Universal Avionics officials said they expected to receive type inspection authorization by the end of March for the Tucson-based company's Gulfstream III flight deck retrofit. IFR Avionics in Van Nuys, Calif., is doing the installation, which features four Universal Avionics EFI-890 flat-panel displays. The EFI-890 is an 8.9-inch (measured diagonally), high- definition LCD that the manufacturer claims is the only large display on the market today that is capable of both synthetic vision and electronic charts.
Looking for opportunities to advance your career, or that of the technicians who work for you? There are plenty of ways to help build the skills and confidence to become better technicians, and better leaders, while improving the safety and effectiveness of your operation. Consider the NBAA's Professional Development Program (PDP) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program. Both provide the skills and leadership training necessary to lead a well-run flight department.
As much as I enjoyed reading Bob Searles' "For the Record" in the March B&CA (page 48), there was one business jet round-the-world record missing -- one near and dear to the heart of every pilot/golfer out there (not too many of those, are there?). Thirty-one years ago, a red, white and blue Learjet Model 36, N200Y, named "Freedom's Way USA" launched at 1024 MST on May 17, 1976, from Combs Gates at the old Denver Stapleton Airport in quest of the medium jet round-the-world speed record.
FlightSafety International's Citation Mustang simulator in Wichita was recently granted FAA Level D and European Aviation Safety Agency interim Level C approval. Pilot training for Cessna's newest and lightest jet is under way at FlightSafety's Citation learning center in Wichita. Full EASA Level D certification is anticipated for later this year and FlightSafety plans to begin Mustang training at its Farnborough center outside London in the fourth quarter.
Aurora Jet Center has added 82,000 square feet of hangar space, 10,800 square feet of office space, and upgraded the lobby and pilot lounge at its facility at Southend Airpark in Aurora, Ore. An AvFuel dealer, Aurora is located 20 minutes south of Portland.
The Canadian government, academia and several companies have formed a national trade organization to promote advancement and use of Canadian expertise in unmanned vehicle systems. The new organization, known as AUVSI-Canada, is affiliated with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle System International (AUVSI) and will be headquartered in Ottawa. As part of its launch activities, AUVSI is considering a conference to highlight Canadian and related activities in unmanned systems this fall, representatives said.
IT WAS A FEBRUARY EVENING. I had just arrived in Tokyo after eight days of crisscrossing the Far East and my circadian rhythm was a wreck. In addition to being tired, I was somewhat tipsy, since my captain had insisted I join him for drinks at the karaoke pub next door to the hotel. I quickly downed two Cuba libres and set off for my room, eager for sleep. Once inside, I began stripping to my altogether as I beelined for the bed. I didn't bother with the lights. The door had barely shut before I was sawing logs.
Boutsen Aviation of Monaco, headed by ex-Formula One race driver Thierry Boutsen, has delivered the first of eight Piaggio Avanti IIs to an undisclosed customer. Boutsen Aviation also has two Airbus ACJs on order, also for undisclosed customers, with deliveries due in 2008 and 2009.
THE ART OF CREATING tax structures can become a game of musical chairs. Where will the boss be sitting when the music stops? Dizzying combinations of C-corporations, Sub S-corporations, LLCs and a variety of partnerships and trusts create the illusion that the boss is everywhere or nowhere, depending on who is asking the question.
As thunderstorm season gets back into full bloom in North America, Canada's Transportation Safety Board is nearing completion of its investigation into the Aug. 2, 2005, crash of Air France Flight 358 at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Two crewmembers and nine passengers were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed by fire when it ran off the end of Runway 24L and broke up in a ravine just outside the airport perimeter fence.
REMEMBER THAT SCENE from "Jurassic Park" where the young female scientist tracks down the ailing triceratops, which has collapsed beside a huge pile of its own excrement? As the camera focuses on a huge steaming pyramid of dinosaur dung, Jeff Goldblum's character remarks, "That is one big pile of s###!" The business and general aviation community, along with key House Democrats, are expressing similar sentiments about the Bush administration's proposed FAA reauthorization bill.
ACROHELIPRO Global Services Inc. (subsidiary of Vector Aerospace Corp.), Richmond, British Columbia, announced the appointment of Russell (Rusty) Stevens as sales manager for ACROHELIPRO-Alabama.
