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.
DB Aviation, Inc. , Waukegan, Ill., announced Jason Shook and Jeff Konz have been promoted to managing directors; Granville Horton and Michael Aiken have been promoted to assistant managers, FBO; Michelle Gold was promoted to senior customer service representative; and Tehmina Jauhar has joined the DB Aviation Client Enrollment team as managing director.
The NBAA’s 61st Annual Meeting & Convention had a “solid turnout” considering the challenging economy, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said. The 30,811 attendees this year represented a decline of 3.7 percent from the 2007 show, which drew some 32,000 attendees. But attendance at the NBAA show proved stronger than at many other conventions held this year at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, where the number of registrants at various conventions was down 8.4 percent through mid-July
AircraftLogs has added new features to its Web site, including improved maintenance schedules, new tax management tools, and several new account options. Corporate and private users can now customize an Aircraft Logs package to fit their operation. For individual operators and private pilots, the company has released simplified aircraft management packages that include all of the key elements required for operating an aircraft, and provide private pilots with many of the same features available to corporate aircraft.
Fuel. It is not only the topic of the day, it is also a major topic in Congress. Granted, the primary focus has been on $4/gallon auto gas, but the increased costs have also hammered the aviation community. The old aviation maxim -- "The only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire" -- has been preempted with the question, "Do you really need that much fuel?"
Roel Pieper, the interim CEO of Eclipse Aviation, has organized the company into three separate divisions. Peg Billson, formerly chief operating officer of Eclipse Aviation, has been reassigned as president and general manager of Eclipse Manufacturing division. On an equal level with Billson, Mike McConnell, previously Eclipse Aviation's vice president of sales and marketing, has been appointed president and general manager of the Eclipse Customer division.
Sentient Jet Holdings restructured into two stand-alone companies, selling its jet membership, retail charter brokers and fuel management businesses, and the Sentient brand name to Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners (MGOP) The new company, Sentient Flight Group, will be headed by Steven Hankin. The deal closed in September. The aircraft management and charter operations, technical services and FBO businesses will be rebranded as JetDirect Aviation and headed by Gregg Campbell.
Fred George's article on "Advanced Airmanship Training in Jets," (September, page 30) raises important questions on the use of piston vs. jet aircraft for upset training.
According to FlightView CEO Mike Benjamin, the company has begun to market its data to FBOs and corporate flight departments, including charter operators. "It's flight information you can act on," he says. "It's actionable and works all the way across from the aviation operations side to the consumer side where it's about picking up my cousin." The current version is Dispatch 4.7, which features a new user interface, a configurable screen, selectable sources and a high-quality display.
Aviation Research Group/U.S. was successful in convincing the Lehigh County Court in Pennsylvania that it acted properly in changing its rating of East Coast Jets. ARG/US had previously given East Coast Jets a "Platinum" rating, but changed the operator's classification to "Unrated/Not Rated" after a Hawker 800 operated by East Coast Jets crashed July 31 attempting to land at Owatonna, Minn., Airport. East Coast Jets, based at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa., secured a preliminary injunction to restore the Platinum rating Sept.
*M7 Aerospace, San Antonio, named John Schildroth vice president of MRO sales and services, with responsibility for the company's maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.
I agree entirely, although a component failure in a recip can often lead to fire. Sometimes the best option, as you know, is simply to get the airplane onto the ground under control.
*Field Aviation, Toronto, has made five senior management appointments to support the company's new initiatives: Joar Gronlund is the new chief operating officer; David Jensen has been appointed vice president, business development; Christina Friesen is chief financial officer; Brian Love has been named vice president, operations; and Chris Cooper-Slipper is vice president, marketing.
J.A. Air Center is moving to Aurora, Ill., after 33 years at West Chicago. The move is slated for Dec. 1. Aurora Municipal Airport (KAAR) is just outside the Chicago Class B airspace and has direct tollway access (no stoplights to the Chicago Loop). J.A. Air's new four-building campus will feature a 20,000-square-foot arrival/departure canopy big enough to handle large-cabin corporate aircraft, more than 90,000 square feet of hangar space, 60,000 square feet of offices and a separate VIP arrival terminal.
John Edgley, the British engineer who designed and launched the Optica bubble-cabin, ducted fan STOL observation aircraft in the 1970s, has repurchased the design rights, jigs and tools for the airplane. More than 20 examples of the Lycoming IO-540-powered twin-boom airplane had been built when production ceased in 1990. With Emlyn Coldicott and three former employees of the original firm, Edgley plans to relaunch production of the airplane with his new company, AeroElvira.
I am showing my age here, but I really enjoyed your Howard 500 and Beech 18 stories in the July issue. I realize that the nostalgia pieces are probably targeted at guys in my age group, but they are a nice change from the typical product analysis. My first ever (non-airline) airplane ride was in a Howard 350 owned by my father's employer, Husky Oil . . . it was from Cody, Wyo. to Calgary. I still remember the highly sophisticated (for its time) aftermarket engine analyzer that had been installed behind the pilot's seats.
Craig Fuller, the Washington insider who will take the reins of the AOPA Jan. 1, 2009, says he plans to stay the course set by outgoing President Phil Boyer -- opposing user fees, preserving airports and increasing the pilot population. Speaking from AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Md., Sept.
*Oct. 6-8: NBAA 61st Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2008), Orlando. www.nbaa.org *Oct. 16-18: Chevron Global Aviation Advanced Safety Training, Richmond, Calif. Contact: Chevron Customer Service at (866) 557-3456 or e-mail to [email protected] *Oct. 22-24: International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA) 20th Anniversary and the Accomplishments of Women in the Aviation and Aerospace Industries, Chicago. Contact: Karen Griggs at [email protected]
The FAA requested information and documentation from about one dozen executives at Sentient Flight Group in August, just prior to the company's reorganization. Some of the requested information involved questions about ownership, and many of the requests were sent to former TAG Aviation executives. The requests came out of the agency's Eastern Region, which was involved in the investigation and certificate revocation of TAG affiliate AMI Jet Charter. Sentient says it will fully comply with the request.
Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners (MGOP), which purchased the non-flying businesses of Sentient Flight Group (SFG), has also grown rapidly through a series of acquisitions of FBOs and other aviation businesses. It had been in discussions with Sentient since the beginning of the year about potentially investing in the company.
Flight Display Systems has received FAA Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) for two popular cabin entertainment products. The flight View Camera is mounted on the cockpit lare shield and allows passengers to see taxi, takeoff and lading from a pilot's perspective. The Satellite Radio Amplifier allows multiple passengers to have a personal XM or Sirius satellite radio receiver at their seat. Both products are in stock. Price: Flight View Camera, $1,250; Satellite Radio Amplifier, $1,875 Flight Display Systems 1765 Grassland Pkwy.
