The Ground Lock is designed to prevent unauthorized use of aircraft by isolating the main aircraft battery from the electrical system. The lock components are custom manufactured by Medeco, a leader in the high security lock industry, and can be keyed to match existing Medeco locks. The insulator is made from high-tech Delrin. The Ground Lock complies with the TSA's ``Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports'' Information Publication A-001.
The Vref Large Jet Index -- a compilation of quarterly prices recorded for the 1990 Challenger 601-3A, 1990 Falcon 50, 1990 Falcon 900 and 1990 Gulfstream IV over the past 10 years -- shows that the average value of these heavy-iron business jets continues to rebound sharply.
Seven aviation trade associations have asked the FAA to delay implementation of a new regulation regarding thermal and acoustic insulation materials because critics say the rule is being interpreted so broadly that it would adversely impact virtually every FAR Part 25 aircraft used in Part 91 and 135 operations.
There's nothing like a hanging in the morning to clear a man's thoughts,'' Samuel Johnson allegedly once said. An icing-related crash on takeoff can be just as fatal, but unlike a scheduled execution, there's a whole lot more that you can do to prevent it. For example, if the pilots of the Challenger 601 departing from Montrose, Colo., in November 2004 had known how potentially deadly a small amount of ice accumulation could be, they might not only have cleared their thoughts, but also their airplane's fuselage, wings and tail prior to takeoff.
Canadian helicopter operator CHC Helicopter Corp. was granted ``an irrevocable option to acquire an equity position'' in Brazilian Helicopter Services (BHS), CHC said. CHC also said it will provide operational expertise on safety management systems, maintenance procedures, technical support and flight standards. Heli-One, the helicopter support company that CHC launched early this year, will provide helicopter leasing services and access to its worldwide fleet of aircraft and power-by-the-hour maintenance support.
Airservices Australia has issued a request for proposals for up to 1,500 ADS-B systems for general aviation aircraft. The government-owned corporation wants avionics companies to develop a system costing about half the price of current products. The RFP is the latest step in Australia's push to provide ADS-B nationwide in 2006. If a large percentage of aircraft operating in the country are capable of transmitting ADS-B data, Airservices may be able to dispense with 11 secondary surveillance radars that otherwise must be replaced in 2009 at a cost of nearly $40 million.
When new Lakefront opens up, hopefully very soon, Million Air will be moving a triple-wide trailer in to replace the lost FBO. ``It will not be as luxurious, but it will fully functional. We are looking forward to being part of the rebuilding process,'' said Sandy Nelson, vice president of marketing and customer relations for Houston- based Million Air/ Interlink International. With multiple FBOs in the area, the company's primary concern is its employees. ``The FBO in Mobile, Ala., suffered minor damage and was without power for a few days, but is now up and running.
Executive Jet Management is now certified to operate scheduled passenger service as a commuter air carrier. EJM filed for the approval in early March, outlining plans to operate business jets in scheduled passenger service on routes between Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The company has not said which aircraft it intends to use, listing some 80 aircraft that it operates through dry lease agreements for DOT fitness application purposes.
The FAA announced that it will not require the use of approved child restraints in aircraft, but will allow their use on a strictly voluntary basis. NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker expressed his official disappointment, since the NTSB recommended in 1995 that infants and small children under age 2 be restrained on airliners in a manner appropriate to their size. The recommendation has been on the Board's list of ``Most Wanted'' safety improvements since 1999.
The noble aim of Europe's proposed ``Single Sky'' is a sole air traffic management system independent of national boundaries. ``There would be no French airspace, no Italian airspace, and so forth,'' EBAA CEO Brian Humphries explained. ``Only ATM providers to that airspace.''
LightSPEED's Mach 1 in-the-ear headset offers up to 40 dB of passive hearing protection. The magnesium alloy headset weighs in at around one ounce and is equipped with a featherweight gooseneck boom and noise-canceling electret mic. Specially designed earplugs comfortably block noise before it has an opportunity to enter the ear canal, and miniature high-fidelity speakers inside the plug deliver crisp, clear voice and stereo music.
Eclipse Aviation will develop a program to prepare students for entry-level aviation manufacturing positions in partnership with Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell and Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (TVI). Classes for the new program will begin Oct. 3 at TVI and cover assembly and installation techniques, tool usage, blueprint reading, and theory of flight and safety.
Hainan Airlines will establish an authorized Raytheon Aircraft Co. service center in Haikou City, China, dedicated to servicing and maintaining Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft. It will have full maintenance capabilities and a factory-trained maintenance team that can perform all maintenance on Beechcraft Premier I and Hawker 800XP aircraft. RAC said it is the first and only original equipment manufacturer to establish an in-country authorized service center in mainland China.
