The FAA has awarded Pro Star Aviation a Letter of Designation for the FAA Supplemental Type Certificate Organization Designation Authorization (ODA). This designation allows Pro Star to act on behalf of the FAA when approving and issuing STCs. Since 1998, Pro Star has developed nearly 50 FAA STCs in addition to managing STC projects for other applicants. As an ODA, Pro Star will manage and control the STC project from start to finish with minimal oversight from the FAA.
Lightspeed Aviation has launched its FlightLink app for Zulu.2. It's a free, downloadable app developed to work with newer Zulu.2 headsets. All communication through the intercom is recorded and available for instant playback and permanent archiving. Multiple recordings may be stored either in Apple devices or in an iTunes account. FlightLink allows for up to 2 min. of instant playback of ATC transmissions. The entire flight can be recorded and saved for future use. With FlightLink, pilots can toggle from other apps to access recordings and notes.
Bell Helicopter has received its airworthiness certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China for the Bell 429. The certification follows the first complete assembly and successful flight testing of a 429 in China at Kingwing General Aviation Co., a CAAC 145 service facility.
Real Clean Aviation Products has introduced Turbine Soot Master, a carbon soot cleaner and degreaser. According to the company it is designed to effectively address carbon exhaust buildup and staining that occurs on most turboprop aircraft. The product's streak-free formula dissolves carbon, grease and oil with very little effort. Soot Master is rinse-free and does not require the use of any water. Spray it on and wipe the surface clean with a microfiber or terry cloth. View the video at www.youtube.com/RealCleanAircraft
Pan Am International Flight Academy now has an agreement with Carnegie Speech to aid in the company's Aviation English training. Carnegie's patented language learning technology will be used at the Academy's training centers in the U.S. and abroad to increase English proficiency within the aviation field. To help students meet and surpass the ICAO requirements (known as Operational Level 4), Pan Am integrates Carnegie Speech's “NativeAcccent” technology and “Climb Level 4 Aviation English” software with their programs.
NBAA President Ed Bolen calls the slow progress on improving temporary flight restrictions “a tremendous frustration . . . The instruments put into place after 9/11 were dull, blunt-force instruments.” By now, Bolen told a panel during the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., he had hoped that those instruments would have become “precision instruments.” While the process is improving, it's slow and comes at a cost to operators.
At the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Cessna announced that it has increased the range expectation of its new midsize Citation Latitude from 2,300 nm to 2,500 nm. In 2011, the Latitude was originally announced with an expected range of 2,000 nm, but Cessna engineers responding to customer input pushed the range figure to, first 2,300 nm, and most recently to 2,500 nm. “As we talked with more customers, getting to 2,500 nautical miles was imperative,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, International Sales, South America.
Excellent article about the latency of cockpit-displayed Nexrad data (“Cause & Circumstance, August 2012). Equally important, though, is for pilots to realize that the Weather and Radar Processor (WARP) used to display precipitation data to Center controllers can be equally latent and should not be relied upon to obtain vectors that “thread the needle” between large convective cells. (Tracon weather displays more closely approximate real-time conditions.) Keep up the good work.
Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support has appointed Premium Jet Aircraft Maintenance at Afonso Pena International Airport (SBCT) in Curitiba, Brazil, as an authorized service center to support its Hawker 125 series and model 400 series products. Premium Jet is an ANAC 145-certified repair station for airframes, engines, avionics and accessories.
ward Opportunities Each year, the NBAA's Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee promotes education and career development through scholarships and training awards supported by the generosity of industry donors. To date, the committee has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships along with countless training awards. Applications for the 2013 scholarships and awards are available now on www.nbaa.org.
Citing the potential impact on the relationship between MRO providers and their customers, as well as the proposal's scope, nine associations have asked the FAA for 90 more days to comment on the agency's proposed repair station rule changes. The original comment period's closing date was Aug. 20. The trade groups say members have noted major concerns with the new rule , which would radically revamp FAR Part 145.
Cessna is developing a diesel version of its Model 182 Skylane that, when available in the second quarter of 2013, will replace the Lycoming-powered Model 182 Skylane that burns leaded aviation gasoline. The Turbo 182 JT-A will have a Jet-A-burning, direct injection turbo-diesel Safran SMA SR305-230 engine. Announcing the aircraft July 23 during the EAA's 2012 AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., Jeff Umscheid, Cessna Models 172, 182 and 206 business leader, said the company already has begun taking orders for the $515,000 aircraft.
