Business & Commercial Aviation

I read Capt. Enderle's letter (Readers' Feeback, June 2012, page 11) and the accompanying comments with great interest. While there is a plethora of woulda's, coulda's and shoulda's therein, there are but three positive conclusions that can be drawn at this point in the investigation:

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has opened a full-service multimedia center at its Product Support headquarters to enhance and increase communication with operations. The center includes a broadcast studio, control room and equipment room allowing Gulfstream to produce live streamed webcasts, videos and recorded broadcasts. The content produced in the multimedia center will be distributed on myGulfstream.com, the company's secure customer website, and will also appear on gulfstream.com.

On May 14, with little advance notice, Teterboro Airport (TEB) was shut down to all traffic and remained closed for 5 hr. How much notice was given is unclear — some say it was 1 hr., while others suggest 12. Undisputed is the fact that TEB, among the nation's busiest general aviation facilities, was shuttered on a workday, surprising many users and forcing the reroute of scores of incoming aircraft. The reason? A presidential visit to the west side of Manhattan, directly across the Hudson River from the close-in New Jersey airport.

Exact Air Flight ET822 descended below MDA into dark, wooded terrain while attempting a night non-precision RNAV (GNSS) Runway 12 approach at Chicoutimi/Saint-Honore, Quebec, on Dec. 9, 2009. Both pilots were killed and two passengers — the only other occupants of the aircraft — were seriously injured when the Beech King Air A100 (BE10) struck the ground in controlled flight on the approach centerline some 3 nm from the threshold.

The TSA is working to devise means such as gateway airports that would enable business aviation to access restricted airspace during TFRs, says Zach Carder, who handles business aviation issues for TSA. Carder, speaking at the June National Air Transportation Association 2012 Air Charter Summit, said he “recognizes fully that this is a tender topic” for the business aviation community, particularly as it is facing an increasing number of TFRs with the presidential election season heating up.

The Global Vision Flight Deck designations for the Global 5000 and 6000 do not represent FAA, EASA or Transport Canada model designations. They are Bombardier's commercial names for Global airplanes on which Major Change Modifications, known as “modsums,” 700T001900 and 700T901901 have been fitted to BD-700-1A10 (Global XRS) airplanes or modsums 700T901900 and 700T901902 have been installed on BD-700-1A11 (Global 5000) airplanes.

ARGUS TRAQPak data indicates that May 2012 business aircraft flight activity increased from April 2012 at 3.5% overall. The only month over month decrease was the fractional segment, down 1.0%. Part 135 activity was up 5.3% and Part 91 was up 3.9%. Reviewing activity year over year (May 2012 vs. May 2011) TRAQPak observed a 1.6% increase in overall aircraft activity. Results by operational category were mixed with Part 91sector activity up 4.3%.

Jet Aviation has launched a global refurbishment program to “renew and harmonize” the look and feel of its FBO and major MRO facilities worldwide, beginning with the Geneva, Zurich and Basel facilities in Switzerland and focusing on the facility lobbies and customer and crew lounges, Completion of the Geneva and Basel facilities is scheduled for year-end. The Zurich facility is scheduled for completion in spring 2013.

“A Disastrous Save” (Cause & Circumstance, June 2012, page 52 highlights the double tragedy associated with the crash of a helicopter attempting a rescue. Twenty years of flying U.S. Air Force rescue helicopters left me feeling that remote area operations are one of the most challenging flight operations a pilot can confront. This is due to the wide range of uniqueness each remote area brings. Add nighttime, weather and fatigue to this and you have an operation that probably should be in the Emergency Section of the AOM.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and ITT Exelis have entered into a licensing agreement for Exelis to provide its real-time integrated next generation flight-tracking data for ERAU's academic research and analysis.

Embraer Executive Jets' Melbourne, Fla., campus has received its own FAA Production Certificate to assemble Phenom 100s in the U.S. Previously, Phenom jets assembled in Melbourne were certified under the FAA type certificate granted to those produced in Brazil. “This is a significant milestone for Embraer and is the culmination of a series of achievements in the last year,” said Ernest Edwards, president, Embraer Executive Jets.

