With the latest proposal to limit the operational freedom of aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds, I am surprised by how limited and guarded the responses have been from the aviation community. It seems that with every passing quarter, the TSA has issued some new restriction on our civil liberties. I don’t think I am alone in believing that the TSA is continuing to expand its sphere of influence, control and restrictions at a rate faster than it can effectively manage, or measure, its own effectiveness.
I read “Without Apology” (Viewpoint, January, page 7) with interest because of the negative spin placed on business aircraft by Congress, and of course the lapdog media with its pile-on mentality, during the hearings on the automotive industry bailout proposal. The fat, stupid cats running Detroit deserve an Oscar for sheer arrogance. However, you raise a very interesting issue once again — business aircraft as a sign of noblesse oblige.
Out of the past comes Kellett Aircraft’s KD-1A, shown taking off at Turner Field, Willow Grove, Pa. First built in the early 1930s, the 225-hp autogyro is being pushed for agricultural and utility use. Southern business flying center of the future? The U.S. Navy releases Chamblee, Ga., Air Station near Atlanta. The first FBO is Executive Aviation, a Cessna distributor.
Stevens Aviation has received Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) for its avionics upgrade to the Learjet 60. Stevens owns an STC that covers installation of the Universal Avionics EFI-890R multifunction display with the application server unit and the optional Vision-1 Synthetic Vision System in the Learjet 60. Stevens Aviation is negotiating with several partners for distribution and installation of the Learjet 60 kit worldwide.
Nearly 10 years ago, Congress created the “Whistle-blower Protection Program” for “airline employees.” The law applies to “air carriers” so it covers FAR Parts 121 and 135 but not pilots flying under Part 91. The law prohibits “discrimination” by an air carrier against an employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment because the employee:
Cessna announced the 200th Citation Mustang delivery when Maritime Air Charters picked up its new aircraft at Cessna’s Independence, Kan., facility. Although based in Honolulu, Maritime Air Charters will operate the new Mustang in charter service from its facility in Newnan, Ga., outside Atlanta. Maritime intends to offer its services including aircraft management, flight crew service and charter management to other Mustang owners.
ARINC Direct is offering a new Web-based package of flight support services for VLJs, plus other general aviation aircraft weighing less than 12,500 pounds at takeoff. The subscription price of only $1,500 per year, includes flight planning, complete weather information, aircraft tracking, runway analysis and weight and balance calculations. It also includes participation in ARINC’s discount fuel service. Dispatchers and crews can access the service from anywhere using any Internet device or smartphone.
June 15-21: International Paris Air Show, Le Bourget Exhibition Centre, Le Bourget, France. www.paris-air-show.com June 24: NBAA Regional Forum, Signature Flight Support, St. Paul Downtown Airport, Minn. www.nbaa.org June 25-27: 14th Annual Flight Attendants Conference, Doubletree Hotel, New Orleans. www.nbaa.org July 16: Demonstrating & Quantifying the Value of Business Aviation, McGraw-Hill Corporate Headquarters, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. (800) 240-7645. www.aviationweek.com/conferences
The NTSB determined the probable cause of a midair collision between two EMS helicopters last year was both pilots’ failure to see and avoid the other helicopter on approach to the helipad. Contributing to the accident were the failure of one of the pilots to follow arrival and noise abatement guidelines and the failure of the other pilot to follow communications guidelines. On June 29, 2008, about 3:47 p.m. MST, two Bell 407 EMS helicopters, operated by Air Methods Corp.
The ninth European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) drew to a close May 14. Event organizers cheered the show as the third-largest EBACE ever, with 10,917 registered attendees. The three-day event opened May 12 in Geneva, Switzerland with 9,300 pre-registered attendees, 411 exhibitors and 65 aircraft on static display — five more aircraft than in 2008. BCA had our Show News staff on site, where they published an issue each day and posted it to the AviationWeek.com free Web site, where they’re still available.
I have an acquaintance — a light-twin business pilot — who always files IFR for any trip away from his immediate local area for two reasons: “One, I’ve got someone to talk to and help me watch for traffic; and, two, staying IFR keeps me on track for the correct airport, especially at night.” Not a bad idea, especially for a lone pilot in busy airspace.
Nearly 70 U.S. mayors sent a letter in May to President Barack Obama asking him to speak out to counter the negative press that is hurting the general aviation industry. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and three other mayors conducted a conference call to reporters, sponsored by the Alliance for Aviation Across America, recapping the letter, noting that jobs have been lost and an entire sector of the economy has been seriously damaged as a result of general aviation bashing.
