TPI International Airways-engaged in a high-stakes chess game with the DOT Inspector General (DOTIG)-has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Savannah to order DOTIG to produce key evidence in its case against the U.S. Air Force and the FAA.
What the FAA describes as an ``advanced general-aviation research simulator'' for human factors testing is now in operation at the agency's Civil Aeromedical Institute in Oklahoma City. The flight deck, reconfigurable to simulate aircraft from single-engine recips to business jets, is a non-motion device with a 150-degree-wide field-of-view color visual system capable of simulating both day and night, weather and airport variables, and various terrain features.
Fenwal's Portable Protection System (PPS), weighing in at 10 pounds and measuring 12 inches by nine inches by five inches, can be ``set up and armed in seconds'' to detect intrusions into the aircraft. To arm the PPS, the pilot places the anodized aluminum case on a level surface inside the aircraft and activates the sensor. An alarm sounds at every intrusion, and the unit notes the time of trespass. An internal battery powers the system, eliminating the need for wiring. The PPS unit is easily transferable from aircraft to aircraft. Price: $3,950.
Improper installation of a special-mission package in a Learjet 35A that Phoenix Air Group operated for the California Air National Guard was the cause of a December 14, 1994 crash in Fresno, California. The NTSB concluded the wiring in that aircraft, and 14 others like it, was improperly installed and did not include a current limiter, as specified in FAA Form 337. A short caused a fire, and the crew shut down an engine after receiving false engine-fire indications.
There comes a time in your career as a pilot when you think seriously that you might give away your first-born child just to get into the left seat of a (name your ultimate aircraft to fly for a living). But getting there doesn't have to exact such a high price or seem so un-attainable if you pick up a copy of Gregory Brown's Job Hunting for Pilots.
Federal Communications Commission has agreed to lower the registration fees for aircraft radio station licenses. Aircraft owners currently must register their radios with the FCC and pay a $115 fee that covers 10 years of radio usage. Effective September 18, the new fee will be $75. The Commission says it will not grant refunds to those who paid the higher fee. However, operators can apply for partial refunds if they sell their aircraft before their fee period expires.
Illustration: Illustration: Graph: Range/Payload Profile These three graphs are designed to be used together to provide a broad, but preliminary, picture of Falcon 900EX performance. For a complete operational analysis, consult Dassault's flight- planning manuals and FAA-approved flight manual when the aircraft is certificated in 1996. Time and Fuel Versus Distance This graph shows the plot of two missions: the first flown at maximum-speed cruise and the second at long-range cruise.
Like most people in the world of work, you've likely heard a lot about the Internet and all it has to offer anyone with a computer and a modem. But so far, you may not have heard what the Internet has to offer business aviation. We've been spending a little time in ``cyberspace'' lately, and discovered plenty of compelling reasons for you to sit in front of your PC, crank up your modem and see what's out there. Even if you're a regular user of one of the online services, you may have wondered what other areas of the Internet have to offer aviation.
Rockwell International filed a formal protest with the U.S. General Accounting Office, objecting to the Pentagon's decision to award the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) contract to Raytheon Aircraft. Rockwell's action follows the protest filed by Cessna in July (B/CA, August, page 17). Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin, head of another team competing for the JPATS contract, withdrew its protest, saying it held little hope that the decision would be overturned.
The ``R'' Series life rafts from Revere Aerospace Products are fully reversible and, thus, ready for boarding upon deployment. Arches and canopy inflate automatically. Puncture- and damage- resistant polyur-ethane fabric is lightweight and stows compactly, according to Revere. The ``R'' Series is equipped with two mooring lines-one short (for inflation) and one long (for safe mooring away from the aircraft). Reversible ramps facilitate boarding. The raft has a 15-second inflation time and is approved for a 150-percent overload accommodation.
Owners of approximately 280 Convair recip and turbine aircraft ranging from the Model 240 through the 990 now must turn to Tracor Flight Systems in Mojave, California for product support. In late July, the Austin company finalized its purchase of the Convair line from General Dynamics' Convair Division of San Diego. Tracor has assigned responsibility for the Convair aircraft family exclusively to the company's modification and maintenance facility in Mojave.
Continental Connection GP Express is pulling out of Denver by the end of this month, with the exception of three Essential Air Service routes. The carrier cites the high costs connected with the new Denver Airport and the dominance of United and United Express Mesa.
In an attempt to promote future cooperative efforts in aviation between the United States and the Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.), Vice President Al Gore signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that primarily goads both parties to ``take measures to strengthen cooperation on civil aircraft certification.'' The memorandum is the prelude to a bilateral airworthiness agreement (BAA) to standardize certification procedures between the two governments.
For the half a dozen major FBOs in gleaming new facilities clustered along the western flank of Mexico's Toluca Airport (MMTO), the first phase of a monumental effort has been launched. The larger purpose is to transform this out-of-the-way, single-runway airport in a dusty industrial complex into a bustling international business aviation headquarters and service center.
National Air Transportation Association is leading an 11th hour effort to get Congress to repeal the 4.3-cents-per-gallon tax hike on avgas as well as jet fuel used by commercial operators. The tax is scheduled to go into effect October 1. Legislation previously introduced would not repeal the tax on commercial use of avgas (B/CA, April, page 22). Separately, effective September 1, New York State's Petroleum Business Tax on aviation fuel was decreased eight cents a gallon-from $0.1387 per gallon to $0.0559 per gallon.
The two hotels in the immediate area that Toluca's FBOs are currently recommending are the Holiday Inn and the DelRay. Both are modestly priced, comfortable and conveniently located. Each has several restaurants and a bar/lounge with relatively standard offerings. For those who wish to explore for more exotic or sophisticated fare, ask your FBO or handler for recommendations. One nearby, attractive restaurant with a wide range of well-prepared Mexican dishes is DonGu in the Hacienda del Parian.
At Dusseldorf's Rhein Ruhr Airport (EDDL), the European Business Aircraft Association (EBAA) reports arbitrary slot allocations seriously restrict corporate access on some days and provide no slots on other days. The EBAA has written the German Ministry of Transport and the European Union for immediate relief.
For the first time, three organizations-the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) and the International Air Transport Association-will be meeting jointly in what can be none other than a safety extravaganza. The November 6-9 event, called ``Managing Safety,'' will be held at the Westin Hotel in Seattle, and will herald the FSF's 48th annual International Air Safety Seminar and the IFA's 25th international conference. A feast of aviation safety topics awaits the 500 aviation professionals who are expected to attend.
Robert E. Whitehead was officially appointed associate administrator at space agency headquarters. In March, he had taken over the Office of Aeronautics as acting chief after Wesley Harris was reassigned to NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin's office.
``The most advanced visual system yet developed for commercial flight simulators'' is FlightSafety International's claim for its new VITAL ChromaView visual-enhancement system already slated to be installed in two general aviation simulators. This new technology, when combined with VITAL's panoramic MultiView display, is said to provide a ``superior'' visual environment and, thus, to improve the effectiveness of simulator training due to more realistic scenery detail and weather conditions.
While regional aircraft lead the way in active noise canceling, business aircraft might soon catch up. Two systems for King Airs-one from Stevens Aviation of Greenville, South Carolina and the other from Elliott Aviation of Moline, Illinois-were slated for certification in August.