After World War II, navy pilot and mechanic Guy Hill Sr. came home to Georgia to put his skills to use. After working on small planes and performing stunts on weekends, he took $10,000, half of which was borrowed from his mother, and bought an FBO at Charlie Brown Field from a mill owner who'd wearied of the enterprise. Hill nurtured his operation to prominence. Several of his children worked there part time, but Guy Jr., an aviation advocate and his only boy, signed on full time in 1988 and stayed. Guy Sr. died in 2004 but had installed his son as CEO years before.
Raytheon Aircraft Services (RAS) is offering a new series of IFE packages for Raytheon aircraft operators to upgrade their entertainment systems. RAS's new MAX Entertainment System program allows Beechcraft King Air, Beechcraft Premier I, Beechjet, Diamond and all legacy and current Hawker series aircraft operators to choose among prepackaged options that include components such as XM Satellite Radio, JetMap II, Honeywell DVD players, flat-panel color monitor, Sennheiser wireless headsets, wireless remote control and optional speakers.
The rule allowing operators to seek approval to fly into DCA took effect Aug. 18, but operators waited for further guidance from the TSA before starting the process. Applications seeking TSA approval to operate into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are expected to begin rolling in, now that the agency has released an application form and guidance on the approval process. Filling out the one-page form is just the first step in what is expected to be a lengthy vetting exercise. The TSA expects the first flight into DCA this month.
The NBAA released its new Aircraft Charter Consumer Guide designed to help potential air charter users find a suitable operator and broker. The guide includes information for seeking charter safety information, locating contractors that audit charter companies, developing pre-screening questions for vetting operators and obtaining and evaluating price quotes. For more information, visit www.nbaa.org/charter.
The NBAA has secured space for its annual meeting and convention in Orlando by moving the date up to Nov. 9-11 (Wednesday-Friday). The Orlando site will have nearly one million square feet of exhibit space, and NBAA President Ed Bolen said the association will have static aircraft display accommodations at Orlando Executive Airport for up to 150 aircraft. The latest information is at www.nbaa.org.
Embraer's chief expects stepped-up light jet and very light jet orders after the NBAA convention in November. President and CEO Mauricio Botelho says that while there's been no ``avalanche'' of early non-binding orders, deliveries aren't slated until 2008 for the Brazilian-made VLJ and mid-2009 for the LJ and that detailed configurations for the business jets have not yet been published.
Pilots flying a pressurized airplane capable of flight above 25,000 feet are required to have a high-altitude endorsement. With the dangers of sudden cabin depressurization featured in many recent headlines, pilots need to be aware of the dangers. King Schools has created an online course to fulfill the ground training requirements of the high-altitude endorsement and provide a valuable training resource. High-Altitude Endorsement Ground Training takes about two hours to complete anywhere just by connecting to the Internet.
CAE has built and certified the first Embraer 190 full-flight simulator and installed it at JetBlue University's support campus at Orlando International Airport. The interim initial FAA certification was to Level C, with an upgrade to Level D planned for 2006. The simulator had achieved Ready for Training (RFT) status in July, which allowed Embraer to use it to support the aircraft's certification program (see above), and was put to work on Embraer's successful Failure Hazard Analysis and wind-shear guidance certification programs for the EMB 190.
On Sunday night, Aug. 28, with hurricane Katrina bearing down on New Orleans, Maria Davis, 53, of Jefferson Parish, La., just west of New Orleans, was increasingly concerned about the safety of her parents. Davis, a U.S. Air Force veteran, believed the forecast and took heed of the calls to evacuate. Her parents -- Fernando Guity, 73, a retired merchant seaman, and her mother, Elicia, 72, lived in a small house near the French Quarter for 54 years. She rushed to her parents' home, determined to evacuate them from Katrina's path.
There's a double whammy in the aviation fuel tax rules in the Highway Bill (H.R. 3), signed by President Bush in August. Taxes on jet fuel will be assessed at the diesel fuel rate of $0.244 per gallon instead of the $0.219 per gallon jet fuel rate and deposited into the Highway Trust Fund. Only if and when the ``registered ultimate vendor'' applies for a refund for the difference will the taxes be transferred into the Airport & Airway Trust Fund.
When Agusta introduced the A109 in the mid-1970s, the company had specifically targeted the corporate market -- a bold move, untried by any of the other better known helicopter manufacturers. To address the go-anywhere-anytime demands of that new market, the aircraft was IFR-certified, multiengined and fast. The early models of the series -- the A109, A109 MkII and A109C -- were fitted with Allison 250-C20 engines. While that powerplant was the standard among light helicopters, most pilots of those initial A109s deemed their aircraft underpowered.
