Once again we have been subjected to a Chicken Little "The sky is falling" screed disguised as journalism, on the subject of global warming and aviation's contribution to the nonexistent problem. I refer to the less than special report "The Greening of Business Aviation, Part I" (May, page 72). Oh, that part deux would find its way to the waste bin before reaching my mailbox, but I fear that isn't possible since I'm sure June's edition of Business & Commercial Aviation is already being printed.
Russ Meyer Jr., chairman emeritus of Cessna Aircraft, was named chairman of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Board of Visitors. "Russ's selection will bring new opportunities to expand visibility of the Air Safety Foundation to the industry and general aviation pilots," said Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the foundation. The board serves in an advisory capacity for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, which generates safety education and outreach materials for general aviation pilots.
Regarding Richard Aarons' June Cause & Circumstance (page 77), I think that investigators seem to be focused on mechanical things that could have caused the rollback and unresponsiveness of the engines on the 777's approach at Heathrow.
Carol Chamberlin says she started riding when she was just a kid on an Oregon ranch because that's what you do when you herd cattle. "It was a necessity, not a hobby," she says. The senior electronics technician at Rockwell Collins' Richardson, Texas, plant got her technical know-how in the U.S. Air Force and did a tour in England at RAF Mildenhall, which placed her within trotting distance of England's horse center at Newmarket.
Amid a season of concern about operational control issues, the National Air Transportation Association announced that on June 10 it would begin to offer its exclusive IC Check online service. The new flight release system for general aviation operators rivals the systems in use by FAR Part 121 operators, says NATA. IC Check is said to apply up to 300 algorithms to flight data provided by the operator and automatically confirm compliance with FARs and other regulations and rules based on government, company, customer or insurance standards.
The Eclipse 500 is one of the most sophisticated business jets ever produced and arguably the technology leader in its class. It is an epitome of the quiet, dark cockpit, especially when there's no power to the displays. It's unnecessarily difficult to learn about this aircraft because Eclipse has no interactive cockpit procedures trainer.
ServiceElements, Scottsdale, Ariz., has announced that John F. Rahilly, Lisa Schmitt and Anthony Palombo have joined the company as facilitators and strategists.
Peru plans to review and strengthen safety regulations concerning sightseeing overflights of the Nazca Plain, following one deadly accident and several emergency landings in the past few weeks by light aircraft operated by tourist airlines, said Transport Minister Veronica Zabala. The review will be based on a special report by ICAO inspectors submitted on May 15 at the request of the Peruvian government and covers air operations and traffic control in this area from Lima, Ica and Nazca Airports.
2008 recipient of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Tony Bingelis Award EAA Aviation Center, Oshkosh, Wis. Bob Rockford, of Overland, Mo., has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Tony Bingelis Award, recognizing his involvement as an active volunteer technical counselor and aircraft builder.
ExcelAire has opened a new MacArthur Airport (ISP) facility as an international services "gateway," which also has been TSA-approved as a departure point for flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The company will provide a range of services for arriving and departing international flights, including on-site U.S. Customs clearance, fuel, maintenance, concierge services and helicopter service to the New York City metro area in association with HeliFlite. Flights into DCA require unique, comprehensive security measures.
Most food poisoning outbreaks are traced to fresh food, but on rare occasions when the process of preserving or packaging was not followed properly, botulism has resulted in canned foods as well.
The FAA has set special conditions for certifying Embraer's Lineage 1000 business jet to address cargo compartment accessibility and fire-safety issues not addressed by existing certification standards. The agency believes that there should be a means to detect smoke in all six electrical/electronic equipment bays on the Lineage 1000 so the flight crew can make an informed decision as to sources of smoke and can appropriately shut down electrical equipment when smoke is detected in those bays.
The S-76 helicopter fleet has topped the five million flight hour milestone, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced in late May. The milestone follows two others for the S-76 helicopter this year: the 30th anniversary of the first delivery and the 700th aircraft delivery. The program is on track to mark another major event later this year: first flight of the next production model, the S76-D.
It began with the Gulfstream. Executives at Aviation Age, then a magazine covering the full spectrum of aviation activity, were intrigued with Grumman Aircraft's decision to design, certify and manufacture a turbine-powered, pressurized twin intended specifically for businesses. It would cost about $1 million, or roughly double or triple the price of the converted World War II bombers and patrol planes then used as executive transports by a growing number of companies like Coca-Cola, Eastman Kodak and Gulf Oil.
It was 1927 and he was transfixed by the scratchy sounds emanating from the RCA radio in the spare farmhouse parlor. He was riveted by the news reports of the single pilot making his way across the Atlantic in a tiny airplane. Finally came the exhilarating word: Lindbergh had made it! The Lone Eagle had landed in Paris and was being mobbed by spectators! That did it. From that moment little Al Ueltschi knew he was going to be a pilot, too. One of five sons of a hard-working Kentucky dairy farmer, there was no money, of course, but he'd find a way.
Solutions Air Charter, LLC, Zionsville, Ind., appointed Rick Rowe as director of operations, replacing J.C. Buehler, who has assumed the position of chief pilot. Zachary Grant was named assistant chief pilot; Brian Smith is the new director of maintenance and Laura Cain was named administrative director, with responsibility for administration, record compliance and publications.
Officials of Dubai-based Emivest told Sino Swearingen employees that it will purchase an 80-percent controlling interest in Sino Swearingen Aircraft Co. from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Emirates Investment and Development Corp.'s first priority will be to pay off overdue bills to vendors and restart the SJ30-2 production line. The Dubai firm also said it wants to build a family of new aircraft models based upon the SJ30-2 design.
Hawker Beechcraft received an order from BJETS, a new fractional ownership and block charter company based in India, for 10 Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jets. The contract included options for up to five more, bringing the agreement's total value to more than $330 million. BJETS previously had ordered 11 Hawker 900XP and nine 850XP business jets for the company's fractional operations in India and Southeast Asia. BJETS operates from bases in Mumbai, India, and Singapore with a flight operations center in Hyderabad, India.
At the Schedulers & Dispatchers Convention in Savannah, Ga., earlier this year, former aviators Chuck McKinnon and Otto Pobanz were invited to describe the business aviation world as they knew it beginning 50 years ago. Because of time considerations, neither one was able to complete his presentation. In our last "S&D Report," McKinnon's memoir was reprised; now it's Pobanz's turn.
As far as the current state of the used aircraft market is concerned, "I think we are going through a correction, like the stock market," observed Gary Spivack, president of Intellijet, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based aircraft broker that deals primarily in heavy-iron, late-model business aircraft. Most of his transactions involve either a foreign buyer or seller.
Honeywell has licensed Mercury Computer Systems' VistaNav 3-D Synthetic Vision Intellectual Property. Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will sell and support the VistaNav Cockpit Information System situational awareness products. VistaNav Synthetic Vision is a portable 3-D synthetic vision navigation system and a key element in the VistaNav electronic flight bag solutions designed to increase pilot situational awareness and improve flight safety.
