Eurocopter expects to win certification for its EC175 helicopter early next year. Certification of the 16,000 lb., 16-18 passenger utility lifter, the first of four all-new types that Eurocopter plans to offer this decade, will be “very early in 2014” with deliveries beginning shortly thereafter, according to Faury. Eurocopter is working with the European Aviation Safety Agency, the FAA and Transport Canada to certify the EC175, which it is developing with Avicopter of China.
Kenneth E. Gazzola (President and CEO FlightLogix Inc. McLean, Va. )
Regarding “London's Light” (Viewpoint, July 2013, page 7), you may be half German, but it is your other half that enables you to spin such compelling yarns and repeatedly link them productively to aviation. But then again, aviation is the link to most everything and more and more business executives are realizing that. President and CEO FlightLogix Inc. McLean, Va.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is spearheading an appeal to FAA to either extend the Oct. 11 deadline for comments or withdraw altogether a proposed Airworthiness Directive (AD) calling for inspections and replacement of Engine Components Inc. (ECi) and Airmotive Engineering “Titan” cylinders found on 6,000 Continental 520 and 550 engines. Released Aug. 12, the AD would cost operators upward of $82.6 million and has generated hundreds of comments, mostly in opposition.
In response to a request by Dassault Aviation, FAA is extending to Oct. 15 the comment period on a proposal to expand use of enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) in place of natural vision during landing. The comment period was set to close Sept. 9. The proposal calls for permitting use of EFVS to continue descent from 100-ft. height above runway through touchdown on certain straight-in instrument approaches, including Category II and Category III approaches. The proposal would also permit the dispatch and approach when the destination airport is below minimums.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) annual Aviation Summit set for Oct. 10-12 in Fort Worth, Tex., will be its last. Mark Baker, the association's new president, is scrapping the big convention in favor of local “grassroots” events at which he can better mingle with AOPA members. The decision marks the first major shift for the association under Baker, who took the helm on Sept. 6. A pilot and former head of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores is the fifth person to lead the association, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year.
Flt.plan.com reports the highest number of monthly flight plans and weather briefings created in company history: 460,193 flight plans and 452,000 weather briefings for the month of August. The company saw a 3.3% increase in flight plans created for jets over August 2012, and a 3.8% increase for piston aircraft flight plans created over the same period in 2012. Helicopter flight plans rose 53% from a year ago.
Cockpit Apps has released the latest version of their app, iLOG 2.0, which incorporates several new capabilities and enhancements. New in the release is an optional MEL function that alerts the crew and maintenance personnel to Category A, B, C, and D MEL items. It also tracks both hours and cycles for each log and pre-populates a crew's out/off/on/in time using the industry standard of one-hour show, one-hour-go time. Other enhancements make iLOG 2.0 viable for smaller aircraft operators including a single-pilot option and an RVSM On/Off option.
If you're willing to dig for it, one of the great troves of information regarding operations in Europe and the North Atlantic region is ICAO's Paris website, or more formally, “The European and North Atlantic Office [EUR/NAT] of ICAO.” It can be found at www.paris.icao.int/welcome/welcome.htm
If you want a solid indicator of where the economy is heading in the next few years, watch the private aviation industry. From the 1980s to today, economic data shows that when the private aviation and small aircraft manufacturing industries are doing well, so is the rest of the economy. If you want to get ahead of market trends, watch and see how much money banks are loaning the leaders of industry to finance corporate jets. The spending trend here is usually ahead of the rest of the market. Think of corporate jets as a high-end stimulus package.
Shadin Avionics now has TSO approval on the initial release of its flyTab Aircraft Interface Module (AIM), a data converter that integrates an iPad into the cockpit accessing real time flight data for iPad applications. The AIM was developed in collaboration with the Avionics & Systems Integration Group, as a part of the flyTab Class 2 Electronic Flight Bag announced in 2012. The current model provides an ARINC 429 interface for two iPads from a single unit. Shadin Avionics St. Louis Park, Minn.
Distractions in the cockpit can have terrible consequences. There are times when pilots can be oversaturated with tasks, alerts and confusing information. There are also times when a flight is so boring that there is a strong temptation to pull out the tablet and lose focus on job number one: flying the aircraft. To help pilots learn about such dangers, the FAA has published an advisory on recognizing and managing cockpit distractions.
