Air tour operators believe the nomination of Colorado Republican Gale Norton to be secretary of the interior ``is a very positive development,'' said Steve Bassett, president of the U.S. Air Tour Association.
The Arkansas Environmental Federation (AEF) presented its Diamond Award for Excellence in Environmental Leadership to Dassault Falcon Jet's Little Rock, Ark., facility. The group lauded Falcon Jet for improving its pollution output while increasing production.
Photograph: Kenneth Ricci Flight Options founder, chairman&CEO Flight Options, a fractional ownership program featuring pre-owned business jets, began operation in 1998 and today claims over 600 customers. The Flight Options fleet numbers 82 aircraft, including Citation IIs and IIIs, Hawker 800s, Falcon 50s, Challenger 601s and Gulfstream IVs. Kenneth Ricci, a 6,000-hour ATP and an attorney, is Flight Options' founder, chairman and CEO. Will an economic slowdown hurt the phenomenal growth of fractional programs?
ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) met in Montreal in January to address a number of issues, including adoption of new Stage 4 aircraft noise standards. The new noise standards were the most controversial issue on the agenda.
The FAA, attempting to find ways to accommodate growing numbers of turbine-powered aircraft in high-altitude airspace, is expected to require aircraft operators to meet reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) requirements in the United States, probably in the 2004-2005 timeframe. The agency has scheduled a meeting in March with a cross-section of industry organizations to discuss its plans and seek input before publishing an NPRM, part of an effort to get the word out to operators who will be affected. The planned implementation of
Lynx Air International has launched service from Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL), using a single Fairchild Metro III turboprop. American Eagle will provide ground and gate support for the start-up carrier at RSW.
Photograph: Kman K-Max The U.S. State Department has ordered five Kaman K-MAX helicopters to support counterdrug efforts in Peru, with deliveries planned for April 2001. The $21 million deal marks the first K-MAX sale to the U.S. government, and the first application of the single-seat, helicopter in a law enforcement role. Pilots and mechanics from Peru's National Police will fly and maintain the helicopters, which will be used mainly to transport supplies and equipment to anti-drug forces in the field.
The FAA also has delayed until July 16 the effective date for a final rule modifying service difficulty reporting requirements for air carriers and repair stations. It delayed the rule to give the agency more time to review concerns provided by various commenters as well as to disseminate guidance to help with compliance. The requirements originally were to take effect on January 16.
The FAA officially delayed until April 1 new routes for air tour operators over Grand Canyon National Park ``pending resolution of some safety issues.'' The FAA originally delayed the implementation of the routes until December 28, 2000 pending a review of operator complaints that the new routes posed a safety risk. The FAA noted it still intends to implement the route system by spring, in time for the summer tour season.
Horizon Air has taken delivery of the first of 15 firm and 15 optional Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprops. Service entry is expected by the middle of this month, following the completion of FAA-mandated proving runs for the 70-seat aircraft. Seattle-based Horizon Air is the U.S. launch customer for the Q400, which has enjoyed stronger sales in Europe. This year, Horizon plans to replace its older 37-seat Dash 8-100s with newer Q200s of the same size.
A student and flight instructor in Utah Valley State College's Professional Pilots degree program has won a John Deere all-terrain vehicle in Air BP's ``Gator Grab'' promotion at the NBAA convention. Aaron Kennington says he attended NBAA 2000 to check out new flight simulators.
Adam Aircraft says it is moving forward with certification plans for the proposed Adam M-309 twin turboprop. The Englewood, Colo.-based manufacturer hopes to begin production of the six-place, pressurized, centerline-thrust composite aircraft in 2003. Pricing will be announced early this year, and will be comparable to aircraft of similar size and performance, according to the manufacturer.
Flexjet, Bombardier's fractional jet ownership program, signed an agreement under which all Flexjet flight crewmembers will receive MedAire's Management of Inflight Illness and Injury (MIII) training, in addition to having access to MedAire's Emergency Telemedicine Center for first-hand communication with emergency physicians if health problems occur en route. MedAire had been providing training and assistance for Flexjet's Challenger flights, but those services now will include Learjet 31A, 45 and 60 aircraft.
Heli Air Monaco combines the practicality of a ``traffic avoidance'' helicopter air-shuttle with a glamorous hop from Nice, France to Monaco. At the Monte Carlo end of the six-minute flight is an international heliport (customs included) with two cantilevered over-ocean landing pads. The Heli Air service is scheduled at three times an hour throughout the day with a fleet of Eurocopter singles and twins.
General Motors has tapped Piedmont Hawthorne to find a buyer for its fleet of three Saab 2000s. The automaker previously agreed to provide the aircraft, formerly used for corporate shuttles, to Pro Air in an unusual arrangement allowing the airline to operate feeder flights for its scheduled 737 service from Detroit City Airport while providing a revenue share and seat availability to G.M.
These are synopses of accidents used by Canada's Transportation Safety Board in its study of events similar to those that downed Swissair Flight 111. You'll notice that the common factors are speed of propagation and, in most cases, a delay in taking immediate action to get the aircraft on the ground.
BizJet, Tulsa, Okla., has promoted the following employees: John Hiles to avionics program manager; Randy Weierbach to Gulfstream program manager; Doug Bressler to interior completions; and Warren Peck to director of avionics.
The U.S. Department of the Interior in January ``strongly urged'' the U.S. Air Force to transfer much of the former Homestead Air Force Base in Southern Florida to the DOI to prevent the airfield from being reopened as a commercial airport.
Perhaps one of the oldest myths in tire lore is that retreaded tires are second-rate products. At least in the aviation world, quite the opposite is true. Surprisingly, about 85 percent of all aviation tires in service are retreads, and they have a track record of high performance and safety. For the skeptics, here are some insights into the pedigree of aviation retreads.
Banyan Air Service, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has named Geoffrey Heck as vice president of customer and line service. Heck has over 15 years of aviation experience, and was most recently the general manager for Signature Flight Support in Minneapolis.
Regent Aviation's owner, William Bieber, has agreed to sell controlling interest of the FBO at Minnesota's St. Paul Downtown Airport to Dr. Glen Nelson, vice chairman of Medtronic. John LaFontsee, Regent president, said the existing management will remain in place, and the sale would enable the FBO to expand and add larger aircraft to its charter operation. Regent Aviation provides fuel, maintenance, hangar space and charter/management services.
In keeping with federal legislation, the FAA has issued a new regulation requiring all U.S.-registered turbine aircraft to be equipped with Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) equipment by January 1, 2004. The FAA first required ELTs aboard aircraft in 1971, but turbine aircraft and scheduled airliners of all types were exempt. At the time, the FAA said it considered such aircraft easy to locate in the event of a crash, since most operate on instrument flight plans.
Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman who overcame formidable opposition to ensure that highway and aviation taxes are spent for their intended purposes, is abandoning the legislative fray for good. He planned to retire from Congress effective January 31. First elected to the U.S. House in 1973, Shuster became head of the transporta-tion panel when Republicans took control in 1995.
Astral Aviation, which operates Skyway Airlines for Midwest Express, named James P. Rankin, 37, president and CEO. Rankin joined Midwest Express in 1995 as assistant chief pilot and an MD-80 captain. Before that he served as a pilot, director of flight operations and chief pilot at Skyway from 1990 to 1995. ``With his working knowledge of both Midwest Express and Skyway Airlines, Jim is a tremendous asset to Skyway,'' said David C. Reeve,
