Bombardier selected a new General Electric turbofan to power the proposed Canadair CRJ-X, a 76-passenger version of the current GE-powered, 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet. The 13,000-pound-thrust CF34-8C engine, now under development, is an upgraded version of the 9,220-pound-thrust CF34-3A1 on the RJ 100 and 100ER.
The General Aviation Association of Australia was kind enough to send us a copy of the latest revised edition of Weather for General Aviation. The 22-page booklet, published by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, is a guide to understanding aviation weather forecasting and reporting services available in Australia. This second edition is an update of the 1991 issue and encompasses changes which have occurred during the past three years, such as electronic access to meteorological information and changes to aeronautical codes.
Those who tell you there's no water in their aviation fuel are mistaken. As a hydrocarbon, fuel has an irrepressible affinity for water. Therefore, the question with either avgas or jet fuel isn't whether there's water in it, but rather how much water it contains.
First- and second-year regional-airline copilots continue their lowly financial state into 1995--as low as a mere $10,080 in the first year, as high as $24,996 in the second.
FAA has launched a crusade to ``aggressively enforce'' regulations governing replacement parts approvals. To bring non-complying companies to heel, the agency says they must apply by May 30 for approval to manufacture parts, and none of the application information will be used as evidence in any enforcement investigation for violation of the rules. The crackdown also covers a range of enforcement actions--from administrative to substantial civil penalties.
In July, an international airport is scheduled to open in Macau, an autonomous city/state perched on a peninsula at the mouth of the Canton River about 70 miles south of Hong Kong. The new airport has an 11,000-foot runway and will operate around the clock. At press time, details were sketchy on the extent and costs of provisions, if any, for corporate aircraft. International handling agents should have more details as the airport's opening draws nearer.
Effective May 16, Sweden's Saab-Scania Group is expected to be divided into two separate companies--Saab AB and Scania AB. The change is organizational only and will not affect operations of Saab Aircraft in any way, according to officials at Saab Aircraft of America. Separately, an FAA Level C flight simulator for the Saab 340 twin turboprop is now in operation at FlightSafety International's La Guardia Airport facility. The simulator's VITAL visual system provides scenes from a database that includes a variety of U.S. airports.
AlliedSignal Canada and Aerospace Safety Technologies are independently developing nickel-coated, carbon fiber deice/anti-ice fibrous mat heaters. When electrically energized, these mat heaters protect airfoils and other surfaces from ice accretion. AST's NO-ICE and Allied-Signal's electrothermal ice protection system are attached directly to the exposed surfaces prior to applying primer and finish paint. The heating mats are sandwiched between thin layers of other materials, resulting in a total thickness of less than 0.010 inch.
The Environmental Protection Agency dropped its proposal to require takeoff fees for GA aircraft in certain parts of California (B/CA, April 1994, page 18), but new proposals under the EPA's Federal Implementation Program affect refueling and other ground services. FBOs are questioning requirements for making a transition to electric ground service equipment and minimizing the use of APUs, and whether existing equipment or operations will be grandfathered.
NTSB wants the FAA to require pilots to read back runway assignments when more than one runway is in operation, and for controllers to confirm that readback. The Board is asking the FAA to ``move ahead immediately'' on implementing the Airport Movement Area Safety System that has been in development and in live-traffic testing for several years. The NTSB's move stems from its ongoing investigation into the November 1994 collision of a Cessna Conquest 441 and an MD-80 at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (B/CA, January, page 12).
Avions de Transport Regional will offer active noise control (ANC) as an option on the new ATR42-500, scheduled for certification in mid-May. The -500 is a 50-passenger, ``hot-and-high'' derivative of the -300, boasting 2,400-shaft-horsepower Pratt&Whitney Canada PW127E turboprops. Testing has confirmed a 305-knot cruising speed and a range of 1,000 nm (1,150 sm), according to ATR. Two hundred hours of a planned 300-hour flight-test program have been completed.
Cessna said it is increasing the maximum operating speed for the Citation X business jet to 0.92 Mach. Cessna also reports that additional FAA requirements caused certification of the Citation X to slip from August to late November. However, first customer deliveries are still scheduled to begin in spring 1996. Meanwhile, Allison received FAA approval of the Citation X engine, the AE3007C.
