As 2014 drew to an end, a lawsuit against a group of California FBOs and fuel distributors filed three years earlier by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) over sale of leaded avgas was settled through an agreement preventing what could have resulted in grounding almost all piston-powered aviation in the state.
A small population of large (“heavy”) transport and vintage aircraft powered by commensurately large air-cooled radial and liquid-cooled inline piston engines remains active in the U.S. and abroad that cannot be operated on any fuel other than 100/115-octane leaded aviation gasoline.
Airbus Corporate Jet Center, Toulouse, France, announced that Vincent Tchengang, formerly Airbus regional sales director covering airlines in Africa and the Indian Ocean, has joined the Airbus Corporate Jet Center (ACJC) as its new head of services sales. He will manage a team of sales directors dedicated to VIP services marketing worldwide, covering cabins, airframes and engines, and will be personally responsible for sales in Africa, Australia, Eastern Europe and South Asia.
Fan Jet Falcon orders now number 40 according to Pan Am Business Jets Division. First production model flew on New Year’s Day and has accumulated some 15 hr. at this time. Pan Am will receive two demonstrators plus four customer airplanes in May. FAA certification is also scheduled for May.
Empire Aviation Group, a Dubai-based aviation services company, has added an Embraer Legacy 650 executive jet to its managed fleet based in Oman. The aircraft is being managed on behalf of the owner and longtime client, and will operate only from Oman, where Empire already manages three other business jets. Empire completed the full technical inspection, delivery and induction process of the Brazilian-made super mid-size business jet. The Legacy 650 offers three cabin zones with wireless inflight connectivity and Apple TV to enhance the passenger experience.
Proposed tax rule changes recently issued by the Texas state comptroller go beyond the plain meaning of the tax code in Texas, and seek to impose significant new burdens on aircraft owners and operators, the NBAA says. The rules would “significantly change the standards for creating aircraft ownership and operating structures [and] under the proposal, a new rule might determine when operators could qualify for the ‘sale or resale’ exemption through aircraft leasing,” according to the association.
Shortly after takeoff from Larnaca, Cyprus, at 9:07 a.m. on Aug. 14 2005, the flight crew of a Boeing 737 airliner bound for Athens, Greece, was alerted by the cabin altitude warning horn. Instead donning their emergency oxygen masks the crew began troubleshooting what they believed to be a system problem. Convinced that the problem was only with the indicating system, the crew called maintenance control to discuss the problem while completing their climb to assigned altitude.
1. AOPA Offers Program on Forced Landing Survival Skills The AOPA has released a new video and printed guide to help pilots and passengers survive conditions following an aircraft forced landing. The program, “Survive: Beyond the Forced Landing,” covers best practices for general aviation flights that result in off-airport landings. It also reviews survival communications, preferred gear and offers advice for detection from rescuers. The video and 16-page guide cover the importance of flight plans and flight following, among other topics.
Fractional ownership company NetJets has signed an agreement with Embraer Executive Jets to convert 10 purchase options for Signature Series Phenom 300s into firm orders, Embraer announced. Deliveries will begin in January 2016. At current list prices, the contract is worth $89.55 million, which will be included in the backlog from the fourth quarter of 2014. NetJets signed a purchase agreement with Embraer in October 2010 for 50 firm orders and 75 options. If all options are exercised, the deal would be worth more than $1 billion at list prices.
Sikorsky has delivered its bid for Poland’s utility helicopter program, despite having earlier raised concerns about the requirements drawn up by Warsaw. The U.S. helicopter manufacturer, working in conjunction with its wholly owned Polish partner PZL-Mielec, delivered its bid for the $3 billion program by Dec. 30 along with competitors AgustaWestland and Airbus Helicopters.
Canadian helicopter engineering firm Eagle Copters has certified its modification to fit Honeywell’s HTS900 turboshaft engine into the Bell 407 single-engine helicopter. Eagle has been developing its HTS900 retrofit program, called the Eagle 407HP, since 2010, re-starting a project originally envisaged between Honeywell and Bell Helicopter back in the 1990s. According to Eagle, the two companies were not able to make it financially viable.
Robert Breiling, head of the half-century-old Boca Raton, Florida, safety consulting firm that bears his name, just shakes his head when he reviews the causes of recent accidents and incidents. It’s the same story, different day.
Hypoxia is a silent killer and often pilots are unaware of their condition because lack of oxygen affects their judgment. Technicians who fly regularly or participate in pressurization system maintenance flights need to be prepared as well. To help increase awareness of the dangers of hypoxia, the military would use high-altitude pressure simulators to train pilots. Recent technological advances have introduced portable devices that simulate the high-altitude environment. Combined with software, hypoxia awareness can be taught just about anywhere.
Garmin International says it received certification for its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment for the Gulfstream G150. The Garmin GTX 3000 Mode S Extended Squitter remote transponder and GDL 88 ADS-B datalink combine to fulfill the ADS-B requirements. The GTX 3000 and GDL 88 provides operators a seamless path to meet the demands of air traffic modernization initiatives around the world, Garmin said.
While the National Business Aviation Association is almost always identified with issues affecting the operation of turbine-powered business aircraft, more than 1,000 of its member companies operate piston-engine light planes to support their business travel.
Whoa. Wait a minute. Stop the presses! Wasn’t unleaded automobile gasoline (so-called “pump gas”) approved for use in some engine/airframe combinations years ago, at least for the smaller piston engines, e.g., the Lycoming O-360 installed in thousands of Cessna 172s and other light planes?
Lower oil prices could give a boost to small general aviation aircraft, small and midsize business aircraft, fractional ownership companies and service providers if they are sustained, an aviation consultant says. On the flip side, cheaper oil may negatively impact the commercial aviation market. The lower end of the general aviation market, including piston aircraft and small and midsize business jets, could benefit from lower fuel prices and an improving economy, said Brian Foley of Brian Foley Associates, based in Sparta, N.J.
Landmark Aviation at Oakland International Airport has obtained authorization as a Part 145 Certified Repair Station. In addition to its FBO services, it now operates as a full-service MRO. It has added limited airframe, engine and accessories ratings to its offerings, which includes avionics services and a mobile on-demand aircraft-on-ground support team. The location serves the Bay Area and many parts of Northern California.
Eight Phoenix-area airports are expected to feel the impact of Super Bowl XLIX. Textron Aviation has agreed to buy the assets of the UTC Aerospace Systems facility in Wichita.
Visual cues are a pilot’s most-important sensory input. Since good eyesight is essential for safe operation of an aircraft, pilots must demonstrate adequate visual performance at every aeromedical exam.
Business aircraft departures in Europe last year were down 0.5% compared to 2013, according to an analysis of departures by WingX Advance. Business aircraft flying in the United States in December 2014 was up for the 13th month in a row, according to TraqPak data released by Argus International.
I recently sat in a room full of aviation professionals and, unbelievably, heard the comment that “the so-called oxygen bottle is really compressed air, just like scuba divers use.” While I sat there with my mouth open, more than a few in the room nodded agreement. They may not be the only folks thinking this to be true.
Lower oil prices could benefit business aviation while complicating the commercial aviation market, according to an aviation consultant. Plus, NetJets has attracted more than 1000 applications for open pilot positions.
Teterboro Airport was the airport searched the most in December 2014 for charter departures and arrivals, according to an analysis of Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder data.
