Eran Duvdevani (CEO Jet-ways Aviation Hertzlia, Israel )
A long-time subscriber, I enjoy your “operating in. . .” articles very much (e.g. “Life in the Far North: Operating in Scandinavia,” October 2012, page 26). As a Part 91 Bombardier Global 5000 pilot, I find it very helpful when planning our flights worldwide, and I keep the issues of the magazine just in case I will fly somewhere you wrote about.
Honda has broken ground for a 90,000-sq.-ft. factory MRO facility on a 54-acre extension of the company's headquarters and manufacturing site at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.
The FAA has selected Harris Corp. Government Communications Systems to provide Data Communications Integrated Services (DCIS), with a subcontracting team that includes ARINC Inc., GE Aviation and Thales. DataComm supplements today's analog voice-only air-to-ground communications system with a digital system, and it will become the primary mode of communication in air traffic in the future. The FAA says DataComm will provide a two-way data exchange between controllers and flight crews for clearances, instructions, advisories, flight crew requests and reports.
In the third quarter of 2012, Embraer delivered 27 jets to the commercial aviation market and 13 to executive aviation. Deliveries year to date, at the end of September, total 83 commercial and 46 executive jets, seven more than for the same period of 2011.
Piper Aircraft recently rolled out the 500th pressurized single-engine turboprop M-Class Meridian to SouthEast Piper for delivery to the aircraft's new Florida-based owner. “The milestone delivery of the 500th Piper Meridian, since first delivery in the year 2000, emphasizes its enduring value proposition even during recent periods of economic uncertainty around the world,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott.
For U.S. operators, charging someone for a ride in the company jet is a subject thick with claims and counterclaims, ignorance and outright bad behavior. The arguments are old, but some of the consequences are new. Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may be more likely than the FAA to punish practitioners of any "Part 134½."
Eurocopter and Nextant Aerospace are the newest members 0f the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). The association now has 80 member companies worldwide.
Bell Helicopter is continuing to work with U.S. and European certification authorities in the hope of overturning their rejection of a gross weight increase for the Model 429 light twin that takes the aircraft beyond the certification limit for its class.
New Zealand-based Altitude Aerospace Interiors is beginning work on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) based on a 737-700, the first interior completion of a new BBJ in the Australasian region. A Boeing spokeswoman says that no BBJ completions have been done in Australia, and while Altitude has previously performed BBJ refits, this will be the company's first “green” BBJ. The BBJ is owned by Samsung Electronics, Boeing says. Altitude is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand.
Sept. 15 — About 0023 CDT, a Cirrus SR22 (N436KS) was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Willard, Mo. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by JL2 LLC as a personal flight operating on an IFR flight plan. The flight originated from Lee's Summit Municipal Airport (LXT) about 2340 on Sept. 14, with the intended destination of Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF), Springfield, Mo.
Business aviation is playing a key role in helping with the economic recovery in Europe, a new study finds, saying that each passenger flown on a business aviation flight generates the same gross domestic product as nine business passengers on a scheduled flight. The European Business Aviation Association retained Oxford Economics to conduct the study to determine the value of business aviation in Europe. The study finds that contrary to popular belief, business jets and turboprops in Europe are primarily used for business purposes rather than by wealthy individuals.
Rockwell Collins' Airshow 3-D moving map is now available for download in the iTunes App store. The iPad app delivers a unique, interactive way for business jet passengers to view the world around them and stay informed during their trip. With a simple system upgrade, existing Airshow 4000 or Venue HD cabin management system users can take advantage of the new app.
Industry advocates are encouraged that senior Internal Revenue Service officials have continued a dialogue about recent tax changes stemming from a March agency memorandum, but they stop short of saying any progress has yet been made. In the interim, numerous charter operators have undergone audits and are facing new tax bills in the “high six figures” and some even beyond that since the guidance's release.
Argus TRAQPak data indicates that September 2012 business aircraft flight activity decreased from August 2012 by 7.1% overall. The results by operational category were all down from the previous month, with fractional flight activity posting a 11.6% month-over-month decrease.Reviewing activity year-over-year (September 2012 vs.September 2011) TRAQPak recorded a decrease of 2.9% in overall aircraft activity. Results by operational category were led by fractional activity, down 6.2%.
Honeywell is expanding its partnership with Inmarsat, signing a five-year agreement to serve as a “master distributor” of the GX Aviation inflight connectivity services for the business aviation market. Honeywell previously had signed an agreement to develop and provide hardware for the services using Inmarsat's planned Global Xpress satellite system. But the new agreement marks Honeywell's first entry into distribution of the actual service itself. Inmarsat has selected OnAir and Gogo to provide the service to the commercial airlines.
While the business aviation community has struggled in one of the deepest, most prolonged downturns in the industry's history, its membership has become truly global. As the traditional North American market collapsed in 2008, business jet makers set their sites on new, developing economies. By 2010, 60% of Gulfstream's orders came from international customers, and this year Cessna reached accords to build business jets in China.
The next time you publish another hysterical column, please add a warning label stating: “Read in the Privacy of Your Office or Home.” I started reading “Day Trippers” while sitting by my cement pond, and after the first paragraph, I laughed so loud and so hard strangers at the pool literally turned their heads in my direction. A neighbor came by later and I showed him “Legal Humor” (Readers Feedback, September 2012, page 10) and then “Day Trippers.” He laughed as hard as I did.
360 Aviation Solution has a free app for the iPad that serves as a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT). The app works in English and Spanish and is in the form of a questionnaire, which helps the operator determine a risk factor for each individual flight. Once the operator has answered 41 simple “yes or no” questions, the app produces a PDF that can be stored, printed or emailed. The company says its FRAT complies with IS-BAO/SMS requirements.
As BCA was going to press, a pilot we know with considerable oceanic crossing experience in his logbook offered the following general checklist for keeping your operation gross navigation error (GNE) free. Pay attention to these points, and you have a pretty good chance of staying out of trouble.
DART Helicopter Services has expanded its office in Hawkesbury, Ontario, consolidating all Canadian divisions under one roof. Before the construction of the new office, the sales, marketing, customer support, engineering, accounting and manufacturing teams were not co-located. The 9,500-sq.-ft. office expansion allows the functions to come under one roof next to the manufacturing facility.
Eclipse Aerospace announced an anti-skid braking system (ABS) as a new option for the Eclipse twin-engine very light jet. The new ABS is available as an option on new production Eclipse 550 jets and will be offered as a retrofit to the existing fleet. In-aircraft testing is complete with certification and availability expected within six months. ABS allows for maximum braking energy and skid control without the need for a conventional hydraulic system, which is unique to the Eclipse Jet.
Piper Aircraft and Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP) announced that beginning Dec. 5, 2012, access to all Piper maintenance publications and regulatory documents will be available exclusively through the ATP Aviation Hub Online Service and ATP's NavigatorV Desktop Platform. Piper says ATP's single integrated solution offers several advantages for users including learning one simple software platform for publication access, daily revision updates to all content, and eliminating the cost of installing and managing software.
Bombardier Aerospace has opened a Regional Support Office in Moscow (Denisovskiy Pereulok, 26, Moscow), operated by Bombardier Aerospace Service Russia LLC. It will serve as a regional support hub for commercial aircraft customers in Russia and the CIS. According to the company, when the office is fully staffed it will include support resources for operators of Bombardier business aircraft and have as many as 15 customer service managers, liaison pilots, field service reps and mobile response technicians.
