Brazil -- As of April 2, there have been 104,469 cases of dengue fever, resulting in 40 deaths in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In addition, there have been 460 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever, and 29 deaths in the city, as reported by Brazil's municipal health authority. Dengue fever is commonly seen in Brazil, but these figures represent a significant increase in cases for Rio de Janeiro when compared to recent years. Many other countries in South and Central America and other tropical and subtropical regions of the world are also reporting increased dengue activity.
The FAA has issued a report analyzing the issues behind the failure of NPRM 65/66, which focused on revising certification standards for aviation technicians. The evaluation was conducted by the agency's Human Factors in Aviation Safety group in conjunction with Galaxy Scientific, a contractor specializing in human factors.
Edited by David RimmerMike Vines, at ILA, Berlin, Germany
Eurocopter President and CEO Jean-Francois Bigay hosted his company's 10th anniversary celebration by cutting a huge birthday cake at the recent ILA show in Berlin, Germany.
Gulfstream Aerospace is going to make a minor wing modification to the first 16 GVs to remedy a certification compliance issue stemming from FAA and JAR certification methodologies for determining ultimate wing loading. Gulfstream President Bill Boisture told The Weekly of Business Aviation that the first 16 aircraft wing sets received formed sheet-metal stiffeners as a post-production modification to meet compliance requirements.
DOT's exploration of ``market-based'' solutions to airport congestion has been revived with the establishment of a new, July 22, 2002, closing date for public comments. The DOT concept includes the imposition of airport fees specifically designed to encourage air carriers to use limited airport capacity ``in a more efficient manner.'' Fee structures could include auctions, peak-period fees or flat fees. The GA industry has expressed strong concerns in the past -- before the DOT extended the comment period indefinitely on Nov.
Biggin Hill Airport-based Air Touring, Ltd. has been named authorized sales and service representative for the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 entry-level business jet for the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The company has committed to acquiring six of the seven-place aircraft from 2004 to 2006. Sino Swearingen expects first deliveries of the long-awaited aircraft in 2003.
Executive Aircraft Corp., Wichita, has recruited two aviation industry veterans for newly created positions. Wayne Burk is now vice president of completions and maintenance sales, and Kirk Kinkead is director of avionics. EAC anticipates the appointments will help the company become a total-coverage completions, service and modification center.
Bombardier Business Aviation Services (BBAS) finally got serious about product support in March when the firm appointed Jim Ziegler as its vice president and general manager. The 21-year Learjet veteran is well known for his organizational and people skills, plus straight talk and depth of experience. Folks at Learjet say Ziegler rolls up his sleeves and dives into tough tasks right alongside the troops on the shop floor. Power ties aren't part of his wardrobe and power trips aren't part of his agenda.
Saying he hoped to end confusion about the company's identity with ``the press, prospects and . . . even some NetJets owners,'' Executive Jet Chairman and CEO Richard Santulli recently announced the renaming of the company to NetJets, Inc. Admitting a sentimental attachment to the Executive Jet Aviation name since acquiring the charter company in the 1984, Santulli said he finally agreed to the name change many of his colleagues had been asking for since NetJets and the fractional ownership concept became so widely known.
Aetna has decided to shutter its flight department in favor of fractional ownership. According to Fred Laberge, assistant vice president of public relations for the insurance/health care firm, ``It was an economic decision to go with the fractional ownership.'' Based at Bradley International Airport (BDL) at Windsor Locks, Conn., the flight department operated a Dassault 2000, Cessna Citation II, and three Sikorsky S-76Cs.
The Russians have developed a prototype spacecraft specifically designed for the tourist trade. Called the Cosmopolis 21, or simply C-21, the craft could conceivably be ready for operation as early as 2004. The Russian designers say the vehicle will carry one pilot and two passengers to an altitude of 328,084 feet, and remain there for at least three minutes before flying back to Earth. The spacecraft is to be carried to an altitude of 88,000 feet on the back of a Russian M55-X aircraft, at which point it will detach, ignite its rockets and climb into space.
Garrett Aviation's electrically driven auxiliary hydraulic pump for Hawkers has STC approval. The new system can be installed on all Hawkers from the 1A through the 800 series. The electric auxiliary pump offers benefits to both pilots and mechanics said Ray Hartley, quality manager for Garrett's Los Angeles facility. He stated that pilots no longer have to use the hydraulic hand pump to close the gear doors or retract the flaps when the engines aren't running.