The NTSB is investigating why the front and side windshields of at least 14 aircraft at Denver International Airport cracked in a winter storm early last month. The board is examining the windshields to determine what factors -- including strong winds and rapid temperature and pressure changes -- may have led to this unusual event. Initial conclusions lean toward wind-driven sand, but a definitive explanation is still yet to come.
Jet Aviation, Zurich, Switzerland, announced that Heinz Kohli, CEO of the Jet Aviation Group, has decided to leave the company. Carl Hirschmann will serve as interim CEO.
FlightSafety International, La Guardia Airport, New York, named John Van Maren as director of the newly formed FlightSafety Simulation Operation Support unit. Benjamin Burton has been appointed staff vice president, compliance and regulatory affairs. He is based in Washington, D.C.
Plan now for the mid-June U.S. Open at Oakmont, Pa., advises Corporate Air, a full-service FBO at Allegheny County Airport (AGC), the principal reliever for Pittsburgh International and fifth busiest in Pennsylvania. Ramp space, while plentiful, will fill quickly, and schedulers and dispatchers are urged to reserve parking early, says Christine Madden, director of marketing, sales and acquisitions for Corporate Air. Aircraft with advance reservations will be offered discounts on fuel, Madden says.
As a regular reader of B&CA may I draw your attention to the New Prestwick Centre, part of the national "Two Centre Strategy," with the new Centre at Swanwick in Southern England, safeguarding the provision of Air Traffic Control services to domestic, international and oceanic flights. At the same time, a formal announcement was made of the introduction of the dual National Air Traffic Service (NATS) Prestwick and Nav Canada, Gander, SAATS, Oceanic Control System, replacing the 19-year old Flight Data Progress System (FDPS).
Chances are that most travelers who use New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport or Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport recognize the people for whom the places were named. But how many of the tens of thousands of people who each day pass through America's two busiest airports -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Chicago's O'Hare International -- know why they're so named? Probably not many.
At 1700 PST, a Piper PA28-140 collided with trees during an attempted forced landing about 10 miles northwest of Crescent Lake, Ore. The aircraft was on a pleasure flight that departed Eugene, Ore., a half hour before the accident. There was no flight plan. The pilot reported that he was flying a low-level en route to Crescent Lake when the aircraft began to lose engine power. He applied carburetor heat, but that didn't help the problem. As the engine lost more power, he decided to make a forced landing in the densely forested mountainous terrain.
Cabin entertainment equipment from Flight Display Systems is now available as a factory option for Agusta A109S Grand helicopters by way of Northern Avionics of Milan, Italy. A standard entertainment system for that helicopter includes an LCD monitor, a moving map computer processing unit and a DVD/CD/MP3 player.
Embraer has begun final assembly of its Phenom 100 prototype in preparation for a midyear first flight. The Brazilian manufacturer recently assembled several fuselage sections at the Embraer factory in Botucatu. Embraer said the assembly confirmed that the components conform to the CATIA V5 virtual design. Final assembly will begin at the Embraer production plant in Sao Jose dos Campos. Embraer also began integration tests of the avionics rig for the Phenom 100 Prodigy flight deck.
SEACOR's Aviation Division has signed an agreement under which Sikorsky subsidiary Keystone Helicopter Corp. will provide it with aviation maintenance and completion services. SEACOR's Aviation Division includes Era helicopters, Era Leasing, EraMed and an FBO at Anchorage International Airport. The division operates more than 160 helicopters in the northeastern United States, the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska supporting a wide range of oil and gas exploration and production, firefighting, and aeromedical and sightseeing operations.
CGTM (a Turbomeca subsidiary), Bordes, France, has named Pierre Fabre as its new president. He replaces Henri Sala, who is retiring. Helene Sendrane has been named executive vice president.
Innovative Solutions & Support, Inc. - the Exton, Pa.-based maker of flat-panel displays, flight information computers and advanced monitoring systems - has signed an agreement with Cessna Aircraft to provide flat-panel displays for legacy Citations. The new systems will be distributed and installed through 34 Citation service centers worldwide.
