*The federal government is considering a recommendation by Bill Lear that all aircraft use fluorescent paint and quarter-million-candle-power condenser-discharge lights to be developed by Lear and General Electric. *First positive-control, all-weather airways have been set up by the CAB, with prompt CAA and military agreement. Airways are 40 miles wide between New York and Los Angeles and went into effect June 15. One goes via Chicago; the other via St. Louis with spurs to San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
"Next-Gen Radars From Collins and Honeywell" (April, page 70) was excellent. Jeez, I wish our company would get the new stuff like that! I just have one teensy, weensy observation. On page 76, middle column, the article says that "at jet cruise speed, or 10 nm per minute . . ." The F-4D/E cruised at 0.87 Mach or so and the F-16 at 0.92 -- neither of which was 10 nm per minute. Now, maybe with a good tailwind you can bust 600 knots in a 0.75 or 0.80 Mach corporate bird. Was he flying in an F-100 at full grunt or something?
*May 27-June 1: Berlin International Air Show (ILA2008), Berlin, Germany. Managed by Messe Berlin. (609) 987-1202. www.ila-NA.com *June 7: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association 18th Annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House, Frederick, Md. (800) 872-2672 www.aopa.org *June 8-11: American Association of Airport Executives 80th Annual Conference and Expo, New Orleans. (703) 824-0500. www.aaae.org *June 9-11: Florida Aviation Trades Association 62nd Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (407) 383-8619.
Diamond Aircraft completed the first flight of the serial number 003 D-JET April 14 from the company's London, Ontario, facility. The aircraft will be used for performance and handling quality refinement as well as to develop key systems, including avionics, fuel, autopilot and anti-ice. Later this year s.n. 003 will be fitted with the Williams FJ33-19 engine for testing with the production configuration powerplant.
PlaneSmart! Aviation, Dallas, has appointed Michael A. Brosler as president and CEO. He replaces Jeffrey A. Cullen, who is stepping down to pursue other strategic aviation opportunities.
Bob Rockwood believes in the pursuit of happiness, in his case aboard a "spec racer" in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition. As a managing director for Washington, D.C., aircraft brokerage firm Bristol Associates, he has been equally relentless in preserving the fun in his work as well. Rockwood found himself in a management position at Xerox in the mid-1970s and was watching from the sidelines as business aviation took off.
Cessna Aircraft's new Citation CJ4 flew for the first time May 4. The two-hour, 22-minute flight departed McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita just after 11:30 a.m. and included flight maneuvers evaluating stability and control along with initial systems evaluations.
West Star Aviation is working with Avidyne to win by mid-year RVSM approval for customers with the Avidyne Envision/Alliant retrofit. The flight deck can be integrated on the Cessna 441 Conquest II, which can operate above 29,000 feet. The two companies have developed an Alliant package for the Conquest II that includes dual-redundant Avidyne EXP5000 10.4-inch primary flight displays, an Avidyne EX500 or EX5000 multifunction display, the S-TEC IntelliFlight 2100 digital autopilot and Mid-Continent two-inch standby instruments.
At a time when many in the market for a used aircraft are clamoring for a current-production model, Volo Aviation, LLC has found that at least one venerable transport - the Gulfstream I - still meets the needs of a variety of customers. In late 2007, Volo acquired a GI on behalf of an anonymous private owner, who said he had always wanted to acquire one of the turboprop-powered aircraft ever since his earliest involvement with business aviation.
Honda Aircraft Co. is expanding its HondaJet sales operation to Europe, with the official kickoff of the move announced at EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland, in May. The sales expansion came as Honda Aircraft finalized its U.S. distribution network with the selection of Albany, N.Y., as the last of its five sales and service facilities across the United States.
I thoroughly enjoy my monthly issue of Business & Commercial Aviation. As a commercial pilot and resident of Planet Earth, I must comment on "The Greening of Business Aviation" (May, page 72). One does not need to read very far into the article to understand the dilemma promulgated by David Esler. He is rightly concerned that global warming "fear mongering" is going to present a problem for our beloved industry.
THREE DECADES AFTER OPPONENTS of a jet ban at the Santa Monica, Calif., Municipal Airport (SMO) won a key victory in federal court, the City of Santa Monica is again attempting to disrupt interstate commerce -- at least some of that commerce -- by restricting business jet traffic at the popular Southern California airport.
FOR THOSE CURIOUS -- and harboring either a sense of trepidation or giddy relief -- about the cost of a college education today, let me try to satisfy. Recently indoctrinated to the fiscal firmament of higher education today, I offer this.
Embraer signed the declaration on climate change generated during the third Aviation & Environment Summit (www.enviro.aero) held April 22-23 in Geneva, Switzerland. Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer's president & CEO, stressed the need of a common vision and approach, and emphasized the company's commitment to the environment.
Gulfstream Aerospace has received STC approval for the installation of a muffler on the Gulfstream G200 auxiliary power unit. The muffler is designed to reduce noise from the surge-control valve by 10 to 12 decibels, which cuts the noise by more than half the current level, the company said. Gulfstream Service Engineering developed, flight-tested and certified the muffler based on input from a G200 Customer Advisory Board. M-Dot Aerospace in Phoenix completed the muffler design and will build the units for Gulfstream.
These themed vintage soda machines may be a fun addition to the hangar, office or home. In addition to restoring vintage soda machines with the familiar Coke and Pepsi motifs, Denver-based American Soda Machines customizes these beverage icons into many themes for individual buyers. They can be imprinted with the logo of any aviation company, airplane manufacturer or any photograph of an airplane. Price: Call for price key American Soda Machines (800) 448-6888 www.americansodamachines.com
Sensor Systems has received TSO C190 certification in Beta 3 application for its new models of GPS WAAS antennas. The S67-1567-135 and 145 models are for ARINC 743 applications; the S67-1575-137 model is a three-inch circular design suitable for all other installation requirements, both new and retrofit. All three antennas are in production and certified to DO-301.They're DC-grounded and offer enhanced protection against rain, ice and lightning strikes. Price: Contact manufacturer Sensor Systems, Inc. 8929 Fullbright Ave.
National Air Transportation Association, Grand Rapids, Mich., announced that Charles R. Cox, president of Northern Air, Inc., and founder and president of The Company Jet and Northern Jet Management, Inc., has been elected to the 10-member board of directors of the NATA for a three-year term. Kurt Sutterer, president of Midcoast Aviation, has been named vice chairman of NATA for the 2008-2009 term.
The abrupt removal of Frank Thielert from the diesel engine company he founded, and Thielert Aircraft Engines' filing for insolvency, left a number of manufacturers wondering where they will get diesel powerplants for their aircraft. Thielert and the chief financial officer were ousted by the company's board of directors. There were reports of possible irregularities in the engine maker's financial records and that a major investor had decided not to provide more funding. Although insolvent since April, Thielert Aircraft Engines continues operating.
Toby Smith, the JBA Aviation vice president who has been buying and selling previously owned midsize to ultra-long-range business jets for a decade, says today's used aircraft market is "pretty segmented." The broker, who is based at the Mercury Air Center FBO in Tulsa, said that it is a sellers' market for business aircraft five years or newer and a buyers' market for midsize airplanes and other aircraft that are 15 years or older. The market for everything else seems to be balanced.
The FAA has granted Jeppesen approval to provide RNP consultant services. The action allows Jeppesen representatives to guide airlines and other aircraft operators through the FAA's RNP operations approval process. The Boeing-owned company will also offer RNP services for non-U.S. operators looking to implement RNP operations worldwide.
