Aviation South, Saint Simon's Island, Ga., has been inaugurated by Mike Pickett, who recently retired from Wachovia Bank, where he headed the aircraft finance division for 17 years. Aviation South will offer various services to the business aviation community, such as aircraft brokerage, finance, scheduling, management and pilot services.
Jet Aviation West Palm Beach now has Group Approval to outfit Falcon 10s with RVSM, TCAS and Class B TAWS systems. Avionics Manager Brian Wilson said that Jet is currently working on the fifth Falcon 10 covered under the Group STC.
Piaggio, following through on its previous statements (Intelligence, October, page 14), is using the proceeds of the n20 million ($22.4 million) investment by the Italian government to strengthen its position in the U.S. market. Piaggio America is moving its headquarters from Greenville, S.C. (GYH) to Florida's Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in first quarter 2004 to gain the advantages of being in a larger business aviation community.
The first product developed under the FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS) Program is expected to be a transition training syllabus for the Cirrus SR-22 as a basis for generic programs for similar new aircraft. The University of North Dakota (UND) aerospace program is incorporating the SR-22 syllabus into its training curriculum. Eclipse, meanwhile, is working on a FITS program for turbine aircraft, including its Eclipse 500. Adam Aircraft, Diamond Aircraft and Lancair are also participating.
The new hands-free Blue Box Communicator from ER-Link for remote medical assistance communication is smaller and lighter than any of the company's previous units. The Blue Box weighs 1.75 pounds and measures 6 inches by 6 inches by 2.5 inches tall. It allows simultaneous transmission of voice and vital signs data to selected parties such as the University of Texas Medical Branch, your corporate doctor or a designated specialist.
Bombardier's Skyjet business jet charter booking service announced a new incentive program for flight departments that use charter for supplemental lift. Under the program, flight departments can earn cash credits toward Bombardier Business Aviation Services (BBAS) maintenance and modifications, or pilot and technician training at a BBAS factory-owned service or training center. The program is available to customers of the Skyjet Premier Fleet jet membership program.
The Indian government signed a contract for five Embraer Legacy aircraft in executive configuration. Four of the jets will replace the venerable Avros operated by the Palam-based Air HQ Communication Squadron of the Indian Air Force, which carries the president, vice president and prime minister, among other dignitaries. The fifth Legacy will be operated by the Border Security Force, under the Home Ministry.
Jetnet reports that Aerostar Airlines of Kiev, Ukraine, is the first to use its Evolution Web-based sales information system in the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) region. Evolution provides Web access to Jetnet's Owner/Operator/Fractional Owner database, its Aircraft Transaction database and Aircraft Wanted-to-Purchase Database. Aerostar Airlines provides charter and aircraft management services in the CIS region. You can find out more at www.jetnet.com.
The NBAA board elected Donald E. Baldwin of the Coca-Cola Co. to the position of chairman of the board and Kenneth E. Emerick of GM Worldwide Travel Services as vice chairman. Jeffrey W. Lee of IBM Corp., who had been elected by the board in April as treasurer-elect, assumed his term as treasurer. George A. Saling of Altria Corporate Services, Inc. will serve on the board's executive committee in the position of immediate past chairman. The election took place Oct. 9 at the NBAA board of directors meeting during the association's convention in Orlando.
Executive Jet Management (EJM), the aircraft charter and management services unit of NetJets, has earned a coveted ISO 9001:2000 certification. The certification registrar was EAQA USA, which specializes in aviation. The ISO 9000 series of standards represents an international consensus on quality management practices with the objective of ensuring that an organization can consistently achieve customer and regulatory quality requirements.
Richard B. ``Dick'' Weeghman, an aviation writer and editor of long standing, passed away Oct. 13 near his home in Sarasota, Fla. He was 75. After graduating from Yale, Weeghman flew F-86s in the U.S. Air Force. He was an associate editor at Flying magazine, editor-in-chief at Air Progress, and later at The Aviation Consumer. After retiring to Florida, he was active in the Angel Network. His survivors include Diane, his wife of 40 years; two daughters; and three grandchildren.
``If we wait for congestion to return before designing, creating a transition plan for, and building the next-generation system, we will pay a heavy price,'' said John Hayhurst, president of Boeing Air Traffic Management, at the Aero Club of Washington on Oct. 2. A network-enabled approach to the air system would provide a strong and flexible platform for system transformation, he asserted. Such an approach would provide a common suite of information to system users.
