London Executive Aviation has taken delivery of an Embraer Legacy which it is managing for a client based at London-Luton. Embraer had operated the 12-passenger as a demonstrator. The new owner has indicated interest in purchasing additional business jets and confirmed that LEA would manage them.
Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, Calif., recently held grand-opening ceremonies to mark the completion of a 67,500-square-foot hangar that will be used by Pratt & Whitney. The $12 million structure will be used for aircraft maintenance and repair programs. The airport is the former George Air Force Base, now a 5,000-acre multi-modal business complex.
Executive Jet Management added three aircraft to its charter fleet -- a Challenger 604 based at Boeing Field in Seattle, a Falcon 2000EX based at Dallas Love Field in Dallas and a Hawker 800 based at Cuyahoga County Airport in Cleveland.
Mooney Airplane Company is offering a retrofit program to operators of its M20R and M20S models that is designed to increase power and dramatically shorten takeoff distances. The modification increases the output of the Teledyne Continental IO-550 G engines in those aircraft to 310 horsepower at 2,700 rpm, reduces takeoff distance by up to 55 percent and improves the rate of climb by about 300-feet-per- minute. The upgrade increases static thrust by about 70 percent, according to Al Nitchman, vice president of customer support for Mooney.
It was about 0720 as the cargo airplane, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, stripped of its passenger seats, taxied to the active at Manchester, N.H., Airport, its flaps set at 25 percent. The Bandit was bound for Bangor International loaded with small packages.
Some big names no longer answer at roll call: Commander, Mitsubishi, Swearingen, Cheyenne, Conquest to name the most memorable. The ranks of new turboprop-powered business aircraft have thinned, and there is little likelihood that the expired lines will be revived anytime soon, if ever.
Alteon Training, a Boeing subsidiary, broke ground on a new regional training center in Singapore on Feb. 16. The Singapore training center is located near Changi International Airport in the eastern part of Singapore. Opening in October, 2006, the approximately 7,000-square-meter facility will have the capability to train more than 6,000 pilot and flight attendant students per year.
BCI Jets, LLC of Sugar Grove, Ill., has launched the Genesis program, an effort to create "custom jetliners" by acquiring former commercial transports, converting them to an executive or VIP configuration and then reselling them to business aircraft operators.
-Gulfstream 200 and Galaxy airplanes -- Update the "limitations" section of the airplane flight manual by incorporating revised takeoff performance tables. -Honeywell International T53 engines -- Perform initial and repetitive visual and dimensional inspections of the fuel-control regulator assembly's main and secondary driveshaft and pump gear splines.
Finally, and sadly, James Gilbert, who was one of the best and most elegant of aviation journalists, and whose work for B&CA won plaudits internationally, is gone. (See Intelligence, page 11). That is our loss, and yours. But it serves to help focus on those who remain. And on that score, I'm happy to report that they are very, very good.
Author's Note: I recently underwent refresher training at FlightSafety International in Wilmington, Del., which serves Global Express and the Gulfstream V pilots, among others. After spending several days talking with my colleagues concerning their trips and operations, I came away with the strong impression that none of us anticipated how the executives would use these airplanes. More than the introduction of any other airplanes in corporate aviation, the Global Express and GV have changed forever how international business is accomplished.
In December 2005, Premier Air Center of East Alton, Ill., delivered its first Dassault Falcon 50 equipped with Universal Navigation 890R flat-panel displays, and a second such Falcon 50 was to be delivered by the end of February.
Adam Aircraft announced the Feb. 4 first flight of the first conforming A700 AdamJet, s.n. 002, one of three aircraft slated for FAA flight-testing. The FJ-33-powered twin-jet, piloted by Bill Watters, vice president of Flight Operations, and Ken Sasine, senior turbine test pilot, flew the pattern for its intended 34-minute maiden flight at Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, Colo. "The aircraft handled very well, stability was excellent and the flight controls were very responsive and predictable," commented Sasine.
