Chances are you've heard that Nexrad has the capability to detect hail. That was made possible a few years ago with the addition of polarization. Previously the system detected precipitation in the horizontal dimension better than in the vertical. As a result, it could not distinguish between large raindrops, which tend to have a horizontal size greater than vertical, and hail, which tends to be equal both horizontally and vertically. Now it can differentiate between wide and tall.
The palette’s evolution began in the basement of a home in Kansas City, Missouri. Dedication to a task is often found in the strangest of places and so it was with this research project on thunderstorms. J.T. “Jean” Lee, then a young scientist for the “Weather Bureau,” as the federal agency was called some 60 years ago, was assigned to Severe Local Storms Research (SELS). Simply put, the SELS team was to learn all it could about the hazards thunderstorms posed to aircraft, a project begun earlier by the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Longitude’s cockpit layout closely parallels that of Latitude. Three side-by-side, 14-in., landscape configuration flat panel displays occupy most of the instrument panel. The LCDs are some of the highest resolution screens yet installed in a business aircraft. Synthetic vision is standard. Above the screens are left and right display controllers and a central integrated standby instrument system. At the top, there is a central glareshield-mounted flight guidance control panel.
Honeywell’s second-generation HTF7000 series engines are more powerful and fuel efficient than the original powerplant that entered service in 2003, plus they have lower emissions. Aboard Longitude, they’re rated at 7,550 lb. thrust for takeoff.
Because of habit, overconfidence, laziness or haste, some pilots have intentionally disregarded carefully crafted and accepted standard operating procedures. Too often, flouting SOPs undermines efficiency, effectiveness and safety.
By William Garvey, Molly McMillin, Jessica A. Salerno
General aviation aircraft deliveries fell 4% last year, with shipments of piston and turboprop aircraft down, while business jet deliveries rose, preliminary figures show. “It’s a mixed bag this year,” said Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), a Washington trade group that compiles the data. “The U.S. economy is still in a positive climb, but it is very anemic.” The health of the energy industry impacts the global market, especially the market for large-cabin, long-range aircraft.
By William Garvey, Molly McMillin, Jessica A. Salerno
Mooney International Corp. has introduced the M20V Acclaim Ultra, a redesigned M20 aircraft. Sales began Feb. 11. The upgraded Acclaim includes a composite fuselage, pilot and copilot doors, a clean-sheet interior design and major avionics upgrades, including the Garmin 1000 with an integrated Garmin flight-management keypad. Production is in progress. FAA certification is expected in the second quarter of this year, with deliveries to begin by mid-second quarter of this year, the company said. The base price for the Acclaim Ultra is $769,000.
Italian air accident investigators have successfully extracted data from the combined flight data and cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the second prototype AgustaWestland AW609 commercial tiltrotor.
In March 1966, BCA covered a Queen Air conversion, Bell's new JetRanger and the BAC-111 flight deck with windows that were "said to show three more lights at 100 ft. than the next best transport."
An undistorted view of the outside world isn’t a luxury for pilots, it’s an absolute necessity for obvious reasons. Yet sections of the aircraft manual describing the proper windshield care are usually buried in an obscure chapter that doesn’t receive much attention in ground school training.
By William Garvey, Molly McMillin, Jessica A. Salerno
The first binding energy efficiency and carbon-dioxide (CO 2) emissions targets for aviation have been agreed to by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In all but a few cases, aircraft in production or development will meet the initial standard without modification. The global CO 2 standard will apply to all commercial and business aircraft delivered after Jan.
Teterboro Airport was the airport most requested in Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder itineraries during January 2016, according to an analysis of aircharterguide.com data. It received the most requests for both departures and arrivals of charter flights.
The Embraer Phenom 300 was the most-delivered business jet in the world in 2015 for the third consecutive year, with 70 aircraft received by customers around the globe.
With the deadline for hobbyists to register their small UAVs now past, the FAA will find out which of its approaches – education or enforcement – will have the most beneficial impact on airspace safety.
Flying Colours Corp., a North American maintenance, repair and overhaul completions and refurbishment company, is expanding its cabinetry finishing shop in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Cessna Aircraft, a division of Textron Aviation, will pay $167,500 and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced.
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) has recognized 97 airports with an ANTA Digicast Excellence In Airport Training award for training completed last year.
Pipistrel tests hybrid electric; Russia flies tiltrotor UAV; coatings for smoother flying; Airbus in Singapore delivery-UAV trial; structure says where it hurts.
Business jet shipments worldwide declined 1% last year when compared to 2014, updated data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reports.
The Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) started its 2016 events with an education session at the International University of Rabat (UIR) in Morocco last week.
Airliners, without any new equipage, will soon fly as if in domestic airspace over oceans and remote areas using Aireon’s satellite-based surveillance network, unless routes cross into regions that have not signed up.
