The FAA issued Jeppesen a letter of operational suitability confirming the form and functionality of IPad mini for use in the cockpit when paired with Jeppesen’s electronic flight bag (EFB) solutions. In the U.S., FAR Part 91K, 121, 125 and 135 fractional, commuter, on-demand operators and air carriers are required to gain formal FAA authorization to use EFB solutions inflight. Jeppesen will share copies of the letter to interested customers using the iPad mini and affected Jeppesen Apps for use in their authorization package.
Legacy 500’s standard Rockwell Collins Pro Line fusion flight deck features four 15-1 inch displays, arranged in a T configuration. Displays may be split into two, three or four windows, providing flexibility for individual optimization for the phase of flight.
Gogo Inc.’s business aviation group, Aircell, has launched Gogo Biz inflight internet and voice service to business aircraft in Canada. Business aviation customers can now use the service anywhere it’s available in the Continental U.S., Alaska and Canada. Canadian coverage is included with all Gogo Biz monthly service plans. No additional roaming or registration fees are required. Service coverage is available in Canada’s most populous regions and flight routes, with seamless service on cross-border flight.
The ADS-B receiver from Stratus has received three enhancements from partners Appareo, ForeFlight and Sporty’s. A split screen attitude view, animated radar and the iPad battery-saving Stratus Replay feature are all available as a free update for Stratus 2 owners. To access these new features, pilots should first download ForeFlight version 6.0, available in the App Store. This includes Stratus firmware, which pilots can update directly from ForeFlight. The upgrade is free. The Stratus 2 is available for $899.
Air France Flight AF2184 departed Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 0653 on March 24, 2012, bound for Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN). The captain was the pilot flying (PF) and the copilot was the pilot monitoring (PM). Departure, climb and cruise phases for the Airbus A319 were routine and without incident. However, the arrival at Tunis almost ended tragically due to a hurried descent, a runway change, poor planning and a lack of basic CRM.
Business jet apartheid remained the dominant theme in 2013, as it has for the last five years since the world economy struggles to recover from its deepest downturn in eight decades. Most long-range, large-cabin business aircraft manufacturers flourished while most light and midsize jet makers floundered. Total jet deliveries stabilized at 678, essentially in line with deliveries a decade ago, according to GAMA statistics.
China’s unique combination of prosperity and geography has resulted in an aircraft market that continues to focus on heavy iron that can connect China to any other spot on the planet non-stop. And, to the great relief of aircraft manufacturers, this market prefers to buy new aircraft.
As if the decision to buy an aircraft was not challenging enough, the next million-dollar question (sometimes quite literally) is where to register the thing. Offshore, or “island” aircraft registries offer owners an extensive list of options and perks from possible tax savings to catch-phrase tail “numbers,” which we’ll delineate here.
Daniel Herr, an aviation attorney based in Murray Hill, N.J., advises clients on the advantages and limitations of fractional ownership. (He can be accessed at http://www.FractionalLaw.com) B&CA asked him how Avantair managed to survive the economic downturn of 2008, only to plunge into the financial problems that led to its internal breakdown and ultimately to bankruptcy.
William Quinn, president of Aviation Management Systems in Portsmouth, N.H., has long consulted on fractional ownership issues and helped place clients into the Avantair program as shareowners when the program was solvent. When the company brought in retired FAA upper-level managers to help sort out its problems, “we were concerned but didn’t know how serious the situation was and where it would end up,” Quinn told B&CA.
In a Nov. 13, 2012, email, Avantair President and founder Steve Santo attempted to reassure the troubled fractional ownership program’s 600-plus shareholders that the company was being proactive when it voluntarily grounded its fleet of 56 Piaggio P180 Avanti turboprops the previous month.
Daher-Socata delivered 40 TBM 850 single-engine turboprops in 2013, up 5% from 2012 deliveries, and hopes the program will continue to expand as Europe considers permitting commercial operations of such aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The French manufacturer has delivered a total of 662 TBMs since introducing the TBM 700 in 1990; of the total, the 850 accounts for 338.
Henry Ogrodzinski, the president and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) and a longtime industry advocate, died at his home in Washington, D.C. Jan. 22 after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 65. A gentlemanly and friendly persuader, the genial “Henry O” spent his entire professional career in aviation, working with NASAO, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Gulfstream Aerospace, among others.
On aviation taxes: It [the 1965 budget] would increase the present tax of two cents per gallon of gasoline used by general aviation to three cents and would impose a two-cent tax on jet fuel. There is no tax on jet fuel at the present time.
Dassault Falcon Jet, Teterboro, N.J., named Kristen Krueger sales manager for the Pacific Northwest. She has 13 years of industry experience, including as a regional ice president for sales at Netjets. Rhett Reavis is the new sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic and eastern Canada. He was formerly a regional sales manager for FlightSafety International.
It turns out 2013 was even harder for Sabreliner Corporation, which lost half of its business as a result of military budget cutting and defaulted on its bank loan. That, in turn, led to its sale to a Sabreliner Services LLC, which was reportedly formed recently by Innovative Capital Holdings LLC, a Florida investment firm. An investment group that included company Chairman F. Holmes Lamoreux previously had owned the company. As a result of the sale, Lamoreux is exiting, along with President Susan Aselage.
MyTurbine is a mobile app from Dallas Airmotive designed to easily connect customers anywhere in the world with information about engines being serviced, AOG support and much more. Convenient icons allow for quick navigation to the services most used by customers such as the company's First Support global customers. Users can check cost estimates and completions dates on engines in process, find service locations and contact sales reps among others features.
