There is plenty of blame to go around for the FAA's financial pickle and forecast capacity shortfalls, according to a May 12 report from the FAA Management Advisory Council (MAC), a group of 11 industry representatives established in 1996 to advise the FAA administrator. The report said the White House shortchanges the FAA with budget cuts, while Congress imposes unfunded pay increases and pet projects.
Jahid Fazal-Karim has been appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president of new aircraft sales. Fazal-Karim now oversees the U.S. and international sales teams, as well as Bombardier's Skyjet International charter operations. Also, Saul Arceo has been appointed as a director of new business aircraft sales in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and the countries on the northern border of South America. Arceo is based in Dallas.
Eclipse Aviation now has three fully configured aircraft in its flight test program. The third aircraft, N504EA flew April 28, and will test electrical, communication and navigation systems, as well as the autopilot, radar, datalink and displays. All three aircraft are fitted with pressurization, climate control and ice protection systems as well as the Avio aircraft integration system. The flight envelope has expanded to 30,000 feet and 238 knots.
To prevent the accumulation of fuel or fuel vapor in the spoiler mixer bay or the aft fuselage compartment (which could cause a fire), conduct a one-time inspection of panels in the spoiler mixer bay for the presence of drain holes and add at least one new drain hole. Also, perform a one-time inspection for discrepancies of the sealant on the relief cutout on the aft pressure bulkhead and on certain baffles, and take corrective actions if necessary.
ACI Aviation Consulting, Warrenton, Va., named Charles (Charley) Cleaver as president and chief operating officer. Cleaver, formerly vice president and treasurer of American Trans Air, Inc., will manage ACI's rapid growth, with a focus on the current business lines and the aviation finance industry. Quentin Brasie, the founder of ACI, will continue to lead the firm as chairman and CEO.
The Dassult Falcon 900DX business jet made a successful first flight from the company's facility in Bordeaux, France. During the three-hour, 10-minute mission the aircraft reached an altitude of 41,000 feet and a maximum speed of 370 knots. ``All systems performed flawlessly,'' said Etienne Faurdessus, one of two test pilots on board. ``We verified aircraft and navigation systems.
Operators of corporate Boeing airliners take note: The FAA has proposed that owners of more than 800 U.S.-registered 727s, 737s, 747s, 757s and 767s be required to replace or modify certain insulation blankets over the next six years. The proposed airworthiness directive was prompted by the discovery that certain insulation blankets, which are coated with a film called AN-26, no longer meet the standards for preventing the spread of fire.
Honeywell has begun flight-testing its new TFE731-50 turbofan engine on a Falcon 20 testbed aircraft. The latest variant of the venerable TFE731 line, the -50 is a derivative of the -60 production engine that uses a common core and a scaled wide-chord damperless fan. The -50 incorporates N1 digital electronic engine control with hydromechanical backup. On schedule for certification in 2006, the engine has accumulated nearly 100 hours of run time and 26 flight hours.
This past January there was some brief mention in the aviation trade media that Alaska Airlines had begun to use a radically different type of instrument approach procedure to reduce IFR approach and landing minimums at terrain-laden Palm Springs, Calif., Airport (KPSP). The long-standing VOR circling-only minimums of 1,826 feet above the airport (with 3 miles visibility minimum for Approach Categories C and D) have been reduced to straight-in minimums of 250 feet and a visibility minimum of three-quarters of a mile.
AN UNEXPECTED RESIGNATION prompted us to place a classified ad in the local daily, hoping to attract a pleasant but persnickety desk editor. Meanwhile, a young librarian with literary yearnings happened upon our ad and felt a frisson. Two days later Stacie Raffaele was interviewing in our offices and three weeks after that, she was at work editing this message. That's happy, coincidental convergence. When task forces merge to pulverize an enemy, that's convergence, too -- but directed, confrontational and devastating.
Even experienced pilots can have trouble understanding air traffic control instructions. Bob Gardner, author of Say Again, Please, has released his third edition of his guide to radio communications. The new edition adds material on GPS, runway incursion avoidance and IFR procedures, and updates information communication equipment. Chapters are dedicated to communication etiquette and rules, and emergency situations. An audio book and computer-based tutorial package also is available. Price: $19.95 (book); $79.95 (audio book and software)
Eurocopter has delivered its 400th EC135 light twin to Transportes Aereos Pegaso in Mexico City. It will be used in support of the PEMEX offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the third EC135 delivered to Pegaso this year. Eurocopter says that since the EC135 entered service in 1996, the model has gained 65 percent market share in its class. Eurocopter delivered 60 EC135s and four EC635s in 2004 and is increasing production to 72 units this year.
A farm kid interested in aviation, college grad Tiahrt soon got a job at Boeing Wichita, and remained some 14 years. His programs included the Space Station's environmental controls, weapons interface on the Comanche and maintenance for Air Force One. A political conservative, he ran for a seat in the state house (and lost), state senate (and won) and in 1994 against veteran congressman Dan Glickman, whom he defeated. 1 What was Boeing's reaction to you running for Congress?
