Moller Back Support Systems, based in Novato, Calif., has developed a full spine back support system for aircraft cockpits. The system, which already is being incorporated in many airline cockpits, weighs three pounds and is designed without metal parts for portability as well as to ensure it will not compromise pre-flight calculations. The system, which has been clinically tested by neurologists at the METS Clinic in San Rafael, Calif., is fitted to the frame of the user. Moller said most insurance plans provide reimbursement for the back support system.
Prospects for passage of extended bonus depreciation are slim in the short term. Congress plans to adjourn at the end of this week for the Democratic and Republican conventions and will not reconvene until after Labor Day. The House and Senate passed separate legislation earlier that would permit owners of aircraft placed in service before the end of 2005 to avail themselves of bonus depreciation during the first year of ownership.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association is hoping to persuade legislators to give the National Transportation Safety Board an additional $4 million to boost its regional investigator staff in the fiscal 2005 transportation/treasury appropriations bill. GAMA has become increasingly concerned that investigator staff levels have slowly eroded, forcing the safety board to cut the number of general-aviation accident sites to which it sends investigators. The safety board's regional investigator force has dropped by almost 20 percent, from 48 two years ago to 39.
Gulfstream won follow-on certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for charts and mapping functions on the PlaneView flight deck. Powered by Honeywell's Primus Epic integrated avionics system, PlaneView can display electronic charts based on Jeppesen data, including instrument approaches, airport diagrams, standard instrument departures, standard terminal arrival routes and notices to airmen. The approval also allows video images from the tail camera on the primary flight display. PlaneView was first certified in August 2003.
GULFSTREAM OFFERING AUTOTHROTTLE AS G200 OPTION, RETROFIT - Gulfstream Aerospace, responding to expressions of interest from its customers, is now offering the Safe Flight Instrument Corp. Enhanced Automatic Throttle to its G200 business jet operators. The system is available as an option on new production aircraft and as a retrofit installation on aircraft already in the fleet.
Cessna Aircraft has been preparing for the rebounding market, gradually recalling the remainder of its bargaining unit employees who had been furloughed during the economic downturn. Cessna will have recalled the last of the bargaining unit employees by the end of August and plans to increase its employment base to 11,000 by the end of the year. Cessna employment had dipped below 10,000 when the company slowed production.
Executive Jet Management added three aircraft to its charter fleet last month, increasing its fleet to more than 90 aircraft based at more than 50 locations throughout the country. The newest members of the fleet are a Citation X based at Peninsula Airport in Monterey, Calif.; a Hawker 800XP at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, Calif. and a Citation Excel in Leesburg, Fla.
GAMA COMPILES COMPREHENSIVE AIRCRAFT DATA LIST IN 'MEDIA GUIDE' - General Aviation Manufacturers Association last week rolled out a new Web-based tool that includes one of the most comprehensive listings of general aviation aircraft databases publicly available. The GAMA tool, called the Media Guide to General Aviation and Its Airplanes, was originally designed to provide basic information for news media personnel and other interested parties about the general aviation industry and aircraft.
FAA ORDERS FIXES ON HONEYWELL TFE731 ENGINES - The Federal Aviation Administration proposed checks and modifications on thousands of Honeywell TFE731 turbofan engines powering several models of business jets.
The House transportation/treasury appropriations subcommittee last week approved a $14 billion budget for FAA in fiscal 2005, $169 million more than the agency received for fiscal 2004 and $53 million more than the Administration requested. The bill would boost FAA's operations budget by $238 million to $7.7 billion and provide $3.5 billion for the Airport Improvement Program. The bill also provides $7 million more than the Administration requested for hiring and training air traffic controllers.
REGISTERED TRAVELER PROGRAM LAUNCHES AT MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL - TSA's Registered Traveler pilot program, which started July 7 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, will improve customer service at congested passenger screening checkpoints, the agency says. TSA, in partnership with Northwest Airlines, has been registering "elite platinum" frequent fliers since June. Elite platinum passengers will use a designated checkpoint where their identity will be confirmed through an iris scan or fingerprint.
CAPITOL EVACUATION RENEWS MICA'S ANNOYANCE OVER DCA WAIVERS - Last month's unnecessary evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and surrounding area resurrected congressional anger over the government's continued practice of granting waivers to politicians for private aircraft access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) while banning all other general aviation activity there. The Capitol grounds were evacuated after a King Air carrying Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) entered restricted airspace in Washington, D.C.
