Bombardier Aerospace received an order from Tassili Airlines of Algeria for four Q400 regional turboprops. The contract, valued at $103 million (U.S.), calls for deliveries to begin in third quarter 2007. Tassili will be the second carrier in Africa, and the first in Algeria, to operate the 74-seat airliner. Tassili, a subsidiary of the Sonatrach State Energy Group, initially plans to use the aircraft to transport workers to oil fields in Algeria.
I f Verizon can't find a buyer for its general aviation phone system, it says it plans to shut down service to MagnaStar customers on Dec. 4. B&CA has learned of two transition plans -- one from Satcom Direct and the other from ICG, and there may be others; stay tuned and we'll update the information as we get news.
As you suggest, it is just a factual statement. The TSB seemed to think that this omission was just another indication that the pilot was tired and distracted. Apparently, under normal circumstances (and his SOPs) he should have made that known.
Raytheon Aircraft Services (RAS) now holds an STC for the installation of an Auxiliary Ground Heating System for the Beechcraft Premier I/IA. This electrically powered system provides pre-heat to the cabin without the engines running which in turn helps to maintain a stable cabin temperature while en route. Even in sub-freezing weather, passengers have the pleasure of boarding into a luxuriously warm cabin. All Raytheon Aircraft Services locations are certified to install this upgrade on the Beechcraft Premier I/IA.
The FAA says air traffic delays dropped sharply in July thanks to a new flow initiative -- lowering year-to-date totals almost to 2005's levels. There were 47,649 delays in July, compared with 58,471 in the same month last year, the FAA said. The total for the calendar year through July was 262,932 delays -- slightly ahead of the 261,130 delays for the same period in 2005. The number of flights handled by the FAA under instrument flight rules is down by about 1 million so far this year.
The Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program hit a milestone in July, when the 1.25 millionth Young Eagle took flight. Young Eagles Chairman Harrison Ford and Executive Director Steve Buss announced the milestone during the EAA's AirVenture in Oshkosh. Larry Durst, a pilot from Roseburg, Ore., flew 14-year-old Tucker Morey in a Cessna 182.
Business Jet Center, based at Oakland (Calif.) International Airport (OAK), added a 42,000-square-foot hangar at its FBO facility. Formerly used as a commercial airline maintenance facility, the hangar has 50-foot-tall automatic doors and can accommodate the largest business jets, including the Boeing BBJ, Gulfstream 550 and Global Express. The structure also has office and shop space and is equipped with a high-capacity foam fire suppression system and an electronic security system. Business Jet Center is an ExxonMobil Avitat fuel dealer.
The peripatetic life of Lloyd Carlton Stearman was full of moving vans and irony. When he was an elementary school student in Kansas, Stearman caught sight of his first airplane. It was being flown by an adventurous fellow by the name of Clyde Cessna, a man whom years later would become Stearman's partner.
Landmark Aviation announced the completion of a $2 million hangar and office facility at its Raleigh, N.C., FBO. The expansion at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport includes 13,500 square feet of additional space for aircraft storage and maintenance, a new three-bay ground equipment support hangar, and 4,800 square feet of office space. "This expansion provides additional hangar and work areas for our based tenants," said Tracine Anderson, Landmark Aviation general manager at Raleigh.
It's only a matter of time before cell phones are aboard aircraft. Business aircraft, at least. Two issues keep them shut down for now (please tell us you've never neglected to turn yours off, have you?) in the airliner cabin: interference with onboard avionics and their effect on conventional cellular ground stations. The former is an FAA issue; the latter is property of the FCC.
En route from Oxford, Miss., to Rochester, Minn., the pilots of a Cessna Citation 560 diverted to Ellen Church Field, Crasco, Iowa. After touching down on Runway 33, the jet ran off the 2,949-foot-long runway's end and into a cornfield where it received substantial damage. Both pilots were killed, while the two passengers were seriously injured.
BAE Systems has received a contract to enter Phase III of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) program to protect commercial airliners from shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles, also known as Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). The contract was expected and, including options, is valued at more than $50 million. In Phase III, BAE will continue to refine its military-derived JetEye airliner protection system, which uses a low-power laser to blind the seekers of incoming missiles. JetEye flew on an American Airlines Boeing 767 in late 2005.
ATR sold six regional turboprops to Tanzanian carrier Precision Air Services under a contract valued at $97 million. The contract calls for delivery of three ATR 42-500s and three ATR 72-500s between 2008 and 2010. Precision Air Services already operates six ATR aircraft -- four ATR 42-320s and two ATR 72-210s. The new turboprops will modernize the Precision fleet and allow the carrier to expand its regional routes across Africa. ATR and Precision Air Services also have a memorandum of understanding for a training program in France.
A July survey of used airplane brokers and dealers from around the United States indicated that the traditional summer slowdown in previously owned aircraft sales has not materialized for most of them this year. A majority of the aircraft salespeople polled said that demand for late-model, low-time aircraft remains robust, thanks to multi-year backlogs for many popular new-production models, a resilient economy and continuing relatively low interest rates. A few brokers and dealers, however, have noticed a modest slowdown in their business.
Germany-based Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH has signed a breakthrough deal with the American Flyers to convert its 55 of the training company's Cessna 172s to Centurion 1.7 jet fuel piston engines. Frank Thielert, managing director of Thielert, stated, "If the other European certifications are validated in the United States, we can reckon with a North American market of 1,000 replacement engines a year for the Piper PA28-161 alone." The FAA type certification for the installation of the Centurion 1.7 for the Skyhawk was awarded in January 2005.
Thursday, July 13, 2006, was a historic day for Sino Swearingen Aircraft. Just before noon, we touched down at San Diego-Montgomery Field (MYF) after a five-hour, 44-minute nonstop flight from New York's Westchester County Airport (HPN), marking the first time the SJ30-2 had flown coast-to-coast across the United States. It was also the first time since the introduction of the Learjet 36 in 1974 that a new, regular production light jet demonstrated a New York-to-California nonstop range capability.
AS CHIEF OF AVIATION for the California Department of Forestry (CDF), I was used to alarms. But this note rattled me: "Call the governor's office." I dialed and a woman said, "I need to coordinate the governor's flight to Lake Tahoe on Friday. He's meeting Nevada's governor to sign the joint environmental agreement for Lake Tahoe." After noting times and places, I signed off and immediately called the CDF director's office. His assistant provided background.
The latest in Sporty's popular Flight Gear line is the Solo Flight Gear Bag. Designed by Sporty's team of pilots, this bag meets the needs of experienced pilots who have less to carry on their flights. A completely padded interior features three separate compartments, giving pilots the versatility to carry their headsets, GPS and other necessary gear. A special padded exterior pocket is designed for a handheld transceiver.
Aircraft hydraulic systems were developed in the early 20th century as a practical means of transmitting robust mechanical power generated by a pump, usually driven by an engine, to a motor or actuator several feet away. Newly developed "heavy lifting" functions, such as actuating landing gear and flaps, required more mechanical muscle than could be supplied by electric motors or actuators of acceptable weight or size.
Executive Beechcraft, the Kansas City-based FBO, is offering an instrument panel retrofit for King Air C90s that features installation of the Garmin G1000, which integrates all primary flight, navigation, communications, terrain, traffic, weather, engine instrumentation and crew-alert data, presenting the composite information on three high-definition color displays.
Voyager Jet Center, an aircraft management and flight services company and the FBO at Pennsylvania's Allegheny County Airport, has added a Hawker 850XP to its charter fleet. VJC-managed aircraft operate on Atlantic Aviation Flight Services' certificate. For additional information, visit www.voyagerjet.com.
