Once your roller coaster crests the lift hill, gathers momentum and then enters its first hard turn, remember to keep your neck and head aligned with your spine but — this is key – relax your shoulders, torso and butt. That way your body is flexible and will better adapt to the car’s motion and forces, rather than resist them. As a result, you’re more likely to come through the ride unbruised and better able to endure a repetition.
Embraer delivered the first Phenom 100 business jet in India, the first of 18 Phenom 100s ordered by India’s Invision Air Services Pvt. Ltd., a Mumbai-based on-demand charter company. Invision Air ordered the aircraft three years ago, along with two Phenom 300s.
Sometimes no news is just that: no news. Snecma’s Silvercrest engine was originally launched as a 9,500- to 12,000-lb-thrust motivator for large and long-range jets — read: Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault. The company announced an 80-hr. test run on a developmental prototype that reportedly exceeded expectations, and the engine was poised to appear in service in 2012, Snecma said. Of course, that was back in 2008, when the business aviation world slid into an economic abyss, and now the premiere date has slid to 2014 but with no application airframe named yet.
Falcon 2000 owners can opt for a new cabin interior next time their aircraft visits Basel for major maintenance or a new paint job. Jet Aviation Basel, a designated Dassault Falcon completions center, launched its “Jet Falcon” cabin interior refurbishment program at MEBA 2010. The program offers three cabin interior designs — Classic, Style and Fashion, with standardized sets of designs and modular processes to keep downtime and costs to a minimum.
Lufthansa Technik and Panasonic Avionics Corp. are establishing a joint venture for the development, manufacture and sale of inflight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management systems (CMS) for VIP aircraft. Officials from the two companies say their new systems will be based on a combination of the technologies used in Panasonic’s X Series airline IFE system, Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite (eXConnect and eXPhone) and the “nice” CMS/IFE system developed by Lufthansa Technik’s Innovation Business Unit.
Raisbeck Engineering will provide its Ram Air Recovery System (RARS) for the new Beechcraft King Air 250. The system boosts performance throughout the flight envelope by reducing engine inlet turbine temperature by about 20°C, Raisbeck says. The effects include increased flat-rating for operation at hot, high-altitude airports; increased climb capability; increased cruise speeds; and a more efficient engine. The system is installed as a retrofit on Super King Air 200s and B200s, and more than 1,000 systems have been installed on King Airs since 1982.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), Alexandria, Va., announced the selection of Charles O’Dell, director of Sun Air Jets, Camarillo, Calif., as the newest member of the board of governors. Air Partner, London, England, has promoted Simon Wheatley to the position of U.K. manager of its Private Jets division, replacing Ben Bewsey, who has left the company. Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C., named Nicholas E. Calio president and CEO, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds James C. May, who has been president for the past eight years.
Weststar Aviation Services of Malaysia has taken delivery of its first of nine AgustaWestland AW139 medium twin-engine helicopters. The helicopters will be used to perform transport missions supporting offshore oil and gas industry operations in Malaysia. Weststar Aviation Services is currently the largest commercial customer for the AW139 in the Asia Pacific region. The remaining eight aircraft will be delivered through March of this year. Pilot and technician training services and a comprehensive support package are being provided by AgustaWestland Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
In the first quarter of this year, the Falcon 900LX is slated to be the first Falcon Jet equipped with second-generation EASy II avionics. All Falcon 900LX aircraft on the assembly line are being upgraded with second-generation advanced graphics modules with more processing power to handle an optional synthetic vision system function that will be part of EASy II.
Embraer delivered the first Legacy 650 to Lord Alan Sugar’s Amsair Aircraft Ltd. The aircraft will be operated by Titan Airways Executive, a VIP charter company based at London Stansted Airport, the company announced, Nov. 22. The following day, the Brazilian planemaker announced construction had begun on a new manufacturing facility in Évora, Portugal. The 330,000-sq.-ft. facility will produce complex composite airframe structures and components. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2011, with production expected to start in 2013.
The super-midsize class has been one of the hottest selling segments of business aircraft in recent years. These versatile aircraft can fly eight passengers nonstop between East Coast and West Coast North American cities at true jetliner speeds. They also can fly nonstop across the North Atlantic eastbound. Almost all can fly westbound from England or Ireland to the U.S. East Coast. To fly from virtually any city in Europe to any destination in North America, they need no more than one refueling stop.
I first went to Haiti as a photographer and videographer assigned to capture images there following last year's earthquake. The extent of the destruction was so overwhelming, that what I was seeing through my viewfinder seemed more surreal than fact. But my other senses — hearing the weeping, the cries of anguish; smelling sewage and death everywhere; tasting the dust; stepping on and over garbage, obliterated buildings, body parts — constantly confirmed the terrible truth of the scene.
