Bob Hope Airport officials expect to lay the groundwork this year for a new Part 150 study to grapple with noise issues. The study is one step local officials are planning to take since FAA rejected the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority’s request for a nighttime ban at the Burbank, Calif.-based airport in November. The airport authority had hoped to become the first organization to successfully impose noise restrictions on Stage III and quieter aircraft under the Part 161 process.
Proposed Rules Bombardier CL-600, CL-601, CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R and CL-604 airplanes — Amend Airplane Flight Manual procedures, check the part and serial numbers of the installed wing anti-ice piccolo ducts and replace certain ducts, if necessary. EADS Socata TBM 700 airplanes — Before further flight, insert a temporary revision into the “Emergency Procedures” section and the “Limitations” section of the pilot operating handbook in order to clarify procedures for releasing onboard oxygen.
FlightSafety International announced that FlightSafety Academy has entered into an agreement with CABAIR and its affiliate, Orlando Flight Training, to jointly offer JAA pilot training. FlightSafety Academy students wishing to qualify for a European license will be able to complete their FAA qualification in Vero Beach before moving to Orlando Flight Training in Kissimmee, Fla., for the JAA ATPL ground school/CPL course and then to CABAIR in the United Kingdom to obtain a JAA Instrument Rating.
During a November meeting in Paris the European Business Aviation Association formed a new Airports, Handling and Ground Operations Committee to promote fair, equitable and secure access to airports; assure safety and best practices standards at airports and in handling companies; promote environmentally friendly operations to the benefit of local communities; and “fight for fair competition” to benefit all stakeholders to meet the needs of aircraft operators, their passengers and crews. Michel de Ronne of Aéroport de Paris is the committee’s first chairman.
An IBM 650 data processing system is tried out at the FAA’s Indianapolis air route traffic control center. The 650 edits and error checks flight-plan messages and passes them electronically to the Ramac 650, which prints flight progress strips.
By mid-December 2009, Twin Commander Aircraft’s move from Washington state to Creedmoor, N.C., was expected to be complete. Earlier, the FAA had granted Twin Commander Aircraft a production certificate to begin producing aircraft parts in its new North Carolina facility, and the company began fulfilling orders from there on Nov. 16, according to President Matt Isley.
Air BP has added seven new dealers to its network, four of which are participating in the Bravo Rewards Program: Emblem Aviation of Pinedale, Wyo. (PNA) Honeycutt Aviation of Olivehurst, Calif. (MYV) Delta AirElite Jet Center of Erlanger, Ky. (CVG) Jet West of Salinas, Calif. (SNS) The remaining three dealers are: City of New Braunfels in New Braunfels, Texas (BAZ) Elite Aviation Services of Hopkinsville, Ky. (HVC) Avbase of San Jose, Calif. (SJC)
Cessna Aircraft told employees in December that it will close its plant in Columbus, Ga., and move the work to plants in Independence, Kan., and Mexico over the next 24 months. The plant handles components and sub-assembly work for the full range of Cessna aircraft. In the memo, Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton did note some encouraging economic signs.
An IS&S AdViz glass cockpit retrofit for Citation 500, 550, S550 and 560 aircraft is now certified and available for installation at Cessna-owned Citation service centers. The AdViz package, developed by Innovative Solutions & Support of Exton, Pa., is available in two or three 10.4-inch screen configurations. Options include Jeppesen e-Charts, XM Satellite Weather, and the display of enhanced vision systems and wide area augmentation system data.
King Schools and Redbird Flight Simulations are offering Redbird products through King Schools’ marketing, sales and distribution channels worldwide. Redbird offers a line of four simulators from a fixed desktop device up through its FMX/ci, which offers full-motion, panoramic vision and force-feedback controls. “Redbird has used the latest improvements in software and video graphics technology to deliver a realistic training environment that is within the financial reach of virtually every flight school,” said Martha King, co-chair of King Schools.
The aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) tasked with developing recommendations for Safety Management Systems (SMS) regulations is expected to present its initial findings to the FAA after its next meeting in March. Business aviation advocates are becoming increasingly concerned about missed deadlines for a formal SMS rulemaking. The ICAO established a January 2009 deadline for SMS rules for commercial operations and November 2010 for private operations.
