NetNearU, a ViaSat Inc. company, has joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). The aim of the WBA, together with its over 100 members, is to secure an outstanding user experience through the global deployment of next generation Wi-Fi. “Joining the WBA furthers our ability to collaborate with our partners and customers in the industry.
Rockwell Collins recently demonstrated its Pro Line Fusion for use as a ground control station and airborne avionics for unmanned aerial system applications. The demonstration expands the work for the avionics suite, which has been selected for 17 military, rotary wing and business jet and turboprop flight decks. Most recently Pro Line Fusion was selected for AVIC’s MA-700 regional aircraft.
Gulfstream Aerospace’s new G500, which rolled out before an audience of 3,000 under its own power Oct. 14 alongside the mockup of the G600, is already capturing significant orders and options. Fractional ownership provider Flexjet, in a major departure from its all-Bombardier fleet, is turning to rival Gulfstream to launch Gulfstream’s all-new G500 aircraft. The Flexjet deal includes 22 firm orders — 10 450s and six apiece of the 500 and 650. Delivery of the 450s will begin in 2015, followed by the 650 in 2016.
Too Much Pressure I am in no way minimalizing the tragic loss of life at any time in aviation. However, the comment (Readers’ Feedback, September 2014, page 11) that perhaps the pilots of the Gulfstream IV that crashed at Bedford, Massachusetts, this summer were influenced by a passenger’s reputed preference to depart immediately upon arrival touches on a familiar problem.
Maverick Helicopters, an air tour operator that flies routes in Nevada and Arizona, is expanding into Hawaii beginning in spring 2015. Maverick will open a base in Maui, Hawaii, its fifth permanent location, providing tours over the island. Maverick will use Airbus Helicopters Eco-Star EC-130 helicopters for the tours.
My left leg had begun to ache, as is often the case on long drives. We’d covered some 711 interstate miles by the time we pulled into the motel lot in Johnson City, Tennessee, that day. I’d earned a steak, a bed and a tumbler of Jack, and not in that order. Tomorrow, another 350 mi. before reaching the gate. Ugh.
Hamstrung in its hiring efforts from sequestration cuts, the FAA late last year decided to take a much more open approach to hiring and on Feb. 10 simply posted job openings for air traffic controller candidates. In July, Administrator Michael Huerta reported he was “pleased to announce that the FAA has extended tentative offer letters to 1,600 candidates to join this proud team as the next group of air traffic control specialists.” Training for the class began last month.
I was an unmanned aircraft expert until I turned 16. Up until then, I built squadrons of balsa and tissue control-line airplanes and competed with them. But then I soloed in a Cessna 150, discovered girls and forgot about toy airplanes.
The entry-level light jet market is awash in inventory and the flood isn’t going to recede anytime soon. That creates some great bargains for used aircraft buyers. And one of the best buys out there is Embraer’s Phenom 100 because of its clean-sheet, low-drag airframe, space efficiency, operating economy and jetliner-like reliability.
This month we’re looking at the loss of a Beech 1900C that crashed while setting up for an approach at Dillingham, Alaska, Airport (DLG). Both pilots were killed when the airplane crashed into rising terrain about 10 mi. east of Aleknagik, Alaska.
Aug. 27— About 1045 CDT, a Cessna 310 (N101JB) conducted a forced landing shortly after takeoff from the El Dorado/Captain Jack Thomas Memorial Airport, El Dorado, Kansas. The airline transport rated pilot and sole passenger, were not injured, however the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by Lakepoint Aviation II, LLC, Augusta, Kansas, as a proficiency flight. It was VFR for the flight that was originating at the time. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector, that he was doing touch-and-goes.
Top-notch military, airline and business aircraft flight operations have multiple layers of defense that trap risks before they can develop into mishaps. Among them are Federal Aviation Regulations, aircraft documents and manuals, safety management systems (SMSes) and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Other models use different labels, but they all illustrate multiple layers for trapping pilot errors.
In June 1968, I was among a group of despondent U.S. Air Force lieutenants hanging around the operations desk at the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phu Cat Air Base in South Vietnam. One of our friends had spread himself and his airplane over a quarter mile of rice paddy that morning. The most likely cause of the tragedy was that he’d stared a second too long at the target on his second low-angle pass. Nevertheless, he was dead, we were dejected and facing a reality, given this man’s suddenly changed status, that we had not seriously considered.
What is the one aircraft system pilots seem to know the least about? During my book research; following presentations at gatherings sponsored by the NBAA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Flight Safety Foundation; and after countless conversations with fellow pilots, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the one activated by the small switch labeled “ELT-ON.”
Until recently, search and rescue efforts for downed aircraft were keyed to emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signals on 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz, the civilian and military emergency frequencies, respectively. ELTs are designed to activate automatically by the g forces experienced in a crash. The frequencies were monitored by orbiting satellites and ground-based mission control centers.
One common trait among maintainers is a strong curiosity about how things work. Many of us were inquisitive children who would take apart just about anything our hands could hold. Nothing mechanical could escape our exploration. With more practice, we put them back together without our parent’s knowledge. The ability to understand how things work and how to repair them creates a unique kind of satisfaction that the unknowing masses can never really appreciate. It becomes a part of our makeup, rather than just something that we do.
There are times when you may be forced into a situation where you need to repair a part, but the manufacturer might no longer be in business or support the thing that needs fixing. In such cases, you can develop your own repairs, using acceptable data and good shop practices, but you will need to get approval. To learn how to do this, see FAA Order 8110.54a — Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Responsibilities, Requirements and Contents. Go to www.faa.gov and search for 8110.54a.
What is the most-complex system on your aircraft? Which system is the most error-prone? If you are flying an airplane built in the last 40 years or so, chances are the answer to both questions is the same: the pilot.
OK, everybody, listen up. On Friday afternoon between 1:00 and 5:45 and then again from 9:15 that night until about midnight Saturday you're to stay put. There's someone more important than you coming to visit, and we don't want you in the way causing trouble. Got it?
The “Lady Luminaries” mentioned in “Shattering Glass” ( Viewpoint, September 2014, page 7) omitted the amazing Paula Derks of the Aircraft Electronics Association.
RUAG is now providing real wood flooring as an option for owners and operators looking to enhance the quality of their cabin environment. Developed by Austria’s LIST components and furniture GmbH, the wood flooring can be installed by RUAG on various aircraft types.
FlightSafety International is offering online training for the ground school portion of its Gulfstream G550 recurrent pilot training course. The course is offered to pilots who operate their aircraft under FAA or EASA regulations. It replaces two days of the recurrent training course normally taken at a Learning Center and includes a 13-hr.
