Downloaded CVR and FDR preliminary information from an Embraer Phenom 100 that crashed 1 mi. short of the runway at the Montgomery County Airpark outside Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8 revealed that the aircraft’s automated stall warning system sounded continuously for the final 20 sec. of the flight, according to NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt. The accident killed the pilot and the two passengers on the jet as well as a woman and her two children in one of three houses struck by debris.
Honeywell Aerospace scored two firsts for the region at the recent Middle East Business Aviation show in Dubai when it signed up construction and management giant Saudi Oger as the launch customer in the region for its Boeing Business Jet avionics maintenance plan, and an unnamed launch customer for its BBJ 131-9B auxiliary power unit maintenance plan. It also appointed Arab-owned, U.S.-based GDC Technics to retrofit its JetWave satellite communications system in Airbus and Boeing VIP aircraft.
Signs of a recovery in the business aviation sector are reinforced by predictions of a 13-consecutive-month increase in flight activity when the December figures come in. Analysts at TRAQPak estimate there will be 1.4% growth in overall flight activity year over year in December, following a 3.7% increase in November vs. the same month a year earlier. TRAQPac is the intelligence data arm of Argus International. The results by operational category were positive across the board, with Part 135 reporting the largest growth, up 8.6%.
1. You have built a foundation for a chain now with five facilities. What are your long-term plans? Levesque: We started the year with two and added facilities in Chicago, Atlanta and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We would like to grow to 15 or 20 facilities. But we want to grow smartly and in the right way. We are not in a rush. We have looked at a lot more than we have attempted to acquire. 2. What do you look for in a potential acquisition?
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.
If you ask maintainers what’s their most unpleasant, even disgusting, job the response is invariably working on lavatory systems. They’d prefer cleaning out the nastiest, fungus-lined fuel tank to wearing the “blue stain of courage.”
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.
Handling waste material is unpleasant, but mishandling it can be even worse. You can receive heavy fines from federal, state and local government units for improper discharge and mishaps i nvolving exposure to your technicians. To learn more about waste handling safety in the U.S., go to: www.epa.gov and www.osha.gov
Nov. 2 — About 1456 PST, a Cessna T210M (N1593M) was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Jacksonville, Oregon. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. It was VFR for the cross-country flight that was operating on an IFR flight plan originating from Grants Pass, Oregon, with an intended destination of Long Beach, California. The pilot reported that during cruise flight at an altitude of about 12,000 ft.
For $300,000 to $450,000, you can a buy a 1986 to 1989 Beechjet 400 (RJ-0001 to RJ-0065) that climbs directly to FL 400 to FL 410, that cruises at 440 KTAS and that can carry four passengers more than 1,600 nm. While there are plenty of choices in today’s pre-owned light jet market, few offer this aircraft’s blend of speed, cabin comfort and full-tanks payload. Of the 65 units built, around 50 remain in service.
Five passengers were killed and two pilots suffered serious injuries when Beech Premier 390 — N777VG —crashed during a balked landing at Thomson, Georgia on Feb. 20, 2013. NTSB has completed its investigation with a finding that the probable cause was “the pilot’s failure to follow airplane flight manual procedures for an antiskid failure in flight, and his failure to immediately retract the lift dump after he elected to attempt a go-around on the runway.
NBAA’s 17th annual convention at Bal Harbour, Florida, exceeded even the most optimistic predictions as the most successful confab in the Association’s history. Registration topped 1,400 and the aircraft on display at nearby Opa Locka was estimated at $75 million in value.
