Cessna Aircraft recently celebrated the delivery of its 100th Model 525A CJ2, a benchmark in the life of a business airplane. Recently B/CA surveyed operators to determine how well the aircraft is living up to their expectations. Almost all operators gave the CJ2 a qualified thumbs up. Indeed, not one of the dozens of operators with whom we spoke was dissatisfied with the overall performance and utility of the CJ2, even though most had gripes about something -- airframe, engine, avionics or systems.
Pilots have dreamed of a day when they could receive the same kind of weather information in the cockpit as they could obtain on the ground, in real time. That day has arrived.
An unexpected fallout from the September 2001 terrorist attacks has been a heightened interest in business aviation, largely in response to the passenger security and safety the medium has come to represent.
As wrenching as the last four months have been for airlines in North America, a few have proven to be exceptionally adept at making money and growing shareholder value in a harsh economic environment.
Of all the small-cap defense contractors that stand to benefit from the U.S.' renewed commitment to military preparedness, Alliant Techsystems would seem to be as well positioned as any.
With virtually all airline stocks trading well below book value, last week's crash of American Airlines Flight 587 was the last thing the industry needed as it struggles to regain investor confidence.
On the surface, recent rallies in some airline equities would seem to suggest stability is returning to the sector after being pummeled by the markets since Sept. 11. But some analysts think that would be reading too much into the meager gains.
Since the Defense Dept. announced Lockheed Martin Corp. as the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition on Oct. 26, the tone of team members' public statements suggests they're feeling pretty good about their fortune.
With the horrifying images of September 11 seared into the nation's collective memory, business aviation is pondering the ultimate impact from the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., will have on operational freedoms.
Commercial aerospace suppliers already know demand for their products will be sharply reduced for months to come, although companies are still trying to figure out just how severe a downturn they're facing.
With so much attention focused in recent weeks on airlines' survival and the impact their struggle is having on commercial aviation suppliers, it's easy to forget that the weak U.S. economy is playing no small role in eroding some companies' performance.
Pure-play defense contractors, large and small, are receiving a steady stream of inquiries about their ability to dramatically increase production of weapon systems, as well as other items necessary to support Operation Enduring Freedom.
Rationally, we all know the airline industry eventually will rebound; it always has, following a major shock to the system. But that day seems like a distant prospect, given the wretched earnings environment that has descended across most of the industry and is likely to persist for a protracted period.
The Federal Aviation Administration, armed with an independent report that showers praise on the benefits of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), set a new schedule for the beleaguered program that would allow pilots to begin using the system for precision landings at airports nationwide by the end of 2003. FAA last week sent a report to Congress on the findings of an Independent Review Board (IRB) investigation of WAAS and stated that the agency "remains committed" to the program.
GARMIN INTERNATIONAL is offering a new digital-to-analog interface adapter, the GAD 42, which will enable communications between Garmin's panel-mount avionics systems and older mechanical or analog systems. GAD 42, which has received technical standard order approval, will provide several interfaces, including: ARINC 407 for course, heading and bearing data; ARINC 561 for GPS-derived time, distance, speed and flight plan display; ARINC 545 for true airspeed; and, RS 422 for Collins compatibility.
It may seem hard to believe, but business aviation entered the jet age almost 40 years ago, and a surprising number of those first-generation aircraft are still flying.
Precious little is more important to a pilot than accurate weather information. Whether you're planning a flight or setting up for an approach, knowing what lies ahead is often critical to your decision making. While dealing with surprises lies at the heart of your skills and training, most pilots agree, the fewer surprises, the better.
