The Sikorsky S58 helicopter is still going strong more than 50 years after its entry into commercial service. Although the turbine-powered S58T is the model of choice for commercial operators, both it and its radial predecessor continue to provide a wide variety of services such as aerial construction, firefighting and aircraft recovery. More than 30 are still flying regularly.
FERAS (Far East Russia Aircraft Service) corporate jet handling is to increase its number of bases in Germany from five to 13 over the next 12 months. ``We've signed a handling deal at Hahn Airport, which is a good Frankfurt alternate for corporate operators, and expect to sign a similar deal with Hamburg,'' said Chris Cartwright, co-managing director of FERAS. He also expects to gain a handling license in Bremen, is in talks with Hanover, Dresden and Leipzig airports, and by year-end expects to be operating in Nurnberg and the GAT at Stuttgart.
Falcon Trust Air has officially launched operations at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Miami. The 22,000-square-foot FBO was designed with an array of amenities, including a fitness center with sauna, a personal movie theater, regulation-size pool tables, a sky lounge with a fully-stocked bar for guests and private rooms for pilots. The three-story Mediterranean style building has Italian marble flooring and designer furnishings. The FBO also includes conference rooms, private computer offices, a weather station and a library.
On the other hand, large aircraft that carry ``more people than live in some of the towns in my district,'' should be equipped with missile defense systems (MANPADs), according to Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chair of the House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee. He told B&CA affiliate, Aviation Daily, that he's working on a bipartisan bill to accomplish just that. Mica's bill, H.R.
A Florida jury found that Learjet and parent company Bombardier were not at fault for the Oct. 25, 1999, crash of a Model 35 Learjet that killed professional golfer Payne Stewart, his agent Robert Fraley and four other persons on board. Stewart's and Fraley's families had been seeking $200 million in compensation for lost wages and damages, claiming that the manufacturer was negligent for using a weak pressurization valve that failed and caused all aboard to lose consciousness due to oxygen deprivation.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) has introduced a bill to once again make promotion of aviation part of the FAA's core mandate. After the ValuJet crash in 1996 then-Transportation Secretary Federico Pea called for the mandate change after the FAA came under criticism for not going far enough to enforce commercial aviation safety.
FlightSafety International, Flushing, N.Y. promoted John Marino to vice president of government relations. Most recently, Marino was sales and marketing manager for Asia, based in Beijing, China. He replaced Tom Mahoney, who assumed the role of director of special accounts in marketing. Marino joined FlightSafety in 1979 after a 10-year career as a U.S. Army officer and aviator. Additionally, Dave Davenport was promoted to manager of FlightSafety's Gulfstream Savannah Learning Center, located on the Savannah International Airport.
Midcoast Aviation, St. Louis, promoted Rick Parson to the position of manager of interior refurbishment design sales. He has been a Midcoast employee for 15 years. Also, Greg Kappler was appointed manager of completion sales. Previously, Kappler was a partner with Studio RD, an aircraft design firm in Austin.
NationAir Insurance Agencies, Chicago, named Terry White as branch manager of its new Nashua, N.H., office. He will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, with an emphasis on servicing existing accounts and generating new business.
The Al Kharafi Group of Kuwait has ordered a second Airbus Corporate Jetliner for operation by Twinjet of London Luton Airport, probably as a replacement for its current VIP Airbus. That aircraft, an A319 with a corporate 34-seat interior, has been in service for five years, averaging around 550 flight hours per year. John Keeble, Twinjet's managing director, said that he could possibly operate both aircraft, but significant extra business would be necessary to justify that.
Dassault in 2004 opened a new $8.2 million, state-of-the-art paint hangar in Little Rock that can handle the 7X, and the company is firming up plans and completing negotiations with city and airport officials on a number of other expansion projects, expected to cost about $13 million this year alone. Planned improvements include enlarging the cabinet shop and opening a new ramp staging area. Dassault expects to break ground this month on a dedicated 7X hangar, with construction scheduled to be finished in late 2006. Also planned are a new service center and warehouse.
Dassault Falcon Jet celebrated the 30th anniversary of the company's Little Rock, Ark., completion center in June even as officials were planning a major expansion of the facility to accommodate work on the new Falcon 7X. Dassault purchased Little Rock Airmotive, a 61,500-square-foot hangar and office facility on the Little Rock Airport (LIT), in 1975, with plans to use it to complete Falcons destined for customers in the Western Hemisphere and Pacific Rim.
GAMA has selected Andrew Cousins, a high-school senior in Newberry, S.C., as the recipient of the 2005 Edward W. Stimpson ``Aviation Excellence'' award. A panel of aviation professionals chose Cousins for maintaining his solid scholastic record, completing college courses while still in high school and taking an active role in his church and community. As a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Cousins plans to earn a Bachelor's in Aeronautical Science and become a corporate pilot.
