The seven-year-old Independent Fixed Base Operators Association (IFBOA) reports its membership has topped the 500 mark. “Reaching 500 members is a terrific milestone for us,” said John Wraga, founder and executive director of the organization comprising flight schools, repair stations, aircraft management and sales organizations, and other aviation businesses, along with FBOs.
Aircell announced that Travel Management Company (TMC) will introduce Aircell's Gogo Biz service across its entire fleet of light jet charter aircraft. The expansion is expected to be complete in October and will encompass nearly 70 aircraft with complimentary Gogo Biz service. TMC operates the largest, privately owned fleet of Hawker 400XP and 800XP charter aircraft in the U.S. John Wade, Aircell's executive vice president and general manager said, inflight connectivity “. . .
The Government of Aruba has introduced a ministerial ordinance codifying the use of designated inspectors (DI) by the director of the Department of Civil Aviation of Aruba (DCA). This framework allows DI's to be engaged by the Registry in procedures regarding airworthiness, crew licensing, operators' manuals and compliance of flight simulators with the local regulations. The Designated Inspectors will be located around the world to best service the industry (USA, Europe, Russia, and CIS Middle East and Asia-Pacific).
On July 2 the death sentence for Stage 2 business jets was published in the Federal Register. The FAA final rule, which prohibits operation of the noisy jets in the contiguous U.S. as of midnight, Dec. 31, 2015, essentially implements a ban that Congress made law as part of the FAA Modernization Reform Act of 2012. The rule applies to jet aircraft that weigh less than 75,000 lb. and do not meet Stage 3 noise levels. Commercial Stage 2 jets were banned as of Dec. 31, 1999. In the U.S., nearly 600 business jets will be affected by the ban.
Flight Display Systems announced that all company operations have been consolidated at their new Shiloh road, Alpharetta, Ga., location. “Bringing all company functions together under one roof creates a new synergy for us,” said CEO David Gray. “The 56,000-sq.-ft. facility will accommodate growth and the addition of several new product lines in the next few years.”
The FAA is proposing a series of regulations to permit greater use of enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) and facilitate installation without the need for special conditions. Under the proposal, operators would be permitted to rely on EFVS from 100 ft. above the touchdown zone to the runway on certain straight-in IFR 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.
Business jets may be pummeled by pols in Washington, but they're certainly valued in Vegas. The annual National Business Aviation Association convention, set for Oct. 22-24, is now the fifth-largest trade show in the U.S. This year it will feature more than 1,000 exhibits displayed across 1 million sq. ft. of floor space, as well as the two static aircraft displays — 100 larger aircraft will gather out at Henderson Executive Airport, and another 10-15 piston singles, light turboprops and helicopters will be inside the Las Vegas Convention Center itself.
David James (Director Swift Flite Pty Ltd. Lanseria, South Africa)
From the bottom end of Africa — Johannesburg to be precise — I would like to say how much I particularly enjoy your monthly Viewpoint editorial. Always informative, interesting and amusing! BCA is such a superb product — all of us in our small aircraft management and air charter business appreciate the hard work that goes into the well-presented articles. Great work. Director Swift Flite Pty Ltd. Lanseria, South Africa
Executive AirShare, Kansas City, Kan., announced industry veteran Steve Gentry joined the company as senior sales director and will be based at the company's Love Field, Dallas facility. Gentry previously held positions at CitationAir, Bombardier FlexJet and a national turboprop fraction program. He is a pilot with more than 600 flight hours.
ForeFlight digital navigation charts and information are now available for Canada. The complete set of NAV CANADA charts, optimized for iPad display, includes Visual Navigation Charts (VNC), Visual Terminal Area Charts (VTA), and the Canadian Flight Supplement (CFS). ForeFlight Mobile now offers flight-planning capabilities; preflight weather information including METARs, TAFs, and radar from Environment Canada; and, inflight access to navigation charts, weather and moving map capabilities.
As of Aug. 1, new first officer (FO) qualification rules for first officers on scheduled U.S. airliners take effect. The rules require that every FO have an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificates and 1,500 total flight hours — with some exceptions — and require a type rating on the aircraft being operated. A restricted ATP certificate will have a 750-flight-hour minimum for military pilots, or at least 1,000 hr. of time as a pilot, plus an aviation degree. The rules also set a minimum of 1,000 hr.
A bill calling for the rewriting of FAR Part 23 and designed to stimulate the light aircraft industry received unanimous approval by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee July 10. Aviation subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) said the “Small Airplane Revitalization Act” entailed “necessary, common sense reforms” which together “will improve the safety of general aviation at half the cost and help revitalize this critical industry.” The Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is expected to approve a companion measure.
Rockwell Colins launched HeliSure, a family of products that will provide helicopter pilots with enhanced situational awareness to help them fly in congested and hazard-filled airspace. HeliSure delivers sensor data in real time through an intuitive user interface that features 3-D visualization for information that pilots can easily, quickly and effectively process.
Regarding “Command Presence” (Cause & Circumstance, June 2013, page 56), I would have called it “Raw Hider Results” since I have a different perspective on how this month's scenario ended in such a tragic way. I don't think anyone will question your excellent job of painting the perfectly clear picture of what must have happened. The personality of the guy holding that little girl in his lap is what I'm mindful of.
Yukon, Okla.-based Legacy Aviation Services was given DGAC (Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil) authority to repair and service Mexican-registered aircraft. With the lengthy paperwork process streamlined, Mexican aircraft can enter the U.S. for regular repair and maintenance, and for special modifications work at Legacy.
Evidently, I'm a helicopter highbrow, or a rotary-wing wimp. Or both. This realization came just recently. By way of background, our middle son is training to fly the AH-64 and was keen to have his parents share in the learning experience. Accordingly, and quite unexpectedly, he gifted us both with helicopter flight lessons. (No, not in an Apache.)
Robert E. Breiling Associates reports that in the first six months of 2013, the U.S. business jet fleet experienced seven accidents, three of which were fatal to nine persons versus 10 accidents including two fatal accidents and nine fatalities the same period in 2012. Two of the fatal U.S. business jet accidents were Beech Premier aircraft fatal to seven. Both aircraft crashed during abandoned landing approaches in VMC, one at night. The other fatal accident involved a Lear 60 the crashed on approach in Venezuela during a heavy rainstorm.
Citing “numerous” close calls, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants the FAA to change separation standards for situations in which an aircraft departs one runway and another aircraft is performing a go-around on a different, non-intersecting runway.
The FAA has authorized Blackhawk Modifications to sell and install the XP42A Upgrade Package on Cessna Caravan 208A aircraft. The package includes a factory new P&WC PT6A-42A engine rated at 850 shp. It also uses a new, wide-chord, 100-in. diameter Hartzell four-blade propeller; a new composite cowling and high-efficiency inlet duct; a new 40% larger oil cooler; new Blackhawk DigiLog engine gauges and new exhaust stacks.
TWC Aviation, San Jose, Calif., promoted Jack Mulder to director of Operations. He has been with the company for seven and has chief pilot, director of Training and was a line pilot.
Eurocopter, Marignane, France, appointed Matthieu Louvot head of Support and Services reporting to Dominique Maudet, head of Global business and Service.
ExecuJet, Zurich, appointed Paul Desgrosseilliers general manager of the company's Haite Aviation Services, the company's joint venture with the Sichuan Haite Group, based in Tianjin, China.