FlightSafety International will open a new airline learning center in Johannesburg, South Africa, with training to begin in March 2010. The first simulators installed will be used in the training of pilots and maintenance technicians who operate and support Hawker Beechcraft 1900 and Bombardier Dash 8-100 and Q300 aircraft.
The House and Senate have passed another short-term extension of the FAA’s funding authorization and aviation excise taxes through March 31. Lawmakers were forced to opt for the stopgap bill while the Senate continued its all-consuming debate on health care reform. The House passed its version of a long-term FAA funding bill in May, but the Senate has not yet acted. While calling the extension necessary, House aviation subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) expressed concern over the lack of a long-term funding bill.
1st Source Bank, South Bend, Ind., has promoted Eduardo Ferreira to vice president of the Aircraft Division. He is responsible for new and used aircraft financing for international customers. Air BP, Salem, Ore., named John Nelson as it newest sales team member serving the Southeast.
Hawker Beechcraft is the newest broker/dealer member of the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA). In addition, three new associate members — Avtrak, LLC, the Law Offices of Christopher B. Younger and Rolland Vincent Asso-ciates, LLC — recently joined the organization. NARA now has a total of 32 broker/dealer members and 48 associate members.
On a routine flight to an oil platform in the North Sea, the Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter carrying 16 oil-rig workers from Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, encountered low clouds at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. About six nm from the rig, the crew was preparing for descent when a bright flash accompanied by a loud bang occurred. Moments later, the passengers and crew began to feel a vibration through the aircraft, rapidly getting more intense. The vibration became severe and the crew declared a mayday with a planned diversion to a nearby oil platform.
A European research project suggests that a crosswind could increase runway capacity by dissipating wake turbulence more quickly, reducing the spacing demand between the preceding and following aircraft. The Dutch National Research Laboratory (NLR) says that a summary of their research findings shows that a seven-knot crosswind could reduce the wake vortex separation requirement by 30 to 60 seconds. The studies were conducted in simulators and the NLR says field testing is needed to validate the concept.
The FAA has issued an Approved Model List - Supplemental Type Certificate for three Garmin collision avoidance system models, including the 12-mile-range GTS 800 and 40-mile-range GTS 820 traffic awareness systems and the GTS 850 TCAS I, the company announced Dec. 9. This first AML-STC covers mostly light piston-engine aircraft, STCs covering higher-end aircraft are expected in the future for the GTS 850 TCAS I.
Yes, it’s a tax. Yes, it’s confusing. Yes, it’s been poorly managed. But in the European Union, it’s the law. And if you operate an aircraft into, out of or within European airspace, you must comply. Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme, or ETS, is one result of a European environmental policy that attributes climate change to the by-products of human activity, with special focus on so-called “greenhouse” gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
The FAA has convened an independent panel to review the agency’s telecommunications system following the Nov. 19 outage that delayed more than 800 flights. The FAA’s Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) system provides 24/7 communication support for the National Airspace System. The panel will deliver two reports to Administrator Randy Babbitt. The first will focus on the November outage and will suggest any immediate changes that need to be made to the FTI system, management procedures, or oversight.
Purdue University secured a $1.35 million U.S. Air Force grant for a new facility to test aircraft engines and develop alternative fuels. The National Test Facility for Fuels and Propulsion, to be housed in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building at the Purdue Airport, is slated to open in late 2010 or early 2011. The facility will test hardware in engines and aircraft, and accumulate fuel sustainability and emissions data.
Dassault Falcon recently delivered the 100th Falcon 900EX EASy aircraft into service. As of Sept. 30, the 4,500-nm Falcon 900EX EASy fleet had made over 80,000 takeoffs and landings and accrued 157,000 flight hours. Powered by three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines, the 900EX EASy was certified in December 2003, the first model with the EASy flight deck. Today, more than 320 Falcon jets of several models are equipped with the EASy flight deck.
Prototype of the Lockheed Azcarate (Mexico City) Model 60 utility aircraft is being flight tested at Marietta, Ga. The all-metal six-seater, which is powered by Continental engines with fuel injection and reportedly will sell for under $25,000, performs like the de Havilland Beaver.
Clifford Development and Stevens Aviation are partnering to market and support Clifford’s Citation 550 and the S550 engine conversions. Besides being outfitted with Williams International FJ44-3A engines, the reworked Citations feature nearly three dozen improvements, including an Ametek digital engine display, heavy-duty BF Goodrich brakes and a dual full-authority digital engine control system.