The company planning the mammoth airship CargoLifter could get further funding from the German state of Brandenburg, according to the state's economics minister, Wolfgang Furniss. The Berlin-based company is already getting support from the regional government, but speaking at the recent ILA show, Furniss confirmed that CargoLifter has asked for more money to fund it in the medium term. CargoLifter's recent deal with Boeing to study future lighter-than-air projects, though, might just be the light at the end of their financially troubled tunnel.
Skyjet, Bombardier's online charter booking service, has introduced a new block charter program with service guarantees similar to those available through fractional ownership. Participants in the Skyjet Premier Fleet can pre-purchase air charter in 25-, 50- and 100-hour blocks in their choice of small, midsize or large jets. There are no deadhead fees and aircraft availability is guaranteed with 12 hours notice. The program covers the continental United States and international points within 200 miles of the United States.
Spirent Systems is offering its AvVisor cabin display system as optional equipment on Cessna Citation business jets. First installation of the system is on a Cessna Model 550 Citation Bravo destined for an international customer. Cessna is certifying the system on the aircraft type certificate, and Spirent already has STC approval on the Model 525 Citation. AvVisor displays a range of real-time flight information including altitude, ground speed, estimated time of arrival and distance traveled.
Really Quiet LLC has hired FedEx Express to help it establish and support a national network of independent service centers that can install their Stage 3 hush kits for GIIs, GIIBs and GIII aircraft, all powered with Rolls-Royce Spey engines. FedEx Express will provide services to Really Quiet in the areas of supply chain management, vendor management, production management, warehouse inventory management and customer service.
Rockwell Collins said a new Collins avionics suite won FAA certification on a U.S. Army C-12 (King Air 200). The manufacturer said the installation certification permits the Army to modify 21 of the C-12s to meet Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) requirements. The new installation includes satellite-based navigation and flight display overlay capabilities and expanded data-link capabilities.
American Airlines has retired its last Boeing 727. At one time, American was the largest 727 operator, with a fleet totaling 182 727s at its peak. On April 30, the airline still operated eight 727-200s, all of which were retired that day. The last 727 flight for American was Flight 926 from Miami to Raleigh-Durham, N.C., which pushed back at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Replacing the 727s will be Boeing 737-800s, which carry the same number of passengers but consume about 60-percent less fuel per passenger than the tri-motors.
-- April 22 -- The airstair door of a Beech King Air 200 separated from the aircraft while cruising at FL 190. None of the nine people aboard the aircraft were injured, and it sustained only minor damage. The door was found 30 nm northwest of Eau Claire, Wis., and was observed to be in the locked position. The FAR Part 135 flight was en route from St. Paul Downtown Holman Field in Minnesota to Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton, Wis., at the time of the incident.
His all-guys skiing vacation in Vail, Colo., was nearing an end when a business acquaintance offered to give him a ride back to New York in his company Learjet, an offer he couldn't refuse. So come Sunday evening, happy, tired and unshaven, he climbed aboard, and the Learjet climbed out of the Rockies, hastening east. Soon -- too soon, he thought -- the aircraft began descending. The pilot explained that the airplane didn't have the range to make it nonstop, so they were going to fuel up in Columbus, Ohio.
In fractional ownership, managing your flight time -- your annual allotment of operating hours -- is everything in terms of getting the most out of your travel investment. This begins with understanding how fractional providers assess operating charges and how this can work against the shareholder, depending on individual travel patterns.
B/CA contributor David Esler assembled a ``virtual panel discussion'' on the pros and cons of using fractional shares for supplemental airlift in corporate flight departments by arranging extracts from his interviews with flight department managers. ``Participating'' are Don Baldwin, director of aviation for Coca-Cola Co., a position he held formerly at Texaco; Fred Towers, manager, scheduling and dispatch operations, for Vivendi Universal; and an anonymous aviation manager for a major aerospace corporation (he's the one sitting in shadow with his voice filtered).
Making an objective evaluation of our fitness for flight can be difficult, but the I'M SAFE checklist found in the Aeronautical Information Manual provides one means of making just such a personal assessment. The mnemonic is used to remind us of six critical areas of self-assessment: Illness -- Any form of illness can cause a reduction in alertness, reasoning or reaction, but some can also cause particularly debilitating effects at altitude.
While pressures to fly are generally considered a real-world aspect of commercial aviation, a number of steps, policies and mechanisms have been adopted by flight operations to help reduce those pressures and preserve good judgment and decision-making. Consider the following: Flight Departments -- Provide minimum weather criteria to eliminate gray areas in decision-making. -- Consider high minimums for high-risk maneuvers such as night circling approaches.
