I enjoyed reading Richard Aarons' "Over Gross, Over Tired and Iced Over" (Cause & Circumstance, June, page 80), but why did the article state twice that the pilot neglected to notify ATC of his change in alternate? Is this a purely factual statement or is the author making a judgment that the pilot should have informed ATC?
The Stearman Aircraft Co., which nearly closed its doors in the early 1930s, experienced a resurgence after deciding to focus on military aircraft instead of commercial airplanes. Harold Zipp and Jack Clark used Lloyd Stearman's Model 6 as the basis for a series of military trainers that saved the firm.
The SJ30-2's second-generation ECU-equipped, Williams FJ44-A turbofans are rated at 2,300 pounds of thrust for takeoff up to ISA+7°C, so thrust starts to drop as the OAT rises above 72°C. The -2 engines have a 2.1:1 bypass ratio and deep-fluted mixer nozzles for improved high-altitude thrust output and lower FAR Part 36 noise levels.
Boeing officially signed Connexion's death warrant on Aug. 17. The company announced that it has decided to exit the high-speed broadband communications connectivity markets. The Boeing move compounds the turmoil in the wake of Verizon's retreat from inflight phone service to business aircraft (see below). Boeing said it will work with its customers to facilitate an orderly phase out of the Connexion by Boeing service.
The 2004 fatal Challenger crash in Montrose, Colo., has again thrown the spotlight on charter brokers and the practice of "doing business as," or DBAs. The NTSB recommends that the DOT require FAR Part 135 on-demand operators to inform customers and passengers of the name of the company that has operational control of the flight, including any DBAs listed in the operations specifications, the name of the aircraft owner and the names of brokers involved in the flights. Similar rules already exist for Part 121 carriers that share codes.
A total of 36 of Banyan Air Service's technicians received the FAA AMT award. In addition, seven avionics technicians received AEA awards for excellence in avionics training. (This caption appeared with the incorrect photo.)
An international coalition of helicopter operators, manufacturers and industry groups has joined forces with the FAA and air traffic regulators from around the world for a new safety initiative aimed at cutting the helicopter accident rate by 80 percent over the next decade. The group, the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), expects to produce its first recommendations for safety improvements by the year-end.
(Hillsboro, Ore.) -- Stephen J. Johnson has been hired as a helicopter salesman and will be responsible for marketing new and used Bell rotary wing aircraft in Hillsboro Aviation's Bell sales territory, which covers 16 western states. He has more than a decade of turbine helicopter sales experience, with stints at Austin Jets, HAS Corp. and Africair. He also previously served as president of Helicopter Research and Marketing.
Galaxy Aviation has announced the appointment of Curtis George as general manager of the company's Boca Raton, Fla., facility. Anthony R. Sherbert has been selected as operations manager for the West Palm Beach, Fla., FBO and Alice Sutherland was appointed customer relations manager for Galaxy's newest facility in St. Augustine, Fla.
ADMS-COMMAND is an entry-level, modular ADMS system developed for emergency response agencies with limited training space or other financial or operational restrictions. ADMS-COMMAND uses the same technology used in the full, multi-station ADMS-TEAM system, but in a more adaptable and flexible configuration. ADMS-COMMAND is a single laptop-based training simulator, which is expandable into a team training system with the purchase of additional stations.
Torrejon, the NATO base near Madrid, that was originally offered to Spanish corporate jet operators in 1996 seems to be off the table and the search is on for an alternative airfield where corporate jets would be welcomed. Possibilities include: Getafe, a Spanish military airfield and the general aviation airfield at Cuatro Vientos. Both are close to Madrid so noise could be a problem. A third option is to build a new airport for business aviation.
Jet Aviation Dubai has been appointed by Gulfstream Aerospace as an Authorized Warranty Repair facility. The company's maintenance and FBO facility at Dubai International Airport is now authorized to perform heavy maintenance and repairs along with warranty work on Gulfstream aircraft.
TAG Aviation is growing its fleet of business jets in Asia Pacific, says Chief Executive Roger McMullin. Following the formation of TAG Asia (an aircraft management and charter company) in Hong Kong in 2005, with a French-registered Falcon 2000, the fleet is set to grow to five or six aircraft by year-end. A Global Express has been added, a Challenger 604 is due to arrive this month and a Global 5000 is booked for 2008 delivery.
