The increase in air travel is being touted as one of the major factors driving up jet fuel prices, according to a report issued by the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) and further verified by the American Petroleum Institute (API). ``Rising demands from air travel and tight supplies are expected to keep prices high,'' said an EIA spokesperson. She noted that U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories are below normal levels and are expected to remain low into the fall.
Mesaba Airlines is the latest regional carrier to tap Pan Am International Flight Academy for flight training services. Under the terms of the exclusive, 10-year deal, the two will open a new center in Minneapolis for pilot training on the carrier's fleet of Saab 340 and Avro RJ85 aircraft. The facility will house Level D simulators, flight training devices and computer-based training programs and will be designed by Mesaba's flight operations, inflight services and training departments.
Elite Solutions' SafetyCell enables you to connect your cell phone to any standard headset to hear cell phone conversations and radio transmissions at the same time. Incoming and outgoing phone calls are heard and answered through the pilot's headset. When a pilot wants to make a call, he or she dials normally, but talks through the headset. Designed for easy installation and portability, the SafetyCell is an add on to the headset and weighs less than eight ounces.
Flight Services Group, which recently merged with Switzerland's PrivatAir, says it is in the final stages of qualifying for an FAR Part 121 operating certificate. Stratford, Conn.-based FSG says the certificate will enable it to operate charters from the United States with the company's three Boeing BBJs, 737-300 and 757. The aircraft charter and management outfit also plans to offer corporate shuttle service between the United States and the United Kingdom aboard the 46-seat 757.
Relatives of a patient killed in an air ambulance crash along with the injured flight nurse have filed suits against Turbomeca alleging the engine maker deliberately understated its insurance coverage during the first round of lawsuits resulting from the 1993 accident. The controversy centers around the crash of a helicopter transporting an auto accident victim to St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Pilot James Barnett Jr. was killed in the crash, along with Sherry Letz, the injured motorist.
You know it already but too much sun increases the risk of skin cancer. The ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight are responsible for damaging your skin and eyes. At altitude there is less atmosphere to screen the UV rays and consequently pilots need to take extra precautions. The amount of skin damage is also dependent on your skin's pigmentation and tanning level. Individuals with fair skin need to exercise more caution. Be aware that certain drugs like tetracycline and Retin-A can make you more susceptible to damage from sun exposure.
Boeing has selected Chicago as the site of its new corporate headquarters. As many as 500 employees will be based in the Windy City, which won out over rival bids from Denver and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. There is no word, however, on where the manufacturer's corporate fleet will be based. Boeing operates a Boeing Business Jet and three Bombardier Challengers. Nearby Meigs Airport, slated to be closed in 2002 by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley cannot accommodate the aircraft and has been ruled out.
``My hair was as dark as a raven's wing when I went to FAA, and ATC had a lot to do with my change in appearance.'' Former FAA Administrator -- and white topped -- Langhorne Bond speaking at the NATA convention. ``I don't think kids want to do that [become pilots] anymore, and shame on us.'' Richard Smith III, Executive Jet, Inc., speaking at the Flight Safety Foundation's Corporate Aviation Safety seminar
Five years ago, if you asked any group of business aviation industry pundits about the prospects for the BBJ, few were upbeat, some were ambivalent and many outright negative. This 85-ton behemoth was too big, too conspicuous and too unwieldy, many said. They're eating their words now. Since launching the program with partner General Electric in July 1996, Boeing officially acknowledges 71 sales. By early 2002, insiders say, BBJ orders will top 100. This represents nearly one-quarter of all new, ultra-long-range business aircraft orders.
Bombardier Aerospace, Montreal, Canada, has appointed George Gonzalez as vice president of its Business Aviation Services network. A former DHL pilot, Gonzalez will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the service center network.
The e-maintenance Web site, PartsBase.com, is undergoing the first stages of a class action lawsuit in Miami. The complaint, filed on behalf of a number of its stockholders, alleges that PartsBase.com violated the securities act by issuing a ``false and misleading prospective and registration statement to the market in connection with its IPO.''
