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 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.
On March 16, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen e-mailed a message to thousands of business aviation community members urging them to contact their congressional representatives in opposition to user fees for general aviation. (See "The Battle Over User Fees," page 58). "If you use a general aviation aircraft for a business purpose, you are under attack," Bolen wrote. "The commercial airlines have unveiled a plan that will allow them to assume a dominant role in running the air traffic control system and impose $2 billion in new user fees on our industry.
S-TEC has received FAA STC approval to install its MAGIC EFIS and the MAGIC 2100 digital flight control system (DFCS) in the King Air E90. This approval gives operators an opportunity to replace their aging flight control systems while upgrading their panel to a modern glass cockpit. "For safety purposes it's imperative to have the latest technology available. Now King Air E90 operators do," said S-TEC Director of Sales Greg Plantz.
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.
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.
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.
Zero Gravity Corp. will begin regular use of the space shuttle's runway and landing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. beginning June 24. The agreement follows a successful pilot program to expand runway access for non-NASA activities. Beginning with its first flight for the public, Zero-G will conduct up to 280 weightless flights annually from the facility's 15,000-foot runway using a modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, called G-Force One.
During the past two years, international sales of business aircraft have become an increasingly important part of the market for both new and used turbine-powered airplanes.
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.
AircraftLogs, Columbus, Ohio. Eric P. Roy has joined the company as executive vice president. He will be responsible for corporate sales and development.
Coded Departure Routes (CDRs) have been in use for some time by the airlines and are coming into play for business aviation as well. Officially, only Teterboro and Morristown, N.J., and New York's Westchester County airports are listed as available to general aviation, but ARINC's Bob Richard says the system is expected to go nationwide shortly. CDR routes, a somewhat more sophisticated tool than the old Preferred Routes between two heavily traveled city pairs, comprise any number of ATC-approved routings that are published and available to all.
Luxury charter operator Comlux Aviation of Zurich, Switzerland, has ordered three Airbus A318 Elites, and options for three more, with cabin completion by Lufthansa Technik of Hamburg. All three aircraft, which are to be powered by CFM56-5B9/P engines, are due to be operational by the end of 2007. Comlux's 18-seat Elites cost $45 million apiece, including interiors. Comlux CEO Ettore Rodaro says he is confident he'll exercise his three options as well.
The Air Transport Association recruited former FAA executive Sharon L. Pinkerton as vice president for government affairs, reporting directly to ATA President and CEO James May. As assistant administrator for aviation policy, planning and environment at the FAA, Pinkerton was heavily involved in developing reauthorization and funding proposals. The ATA is advocating adoption of a user-fee system to fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund that would shift more of the FAA cost burden to general aviation.
Corporate Aircraft of Fresno, Calif., recently delivered its first RVSM retrofit of a Cessna 441 Conquest II originally equipped with a Cessna 1000 autopilot. The package features Thommen digital altimeters. The company now is working with AeroMech of Everett, Wash., on winning FAA approval of similar STCed packages for Cessna twin turboprops that were originally outfitted with Sperry SPZ-500 and Collins APS-65 autopilots. All these Cessna 441 RVSM solutions offered by Corporate Aircraft cost less than $100,000 installed.
What a difference 12 years has made in the evolution of the Pilatus PC-12. The newest Series 10, FAA type certified in December 2005 as the PC-12/47, has a 10,450-pound (4,700 kilogram) MTOW that enables operators to fill the tanks and fly seven passengers 1,450 nm, arriving with NBAA IFR reserves. That's a considerable upgrade in capability. When we first flew the Pilatus PC-12 several years ago, we were impressed with its roominess, cabin comfort and short-field characteristics.
Two engine makers are bullish in their predictions for the civil helicopter market over the next decade, forecasting deliveries of up to 6,000 helicopters through 2016. Honeywell, which primarily focused on the next five years, predicted civil helicopter sales to be at least 15 percent greater between 2006 and 2010 than they were between 2001 and 2005. Nearly 6,000 new civil helicopters will be sold in the 11 years between 2006 and 2016, Honeywell predicted.
An Army brat, Tilton graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1962, but took a commission in the U.S. Air Force because he wanted to fly. After piloting six-engine B-47s, C-141s and B-57 Canberras for seven years, he entered the University of New Mexico as an officer-student, earning a master's degree in biology and then an M.D. Completing his residency, he flew King Airs, T-38s and, finally, F-15s as a physician/pilot. Retiring as a colonel in 1988, he joined Boeing's medical department, ultimately becoming director.
Already much in the news with its Dubai Ports World, the Dubai government is a major investor in a new venture to grow the aerospace industry and infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. The venture, Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, has lined up $15 billion in financing to become a major player in everything from aircraft leasing and airport development to component manufacturing and perhaps even space services and aircraft final assembly in the long term.
Italian financial reports suggest that Mubadala Developments, a wholly owned entity of the Abu Dhabi government, is trying to increase its stake in Piaggio Aero Industries. Headed up by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mubadala bought 5 percent of Ferrari in 2005 and according to the reports the Ferrari family (headed by Piero Ferrari) and an Italian government agency own around 30 percent of Piaggio Aero. It is believed that the UAE company wishes to gain a share holding of around 30 percent in the company.
