Late in 2003, a successful Southern California entrepreneur was flying his single-pilot light jet on a foggy, low-visibility, nighttime ILS approach into an airport located near the coast. Such coastal weather conditions, in spite of boasts to the contrary by the chamber of commerce, aren't all that uncommon early in SoCal winters, particularly during late evening hours when the air temperature and dew point are likely to converge. ATIS was reporting the weather as partially obscured with 3/4-mile visibility.
Jet Aviation has approval to support the Williams-Rolls FJ44 engine worldwide. Jet Aviation centers in Dallas, Dusseldorf, Singapore and Zurich will become service facilities to support FJ44 engines powering Cessna CitationJets. Jet Aviation's Bedford, Mass., Dusseldorf and Zurich facilities will support FJ44s powering the Beech Premier I.
A U.S. Marine Corps Citation Encore (UC-35D) crashed on approach to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego on the night of March 10. All four people aboard died. The aircraft was on a training flight from Grand Junction, Colo., when it crashed about 8:45 local about 1.5 miles from the Marine base and burst into flames. The Marines have six UC-35 aircraft, a mix of C (Ultra) and D (Encore) models that are used for VIP transport and other missions. The first UC-35C was delivered to the service in 1999; the first UC-35D became operational in 2001.
Cirrus Design has introduced the second generation of its SR22 single-engine piston composite airplane. The SR22-G2 has an entirely new fuselage, built with new precision tooling that enabled Cirrus to eliminate four stations on its manufacturing line while meeting tighter tolerances to reduce overall empty weight, which yields increased useful load. Other G2 enhancements include an all-new interior, a standard six-point engine mount, Hartzell scimitar three-blade prop, and a new cowl for better airflow management.
As the NBAA's vice president of operations Bob Blouin points out, it is ``unrealistic'' to compare the U.S. government-run ATC system to the privatized Nav Canada, as Canadian air traffic density represents a fraction of that of the United States. Actually, Canadian traffic averages between one-fifth and one-tenth of U.S. movements, depending on how you cook the numbers.
Delta Connection has placed a firm order for 32 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in first quarter 2005. The contract value is estimated at $780 million (U.S.) and represents the conversion to firm orders of 32 of the 169 options on the Bombardier CRJ200 held by Delta Connection carriers.
In December 2003, the Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), a business aviation alternative to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, celebrated the holiday season by unveiling two shapely new appendages for its 5,700-foot runway -- high speed turnoffs leading directly to the jet services FBO from both landing directions. While arguably a vast improvement on the previous clunky taxiway layout, the quick egress paths continued to have an operational flaw three months after the grand opening -- no one had updated the official airport diagram database to include them.
Savannah Air Center, Savannah, Ga., has hired Mark D. Karls as manager of aircraft maintenance. Karls, who brings more than 20 years of aviation experience to his new position, comes to Savannah Air Center from Gulfstream Aerospace.
Tradeoffs are a reality of aircraft design, although engineers attempt to optimize the blend of capabilities, performance and passenger comfort. B/CA compares the subject aircraft, in this case the Citation XLS, with the composite characteristics of others in its class, computing the percentage differences for various parameters in order to portray the aircraft's relative strengths and weaknesses. We also include the absolute value of each parameter, along with the relative ranking, for the subject aircraft within the composite group.
As the Darwinian financial realities of the early 21st century sink in and the United States strives to convert as much of the world as possible to the mantra of free-market economics, the issue of outsourcing services and functions traditionally governmental in nature has come to the fore. Get used to it, the proponents of privatization say: It's one of the dominant features of the New Economy, where everything is reduced to the bottom line and all endeavors must make or break it within the competitive arena of the marketplace.
The Citation XLS's 4,500-pound thermodynamic Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B engines are rated at 3,991 pounds of thrust to ISA+13C for takeoff. The powerplants feature a recambered single-piece fan that turns at about 2 percent higher N1 rpm to produce most of the 4.9-percent increase in takeoff thrust and 2-percent increase in climb and cruise thrust, which is now approximately 950 pounds at 40,000 feet, ISA, uninstalled.
