If any aviation person walks with the angels, surely his name is Roger Baker for he is a man who preaches safety and builds churches--an unbeatable combination if there ever was one. He started Safety Focus Group four years ago after leaving the FAA and a 29-year career served almost entirely in the Flight Standards division. He spent his last 12 years there as the national manager for safety programs. But he got his start building churches when he asked a question at his own Providence Presbyterian in Fairfax, Va.
The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash of a CL-600 in Colorado on Nov. 28, 2004, was the flight crew's failure to ensure that the airplane's wings were free of ice or snow that accumulated while the airplane was on the ground. The Canadair, Ltd., CL-600-2A12, registered to Hop-a-Jet, Inc., and operated by Air Castle Corporation dba Global Aviation as Glo-Air Flight 73, collided with the ground during takeoff at Montrose Regional Airport, Montrose, Colo. IMC prevailed, and snow was falling.
Adam Aircraft's A700 AdamJet flew to 41,000 feet and reached a true airspeed of 340 knots, the company says. The aircraft was crewed by Senior Turbine Test Pilot Ken Sasine and copilot Dan Brand. Passing through 39,000 feet the aircraft maintains a climb rate in excess of 1,000 fpm. "This flight signifies the continuing progress of the A700 program," said flight operations vice president Bill Watters. "Serial number 001 has demonstrated the aircraft's flight capabilities, s.n.
FlightSafety International and Cessna are developing an innovative pilot training program for the new Citation Mustang. The initial program will include two FlightSafety-designed and manufactured flight simulators, two avionics flight training devices, the industry's first Mentor Services program and distance learning. A joint FlightSafety/Cessna team has worked to develop a Proficiency Index to quantify the proficiency of new Mustang aircraft pilots, many of whom will have little or no jet time.
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.
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.
The Vref Turboprop Index -- a compilation of quarterly prices recorded for the Beech King Air C90A and B200, Cessna Conquest I and II, Piper Cheyenne II and Twin Commander 690B for more than a decade -- shows that the average value of these aircraft now exceeds $1.1 million. The index has risen for 10 straight quarters since bottoming out at just over $900,000 in third quarter 2003.
FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS of aircraft, "Cape Town" has become part of the argot of a transaction, and part of the cost. At the very least, it can slow things down. At worst, it can really queer a deal. So, what is it?
For more than a year, a great confrontation expected to be decided a year from now has been escalating between long-term antagonists over the classic prize of turf and how it will be governed and administered.
Executive Jet Management claims it is generating lots of revenue for its management clients who put their aircraft on EJM's charter certificate. Cincinnati-based EJM said 32 client aircraft in its charter fleet each generated more than $1 million in gross charter revenue in 2005, compared with 25 aircraft that reached the $1 million mark in 2004. "All of these management clients exhibit similar traits," said Albert C. Pod, president and CEO of EJM.
After a five-month delay, five new Piaggio Avanti IIs have left the Genoa, Italy, factory complete with their all-new Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suites. However, the $6.195 million aircraft are not yet fitted with their newer Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66Bs since engine certification on the twin pusher is not anticipated until the end of this year or early 2007. Piaggio Aero board member Alberto Galassi said that while the company had thought the change to the Pro Line 21 cockpit would be relatively easy, "It wasn't.
Eurocopter sold 87 EC 135 helicopters in 2005 -- 50 percent destined for the United States. The company has also certified an increased takeoff weight of 2,910 kilograms (6,425 pounds), from 2,835 kilograms (6,250 pounds), with LBA/EASA OK'ing the EC 135 T2i/P2i variants on Feb. 21, 2006. Deliveries will start in late September. The empty weight has been reduced to 1,455 kilograms (3,208 pounds), giving the EC 135 an empty weight ratio of 50 percent.
IT WAS SUPER BOWL Sunday 2006, with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Seattle Seahawks in the 40th star-studded showdown, this time in Detroit. Fans by the tens of thousands were descending upon Ford Field, and as Jerome "The Bus" Bettis and his football battle-tested colleagues were suiting up, 250 miles to the west other teams of professionals were getting ready for a different kind of contest.
Jet Aviation has completed its acquisition of Midcoast Aviation, the St. Louis-based business aviation maintenance and modification facility that also provides FBO services. Jet Aviation announced the acquisition plan in January; Midcoast specializes in Dassault Falcon, Raytheon and Bombardier aircraft.
Premier Jet, San Diego, has announced that Craig Foster is the FBO's general manager. Previously, Foster was the regional director of Atlantic Aviation at John Wayne Airport. Premier Jet is located at Palomar-McClellan Airport.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) is creating a company to provide liability insurance to repair stations. The association said 20 of its members have agreed to help launch the Aviation Alliance Insurance Risk Retention Group (AAIRG) and hopes the new company will be operational in the second half of this year. ARSA will limit participation in AAIRG to association members. AAIRG members will pay an up-front capitalization fee, projected at about 30 percent of a member's current annual insurance premium, and will have a stake in the new company.
"Certificate holders, including repair stations, are the safety net in the FAA's system," Aeronautical Repair Station Association Executive Director Sarah MacLeod said recently in connection with a suit filed in federal court by the association to block implementation of a rule extending drug and alcohol testing.
Intelligence | 15 ?228-137? Piaggio Jet to Be a Ferrari in the Sky? ?228-137? Chinese Enlighten Business Aviation Attitude ?228-137? ARSA Files for Relief From Non-Certificated Vendor Drug Testing, FAA Delays Implementation ?228-137? Turbine Aircraft Accidents Drop ?228-137? Chinese Enlighten Business Aviation Attitude ?228-137? FERAS Goes Through Hundred Barrier ?228-137? Kohlman Systems Research Wins Duncan RVSM Support Contract ?228-137? Raytheon Delivers First Hawker 850XP
Almost everyone loves to receive awards, and all the admiration, congratulations and smiles that are attendant to them. Today almost every kind of collective endeavor -- be it movie making, soccer playing or car selling -- has a shiny something that goes to the activity's best practitioner. Awards not only make the recipients feel good by recognizing excellence, they can be used to spur a particular type of activity as well.
When an organization has an aircraft accident, it is inevitable that upper management will focus on the aviation unit to avoid a recurrence. I know of a Twin Otter belonging to a large government agency that landed hard on a canted nosewheel and quickly departed the runway, plowing through bushes and a fence before coming to a halt. Both the aircraft and airman's ego suffered substantial damage in the mishap. The cause of the accident was determined to be the pilot's failure to perform the "before landing" checklist.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has officially released the equivalent of FAR Part 135 operating standards and CCAR 135 is now in the rule book. This is expected to further encourage growth in both business and regional aviation. Asia Business Aviation Association President Jason Liao says that Hainan Airlines' business jet subsidiary, Deerjet, will be operating its five Hawker 800XPs under Part 135 and its managed Beechcraft Premier Is under CCAR Part 91.
Phil Michel, the veteran Cessna Aircraft marketing executive who announced plans in 2005 to retire in April of this year, will remain with the Wichita aircraft manufacturer for an indeterminate period. Steve Fushelberger, who was named in September to succeed Michel as vice president of marketing, left Cessna in mid-March for personal reasons. Michel told The Weekly of Business Aviation he plans to remain on board until a permanent successor is identified, hired and a transition is completed.
Following the collapse of nine months of negotiations between the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association the parties declared a stalemate and the FAA sent its pay proposal to Congress for review. Unless Congress intercedes within 60 days, the FAA will be able to impose its contract terms on the union.
