The Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee voted April 17 to approve draft legislation that provides 21% less than in fiscal 2010. The legislation would provide $956 million for the FAA's NextGen air traffic modernization system—$21 million more than in fiscal 2012. The bill also would allocate $3.5 billion to the airport improvement program, consistent with the amount lawmakers approved last year. And the bill appropriates $1.04 billion for the FAA's aviation inspectors.
Embraer and China's Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. (MSFL) jointly announced that the first of 13 Legacy 650 aircraft ordered by MSFL has been delivered. The milestone is the culmination of a Memorandum of Understanding between Minsheng and Embraer, signed last July, covering the full range of Embraer's executive jets, which was shortly followed by MSFL's 13-aircraft Legacy 650 order.
Arab Wings of Amman, Jordan, is the first operator in the Middle East to take delivery of a Global 5000 jet with its Vision Flight Deck. The new jet joins Arab Wings' fleet of business jets, which includes Challenger 604 and Challenger 605 aircraft. Founded in 1975, Arab Wings is one of the first and longest-standing private, executive jet charter operators in Jordan and the Middle East.
Mid-Continent Instruments has changed its name to Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics. In recent months, Mid-Continent has steadily increased its capacity and involvement in the repair and overhaul of avionics products, including weather radars, navigational and communications systems, and similar products manufactured by Honeywell/Bendix-King and Rockwell Collins.
Having read “Out of Beirut” (Cause & Circumstance, March/April 2012) I think this whole episode stinks. Why were autopsies not performed? On reading both articles, I think [the cause of the accident] could be a deliberate act of sabotage through the food channel, or a case of load shift during acceleration. It defies common sense that trained individuals could not conduct basic flying maneuvers correctly despite the captain's experience as P2 and later P1. We cannot dismiss this accident as a happenstance in Africa.
Michael Huerta has been nominated to be the FAA administrator. He currently is deputy administrator and has been serving as acting administrator of the FAA since December 2011. Previously, Huerta was group president of the Transportation Solutions Group of Affiliated Computer Services Inc., a technology services provider supporting transportation agencies worldwide, and managing director of transportation communication for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Cirrus Aircraft announced April 18 that its Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet program, with major investment by its new owner, China's CAIGA, is now fully funded through certification and initial production. The company anticipates first customer deliveries will take place in 2015. The Cirrus Vision single-engine jet is designed to fill the gap between high performance pistons and traditional turboprop twins and light business jets. “Today is simply a tremendous milestone for Cirrus,” said Dale Klapmeier, CEO and cofounder of Cirrus Aircraft.
City: Budapest Country: Hungary Status: Capital and largest city (actually two cities: Buda and Pest on opposite sides of the Danube River) Country visa: Not required for U.S. citizens. Landing permit: Not required for FAR Part 91. However, commercial (i.e., Part 135 charter) flights are required to have a permit plus approval from CAA-Hungary. Sponsor letter: Not required; however, see “Documents required” below.
The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) is a “unilateral tax by one region of the world,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen at the 11th Annual Aviation Summit of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, adding that the scheme is “not the way to promote global aviation in an environmentally friendly way.” Bolen emphasized how the aviation industry has worked together to promote NextGen and emissions-reducing technologies.
The year 2011 was another tough one for the business aircraft industry, witnessing a 3.5% overall decline in general aviation aircraft shipments, according to GAMA statistics. Turboprop deliveries declined 2.4% from 2011, light jet deliveries fell 6.3% and the midsize aircraft sector was flat at best. Large-cabin aircraft fared much better with increased demand from China, Russia and other emerging markets.
“Dangerous Destinations, Part 1: Planning the Trip” (March 2012) was insightful, and I am eager to read the following articles. Content Manager TrainingPort.net Richmond, B.C.
All AirBP-branded FBOs in the U.S. and Canada are becoming Epic Aviation fuel dealers. All respective signage changes should occur by midsummer. And, noted Steve McCullough, Epic Aviation senior vice president, the sign change really is just that since Epic had formerly operated under the Air BP name. With the change, Epic is also allying with the UVAir Fuel Program to create a UVair FBO network involving select Epic FBOs, among others.
I do hope your optimism in “Different Juice, Same Mission” is the future reality instead of the potential permanence of the subdued aviation industry. I do wonder if your proofreader is currently commuting to work in a Desoto after failing to catch the misspelling of the battery powered automobile as “Telsa” rather than the correct name, which is “Tesla.” via email
Aviation's Washington alphabetters have beat back threats of user fees, NextGen charges, tax shifts from air carriers, new levies from deficit-heavy states, GPS encroachment, and a steady litany of White House denouncements and all the ugliness they imply. So, it came as a terrible surprise when the industry was recently blind-sided by the IRS with what could amount to a huge, even debilitating tax increase — without having to go through Congress or a statehouse. The target this time: aircraft management fees.
GAMA revised its deliveries/shipment totals downward following the release of Hawker Beechcraft's Form 10-K year-end results filing on April 13. The February year-end shipment report was released without the Hawker Beechcraft results. Hawker Beechcraft's decision to halt production of the Beechjet 400XP and supplier issues with the Hawker 4000 held down deliveries in 2011, contributing to a larger decline in industry-wide business jet shipments, according to revised data released by GAMA April 17.
Northrop Grumman and Quest Aircraft of Sands Point, Idaho, are teaming to explore civil, military and government applications of the Quest Kodiak single-engine turboprop aircraft integrated with a modular, reconfigurable C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) system. Quest has delivered a Kodiak to Northrop's Aberdeen Integration Center in Baltimore, at its Martin State Airport facility, for integration of Northrop equipment for use as a demonstrator.
Qatar-based Gulf Helicopters has received EASA Part 147 maintenance training approval for its Gulf Helicopters Training Academy and now can conduct AgustaWestland AW139 training courses for third-party commercial and private operators.
“ABACE2012 met all of our estimates and expectations, as well as those for the exhibitors and attendees,” says Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO. The association presented the event in partnership with the Shanghai Airport Authority, the Asian Business Aviation Association and the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. A total of 156 exhibitors filled the 4,000-sq.-meter hangar at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre and the adjacent Exhibit Pavilion that was added to accommodate additional vendors.
City: Moscow Country: Russian Federation Status: Capital, largest city, financial, political and cultural center Country visa: Required for passengers and crew; for tech stops, generally unnecessary, but as this policy varies from airport to airport, operators are advised to check ahead to make sure the government will grant an exception. At Moscow, flight crews can obtain visas on arrival; however, the process is time consuming.
I just finished reading Patrick Veillette's “Upset Recovery in Sims” (April, 2012) on the limitations of upset prevention and recovery training in standard hexapod flight simulators and wanted to express how much I appreciated your commentary. It is one of the best explanations I have read regarding what simulators can and cannot do in this arena of training, and the inherent dangers of such training without regard to the valid training envelopes of flight simulation training devices.
Aerion, the supersonic business jet developer, has kept a steady orderbook for “just under 50” of its $80 million aircraft, says Aerion Vice Chairman Brian Barents. “We've essentially maintained that $4 billion orderbook with which we entered the recession,” he says. “We're delighted with that.”
