What could they have been thinking? A potentially nasty situation could develop at Connecticut's state-owned Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC). A contractor was successful in changing the town of Oxford's zoning regulations, enabling him to build within the airport's 65 DNL footprint. Apparently shooting themselves in the foot, Oxford town officials changed the regulations despite opposition by the Connecticut DOT, the FAA, the NBAA and other regional planning agencies. The development plans include building 94 residential units at the middle marker for the primary runway.
This year's Farnborough International Air and Trade Show will have its first three-day corporate aviation event within the main show, according to Ann Bartaby, TAG Farnborough's director of operations and development. The corporate event will run for the first three days of the weeklong (July 19-25) main show, and exhibitors will be able demonstrate their aircraft to potential buyers after the air show each evening.
Sun Air Jets, Camarillo, Calif., has recruited Jennifer Van Winkle as director of charter sales. Van Winkle was previously charter sales manager at Petersen Aviation in Van Nuys, Calif.
Commercial and air taxi operators of business jets and turboprops experienced 40 accidents, 13 of which were fatal, resulting in 31 fatalities in 2003. That compares with 29 accidents, including eight fatal accidents that resulted in 16 deaths, in 2002.
The FAA has certified Environmental Tectonics Corp.'s GAT-II General Aviation Trainer installed at Frederick Flight Center in Frederick, Md., as a Level II Flight Training Device. FAR Part 61 defines the uses of approved FTDs, which are certified individually, for logging training time and experience. Representatives of the Baltimore FSDO, and from the FAA National Simulator Program Office in Atlanta, conducted the evaluation of the GAT-II. In addition to the GAT-II's VFR and IFR training capabilities, the device offers automated spatial disorientation training profiles.
At some point an aircraft needs to go to a service center for an inspection, repair, maintenance or overhaul. Having a satisfactory visit will depend on how well the flight department and the service center communicate on the agreed task beforehand. In addition, if the operator has taken time and care in selecting the appropriate facility, the frequency, expense and length of such visits can be kept to a minimum.
The FAA is proceeding with an evaluation of the AOPA-proposed Washington ADIZ relief procedures demonstration. The 60-day test, intended to show that less restrictive procedures would work for airports on the fringe of the Washington ADIZ, was suspended 15 days early due to the code Orange alert. Security officials don't intend to resume the test, but will make decisions on the data they have already gathered. The AOPA said it would urge the government to apply the relaxed procedures not only to the fringe airports but to other airports deeper within the ADIZ.
FlightSafety International, Flushing, N.Y., has named Michael P. Lee vice president of technology and compliance. Lee was the general manager of courseware support and director of maintenance training standards for the past 16 years.
Kelly Aerospace Power Systems is now offering its new aviation oil filters for general aviation aircraft. The filters are FAA/PMA approved for Lycoming and Continental engines and are available through Kelly's network of distributors. The Kelly oil filters use a hex nut and safety wire tabs for ease of installation/removal, are constructed from a heavy-duty corrosion-resistant shell and use a pleated resin-impregnated dual-phase filtering media to provide maximum filtering surface. Call for pricing Kelly Aerospace Power Systems 1400 E. South Blvd.
European governments continue to mull the status of fractional ownership. A coalition of transportation directors general in Europe who help set policy for the JAA plans to meet in late February to discuss the regulation of fractional ownership operations. The European Civil Aviation Conference is expected to establish a task force to take an in-depth look at fractional ownership. Meanwhile officials from both the NBAA and GAMA continue to meet with the U.K.
Teterboro Airport's Million Air Charter has been renamed Meridian Air Charter to distinguish its global capabilities from the FBO operation with which it has been associated since 1983. Meridian has a new name, a new logo, a new phone number (201-288-5040) and a new Web site: www.meridianaircharter.com.
AvFab also received an STC for the installation of a two-place divan for model year 2000 and newer Citation 560 Encores. Because there are no seat tracks to tie into those models of the Encore, the divan mounts to the floorboard. AvFab says the aircraft can easily be returned to the original configuration if required. There are three versions of the divan. One fits newer aircraft equipped with a right-hand, forward Slimline galley behind the copilot, and a longer version fits newer aircraft without that galley configuration.
