Skytech President John K. Foster delivered the company's 250th Piper PA-46 aircraft, a Meridian, to Michael Bell, a real estate and insurance executive from Rockville, Md. The PA-46 designation applies to three Pipers: the Malibu, which previously used a Continental engine; the Lycoming-powered Mirage; and the turboprop Meridian.
Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services (LBAS) is now approved by Russia's Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAAR) to perform line and base maintenance work on Russian-registered Bombardier aircraft at its Berlin, Germany, facility. The FCAAR certification covers work done by LBAS technicians at the Berlin facility as well as locations in the Russian federation and elsewhere.
These graphs are designed to provide a rough approximation of the performance of M28-05 Skytruck under a variety of range, payload, speed and density altitude conditions. Do not use these data for flight planning purposes, particularly because PZL Mielec and Skytruck do not provide complete flight planning data.
American Legend Aircraft Co. has won FAA approval for its Legend Cub aircraft. The FAA issued a Special Light-Sport Aircraft certification for the two-place, single, which is powered by a 100-hp Teledyne Continental O-200 engine. The aircraft has an empty weight of 850 pounds and has optional floats for water takeoffs and landings.
Inventory Locator Service and Forecast International will offer a series of new products that combine ILS's pricing and supply/demand data for aircraft and engine parts with Forecast International's 10-year forecasts and existing fleet data. The companies hope to provide current and future market trends to help airlines, manufacturers, suppliers and maintenance companies develop better strategies and pricing models.
Pacific Avionics & Instruments has earned ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 accreditation. Part of the Innotech Execaire Aviation Group, Pacific Avionics is a Vancouver, Canada-based avionics wiring and systems integration specialist.
Executive Aircraft Completions of Tulsa, has acquired AVHAR Services, Inc. of San Antonio, and renamed it Executive Aircraft Completions -- San Antonio. The unit will continue operating in its current facilities for the near term. EAC said AVHAR's expertise in avionics and electrical engineering and certification complements the Tulsa firm's mechanical systems, structures, interiors and certification capabilities, and will extend its presence to the San Antonio area.
The British may prohibit foreign-registered aircraft from basing on their soil. The prohibition would include U.S.-registered aircraft. A portion of the Department of Transport proposal states, ``it would be appropriate to take steps to ensure that all private aircraft permanently based in the U.K. are operated under requirements equivalent to those contained in the appropriate harmonized European standards. This could best be achieved by amending the Air Navigation Order to prevent foreign-registered aircraft from being based in the U.K. by limiting the time (e.g.
Rockwell Collins has gained TSO approval to broadcast ADS-B on Mode-S transponders. The approval covers the Rockwell Collins TDR-94/94D transponder, the first to fully meet the international RTC DO-260A standard ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the necessary data that support surveillance applications. The FAA approval will enable enhanced traffic situational awareness on the airport and during flight.
Pegasus Interactive has introduced a series of advanced computer-based training (CBT) programs for users of the Garmin GNS 530 and 430. Volume 1 of the new VFLITE GNS 530/430 series builds on the success of the company's scenario-based, guided simulation programs for GPS, and complements its original, award-winning VFLITE GNS 530/430 Interactive Guide. Developed with input from Garmin, the FAA and top CFIIs, the new program uses the VFLITE training methodology to teach challenging tasks on the GNS 530 and 430 units.
Beginning in the fourth quarter, all Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped Hawker 800XPs in the fleet can have the new Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) installed under a retrofit program planned by Raytheon Aircraft. Downtime for the upgrade would be 15 working days. Price for the modification is as yet undetermined. Retrofits will be performed exclusively at Raytheon Aircraft service centers and authorized Hawker aircraft service facilities.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DO ALL kinds of things that drive the voters crazy. They waste money on programs of questionable value. They stick their noses into issues that have nothing to do with their legislative responsibilities. And sometimes they do things so mind numbingly stupid that their constituents are left to sputter in wordless exasperation -- kind of like the duck in the AFLAC commercials.