Most FBO firms are single-facility operations with annual revenues of less than $1 million, according to a study by Dublin, Ireland, research firm, Research and Markets. About 50 companies have annual revenue over $10 million and operate facilities at multiple airports. About 1,500 companies provide airport support services to the general aviation market, with combined annual revenue of $3 billion.
This latest version of the popular AOPA watch is made exclusively by Timex for AOPA and has the accuracy of a chronograph along with dual time zones. The AOPA Pilot Chronograph features a 100-hour chronograph, alarm, 24-hour countdown timer, hourly chime, 12/24 hour time, month/day/date, and luminescent hands. The AOPA Pilot Chronograph is water resistant to 50 meters and has an all-day Indiglo display on the digital portion and a special Night-Mode for the analog face. It is available with a stainless steel or leather band and either a black or red/blue logo.
Congress won't have a lot of time for taking care of business this year because of an early fall adjournment for election campaigning, notes David Collogan, editor of our sister publication, The Weekly of Business Aviation. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) wants to adjourn Oct. 6, leaving only 130 working days between now and then, says Frist's budget and appropriations adviser, G. William Hoagland. The House's schedule is likewise "compressed" this year, also due to the election, another congressional aide said.
BLR Aerospace recieved STC SA01615SE for their Super King Air 200 Winglet System, designed to reduce drag, save fuel, increase cruise speed and vertical rate of climb while improving handling qualities. "They're here and they work," says Dave Marone, BLR director of sales and marketing. "The Winglet System installs easily and performs as designed." Production tooling for the winglets is now complete and BLR delivered its first shipset to Cutter Aviation in January. Tulsair is is the first FBO to install the winglets on a King Air (owned by Werco Manufacturing).
Radiant Energy Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Radiant Aviation Services has developed and sells the world's only infrared alternative to traditional glycol-based aircraft deicing. Its patented InfraTek systems are approved for use by the FAA. Prior to the introduction of InfraTek, spraying with glycol was the only feasible method to satisfy the FAA's safety guidelines for ensuring that aircraft are properly deiced prior to take-off. Three InfraTek systems are in currently in operation at Newark International Airport, Rhinelander, Wisc. and Oslo, Norway.
Sporty's staff got together to design a pilot-friendly, cockpit-friendly Deluxe FlightTimer. Sporty's sells several other timers ranging from a lanyard ASF timer to several small multi-function timers. But the Deluxe Flight Timer makes a real statement. The device has a real quality feel, with a heft that's not heavy or bulky. The displays are big and readable, and backlit for night ops. Mode selection is direct and straightforward by means of crisp, positive buttons. And its not the most expensive timer in their catalog.
The revision to paragraph 5-4-9a, Procedure Turn, in the Aug. 4, 2005, Aeronautical Information Manual has generated pilot comments that the text may be misleading. The government/industry Aeronautical Charting Forum, Instrument Procedures Group agreed that the paragraph as currently written could be misinterpreted and cause misunderstanding regarding when a Procedure Turn is to be flown. The text was revised as stated below and will be published in the August 2006, Change 1, to the AIM: 5-4-9. Procedure Turn
A record 2,200 people attended the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Conference, Jan. 25-27 in San Antonio - some 45 percent more attendees than the 2005 total. The event's exhibitor count grew, from 275 in 2005 to this year's 322 -- a 17 percent increase. The conference offered 30 workshops and breakout sessions designed to help schedulers and dispatchers, from beginners to seasoned pros, enhance their professionalism. Review articles, photos and podcasts from this event are online at www.nbaa.org
The Learjet 60 always has had favored status in the Bombardier Aerospace family. That's because it was the first new model to be developed after Bombardier bought the marque from cash-strapped Integrated Resources in 1990. So when Bombardier announced the XR upgrade for its firstborn at the 2005 NBAA Convention, it came as no surprise to anyone in the family back in Wichita.
