The phased development of Singapore's Seletar Aerospace Park is expected to take about eight years, and cost in the region of $40 million for the first phases. The park will support a new integrated aerospace industry cluster incorporating aerospace MRO; design and manufacturing of aircraft systems and components; business and general aviation activities; and an aviation campus for the training of pilots, aviation professionals, and technical personnel. The Singapore government will develop about 350 acres of adjacent land at the airport.
The FAA in May addressed remaining concerns regarding pilot payment and other issues within its Part 135 Operational Specification A008. The NBAA and NATA appear satisfied that the new guidance. "This notice provides our members with additional information that will assist them in fully understanding the FAA's expectations regarding operational control while maintaining their existing business models," NATA President James Coyne said. (see some details below)
WHEN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS begin legislating technical matters that should be left to regulators, there is no limit to the potential mischief and disruption that can result. The most recent example is a provision inserted in the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill, which would prohibit the FAA from challenging or influencing weight restrictions or prior permission rules at the Teterboro, N.J., Airport (TEB).
Northstar Aerospace, Inc., Chicago, appointed Harry Schmink to the position of president, Gears and Transmission. Ian Taylor, formerly general manager of Northstar Aerospace (Canada) has been named vice president, programs. Tom Purvin is the new vice president, Sales and Market North America. David Fisher has been appointed director, Business Development North America.
EADS Socata received an order from European fractional aircraft ownership provider JETFLY for four TBM 850 single-turboprop aircraft. The aircraft will supplement JETFLY's existing fleet of three TBM 700s. EADS Socata valued the contract at $11.4 million.
Piper Aircraft is looking for a new home. Headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla., Piper announced its intention earlier this year to conduct a detailed analysis of other possible plant locations, citing the high cost of living expenses for its employees and extremely high property insurance costs in the Vero Beach area in the wake of two devastating hurricanes that struck in 2004 and destroyed a number of Piper buildings.
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Dataplan Inc. for allegedly assisting secret CIA rendition flights of suspected terrorists. The federal lawsuit, filed in California, claims flight and logistical support services provided by Jeppesen enabled the clandestine transportation of three men to secret locations, where they were tortured and subjected to other "forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment."
As a 29-year FAR Part 121 pilot and, now, a Part135 pilot, I was very interested in David Huntzinger's article on crew duty limits ("On Duty Indefinitely," May, page 86). It does a good job of summarizing the deadly vise that can squeeze a pilot between the needs/ demands of his passengers/employer and his desire to operate safely.
Jeppesen has created a new pricing option for its International Trip Planning Services that is straightforward and easy to understand, according to the company. By dividing the world into eight predefined regions, Jeppesen has established fixed sector fees for each trip segment between or within these regions. Included with sector pricing are the most commonly used trip planning services, such as ground handling set up, permit acquisition, hotel reservations, flight plans, customs and immigration notifications and more.
Congratulatons on your April Reflections ("People Who Became Airports," page 46). I would like to mention Garner Field in Uvalde, Texas, was named for former U.S. Vice President John N. Garner. This field is very dear to hundreds of Brazilian Cadets who started their aviation training there, primary training in Stearmans. And thousands of American cadets were training there. I was class 45-F, U.S. Army Air Force, and I am very proud to be a former Garner student. Keep writing about the past so the next generations will learn about history.
Sabreliner Corp., St. Louis, has promoted Cindy Tekeser to senior manager, contracts. Celia Reiter has been promoted to contracts administrator. Mark Stuesse has joined the company as proposal manager.
Uvex, a brand of the Bacou-Dalloz Group, has launched Uvex Ignite, a comfortable, sleek addition to its line of premium safety eyewear. The lightweight, frameless design of the Uvex Ignite glasses offers 180 degrees of unobstructed, distortion-free vision, and provides wearers with all-day safety and comfort. Features include an adjustable saddle pad nose piece and soft, cushioned temple tips. Its nine-base, wrap-around unilens provides wearers with close-to-the-face coverage and compete eye protection.