Dassault Falcon Jet officials say assembly of the first 7X business jet is proceeding according to plan, with the No. 1 aircraft expected to be completed in September. The company has orders for more than 40 of the new 5,700-nautical-mile, $37 million aircraft, according to President John Rosanvallon. The orderbook total has remained relatively static for some time, but Rosanvallon appears unconcerned, noting that it's challenging to grow the number of orders substantially when the next available delivery position is in 2008.
National Air Transportation Association is urging members to carefully examine new labor requirements slated to take effect Aug. 24. The Department of Labor released new overtime regulations covering exempt and nonexempt employees. Part 135 air carriers typically would not fall under the overtime rules since air carrier labor laws are covered under the Railway Labor Act of 1926. However, other aviation personnel, including those involved in Part 91 operations and Part 145 repair stations, are covered under the DOL rules.
National Business Aviation Association will hold a panel discussion, called NBAA Insurance and Risk Management in Today's Environment, in conjunction with the association's 13th Annual Tax, Regulatory & Risk Management Conference. The conference is scheduled Oct. 10-12 at the Las Vegas Hilton before the annual Meeting and Convention. During the panel discussion, insurance experts will address topics including claims handling, war risk insurance, the emerging very-light-jet segment and fixed-base operator ground handling.
ARINC formed a new business unit to provide mission-critical contract management, operations and maintenance services for government and private industry. The new company, ARINC Managed Services, LLC, will operate separately with its own headquarters but will be a wholly owned subsidiary. ARINC said it hopes the new unit will build on its experience providing contract radio services for the FAA and other customers worldwide.
TIGER AIRCRAFT DECIDES AGAINST PROCEEDING WITH AVIATION GENERAL DEAL - Tiger Aircraft, LLC confirmed last week that it has decided against proceeding with a transaction that would have given it a major stake in another small aircraft manufacturer, Aviation General, Inc.
McHALE, No. 2 AT TSA, LEAVING POST AFTER TWO YEARS - Transportation Security Administration Deputy Administrator Stephen McHale will step down from his post later this month after overseeing work on the agency's two biggest priorities since it was established after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Appointed in January 2002, McHale was responsible for the federalization of aviation security and the transfer of TSA from the Transportation Department to the Department of Homeland Security.
Air Methods Corp. won FAA supplemental type certification (STC) for an upgraded emergency medical interior for the Eurocopter BK117 twin-engine helicopter. The Denver, Colo. modification center and EMS helicopter operator said there are about 220 BK117s operating worldwide, 120 of which are based in the U.S.
Airwolf Filter Corp. won FAA approval of its new wet vacuum pump, which the company said "is the only new wet-pump available on the market." The new PMA-approved 3P194-AFC wet pump can replace all 200-Series dry pumps, regardless of the original manufacturer (Aero Accessories, Airborne, Champion, Rapco and Sigma-Tek), Airwolf said, as well as wet pumps built by Pesco and Garwin. The retail list price for the Airwolf 3P194-AFC is $1,899, according to Airwolf's John Kochy, who has been involved in getting the wet pump back to market for the past 10 years.
Aircraft Electronics Association published a guide for pilots selecting avionics. The Pilot's Guide to Avionics includes articles on topics such as weather, terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), glass cockpits and new products. The guide also contains a directory of government-certified avionics and instrument shops. AEA is distributing the guide for free at trade shows, including at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture along with others. To request a copy, visit AEA's Web site at www.aea.net/pilot or call (816) 363-6565.
STEPHANE BERNARD was appointed vice president, sales and marketing, for EADS Socata. Bernard also will remain president and chief executive of Socata Aircraft. Bernard will be responsible for sales and marketing worldwide but will be based at Socata Aircraft's headquarters in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Bernard joined EADS in 1988 in Miami, Fla., working with product support for Airbus. In 1992 he moved to sales of automatic test equipment that major U.S. airlines use to test avionics components. In 1996 he was named head of aircraft sales contracts.
National Business Aviation Association, National Air Transportation Association and other industry representatives last week met with FAA and DOT officials on the concept of aircraft management - or piggy-backing operations - to iron out questions government officials had about who has operational control of the aircraft involved and whether the operations have appropriate economic authority (BA, July 12/13).