Bong Wie, a professor at Arizona State University, has been selected to receive the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2006 Mechanics and Control of Flight Award.
When I was an FAA designated pilot examiner, I administered practical tests to a couple of applicants who quite honestly left me uncomfortable about issuing a pilot certificate. In one notable case, the applicant exhibited a strong disdain for rules and procedures, attributing them to "those Washington bureaucrats who don't know nuttin!" The applicant was wise enough to comply with the Practical Test Standards, so under FAA guidelines, he was entitled to the new rating on his pilot certificate regardless of my personal consternation and reservations.
The FAA has released Advisory Circular AC 120-92, Introduction to Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Air Charter that discusses the importance of incorporating SMS programs into various types of FAR Part 135 operations and provides guidance on how to implement such programs. The FAA characterized SMS as a quality management approach to controlling risk.
AirCell has received EASA certification for its ST 3100 satcom system installed on a Cessna Citation Bravo. The AirCell ST 3100 system is the industry's best-selling satcom system, and is standard or optional equipment on nearly two dozen OEM aircraft programs worldwide. It operates on the Iridium Satellite System, providing pilots and passengers all-altitude, all-latitude coverage throughout the world. AirCell has EASA Part 145 approval (certificate reference number EASA.145.5595).
Carmanah Technologies Corp. will supply 16 solar LED airfield lighting systems to the Nassau Civil Aviation Authority of the Bahamas. Carmanah valued the agreement at $2.6 million. The wireless-controlled systems will be installed on remote islands throughout the Bahamas in October and November. Many of the systems will be installed at smaller general aviation airfields that have no lighting in place.
M7 Aerospace, San Antonio, Texas, named Michael L. McClain to the position of vice president, maintenance, repair and overhaul, with responsibility for the company's MRO business unit.
Swearingen claims that the cabin of the SJ30 is 150 inches long and 60 inches in diameter. In reality, though, the cabin measures 4.5 feet high by 4.3 feet wide, thus it's slightly smaller in cross section than a legacy Learjet but a touch bigger than the Citation Mustang. The distance from cabin/cockpit divider to the aft cabin is 11.6 feet with a 7.7-foot-long main seating area. There are five 9.3-inch-wide by 12.5-inch-tall squared-oval windows on each side of the cabin. Each has a slide-lever operated window shade.
London City Airport (LCY) is tailor-made for business aircraft travelers. That was immediately apparent as we peered from the jump seat over the shoulders of Captains Marcel Moura and Antonio Bragança while they were flying the Embraer Legacy on ILS approach Runway 10 to LCY in July, demonstrating the aircraft's steep approach capabilities.
Intelligence | 13 * U.S. State Department Starts Issuing New Passports to Public * Landing-Distance Assessment Issues Unresolved * Citation Mustang In Last Round of Tests * FAA Says Air Traffic Delays Dropped in July * Charter Brokers in Spotlight Again Edited by James E. Swickard Commentary 9 | Viewpoint By William Garvey Eyes Wide Open 74 | Cause & Circumstance By Richard N. Aarons More Overshoots
(Percent Relative to Average) The SJ30-2 was designed to maximize speed, range and fuel efficiency. That's apparent from the Comparison Profile, which includes the SJ30-2, Cessna CJ1+ and CJ2+, Raytheon Premier I and CJ3 in the composite average. This is a personal jet that's designed to transport two folks in the front and two folks in the main cabin more than 2,150 nm while cruising at 436 KIAS. The aircraft has the highest pressurization differential of any civil aircraft in current production. Its cabin altitude is only 1,800 feet at FL 490.
In a ceremony at the Gulfstream Aerospace completion facility at Dallas Love Field on Aug. 14, the company's midsize G150 was declared officially in service with the transfer of a key to company president Bryan Moss. Gulfstream simultaneously released revised performance figures that increase the airplane's published range to 2,950 nm, a 250-nm increase. Its balanced field length also improved to 5,000 feet, a reduction of 830 feet.
