International Communications Group (ICG), a Newport News, Va.-based provider of aeronautical and mobile satellite communications products, has implemented an authorized dealer program to strengthen the company's relationship with avionics modification centers and provide more support and training. Authorized dealers will receive preferred dealer pricing, a demo suite for trade shows, marketing collateral, training and technical support, and space on the ICG Web site.
GE Infrastructure named Marcus Balmforth to lead its airport work within its GE Commercial Aviation Services unit. Balmforth joins the company from Macquarie Bank London, where he served as division director heading up European airports. Before joining Macquarie, he held senior management positions at London Luton Airport and BAA.
JetDirect Aviation of Berwyn, Pa., announced it has embarked on an ambitious program to acquire premier FBOs and FAR Part 135 charter operators with significant fleets of managed aircraft. The company has acquired FBOs in St. Louis, Dallas and Philadelphia. It also has additional primary Part 135 bases in Farmingdale, N.Y., and in Van Nuys, Calif.
On Dec. 30, 2005, a Beech King Air B100 was inbound to La Ronge, Saskatchewan, from Pinehouse Lake, Saskatchewan, on an EMS flight. On descent, the crew noticed ice building in the wing leading edges. According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada report, "At approximately six nm on final, the crew operated the wing deice boots; however, a substantial amount of residual ice remained after application of the boots.
David Esler's article "Why Your Community Needs Its Airport" in the August issue (page 46) was very good. However, I think you should have focused more on the noise issues. I have heard the enemy and they are us. Aircraft departure noise is the greatest cause of community complaints and very little is being done by the aviation community to reduce it.
The NTSB recommended that the FAA require that, when amending a runway assignment, controllers provide a specific instruction to the pilot advising of that change. For example, "UPS 1307, change to Runway 25L, cleared to land." The recommendation stems from an incident when a UPS freighter crew in the throes of an emergency landing was cleared to land on one runway, then missed the call to change to another.
Sacramento, Calif.-based Axis Jet has launched an air charter division to better serve its growing customer base of business and leisure travelers. The fleet will include a King Air 350, 300 and C90B. Price: Varies with aircraft Axis Jet Sacramento Executive Airport Sacramento, CA 95822 (916) 391-5000 www.axisjet.com
The new IRS Notice 2005-45 prejudices owners and fractional owners while benefiting charters and jet cards. Follow the math. Scenario One: Owner/fractional owner flies annually 10 two-hour business flights (20 hours) and flies two two-hour personal flights with his family of four (20 hours.) Owner/fractional owner loses 50 percent of the tax deduction of the aircraft encompassing all operational and management expenditures as well as 50 percent of the aircraft depreciation (including Section 179 depreciation, if applicable.)
Refurbishment at Signature Flight Support's Le Bourget-based business is continuing after additional recent acquisitions on the field. It now has 13 hangars, three business aviation terminals, over 54,000 square meters of ramp space, and is the largest FBO at airport. A refurbishment of the crew and passenger areas is nearing completion at the terminal purchased from PrivatAir in 2005. It will be re-branded Signature Paris Terminal 1 and used as the main passenger transit handling point.
You won't see this kind of conversion every day. Some Southwest Airlines passengers soon will be traveling in a former corporate airplane that had carried top-level automotive executives. As part of a Southwest effort to pick up some used Boeing 737-700s, the carrier recently acquired an airplane that was part of the Ford Motor Co. corporate fleet, and which was used mostly in Europe.
Robert Wilson and his company, Wilson Air Center, have been recognized by Shell Aviation for operational excellence and dedication to delivering quality customer service that reflects the Shell brand at the company's three FBOs.
"Flying the Garmin G1000" has been updated to highlight recent enhancements to this avionics suite. Updates include a section on the use of the active traffic advisory (TAS) that is an option with the G1000 and how this technology differs from the Traffic Information Service. Also discussed is the use of Garmin's integrated Ready Pad system that allows the pilot to use almost all MFD functions from the pedestal-mounted keypad. Price: $24.94 Sporty's Pilot Shop (800) SPORTYS www.sportys.com
The National Aeronautic Association will award Norman Mineta, the former secretary of transportation, the 2006 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. The trophy is presented annually by the NAA "to a living American for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States." The award will be presented to Mineta Dec. 15 at a banquet hosted by the Aero Club of Washington.
