AVIATION INSIDERS IN Washington are questioning how long Marion Blakey will continue to serve as FAA administrator, given the increasing amount of political and rhetorical ordnance falling on her position.
Further establishing business aviation as a global market, Moline, Ill.-based Elliott Aviation will make its first-ever appearance at EBACE in Geneva this year to showcase its range of total aircraft upgrades -- including its EASA-certified Elite Series cockpit upgrade -- to owners of European-registered aircraft.
Questioned whether the new alliance believes the current ATC system should stay, Boyer responded at the April 11 press conference that the status quo is not an option, but neither is the funding mechanism in the FAA reauthorization proposal. Kenneth Mead, former inspector general of the U.S. DOT, is now special counsel for transportation and government affairs at Baker Botts LLP in Washington.
RMS Technology has added three runway incursion solutions in the recent update to its Vista moving map. Prior to this update, Vista displayed airport diagrams with the aircraft's position overlaid. This now can happen automatically whenever the aircraft is on the ground. Additionally, a marker feature that makes it easier to overlay handwritten notes on the airport graphic or any other scanned chart has been included. The upgrade also adds a prominent visual and audible warning whenever the aircraft is about the cross onto a runway. RMS Technology
The 1962 movie "The Longest Day," about the Allies' D-Day invasion of France in 1944, was epic both in scope and time. With a running time of more than three hours, the film was dubbed "The Longest Movie," by some critics who complained that it seemed longer than the invasion itself.
Nav Canada will raid the piggy bank to breakeven after a rate cut. The government-chartered corporation released its financial results April 13 for the three and six months that ended Feb. 28, 2007. "Increased traffic growth together with the company's continued focus on cost control, provide the opportunity to offer lower service charges to our customers while meeting our essential safety and service obligations" said John Crichton, Nav Canada president and CEO.
Rosen Aviation's new aviation quality DVD/CD player is a region-free design that allows passengers to view DVDs from around the world while in flight, according to the company. It will integrate with existing cabin entertainment equipment using RS 232 and RS 485 interfaces. It features a switched audio/video output that allows users to switch between the DVD and an auxiliary source such as a moving map, audio or visual briefings, or other A/V sources. The unit will operate vertically or horizontally allowing it to be placed where it will save the most cabin space.
Modern business aircraft efficiently cruise as high as 51,000 feet, where the outside air pressure is 89-percent less than that at sea-level and the temperature is a decidedly brisk -56.5°C (-87.7°F). If you were exposed unprotected to such an extreme altitude and temperature, you would lose consciousness in three to five seconds and then freeze to death in a matter of minutes.
Aruba Airport Authority and Universal Aviation Aruba, a subsidiary of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., welcomed corporate executives, local officials and media representatives as it celebrated the grand opening of Aruba's new 1,500 square-meter General Aviation Terminal April 20. The stand-alone facility is operated by Universal Aviation under an agreement with the Aruba Airport Authority and is located at the Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad, Aruba. The grand opening honored Universal's founder, Thomas G.
The FAA is seeking comments regarding an official interpretation to the condition of "known icing." Responding to an inquiry as to when "known ice" exists as part of an enforcement action, the agency's Eastern Region counsel last June formally stated that high relative humidity constitutes known icing conditions. AOPA objected, saying such a determination was overreaching.
"Now is a good time to be an aircraft broker," declared John Didier of Sacramento Aviation, a California company that deals mostly with previously owned business turboprops and light jets. "Business is good. The late-model, low-time market has been pretty good for the last couple of years. Now the average older airplane is gaining attention."
Edwards & Associates, The Tennessee-based subsidiary of Bell Helicopter, has installed the CMC Electronics SureSight M-Series Enhanced Vision System (EVS) sensor on an Agusta Westland AW-139 helicopter for a corporate customer.
PremiAir, the U.K.'s largest helicopter charter operator, has been acquired by the von Essen Group, a British-owned luxury hotel chain, from Sir Robert McAlpine. The acquisition follows a successful relationship between the two companies with PremiAir managing von Essen's fleet of business helicopters and jets, and operating the London Heliport for it since earlier this year.
*April 2 -- A Piper PA-28 owned by L&J Sanders Properties LLC collided with trees while cruising near New Tazewell, Tenn. Witnesses reported that the airplane came down out of the "clouds" and then climbed back up. When it came down a second time, it was on its side and went out of sight. The witnesses heard a loud crash and called 911. The NTSB examination found the airplane in a densely wooded area. It was IFR at altitude, but no flight plan was filed. The private pilot was fatally injured.
Elliott Aviation has received EASA certification for its Elite Series cockpit upgrade, becoming the first company in the world to receive European approval for the installation of Universal Avionics' EFI-890R large-format flat-panel display system and Vision-1 synthetic vision system. Elliott installed the equipment in a French-registered 1982 Dassault Falcon 100 at its completion center at Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) in Moline, Ill. The facility also is an EASA-certified repair station.
For the past half century, our sibling, Aviation Week & Space Technology, has been presenting Laureate awards annually to individuals and groups whom the AW&ST editors select for having distinguished themselves in advancing the aerospace industry.
Lufthansa has extended its deal with NetJets Europe for another five years to supply VIP passenger uplift for its Lufthansa Private Jet (LPJ) program. Launched two years ago, LPJ books around 10 aircraft per day, Lufthansa reports. Aircraft operated by NetJets Europe for LPJ include the Citation XLS, Hawker 800XP and Falcon 2000.
Motocross is a fusion of "motorcycle" and "cross country" and is usually referred to by aficionados simply as "MX." An outgrowth of scrambling and other off-road activities, the sport matches all the obstacles nature can provide against riders garbed in lightweight fiberglass armor riding lightweight, powerful bikes with suspensions capable of extreme excursions. Tracks where riders compete for prizes have man-made jumps and berms, but not asphalt. This is dirt biking - no pavement, please.
The NBAA recently released a new interactive 90-minute training aid designed to improve safety during approach and landing. Developed in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the NBAA Approach-and-Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR) training aid tailors the FSF ALAR Tool Kit for business aircraft operators. The NBAA ALAR incorporates publications and presentations from the FSF Tool Kit and adds new visual aids and a discussion leader's guide.
The DOT released the final requirements for Washington, D.C.-area businesses to seek reimbursement for lost income stemming from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. DOT, which proposed the requirements in October, agreed to provide more time for businesses to submit an application and made other changes to the application process at the request of aviation groups. The final rule, published in the April 9 Federal Register, provides businesses 60 days from the rule's May 9, 2007 effective date to submit their application for reparations.
In "Will Climate Change Challenge BizAv?" (February, page 40) Mal Gormley obviously has spent too much time listening to Al Gore. The idea that human activity is causing Earth to warm up is most definitely disputed by many scientists, as well as the fact that we can do anything about it. The current rate of climate change is well within the cycle of normal climate changes that have occurred in the past, such as when the Vikings farmed in Greenland and an ice sheet over a mile thick covered the Midwest.
This month, Executive Beechcraft, the Midwestern aircraft service company, expects to receive an STC for its installation of the Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suite in the Beechcraft King Air C90.
Accidents involving U.S. business turbine aircraft were up slightly in the first quarter of 2007, but the number of fatalities decreased, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. There were 19 accidents in the first three months, including five which resulted in 11 fatalities. During the same period in 2006, there were 16 accidents involving business turbine operators, with five of them claiming 15 lives.