Sikorsky Skycraft lifts 20-ft. Strick-Tainer box from its bogie for transfer to freighter. Ten-place Bell 204B is being pushed as a business helicopter on a coast-to-coast tour with its $32,576 navcom package — ARC’s new TSOed Starflite line. On final approach in the DC-6B, simulator pilots practice with Dalto television landing device at United Airlines’ Denver flight training center.
All the accidents mentioned in “When the Very Best Fall” involved airplanes that are safe to stall and spin in the hands of a pilot properly trained for such machines. Therein lies the problem. You can lecture all day and practice stalls and spins in a T-37, but if I put you in a flat spin in a Pitts or Sukhoi without proper understanding of what that turning propeller is doing to the airplane, you will spin all the way to the ground no matter what you do to the flight controls.
Gulfstream is not just staying put, but expanding in Savannah. The company announced a $500 million, seven-year expansion plan that will add about 1,000 employees a 15% increase over the current Savannah employment level of approximately 5,500 employees. “With our own sales trends and market forecasts suggesting an upturn over the next decade, we want to ensure Gulfstream is well-positioned to meet the demand in terms of products and services,” said Gulfstream President Joe Lombardo, “We are already beginning to see signs of a modest recovery.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. revealed its new Hawker 200 derived from the Premier II at NBAA 2010. A prototype has accumulated over 100 hr. since its first flight in March. The Hawker 200 has new winglets, Williams International FJ44-3AP engines, a gross weight increase and a 43,000-ft. cruise capability. It also features multi-scan weather radar, ADS-B Out, a 400-hr. inspection interval and 10-yr. warranty on its composite airframe.
Nextant Aerospace of Richmond Heights, Ohio, has secured its first fleet order for the 400XT, a 40-aircraft, $150 million purchase by Cleveland-based fractional provider Flight Options. The upgraded Beechjet 400A/XP airplanes, which will be delivered over the next five years, include Nextant’s power-by-the-hour engine and tip-to-tail aircraft maintenance warranty. Eight of the aircraft are to be delivered to Flight Options in 2011 following FAA certification of the upgraded Beechjet.
This past April, the FAA began to consider special issuance of medical certificates to pilots with mild-to-moderate depression who have been treated for at least 12 months on one of four antidepressant medications: fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro).
New approaches to lending have created an interesting financing dichotomy that could potentially affect every used business jet buyer, says general aviation analyst Brian Foley. During a recent interview with BCA sister publication The Weekly of Business Aviation, Foley said, “On the one hand, with 2009’s credit crisis now abated, banks are back in the game and ready to lend — or so they say. On the other hand, pre-owned aircraft brokers complain their client’s loans are often not approved. Why?”
Who at BCA determined its readers would be interested in a story on animal cruelty simply because the abuser holds a pilot license (“A Different Kind of Ag-Cat,” October 2010, page 100)? As a reader of BCA since its inception, I was shocked that you would publish such drivel. I’ll be even more shocked if this gets published.
Jet Support Services introduced two new engine programs and a new coverage enhancement to meet the growing maintenance and service requirements of its clients. The Platinum Engine Maintenance Program is designed specifically for owners and operators of large-cabin aircraft. The new program covers Rolls-Royce BR710, Tay 611-8, 611-8C and AE3007A1E engines, as well as GE-CF34-1A, 3A, 3A1, 3A2, 3B and 10E7 engines.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACFT), Alexandria, Va., announced that William F. Haberstock, president and CEO of Million Air Aviation, was elected vice chairman for 2011. John Grillo, president of Executive Fliteways, was selected as the new treasurer. Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP), Brisbane, Calif., has selected William Mermelstein as the company’s new vice president of sales and marketing for compliance and safety solutions.
Avro Business Jets (ABJ) has launched the third of five planned business aircraft versions of the Avro RJ/BAe 146 regional jet. ABJ is targeting the VIP, corporate and corporate shuttle markets, but company vice president Stewart Cordner points out that the donor RJ series airframes — with their voluminous cabin area, near-short takeoff and landing performance and ability to operate from unimproved runways — offer a range of possibilities.
Jet Aviation and Landmark Aviation have made donations to Able Flight Inc., a national non-profit organization that provides flight training scholarships to people with disabilities. The awards, which will fund scholarships for 2011, were presented to Charles Stites, executive director of Able Flight, Oct. 20 at NBAA.
The 2,000th Beechcraft King Air C90 rolled out in Wichita, Hawker Beechcraft announced Nov. 11. The milestone aircraft, a King Air C90GTx, represents the latest iteration of this most successful turbine aircraft lineup in general aviation today, according to the company. It is scheduled for customer delivery later this year. The King Air 90 series entered service more than 45 years ago. The C90 represents a significant portion of King Air production, which totals more than 6,500 model 90, A90, B90 and C90 aircraft.