SimCom Training Centers is offering customers a new cost-saving option for the Citation Single-Pilot Training course. The program is FAR Part 142 and insurance industry approved, and eliminates the requirements to take a check ride in the aircraft. The training is conducted at SimCom’s center in Orlando. The improved course is the result of customer feedback, according to Wally David, president and CEO. SimCom is also offering a time-saving, eight-day, one-person CJ captain Initial Training course.
Just six months prior to the Aloha Airlines, Flight 243 cabin structural failure over Hawaii on April 28, 1988, mechanics completed a repair near the section of cabin structure that later failed. Cracks were found on a lap joint during a visual inspection and repairs were made according to manufacturer’s instructions. When the section of cabin roof ripped away from the aircraft in a rapid decompression failure, one flight attendant was swept way in an instant and some of the passengers and crew were seriously injured.
The winglet-equipped Falcon 2000LX received FAA certification Dassault Falcon announced on April 30. EASA certification was granted April 23. The first delivery was scheduled for early May. The 4,000-nm range 2000LX has the same interior dimensions as the 2000EX but with longer range. The 2000LX will be able to fly nonstop from New York to Moscow, Paris to Mumbai, Dubai to London and Hong Kong to Brisbane. It also offers a 10- to 15-percent climb speed improvement over the Falcon 2000EX, allowing it to reach 41,000 feet in 18 minutes.
Blessed with an 8,000-foot runway that can handle a Boeing 747, Opa-Locka Executive Airport is considered a joint-use, or civil-military, airport with a permanent U.S. Coast Guard Air Station dominating its flight activity. Once the world’s busiest airport in terms of operations, its popularity as a center for flight training and aviation commerce has gradually declined. It is operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, or MDAD.
ARG/US reported the gap between 2009 and 2008 activity levels narrowed slightly in April compared to April 2008 at -18.8 percent, (January-March 2009 vs. the same period in 2008 declined more than 31 percent on average). ARG/US’ TRAQPak data indicate April business aircraft activity decreased a slight 1.86 percent from March of this year. Historically April activity is lower than March. In 2007, activity slowed 5.07 percent and in 2008 it declined 10.78 percent.
Capt. Heinz Reich Jr. (Airbus A320/330 TRI/TREAustria)
In “Flight Risk: The Threat of Criminalization” (March, page 28), you made two statements regarding the Air Inter A320 accident near Strasbourg (in January 1992) that need to be corrected. You wrote that the crew “performed the approach correctly” and that there was “an uncommanded descent by the A320 of 3,200 fpm, instead of the required 700 fpm.” In fact, the crew performed the approach incorrectly, by selecting a V/S of 3,200 fpm instead of an FPA (flight path angle) of 3.2 degrees.
Landmark Aviation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 16 to celebrate the opening of its new 5,000-square-foot terminal and 23,000-square-foot hanger at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). The $4.6-million facility brings Landmark’s network to 41 FBOs in the United States, Canada and Western Europe.
International Communications Group (ICG) is extending onboard global telephone and Wi-Fi communication capabilities to any size aircraft, including small, owner-flown single-engine models, by introducing the affordable, single-channel ICG NxtLink Series CIS-100 transceiver. According to the company, the standalone device permits connections of conventional telephone devices or legacy Private Automated Branch Exchange (PABX) systems via standard two-wire “tip and ring” circuits or a four-wire audio circuit. If packaged with ICG’s NxtMail server, it offers a Wi-Fi solution.
Single Point of Contact recently announced the launch of Single Point Assist maintenance service exclusively for overseas destinations. It’s a subscription service that provides onsite maintenance technicians directly to your aircraft with just one phone call. According to the company, users will save money be locking in maintenance costs, parts and access to local resources in advance so there are no surprises. The operator signs up for coverage depending on where and how often they are traveling overseas.
Neil Howard (Absolute AviationJohannesburg, South Africa)
I own and manage an aviation consulting and aircraft management business in South Africa and am actively involved in assisting corporations in the acquisition of business aircraft, and these corporations are facing the same pushback from shareholders as is being seen worldwide. With this in mind, I really enjoyed William Garvey’s “Mile High Office” in the New York Times, and “Super Sunday Surprise” (Viewpoint, March, page 6), which I plan to show to some of these board members during my discussions with them.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.’s Sikorsky Global Helicopters unit announced April 28 it delivered six S-300CBi helicopters to Bristow Academy, a Florida-based flight training school. The six aircraft will join Bristow’s fleet of 48 S-300CBi helicopters, currently used for training instruction at Bristow’s three U.S. locations in California, Florida and Louisiana.
Embraer’s Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 executive jets, along with the first customer-delivered Lineage 1000, were shown in Europe for the first time in May at EBACE in Geneva. In April, the Phenom 100 was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and deliveries to European customers will begin soon. The Phenom 300 at EBACE was one of the four aircraft currently in flight test.
