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.
Midcoast Aviation is now an authorized DVRSM installation center for Avcon Industries, of Newton, Kan., for Learjet 20 series aircraft and for West Star Aviation, of Grand Junction, Colo., for Learjet 31, 35 and 36 aircraft. Midcoast also can support the Learjet 55 through Bombardier's STC and the Learjet 60 per Service Bulletin compliance.
Seacor ordered 20 AB 139 medium twin helicopters from Bell/Agusta, the companies announced at Heli-Expo. It is the largest single order placed for the AB 139 and raises the order backlog to 100, said Bell/Agusta. The aircraft are currently scheduled to be deployed in support of Seacor's offshore oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich outlined his stance on building a third Chicago-area airport in Peotone -- dubbed Abraham Lincoln National Airport -- when he delivered his State of the State message. With one in four flights delayed, Chicago O'Hare needs to be expanded, but that won't be enough, the Democratic executive said. ``We need another airport,'' he continued.
The aircraft, a Canadair Challenger Model 600, s.n. 1014, N370V, was attempting to take off on 6,013-foot Runway 6. After accelerating to near takeoff speed, the Challenger ran off the end of the runway, went through a fence, crossed Route 46, striking several cars on the busy, multi-lane commuter route, and crashed partially through the wall of a brick warehouse. The airplane then caught fire as it sat with its forward fuselage sticking into the warehouse. Within minutes, the scene was televised live nationally from at least three New York City TV traffic helicopters.
Airports railed against the Bush administration's proposed $600 million slashing of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding announced Feb. 8. According to the Airport Legislative Alliance (formerly AAAE/ACI-NA Legislative Affairs), the cuts to the AIP and FAA's air traffic modernization program, ``if adopted, would have a significant impact on critical capacity, safety and security-related projects at airports across the country. . . .
The Vref Midsize Jet Index -- a compilation of quarterly prices recorded for the Astra SP, Cessna Citation III and VII, Hawker 800A and Learjet 60 over the past 10 years -- shows that the values of these medium business jets began turning north during second quarter 2004 and have been creeping upward ever since.
In October 2003, two soldiers were changing a tire on a Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ballad, Iraq, some 50 miles north of Baghdad, when a sudden explosion caused deadly shrapnel to lash out everywhere. One of the soldiers, a 19-year-old private, was killed instantly. His comrade, a 31-year-old sergeant, was severely wounded and ended up losing his entire right arm and much of his left.
When questioned whether IAI might make a very light jet, Moshe Keret, IAI president and CEO, said, ``We have been checking this market and are still in the process of evaluating it.'' He said there are two potential groups of VLJ operators -- business users and air taxis. While the former market is quantifiable, he said, ``no one can give you a clear answer'' regarding the real potential of FAR Part 135 use.
THE MISTRESS OF the household had spent the day cleaning, child ferrying, working out, dog walking and trying to turn words into money on deadline, and now she was quite thoroughly spent. She offered two dinner options: spaghetti with a sauce straight from a jar, or takeout. We were on the phone to Wild Ginger before you could say ``Szechuan dumplings and shrimp fried rice.''
The International Heli Trade show, first held at Geneva in October 2004, is to become a biennial event, says the organizer, International Heli Trade. The three-day event attracted a modest 1,231 visitors from 30 countries, but according to the organizers three-quarters of the exhibitors ``achieved most or all of their objectives,'' and 79 percent plan to exhibit at the 2006 event. No date has yet been announced. Visit www.internationalhelitrade.com for more information. Mike Vines
Executive Jet Management, Cincinnati, named Pete Djordjevic chief pilot. Djordjevic will be responsible for the safe administration of all of the company's flight operations. He has been with EJM since 1985 and most recently served as a Challenger CL-604 captain. In addition, EJM's new Westchester County Airport (N.Y.) facility announced the promotion of Marietta French to vice president and general manager, and Devin Piacente and Donald Scanlon to operations managers.
The Learjet 60 combines the cross section of a midsize jet, legendary Learjet climb performance, and virtually unbeatable dispatch reliability. Pilots laud its handling qualities and its sporty thrust-to-weight ratio. Lightly loaded, this aircraft will rocket to FL 410 in 11 minutes -- performance unmatched by any other business aircraft in production.
Two new Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 turboshafts will power the Sikorsky S-76C++ to provide an installed across-the-board 5- to 6-percent performance increase -- for example, a 350- to 450-pound increase in Category A takeoff gross weight at sea level at 90F. The Arriel 2S2 has an integrated two-channel digital electronic engine control unit (EECU) and can be fitted with a barrier inlet filter for FOD and particle protection. The engine/airframe combination flew in December 2004 at Turbomeca's flight-test facility in Europe.
Honeywell released additional information on the T5317BCV turboshaft engine that powered the new Bell 210 on its first flight. The new engine is based on the T53-L-703 that powers the Bell Huey II, but provides 28 percent more takeoff horsepower. The 5317BCV is rated at 1,800 thermodynamic shp at takeoff on a standard day, and achieves its higher performance through a combination of design changes and advanced metallurgy. Improvements include turbine discs fabricated with new PM Astroloy. Honeywell also improved the reduction gearbox and accessory drive carrier designs.
M7 Aerospace, San Antonio, named Charles Gumbert vice president of maintenance operations with responsibility for all of the company's maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. Gumbert is also responsible for the company's airliner conversion activity, which converts passenger aircraft to freight-hauling configuration.
It's been almost seven years since the Swissair Flight 111 onboard fire tragedy took the lives of 239 people off the shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia. After one of the most expensive and exhaustive investigations ever undertaken in aviation history, the NTSB recommended smoke visibility devices be carried on the flight decks of all U.S. air carriers. That hasn't happened.
CMC Electronics predicts that the Bombardier Enhanced Vision System, which incorporates CMC's SureSight I-series Enhanced Vision System infrared sensor, will win Transport Canada and U.S. FAA approval within the next few weeks. Transport Canada certified the SureSight sensor in late December 2004. The sensor will be incorporated in the Thales HUD as part of the Bombardier EVS. CMC also is supplying the sensor for EVS systems aboard Boeing Business Jets and the Dassault Falcon business jet fleet. Those systems are powered by Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics' HGS-4860/5860.
Predictably, local politicians called for more restrictions at Teterboro (N.J.) Airport in the wake of the high-profile accident Feb. 2 involving a Challenger 600 registered to 448 Alliance Corp. Both Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) and Richard Codey, the acting governor of New Jersey, issued calls for flight reductions and other restrictions at TEB, one of the busiest business aviation facilities on the East Coast.
GAMA said at its recent industry review briefing that continuing to improve the margin of safety for general aviation is its highest priority in 2005, notwithstanding the fact that the number of general aviation fatal accidents reached an all-time low in 2004. Another priority is ensuring the United States has the most efficient and up-to-date air transportation system possible, with sufficient capacity to meet the needs of all users.
