Aircraft price indexes published by Vref, the Shawnee Mission, Kan., publisher, show that the composite values for popular corporate turboprops continued their gradual climb into the third quarter of this year. Meanwhile, Vref's price index for light business jets remained flat, and the indexes for heavy-iron and medium business jets dropped by the end of June (see accompanying chart).
Seattle-based Raisbeck Engineering has received FAA certification of a new, larger nacelle wing locker for Beech King Airs. The so-called Crown Locker is available for the King Air C90, E90, C90GT, 200, B200, 300 and 350.
NASA, the FAA and Ohio State University conducted an extensive joint research program on tailplane icing during the mid-1990s, the results of which were published in NASA and FAA research reports and incorporated into FAA guidance. Research on critical ice shapes continues by NASA, the FAA and others, and this work is applicable to both wings and tailplanes. For example, in recent years there has been extensive research on residual and inter-cycle ice shapes for pneumatic boot deicing, and runback ice shapes for thermal ice protection systems.
Acrohelipro Global Services Inc., Richmond, British Columbia, has appointed Steve Walford as director, customer and technical support. Darcy McAlpine has been named sales manager for Western Canada.
Cessna Aircraft Co. has been recognized by NetJets twice this year for cooperative efforts contributing to the overall success of NetJets -- Cessna's largest customer. Cessna received the first-ever NetJets Annual Performance Award for process improvements implemented in 2005 to decrease maintenance downtime on NetJets aircraft. After applying Six Sigma lean improvement processes, NetJets Aviation's uptime was increased by 30 percent, equivalent to a four-day reduction of maintenance time per aircraft.
European orders for the ZR LITE Learjet 35/36 performance system are now being taken by Aero-Dienst, the newest member of Raisbeck Engineering's network of authorized ZR LITE installation centers. The modification, approved by EASA in September, is designed to increase allowable maximum takeoff weight under "limiting conditions," such as higher-altitude airports and shorter sea-level runways.
Raytheon Aircraft Co., Wichita announced the appointment of Greg McCurley to the position of vice president, Hawker Resale, reporting to Don Dwyer, vice president, Global Commercial Aircraft Sales. Randy Nelson is now senior vice president, for product development and engineering and David Bernstorf has become vice president, airworthiness, certification and technical engineering.
At the Suggs house, the cars are parked in the driveway because there's no space for them in the garage. That's where Cindy Suggs and her family have their weight room. Corporate communications manager for Universal Weather and Aviation in Houston, Suggs has been lifting for 15 years to "keep the obesity beast at bay" and to maintain a cardiovascular edge. "I had a hiatus where I didn't do anything, and I gained weight," she says, adding "it's been a challenge for me all my life."
According to FAR Part 21, STC holders are required to provide updates to ICAs, but in practice this is not always the case. The letter writer is correct about maintenance organizations not being aware of the situation, which is why we published the article.
On Aug. 30, the 500th EC 135 built at Eurocopter's German production facility in Donauwoerth was delivered to the Austrian Motorist and Touring Club (OEAMTC), which will use the twin-turboshaft rotorcraft in its air ambulance operations. This helicopter is the 25th EC 135 for OEAMTC, one of the largest private operators of this type in the world.
I was reading your article in B&CA about the King Air B100 (20/Twenty, September 2006, page 116) and would like to offer some feedback on TPE331 hot section inspections (HSI). Under Honeywell's Century program the cost cap of an HSI for a 331-6 is $62,000. Not all parts associated with the HSI are covered. I recently had an HSI done on a TPE331-6 at a Honeywell Authorized Service Center. The engine was making full power and was fully intact (no broken or non-intact blades, etc.). My cost for the HSI was $82,000.
Cessna's Citation Mustang has been granted full FAA type certification, making it what Cessna calls "the world's first fully certified, new-generation entry level business jet." Cessna continues its reluctance to apply the "very light jet" moniker to the Mustang. FAA type certification for the Mustang includes single-pilot operation, day/night operations, VFR/IFR operation, and operations in RVSM airspace.
You're flying an instrument approach in weather that includes icing conditions. When you lower the flaps, the yoke starts shaking. Is your wing stalling? If that's your conclusion, you and your passengers might soon become sad statistics. The unchecked accumulation of ice on the horizontal tail can significantly decrease the longitudinal stability and elevator control effectiveness of the aircraft. In fact an ice-contaminated tailplane stall (ICTS) can lead to a situation where controlled flight is impossible.
Air Methods, a major medical air transportation provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with American Eurocopter to purchase 10 AS 350 B2/B3 AStar helicopters annually, on an indefinite basis. The AStars will join Air Methods' current fleet of approximately 200 rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft that includes Eurocopter, Bell, MD and Sikorsky helicopters.
The McCabe Group, LLC, Newark, Del., is a newly formed aviation/aerospace management consulting firm headed by Bill McCabe, who recently retired as global managing director, aviation for the DuPont Co. Prior to his tenure at DuPont, McCabe served 25 years as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel.
Adam Aircraft recently completed a $93 million funding round led by a new investor, DCM, a venture capital firm, and other new investors including Mesirow Financial, W Capital Partners, D.E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, LLC, Acadia Woods Partners and several unnamed European investors. Previous investors Goldman Sachs and Hunt Growth Capital also participated. The company says it plans to use its new capital to accelerate the certification of the A700 AdamJet and ramp up production of the FAA-certified A500 piston twin.
GOING THROUGH THE newspaper last month, I turned to page B10 and there he was. The picture showed him to be older and a bit stockier than the man for whom I'd worked for 20 years starting in the mid-1960s, but there was no mistaking it was he. The headline read, "William B. Ziff Jr., 76, Builder of Magazine Empire, Dies." Yes, the end comes to all of us eventually, but with some people you think, Naw, not him, he'll get a pass. Bill Ziff for sure seemed one of those. He was so smart, he'd figure a way around it.
Rockwell Collins has unveiled Tailwind 300, its latest satellite television offering for business jets. The Tailwind 300 is ideal for the super midsize and larger aircraft operating within the contiguous United States. First delivery of the system is expected by mid-2007.
The new 2007 Pro-Flight Library CD from ASA contains the complete text and images for such important topics as: -Regulations: Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (all the FARs), Hazmat regulations, EPA, NTSB and TSA regulations; -Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) -Airworthiness Directives (ADs) -Practical Test Standards -Advisory Circulars -Dale Crane's Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms Price: 4.95 Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. 7005 132nd Pl. SE
SheltAir Aviation Services has acquired the Sowell Aviation Services FBO at Panama City-Bay County International Airport in Panama City, Fla. As part of the acquisition, SheltAir Panama City, LLC, and its new FBO operating entity, SheltAir Aviation Services Panama City, now have over 40,000 square feet of FBO terminal, aircraft hangar and associated office space.
