Great article about the Canadian pilot and his felony arrest ("Pilot Error: Grist for the Criminal Courts?" Cause & Circumstance, August, page 66). I always wondered why city, state or federal prosecutors don't press for criminal charges when blatant acts of stupidity committed by flight crews cause the death or great bodily harm to passengers or people on the ground.
While attempting a forced landing following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from Runway 27 at the Portage County Airport in Ravenna, Ohio, a Beech V35B Bonanza was substantially damaged. It was VFR and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and his flight instructor were not injured. The accident occurred during the first flight after all six engine cylinders had been replaced. Three days prior to the accident, the pilot performed an engine run-up to verify proper engine operation and to see if any fluid leaks were present. No anomalies were encountered.
Adam Aircraft has partnered with SAFERjett to provide pilot and maintenance training for both the A500 piston and A700 jet aircraft. SAFERjett is building a 50,000-square-foot training facility at Fort Worth Alliance Airport that is to open for training in late 2008. The facility will be equipped with an A700 full-motion Level D simulator that SAFERjett is building with Aerosim and Mechtronix, along with an advanced aviation training device and virtual flight deck.
A NASA-produced video, "Icing Training Programs," summarizes best operating practices learned from all of the agency's in-depth research, and if you're stuck at an FBO for a day, watching it provides some great refresher information.
Airbus, Toulouse, France, has announced its new executive committee: Fabrice Bregier, chief operating officer; Hans Peter Ring, chief financial officer; John Leahy, chief operating officer, customers; Tom Williams, executive vice president, programs; Patrick Gavin, executive vice president, engineering; and Gerald Weber, executive vice president, operations.
The Hawker 900XP's Pro Line 21 package features four, 10-by-eight-inch, portrait-configuration flat-panel displays; a standard single file server that hosts electronic charts, enhanced map graphics and optional data-link weather capability; and dual, console-mounted CDUs that control the twin FMS-6000s and dual Pro Line 21 radio packages.
The FAA ordered an emergency revocation of AMI Jet Charter's FAR Part 135 operating certificate on Oct. 12 -- fallout from OpSpec A008 dealing with operational control of charter aircraft. The unusually aggressive regulatory action came a week after the agency issued an emergency order suspending AMI's certificate and just after AMI had appealed the suspension order to the NTSB (see below).
Carl Janssens, an accredited senior appraiser at Aircraft Bluebook-Price Digest, has been tracking the aircraft market since he joined the publication in 1999. He says the current market is good overall, "with the large corporate jets leading the way." Janssens says the top tier is a seller's market because "there is virtually no inventory and aircraft are changing hands at premium prices."
Push up the thrust levers of the Hawker 900XP and you'd be hard pressed to recognize this aircraft is the direct descendent of the stately, though matronly DH 125, designed in 1960 by de Havilland but certified and put into production by Hawker Siddeley, its successor. Compared to its immediate predecessor, the Hawker 850XP, this latest Hawker needs 300 feet less runway for takeoff at sea level and has a 1,400 foot shorter takeoff field length when departing B&CA's 5,000-foot/ISA+20°C airport.
Under the aegis of the U.K. Defense Ministry's Day-Night All-Weather Helicopter Applied Research Program, color panoramic displays and night-vision goggles (NVGs) were used, along with a head-tracking system, onboard mission planning and route generation, precision navigation, dynamic flight path guidance and conformal task-dependent symbology integrated into a single system. Inputs from thermal imaging and low-light TV sensors were fused in real-time to provide imaging on a head-down display.
B&CA presented some questions to FAA headquarters concerning the capabilities of ADS-B, its impact on the air traffic controller force, the implementation and operation contract awarded to ITT in August, and how the whole system will be paid for. The questions were answered by principals in the Surveillance and Broadcast Program Office. B&CA: Why does the FAA believe that ADS-B will "significantly reduce delays and enhance safety"?
Flight Display Systems introduced a new hi-definition delivery system that supports Blu-ray and HD DVD while delivering digital video up to 100 feet. The new system uses a proprietary line of video distribution amplifiers manufactured by Flight Display Systems specifically for this application. Coupled with Category 5e (Cat5) cable and HD monitors, the system provides the highest quality video feed to the cabin, according to the company. Cat5e cable is a twisted pair wire commonly used in computer networks.
The University of Illinois Center of Excellence in Airport Technology is evaluating an automatic foreign object debris (FOD) detection system at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I., for the FAA. The agency is testing various FOD detection systems, and this one is provided by QinetiQ of the United Kingdom. The fully automated system can monitor runway conditions around the clock and relieve airport operators from having to make visual inspections several times a day.
CMC Electronics has launched a third-generation member of its SureSight family of I-Series integrated sensor systems for Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) application. The CMA-2700 features Advanced Digital Signal Processing (DSP), which will provide a new balance between the display of low- and high-intensity infrared scenes, a high-resolution 640-by-512-pixel Focal Plane Array, and will be certified to Level B to DO-178B and DO-254.
An Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) wants the FAA to offer financial incentives to spur operators to to equip their aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems well before the proposed 2020 deadline. In a report released Oct.
A dilemma facing the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) community in analyzing accidents is the lack of awareness concerning the number of missions flown and hours flown as well as information necessary for epidemiological evaluation of risk for morbidity and mortality. In 2002, Blumen endeavored to establish a model from industry surveys to estimate exposure data for HEMS pilots and medical crews so that an attempt could be made to calculate HEMS accident rates or morbidity and mortality rates. . . .
(Savannah, Ga.) - James Guerin has rejoined this aircraft manufacturer and is serving as sales director for new business in the Northeast. Previously, he served as a Gulfstream sales director in 2003 and 2004. Guerin also has held sales positions with Flight Options and Flexjet.
The NBAA announced the first recipients of the David W. Ewald Journalism Scholarship at its 60th Annual Meeting & Convention: Chad Mumm, a senior at the University of Georgia in Athens, and David Wilson, a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. The NBAA, in coordination with the family of the late Dave Ewald, established the scholarship earlier this year to honor the long-time B&CA publisher, who spent nearly 50 years serving the business aviation community.
To learn more about how TCAS operates, the FAA has a dedicated Web site: http://adsb.tc.faa.gov/TCAS.htm. Be sure to download Advisory Circular 120-55B. Although written for airline operations, the document has good information for maintainers and pilots. For more background on TAWS, download Advisory Circulars (AC) 23-18, Installation of Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) Approved for Part 23 Airplanes, and AC 25-23, Airworthiness Criteria for the Installation Approval of a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) for Part 25 Airplanes.
Hawker Beechcraft, Wichita, announced that Avion Pacific Ltd. is now an authorized sales representative for its Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft and special missions applications in China, Hong Kong and Macau. Auturo Schwencke was appointed special mission sales representative for Chile.
The NBAA presented the 50-Year Safe Flying Achievement Award to Federal-Mogul Corp., General Dynamics, H.E.B. Grocery Co., Hill Aircraft & Leasing Corp., Spectra Energy Corp., Tecumseh Products Co., and Vulcan Materials Co. The award recognizes NBAA members that have flown 50 years or more without an accident. Since the award's inception in 1998, 57 members have been recognized.
Atlanta-based CareJet Services has introduced an advanced appearance-enhancing polymer paint protection system developed by Dow Corning and ProguardPlus. The system, applied to new or older aircraft paint, does not use friction or heat in the application, provides high luster, ease of washing, enhanced UV and contaminant protection, and is fully warranted for 12 months. Optional warranty extensions are available up to 48 months with annual servicing.
