Your Flight Log "Mr. Gulfstream" (April, page 100) was a very, very interesting report. However I never, ever, saw a two-engine Viscount, although I flew plenty with four. A wonderful airplane and back in those days BEA (British European Airways) operated them to 150-foot minimums -- better than today for Cat 1 operations.
How unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) might be allowed to fly more freely in civil airspace is the subject of RTCA Special Committee 203's first report delivered to the FAA. In turn, the FAA is expected to issue its Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) roadmap this month. A similar European committee also expects to finish its own working plan soon. The voluminous RTCA document and its many appendices illustrate the difficulty for regulatory authorities to accommodate UAVs ranging from less than one pound gross weight to those weighing 25,000 pounds or more.
The Challenger 605's Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite is considerably more capable, more reliable, weighs less and draws less power than the Pro Line 4 package installed in the Challenger 604. The four 10- by-12-inch LCD screens offer 55 percent more display area than the six 7.25-inch square CRT displays in the Challenger 604. The new LCDs offer improved pixel resolution, color contrast and considerably greater reliability. The entire layout is a close relative of the Pro Line 21 cockpit in the Challenger 300.
Gulfstream Aerospace says a Gulfstream 550 set two new city-pair flight records in March. The aircraft departed Auckland International Airport, New Zealand, on March 26 and flew 5,097 nm to Hong Kong in 11 hours, 32 minutes. Four days later the aircraft flew from Hong Kong to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas in 13 hours, nine minutes. Gulfstream is seeking confirmation of the record flights from the National Aeronautic Association.
Cessna Aircraft delivered the first Citation Encore+ to an unidentified customer. The Encore+ incorporates Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) equipped engines, a payload increase of 340 pounds to 1,170 pounds, a new integrated Collins Pro Line avionics suite and other improvements over the original Encore. The Encore+ is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535B engines.
The NORDAM Group has won the CJ4 cabinetry contract from Cessna, its first from the Wichita aircraft manufacturer. All the CJ4 work will be done in NORDAM's brand-new 120,000-square-foot facility in Wichita. The new facility opened in April and NORDAM will deliver the first CJ4 cabinet shipset in July.
EARLY IN MY CAREER, I was a writer for the Associated Press based in the wire service's Miami office. Back then, and probably still, Florida was full of odd characters and strange goings on that generated lots of news. I worked mostly the key afternoon and night shift, which fed the a.m. dailies. Since we got off work late at night, we young reporters hung out a lot together.
Mooney Airplane Co. and AmSafe, Inc. have announced the availability of AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR) retrofit kits for Mooney airplanes. The airbag systems are currently standard equipment on new Acclaims, Ovation 2GXs and Ovations 3s. The system is available in three separate configurations: front and back seat (four places); front seat only (two places) and rear seat only (two places). They come in gray or tan and take approximately one week to install. Price: $6,900 (two seats); $10,800 (four seats) Mooney Airplane Co.
U.K.-based BBA Aviation, the parent company of Signature Flight Support, has acquired 100 percent of the capital stock of the United States' Executive Beechcraft, Inc. It includes four full-service FBOs, their associated maintenance services and charter/management businesses, as well as aircraft sales activities and all aircraft inventory. In the year ended December 2006, Executive Beechcraft had sales of $63 million and gross assets of $33 million.
Intelligence | 17 * TSA, NATA, Airports Unveil New Screening Effort * Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. Acquires SWF as Possible Reliever * OpSpec A008 Oversight to Tighten * Nav Canada Goes to Piggy Bank to Avoid Loss Edited by James E. Swickard Commentary 7 | Viewpoint By William Garvey A Good and Clever Friend 84 | Cause & Circumstance By Richard N. Aarons Silent Too Long 88 | Point of Law By Kent S. Jackson Dueling FBOs
Xuron Corp. has introduced a new line of precision aircraft maintenance hand tools that are ideally suited for a wide range of avionics, harness making and repair applications, according to the company.