Vref, the aircraft price guide for flight department, dealers and brokers, has enhanced its aircraft valuation software, Vref for Windows. With this updated version, pilots and aviation professionals can print out a decade of price history for every year and model of aircraft. The software is normally used to determine the current market value of general aviation and business airplanes. Users can now view a line graph that depicts the retail price history of each aircraft from 1995. Price: $49.95 (single-edition); $175.00 (one-year subscription)
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that trust fund receipts and accrued interest will reach $11.2 billion in fiscal 2006. Trust fund revenue is projected to increase by nearly 32 percent to $14.8 billion in 2011 and by more than 71 percent to $19.2 billion in 2016.
Nicholas Sabatini, FAA associate administrator for aviation safety, told the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee that he wanted to dispel concerns surrounding the introduction of the VLJ into the NAS. "The system is in place today to accommodate the entry of new aircraft into the NAS," Sabatini said. "This is nothing new for the FAA.
Continued strong sales of previously owned, turbine-powered aircraft to corporations, combined with the "impressive performance" of world stock markets in recent months, seem to bode well for the near-term health of the used business-aircraft market. That was the assessment of Paul Wyatt, managing editor of the Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest, in the third quarter edition of his Marketline newsletter.
The FAA's New England Regional Aviation System Plan predicts that airline traffic in the region will grow substantially during the next 15 years, and that growth will require the expansion of both air carrier and general aviation airports within the six-state area. The new report describes a regional strategy to accommodate the anticipated increase at New England's 11 major commercial-service airports from the current 43 million airline passengers annually to an estimated 76 million yearly by 2020.
NATA has developed Operational Control Workshops designed to help FAR Part 135 on-demand operators comply with the FAA's newly revised A008 OpSpec for Operational Control. For over a year, the FAA has been conducting an ongoing investigation of Part 135 operational control issues associated with aircraft leases between charter operators and aircraft owners, and the use of alternate business names. The investigation led to the issuance of new guidance by the agency.
Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) are coming on strong for one simple reason. Anyone who has ever flown an Instrument Competency Check (ICC) ride under the hood in VFR conditions knows that "One peek is worth a thousand cross-checks." One quick look at the outside world instantly clears up any confusion regarding aircraft attitude, proximity to terrain and obstructions, and distance to go to the runway, among other critical elements of situational awareness.
Several vexing problems with the new international aircraft registry remain to be solved before business aircraft buyers and sellers will be comfortable with the system, but Mike Nichols, NBAA's director of tax, economics and operational services, believes that progress is being made in addressing the industry's concerns. "It's fair to say we are making steady progress," said Nichols recently. "It's probably slower than any of us would like to see, but that's just the nature of something like this."
Quest Aircraft Co. has won Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) from the FAA for the its Kodiak, a single-engine utility turboprop. TIA means Quest and FAA officials can now conduct final inspections to ensure that the first production aircraft, s.n. 001, conforms to specifications. The Kodiak is designed to be an aerial truck, carrying passengers and cargo off short, unimproved landing strips in rugged terrain for a variety of missions.
Mike DeWeese, line service supervisor at Million Air Houston, was honored with the first "Houston Friendly Award" presented by the Houston Airport System. This award will be given quarterly to honor individuals who demonstrate excellence in customer service to passengers traveling though Houston's airports.
When the Garrett TFE731 engine made its debut on the Falcon 10 and Learjet 35/36 in the early 1970s, it revolutionized high-performance, light jet business aviation. Compared to turbojet engines that powered light jets of that era, the new turbofan TFE731 burned one-third less fuel and its FAR Part 36 Stage III sound levels provided welcome relief at noise-sensitive airports.
