Following its acquisition of Czechoslovakia's Walter Engines, GE Aviation is launching the M601H-80, a new turboprop derivative engine with a new-technology hot section, and targeted for the utility, agriculture and retrofit aircraft segments. GE Aviation was taking orders for the engine in July at the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture.
At 1439 PDT, a Cessna 172N (N75558) was substantially damaged when it hit trees while flying near McMurray, Wash. The commercial pilot and her two passengers were killed. The airplane was registered to Crest Airpark Inc., Kent, Wash., and operated by the pilot. It was VFR and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Roche Harbor Airport (WA09), Roche Harbor, Wash., at about 1402 with an intended destination of Auburn, Wash.
USUALLY, WE SAVE THE "lessons learned" comments for the end of this column, but this month's lessons are so important they need to come at the front. This case involved a well-experienced pilot dealing with an old light-twin. But with the median age of the light-twin fleet growing older and younger pilots moving into the aging fleet, a review of the basics seems in order. ?228-137?A light twin is simply a big single with its power divided and moved from the nose to each wing.
San Diego Air & Space Museum will be honoring the Class of 2008 on Oct. 25 at the Pavilion of Flight in the museum. The honorees are: Cdr. Scott Carpenter, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Cdr. M. Scott Carpenter is one the "original seven" Mercury astronauts and was the second American to orbit the earth in May 1962. Carpenter's goal during the three-orbit mission was to demonstrate that astronauts could work in space, a major prerequisite for America's Apollo moon missions later in the decade. Tuskegee Airmen
* The Vertol Model 76 (Army VZ-2) became the world's first tilt-wing aircraft to successfully complete transition from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical flight. The turbine-powered aircraft was funded by the U.S. Army and developed in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research. * The two wingtip rotors on the second prototype of Bell's XV-3 Convertiplane achieved 60-degree forward tilt in flight tests, but the aircraft then developed vibration trouble. It was to be modified before flight testing resumed.
*EMS Satcom, Ottawa, Canada, announced that Forrest Colliver has joined the company as vice president of business development. He will oversee the division's partner programs and marketing.
A new traffic flow management computer network developed for the FAA by Computer Sciences Corp. entered operational service June 18 and is now providing flow control specialists with a better view of traffic, choke points and weather. The new system has been installed at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., to replace one that was located at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Mass., a DOT research site.
Is it war? Are the airlines out to "kill" or otherwise hobble business aviation, fractional ownership and jet charter? More to the point, could they pull it off?
*Aug. 14-16: LABACE 2008, Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brazil. www.labace.aero *Sept. 10: NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum, Hanscom Field, Bedford, Mass. www.nbaa.org *Sept. 10-11: Chevron Product Integrity Training, Pittsburgh, Pa. Contact: Chevron customer service at (866) 557-3456 or e-mail to [email protected] *Sept. 15-18: Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference, Hilton Salt Lake Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. (410) 266-2008. www.aviation-ia.com
Paul Schenian, managing director for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft, believes the market for previously owned, turbine-powered business aircraft is at a crossroads. "Buyers, who sense there is a slowdown, are trying to offer [prices that are] five to 15 percent below what the owners want," says Schenian. "A lot of owners are hearing from their friends that their airplane should sell for a price that was [market value] six to nine months ago, so they are holding out for a price that might not be achievable anymore. So far, there's been a stalemate."
*Degani, Asaf; Wiener, Earl L. "Human Factors of Flight-Deck Checklists." NASA Contractor Report 177549, May 1990. NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. *Degani, Asaf; Wiener, Earl L. "On the Design of Flight-Deck Procedures." NASA Contractor Report 177642, June 1994. NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
At about 1650 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N2581P, sustained substantial damaged when it collided with a stand of trees during an attempted go-around while landing at a private airstrip, about six miles east of Wasilla, Ak. It was VFR at the time of the accident. The private pilot died at the scene, and the one passenger sustained minor injuries. According to family members, the flight originated from the accident airstrip, about 1630.
Each year ARG/US audits a vast amount of operators from FAR Part 91 and Part 135 flight departments. All aspects of the flight department's organization are reviewed, to include the safety program. The following report is a summary of the safety program audit results compared to the ARG/US Part 91 or ARG/US Platinum standard. These audits follow a "systems" and "process" style, and are not compliance-based.
A Piper Malibu Mirage was destroyed by a lightning strike while in cruise flight over France. The PA-46-350P, with U.S. registration of N9245D, "subsequently broke up" and crashed into terrain near Leguillac de Cercles, according to a brief report by the NTSB. The pilot and the single passenger were killed. Weather in the area at the time of the May 25 accident included mostly cloudy skies, six miles visibility and winds of 16 knots, with a temperature of 68°F and a dew point of 55°F. An investigation is being conducted by the French government.
West Star Aviation has received FAA approval for modification of a wing-to-fuselage fairing seal on all Hawkers. Developed at the company's Grand Junction, Colo., facility, which is a Hawker Beechcraft authorized service center, the seal replaces the OEM's seal, which was glued to the wing upper surface and was prone to deterioration and coming loose in flight, according to West Star.
The FAA's Air Transportation Operations Inspector's Handbook, FAA Order 8400.10, "Aircraft Checklists" briefly describes two main types of normal checklists -- the "Challenge-Do-Verify" and the "Do-Verify." Each represents a different operational philosophy.
General Electric completed the acquisition of Walter Engines, a Czech manufacturer, in the hope of cutting into the small to midsize turboprop and turboshaft market dominance long held by Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT-6 line. GE said the acquisition "broadens GE's offerings . . .
Florida-based fractional ownership provider Avantair has sold 18 of its 20 orders for Embraer Phenom 100 very light jets to Executive AirShare (EAS), a fractional provider operating Beechjets and King Airs. Avantair operates 49 Piaggio Avanti turboprops, with 60 more on order for delivery by 2013, and has decided not to diversify. Kansas City-based EAS already has orders for 10 Phenom 100s, plus options for 10 more, and orders and options for eight Phenom 300 light jets. EAS has the option to buy Avantair's two remaining Phenom positions in 2010.
The FAA signed a comprehensive bilateral safety agreement with the European Aviation Safety Agency during the TransAtlantic Aviation Issues Conference June 30 in Brussels, Belgium. The accord encompasses many of the safety agreements that the United States has held separately with individual European states. The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) provides for technical cooperation between the FAA and EASA in a variety of areas including aircraft certification, environmental approvals and maintenance.