The Experimental Aircraft Association's 2005 AirVenture held July in Oshkosh, Wis., drew more than 700,000 attendees, up 7 percent from the 2004 event. The seven-day AirVenture attracted more than 10,000 aircraft to Wittman Regional Airport, including almost 3,000 show airplanes. The convention also hosted 789 exhibitors and visitors from 65 nations. The 2006 show is scheduled for July 24 through 30.
The Vref Light Jet Index -- a compilation of quarterly prices recorded for the 1991 Beechjet 400A, 1993 Cessna CitationJet, 1990 Citation II, 1990 Citation V, 1982 Falcon 10, 1985 Westwind II and 1991 Learjet 31A over the past 10 years -- shows that the average value of these light business jets has remained steady at approximately $2.2 million since late 2004.
Raytheon unveiled its speedy VLJ-slayer Beechcraft King Air C90GT at the Experimental Aircraft Association's recent AirVenture. Based on the King Air C90B, but powered by two 750-hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135-As, flat-rated to 550 hp, the C90GT delivers a 25-knot increase in max cruise speed and up to a 50 percent reduction in the time to reach its 30,000-foot service ceiling. The max cruise speed jumps from the C90B's 246 knots to over 270 knots. With the increase in available power, the entire usable cruise altitude envelope shifts upward.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. has teamed with Hainan Airlines to set up an authorized service center for Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft. The center is based in Haikou City, China, and will be capable of performing all maintenance on Beechcraft Premier I and Hawker 800XP aircraft.
The U.K.'s most southeasterly airport, Lydd (EGMD/LYX), has been renamed London-Ashford Airport. A brand-new FBO passenger terminal opened in late July. The ground floor of the FBO terminal covers 120 square meters and is operated by FAL Aviation UK Ltd. The facility has VIP lounges, conference rooms, flight planning office, crew rest areas, and customs and immigration services. The FBO's Charlie apron is new as is the 13 acres of Bravo apron.
To promote safety and keep flying fun, the $5 Education Program makes aviation manufacturers' DVDs available to pilots for only five bucks each. Partnering in the program are Garmin, Honeywell, Insight, JP Instruments, Ryan International and NASA, among others. Price: $5.00 Sporty's Pilot Shop Clermont County/Sporty's Airport Batavia, OH 45103 (800) 776-7897 www.sportys.com/5educationalprogram
NATA has published its 2005 survey of general aviation service employee compensation. The survey includes salaries and benefits for pilots, line-service personnel and maintenance technicians.
The FAA has released a final rule on a new second-in-command pilot type rating. The new rule, effective Sept. 6, will bring the U.S. FARs into compliance with international standards on pilot certificates. The SIC final rule requires pilots who plan to fly outside of U.S. airspace and land in foreign countries to obtain the SIC pilot type rating. The final rule provides two means for obtaining the SIC rating: SIC familiarization training and an SIC training program, both detailed within the rule.
GAMA said general aviation billings for the first half of this year rose 31.6 percent with shipments up 38.1 percent compared to the same period in 2004.
The Environmental Protection Agency continues to move toward imposing spill prevention rules, ``Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures'' (SPCC), on aviation businesses. The agency's position is that airport fuel trucks are ``mobile or portable storage containers'' when parked, and subject to SPCC secondary containment requirements.
The barely identified and misspelled gentleman in the photo accompanying ``Give Flight to Words'' (Flight Log, August, page 88) is Colin Fisher, the former and fine spokesman for de Havilland/Bombardier Regional Aircraft.
A fully integrated, convenient collection of Jeppesen's leading products, NavSuite is composed of JeppView electronic charts and various flight planning applications. NavSuite is offered at three different service levels -- NavSuite IFR, NavSuite Continental and NavSuite Global -- to address the specific needs of general and business aviation pilots. These applications have been specifically engineered to work together with functionality like RoutePacks that allow packets of data to easily flow between the applications.
OurPLANE, Inc., a Canadian fractional aircraft provider, ordered 10 Eclipse 500 VLJs and took options for 10 more. Including options, the order is worth more than $26 million. The company, based in London, Ontario, currently operates 22 new Cessna and Cirrus aircraft in Canada and the United States. The company plans to offer the Eclipse 500 to general aviation pilots who are qualified to pilot the twin-turbofan and to small and midsize businesses without pilots through OurPLANE's Executive Program.