Possibly just going through the motions, the TSA has started drafting a plan for general aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Congress mandated the plan in the Vision 100 -- Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. (See ``Vision 100: Why It Matters So Much,'' page 50.) However, that mandate also allows the president to suspend the plan due to national security concerns. Speaking before the Aero Club of Washington, D.C., Sen.
Helicopter operators in this year's Honeywell surveys shared their concerns over factors affecting their aircraft missions, flying hours and new aircraft purchase decisions. In North America, the top five factors of most concern to operators this year were: the impact of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), flight department budget cuts (especially government related), increasing insurance costs and local noise ordinances.
The TSA is funding law-enforcement officers to close security gaps at some small airports, it said at a briefing on Feb. 17. The issue of law enforcement presence at airports has arisen as the TSA works to launch its CAPPS II, the updated Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System. One question is whether airports, particularly small ones, will be properly staffed to detain passengers flagged by CAPPS II as security risks.
Honeywell's accompanying survey of future purchase expectations showed that more than 80 percent of operators who plan to replace their older rotorcraft will not ``trade up,'' but will replace them with helicopters in the same size/capability and price class. Only about 7 percent of operators plan to trade down to less expensive machines. The survey of civil helicopter operators' future purchase expectations indicates a strengthening of demand for new aircraft over the next five years despite the fact that expectations fell compared with year's survey.
The FAA used an Internet-based forum to gather input on its very controversial air-tour proposal. The forum was established in response to the industry uproar and overwhelming number of public comments generated by the FAA's proposal to all but eliminate a special provision permitting local sightseeing flights under FAR Part 91 regulations. The rules also seek to impose strict new operational limitations and equipment requirements on all air tours.
Sicma Aero Seat, Issy-les-moulineaux, France, a company within Zodiac's Airline Equipment Segment, has appointed Gille Morin chairman. He succeeds Christian Novella, who becomes senior vice president, technology segment of the Zodiac Group.
There's a new corporate aircraft servicing and refurbishing business at Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Quebec. Montreal Jet Center (MJET) is a joint venture of DEM Capital, which provides aircraft maintenance and refurbishment, and Elisen Technologies, an aeronautics engineering company authorized as a design approval organization by Transport Canada. In addition, DeCrane Aircraft Holdings will operate DeCrane Cabin Interiors Canada at MJET, and corporate aircraft manager ACASS has formed an alliance with the center.
The FAA made its case for ADs to address potential wing spar structural problems on 400-series Cessna twins at a two-day meeting with Cessna Pilots Association members and AOPA staffers. ``The good news is the FAA finally showed its hand and explained why it wants to impose the ADs on most 400-series Cessnas,'' said AOPA Director of Regulatory and Certification Policy Luis Gutierrez.
The Czech Police Aviation Department has taken delivery of the first of eight Eurocopter EC-135 helicopters. This first machine will be used on emergency medical missions and will be joined by two others. Four of the remaining five aircraft will be used in surveillance, anti-terrorist and in crime-fighting roles, while the final one will be reserved for flexible response missions. The Czech Republic operates an integrated rescue system through the Police Aviation Department, and is responsible for aerial fire fighting, mountain rescue and search and rescue missions.
Gulfstream's newly opened London Luton Airport Service Center is the first aircraft maintenance center outside the United States to be awarded the Aviation Maintenance Technician Diamond Certificate of Excellence Award by the FAA. Gulfstream London Luton joins Gulfstream's five U.S.-based service centers as recognized AMT Diamond stations. The Luton facility provides service for all Gulfstream models as well as maintenance for Citation, Falcon and Hawker owners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Helicopter Support Inc. has consolidated five of its units in a new 180,000-square-foot facility in Trumbull, Conn. HSI previously leased six separate facilities around the state. HSI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft but is an authorized service center for Agusta, Bell, Robinson and Schweizer and supports the General Electric T-700 and T-58 engines.
Boeing Business Aviation Services, Wichita, has named Rob Mauracher general manager of the company's Tucson service center. Mauracher, who joined Bombardier Aerospace in 2002, is a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic.
