St. Louis-based JetCorp Technical Services has received an STC for the installation of Aircell's Cabin Telecommunications Router (CTR) in a Bombardier Challenger 300 business jet. The CTR provides in-cabin Wi-Fi capability for the Gogo Biz Inflight Internet service, which enables passengers to use their BlackBerry, iPhone and other Wi-Fi enabled devices inflight at connectivity speeds equivalent to ground-based hotspots.
Rockwell Collins has introduced a digital high-definition (HD) upgrade to aircraft equipped with its ACMS and CMS-1 cabin management systems. The upgrade includes HD monitors, dual Blu-ray disc players and an HD audio/video distributor that also can upscale analog content to HD quality. The avionics manufacturer says the upgrade enables passengers to enjoy a high-end home-theater experience without the expense and downtime required by changing control switches and modifying the woodwork.
New research from Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) and Corporate Jet Investor indicates that the majority of business aviation financing experts expect demand for financing to increase in Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the next five years. None of those interviewed anticipate demand for financing in those regions to fall. The findings are based on a poll of 48 aviation finance experts that was conducted at the International Corporate Jet & Helicopter Finance 2011 conference earlier this year.
There are plenty of choices in today's pre-owned light jet market and plenty of trade-offs in cabin comfort, performance and direct operating cost. The Beechjet 400/400A has one of the roomiest cabins in its class, rivaling those of Phenom 300 or Learjet 40XR, although it's about two feet shorter in length. It will climb directly to FL 410, or higher, and cruise at 440 KIAS, assuming standard-day conditions. And most aircraft in the resale market are priced at $1.2-$1.8 million, an attractive value.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp.'s Power Line Detection System (PDS) has been certified for installation on the Enstrom 480B helicopter, and the system will soon be available for retrofit on the approximately 90 in-service models of that rotorcraft. The PDS also will be offered as an option on new production models of the light turbine helicopter built by the Menominee, Mich., rotary-wing manufacturer. Enstrom has already delivered PDS-equipped 480B helicopters to the Royal Thai Army as part of a 16-aircraft contract.
The Department of Labor has a useful website to help explain the various labor laws. Although they are very complex, and almost every situation has a unique way to interpret the rules, the website has helpful explanatory brochures and regulatory and interpretative materials. It is available on the Wage and Hour Division's website: www.dol.gov/whd/
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has opened a new general aviation terminal. The new facility was built to replace the existing facility, says spokeswoman Antoinette Spaans. The GA terminal is located at Schiphol East, about 500 meters (1,640 ft.) away from the existing one, she adds. The current facility handles about 18,000 business aircraft a year. The new terminal will have a gross floor area of 6,500 sq. meters (70,000 sq. ft.), including a 1,000-sq.-meter (10,780-sq.-ft.) terminal and lounge and 3,500 sq. meters (30,670 sq. ft.) of office space.
The NBAA Maintenance Manage–ment Conference (MMC) is business aviation's dedicated learning event for those responsible for managing the maintenance function of flight departments. This three-day conference provides valuable information for individuals interested in enhancing their knowledge of aircraft maintenance and management, along with ideas and suggestions for those interested in professional development or meeting career goals.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has appointed three veteran managers to key positions as part of the agency's ongoing review of how the United States oversees its air traffic control system. “I am confident our top-to-bottom review is making our air traffic system even safer,” said Babbitt. That review includes an independent panel to evaluate the agency's air traffic control training curriculum, qualifications and placement process.
AMSTAT, the Tinton Falls, N.J., provider of corporate aviation data, reported that 2.4% of the worldwide active fleet of business jets changed hands via resale retail transactions during the first quarter. While 2.4% is low by historical standards (the 20-yr. average is 3.3%), it is the same level as in fourth quarter 2010. “Thus, for the first time in many years, the business jet market did not experience a significant drop in transaction activity in the first quarter of the year,” said AMSTAT.
Empire Aviation Group (EAG) in Dubai announced plans to begin operations in India, with a new branch office opening in Mumbai by mid-year. The new branch will eventually offer the full range of EAG services on the subcontinent, but will initiallly focus on aircraft sales and management.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has developed a new computer-generated forecast model that is designed to provide pilots with information on the likelihood of encountering dangerous inflight icing conditions. Developed with funding from an FAA grant, the Forecast Icing Product with Severity, or FIP-Severity, provides 12-hr. icing forecasts that are updated hourly for pilots, air traffic controllers and other users of aviation weather information.
I strapped on my first airplane, a 90-hp Aeronca Champ 7EC, in the summer of 1960 and since then my interest in aviation has never wavered. Two years later I was aboard a United Airlines Boeing 720 on the way from my home in New Jersey to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the start of an aviation career.
Max-Viz, Inc. shipped its 1,000th Enhanced Vision System to the AgustaWestland factory in Italy. It was expected to be installed on an AW139 helicopter.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) in Coatesville, Penn., completed modifying a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter for export to Germany's Heliservice International GmbH. Originally designed for VIP transport missions, the aircraft has been reconfigured and equipped for specialty maintenance operations on windmill farms throughout Germany.
StandardAero Business Aviation has upgraded the cockpit of a Dassault Falcon 50EX from Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 avionics, and says it is the first maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organization to successfully complete such a retrofit.
A new coalition designed to focus on issues affecting general aviation airports has been formed by a group of GA airport operators. The General Aviation Airport Coalition was formed to “preserve and promote our nation's general aviation airports,” according to the mission statement. The coalition began meeting late last year, but recently officially launched as a formal group.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt dismissed calls to allow controllers to sleep during shifts to mitigate the effects of fatigue. The agency is currently reviewing 12 recommendations to offset fatigue proposed by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association that include breaks of up to 2.5 hr., reduced work hours on certain rotations and increased training on the effects of sleep deprivation and disorders.
Rizon Jet has opened a two-level FBO and VIP lounge at London Biggin Hill Airport. The FBO will cater to an international clientele, including Middle Eastern families and business travelers. The ground floor includes five open and semi-private seating areas, and the mezzanine floor offers semi-enclosed lounge areas, as well as meeting facilities, including a boardroom with videoconferencing, and a children's corner.
When people who know me learn that I'm writing about computers, they smile, shake their heads and say, “This should be cute.” Those who don't know me would surmise that anyone this old and beat up can't have much to teach about the technology. A big "Thank You" to both groups.
Embraer's large cabin Lineage 1000 received its type certificate from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The latest certification is in addition to certifications by Brazil's ANAC and the European Aviation Safety Agency in December 2008, and the U.S. FAA in January 2009. To date, nine Lineage 1000 jets are in operation worldwide.
Despite the uncertain economy in recent years, the European Business Aviation Association's membership has more than doubled since 2005. The association picked up 40 new members last year alone. EBAA credits a more proactive membership recruitment approach in 2010 — the association gave a trial membership to anyone who attended last year's European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. The organization went from 211 full members in 2005 to 458 in 2011, including 23 members from the U.S.
In 2009, the DOT ordered CSI Aviation Services Inc. to cease and desist from acting as a broker of air charter services for the federal government. The company appealed, and on April 1, 2011, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals granted CSI's petition for review, finding that the DOT failed to justify its authority to issue the contested order.
