Asking prices for previously owned business jets increased slightly, and inventories of used in-production jets continued to decline slowly in June, dropping below the 12-percent level for the first time since October 2008, said financial analyst JP Morgan in its July Business Jet Monthly report.
This year Manuel “Manny” Romero-Vargas is celebrating his 50th year in aviation. To legions of business aircraft operators who have flown to Mexico and ranged through the country, the septuagenarian handler is known simply (and affectionately) as Manny, the personification of business aviation in Mexico.
Stephen T. Ferguson (Assistant Airport ManagerWestchester County Airport)
The airfield safety article, (“When the Siren Sounds” by Partrick Veillette, May, page 52) is an excellent training read for airport managers. The most important aspect of aircraft rescue and firefighting is for crews to have a working knowledge of the airport and the aircraft that use the airport. When an aircraft incident occurs on a dark and stormy night, ARFF crews must know how soft the turf is, where the nearest hydrant is located, etc. Aircraft familiarization training is important for the obvious reasons.
Ross Detwiler’s article in the July BCA (“The White Rocket,” page 68) was fun to read and illustrates many things. However with all due respect, it seems the real foolishness may lie in not recognizing that the enormity of the waste of the Viet Nam war, both human and otherwise, hasn’t been done by those that didn’t go, but by the thousands that pounded the jungle in their boots up close and personal while not having the luxury of recovering back to base for a cold beer.
Composite winglets for Hawker Beechcraft King Air C90 and E90 models have been certificated, and the performance-enhancing airfoils are available for installation at all U.S. Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS) service centers. The winglets increase wing aspect ratio to reduce induced drag and enable King Airs to fly faster on less fuel. By increasing wing surface area, the winglets provide better slow-speed handling and improved stability at higher flight levels.
If you want an illustration of why the U.S. Congress gets such low ratings in public opinion polls, look no further than what transpired just before House and Senate members left Washington for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Congressional staffers say the passage of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill has stayed in limbo so long because of language that would put FedEx in the same category as UPS, which would make it easier for unions to organize FedEx ground employees. The FAA has been operating under a long series of temporary budget authorizations. See Washington Watch on page 64.
Embraer established its first wholly owned subsidiary in China. Embraer China Aircraft Technical Services Company Ltd. (ECA) is based in Beijing and will represent an $18 million investment. The business scope of the new subsidiary covers logistics and spare parts sales, as well as consulting services regarding technical issues and flight operations.
I read with great interest your article “There Should Be No Turning Back” (Cause & Circumstance, July, page 62). One important factor not mentioned in the article is that the Pilatus has a stick shaker and a stick pusher. I had personal experience with this activating at approximate 20-feet agl. The shake and push happened simultaneously. The yoke is literally ripped out of your hand with approximately 70-foot-pounds of force. At a higher altitude I would have been a lawn dart.
Several decades ago, when I was a student at A&P school, we had to take a professional ethics course. It was just one credit hour, pass/fail with no tests. Most of the course was based on real life incidents where technicians cut corners and cost people their lives. We watched endless slides of carnage and destruction, always ending in a summary of the primary cause — the mechanic messed up. Careless mistakes or willful disregard of the manual led to lives lost, technicians losing their license and earning a lifetime of regret and shame.
Phil Boyer, who served 18 years as president of the AOPA, has joined the board of trustees for the National Aviation Hall of Fame. “I’m very pleased to be able to do this,” said Boyer, who retired from the AOPA in 2008.
Fascinating piece of work in the June issue of BCA (“How UAVs Will Change Aviation,” page 46). Really enjoyed the read! At 51, I only wish I could hang around another 100 years to see it and go to work for the humans! Did you think of saying anything UAVs won’t do, like fall asleep, have a bad day, forget to put the wheels down, use the wrong runway or get distracted, etc. The list is endless when dealing with the most flawed species on the planet.
The world’s first turbofan jetliner, Boeing’s 707-120B, is shown on initial flight before FAA certification tests in Seattle. Four P&WA JT3D front fans and aerodynamic changes give this jet a max cruise of 610 mph (35 mph faster than present 707s), Boeing says. American will convert its present fleet of 707s to turbofans.
Most technicians are familiar with the “Aircraft Mechanics Creed;” some of us old guys keep a business card size copy in our wallet. Created by the Flight Safety Foundation, the creed served as a reminder of the trust we are given to ethically maintain the highest technical standards. The FAA Safety Team modified the creed for those who manage the maintenance function, to reinforce our duty to provide our technicians with an environment where they are able to focus on safe and effective maintenance, and not pressures to meet schedule. Visit www.faasafety.gov
Piper and Cessna are looking to their workforce needs in a future recovery. Piper Aircraft shut down its Vero Beach, Fla., facility for a week in August, one of a planned round of temporary furloughs aimed at avoiding permanent job losses. Employees working on the PiperJet and performing critical functions were spared. The shutdown does include management, a company spokesman said.
European Commission and FAA representatives drafted a memorandum of cooperation in civil aviation research and development at a June meeting in Madrid. The first technical annex of the agreement covers NextGen and SESAR interoperability. The commission says it will present the text to the European Council and the European Parliament for formal adoption. The commission and the FAA intend to develop additional annexes “in the very near future.”
Jay Mesinger — founder, CEO and president of Colorado-based aircraft brokerage firm J. Mesinger Corporate Jet Sales — recently called for “a renewed partnership with our lending partners” to ensure that older aircraft are properly valued. He also encouraged third-party vendors to offer new products to modernize these airplanes and help keep them viable.
Recently issued IRS rulings pertaining to liability for Federal Excise Taxes (FET), disallowance of accelerated depreciation deductions and tightened requirements for passive loss write-offs potentially threaten to hike costs for business aircraft operators. So warned attorney Keith Swirsky at the 13th annual Dassault Falcon Jet Aviation Professionals Conference held in May.
Col. Michael R. Gallagher, USAF (Ret.) (Hillsboro, Ore. )
I’d like to thank Ross Detwiler for reinforcing the cowboy image of military pilots with his tales of USAF pilot training in the Northrop T-38 Talon. I was in the same training program about the same time at Webb AFB, about 80 miles south of were Ross was training and the stunts he mentioned were not characteristic of the training I experienced. His salute to the T-38 could have highlighted what made and makes the airplane great.
Joshua Hochberg, an aviation attorney, has purchased Sonoma Jet Center, one of two FBOs at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in California, for an undisclosed sum. “We’re pretty positive about the prospects for growth. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Hochberg told The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, Calif.
Citing a growing interest in single-engine turboprops, Extra Aircraft is beginning a push to sell its Extra 500 single-engine turboprop in the United States, said Errol Bader, a spokesperson for the German manufacturer, stating that the Extra 500 is particularly attractive in fiscally challenging times since it has a comfortable cabin and at its maximum cruise speed at 16,000 feet burns just 20 gallons of Jet A per hour. And considering the currency differential and other factors, he said building aircraft in the United States is a logical business strategy.
Dan Burkhart (Director, Regional Programs, NBAAEscondido, CA)
Very nice job on “Grassroots Business Aviation Associations” (April 2010, page 28). I have had favorable comments from all around. Additionally, this article will be helpful in both starting new and supporting existing groups. Thanks for taking the time to do this right.
FAA Military Airport Program funding will go to Stewart International Airport in New York and Sacramento, Calif.’s Mather Field to perform conversion work related to their shift from military to civilian facilities. Stewart, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will receive a year’s funding to replace electrical cable in the former Air Force airfield power circuit to meet modern civil design standards.
