The airline passenger count in the United States will hit the one billion mark by 2012, according to the FAA's Annual Commercial Aviation Forecast, which was unveiled in Washington in March. The agency expects regional passenger enplanements to almost double from 79.6 million passengers in 2000 to 154.1 million in 2012. To accommodate the extra passengers, regional jet use is forecast to grow from 569 aircraft in 2000 to 2,190 in 2012.
Shuttle America, the first new U.S. regional carrier to emerge under the FAA's new ``uniform'' certification guidelines has reached profitability three years after its inception. The Windsor Locks, Conn.-based company is serving secondary markets like Boston's Hanscom Field (BED), Buffalo, N.Y. (BUF) and Trenton-Mercer County, N.J. (TTN), and says it now is poised for expansion toward the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states.
The aircraft we flew for this report, 560-0539, was the first Encore off Cessna's assembly line. The cabin was fitted with optional high-gloss wood laminates on the cabinetry, 117 VAC cabin power outlets, MagnaStar 2000 radio telephone, passenger briefing system and various other upgrades. The middle passenger seats are the only seats that can be adjusted fore and aft and turned 180 degrees. Thus, they can be adjusted to form forward club or aft club seating configurations.
Heavily backed by Motorola Inc., Iridium LLC launched a galaxy of 74 telecommunication satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) designed to provide mobile, primarily voice, communication. The venture became an expensive (more than $5 billion), embarrassing flop. Following a bankruptcy filing in 1999, the service was closed down in spring 2000, leaving nearly 50,000 subscribers, including a few aviation clients, with expensive but useless equipment. Honeywell was the only major avionics firm to design and build Iridium avionics.
Raisbeck Engineering is testing a new aft fuselage for the Gulfstream IV that can serve as a locker or add 2,200 pounds of fuel capacity. An owner/operator survey is currently underway, the company says. and preliminary results have resulted in a favorable response to the product. According to Raisbeck, the locker can carry an additional 1,500 pounds of baggage or cargo, and the fuel cell can increase cruise range by 45 minutes.
The mergers and acquisitions that have taken place in the aerospace industry since the end of the Cold War have dramatically changed the corporate landscape. For example, in 1997, Boeing (which had already taken over Rockwell's military business) acquired long-time rival McDonnell Douglas, reducing the number of American large jetliner manufacturers to one. In Europe, home of the Airbus consortium, Aerospatiale, CASA and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace joined together to form the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS).
CitationShares, the $20 million fractional ownership venture between Cessna and TAG Aviation USA, has commenced operations at Westchester County Airport (HPN) near White Plains, N.Y. Launched in summer 2000 with an order for 50 new Cessna Citations, CitationShares is based on Cessna's 50-percent acquisition of TAG StarShares, the turboprop-oriented fractional business Wayfarer Aviation had started before TAG's U.S. unit bought the Rockefeller family's former flight department in 1999.
Runways are urgently needed to handle relentless aviation growth, and environmental reviews that slow airport development must be accelerated, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, in his first major policy address since taking office, told an ``Aviation Summit'' at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Reiterating themes voiced during his confirmation hearing, Mineta in late January said he wants to pursue the idea of having state and federal environmental reviews conducted simultaneously.
Westjet Air Center, Rapid City, S.D., has completed construction of its 27,200-square-foot heated hangar facility. The new hangar has the capability of holding a Gulfstream V and Global Express size aircraft at the same time. Westjet Air Center is a full-service FBO, located at the edge of the Black Hills of South Dakota, near Mount Rushmore.
D-Zolve GL 15-33 is billed as an environmentally safe aircraft paint stripper, which can be used on aluminum, magnesium, stainless steel, carbon steel, cadmium-coated steel and titanium. The paint stripper removes several layers of aircraft paints with cross-linked polyurethane topcoats including epoxy, polyurethane, fluid resistant BMS and desothane as well as topcoats with high solid content fluoride. D-Zolve is a non-embrittling, non-flammable and non-acidic chemical that contains no chlorinated components or peroxides.