The Franklin Institute's new Franklin Air Show aviation exhibit opened Oct. 18. The 5,000-square-foot permanent exhibit immerses visitors in the simulated environment of an actual air show and introduce them to the history, science and technology of powered flight. The Franklin Air Show contains more than 20 interactive devices in three environments -- an aircraft hangar, a midway and a pilot training facility.
IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, the NTSB has repeatedly urged pilots to do a better job of self-monitoring for the effects of fatigue and the side effects of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescribed medications. Routine business stress can lead to fatigue and minor health problems. When we reach for OTC or prescribed medications to deal with those stress/fatigue-induced aches and pains, the situation can snowball. One of the accidents we've looked at for its operational lessons was the loss of the College of the Ozarks' Cessna Citation 525.
French officials from the equivalent of the U.S. DOT's Inspector General's Office traveled to the NBAA annual meeting and convention and attended a presentation, on Oct. 10, on fractional ownership that was described as a ``primer'' on this category of operation. The French officials then met in Washington on Oct. 14 with officials from the NATA, GAMA and NetJets to explore the regulatory issues surrounding fractional operations. NATA president James Coyne reported that the discussions were extremely positive. As with the United Kingdom.
Gulfstream's G100 (Astra SPX) dedicated to AOG support flew its 200th mission recently. The G100 flies critical components and technicians to the field to resolve AOG situations for Gulfstream customers. Gulfstream Aerospace inaugurated its GAPS (Gulfstream Airborne Product Support) program in May 2002. Using the dedicated aircraft for service missions routinely reduces the amount of AOG time for customers, sometimes by days, Gulfstream officials say.
Long Island, N.Y., MacArthur (ISP)-based Eastway Aviation added two factory-new Citation Excels and a Citation Bravo to its charter fleet. Joe Turosky has joined Eastway as Citation Program manager. Eastway's client relations manager Dan Tew told B/CA that all three aircraft are now on certificate and available for charter. Eastway has also opened a second base with leased hangar and office at the Robinson Aviation FBO in New Haven, Conn. (HVN). For more information, call (631) 737-9911.
The NBAA will conduct a series of one-day seminars to explain Subpart K's critical components, and its impact on international operations, aircraft registration, finance and taxes. The registration fee is $495 for NBAA members, $695 for nonmembers. For further information go to web.nbaa.org/public/cs/subpartk. So far, seminars are scheduled for: -- Dec. 5 in White Plains, N.Y. -- Jan. 20, 2004, in Van Nuys, Calif. -- Feb. 20, 2004, in Dallas
Banyan Air Service, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hired Lenny Baldwin as turbine maintenance service manager. Baldwin has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Banyan, Baldwin was a project supervisor for Bombardier.
Elliott Aviation and Honeywell will offer an RVSM-compliant equipment package for the Beechjet 400 and Mitsubishi Diamond 1 and 1A jets. The RVSM system includes Honeywell's AZ-252 air data computer, AM-250 barometric altimeter, BA-250 barometric altimeter display and AL/VN-800 altitude alert controller. Elliott will sell the RVSM modification separately or as part of a package that could include the Honeywell Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, traffic alert and collision avoidance system and cockpit display.
On Oct. 9, Shelley A. Longmuir formally assumed the responsibilities of president and CEO of the NBAA, and Robert P. Warren took on the role of the association's executive vice president, Chief operating officer and corporate secretary. Adding those titles resulted from a change in the bylaws adopted by the association's board of directors during the NBAA Convention.
It was a typical August morning in southeastern Connecticut. Pulling back my window shade around 6 a.m. revealed some low clouds hovering somewhere above the treetops, but the promise of the day was that the fog and low clouds would burn off, giving way to morning sunshine. Although just a few miles away the morning sun was already shining, at Groton-New London Airport (GON), those lingering low clouds would shortly be the undoing of two pilots then on a final approach.
Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, Neb., recently completed three new appointments. Bob Finke was named sales associate at Duncan's Parts and Services division, AVPAC. He will manage the new propeller overhaul exchange program and serve as Duncan's new propeller tech representative. The new manager of Duncan's Chicago satellite facility is Dan Wilder, a 30-year aviation industry veteran who has been with Duncan for the past three years. Additionally, Steve Morgan was named team leader for the company's Fort Lauderdale Rapid Response team.
