Raytheon Aircraft Services recently secured FAA STC approval to install Rockwell Collins' Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) on the Pro Line 21-equipped Premier I. The IFIS is standard equipment on all new Premier IA jets, providing electronic charts, graphical weather and enhanced map display capabilities. The electronic charting function includes approaches, procedures, airport diagrams and NOTAMs. The IFIS also allows operators to receive real-time data link weather images.
Cessna delivered the 100th Citation CJ3 on Aug. 28 to Jeffrey Mark, CEO, principal owner and cofounder of Mark-Taylor Residential Inc., an Arizona-based real estate development corporation. A pilot for 16 years, Mark has owned a Cessna CitationJet, a Citation CJ2 and Citation CJ3. He said his previous Cessnas have flown him to both U.S. coasts, Alaska, Costa Rica and Mexico, among other destinations. He said he expects this CJ3 to perform similar missions.
Schedulers and dispatchers will now be able to reach for the eFlyBook, a light (13.7 ounces) and compact tablet display, to check reference books, charts, directories and their current FAR/AIM instead of pulling a heavy book, binder or cumbersome folding chart from the reference shelf. ARINC, partnered with MyAirplane.com, announced the device as a cockpit tool for general aviation pilots, but it's even more likely to find its way to the operations desk.
CharterMatrix.com, part of Private Jet Charters, launched a service for all travelers that lets them take advantage of available seats on charted flights by using a new searchable online tool. The company says that this tool takes the dynamics of searching and pricing a flight to a different level by allowing customers real-time availability. The software will allow travelers to customize their searches by state, city, region and airport.
Bombardier delivered 75 new aircraft in the second quarter, compared with 81 in the same period a year ago. The 75 units consisted of 48 business jets (compared with 41 a year earlier) and 26 regional aircraft (down from 39 in the corresponding period), plus one CL-415 amphibious aircraft.
It was an IMC morning when the single pilot lifted off from Greater Binghamton/Edwin A. Link Field (BGM), Binghamton, N.Y. en route to William H. Morse State Airport (DDH), Bennington, Vt., where the Embraer 110P1 was to undergo scheduled maintenance. Company flight followers reported that the ATP pilot had attempted one VOR approach to minimums for Runway 13, but had not been able to land and was attempting a second approach when contact was lost.
An EASA-certified mod center, Elliott Aviation recently refurbished an EASA-registered Falcon 100 based in Paris, France. Elliott has been working with EASA on validation of its FAA STCs for its Elite Series Falcon 10/100 cockpit upgrade, which includes a Universal EFI-890R large-format flat-panel display system. Elliott's STCs also include TCAS II/ACAS, FMS, Class A TAWS, dual radio control units for 8.33 kHz and flight ID and synthetic vision. Elementary and Enhanced Mode S Surveillance was also incorporated into the STCs for full European mandate compliance.
ARINC Direct has announced a choice of hardware and service solutions for aircraft operators needing replacement for their Teledyne MagnaStar air-ground phone systems. With either option, operators can add ACARS data link service via ARINC Direct.
The United Kingdom is to introduce a single set of civil aviation requirements in its overseas territories. Air Safety Support International, a subsidiary of the British Civil Aviation Authority, will oversee the regulations. The territories include Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Gibraltar -- and, of course, the Isle of Man as Mike Vines details in an item in this section (page 18).
A new regional report reinforces general aviation's position that aviation benefits everyone. Southwest Florida International Airport contributed $3.6 billion to the region's economy in 2005, up 74 percent from $2 billion in 1999, according to a new economic impact study completed by Cincinnati-based consultancy Ricondo & Associates. The study analyzed the airport's direct and indirect contributions to the Southwest Florida economy, including revenue from airlines, airport shops and restaurants, cargo handlers and other airport operations.
Recently I read "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness - Do You Conform?" (B&CA, August 2006, page 56) and thought that I should expand on a very important point that was hinted at in a quote from VF Corp.'s Steve Rahn, in which he states, "The only thing I worry about is being notified by the STC holder/installer of any changes to the ICAs." In my position as chief - Maintenance Analysis and Planning, I deal with this problem daily.
