What’s missing from this cockpit? Pilots with Citation 560XL type ratings may wonder if they’re entering another aircraft model when they first see the four, 10-by-eight inch LCD adaptive flight displays in the front office of Citation XLS+. Some of the cockpit’s basic systems controls layout is the same as the previous Excel and XLS, but the total revamp with Pro Line 21 yields welcome ergonomic improvements.
Avidyne Corp.’s Envision Integrated Flight Deck is now available for retrofit on Cessna 320, 335 and 340 piston twins. Avidyne and Mobile, Ala.-based Southern Star have added these aircraft to the FAA-Approved Model List (AML) of aircraft authorized for retrofit of the Envision system. Options include Avidyne’s EX5000 or EX500 multi-function display, the dual-antenna TAS600 traffic advisory system, MLB700 broadcast datalink weather and TWX670 Tactical Lightning Detection system.
Raisbeck Engineering, the Seattle-based developer of business aircraft modifications, has received FAA certification for a gross weight increase to 10,500 pounds for its King Air C90 Epic performance system. The increase is available for installation on serial number LJ-527 and higher, including the latest King Air C90GT. The aircraft’s zero fuel weight also has been increased to 9,000 pounds, thus removing any operational loading restrictions.
Even in the midst of a credit crisis, JetBird, a startup European charter operator, recently announced two new financing packages and detailed its progress toward its planned 2009 launch with a fleet that is to eventually total 100 Embraer Phenom 100s. One package was a “strategic” investment of about $14.4 million of equity capital by a so-far unnamed family owned Middle Eastern trading group, which will now become JetBird’s second largest shareholder, with a 9.3-percent holding. The group will have a seat on the JetBird board.
Accidents involving U.S. business turbine aircraft jumped substantially during the first nine months of 2008, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla. U.S. business jet and turboprop operators were involved in 56 accidents from January through September, including 17 that resulted in 49 passenger and crew fatalities. During the same period in 2007, there were 39 accidents, including 12 fatal events that resulted in 32 deaths.
Attending to the 1,000 light aircraft operators who are NBAA members, the business aviation advocacy group will inaugurate its first Light Business Airplane Exhibition and Conference in March 2009 at San Diego. “This is the NBAA’s commitment to the small aircraft owner/operator with educational sessions and exhibitors,” Doug Carr, NBAA’s vice president for safety, security and regulation, said.
AWIN partner Forecast International (FI) expects this year’s business jet production to reach nearly 1,400 units, and exceed 1,600 units in 2009. However, the company projects that annual production will then suffer a three-year decline, dropping to 1,515 units by 2012. FI’s “The Market for Business Jet Aircraft,” issued Sept. 29, said growth is expected to resume in 2013, with yearly production exceeding 1,700 units by 2017, the final year of the study’s time period.
FlightSafety International , La Guardia Airport, N.Y., announced that Scott Galdi has joined the company as regional marketing manager. He will serve and support customers who operate aircraft under FAR Part 135. Diana Clasen has been promoted to manager, Corporate Communications.
One deadly dose and HUM-Bugs are a thing of the past, according to Hammonds, the manufacturer of Biobor JF, a concentrated liquid fuel additive used to eliminate Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microorganisms (HUM) in aviation fuels. HUM-Bugs are diesel-fuel-feeding microorganisms responsible for fuel tank contamination and filter plugging in everything from airplanes to underground fuel tanks. Specifically they feed on fuels such as Jet-A, kerosene, No. 1 and 2 diesel and bunker “C” fuels.
Ross Detwiler’s “Think Before Speaking, Please” (July, page 102) covered the field well, and left me only a few personal favorites to add to his list: (1) Pilot responding to traffic calls with, “We have him on the fish finder” or to a call to ident with, “HHHHere’s the flash” . . . totally superfluous comments.
Proposed Rules Honeywell International LTS101 and LTP101 engines — Reduce the life limits for certain gas generator turbine discs. Final Rules Bell 222, 222B, 222U, 230 and 430 helicopters — Inspect the main-rotor hydraulic actuator support to verify the presence of all dowel pins and sealant between the support and transmission. Also, verify the proper torque of each attaching nut.
Jeppesen is the first and so-far the only commercial provider to receive operational approval from the FAA to provide a GPS Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) prediction report. RAIM assesses the integrity of GPS signals and, thus, the accuracy of airborne GPS navigation. As of Oct. 1, the FAA began requesting aircraft operators and pilots who use GPS as a primary navigation method to obtain a RAIM prediction report prior to flight. If any section of a route has a predicted outage lasting longer than five minutes, the route would need to be re-planned.
Nov. 2-5: Air Traffic Control Association 53rd Annual Conference and Exposition, Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. (703) 299-2430. www.atca.org Nov. 4-5: Chevron “Seven Elements of Successful Service” workshop, Sacramento, Calif. Contact: Chevron Customer Service at (866) 557-3456 or e-mail to [email protected] Nov. 6-8: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2008, San Jose, Calif. Contact: Lon Wolking at AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701. www.aopa.org
AWAS , Dublin, Ireland, announced that Hamish Murchison and Mariyan Adanov have joined the company as vice presidents. Frederic Mireur has been appointed head of Corporate Finance.
“Let there be no doubt: the used market is rapidly falling apart,” declared JPMorgan analysts in the September edition of the financial company’s Business Jet Monthly research report. The equity researchers noted that the number of used aircraft on the market had increased to 9.4 percent of the total fleet in August, bringing inventories to their highest level since September 2003. The monthly increase in inventories was the seventh in a row and represented a more than 50-percent increase from the level of 6.2 percent of the fleet for sale recorded in January.
Pilots can now meet their annual icing operations training requirements with the new Icing Operations Pilot Certification course from King Schools. This course provides the information pilots need to know for safe operations in adverse conditions, and includes a downloadable cockpit card. Pilots will receive a completions certificate and logbook endorsement as soon as they finish the course. According to King, “Icing is an obvious and critical concern for pilots. This is why the FAA requires annual training for certain pilot categories.
Stevens Aviation , Greenville, S.C., named Jim Williams as vice president of Avionics Sales and Defense Avionics Group responsible for all aspects of national avionics sales and defense avionics modification activities.
ARINC Direct has expanded its SKYLink broadband satellite communications network to include coverage of most of the Caribbean and Central America as well as northern South America. SKYLink provides Ku-band communications to business jets equipped with the Rockwell Collins eXchange product line.
FirstFlight , Elmira/Corning, N.Y., has named Gary Hart to the newly created position of chief operating officer. Terry Moser has been named vice president of the company’s West Coast division based in Van Nuys, Calif.
The OtterBox for the BlackBerry Bold Defender Series will offer your device the ultimate safeguard, with a slim and sophisticated look. Three layers wrap your phone in guaranteed protection, according to the company. A thin, thermal-formed sheet covers the screen and keys, and a strong polycarbonate shell encases the smartphone and gives added protection against drops and bumps. A silicone skin wraps around it all to absorb shock. Slim, sleek and stylish, this case is of superior quality.
In late September, Eclipse Aviation CEO Roel Pieper announced that European Technology and Investment Research Center (ETIRC) Aviation will assemble Eclipse 500s in a factory to be built at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny International Airport in Ulyanovsk, Russia. Ultimately, the Russian facility is expected to assemble up to 800 EA500s per year. Pieper is also the chairman of ETIRC Aviation. The company said that Eclipse 500 manufacturing will continue “in full” at Eclipse’s Albuquerque facility, before and after the new factory opens in 2010.
