Aviation Fleet Solutions has installed a QuietEagle Noise Reduction System on a VIP MD-87 for SG Air Leasing Limited. The system brings the aircraft into compliance with FAA Stage 4 and ICAO Chapter 4 noise standards. The installation was the second on a VIP MD-87. The QuietEagle includes a 16-lobe internal mixer, a muffler, a tabbed nozzle and improved front fan case, replacing the original hardware on the Pratt & Whitney Canada JT8D-200 engine.
At the World Air Transport Forum 2007 in Cannes, France, in October, Airports Council International Director General Robert Aaronson asked, "How and what are the best strategies for each of the aviation stakeholders to employ in meeting their environmental responsibilities?
Fitzgerald & Associates, Oakland, Calif. Andrew Fitzgerald has retired from KaiserAir, Inc., capping a 33-year career with the Oakland, Calif.-based charter/ management company as vice president, maintenance, aircraft acquisitions, sales and maintenance development. He has formed Fitzgerald & Associates, a consultancy providing project management, technical, presale and pre-buy audits, and aircraft acquisition and selling services. Contact him at [email protected].
Elliott Aviation, the Midwestern aircraft sales and support organization, has received an FAA STC for installation of the Rockwell Collins Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) on King Air B200s and 350s equipped with Pro Line 21 avionics. European Aviation Safety Agency approval of the retrofit is pending.
If you did not know better you would think they are magic. And they give your airplane's appearance some real jazz. "They" are winglets and the magic is how they seem to make most of the induced drag disappear. There is no free lunch and no free lift. Produce lift and induced drag comes with it. Increased lift or increased angle of attack increases induced drag. Reduce induced drag and the rewards come tumbling out like hitting three cherries on a slot machine.
Schubach Corp. has added a Cessna Citation SII and a Hawker 800 to its charter certificate. The San Diego operator's fleet also includes two Bombardier Challenger 601s, two King Air 200s, a King Air C90, three Citation CJ1s, a Citation 1SP, a King Air 350, another Hawker 800, a Hawker 700 and two Hawker 600 fanjets.
At about 1400 PDT, a Hawker 800XP, N800CC, was substantially damaged by a fire originating from the left main landing gear after a takeoff was aborted at the John Wayne-Orange County Airport in Santa Ana, Calif. The aircraft is owned and operated by CIT Leasing Corp. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector from Long Beach that the takeoff was aborted twice before the third attempt due to an engine warning light. All three takeoff attempts were made within about a 20-minute period.
I enjoyed the Flight Log contribution by my old friend and ex-Misty mate, Ross Detwiler (November, page 112). In his piece on the Vietnam War era 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron mascot - a rather famous black leopard named Eldridge - he mentions Ramrod, an equally famous python mascot of that era.
Retail sales of previously owned business jets and turboprops dipped slightly in the third quarter, according to market statistics compiled by Amstat and published by the National Aircraft Resale Association.
Passengers just aren't passive anymore. Their inflight communications and entertainment expectations have matured as quickly as their dependence on 24/7 connectivity to the Internet and cell phones. At the same time, regulatory developments, advances in cabin electronics and OEM hardware breakthroughs are evolving into a second generation of exciting inflight resources for passengers. These latest products and services are leveraging increased inflight bandwidth to meet passenger demand for sophisticated services.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) assumed control of Stewart International Airport (SWF), home to both civilian and military operations, in Newburgh, N.Y., on Nov. 1. Officials vowed to develop the underutilized facility into a strong regional airport serving the needs of the Hudson Valley, while also helping alleviate congestion and ease delays at the New York-New Jersey metropolitan airline hub and business aviation airports.
BDN, Mesa, Ariz., announced the addition of Blaine Anderson as senior production artist; Lisa Sifuentes is a new account executive within the company's client services group, and Annie Hazama has been named senior graphic designer.
A favorite topic these days among observers of the market for previously owned, turbine-powered aircraft is whether or not the business, which has been riding high for several years, has topped out.
AMETEK is continuing to expand its third-party MRO services with the recent $74-million acquisition of the UK-based repair and overhaul unit of Umeco plc.
Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, Neb., announced that Todd Duncan assumed his new position as chairman as current Chairman Robert Duncan retired, becoming chairman emeritus.
The NBAA Convention seems this year to have reached a critical mass. Year after year it has been a fount of news -- of new airframes, engines, avionics, significant sales, FBO expansions, the state of the industry -- the whole spectrum from new light sport aircraft to VIP Boeing 787s. This year, the sheer volume of news from the convention was a gusher that would have swamped this issue, and at least the next - bumping major news generated before, during and after the convention, flowing like the atmosphere of Jupiter around the Great Red Spot of NBAA 2007.
Responding to criticism by the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations, Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said in a recent TV interview that Brazil's airspace is now safer, "although safety is one thing and its perception by the public is something else." Jobim oversees aviation in Brazil. He highlighted the continued training of some 600 professional controllers and equipment modernization as signs that safety is a priority. Structural reforms are also under way, such as transferring ATC from military to civilian hands.
*Nov. 7-9: Chevron Product Integrity Training, Phoenix. Chevron Global Aviation, 1500 Louisiana St., Houston, TX 77002. (866) 557-3456. www.totalga.com *Nov. 7-9: International Aviation Womens Association 19th Annual Conference, Sheraton Buenos Aires & Convention Center and St. Regis Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina. (410) 571-1990. www.iawa.org
Members of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), including the NBAA, recognized Robert E. Breiling for his significant long-term contributions to business aviation safety in the United States and worldwide.
In response to Richard Aarons' informative and alarming article "Deadly Overconfidence" in the September issue of B&CA (Cause & Circumstance, page 150), I am very glad as a high-time MU-2 pilot and owner/operator to see a factual story about the unfortunate events leading up to the May 2005, Hillsboro, Ore., crash.
Airport officials from around the nation say a passenger facility charge (PFC) hike is essential to infrastructure development, and want to make sure the increase is included in the final version of the FAA reauthorization bill. The House version of the bill includes an increase in the PFC cap to $7. However, the Senate version of legislation does not.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide launched its new Berlin Campus in early October. The campus offers a Master of Aeronautical Science degree alon g with other degree programs in aviation maintenance, technical management, professional aeronautics, integrated logistics and project management via Embry-Riddle's online learning program. Applications are being accepted for classes. Prospective students and professors may contact Thomas Giovingo, associate dean of academic support, at +49 (0) 631 303 27818 or [email protected] for education information.
Computer problems slowed progress toward the FAA's NextGen air traffic control system program. The agency had been trying to release a report by an Aviation Rulemaking Committee tasked with developing recommendations to provide incentives to operators to equip their aircraft with Advance Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment ahead of the anticipated 2020 deadline. The ARC report was completed a few weeks ago, and the FAA had hoped to release the report either concurrently or shortly after the ADS-B proposal was released.
