Officials of the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) visited Raisbeck Engineering's Seattle headquarters on Aug. 30 to develop certification criteria for Raisbeck Performance Systems in China. The first two Raisbeck systems to complete the process are Dual Aft Body Strakes (DABS) and Nacelle Wing Lockers (NWLS) for the Beechcraft King Air 350, according to Bill Lally, Raisbeck's FAA coordinator.
In the last budget request the Department of Labor (DOL) requested an additional budget and manpower specifically to investigate employee misclassification and this topic has been identified as one of the department's leading initiatives. If you use or plan to use contractors, you need to understand the rules. The DOL has a website to help you navigate the rules. You can visit it at: http://www.dol.gov For those of you who missed Attorney Greg Ripple's presentation at the NBAA MMC on this topic, the NBAA has posted his presentation on their website:
Canadian Chris McCabe, chief pilot for Toronto-based Chartright Air Group, has had extensive experience flying chartered business jets into several locations within the Republic of Cuba. As the country adheres to ICAO procedures and altimetry, McCabe offered to provide a PANS OPS review for domestic operators who might eventually be Cuba-bound (or flying anywhere else that uses ICAO procedures):
The comments made concerning the Dassault 7X recent trim incident are from customer briefing sessions that Dassault has held ever since the incident occurred.
An easy-to-surf guide to 31 CFR 515, the federal code governing licensing for travel to Cuba. Note, especially, the “definitions” section. (http://www.law.justia.com/cfr/title31/31-3.1.1.1.4.html) worldtravelguide.net/cuba/ passport-visa (Good review of Cuban visa requirements.)
The Citation M2's cockpit is a clean-sheet design, a complete break from any avionics package yet installed in a 525-series airplane. The configuration embraces the ergonomic design philosophy of the Citation Ten, using three, side-by-side 14-in. landscape configuration, flat-panel displays with LED backlighting and 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution. These screens provide far more display area than the three, 8- by-10-in. portrait configuration displays in the CJ1+. Indeed, they provide the most display area available in current production light jets.
The FAA Air Traffic Organization could be headed for a reorganization, says FAA Managers Association President David Conley. While there has been “no vision articulated by [FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt]” for such a restructuring, it has been discussed and consultants hired, he says. “We don't think he'll revolutionize it, but will evolve it.” A decision has been made to recombine the jobs of VP-technical training with the safety group, so training will again be part of safety, he adds.
Balancing workload with available manpower is a never-ending struggle for maintenance managers. Even so-called “normal” operations can be highly unpredictable, and aircraft always seem to break at the worst possible time. Having extra help on call for unplanned maintenance work is a great way to cushion the impact.
In late September, Cessna introduced the Citation M2, a less-expensive and more-capable version of the CJ1+ that's intended to be a more attractive intermediate step up in speed, range and cabin comfort that will be positioned between the Citation Mustang and the CJ2+. The new design has been in development for three years and it's slated to fly during the first half of 2012.
As pilots we don't seem to think much about the brakes until we really need them, and then our interest intensifies in direct proportion to the proximity of the runway end and the speed at which it is approaching.
The opening of a new FBO typically is cause for industry celebration in an age when then the number of FBOs has diminished from 5,000 in the 1980s to 3,000. For Million Air, this summer's opening of its newest facility brings the addition of a 29th location, another company-owned base, and an entrance to what company executives believe is an up-and-coming market. This comes when financing is hard to find for new FBOs.
Similar to other Model 525 aircraft, the Citation M2 will be powered by two Williams International FJ44 turbofans. The current plan is to keep the 1,965-lb. takeoff thrust rating, but it's certain that the new engines will have more robust cores that will provide improved hot-and-high airport performance, more climb thrust and higher cruise thrust. Expect a slight improvement in specific fuel consumption because the new powerplants will incorporate more advanced technologies than the FJ44-1AP engines fitted to the CJ1+.
Garmin unveiled a new series of portable navigation devices, the aera 796 and aera 795. The 796 will become Garmin's flagship portable aviation product, incorporating features of the GPSMAP 696, while also adding new capabilities such as a touch-screen user interface, pilot-selectable screen orientation and 3D Vision. The units are designed to move toward a paperless cockpit with a digital document viewer, scratch pad and pre-loaded geo-referenced AeroNav IFR and VFR enroute charts. The 795 incorporates the same features as the 796, but is not XM capable.
As well noted in “High-Altitude Upset Recovery” (July 2011, page 52), pilots must know the basics for maintaining or, if necessary, regaining controlled flight. But what is the primary obstacle to maintaining that control? I would suggest that the answer, both at high and low altitudes, is confusion — the old, “Where's this thing taking us now?”
A change in FAR Part 61.58 taking effect Oct. 31 will require all pilots in command (PIC) of turbojet aircraft to undergo annual proficiency checks. Previously PICs with a single-pilot type rating in certain jets were exempt. When the rule was first posted, the majority of comments came from operators of experimental category aircraft who resisted the change because of the absence of appropriate simulators, examiners and the cost of flight in their aircraft.
Step into the cockpit of a Hawker 4000 that has the newly available block point upgrade (BPU) package and it's immediately apparent that the super midsize aircraft has undergone quite a comprehensive improvement program. The FMS, flight guidance system, avionics and autothrottles offer new functions and greater utility. Airframe systems were upgraded to reduce workload and to provide better operating flexibility. In all, nearly two dozen hardware and software changes were made from which pilots can benefit in everyday operations.
George Best Belfast City Airport and FBO Eurojet Aviation will partner with U.S.-based Avfuel for business aviation fuel and services. According to Mark Beattie, operations director for George Best Belfast City Airport, “Introducing an alternative fuel supplier allows us to be more competitive, which will ultimately drive more business aviation traffic to the airport.” Beattie has been focused on growing general aviation activity at the airport.
Cuba is the largest and westernmost island in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. It also bears the distinction of having been “discovered” by Christopher Columbus on his first journey to the New World in 1492.
Skyservice Inc., Canada's largest charter/management company, often dispatches Learjets from its air ambulance division to Cuba for patient-transfer missions. Based in Montreal, Skyservice has 56 managed and company-owned business aircraft in its stable, including five Learjet 35 air ambulances equipped with intensive-care units that routinely operate on a worldwide basis.
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Computerized maintenance management systems have all but replaced paper for the same reason that such digital systems usually take over any task: It's all become too complicated for humans.
When a military CASA 212 with 21 people aboard was lost off Chile's seacoast in September, authorities used an iPhone app called Find My iPhone to locate the remains of the airplane, which crashed in a zone between the islands of Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara and the Juan Fernandez airport. One of the victims' relatives knew the victim had an active iPhone at the time of the crash. Using the app, the relatives were able to isolate the coordinates of the last place the phone generated a signal before it crashed and passed that information to the Chilean Navy.
The Caribbean region is a popular recreation and business destination for North Americans, Europeans and Middle Eastern residents. Universal Weather & Aviation's Dwayne Janczak, who is assigned to the Flexjet fractional ownership headquarters in Dallas, provided a review for operating in the area.
