Eighty members of Pentastar Aviation's maintenance and avionics team have been awarded the FAA's Aviation Maintenance Technician Award in addition to two corporate awards.
Aero Toy Store -- the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based aircraft sales company -- has been named the exclusive provider of aircraft that incorporate custom designs developed by a unit of Pininfarina, the Italian firm renowned for its work with classic motorcars such as Ferrari and Maserati.
NetJets Europe is to retrofit its Falcon 2000EX EASy fleet with blended winglets at a total cost of $4.4 million. The Aviation Partners high-Mach winglets will upgrade the aircraft to the new Falcon 2000LX standard. Dassault claims a 5-percent increase in fuel efficiency at 0.80 Mach for this version, which extends the aircraft's range by 200 nm to 4,000 nm. Retrofits are scheduled to begin late this year.
In reference to the June issue of B&CA, may I call your attention to page 32, specifically Fast Five, question 5 where you asked William Voss, "Which of your aviation ratings was the hardest to acquire and which brought the most satisfaction?" In the interest of possibly avoiding confusion among B&CA readers I respectively submit that Mr. Voss did not receive his ATP certificate at age 21. The minimum age for that certificate is 23; has been dating back to well over 50 years.
June 14, 2007, was a significant day for business aircraft operators since it was then that the IRS published its long-awaited "Deductions for Entertainment Use of Business Aircraft." This 19-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) attempts to clarify the Oct. 22, 2004, changes to IRS Code Section 274.
On July 31, Bombardier delivered its 150th Challenger 300 to Flexjet, the manufacturer's fractional jet program. According to Bombardier, since the model's entry into service in 2004, the Challenger 300 jet has achieved a dispatch reliability over 99 percent.
Professional Pilot's Career Guide, second edition, by Robert P. Mark, is just out from The McGraw-Hill Cos.' Profes-sional book division. The new version contains detailed coverage of pilot ratings and practical test standards, plus goal-achieving tips on job hunting, networking and information on the regional and major airlines. The book also contains 200 common interview questions and the 10 most frequent interview mistakes, in-depth pilot interviews and essential Internet resources. Price: $24.95 The McGraw-Hill Cos.
The NBAA sponsors an Inspection Authorization (IA) renewal course that coincides with the annual convention, this year held in Atlanta, on Monday, Sept. 24. The seminar will provide eight hours of approved training toward IA renewal and will feature regulatory and industry subject matter experts extolling on an array of topics including: the FAA's Customer Service Initiative; Instructions for Continued Airworthiness, Safety Management Systems (SMS) and development of an approved maintenance program.
IFR Avionics of Van Nuys, Calif. has earned an STC for its retrofit installation of a Universal Avionics EFI-890R display in a Gulfstream GIII. The aircraft used to gain the approval also was equipped with Universal's Vision-1TM, an application server unit that provides Jeppesen charts for a paperless cockpit. The new display was interfaced with dual UNS-1 flight management systems and a Class A terrain awareness and warning system. The GIII STC also covers installation of the EFI-890R in the GII and GII-B.
Among the communication errors that resulted in altitude deviations were misunderstandings of the ATC amended clearance. Let's start with the simpler clearances and work to the more complex or confusing. When the air traffic controller states, "Bizjet 123, descend and maintain six thousand," according to FAA Order 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, the pilot is expected to commence descent upon receipt of the clearance and to descend at the suggested rates specified in Aeronautical Information Manual Paragraph 4-4-9, until reaching the assigned altitude of 6,000 feet.
Misset altitude alerters were involved in 58 percent of the altitude deviations. This closely mimics the data collected at several major airlines prior to implementing their own altitude deviation programs. The Aviation Safety Reporting System hear-back study noted that after the altitude alerter was set, it tended to become "the sole authority for what the aircraft's altitude should be."