Cessna wants EASA to certify its Skycatcher light-sport aircraft. Tracy Leopold, business leader for the 162, says the aircraft currently is only permitted to operate in nine countries and EASA approval will provide expanded sales opportunities. Leopold stresses that the aircraft – which is not certified in the U.S., but meets ASTM standards for certification – will remain a light-sport aircraft in the U.S., even if it is certified in Europe.
Where can I get some special overalls with a .45 and sawed off shotgun and a Bubba to go with? I was at my Mini dealer reading “Bona Fide Security Programs” (Point of Law, August 2012), when I laughed so loud the other customers took notice and thought I was crazy. Loved it! You had to have died laughing when you wrote it. President JetSeat LLC (www.jetseatllc.com)
The current data analyzed by Robert E. Breiling Associates shows that for the U.S. jet and turboprop business fleet the number of accidents have gone down — a big improvement — but the number of fatalities has gone up for the first six months of 2012 versus the same period in 2011. Combined accidents decreased by 12, from 38 to 26. Fatal accidents were up by one and fatalities were up from 15 to 23.
Four months after announcing its new executive jet service center in Brazil, Embraer broke ground at Bertram Luiz Leupolz airport in Sorocaba. The 216,000-sq.-ft. site will include hangars, VIP lounges, meeting rooms and crew living quarters, as well as administrative offices. This facility will offer maintenance, repair and overhaul and FBO services. The opening is expected in the second half of 2013.
As we go to press, Bombardier is expecting to kick off final assembly of the first Learjet 85 “shortly” as components begin to arrive at the company's expanding plant in Wichita. But the company still is not publicly revealing a target date for the aircraft's rollout or first flight.
The NBAA commended President Barack Obama for signing the “Pilot's Bill of Rights” legislation intended to provide greater protections and transparency for pilots facing federal enforcement action. The measure (S.1335) was first introduced in the Senate in July 2011 by Sens. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska). Similar legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year by Missouri Republican Sam Graves and Illinois Democrat Dan Lipinski.
The trip began badly. Collecting my carry-on, I realized I'd made it through security with my feet still snug in my shoes. “Change in policy?” I asked the surprised TSAer, pointing down to my footwear. “No,” he scowled, “You can keep your shoes on if you're over 75.” I stared hard at the *#+@! for a few long seconds, and moved on.
I read with great concern the accolades being used to describe former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (Intelligence, June 2012) in regard to his return to aviation consulting. I must take issue with the praise being given Babbitt in terms of his contribution to advancing aviation safety.
Argus July 2012 TRAQPak data show business aircraft activity flat month-over-month, and year-over-year. TRAQPak data indicate that July 2012 business aircraft flight activity decreased from June 2012 at 1.1% overall. The results by operational category were all down from the previous month, with the exception of fractional activity, which posted a month-over-month increase of 3.3%. Operational categories: FAR Part 91, down 2.4%; Part 135, down 1.0%; fractional, up 3.3%.
American Eurocopter announced that California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), with headquarters at McClellan, Calif., will purchase up to eight EC135 helicopters. CALSTAR operates nine full-time bases in northern and central California and is the largest nonprofit air ambulance provider on the west coast. With this order, it will replace older aircraft and become an all-Eurocopter operator.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) wrote acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta asking the agency to reconsider its recent rule to mandate what had been voluntary helicopter routes over Long Island, N.Y. They asserted that the rule was “seemingly based solely on noise complaints as opposed to safety of flight.” The mandatory routes were debated at length during the House/Senate conference on the FAA reauthorization but were rejected, the lawmakers note.
Signature Flight Support parent BBA Aviation is bracing for continued volatility in the market for the remainder of the year, but BBA CEO Simon Pryce maintains that “medium term” indicators look much stronger. Business aircraft traffic was softer than expected — remaining relatively flat — keeping a damper on services overall. Even so, the company reported growth in revenue of 3% to $1.094 billion, thanks to an 11% increase in aftermarket services and higher fuel prices.