Atlantic Aviation, Dallas, has announced new hires at its recently acquired New Orleans FBOs at New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Lakefront Airport (NEW). Ronnie Crouch has been named Atlantic's general manager for both locations. Crouch was previously director of operations for General Aviation Corp. Traci Fremin has been named director of customer development for both locations. She was recently customer service manager at Million Air's Lakefront FBO. Brenda Smith has been named customer service manager for Atlantic's Lakefront location.
Safire Aircraft Co. has filed a Type Certificate application with the FAA for its minijet. ``Filing of the Type Certificate application marks the first phase of the Safire Jet's certification process,'' said Safire Aircraft President and CEO Camilo Salomon. ``It also represents a significant milestone in the aircraft's development process.
Texas A&M University's school of engineering has developed a new high-temperature bearing that will allow aircraft engines to run more efficiently. The university collaborated with NASA's Glenn Research Center and the University of Toledo to advance the bearing technology. The research team was honored with a 2003 R&D 100 Award for the new bearings. In current aircraft engines, the bearings that support the rotating parts of the engine can fail because of high temperatures.
Expanding transatlantic business travel options, NetJets officially included Europe in the core operating area of its U.S.-based Gulfstream IV-SPs and Gulfstream Vs as of Feb. 1, waiving ferry charges for its share owners flying to or from Europe if the flights originate or terminate in the continental United States. NetJets Europe will also base Gulfstreams there, and has already presold all eight shares in a new Europe-based Gulfstream.
The NTSB wants the FAA to identify aircraft with crewmember rotary seatbelt buckles and require replacement with guarded buckles that cannot be inadvertently unlatched. See the entire recommendation (A-03-57) with its rationale at www.ntsb.gov.
CBS Evening News broadcast a stunningly inaccurate story, containing both errors of fact and errors of omission, that portrayed business and personal aviation as a ``gaping hole'' in America's security. NATA president James Coyne described the segment, reported by Bob Orr and broadcast on Jan. 14, as, ``irresponsible journalism in its most egregious form. CBS has done itself and all of general aviation a huge disservice by airing this report and not bothering to check the facts,'' concluded Coyne.
J.A. Air Center, West Chicago, Ill., has added John Dendekker as avionics installation sales manager. Dendekker, who has more than 20 years of avionics experience, was most recently marketing manager for Northern Airborne Technology.
U.S. Senate appropriators have been working to keep Midway Atoll open for emergency operations. Midway's Henderson Field is used as a diversion base in ETOPS in the Pacific. The Fish and Wildlife Service runs it as a bird preserve but no longer wants to operate the airfield. The fiscal 2003 budget set aside $3.5 million to keep the facility open under the U.S. DOT spending bill, and the 2004 omnibus spending measure will provide about $4 million annually to keep it open permanently.
Duncan Aviation has recevied STC approval for Honeywell's new RASS (Runway Awareness and Advisory System) installed on a Gulfstream IV. Duncan's Battle Creek, Mich., facility performed the installation and holds the STC. Honeywell's RAAS provides improved situational awareness to help lower the probability of runway incursions by providing aural advisories to the flight crew during taxi, takeoff, final approach, landing and rollout. RAAS is a software (and wiring change depending on original installation) upgrade to existing Mk V and Mk VII EGPWS computers.
3M Dual Lock reclosable fasteners have been used extensively in aviation, transportation, electronics, business equipment, machinery, medical, and sign and display markets. When the mushroom-shaped stems interlock, tensile strength is high enough to replace mechanical fasteners in many applications, yet users can readily open and close Dual Lock fasteners hundreds of times. The polypropylene tape, which is high temperature and solvent resistant and features a rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesive, works well on many plastic surfaces.
Spring is coming, and with it comes the prospect of our company's annual recurrent ground school. Undoubtedly, like most years we'll struggle to find a time when all the pilots can attend -- and it won't work. No matter how well we plan, invariably we end up providing one-on-one ground school to a number of our pilots.
Mexican carrier Aerolitoral bought five Embraer ERJ 145 LRs with options to buy up to 25 more. The 50-seaters will be the first Embraer jets operated by the company, and also the first regional jets to operate in the colors of a Mexican airline. Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for March. Aerolitoral has also signed a 12-year total care agreement with Rolls-Royce that covers maintenance and support of the AE 3007 turbofans. Under this agreement Rolls-Royce assumes full responsibility for the maintenance of the engine in return for a fee per flying hour.