While the objective of the North Atlantic Data Link Mandate is safety, data link equipage is also the enabling technology for reduced lateral and longitudinal separation (RLongSM) programs that will be introduced in the immediate future in the North Atlantic Track System. As such, it is expected to facilitate increased capacity and offer operators more options for preferential flight levels and tracks. Here is a description of the separation reduction programs and phased introduction schedules:
TAG Farnborough Airport, Farnborough, U.K., has been awarded Airport Carbon Accreditation at the “Optimization” level, recognizing a reduction in carbon emission under the airport's direct control between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012.
I have been delinquent in writing about some previous columns. So here goes. 1. Regarding Mrs. Garvey and “Bitchin Betty” in “She Knows Her Way Around” (Viewpoint, February 2008) software engineers are notorious for getting things past marketing. Some of the working phraseology such as calculating, re-calculating, etc., can be wholly explained by watching re-runs of “Star Trek” such as when Kirk and Spock ask the computer to do things like calculating the warp effect if they do a gravity assist from the binary star system Zoerk 7.
After some missteps and setbacks, there's good news for Maine's Brunswick Executive Airport (BXM). The former P-3 Orion base is getting some federal money as well as a new tenant. The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) — the agency that is redeveloping the former Brunswick Naval Air Station — will be getting $1.1 million federal grant to help renovate a former Navy Air Operations Center and turn it into a general aviation terminal.
The search is on for bad players in the Avantair bankruptcy. Beth Ann Sharrer, a court appointed trustee says she is “actively reviewing the debtor's books and records to determine whether the estate has any causes of action against the Officers or other directors and officers of the Debtor, including but not limited to claims for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, or self-dealing.” She has also filed a notification that FAA has issued emergency orders of suspension of most of the Avantair fleet.
Being a high-performance, true eight- to 10-passenger business turboprop aircraft with a refined cabin environment, the King Air 350i has no direct competitors. The sleek Piaggio P180 Avanti II is higher-performance turboprop, but comfortably seats four or five, and up to eight in a pinch, but only five with full fuel. So, the 350i is really in its own niche.
West Star Aviation, East Alton, Ill., announced that Cristian Byman has joined the company as technical sales manager-Avionics at the East Alton, Ill., facility. Craig Winterrowd has joined the company as as regional sales manager in California. Awards and Honors
Surf Air, a fly-all-you-want membership airline, has begun operation in California serving three destinations with Pilatus PC-12s. Founded by brothers Wade and David Eyerly, the anti-airline sells memberships for $500 and then charges each cardholder $1,650 a month. For that investment members can ride Sur Air's three Pilatus singles as often as they like on the operations 16 daily flights linking Burbank, San Carlos near Palo Alto, and Santa Barbara. It plans to expand service to Monterey, Palm Springs, San Diego, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and the Sonoma/Napa area as well.
In September, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) gave medals to Brian Bosman and Brandt Hershman, the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives and Senate leader, respectively, for leading the repeal of the state's aircraft gas tax — good for about 40 cents per gallon — as well as a 7% tax on aircraft parts and labor.
StandardAero secured a three-year agreement to provide Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services for RainAir Aircraft Services. Under the agreement, StandardAero will be the exclusive engine service provider for RainAir, which is based at Albertville Regional Airport in Alabama. StandardAero's facility will perform line and heavy maintenance engine work up to hot section inspection at its Maryville, Tenn., facility and engine overhauls at its Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada shop.
ANA Holdings, the parent company of Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways, has purchased Pan Am International Flight Academy and plans to expand training offerings in Asia with its purchase of the Miami, Fla.-based operation. Pan Am provides training to airlines and individuals worldwide through simulation and other training services.
I provide supplemental pilot services on Gulfstream IV and V aircraft through May Hill Inc., a Connecticut-based C-Corp. In doing so, along with all the other necessary things involved in providing these services, I must go to recurrent training once per year for each of the two types of aircraft that I operate. As both the owner and the working man (I pay for my training), I feel that the training requirements under FAR Part 91 versus Part 135, as well as the content and the methods used, can certainly use a recasting.