Flexjet joined other fractional operators suing the IRS over assessments of federal excise taxes. Flight Options and NetJets/Executive Jet Management already are enmeshed in lawsuits over refunds and imposition of the passenger ticket tax over certain activities. Flexjet filed its suit a couple of weeks ago, says Tony Gasaway, principal of Gasaway Tax Law. The lawsuits come as management companies face their own escalating tax assessments based on recent IRS guidance that management fees could constitute commercial air carrier activity.

Bombardier is the final manufacturer of large-cabin, long-range business jets to upgrade its flagship aircraft with large-format, flat-panel avionics, but based upon our recent demo flight, the wait was well worth the results. The Vision Flight Deck provides strong incentives for operators of older Globals with early 1990s vintage avionics to upgrade to the Global 6000's 21st century cockpit technology.

After decades of overflying Central America, executives of U.S., Canadian, and European corporations in growing numbers are accelerating their commercial activities in the seven countries constituting the subcontinent and dispatching their owned and chartered business jets to take them there.

Beech is claiming that its Twin Bonanza is the strongest airplane in commercial aviation — designed and tested to withstand inflight loads equal to almost seven times its own weight. It's even got an airstair door so you don't “ever have to get near the engines.”

Belize Belize is the only Central American country that was not solely a Spanish colony, with Spain and Great Britain disputing rule over the territory in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1854, it officially became the colony of British Honduras, and remained so until it achieved independence in 1981 and became Belize. (The independence process was inhibited by a border dispute with Guatemala, which continues toward a so-far unscheduled referendum in both states to determine whether to refer the conflict to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.)

The NBAA website contains a useful primer on the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program. Here is an excerpt providing a concise history of the security protocol:

Every year, the NBAA's week-long Maintenance Management Conference (MMC) provides resources for learning both new technology and updating each attendee's personal knowledge toolbox. In addition, the event provides an excellent opportunity to network with fellow managers and provides insight for those interested in professional development or creating new career goals within the business aviation community.

The Beech King Air 350 is the largest business turboprop yet built by the Wichita manufacturer and by far its most versatile performer. More than 685 first-generation aircraft were built between 1990 and 2009 before it was succeeded by the more luxurious King Air 350i in 2010.

As of June 1, the only way for general aviation pilots, flight instructors and mechanics to learn about and register for FAA safety seminars will be online at FAASafety.gov. The FAA will no longer send postcards. If you have not already done so, the FAA Safety Team encourages you to register online using your airman certificate number.

My town loves its trees, and boy, we've got 'em — sycamore, sugar maple, sassafras, scarlet oak, beech, birch, yellow poplar, black tupelo. If they can handle winter, they're here in abundance. The town crest features a spreading white oak. A Tree City USA for 10 years running, we have a tree committee, annually budget for tree plantings, which are overseen by our tree warden, and publish a directory of our “Notable Trees.”

Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) has established helicopter operations at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, which is a 10-min. flight to Manhattan aboard one of the company 's Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. AAG operates a fleet of S-76 helicopters in both fractional and full management programs with bases in the New York and Philadelphia areas.

The GAMA Board of Directors approved Air Tractor as its newest member, bringing the association's membership to 77. Air Tractor got its start as the Snow Aeronautical Company in 1951. In 1958, Leland Snow moved the production facilities to Olney, Texas, where Air Tractor is headquartered today. With over 2,700 aircraft flying, Air Tractor manufactures an extensive line of agriculture aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney piston or turbine engines. Air Tractor aircraft can be found working over fields and forests across the U.S.

Nextant Aerospace announced a new manufacturing facility for the Nextant 400XT, FAA-certified remanufactured business jet. The newly acquired facility at Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Airport will accommodate an annual production rate of 48 aircraft, and will quadruple Nextant's production area and office space footprint. The facility features a large production hangar which can handle six aircraft simultaneously, a second hangar for aircraft delivery and completions and a third that will house an advanced aircraft painting operation.

A new Bombardier Flight Deck iPad app for Challenger and Learjets provides an electronic flight manual that can automatically receive updates from Bombardier. Updates to all Bombardier flight manual revisions, including temporary revisions, are received and implemented at the push of a button. The system uses advanced encryption technology and provides the necessary FAA, EASA and Transport Canada audit trail for paperless operations.