U.S. business and corporate turbine-powered aircraft were involved in 25 accidents during the first six months of this year -- as compared to 29 accidents in the same period in 2006 -- according to information compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates. Eight accidents through June resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers and crew. That compares with nine fatal accidents that claimed 22 lives during the first half of 2006. FAR Part 135 operators were involved in 15 accidents during the first half of this year, including five that resulted in 14 fatalities.
Virgin USA, the North American headquarters of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is starting Virgin Charter, a new online marketplace that brings convenience and efficiency to private aviation, according to the company. It is a full-service marketplace that brings together buyers who want to book private air travel with safety-rated charter operators.
In a move to make business aviation more neighborly and accessible, the organizers of this year's NBAA convention are asking attendees -- exhibitors and visitors alike -- to devote a part or all of their pre-show Sunday to constructing a school playground or airport picnic area for local residents.
Healthy corporate profits continue to drive a vigorous market for previously owned aircraft, says Paul Wyatt, managing editor of the Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest. However, "even if corporate profits begin to level out in 2009 [as many predict], an emerging international interest in general aviation [both new and used] will be there to pick up the slack."
Bombardier's 11th annual Safety Standdown will be held Oct. 22-25 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita. Speakers will include Nick Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety; Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the NBAA; and Mark Rosenker, chairman of the NTSB.
David Esler's series on business aviation airports (April, May and June issues) contained just about the best compilation and write-up for and about DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) I have ever read. The copy has been sitting here on my desk for over a week, but I just opened it up today to find this top-notch, first-class article. Thanks so much for working with me on this, and thanks for taking the time to get things right! My very best for a job well done!
*Cessna Citation 500, 501, 550, 551, S550, 560, 560XL and 750 air- planes -- Install identification sleeves on the wires for the positive and negative terminal studs of the engine and/or auxiliary power unit fire extinguishing bottles, as applicable, and re-connect the wires to the correct terminal studs. *Dassault Falcon 50 airplanes -- Disable the galley's coffeemaker by pulling and locking out the circuit breaker. Then inspect for damaged wire sleeves, check their proper clearance, and if a discrepancy is found, perform corrective actions.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Worldwide Campus is launching an International Air Cargo Management Certificate program for industry professionals. This is the first program to specifically address the needs of the air cargo industry on an international basis and is designed to prepare individuals for leadership positions in the air cargo industry by focusing specifically on the needs and operations of that industry. The program's 23 courses will be offered online to anyone via ERAU's online learning systems. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
While business aviation holds its collective breath as Congress considers whether or not to include aviation user fees as part of FAA reauthorization legislation, another provision that is part of the Senate version of the proposed law may be problematic for operators of older business jets.
CMC Electronics' SureSight M-Series Enhanced Vision System (EVS) sensor has been FAA approved for installation in the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, and the sensor, as well as the PilotView Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) now can be retrofitted on the single-engine turboprop. The EFB can function as a stand-alone system and as a display for the EVS sensor. Retrofit kits are available from Pilatus dealers.
Looking for more information on Safety Management Systems? Three great resources are the International Business Aircraft Council (www.ibac.org), the NBAA (www.nbaa.org) and the Flight Safety Foundation (www.flightsafety.org). IS-BAO has literature, sample SMS documents and plan guidance to help you understand and implement SMS for your operation. If you need more in-depth reading material try the following books and publications: *FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-92, "Introduction to Safety Management Systems for Air Operators" (www.faa.gov)
Charles Bergman, a former U.S. Air Force pilot and ALPA employee, was named executive director of the Next Generation Air Transportation System Institute, the third person to hold the job in the past two years. The first man in the job was hired in July 2005, but stayed just two months before resigning.
Columbia Aircraft recently announced that it has restored its production level to three aircraft per week and that most employees furloughed in late March are now back at work. "We made a lot of dramatic moves earlier this year with the objective of increasing our efficiency and strengthening Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation," said Columbia President Wan Majid. "We've made significant improvements to our production processes and tooling and laid a foundation for our future success.
The Spaceship Company -- jointly owned by Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites -- has selected Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW308 turbofan to power the White Knight II (WK2) launch aircraft. Virgin Galactic has ordered five SS2s, billed as the world's first commercial passenger suborbital spaceship, with options for another seven, plus the launch aircraft. Equipped with two PW308 engines rated at 6,900 pounds of takeoff thrust, the WK2 will take off horizontally with the manned SS2 attached underneath. It will launch the SS2 into suborbital space from about 50,000 feet.
Dangle the Dunlops!" Heard that before? How about, "Rollers!" These are two of the colorful, but definitely non-standard expressions used to call for extending the landing gear. While some might regard such callouts as those of a pilot merely trying to introduce some originality and humor in the cockpit, and dismiss any suggestion that they pose some kind of a problem, statistics suggest otherwise.
Western Aircraft, Inc. - the FBO, aircraft sales and maintenance provider in Boise, Idaho -- has been sold to Berkley Aviation Investors, Inc. Closing of the deal, details of which were not released, is expected this month. The acquisition will be the second this year for Berkley, which purchased Atlantic Aero Holdings and the Atlantic Aero FBO in Greensboro, N.C. in February. Western has the largest presence on the Boise airport, with five large hangars and office space.
FlightSafety International will install Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics in a Dassault Falcon 50 full-motion simulator scheduled to be operational by December. Some 25 Falcon 50s have been retrofitted with Pro Line 21.
The flight crew of a Cessna Citation II 550 that crashed into Lake Michigan in June began having control problems shortly after takeoff, according to the NTSB. The aircraft, with two pilots, had taken off from Milwaukee's Mitchell Field (MKE) carrying a four-member medical team and harvested human organs that were to be implanted in a patient in Michigan. All six people aboard were killed when the airplane, which was attempting to return to MKE, crashed into 60 feet of water at about 1610 CDT on June 4.
Air Partner has signed an 80-year lease with Biggin Hill Airport for a new 115,000-square-foot site where it will develop a new high-security private jet enclave, at a cost of $10 million, the nearest such facility to the city of London. The company is a leading provider of private aviation services worldwide. Work has started on two state-of-the-art aircraft management and maintenance hangars.
Corporate Angel Network added the top executives of two more business jet manufacturers to its board of directors: Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Co., and John G. Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. Jim Schuster, chairman and CEO of Hawker Beechcraft Corp., joined the CAN board earlier.
Researchers probing possible changes in the Earth's atmosphere as a result of global warming have a new source of data. NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft has returned its first images of noctilucent clouds, wispy accumulations of what are believed to be ice crystals that form in summer at altitudes of about 50 miles over the polar regions. As seen in this image from the 440-pound spacecraft, the clouds (white and light blue) range across the pole.
Saraya Private Aviation has ordered six Piaggio P180 Avanti IIs to be delivered in 2008 and 2009 for private charter and air taxi operations across the Middle East and Northern Africa. Saraya, founded in 2005, is part of a real estate development company specializing in the travel and tourism industries.
