Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University aviation business student Jamail Larkins, at age 21 the nation's youngest aerobatic pilot, signed an Ambassadorship Agreement with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. As the FAA Ambassador for Aviation and Space Education, Larkins will promote aviation and aerospace career opportunities to youth across the United States. He will also represent the FAA's Aviation and Space Education Division at events throughout the year.
Jan. 1 -- Prior to landing at Ainsworth Municipal Airport (ANW), Ainsworth, Neb., under IMC conditions, a Cessna 551 (Citation II) pilot noticed that his aircraft begin to accumulate ice at around 4,000 feet msl. He reported that as he descended out of IMC between 300 and 400 feet agl, the cockpit windows were obscured by ice. The pilot elected to land the airplane instead of executing the published missed-approach procedure. The aircraft was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during the landing attempt. Two passengers reported minor injuries.
Reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) went into effect in U.S. airspace on Jan. 20, but approximately one-third of American-registered aircraft that routinely operate at high altitudes have yet to secure RVSM certification, according to the latest statistics issued by the FAA.
The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA), Washington, D.C., elected J. Philip Jordan to the post of treasurer. Jordan is executive vice president of Business Air at Denton Municipal Airport in Texas, as well as partner and part owner of Jet Works Air Center, also in Denton.
Avitat Westchester, White Plains, N.Y., named Terry Delorenzo, Charlie Assalty and Jackie Perser employees of the year for 2004. They were each awarded a cruise to Bermuda with their spouses.
EADS Socata, Tarbes, France, named Nicolas Chabbert vice president of customer support. Chabbert has 15 years of aviation industry experience, nine of which were with Socata.
You've advanced the power levers for takeoff and are rapidly accelerating down the runway. Just as the copilot calls, ``V1,'' both of you suddenly see a windscreen full of birds and you hear the ``Thump! . . . Thump! . . . Thump!'' of them smashing into your jet. Quick, what do you do?
Marquis Jet, which packages and sells time in NetJets aircraft, is offering customers a new 25-hour combination card that provides 12.5 hours in each of two different aircraft types in the NetJets fleet. The company is offering cards for either a Citation Excel/Hawker 800XP or Citation X/Citation Excel combination. Marquis Jet said it developed the new offering after customers said they needed more flexibility to meet their travel needs.
ARINC has a new information service for business aviation, based on the FAA/industry Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) program that links operators and FAA controllers to provide real-time information about air traffic volume, possible delays, equipment problems, restrictions or other system constraints. Previously used exclusively by airlines, CDM participants send flight intentions to the FAA, which uses the information to predict and manage air traffic, particularly during bad weather or peak-demand times.
Honeywell signed a contract with AltoBridge, Ltd. to provide software technology for a new Honeywell system that will enable aircraft passengers to place and receive calls on their cell phones in flight. AltoBridge CEO Mike Fitzgerald said, ``Our technology enables full incoming and outgoing voice and text messaging without interference with aircraft systems or the ground cellular network.
Raytheon Aircraft showed continued improvement in its financial results, posting higher sales and a significant jump in operating earnings for 2004. The Wichita manufacturer had sales of $2.42 billion last year, up 15.9 percent over 2003's total of $2.08 billion. Operating income soared from just $2 million in 2003 to $63 million in 2004. The company's funded backlog increased 15.7 percent during the year to $2.63 billion.
Dallas Airmotive's Carpenter Freeway production facility in Dallas added overhaul level authorization to its existing Honeywell 36 series Authorized Service Center agreement. The new authorization covers all Honeywell 36-6,
The Gulfstream V could serve as a classic example of market competition and product differentiation taught at any graduate level business school. In the general aviation market, the GV proves that business aircraft buyers are willing to give up cutting-edge airplane technology in favor of rock-solid dispatch reliability and top-notch customer support, as we discovered during our recent survey of GV operators in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Millennium Aviation has selected FirstFlight Management to market and sell charter services for all aircraft on Millennium's certificate, currently a Learjet 55, Learjet 35 and two King Air B200s based at the company's headquarters in Reading, Pa. FirstFlight offers a full range of aircraft management, charter management, aircraft acquisition and sales, and maintenance management services. FirstFlight is headquartered in Elmira, N.Y. You can get more information from FirstFlight's Mike Cardellichio at (607) 739-7148 or [email protected].
