High-voltage AC, short for alternating current, electrical systems are installed in most large-cabin business jets because their electrically powered systems require more power than those of smaller aircraft. In AC systems, the positive and negative polarity alternates causing a reversal in current flow direction. Positive and negative polarity remains the same in a DC system and the current only flows in one direction.
"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.
Landmark Aviation, Tempe, Ariz., announced that David Lamb will be the new vice president and general manager for its Los Angeles International Airport facility. Tracine Anderson has been named general manager for Landmarks's Raleigh-Durham FBO.
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According to the DOT's inspector general, the FAA ignored a $50 million threat to the Aviation Trust Fund posed by IRS jet fuel tax rule changes -- while asserting that possible Trust Fund declines mean that the agency must turn to a new funding mechanism, possibly based on user fees. During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on FAA funding, Sen.
Cessna completed a one hour and nine minute first flight of the newest iteration of the Citation Encore, the Encore+, on March 22. The first production Encore+ completed its initial flight from Rockwell Collins' facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The aircraft arrived in Cedar Rapids as an Encore, where its FACECs were reprogrammed and Pro Line 21 avionics installed. The aircraft underwent testing for basic stability, flap and landing gear extension and retraction, controllability, trim actuation, engine operating characteristics and basic autopilot operation.
Lufthansa Technik has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with The Mexmil Co., allowing the Santa Ana, Calif.-based company to manufacture the German company's patented cabin acoustic insulation system. The Lufthansa system, called AcousticPlus, "provides a dramatically improved environment and flying experience for passengers," Lufthansa said.
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.
Rick Voorhis, a former board member of the National Air Transportation Association, and Cessna salesman Steve O'Neill were killed March 29 in a Cessna Caravan accident in a mountainous area near Yucaipa, Calif., about 25 miles west of Palm Springs. Voorhis, 53, headed Pacific Aircraft Sales of Reno, Nev., the Cessna Caravan authorized sales outlet for California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. O'Neill, 45, was Caravan's regional sales manager for the Western U.S. and Canada.
An abnormal procedures checklist should help us determine the cause of a malfunction, and take the proper corrective actions, but sometimes what seems obvious to a procedure designer on the ground is much less so to the busy pilot who must deal with the malfunction in flight. For example, I fly a Cessna Citation Encore, an aircraft equipped with starter-generators protected from electrical malfunctions by a generator control unit (GCU). The generator itself is equipped with a field relay, which protects against over-voltage, and a feeder fault (think "short circuit").
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.
"Fifteen years ago, flight departments were the kind of folks who sat in a hangar, and, if they were lucky, they could strap together some computers, with some maintenance guys or pilots who knew networking," says Scott Bergin, chief of AIS. "They installed their own software and bought their own systems without much oversight by corporate [information technology departments].
The FAA is expected to set up a government/industry group to draft recommendations for equipment requirements for a large-scale implementation of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). The technology enables aircraft tracking using GPS and allows aircraft to broadcast their positions and altitudes to other appropriately equipped aircraft and ground stations. It would virtually eliminate the need for the expensive network of surveillance radars, saving billions of dollars.
The big white board in the scheduler's office is to business aviation operations as a public bulletin board in a town square is to the local citizens -- a place where the community it serves can gather to gain information and proffer comment. Schedulers with multi-colored markers post upcoming flights on the board, while mesmerized pilots, managers, and hangar crew stare at the hallowed wall of promise, study the trips and copy them into calendars.
Adam Aircraft, Englewood, Colo., announced that Craig Johnson has joined the firm as chief operating officer. Previously, Johnson was vice president, network-centric systems at Northrop Grumman Electronics.
Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, named Jeff Moore as senior vice president of operations. He replaces Kent L. Statler, who was named vice president and general manager of Rockwell Collins Services.
Iron-willed, Wendi Gavigan sets a fast pace. At Daniel Webster College she became hooked on managing the maze of moving crews, aircraft, weather and surprises and went from there to the airlines -- Continental, USAir, United and Airborne -- and thence to Baseops in Houston, handling corporate flight support. She liked it.
Business Aircraft Leasing, Inc., Nashville, announced that Jackie Henson has been named executive vice president; Rick Smith was named vice president sales and marketing; and Richard Thompson joined the company as sales and acquisitions associate.
Rockwell Collins announced April 3 that it has consolidated its Rockwell Collins Deutschland operations, located in Heusenstamm, Germany, with TELDIX, a Rockwell Collins company located in Heidelberg. The business will be known as Rockwell Collins Deutschland GmbH and will operate in Heidelberg. "This change strengthens our presence in the aerospace and defense marketplace worldwide and allows us to present an integrated product portfolio in this important region," said Bernard Loth, vice president and general manager of International Subsidiaries for Rockwell Collins.
Elliott Aviation has promoted Donald Jay to chief operating officer. Jay formerly was vice president of branch and flight operations, managing operations at Elliott's facilities at Flying Cloud Regional Airport in Eden Prairie, Minn.; Eppley Airfield in Omaha; Des Moines International Airport in Iowa; and Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill. He also managed the company's air taxi operations. Jay joined the company in 1989 as director of customer service and was named vice president and general manager at Des Moines in 1991.
Flight Options has selected Aerospace Products International's Electronic Supply Program (ESP) to manage the recertification cycle and associated logistics of its life raft and survival equipment inventories. The fractional aircraft program, which operates some 200 aircraft including the world's largest fleet of 400A business jets, also will have access to API's inventory of Beechcraft spare parts.