Ten classic American aircraft from the 1930s, '40s and '50s take to the skies in the form of postage as the U.S. Postal Service dedicates the American Advances in Aviation commemorative stamp sheet at the 2005 Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture fly-in convention. The stamps will be available at Post Offices and philatelic centers nationwide beginning July 30. A description of each aircraft is on the back of the stamp sheet.
Galvin Flying Services, Inc., Seattle, named Paul B. Krog director of aircraft services. Previously, he was program manager at Bombardier Aerospace Services in Dallas and Denver. Krog has over 40 years of combined education and practice in the field of aircraft maintenance.
CMC Electronics Inc., Montreal and Ottawa, Canada, appointed Jean-Michel Comtois to the position of vice president of the company's military aviation business unit. He oversees the division's operations in Chicago, Montreal, Ottawa and the United Kingdom. Previously, Comtois served as vice president of government and public affairs. He is a retired general in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Many early customers of the Eclipse EA 500 are rubbing their hands in anticipation; not because they can't wait for their aircraft, but because they are being offered twice or even three times the $1.29 million manufacturer's asking price. As Eclipse's order book bulges with a backlog of 2,200 aircraft, new buyers face a potential three-year wait for an aircraft -- if they book now. The ``gotta-haves'' or those out to make a quick buck on an early delivery slot are driving these inflated rates.
The AOPA's 15th annual Fly-In and Open House, held June 4 at the association's headquarters in Frederick, Md., drew more than 5,000 attendees, 250 airplanes and nearly 100 exhibitors. The event included seminars on single-pilot IFR, the costs of flying and insurance, among others. AOPA President Phil Boyer staged an informal discussion that centered on the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone. AOPA has scheduled the 16th annual fly-in for June 3, 2006.
Flight Options LLC, Cleveland, named Sanjay Aggarwal as vice president of operations and planning. He is responsible for leading Flight Options' operations control, owner services, operations planning and information technology teams. Previously, he was the firm's vice president of planning.
Thales USA has been awarded a 12-year contract worth up to $60 million by the FAA to provide ILSes for U.S. airports. During the contract's first phase, Thales will develop and test three systems to ensure they meet FAA requirements. After that, it will produce up to 300 systems. The contract also includes 10 years of engineering support, training and installation by Thales. Thales said this will be the 10th generation of ILSes that the FAA has ordered from the company.
Lektro, Inc. of Warrenton, Ore., manufactures a line of battery powered, towbar-less aircraft tugs for aircraft up to 180,000 pounds. Designed to be operated by a single person, the operator maneuvers the tug in front of the aircraft's nosewheel, then using the tug's winch and strap assembly, gently draws the nosewheel onto a hydraulically controlled cradle. The strap secures the aircraft to the tug, and the cradle is lifted off the ground. This system eliminates the need for a towbar.
Aircraft Security & Alert Systems, Inc. of Dallas, has introduced a new series of locks for the Cessna Caravan series turboprops. The locks are now being installed on all new Caravan aircraft, as well as being offered as a Service Bulletin for older aircraft. Each aircraft can be equipped with seven individual locks for the pilot's, copilot's, airstair, cargo, belly pod doors and engine cowl; all can be accessed from one key that can only be duplicated by Aircraft Security & Alert Systems.
CE-525 (CitationJet 1) -- Remove and replace an old printed circuit board (PCB) assembly with a new design or modify an old PCB assembly to the new design to prevent a single-point failure in the electric pitch-trim system. CE-680 (Sovereign) -- Revise the airplane flight manual by adding procedures to facilitate recovery of the Honeywell Primus Epic cockpit display units in the event that they go blank. Also, conduct flight crew briefings on the use of standby instruments in case the cockpit display units go blank and do not recover.
The General Aviation Awards Program is a cooperative effort between the FAA and industry sponsors to annually recognize outstanding individuals in the fields of avionics, flight instruction and maintenance. In addition, the FAA annually recognizes outstanding aviation safety counselors. The awards highlight the important roles these individuals play in promoting aviation safety, education and professionalism. A revised PDF application/nomination form now allows users to fill out the form digitally. The form may be downloaded at www.gama.aero/resources/safety
GPS Techniques, one of the Air Facts series of DVDs, has been updated to include glass- panel technology as featured on the Garmin G1000 and Avidyne Entegra glass-panel systems. The two-program DVD, which includes GPS Approaches and GPS En Route, provides real-world use and practical application of this technology. GPS Approaches guides you through the intricacies of the GPS approach.
