Cirrus Aircraft has begun offering its Performance Braking System for operators of Generation 3 and newer aircraft from Cirrus Direct, the company owned parts distribution system. The high-performance, single-caliper brake system uses tubeless tires and redesigned wheel fairings to improve reliability and performance. The system is standard on new SR22T, SR22 and SR20 models. Cirrus is additionally developing the upgrade for earlier model aircraft. The system is priced at $15,300 for Generation 3 and newer models.
Since the ATP requirement for first officers of FAR Part 121 carriers took effect in summer 2013, the debate over the existence of a pilot shortage has intensified. So, too, has the finger pointing all across Washington.
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.
The wait is over. On October 14, Gulfstream rolled out the G500, the first of two models from its secretive P42 development program. In the works since 2008, the project actually spawned two new models, the 5,000-nm G500 and the 6,200-nm G600. Both look a lot like the firm’s 7,000-nm G650 flagship, but they have less range, smaller cabin cross-sections and lower price tags. The G500 is priced at $43.5 million and the longer G600 will go for $54.5 million.
Cessna has shipped the first two of three Grand Caravan EX Amphibian aircraft to Hai Au Aviation in Vietnam. The third aircraft is to be delivered later this year. The aircraft are the first of the Grand Caravan EX Amphibians to be operated in Vietnam. The aircraft are configured to seat up to 12 passengers for a range of missions, including scenic flights, transport and customized flights.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pelican Products Inc., introduced the Pelican ProGear 238R lightweight, rechargeable LED flashlight that uses Fraen patented dual reflector optics. The flashlight has three modes — high, low and strobe. A battery canister is included that will accept two disposal CR123 lithium batteries to allow for alternative or extended use.
