Becker Avionics is now offering operators its latest audio system, the DP 4100, designed to reproduce high quality digital sound in any aircraft cabin both for music and public address announcements. The DP 4100 is controlled through standard disc player icons, similar to home audio players. The music is stored in an MP3 format on standard PCMCIA flash-memory cards. The cards are inserted through a locking flap that is accessed on the front of the display.
Much of the turbulence we pilots have come to accept as a minor annoyance can be unsettling, even terrifying, to the unwary passenger. The problem is, passengers don't know how bad is bad, and if the ride feels like a car careening down a bumpy dirt road, then they may assume we're on the verge of losing control. Even when we explain to them that the turbulence is not dangerous, even when we warn them that it's coming, we find them clutching the armrest in a white-knuckled death grip.
Taking advantage of advances in display and microprocessors, ASA's new CX-2 Pathfinder electronic flight computer provides users a menu of 34 functions with access to 40 aviation calculations. The CX-2 complies with AC 60-11 and can be used for all pilot, mechanic, dispatcher and FAA exams. The easy-to-read LCD provides prompts for ease of operation. Inputs and outputs are labeled and numbers are displayed with units. The CX-2 also has a built-in stopwatch with count up/down function and an internal clock that displays local and UTC time.
Hire an experienced aviation law firm for representation Buyer conducts preliminary, informal walk-around inspection Buyer tenders to seller an Offer to Purchase letter with requirement that immediately after acceptance, seller must take the aircraft off the market Buyer wire transfers into escrow a sizable "earnest money" deposit Negotiate comprehensive sales agreement Escrow agent acknowledges receipt of sales agreement and agrees to its conditions regarding escrow agent responsibilities
Gulfstream Aerospace remains a major element in General Dynamics' continued strong financial performance, according to GD's first-quarter financial report. GD reported net earnings of $240 million on revenues of $2.7 billion for the quarter ended March 31. ``The year is off to a strong start,'' said GD Chairman Nicholas Chabraja.
Two key members of the House of Representatives wrote to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey demanding a quick answer as to why she has ignored congressional mandates to implement quiet technology provisions in rules governing air tour operators at Grand Canyon National Park. Reps.
As pilots or managers charged with the safe and efficient air transportation of our employer's executives and fellow wage slaves, we are accustomed to being in total control. Within our corporate flight department, we can set standards for safety and quality, then if we're doing our jobs as managers, ensure that everyone connected with the operation adheres to them. Thus, by creating and nurturing a culture of safety and service, we assure the confidence of our ridership and the success of their endeavors.
The major regional aircraft builders offered upbeat status reports at the RAA gathering in May, though major announcements were held for the upcoming Paris Air Show. Bombardier Regional Aircraft chief Steve Ridolfi said he expects to firm up Mesa's proposed CRJ900 launch order soon, but the China market remains ``difficult to predict,'' despite recent success there. He said teething troubles with the Dash 8Q-400 are resolved, and Bombardier will be looking toward expanding its aviation services business in Europe.
The looming maintenance technician shortage caused by alternate industries gleaming the workforce is forcing maintenance managers to reexamine A&P career paths and consider new strategies for retaining technical personnel.
Most people in business aviation know Grumman as the original manufacturer of the Gulfstream business jets. However, the Long Island-based company, which was founded in 1930, first came to prominence by producing outstanding naval aircraft, from the TBF Avengers and F6F Hellcats of World War II to the F-14 Tomcats that operate from U.S. aircraft carriers today. The durability of these and other fighter, patrol and transport aircraft built by the ``Grumman Ironworks'' is legendary -- ``a Grumman will get you home,'' was an aphorism among naval aviators.
Raytheon Aircraft and Rockwell Collins have joined forces to sweep the clutter out of the Hawker 800XP cockpit. Indeed, were it not for the Hawker's familiar ``ram's horns'' yokes and distinctive glareshield shape, some might mistake the revamped layout as one belonging in an all-new aircraft. Four, 10-by-eight-inch flat-panel displays dominate the instrument panel of the Hawker 800XP fitted with Pro Line 21 avionics, replacing the old aircraft's high-tech-antique mixture of five small CRTs and almost two dozen ``steam gauges.''
Aviation industry groups urged air charter providers to change the way they assess taxes on their services, but vowed to continue to fight a recent U.S. Internal Revenue Service determination that some officials estimated could cost operators ``hundreds of thousands of dollars.'' The IRS recently issued a technical advice memorandum (TAM) to a Minnesota-based on-demand air carrier that called for the operator to assess the $2.75 air transportation segment fee on a per-passenger basis rather than on a per-aircraft-chartered basis.
