Goodrich Corp. has shipped the aerospace industry's first electrically actuated production brakes for installation on Northrop Grumman's new RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. According to Larry Isenbarger, program manager for Goodrich's Aircraft Wheels and Brakes, "This is a significant milestone for braking technology." The Global Hawk aircraft equipped with the Goodrich electric braking system will begin flight tests later this year.
Embraer announced that 2005 was a record year with net sales reaching $3.830 billion (U.S.), an increase of 11.3 percent in net sales as compared to 2004. Net income also reached a record $445.7 million (U.S.), equivalent to diluted earnings per ADS of $2.53 (U.S.). The firm order backlog as of Dec. 31, 2005, totaled $10.4 billion (U.S.).
It was early on a VFR afternoon when the new owner of the TBM 700 stepped on to the ramp at Camarillo, Calif., Airport. There he was joined by his CFI for some hours of instruction. The training flight was to include a variety of maneuvers between 9,500 and 10,500 feet, to be followed by practice takeoffs and landings at Gen. Wm. J. Fox Airfield (WJF) in Lancaster. The airwork went without incident. Then while approaching WJF for the first time, the CFI directed the new owner to perform a simulated engine out landing, which included a left circling "close in" approach.
All the non-powered material handling and shelf and storage products formerly marketed under the Hodge and Frick Gallagher names will now be marketed under the Durham brand of Durham, Conn. Hodge, a manufacturer of non-powered material equipment was acquired by Durham in 2003 and has been operated as a division. Its divisional status has been eliminated and it will now function as a branch.
Signature Flight Support has purchased Le Terminal, formerly a private aviation facility at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. The acquisition includes a six-story office building, two adjoining hangars and about three acres of aircraft parking ramp. In late 2005, Signature bought the PrivatAir FBO at Le Bourget. The latest acquisitions, combined with the facility it bought in 1998, consolidate "Signature's position as the leading handler at Europe's most active corporate and general aviation airport," said David Best, Signature's European managing director.
A surge in business aviation activity is expected from the 2006 FIFA Soccer World Cup in Germany from June 9 to July 9. Teams are drawn from 32 countries and will play at 12 different city stadiums during the period. This is good news for European charter operators, FBOs and handlers, as many heads of state, sponsors and well-heeled fans will travel by business jet. A spokesman for Jet Aviation said its Zurich, Switzerland-based charter department expects increased business during the World Cup competition.
Schubach Aviation, a Carlsbad, Calif.-based charter company, has added a Hawker 800, bringing the number of aircraft in the Schubach charter fleet to 13. The company also operates two Citation CJ1s, a Challenger 601, two King Air 200s, a Citation 1SP, two Learjet 35s, two Learjet 55s and two Hawkers.
Call-outs are a common device used to maintain overall situational awareness and to aid crew coordination. One might be tempted to think that the more information is called out, the better, but that isn't necessarily the case since too much talk in the cockpit can become a distraction.
-Citigroup Private Bank (New York, N.Y.) -- The company's aircraft finance unit has two new staff members. John Germaske, who is based in Beverly Hills, Calif., has been named vice president and is responsible for developing new business on the West Coast and in Colorado. Germaske previously worked for JPMorgan Chase in that firm's equipment leasing group. Another new vice president, Larry Dean, is based in New York and is responsible for sourcing new business on the East Coast and in the central United States.
Specialized Aviation Consulting services will be provided by John Moyn, Wilmington, Del., in the areas of corporate aircraft maintenance, market, sales, charter, completions and FBO operations.
After majoring in Elizabethan literature at the University of North Carolina and graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1966, Weisman, by then a private pilot, opted for a career in aviation. In 1967, he founded Executive Air Fleet (EAF) introducing the concept of full-service aircraft management, timeshared aircraft, then managed aircraft that EAF made available for charter.
Northstar Aerospace, Inc., Stroud, Okla., appointed Arthur L. Paine as sales manager for the Turbine Engine Service Group concentrating on business opportunities in Mexico, the Caribbean and South America.
I just read William Garvey's April Viewpoint ("Revenge Effects," page 7). His comments are right on concerning a reaction to something that is not only not available yet, but probably won't materialize to the degree that the "political know-it-alls" think that it will.
The following publications provide insight into writing effective procedures as well as templates to help you get started: -Degani, Asaf and Wiener, Earl L. "On the Design of Flight Deck Procedures." NASA Contractor Report 177642, June 1994. Moffett Field, Calif.: NASA Ames Research Center. (Also available in the Flight Safety Digest, Vol. 13, No. 8, August 1994.) -Degani, Asaf and Wiener, Earl L. "The Human Factors of Flight Deck Checklists." NASA Contractor Report 177549, 1990. Moffett Field, Calif.: NASA Ames Research Center.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. is realigning its top management structure in the wake of the departure of Ed Dolanski for a senior position within the parent corporation. As a result, RAC Chairman and CEO Jim Schuster appointed Randy Groom, who had been president and general manager of Beechcraft, as president of Global Customer Service and Support. Brad Hatt, who had been president and general manager of Hawker, becomes president of Global Commercial Sales for Beechcraft and Hawker.
Far East Russia Aviation Services, an aircraft ground handling network, has extended its presence to over 100 airports that stretch from Brussels to, well, Far Eastern Russia. According to Chris Cartwright, the U.S.-born joint managing director of FERAS, in Russia alone the company has established over 12 new locations and employs its own ground staff. "This sets us apart from the other Russian companies that mainly specialize in confirming credit and fuel -- but don't have personnel on the ground," he said. It was the first company into Vnukovo in 1993.
The DC-3 legend continues. A preliminary NTSB report says that on March 3 an FAA principal operations inspector found a DC-3 "with extensive left wing leading edge damage" at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. When he queried the operator, Transnorthern Aviation Inc., a spokeswoman said the airplane, N777YA, was damaged during a landing on the evening of March 1 at the Beluga Airport, about 30 minutes by air from Anchorage.
Gulfstream Aerospace is claiming a speed record for a G550 flight between Seoul, South Korea, and Salt Lake City -- 10 hours and 19 minutes. Carrying four crewmembers and seven passengers, the G550 departed Incheon International Airport at 10:30 p.m. local time March 25 and flew 5,642 nm, landing at Salt Lake City International at 4:27 p.m. the same day. Average airspeed was 0.85 Mach with what Gulfstream described as "an average headwind of 64 knots." The aircraft landed with 4,000 pounds of fuel remaining.
Blackberry and Palm Treo users can expect expanding service to their handhelds, but it won't be without effort. For one thing, the phone people who advertise Internet access for your phone, Treo or Blackberry may not make it clear that the page you get will be different from what you see over your desktop or laptop.
FlightWorks recently added a Hawker 700 to its growing fleet. This aircraft is based at McCollum Field in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Hawker 700 will be placed on FlightWorks' FAR Part 135 certificate and managed under the company's FlightWise management program. For information, call Cheryl Dornenburg at (770) 422-7375 or (800) 255-1971.
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Stans, Switzerland. Thomas Bosshard, has been named chief operating officer of Pilatus in Stans. Thomas Hunziker has been appointed president and CEO of the company's U.S. division in Broomfield, Colo., and Mike Rector has been named vice president of production for the company. He will be based in Stans.