A venture led by New York City-based Loral Space&Communications Ltd., Globalstar Telecommunications LP of San Jose, Calif., was under great financial pressure in 2000. Speculation was so strong that in November, Bernard L. Schwartz, Loral chairman, issued a statement to reassure customers and service companies that the venture would continue to receive its support and that of its partners. More recently, the company defaulted on its debt, giving rise to speculation that it would be forced into bankruptcy. Investment to date exceeds $1.5 billion.
AIG Aviation, a member of international insurer American International Group, has tailored an insurance program for fractional aircraft owners. The program, AIG said, ``offers aircraft owners a broad coverage package, providing greater risk management flexibility.'' It allows fractional owners to specify coverage for liability in excess of the primary policy for aircraft liability, non-owned aircraft liability, contingent aircraft physical damages and liability, and diminution of value.
These three graphs are designed to be used together to provide a broad view of the Encore's performance. Do not use these data for flight planning. For a complete operational analysis, use the Approved Aircraft Flight Manual, Operational Planning Manual and other flight-planning data supplied by Cessna Aircraft Co.
Remember Cheers, that great sitcom set in a Boston pub? A typical opening scene showed the patrons chatting quietly over their beers. Suddenly the front door bursts open and a large, rumpled figure charges into the room, headed for his favorite seat at the end of the bar. ``Afternoon everybody,'' the character Norm said as he bustled into their midst. ``NORM!'' the patrons roared in response, with the enthusiasm, camaraderie and affection reserved for old friends and touchdowns by the home team.
The FAA has certified SimuFlite's new Citation Ultra simulator to Level D standards at the company's Dallas training center. Built by CAE in Montreal, the simulator features a Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics suite, TCAS II, GNS-XLS flight management system and an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System. This spring, the simulator will be fitted with a ``change-out'' to the Citation Bravo model.
Stuart Jet Center, Stuart, Fla., was purchased by Richard Schmidt, a real estate developer who operates a CitationJet, and Jerry Black, cofounder of Vail/Beaver Creek Jet Center in Vail, Colo. The new owners said they plan to renovate the existing hangar and office building and support several non-profit events at the airport. With the purchase of the FBO, the Martin County Commission has approved the assignment of a 24-year lease to the Jet Center.
Fear of a softening economy not-withstanding, aircraft manufacturers reported robust sales in 2000 and strong backlogs going forward. GAMA labeled 2000 ``a great year for aviation'' as billings and new aircraft shipments increased for the sixth consecutive year. Billings for the year were up 9.1 percent to $8.6 billion, with the OEMs shipping 2,816 general aviation aircraft -- a 12.5-percent increase over 1999. Turbine-engine aircraft shipments were up 19.4 percent to 903 units in 2000.
Atlantic Coast Airlines' pilot union leaders have tentatively agreed to management's latest contract proposal, which is likely to include improvements in pay and benefits for the carrier's Air Line Pilots Association-represented flight crews. Union representatives held ``roadshow'' presentations explaining the contract in Dulles, Va., and Chicago in late January.
Italian airports have launched top-level lobbying efforts to torpedo a new law that would ban all night flights in the country. The law, being discussed by the national parliament's environment committee, would ground all flights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for emergency and official government flights.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, the FAA's Management Advisory Committee and the Air Traffic Services Subcommittee are wrestling with finding a chief operating officer to head the FAA's air traffic operations. AIR-21 set the COO's salary at the same level as the administrator's -- $145,000 plus a possible 30-percent performance bonus. Garvey told the U.S.
J.A. Air Center at West Chicago's Du Page Airport recently equipped a 2000 Cessna 208B Caravan with cutting-edge avionics. The aircraft now features a dual Garmin GPS system with a GNS530 and GNS430 comm/nav/glideslope/GPS/map. An Avidyne FlightMax 750 also was installed, as were BFGoodrich's WX500 Stormscope and SkyWatch traffic advisory systems.