Jan. 24, 2006, was a spectacularly clear winter day in Southern California. John "Jack" Francis and Andy Garratt were crewing a Citation V that departed Hailey Airport in Sun Valley, Idaho, bound for McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. Aboard were Frank Jellinek Jr., recently retired chairman of Fisher Scientific and father of two children, along with Janet Shafran, mother of four. It was going to be just a brief stay in the San Diego area. Jellinek's father, Frank Sr., lived in the vicinity. Everyone planned to return to Sun Valley that afternoon.
I am writing to bring your attention to an error in "Career Development Tips for Maintenance Managers" in the May B&CA (page 93) The page contains a small insert mentioning "National AMT Day." The H. Res. number for our National AMT Day Resolution is H. Res. 444, not 4582 as you published. The Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Association (AMTA) requested that Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) introduce this resolution. On May 24, he did introduce it and it is now before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
(Dorval, Quebec, Canada) -- Tony Caruso has been named a regional sales manager for this company's aircraft sales division. He is responsible for marketing Cessna business jets in eastern Canada. A 20-year industry veteran, Caruso most recently served as an account manager with EMS SATCOM.
Turbomeca Canada has been certified to repair and overhaul hydromechanical control units for the Arriel 2 turboshaft engine -- the final step in the process of certifying the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to work on both the Arriel 1 and 2 powerplants, including line-replaceable units. The plant, which opened in 2003, also serves as a support site for the Arrius 2 engine.
KUDOS TO THE National Air Transportation Association and its leaders for their decision to establish the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF). Officially launched at the end of June at an NATA Safety Summit, the ACSF is a great example of a trade association stepping up to change the status quo and seek a demonstrable improvement in safety for its members.
Few details were revealed about what the Finance Committee's proposal will ultimately look like. However, the committee's Ranking Minority Member Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) did ask all the witnesses to comment upon an idea to replace the current 7.5 percent passenger ticket tax with a tax based on the distance flown. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said this would represent "a much closer approximation of the actual cost to the [ATC] system" than the current ticket tax.
Serengeti Aviator sunglasses have been called the most scientifically advanced sunglasses in the world. Their patented Spectral Control filters fine tune the full spectrum of light, selectively blocking and filtering each wavelength. The system is a dynamic, ever-adapting "smart" lens technology that works with your eyes to provide the ultimate in comfort and clarity in any situation. Unlike other colors, blue light rays cross in front of the retina causing "blue blur." Serengeti lenses eliminate this problem by blocking and filtering 95 percent of blue light.
The NBAA recently announced that it will offer its Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) exam in a computer-based test (CBT) format, which will provide CAM candidates with greater flexibility, convenience and accessibility. Schroeder Management Technologies (SMT) will provide testing centers at 250 locations throughout the United States with the first testing window set for January 2008. The traditional paper exam will still be offered three times a year. In preparation for a CAM designation, individuals must meet specified qualifications and pass the CAM examination.
I read your Viewpoint in the June issue (page 7). I did not know of Dave Ewald's passing and was saddened but appreciative of knowing. My friendship with Dave went way back to HPN in the early 1970s, when he brought B&CA to our FBO. The good old days! Your column helped bring back many fond memories of Ewald, and his band of merry men (Gary Worden and Bob Fyan, among them). I thank you for digging up those great memories, and giving a great guy very well deserved recognition.
IT WAS ALREADY pitch black when we landed, an unusual hour for arriving at a sunny place like Nassau. We caught a beat-up island cab and started making our way through some uncomfortably seedy sections of the unfamiliar town. Presently, we came to a dimly lit dock area, with no one in sight. "This is it, mon," the driver said. The young lady beside me agreed. "Yes, that's the boat."
Cessna announced at the Paris Air Show that NetJets -- Cessna's largest Citation customer -- had ordered another 96 Citations. The order includes 50 Encore+, 37 XLS+ and nine Citation X aircraft and totals more than $1 billion. Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton said his company had delivered 340 Citations to the fractional operator over the past 21 years.