I was delighted to receive your note and pleased to learn of your satisfaction with B&CA. Orbis is indeed a fabulous application of technology for the good of humankind.
International Communications Group (ICG) of Newport News, Va., has earned FAA parts manufacturing approval (PMA) for replacement satellite communication systems on Gulfstream G150s.
AeroMech -- the Everett, Wash.-based company that provides RVSM certification and support services -- has teamed with Mid Canada Mod Center of Mississauga, Ontario, to certify Rockwell Collins IDS-3000 flat-panel displays in an RVSM-capable Cessna Citation 550. The process involved an upgrade to Aeromech's existing Citation 550 RVSM group STC.
(Salt Lake City) -- Brian R. Jones has joined the FBO's aircraft sales team and has been given the responsibility for the sale and acquisition of turboprop and jet aircraft. Prior to joining Million Air Salt Lake City, Jones, who has almost 40 years of aircraft sales experience, owned and operated B.R. Jones and Associates, LLC and previously held marketing and sales positions with Learjet, Raytheon and Piper.
I just came across the October 2006 issue of B&CA where you have a brief description of a Hawker that collided with a glider near Reno. You state that, "The female pilot suffered lacerations from flying glass . . ." The inclusion of the pilot's gender is irrelevant to the story. Unless you intend to include this modifier in all future references to pilots ("the male pilot," "the female pilot"), it would seem to be a sexist approach to reporting that should be discontinued.
Sabreliner Corp. -- the Perryville, Mo., company that offers a variety of modifications and retrofit programs designed to extend the service life of the venerable business jet to 30,000 hours or landings -- recently refurbished "Sabre One," the first Sabreliner business jet ever produced.
The NTSB said it believes a Piper PA-46-310P Mirage crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in April shortly after taking off from the Bahamas. The aircraft, N444JH, had departed Nassau International Airport for Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fla., International Airport on April 10 at about 1650 EDT. The pilot and the controller had several communications about altitude and heading before the pilot was advised to contact Miami Air Route Traffic Control after being cleared to climb to 12,000 feet. The pilot did not acknowledge the last transmission.
The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Integrated Display System (IDS) has been certified on a Piaggio 180 aircraft. Jet Works of Denton, Texas, installed the system in the twin-turboprop aircraft. The Pro Line 21 IDS is an upgrade program that is less expensive than performing a major cockpit retrofit. The system integrates next-generation LCDs and enhanced graphics with existing traffic alert collision avoidance, terrain awareness warning, communication, flight management and autopilot systems.
Bombardier, Montreal, Canada, appointed Bob Horner as vice president, international sales. Mike Fahey was named vice president, Learjet sales, with responsibility for Learjet sales worldwide.
I very much enjoyed David Esler's "Coping With the Future: Major Business Airports" (May, page 76). Each airport has its unique set of plusses and minuses.
Dassault says A, B and C checks intervals for the Falcon 7X average 50 percent greater than on any previous Falcon model, which the company says cuts maintenance costs and increases aircraft availability. Compared with previous Falcon 900 models, the F7X "A" check has gone up to nine months/600 flight hours from six months/300 flight hours. The "B" check has been extended to 2,400 flight hours from 1,500, and the most intensive, the "C" check, is now eight years or 4,000 flight cycles instead of six years and 3,750 flight cycles.
Mooney Airplane Co., Kerrville, Texas, appointed John McCoury as vice president of engineering. Jon Greenwood is the company's new vice president and chief financial officer, replacing Barry Hodkin, who has been appointed vice president of corporate planning.
DeCrane Aircraft Holdings has renamed itself DeCrane Aerospace to emphasize its stronger integration among its component businesses to provide seamless customer solutions across former business boundaries. DeCrane Aircraft Holdings was initially, indeed, a holding company for businesses acquired by founder Jack DeCrane and did little or no business of its own.