Starman Brothers Auctions is planning to hold its annual spring consignment auction of aircraft and related equipment on June 10, 11 and 12 at C.E. Page Airport in Yukon, Okla. All aircraft and inventories must be delivered before June 5. The headquarters hotel of the auction is the Biltmore Hotel of Oklahoma, which is located in Oklahoma City. For more information, call Starman Brothers at (402) 592-1933 or visit www.starmanauctions.com.
Signal Aviation Services, Inc., West Lebanon, N. H., welcomed Hobart (Hobie) Livingston to its Cessna single-engine aircraft sales team. Livingston has served as a USAir captain, director of safety at Pan American/Boston-Maine Airways in Portsmouth, N.H., and, most recently, general manager for Diamond Aircraft's New England distributorship based in Somers-worth, N.H.
And here comes Embraer with two new P&WC-powered small jets -- a $2.75 million six- to eight-place ``widebody'' VLJ and a $6.65 million crossover light (and entry level) six- to nine-place jet. Unveiled at a May 4 press conference in Washington, D.C., both will have a common fuselage cross-section, greater than the Eclipse 500 and Mustang, and will offer a fully enclosed lavatory, glass cockpits and FADEC. Embraer has estimated demand for approximately 3,000 VLJs and entry and light jets over the next decade, not including the air taxi market.
Rockwell Collins' Tailwind 550 satellite television system won an FAA STC for installation aboard a Boeing Business Jet. Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland, completed the installation. The multi-regional satellite TV system provides access to more than 450 television channels aboard aircraft flying in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Tailwind 550 includes a lightweight, fuselage-mounted antenna that provides reception on the ground and during all phases of flight. Tailwind 550 is certified on Boeing 737 and 747 models.
Designed for aircraft that do not have a conveniently located push-to-talk switch, ASA's portable switch mounts to the yoke with a Velcro strap. The switch will work with any general aviation headset, intercom and radio. This item is particularly useful for pilots who frequently rent general aviation aircraft that may not have a push-to-talk switch installed. Features include a low-profile ergonomic button, heavy-duty gold-plated plugs and jack, coiled cord, hook and loop mounting strap, and molded strain relief. Price: $24.95
Federal security officials are drawing closer to publishing a plan under which business aviation flights could return to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but they're believed to be insisting on some very burdensome restrictions. Sources detailed some of the conditions business aviation operators will have to comply with to get back into DCA, and it appears the hurdles will be significant.
CAE announced that European training for the Dassault Falcon 7X, Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy and Dassault Falcon 2000EX EASy aircraft will begin in the fall of 2006 at CAE's training center at Burgess Hill, U.K. In 2004, CAE was awarded an exclusive contract by Dassault to provide entitlement training for pilots, maintenance personnel and cabin crew for the Falcon 7X aircraft. In North America, Dassault training will take place at CAE's new business aviation training center in Morris County, N.J., which is currently under construction.
In today's environment of high security awareness and caution, aircraft theft prevention is a high priority for all aircraft managers. Raytheon Aircraft Services' Secure Start 1000 disables an aircraft's engine starting circuits until the correct code is entered via a double access code keyboard. After three incorrect attempts, a siren blast announces a possible intrusion. When the correct access code is entered, the keyboard flashes to announce that the circuits are unlocked. The tamper-resistant unit remains locked out and cannot re-engage during flight.
Designed for the busy pilot, the Pilot Portfolio briefcase has a padded pocket for a laptop computer, plus plenty of room for a headset, charts or a change of clothes. A padded transceiver pocket on the outside allows easy access to your handheld radio or cell phone. The protective cover flap conceals a variety of pockets for pens, pencils, AA flashlight, fuel tester, electronic E6B and sunglasses. The soft-sided design converts to shoulder bag with detachable shoulder strap. Overall dimensions: 18.0 by 5.0 by 12.0 inches. The Pilot Portfolio comes in a variety of colors.
The FAA is introducing 13 new area navigation (RNAV) departure routes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport that the agency hopes will reduce delays, fuel consumption and congestion by providing direct routing for properly equipped aircraft. RNAV procedures use information programmed into the aircraft's flight management system to provide precise flight path guidance from the runway to the en route airspace, with minimal communications between pilots and controllers.
Gulfstream Aerospace is claiming a speed record for a seven-hour, 19-minute Gulfstream 450 flight from DuPage Airport, 30 miles west of Chicago, to London Luton Airport. Gulfstream said the flight carried two pilots, a flight attendant and four passengers. The plane departed DuPage at 6:31p.m. (local) on May 15 and flew 3,500 nm at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.85, landing at Luton at 7:50a.m. (local) the next morning.
