At a two-day meeting with owners of Cessna 400 series twins in March, the FAA agreed to delay issuing two expensive ADs while the AOPA, Cessna owner groups and others in the industry collected additional information (B/CA, April, page 30). Now a special Web site (http://twincessna.org) has been created to collect fleet data and distribute relevant reference materials, which will be necessary to mitigate the effects of the proposals.
Raytheon Aircraft Charter and Management recently placed four more aircraft on its charter certificate. The aircraft and their home bases are: a Challenger 604 based in Cincinnati, a Gulfstream IV and Beechjet 400A in Houston and a Beechcraft King Air B200 in Van Nuys, Calif. The four aircraft are in addition to seven added to the company's charter certificate in 2003.
Dassault Falcon Jet President John Rosanvallon told a general aviation panel at the FAA Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C., that 2003 ``was really a tough year for business aviation,'' noting that his company delivered only 49 new business jets.
Woodland, Calif. -- Woodland Aviation's turbine and piston maintenance facilities have received the FAA's Diamond Award. In addition, the company's flight department manager and director of operations, Jay Arcemont, has become one of the first 25 NBAA certified aviation managers worldwide.
Sporty's Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) DVD provides the material instrument pilots need to be safer and more proficient. Developed by the instrument instructors at Sporty's Academy, it's derived from Sporty's award-winning Complete Instrument Rating Course, the IPC includes topics such as attitude instrument flight, preflight and aircraft systems, navigation, holding, approaches, emergencies and weather reports and forecasts. Instrument Proficiency Check DVD [D551A] is available for $39.95.
Sporty's Pilot Shop is offering FAA approach charts on DVD through its ChartViewer software. The DVD includes every current FAA terminal procedure publication including approaches, departures, arrivals and airport diagrams for the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Pilots can load the charts directly onto computers or view them on DVD. Price: $9.95 each; also available by subscription Sporty's Pilot Shop Claremont County Airport Batavia, OH 45103 Phone: (513) 735-9100 www.sportys.com
ER-Link, a new airborne medical assistance provider, offers the usual medical support along with its own compact vital sign monitoring and communication hardware package. The latter plugs into an aircraft's data link or a portable satellite phone such as a Motorola 9505. Because of the kit's compact size and independence from aircraft wiring, the company says it's suitable for the smallest business aircraft. ER-Link includes the onboard kit in its program price, which can be treated as an expense by the operator.
Raytheon Aircraft Services of Chester, Hawarden, United Kingdom, plans to open a satellite service center at Oxford to more easily service its London-based Hawker and Beechcraft operators.
A growing number of local governments and residents around embattled business aviation airports are calling on the FAA to ban operations of Stage 2 aircraft throughout the United States.
A700 AdamJet Evolved from the tractor/pusher A500 piston twin, the Adam Aircraft twinjet's body is about 30 inches longer to compensate for the adaptation of the two Williams FJ33 fanjets, each rated at 1,200 pounds of thrust. The A700 features the Avidyne Entegra flight deck, a cabin that accommodates six passengers and a full-width lavatory. Service ceiling will be 41,000 feet and a top speed of 340 knots is anticipated. Range will be approximately 1400 nm.
The FAA has exercised a contract option to purchase a CAE Simfinity Boeing 737-800 integrated procedures trainer (IPT), a virtual simulator (VSIM) and other hardware for research use at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The option was part of a contract with CAE that included a full-flight B737-800 simulator. The latest contract, valued at $3 million (Canadian) also covers daily maintenance. The IPT and VSIM will be operational in the fall.
Dassault Falcon Jet has appointed Jean-Michel Jacob vice president of international sales for the Western Hemisphere and Far East. He has marketed Falcon business jets for more than 16 years, first as a sales manager in southern Europe and more recently as director of sales in South America. Prior to joining Dassault in 1987, Jacob was a sales engineer with the helicopter division of Aerospatiale. Jacob replaces Jeff Habib, who has been named vice president of the Western Division for Dassault Falcon Jet.
At that point Baldwin returned fire with an April 16 letter to the membership withdrawing his, and the Board's, ``generous'' comments regarding the separation and asserting that Warren's letter contained, ``wholesale misrepresentations of role, facts and emphasis.'' He stated, ``Ms. Longmuir and Mr. Warren failed to follow through on a whole host of issues they [themselves] raised, despite receiving the Board's complete approval and repeated urging to implement approved changes over many months. Their failure to act eventually reached an unacceptable level.
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has expanded its range of maintenance services to include Embraer regional jets. An LHT senior spokesman said that his company is currently talking to Embraer to further extend its MRO services to the whole Embraer regional jet family, including the new-generation Embraer 170/190. LHT is offering European ERJ operators a broad array of services, including a package that allows customers to select the services that best meet their maintenance, engineering and rotable needs.
Dassault Falcon Jet has scheduled its maintenance and operations seminar for June 13 to 15 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Dassault is offering online registration through the CEVENT service at www.cvent.com. Operators who have not received an invitation with an event code for registration should contact Toni Busuttil at [email protected].
Lufthansa Technik AG has named Dr. Thomas Stuger chief executive of product and services within the executive board of the organization, effective Nov. 1. He will take over the post from Dr. Gerald Gallus, who retires after 25 years at Lufthansa.
All pilots remember their first flight instructor. In most cases, students appreciate how their teacher's patient, steady hand and wise counsel helped them develop the skills that transformed them from wide-eyed novices to confident, competent masters of a sophisticated machine. However, after a private pilot course has been completed, teachers and students usually part ways.
With 7,000 controllers expected to leave the U.S. air traffic control system within the next decade, the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA) continues to lobby Congress for improved staffing. The controllers union wants the FAA to hire 1,000 new controllers each year, but the agency has not requested any. Problems at some facilities, such as en route centers and large TRACONs, are worsening as more controllers reach retirement eligibility, said NATCA spokesman Doug Church.
Some things in this world just seem incongruous. Like steering your car into a skid on an icy road, or asking the IRS for help with your taxes. When it comes to a jet aircraft, it's hard to understand exactly how we can make cool the stifling interior of a metal tube that's been baking for hours on a hot, sunny ramp. Yet we know that by lighting a fire in an engine or an APU, we can open a wondrous and welcome flood of clean, cool air into the cockpit and cabin.
The day before ACA announced the end of its Delta Connection, it revealed a transition plan to phase out as a United Express operator. The transition is scheduled to begin June 4 and continue through Aug. 5 subject to bankruptcy court approval. This agreement cleared a significant hurdle in the ongoing transition of Atlantic Coast Airlines from a fee-per-departure carrier to its new identity as Independence Air -- a low-fare airline based at Washington Dulles Airport with over 300 daily departures to destinations across the United States.
SevenBar Enterprises, Dallas, Texas, has appointed Steve Pitt as general manager of SevenBar Aviation in Albuquerque, N.M. Pitt recently served as vice president and chief of operations for Swift Aviation and has held several FBO management positions over the course of his career.
A power surge in the area around Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on April 12 caused a blackout for as long as 90 seconds, affecting the airport and control tower and ultimately delaying as many as 100 arriving flights, the FAA said.