The NBAA will honor Experimental Aircraft Association founder Paul Poberezny and Myron Collier, a former chief pilot and long-time designated pilot examiner, with annual service awards at this year's Annual Meeting and Convention in New Orleans. Collier is slated to receive the John P. ``Jack'' Doswell Award, recognizing ``lifelong individual achievement on behalf of and in support of the aims, goals and objectives of business aviation.'' Collier, a 33,000-hour pilot, served as chief pilot/manager of operations at Cyclops Corp.
Moya Lear, wife of aviation pioneer Bill Lear, recently was honored by Mercury Air Centers during a stopover at Addison Airport (ADS), Texas. Mrs. Lear was on her way to the National Air and Space Museum to accept an Aviation Week Laurel Legend award on behalf of her late husband. Mrs. Lear's trip, in a 1969 Learjet 24B operated by Flexjet, was sponsored by Mercury Air Centers, Best AeroNet, Chevron and the Town of Addison. Making the trip with Mrs.
Peter Russo, an aviation safety auditor for Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US), honed his trade evaluating airlines contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense as troop and cargo carriers. He and his colleagues at the Air Force's Air Carrier Survey Office at Scott AFB, Illinois, developed a set of standards for auditing the pool of some 200 commercial operators that sell airlift services to the armed forces. ``The country needs really robust carriers in case of a war situation,'' Russo told B/CA.
United Airlines' revelation in May that it plans to operate a fractional business jet network may mark the beginning of a trend among commercial carriers keen on profiting in the burgeoning business aviation market. United says it hopes to sell shares in 200 large-cabin jets over the next five years; other airlines may follow
Wessex Aerospace in the United Kingdom has acquired the entire inventory of Britten-Norman Islander parts and structures from the former Islander plant in Manila, Philippines. The move marks Wessex' bid to become the dominant parts source for the estimated 800 Islander piston twins still flying worldwide. Previously, Wessex had acquired Islander parts from Britten-Norman's ex-Middle Eastern and Asian distributors.
Insight Instrument's TAS 1000 True Air Data Computer System provides pilots with information based on real-time measurements of airspeed, altitude, temperature, fuel flow, heading, ground speed and track. Designed to interface with many GPSes, the TAS 1000 unlocks data pages in most GPS navigators. In addition to its inflight advisory function, the unit also can serve as a backup altimeter, airspeed indicator or fuel-flow meter.
Delays at other New York-area airports have triggered an apparent ``business aviation renaissance'' at Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC) in central Connecticut. An FAA contract air traffic control tower begins operations at OXC this month, and Keystone Aviation, the airport's main FBO and charter service, is in the midst of a $17 million expansion project.
Clothing has a great effect on your body's ability to maintain and regulate heat. The ideal warm weather clothing is lightweight and loose fitting, since that helps circulate the air near the body. A light color will help reflect the sun's rays. Even when wearing the right clothing, heat loss is retarded until the clothing becomes wet and evaporative cooling can proceed.
SkyAir TimeJet, a fractional leasing program operating five Pilatus PC-12s, is up and running in Switzerland. The company claims 14 customers and plans to take delivery of another pair of the single-engine turboprops in 2002 to meet expected demand.The man behind SkyAir TimeJet is Juerg Fleischmann, who is also founder and CEO of Lions Air, a charter outfit based in Zurich. He said the new fractional ``is designed for small and medium-size companies that wish to avoid busy international airports and make use of over 2,000 airfields across Europe.''
Despite pressure from airlines and pilot unions, the FAA plans to stick to its long-standing interpretation of pilot flight time and rest rules. The rule effectively mandates a 16-hour duty day for all domestic crews operating under FAR Parts 135 and 121. The FAA said it plans to review airline schedules in six months, and "deal stringently with any violations it discovers." The agency said each flight crewmember must receive at least eight hours of rest in any 24-hour period that includes flight time.
Australia is planning comprehensive trials of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast (ADS-B) system, with an eye towards national deployment by late 2002. The action marks the first large-scale use of the traffic management and collision avoidance tool outside the United States, where freight carrier UPS has pushed ADS-B development as a means of streamlining hub operations.
The FAA has downgraded Panama's civil aviation authority to Category 2, meaning the country no longer complies with ICAO international safety standards. The change means that Panamanian carriers with scheduled service to the United States may continue those operations under heightened scrutiny from the FAA but may not expand their service. As long as Panama retains its Category 2 status, no additional carriers may initiate service to the United States. Exceptions apply to Panamanian operators wet-leasing aircraft from a U.S.
