Even though $100 million has been authorized to compensate general aviation businesses for losses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the House version of the FY 2005 transportation appropriations bill included no compensation funding. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) continued to urge funding for at least the three small Maryland airports that lie within the no-fly zone over the Washington, D.C., area.
Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) -- a Pennsylvania-based maker of systems that measure and display critical fight data -- is offering a new analog-interface unit that will support RVSM certification of aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins AP-104 autopilots, including the Dassault Falcon 20 and Raytheon Hawker. The interface unit provides the autopilot with the altitude-hold signal that is required to obtain RVSM approval. The first interface units have been delivered to USA Jet for retrofit on its Dassault Falcon 20s.
While general aviation businesses continue to struggle for compensation for losses incurred in the aftermath of 9/11, the airlines, which already have received their compensation, are now pushing for tax relief. B/CA affiliate Aviation Daily quoted Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune complaining that the airline industry is overtaxed and the government needs to "take the word 'airline' out of its vocabulary . . . I don't want to see airlines in any more congressional bills, taxes or fees."
ICAO defines RNP as ``a statement of the navigation performance necessary for operation within a defined airspace.'' Another description might be that the RNP value required of an aircraft's nav equipment takes into account all on-board error sources, and those of the space- or ground-based navigation aids in use, in order to enter and fly in that airspace. That is, an aircraft's navigation capability will no longer be specified by the navigation equipment suite carried on board, but by its achievable required navigation performance.
Proposed Rules Bell 407 helicopters -- Create a component history card or equivalent record for each crosstube assembly and establish a retirement index number for those assemblies.
Bank of America has formed the Corporate Aircraft Finance Division (CAF), a new group that combines the assets of The Private Bank's Aviation Finance Division with Banc of America Leasing, Corporate Aircraft Finance to create an entity that has more than 700 clients and $4 billion in aircraft loans and leases.
It was a ``midlife crisis'' that spurred safety-minded Richard Longlott, aviation manager and chief pilot at Harrisburg, Pa.,-based Mi Windows and Doors, Inc., to enroll in the IS-BAO program. ``I was wondering if my operation was safe enough, whether we were doing all we could to make it as safe as possible,'' he told B/CA from his office at Middletown-Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) where Mi bases its single Cessna Citation III.
Air Alsie of Sonderborg, Denmark, will take delivery of the first Danish-registered Falcon 2000EX EASy this month. The aircraft is owned by the Danfoss Group and will be managed by Air Alsie. Jens sterlund, the managing director of Air Alsie, was just back from a three-week EASy flight deck conversion course at FlightSafety International's Teterboro training center when B/CA caught up with him. ``It's the most fantastic thing I've seen for a long time in aviation. It's a major step towards a totally new cockpit concept,'' he said.
You may think it's only a particle filter. . . . But replacing a standard particle separator with a high-technology Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system was a key factor in the success of a Bell 407 that recently landed at 24,971 feet density altitude during high-altitude testing in Nepal, according to officials from Aerospace Filtration Systems and Bell Helicopter. ``Reaching that altitude would just not be possible in that helicopter equipped with a standard particle separator,'' said AFS Engineering Sales and Marketing Manager Jay Foster.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's aviation subcommittee passed legislation that encourages President Bush to pursue diplomatic efforts to limit the proliferation of man-portable air defense systems
Executive Jet Management, Cincinnati, recently announced three management changes. Kaj Wren was hired as director of charter vendor standards; Ben Murray was promoted to national vice president, charter sales; and John R. Nelson was promoted to vice president of business systems.
Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek, Mich., facility has obtained Brazilian certification as a repair station. The repair station certificate, issued by Brazil's Departamento de Aviacao Civil, allows the Michigan operation to work on Brazilian-registered aircraft. Duncan Aviation-Battle Creek also has approvals from Europe's JAA and Venezuela. Duncan's Lincoln, Neb., facility has approvals from Brazil, Bermuda, Venezuela, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, China and the JAA.
FOR DECADES, CHARTER operators have sold their aviation expertise to companies that operate their own aircraft. Placing the corporate aircraft on the FAR Part 135 company operations specifications for third-party charter became a natural extension of providing management services to these aircraft owners.
Brian Humphries, currently chairman of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), will take over as CEO on Nov. 1, following the retirement of Fernand Francois, who has served 12 years at the helm. Humphries is also taking over as the chairman of the British Helicopter Advisory Board. Succeeding Humphries as EBAA chair is Dr. Rodolfo Baviera, who represented the Italian Business Aviation Association and is chairman and CEO of Eurofly Service SpA and chairman of Elilario Italia SpA.
Robert Blouin resigned as NBAA senior vice president of operations, effective Aug. 31. He was believed to be a finalist in the search for a new NBAA president, and resigned a few weeks after the association selected Bolen. (See B/CA, September, page 11.) Blouin praised Bolen, saying he ``is absolutely going to be great for the NBAA.'' But, he told our sister publication, The Weekly of Business Aviation, it was time for him to look into other opportunities.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of a transportation appropriations bill, but also did not include funding for general aviation compensation. Industry advocates are hoping to persuade legislators to approve at least partial funding before consideration of the fiscal 2005 transportation appropriations bill is completed.
MB Design, a start-up company in Phoenix, has developed a simple, low-cost adapter kit to upgrade the Honeywell NZ-920 flight management computer to the current NZ-2000. The company is looking for a completion center to participate in seeking an STC for the plug-compatible adapter kit and PMA for its manufacture. MB co-founder Paul Magno says his MB-2K FMS Adapter facilitates installation so that upgrades can be completed in a matter of hours.
The FAA is proposing changes to procedures for obtaining parts manufacturer approval (PMA) and type certification (TC). In notices in the Aug. 25 Federal Register, the FAA released proposed revisions to Order 8110.42, Parts Manufacturer Approval Procedures, and Order 8100.4, Type Certification. The agency said the draft revision to the PMA rules does not change existing policies, but clarifies procedures and simplifies the format.
Avbase Flight Services, Cleveland, a charter operator and private aircraft management service provider, has named Michael Bukowski chief pilot. In addition, Eric Phillips has been named director of maintenance.
In the second quarter of this year, Delta Air Lines posted nearly a $2 billion loss. While significant, the airline's results are only part of a trend that has been ongoing for the past several years -- U.S. carriers lost nearly $23.2 billion from 2001 through 2003. The Air Transport Association (ATA) predicts losses for the airline industry overall will exceed $3 billion this year.
Forecast International predicts in its ``World Market for Regional/Commuter Transport Aircraft'' that 3,728 regional aircraft will be produced between 2004 and 2013. The value of these aircraft, in constant 2004 U.S. dollars, is estimated at $84.4 billion. The Forecast figures include regional jets and turboprops; specifically, 3,041 regional jets are forecast, plus 687 turboprops. In the new study, Forecast International predicts annual production will generally fluctuate in the 360 to 380 unit range.
In September, the NBAA board announced that Steven J. Brown would succeed Blouin, beginning Oct. 4. For the past six years, Brown was the FAA's vice president of operations planning. Prior to that, he served as associate administrator for air traffic services -- managing the 35,000 air traffic controllers, maintenance and software technicians, flight inspection pilots and administrative personnel responsible for the day-to-day operation of the nation's airspace system.
Southwest Jet Aviation added a Westwind II to its charter fleet. The business jet will be based at Southwest Jet's headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. The midsize aircraft has a range of more than 2,400 nm and can seat seven passengers.