Fairchild Dornier won Canadian type certification for its 328 turboprop, clearing the way for delivery of the first 328 in Canada to Shell Canada Ltd. The oil company's aircraft is equipped with a gravel kit to protect the underside of the plane, engines and propellers from loose objects on unimproved runways. Fairchild Dornier won original FAA and JAA certification for the 328 turboprop in 1993, and more than 100 aircraft have been delivered.
Parker Hannifin Aircraft Wheel&Brake Division has received STC approval for installation of its Cleveland steel brakes on the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-12/45 aircraft. Cleveland Brakes said the conversion kits are inherently less expensive to operators than carbon brakes and the steel brakes cut your cost per landing significantly. Complete Cleveland conversion kit programs with guaranteed cost per landing are available exclusively from Pilatus service centers.
Rockwell Collins and Raytheon are working to fix a problem with metal dust collection on autopilot servos that may have led to control problems on both civil and military Beechjet variants. Jayhawk/Beechjet-maker Raytheon said it received 16 reports of pilots experiencing problems with elevator or rudder control after the aircraft's autopilot was disengaged. One of those reports involved the Beechjet, and the remainder the military T-1A Jayhawk.
Thrust reversers are an important tool for the pilots of today's business jets. In addition to the limitations and operating procedures identified in the aircraft flight manual, consider the following operating tips to maximize performance and safety. To reduce the potential of FOD, stow the thrust reversers as you decelerate to fast taxi speed. Thrust reversers should not be used to back an aircraft.
Most of the drivers listed below are retreads from DUBYA DUBYA II. They were a different breed from today's biz aviators, having emerged unscathed from the unpleasantness of the forties. Today's pilots are more disciplined, more sophisticated and more highly trained -- but only half as much fun. I listed mostly eccentricities mixed with other foibles.
Airstrip America has launched a Web site featuring an online airport directory with photographs of general aviation airport runways, approaches and aerial views supplied by pilots and airport managers. The free site, AirstripAmerica.com, is ``dedicated to establishing an online photography database of the nation's landing facilities, including grass strips, airparks, taxiways and landmarks,'' according to David M. Soyka, president of the California-based company.
Mechanical turbulence can be found at a variety of altitudes. Some of the most serious comes in the form of mountain wave activity. Mountain waves generally form when relatively stable air is forced over high terrain or obstacles, such as a mountain range. The stable air is forced up, and then spills over the top and down the other side. This sets up an oscillating wave motion that can extend downwind for a significant distance, sometimes as much as 300 miles. The turbulence from a mountain wave can sometimes be felt as much 5,000 feet above the tropopause.
The market for new business jets is inflated and expected to remain so for the next decade, according to The Teal Group's latest market study that will be released this month at the Paris Air Show. ``Despite the current market softening, we can now clearly say that this market has been transformed,'' said The Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia, author of the study.
In late 2000, I agreed to act as a pro bono buyer's representative for one of B/CA's readers who was interested in purchasing a light business jet. As reported in our March 2001 issue (page 60), the buyer and I went shopping for the best value in a late 1970s to early 1980s Citation II. B/CA's March 2001 issue contains a full report on the initial search and selection process.
DaimlerChrysler and General Motors are reaping the rewards of their unusual business aviation partnership. Automotive Air Charter says revenues for the first half of 2001 have doubled over the previous year. The partnership was formed after Chrysler fell under German control, thus making it ineligible to fly FAR Part 135 air charters. Fears of a weakening economy seem not to have affected demand for Automotive Air's fleet, largely Gulfstream Vs and Cessna Citation Xs.
Piaggio Aero Industries has stepped up efforts to support its P-180 Avanti turboprop, training a team of technicians from U.S. centers and building its reserve of spare parts. The moves signal Piaggio's bid to penetrate the North American market with the Avanti, a twin pusher design with a forward wing somewhat reminiscent of the Beech Starship. To help facilitate its efforts, the Italian company created Piaggio America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary based in Greenville, S.C.
Perhaps taking a page from its airport neighbors at CitationShares, Westchester County Airport-based Panorama Flight Service has begun a fractional ownership program for Cessna single-engine pistons. Known as Panorama Partnerships Plus, the program is offering one-quarter shares in Cessna 172s, 182 Skylanes and 206 Stationairs. The cost of entry is one-quarter of the list price of the aircraft plus sales tax, with monthly fees starting at $266, depending on aircraft type.
