If you need a mobile workspace, then the Helilodge may be for you. Designed to be transported effectively by a helicopter, this portable lodge has a modular layout that can be combined in different configurations. You can either use a single Insidelodge unit as working space inside a production plant or you can get an additional conference room with a view when you put a Helilodge on your unused roof space. It can also be used as a research center or a Helimotel in remote areas, or more units can be combined with a rooftop helipad to secure the link to the outside world.
In one form or another, CNS/ATM services can currently be accessed in more than 50 percent of the world's airspace. Various components of the system are operating in the South Pacific and on the northern Pacific Organized Track System (PACOTS), the latter controlled by Tokyo and Anchorage Centers. While Tokyo offers both CPDLC and ADS, only the data link is available in Anchorage airspace.
Legislation requiring airliners be equipped with anti-missile defense systems may be introduced soon. Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) said he planned to introduce a bill that would require the DOT to certify a missile-defense system for all U.S. jet aircraft in commercial service. Israel said his bill would cover about 6,800 airplanes and cost the government about $10 billion. Industry officials said they feel the legislation is not likely to go anywhere.
Dassault Falcon Jet, Teterboro, N.J., has named T.J. Reeves director of operations at its Wilmington, Del., service center. He will be responsible for aircraft maintenance and modifications including paint, cabinets, upholstery and avionics.
NMC-Wollard has introduced the multipurpose Model 140 Tow Tractor with low-profile design and a low center of gravity for handling corporate and regional jets. Power options for the tug include a Ford gasoline engine, and Cummins, Deutz and Perkins diesels. The drive axle of the tractor is a double-reduction outboard planetary design with dual wheel drive to aid in pushbacks and heavy cargo hauls. The tug is rated for loads from 8,000 to 14,000 pounds. Price: Call for pricing NMC-Wollard 2021 Truax Blvd.
Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH of Austria has announced its intention to build a five-seat, single- turbofan, executive jet named the D-JET. The company says that the aircraft is aimed at the personal jet and advanced training market. Current price tag is ``under $1 million'' with first deliveries in 2006. Diamond is saying that the largely composite structure aircraft will be certificated to 4,700 pounds MTOW, carry five people up to 25,000 feet with a cabin altitude of 8,000 feet and travel 315 knots.
Tom Barclay, air traffic manager at the FAA's Oakland Center, describes the procedural tracking system oceanic controllers have used for half a century to keep aircraft separated as ``paperwork-intensive.'' A controller may have to juggle up to five pieces of paper per flight, he told B/CA, ``so a substantial portion of the workload involves marking the strips: a mundane, repetitive task.'' All this is expected to change when the FAA's new CNS/ATM-compatible Advanced Technology Oceanic Procedures System (ATOPS) comes online at Oakland Center later this year.
Wing Aviation, Houston, has added David Perez as exterior refinishing manager. In addition to supervising all painting processes and services provided at the facility, Perez will handle all material, inventory, recruitment and HAZMAT control issues.
Jet Aviation, West Palm Beach, Fla., has appointed Andreas Pluss vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. In addition, Wolfgang Dillbaum has been appointed director of material management and distribution at Jet Aviation's Saarbrucken, Germany, location.
Twenty minutes after the business jet departed Denver's Centennial Airport, it leveled off in a comfortable cruise in IMC at FL 390. That's when trouble began in earnest. Both EFIS units failed, and both altimeters began ``spinning in an uncontrollable manner.'' As the pilot recounted in his ASRS report, ``The autopilot kicked off, and the aircraft began a left climbing turn.
In their initial joint press release announcing additional airspace control measures in the capital region, the FAA and TSA used a strong analogy to characterize the civilian fleet: ``Terrorists are known to favor targets in the transportation sector and to consider our civil aviation system an arsenal of improvised weapons.'' TSA head James M. Loy went on to say, ``The Washington capital region is home to a number of particularly symbolic targets that must be protected.
In addition to details about the Part 135/125 ARC, the FAA notice highlights issues the committee will review including ``design and manufacture of new aircraft that current regulations do not address adequately, certain large airplanes with modifications to payload capacity and passenger seat configuration operating under Part 91 or 135, new equipment and technologies not adequately addressed in current regulations, and international harmonization, especially with ICAO commercial standards.'' The international operations factor is actually a major driver of the regulator
Given the widespread skepticism expressed recently regarding the news that a human had been successfully cloned, you can imagine how the world received the incredible news in 1903 that two bicycle makers from Ohio had built a heavier-than-air machine that could carry a human operator aloft. Many people considered the Wright brothers' claims of powered, controlled flight dubious, not only because the leading technical minds of the day had been unable to perform such a feat, but also because Orville and Wilbur refused to publicly demonstrate their aircraft.
