Three major airports around Washington, D.C., are using their own NextGen systems. Also, Textron has sold 17 acres where Beechcraft manufactured its piston-powered general aviation aircraft.
Since B&CA began covering Cabin Electronics some 25 years ago, we haven't seen more promise and possibility in what can be done to keep passengers informed, connected, productive and entertained in flight than now. And there has never been greater demand for more bandwidth for cabin and crew connectivity.
Managing external pressures, including meeting passenger expectations, is as key to risk management as mitigating pilot, aircraft and environmental risk factors.
The union representing NetJets pilots says in a lawsuit that the company broke privacy and labor laws. Gama Aviation and Hangar8 will merge and go public. An aviation consultant predicts 2015 will be a positive turning point for business aviation.
We asked operators if they favored keeping their aircraft in original condition or whether they thought upgrading was a cost-effective alternative to prolong their useful service lives. We also took an in-depth look at the airplane and its systems to put those views into perspective.
Tom Hendricks, National Air Transportation Association, President & CEO discusses his objective “to focus on areas of agreement” within the aviation community.
NextGen, the FAA’s much ballyhooed satellite-based air traffic control system, is not generating much love. Or action, at least on the part of aircraft owners and operators. While most aircraft being delivered are either equipped or provisioned for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out, a key element in NextGen, the existing U.S. fleet of general aviation and turbine-powered business aircraft, along with airliners — that’s 200,000+ aircraft, by the FAA’s estimate — are not.
At the time, I’d do anything to get 1,000 hr. of turbine PIC to qualify for the airlines,” said a young first officer who now flies jetliners for a commuter air carrier. “Everyone who flies for them is hungry for turbine flight time.” So, when offered a job as a twin-turboprop captain flying freight on an inter-island carrier, he jumped at the opportunity. It was a big step up from his previous assignment as a copilot in an Embraer Brasilia.
A passenger leans into the cockpit and says, “Captain, there is smoke pouring from behind the lav. It’s getting hard to see and breathe.” As you turn to look, another voice shouts, “Fire!” These words may be the most chilling you will ever hear in flight and they are your clarion call to battle. Dealing with a cabin fire is the worst kind of aerial combat you will ever face, and to prevail, you need a plan. Fire is a deadly adversary.
