pounds. With full fuel, Canadair says payload will equal eight passengers plus baggage. Max payload will be 7,500 pounds. Canadair also claims that the SL-ISA balanced field length for a Global Express at MTOW now will be 5,100 feet-440 feet less than originally announced.
Before you complete your flight-department budget for 1996, it might be wise to include an open line item titled ``compliance with Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) standards.'' You also might want to begin softening up the accounting department, because when you are able to fill in the line, the figure could run into the hundreds of thousands.
Atlantic City International is acquiring two new FBOs-Midlantic Jet Aviation recently opened its facility and is operating on a 24-hour basis. (609) 383-3993. A Raytheon Aircraft Services facility is scheduled to open in 1997. (See accompanying artist's rendition.)
Three years ago, the aviation community was surprised by research that explained the existence of serious threats to pitch control caused by icing on some airplanes with flaps fully extended.
Delta Connection SkyWest has a new runway at Salt Like City International Airport-practically its own. On October 24 the airport inaugurated the facility's third runway, the 12,000-foot Runway 34L/16R. The runway is located on the west side of the airport, adjacent to SkyWest's new Concourse E in Terminal 2. Until the opening of the new runway, SkyWest's Canadair Regional Jets, Embraer Brasilias and Fairchild Metros had to taxi to the other side of the airport to the existing parallel runway on the east side of the airport.
FAA has granted air-show pilot Bob Hoover a restricted second-class medical certificate, following a review of his medical disqualification case by a group of physicians that purportedly had no ties to either the FAA or to Hoover (B/CA, September, page 30). Under the restriction, Hoover must take annual physicals, and he cannot fly passengers for hire. Now the question is: Will Hoover's experience result in anything changing to help the average pilot (one who doesn't have Hoover's resources) avoid battling with the FAA for years?
Eldorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia has been added to the U.S. DOT's list of international facilities found to be out of compliance with ICAO security standards for air-carrier operations. U.S. airlines and others servicing Bogota are providing their own additional security measures while the government of Colombia works with the FAA to correct the cited deficiencies, says the DOT.
Member flight departments of the Corporate Aircraft Association now are being offered-at a discount-a crew resource management training program from Cockpit Management Resources. The Stow, Massachusetts firm has been providing CRM training since 1979. The CAA was established in Carson City, Nevada in 1993 as a buying cooperative for flight departments (B/CA, December 1993, page 20).
Fine-tuning local area differential GPS results in two-meter navigational accuracy-another nail in the MLS coffin. Less than three years ago, the FAA remained unconvinced that GPS could match, let alone surpass, ILS and the microwave landing system (MLS) for guidance accuracy, thus making it suitable as a Category II/III landing system. Indeed, today some European governments still are banking on MLS as the precision landing-guidance system of choice at major airports served by airlines, especially their own flag carriers.
Bird-X, Incorporated has inroduced the UX-4 system that the company claims keeps birds away from hangars and their environs within 6,500 feet. Four Piezo ceramic speakers project powerful ultrasonic waves in an overlapping fan pattern for 360-degree coverage. Birds are irritated by the sound, but are not harmed in any way. (Human beings within earshot remain unflappable since they can't hear the din.) Speaker sequencing, frequency and warble rate are adjustable. The UX-4 uses a 110-VAC outlet. Price: $475. Bird-X, Inc. 300 N. Elizabeth St., Dept. BCA, Chicago, IL 60607.
Access to Narita Airport (RJAA) is worsening, possibly due to backlash from external pressure. (The NBAA and other organizations appealed to the U.S. Embassy to help ease airport restrictions to allow more corporate activity.) Handlers say some access still is possible but advise making reservations early.
Historically, most mid-size business aircraft have been powered by growth versions of turbofans originally designed for light-jet aircraft. Many of these derivative engines have been pushed to the edge of their design envelope, resulting in shortfalls in climb and cruise performance, plus increased maintenance cost.
Airline Educational Services offers a crew resource management video program designed for corporate aviation and for Part 121 and 135 certificate holders. This 12-hour, stand-alone video course consists of a master student guide, an instructor's manual, exercise materials and 10 videotapes. Course content follows FAA guidelines (from Advisory Circular 121-51A) and includes information on team building, information transfer, decision making, problem solving, conflict resolution, maintaining situational awareness and stress management. Introductory price: $6,500.
The California Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision to overturn a $57-million damage award against Raytheon Aircraft in a lawsuit related to a 1974 Beech Travel Air crash that killed all four persons aboard. The Supreme Court's ruling lets stand an appeals court's decision that the manufacturer (Beech) and its insurer did not act in bad faith by going to trial rather than by settling the original lawsuit. The NTSB attributed the cause of the crash to pilot error.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries became the fourth major participant in the de Havilland Dash 8-400 regional airline project when it signed on to design and build the fuselage and tail sections of the 70-seat twin-engine propjet. Other major vendors include Pratt&Whitney to provide the PW150-series engines, Dowty Aerospace for the six-blade, all-composite propellers and Menasco for the landing gear. First flight of the Dash 8-400 is scheduled for late 1997.
National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has contracted with the Aviation Research Group/U.S. to better monitor the sales trends of the air taxi and FBO industries. NATA hopes its General Aviation Business Barometer will be able to obtain sales statistics on a monthly basis for fuel, flight-training hours, maintenance and charter flights. A sample of NATA members will provide data on monthly sales figures to Cincinnati-based ARG/U.S. for compilation and reporting.
Gregory L. Summe, former senior vice president of AlliedSignal General Aviation Avionics, is the new president of AlliedSignal Engines. Meanwhile, Chuck Miller, president of AlliedSignal Commercial Avionics, has assumed responsibility for General Aviation Avionics.