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Coast Guard took over the interception duties for ADIZ violations in the National Capital Region that previously had been the responsibility of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine. Both agencies are part of the Department of Homeland Security. Pilots who enter the ADIZ without a clearance will now be met by the bright orange HH-65C Dolphins of Air Station Atlantic City, which will rotate crews down to pull 24/7 duty while operating out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) plans to hold its fall membership meeting on Sunday, Oct. 15 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. As usual, the NARA meeting has been scheduled to take place adjacent to the NBAA annual meeting and convention, which will be held in nearby Orlando from Tuesday, Oct. 17 through Thursday, Oct. 19.
DAC International is the exclusive stocking distributor for DMA-Aero's full line of test equipment. DMA-Aero has several models of RVSM- and DRVSM-compliant air data test sets (ADTS). The top-of the-line MPS 38 controls three pressures separately and independently to verify angle of attack when "smart" pitot tubes are used in conjunction with pitot and static pressures. DAC International 6702 McNeil Dr. Austin, TX 78729 (512) 231-5323 www.dacint.com
In a new contract from Airservices Australia, Sensis Corp. will supply multistatic dependent surveillance over Tasmania, with coverage down to the ground at Hobart and Launceston airports. The system initially will provide en route surveillance with multilateration and ADS-B, with accuracy of better than 150 meters (490 feet). Full-scale operations will begin in 2008, and maintenance will be simplified for the Australians with a Sensis remote control and monitoring system.
THE WEATHER WAS HARDLY atypical for a summer afternoon in Florida -- warm, breezy and VMC with low scattered clouds, but there were thunderstorms in and around the St. Augustine area. It was Aug. 25, 2006, and Ward and Barbara Walter were among the many aloft over the Sunshine State. They were southeast bound from Bloomington, Ind., making their way to Governor's Harbour Airport on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas where their vacation home was located. They planned an intermediate stop in Melbourne before heading out across the Atlantic.
The majority of corporate operators who incur taxes while operating in Europe outsource the recovery of refunds to a company specializing in the process. VATAmerica, a member of the NBAA, has a dedicated aviation division with extensive experience in processing VAT (and, with limitations, Mineral Oil Tax -- MOT) refunds. Customers of Universal Weather and Aviation Services who use Universal to manage various expenses while overseas can obtain VAT accounting automatically from VATAmerica.
CAE recently won a four-year contract extension valued at $30 million (U.S.) to provide pilot training for Flight Options through 2010. Flight Options will send its pilots to the CAE SimuFlite training center at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The training will cover the entire Flight Options fleet, which includes the Beechjet 400A, Hawker 400XP, Hawker 800XP, Citation X and Embraer Legacy.
The Singapore Airshow has awarded a $38 million contract to Eng Lim Construction to build its new site in Changi North for its first event in 2008. BAE Systems, Boeing, EADS (including Airbus), Rolls-Royce International, ATI, Honeywell, L-3 Communications, United Technologies Corp., Bell Helicopter Textron, Saab, SIA Engineering, Sukhoi and anchor exhibitor ST Engineering have registered to participate. The Singapore Airshow replaces Asian Aerospace, a biennial event for the past 25 years, which was relocated to Hong Kong.
Professional baseball players have not merely been airplane passengers; many have become pilots. For some big leaguers, the convenience of charter flights during the baseball season helped convince them to take up flying themselves. During the 1970s especially, a variety of ballplayers -- including New York Yankee captain Thurman Munson, Detroit Tiger pitcher Denny McLain and Los Angeles Dodger players Don Sutton, Rick Monday and Reggie Smith -- earned their wings.
The "adjacency" of the electronic games industry to the aircraft simulation business is only part of the reason for the startling realism available in today's newest simulators, but it's an important one. Coupled with enormous advances in computer clock speeds and throughput, current software ensures that today's sims are as close to real as a fool-you device can get. Off-the-shelf data now available commercially means easy access to satellite imagery and other geodata that comes complete on a couple of DVDs.
RAC is issuing this Safety Communiqué to provide updated information. This Safety Communiqué also announces revisions to the various model-specific AFMs. Due to design similarities, this information is applicable to all listed models (which includes all Raytheon Mitsubishi Model MU-300; Beechjet Model 400, 400a (including Hawker 400xp); Model 400t (T-1a and TX) aircraft.)
Flaps fully extended and landing gear down and locked, the King Air B100 descended to Runway 33 at North Central State airport in Pawtucket, R.I. The right main landing gear touched down approximately two feet prior to the runway, and collapsed when the wheel struck the elevated runway edge. The airplane subsequently came to rest upright off the right side of the runway. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