THE DOT MAY BE the "parent" of the FAA on an organization flow chart, but this does not mean that it must take action on aviation matters through the agency. Simply put, the DOT enforces citizenship, economic and advertising issues, while the FAA enforces safety issues. The FAR Part 135 operational control issues that surfaced after the Montrose and Teterboro Challenger accidents highlighted how the authority of the DOT and FAA can overlap.
With showbiz flare that included a choreographed performance by a suspended acrobat suspended from the simulator bay ceiling and ghostly vignettes of employees at work, CAE officially opened its new business aviation training center June 7 near Morristown Airport in New Jersey. The CAE SimuFlight Northeast Training Center will be the base of entitlement training for the Dassault Falcon 7X, as well as training on the Falcon 900EX EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Gulfstream IV and Sikorsky S-76.
Using input and testing from its students and instructors, Sporty's has designed a flight bag specifically for VFR flight. If you're a student pilot or a weekend flier, the VFR Flight Bag is right for you, according to the company. This compact bag features specially designed pockets for storing important items necessary for a VFR flight. The exterior features padded pockets to protect a headset while additional pockets allow quick access to charts and a logbook. An organizing section has an ID holder, pen and pencil holders, a key clip and a pocket for a cellphone.
The NTSB, lawmakers and regulators are seeking faster ways to implement the board's "Most Wanted" safety recommendations and adopt new accident prevention methods. The often-contentious groups found common ground in the desire to enhance safety at a June 6 House Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the status of the NTSB's Most Wanted List of aviation safety improvements. The board color-codes the status of recommendations on the list that it has issued yearly since 1990.
This armored rider is clad in fiberglass, not steel, and his steed is a Kawasaki instead of a Percheron. Gary Bosemer is the picture of the modern, well-equipped desert rider when he's not working as Landmark Aviation's director of avionics marketing and development. "Riding in the desert is safer than riding on the street," he says, adding that a lot of his friends still laugh when they learn he does not hold a motorcycle street license. But he does hold an American Motorcyclist Association expert desert-racing license.
Hawker Beechcraft named TAG Farnborough an authorized service facility for the Hawker 800 series aircraft. TAG Farnborough, a subsidiary of TAG Aviation Holding, is the second authorized facility for the Hawker in the United Kingdom and joins a worldwide network of more than 100 authorized facilities.
IN 1947, ITAMATARE WAS AN isolated village in the Brazilian interior, 90 minutes by air from Belem. The site of a gold mining camp, it was a bumpy two-hour Jeep drive from the River Gurupi, which served as its airport. That's where I was headed. Anaconda Mining Co., my employer, bought a war surplus Grumman Goose for $10,000. After zero timing the Wasp Juniors and installing a 60-gallon cabin tank for hauling auto gas, I got to ferry the amphib from Long Beach, Calif., to Brazil. I was 25, single and eager for the adventure.
There can be two different readings of your May Viewpoint ("Going to Excess," May, page 9). Either it is proven that known fuel reserves plus expected ones can match the expected consumption -- in that case, you are right. Or if the above is not proven, we will have to reconsider everything in our way of life, not only aviation, and the sooner the better.
Rotorcraft Leasing Co. of Lafayette, La., has acquired Go Helitrans, a provider of transportation services to offshore oil and gas production platforms and drilling rigs in the western Gulf of Mexico. "This acquisition further strengthens Rotorcraft's position as the largest privately held helicopter transportation company in the Gulf of Mexico," said Lloyd Marks, president of Rotorcraft. The combined entity will have a fleet of approximately 100 helicopters whose missions will be coordinated from Rotorcraft's flight operations center in Broussard, La.
"The market today is doing pretty well," said Rene Cardona, who has been brokering previously owned business aircraft for Duncan Aviation for the last 18 years. However, he quickly added that newer aircraft (those less than 15 years old) are faring much better than their older counterparts.
Members of the Teterboro Airport Industry Working Group are reviewing progress on a series of initiatives they developed to improve safety and community relations at the busy New Jersey general aviation airport. The initiatives, rolled out late in 2006 at a press conference with frequent airport critic Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), include a voluntary nighttime curfew and a voluntary agreement to fly only Stage 3 or quieter aircraft.