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), Chicago, appointed Marjorie K. DeLong to the position of marketing services director. Most recently DeLong was marketing communications manager for L-3 Communications Avionics Systems.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. rolled the 400th Hawker 400XP off the assembly line. Formerly called the Beechjet 400A, the aircraft was renamed the Hawker 400XP in May 2003 as part of a larger effort to reestablish the Beech and Hawker brands. RAC credited the success of sales of the aircraft in part to the fractional market. NetJets in late 2003 ordered 50 of the aircraft and added an order for 20 more six months later. Raytheon's affiliate fractional operator, Flight Options, also plans to standardize on the model to replace earlier 400s in its light-jet fleet.
Alberth Aviation manufactures ground support equipment and provides maintenance and logistics services to the aviation industry. One day a customer asked Alberth to build a tire cage to protect its technicians. ``The only available devices came from the trucking industry, the jail-cell type with bars,'' recalled Rudy Alberth, cofounder of the Cypress, Texas-based company. ``We started off building a box type device out of heavy-gauge steel. On our first test, the explosion ruined the device and our test facility. It was more than we expected.''
Aviation Partners Inc., Seattle, appointed Gary Dunn to the position of vice president of sales. Dallas Airmotive, Anaheim, Calif., added two regional engine managers to its North American rotary-wing sales team. Greg Houston was appointed Western regional engine manager, and John (Tony) Bagley was appointed Southeast regional engine manager. Both will provide sales and service support for Rolls-Royce Model 250 and P&WC PT6T engines.
Avemco Insurance Co. provides the Aviators' Model Code of Conduct free of charge to its policyholders. The document provides recommendations for improving safety and good judgment. It is authored by Michael S. Baum, JD, MBA, CISSP, of Los Altos, Calif. The AMCC contains seven principles: General Responsibilities of Aviators, Passengers
Jet Works Air Center in now accepting reservations at its brand-new paint facility at Denton Municipal Airport, Texas. The state-of-the-art, environmentally controlled paint hangar can accommodate up to Gulfstream IV-size aircraft. Industry veterans Trey Bryson and Mark Haggard lead Jet Works' paint management team. Jet Works was formed in fall 2004 by a merger of Jet Works Aviation of Fort Worth and the Business Air Center of Denton, an aircraft modification specialist.
The NBAA has developed recommended training guidelines for very light jet (VLJ) pilots that outline a minimum curriculum the association believes is necessary for VLJ transition and recurrent training programs. The guidelines were produced by the association's Safety Committee. ``The introduction of the very light jet into the general aviation community marks the beginning of a new era in business travel,'' said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
The AOPA alerted its members to an aircraft-buying scam that has surfaced recently. According to the association, someone posing as a buyer typically offers above the asking price for an aircraft and then asks the seller to forward the excess funds to a third party. The buyer pays with a bogus cashier's check.
As AOPA President Phil Boyer is fond of saying, a mile of asphalt on a roadway gets you a mile down the road, while a mile of asphalt on an airport gets you to the world.
The GAMA board of directors selected Col. Peter Bunce, a career U.S. Air Force officer, as the association's next president and CEO, effective April 1. Ron Swanda, senior vice president of operations for the association, has been serving as acting president since former president Ed Bolen became president of the NBAA in September 2004. Bunce had a 26-year career in the Air Force and currently serves as director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison.
Operators praised Gulfstream for superb product support. ``On three different occasions, we needed them here now,'' reported Greg Kesel, who flies a GV for Rochester Aviation. ``And they were here now.'' For folks within two or three hours of Savannah, Gulfstream dispatches its dedicated G100 with parts for critical AOG situations. A premium price tag accompanies such top-notch support, operators said. While Gulfstream reduced prices on 2,700 items in April 2002 and 7,000 more parts in October 2004, operators still wince when they look at invoices.