Time is running out for Stage II aircraft, as an increasing number of airport communities turn thumbs down on excessive airport noise. Maximum noise limits, measured at airport monitors, seldom have any direct correlation to the maximum allowable noise levels specified in FAR Part 36. But many airport authorities make it difficult to operate Stage II aircraft in the daytime and impossible at night.
The FAA issued a Letter to Airmen on Feb. 1, calling attention to special considerations for operating in the vicinity of P-67 near Kennebunkport, Maine. Under a standard TFR, flight operations are prohibited within 10 nm below 18,000 feet when President Bush is in residence. Within 10 and 30 nm aircraft must be on an active flight plan, squawking a discreet code assigned by ATC, and remain in two-way radio contact with ATC. Flights will be authorized for ingress and egress to local airports only. Flight training and practice approaches are prohibited.
MY WIFE, LIN, AND I have often discussed the similarities of our two chosen professions, health care and aviation. She says that doctors and pilots have similar personality traits -- self-reliant, procedurally oriented team players who act on their own decisions, some of which can be life critical. Beyond that, both industries rely on procedures, schedules and the combined effort of a wide variety of professional disciplines in order to complete assignments and missions in a safe and efficient manner.
Ask many CFOs how to figure Depreciation in Line 1 of B/CA's Fanjet 5000 Annual Operating Budget and they'll tell you to write down the aircraft to zero value in six years. That's fine for deferring tax liability, but not so great if you're trying to budget expenses realistically for a business aircraft. It's almost a showstopper if you're charging back all operating costs to individual users within the company. Tax depreciation helps a firm generate investment capital by deferring tax liability to a future date.
Last fall's forecasts by Honeywell, Teal Group and Rolls-Royce predict that the upcoming industry slump, while painful, will bottom at about 1997-1998 unit delivery levels in 2004 with business jet deliveries tilting upward beginning in 2005. Interestingly, the Honeywell forecast seems to accurately reflect the, surprising to many, ongoing growth in very-light-jet deliveries. Also notable, and well documented on these pages, is the manufacturers' anticipation of the slump with proactive capacity adjustments accompanied by cost controls to tide them through.
Learning the electrical system for a new aircraft can be a serious challenge. ``Manufacturers do a very good job of designing fault-tolerant electrical systems,'' notes FAA Inspector Dale Crumb of the Boston FSDO. ``But as a consequence, the systems are also very complex, and most pilots have a difficult time understanding the complexities.'' When learning a new electrical system, start by breaking down the system into the major functional groups. One of the first questions to ask is where the power comes from.
Jeppesen has released the latest version of Federal Aviation Regulations Explained (F.A.R.E.), specifically for the aviation maintenance community. Written by B/CA contributor Kent Jackson and Dennis G. Keith, the book includes FAR Parts 1, 21, 43, 65, 145 and 147, as well as explanations of the regs, cross-references to other FARs to aid understanding, actual case histories, NTSB decisions and FAA Chief Counsel Opinion excerpts. Price: $34.95 Jeppesen 6961 S. Quentin St. Englewood, CO Phone: (303) 328-4597 www.jeppesen.com
Oregon Aero is offering its Universal Pilot SofSeat Cushion System to take away the pain of long, constrained flights. The seat is designed to shift the pilot's hip and pelvis location so the upper body hinge moves from the diaphragm to the middle of the back. This helps keep the body erect without effort. The seat meets or exceeds the fire-blocking requirements of FAR Part 25.853 and is designed to accommodate multiple seat-harness configurations. Price: From $104.50 Oregon Aero 34020 Skyway Dr. Scappoose, OR 97056 Phone: (800) 888-6819 www.oregonaero.com
Sixteen business jet accidents in 2002 included three fatal accidents and eight passenger and crew fatalities. This compares to 22 total accidents of which seven were fatal, involving 29 passenger and crew fatalities in 2001. The three fatal business jet accidents in 2002 were a Bombardier Challenger 604 that crashed on takeoff in the United Kingdom, a Learjet 25C EMS flight that overshot the runway landing in Lexington, Ky., and an IAI 1124 that crashed on approach in VMC.
