If you're planning to fly to this year's Winter Olympics, set for Feb. 7-23, or Paralympics slated for March 7-16 in Sochi, Russia, NBAA wants you to start making arrangements yesterday. Many special procedures will be in effect for the entire winter season, beginning on Jan. 1 and continuing through April 30. As a result, the majority of business aircraft flights to Sochi International during the Games will be drop-and-go operations.
Due to an editing error, on page 51 of the B&CA's November issue (Another Weather Tool”), 2nd paragraph of 1st column, reads: “It is not uncommon, in an environment of fast-moving weather that WARP and on-board NEXRAD displays show weather in different geographic locations. With fast-moving weather, this happens because the weather data is routed to the cockpit via two different avenues.” It should have read:
I am an owner-pilot who previously operated a Citation Bravo but currently own and operate a CJ4. I have enjoyed reading your editorials for years and find your magazine's articles very informative and educational. Keep up the great work. Hamilton, Ont.
Earlier this year on a red-eye flight from China, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a highly intoxicated and unusually talkative German. As the sun rose and breakfast was served, the flight attendant cheerfully passed him another Guinness. He was happy. She was happy. I was not. Was the FAA?
Argus has partnered with CharterPad, an online charter marketplace, to provide customers access to the Argus Ratings. Customers visiting the CharterPad can search Argus ratings and link directly to the Argus CHEQ website. The partnership comes as CharterPad has increased the number of Argus-rated operators in its system. Nearly half of all Argus-rated operators have joined CharterPad.
General Dymanics, Falls Church, Va., announced the Robert E. Smith has been appointed president of Jet Aviation report to Joseph T. Lombardo, executive vice president of the company's Aerospace group. Smith succeeds Daniel G. Glare, who has been appointed CFO of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Kafko International's new Clear Vision concentrated windshield wash solution provides and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wash fluids, according to the company. The product features unique plant by-product chemistry, free of petrochemicals. The solution easily removes bugs, bid dropping tree sap, traffic film and road grime. It is biodegradable, non-toxic, non-corrosive and contains no methanol, and does not lower freeze point. Clear Vision is available in a 5-gal. bucket and 55-gal. drum.
As could have been expected, the FAA's new emphasis on identifying pilots with sleep issues, and with obstructive sleep apnea in particular, has drawn considerable opposition and commentary from a variety of pilot and aviation organizations, including the AOPA, NBAA, and Air Line Pilots Association.
You're 25 times more likely to suffer a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) crash if you're flying a circling approach rather than a straight-in procedure, according to accident statistics compiled by the Flight Safety Foundation. As such, IFR circling approaches are among the highest risk maneuvers attempted by pilots.
To many professional pilots the six-month visit to the aviation medical examiner (AME) is an event full of fret, which is relieved only by award of a fresh medical certificate, allowing continued employment for another half year. It's no secret that some keep medical secrets from the FAA and others simply won't admit to themselves that they have a physical or mental problem that negatively affects their quality of life, health and cockpit performance.
One of the first common screening tests used to determine if a patient is suffering from sleep apnea is done in bed using a blood oxygen sensor attached to one of your fingers. This “Overnight Oximetry on Room Air” records your pulse and blood oxygen saturation level throughout the night. The automated data analysis subsequently reports how many times your blood oxygen saturation level fell below certain levels. It is an easy and convenient test to take, and the advantage is that you get to sleep in your own home.
The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) is working with regional governments to introduce regulations and policies that lay a foundation for business aviation and curb illegal operations. Addressing illegal operations is one of the higher priorities for the European Business Aviation Association, and MEBAA is hoping its next conference, to be held in Dubai, will serve as a springboard to address the issue in the Middle East. “The conference will tackle the issue of the gray market, and we need a mechanism to fight this . . .
Lowell Deering (Mission Aviation Fellowship Papua, New Guinea )
I enjoyed “A Classic Accident Chain” (Cause & Circumstance, December 2013, page 51). It describes the situation succinctly. You have highlighted a number of latent issues, which are good to think about. I work as a senior pilot and trainer with Mission Aviation Fellowship. We operate a number of Twin Otters doing charter operations in New Guinea, and the situation you describe in the article could be something we might face one day, and some of the latent issues are factors that we face already.
Ross Detwiler has been bringing a lot to the B&CA table for a long time and always demonstrates a profoundly circumspect awareness of the eccentricities of the game. However, I can't quite wrap my head around his thoughts on SVS in the final 100 ft. to TDZ (“Thumbs Down for Head Up,” October 2013). There's a reason they call it “synthetic” after all. Still, my admiration for Ross's dedication to the game and his analytical intelligence continues unabated. Well done.
FltPlan is offering its free Weight & Balance program via its website and mobile apps for over 400 makes and models of aircraft in its database. The program is available on the full website, on the Android app or on the iPad app. The Android and iPad apps' Weight & Balance features integrate with a users online information. It can be imported direction to an app, with no need to re-enter the aircraft parameters. The data can be used offline when no Internet is available.
Boston JetSearch, Bedford, Mass., announced that Russ Piggott has joined the company to help manage the aircraft search and acquisition process for clients.
Rockwell Collins announced a series of enhancements to its Pro Line Fusion avionics. The primary update is Required Navigation Performance Authorization Required (RNP AR) 0.3. This enhancement provides obstacle clearance and clearly defined fight paths in congested airspace and at terrain-challenged airports.
Climbing through 10,000 ft., we both began to get the restless, uneasy feeling that emerges when you're not quite sure of your location. We double-checked our position using dual independent GPS. There was no doubt we were precisely where we were supposed to be, but given the surrounding mountainous terrain, the margin of error was zero. In the distance, we saw a bright flash of light, and we both knew we had arrived at our destination.
The autothrottle system provides automatic thrust control from the start of takeoff through climb, cruise, descent, approach and go-around or landing. In normal operation, the flight management computer provides the A/T system with engine N1 limit values. The A/T moves the thrust levers with a separate servomotor on each thrust lever. Following manual positioning, the A/T may reposition the thrust levers to comply with computed thrust requirements except while in the THR HLD and ARM modes.
By the time you read this, Beechcraft may have completed the sale of its shuttered Hawker 4000 and Premier aircraft lines, along with tooling and associated facilities. The company had been weighing bids and in negotiations for the sale since last July and hoped to close the deal by year-end. CEO Bill Boisture said earlier that it would be unlikely that production of those aircraft would restart under new ownership, but rather that a support company would acquire all rights to maintain the existing fleet of 400 Premiers and Hawkers 4000s.
West Star Aviation, East Alton, Ill., named Debi Cunningham vice president of Marketing and Interior Design. She started her career in business aviation in 1983 and has been with West Star since 2002.
TWC Aviation, Los Angeles, announced the Jason Berg has joined the company as chief aviation officer. He will oversee TWC's flight operations, safety and maintenance departments, and play a key role in the firm's new environmental initiative.
Beechcraft King Air turboprop poised for its first flight at press time, will be delivered to customers in the fall this year. The pressurized twin is powered by the increasingly popular PT6A-6 turbines, which provide a design performance of 270 mph cruise and 1,400 mi. range. Beech reports a backlog of $10.8 million for the King Air. Basic airplane still costs about $300,000.