Proposed noise abatement programs under FAR Part 150 have been submitted to the FAA for Wisconsin's Austin Straubel International Airport, Illinois' Greater Rockford Airport and California's Palm Springs Regional Airport. The FAA is expected to approve or disapprove the programs in July. Under FAR Part 150, interested parties have the right to comment on the proposals. For more information, contact the local FAA airport district offices.
Dennis Newton's book, Severe Weather Flying, provides a wealth of information on aircraft icing. What follows is a capsulized version of some of his major points.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace of Munich, Germany and Rockwell International have agreed to establish a joint-venture company to develop and market satellite-based flight guidance systems and other advanced avionics products. Rockwell and Daimler-Benz will each hold 50 percent ownership in the new company, which will be based in Ulm, Germany. At press time, there were no details on specific products to be offered or a timetable when these products would be available.
Following a long and bitter battle between general aviation operators and airport authorities, FAR Part 91 aircraft may now use Aspen's Pitkin County Airport between one-half hour after sunset until 2300 hours for arrivals and 2230 hours for departures. All aircraft operating during this period must meet FAR Part 36, Stage 3 and, although operations can be conducted under both VFR and IFR, the pilot must be instrument rated. Prior to this change, only airlines were permitted to use the airport during night hours (B/CA, June 1993, page 33).
Alliance Engines, the newly formed venture between Duncan Aviation and KC Aviation, plans to start offering repairs and overhauls on AlliedSignal APUs in June in recently acquired facilities in Maryville, Tennessee. The company expects to extend its services to TPE331 turboprops in July and to TFE731 turbofans in October. Alliance has promised to cut costs and turn times for overhauls and repairs on AlliedSignal engines (B/CA, December 1994, page 66).
Tridair Helicopters said it expects to add a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) to the company's Gemini ST, an Allison-powered, twin-engine version of the Bell LongRanger. The FADEC will facilitate the pilot's option to transform the Gemini ST from single- to twin-engine operations in flight, a procedure the FAA currently limits to emergencies. Meanwhile, the Costa Mesa, California company is expected to receive single-pilot IFR certification for the Gemini ST before May. Higher gross weight approvals also are pending.
AlliedSignal Aerospace of Torrance, California and Aviation Corporation Rubin of Moscow, Russia, have formed a joint venture to make and market wheels and brakes for civil aircraft worldwide. The new venture is called Rubix. G.A.G.
Eurocontrol is testing its Integrated Flight Plan Processing System (IFPPS) in several European traffic centers. The system, which is designed to dramatically reduce congestion and delays within Europe's airspace, calls for all flight plans to be filed directly through a new automated Central Flight Management Unit (CFMU) at Eurocontrol headquarters in Brussels, Belgium instead of through local ATC centers. Situation display monitors at the CFMU provide oversight of airspace congestion in order to make flight-plan changes.
AlliedSignal now offers a computerized engine data monitoring service to operators of TFE731 engines who are not customers of the company's Maintenance Service Plan (MSP). The service, standard for MSP subscribers, is available through Jet-Care International of Hampshire, England and Morristown, New Jersey for an annual subscription cost. The Jet-Care computer compares engine instrument readings reported by the pilots to empirically derived models of that aircraft/engine combination and gives warnings of any potential problems.
FAA has upgraded its guidelines for the development, implementation and assessment of crew resource management (CRM) training programs. The guidelines, published in new Advisory Circular AC 120-51B, focus on improving communication skills, teamwork, task allocation and decision making. CRM training is required for FAR Parts 121 and 135 operators. Copies of the circular are available free of charge from DOT, General Services Section, M-443.2, Washington, DC 20590.
Martin Aviation is constructing a new business aviation terminal at its FBO in Long Beach. The complex, scheduled to open in the fall, will be a two-story building considerably larger than the former facilities and will comprise work and rest areas for passengers and crew, hangar space, offices and an expanded ramp. In addition, on-site catering and rental cars will be available. During construction, Martin is operating from temporary facilities.
Forgetting to call the outer marker is a technical violation that can lead to serious consequences. The FAA suspended an airman's ticket for not calling the outer marker during an instrument approach to Yakima, Washington, a non-radar facility. The pilot on the approach was flying a Cessna Caravan. After reporting the localizer inbound, the pilot was requested to report the outer marker. It was a call he forgot to make.
By the end of the summer, Delta Connection carriers Comair and SkyWest will be operating their Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) in no less than 53 city pairs covering nearly 25,000 route miles. Overall average stage length will be 461 sm.
