EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model BO105C (C-2 and CB-2 Variants) and BO105S (CS-2 and CBS-2 variants) [Docket No. FAA-2013-0519; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-068-AD; Amendment 39-17623; AD 2013-20-17] – requires, for affected helicopters with a certain third stage turbine wheel, installing a placard on the instrument panel and revising the limitations section of the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM).
Dassault Aviation, working with Honeywell, has developed a “Falcon Elite II” upgrade package for Falcon 900C and 900EX aircraft that will permit operators to comply with air traffic management mandates such as ADS-B Out, reduce crew workload and enable use of new approach procedures such as WAAS-LPV and RNP. The French airframer expects the package will be the first of a series of avionics improvements that will be offered as individual upgrades or as a package of upgrades.
JayJet Private Aircraft Charter recently launched in Swanton, Ohio, to provide charter broker and consulting services for individuals and flight departments. JayJet was founded by Jay Treat II, who spent nearly 20 years in multiple roles with FlightSafety International, including director of standards. Treat has also served as a Part 135 pilot and is currently an accredited IS-BAO auditor.
The Manassas Regional Airport Commission is considering a series of changes to rules and regulation of the Manassas, Va.-based airport, including new nighttime restrictions on engine run-ups. The commission currently asks operators to avoid engine run-ups between 10 p.m.-6 a.m., but says if they are necessary they should be limited to designated run-up pads with the aircraft oriented to channel the noise to the north, which faces a business park. The new regulations ban the run-ups outright.
CONRAD VANDERSLUIS was promoted to sales development director for AJW Group. Vandersluis will help AJW expand globally. He has more than 25 years of aviation experience, including with Flightspares and the BBA Group. He joined AJW in 2004 as commercial and contracts manager.
The designer of the distinctive Edgley EA-7 Optica is looking for new investment to restart production of the lightweight observation aircraft. John Edgley, who designed the EA-7 in the 1970s, believes there is now a wider market for observation aircraft for security and utility operations. He claims that the Optica, with its unique, helicopter-like visibility around the cabin, could find a niche in operations for which helicopters would be too expensive.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, and AS 365 N3 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0938; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-057-AD] – proposes to require repetitively inspecting frame number (No.) 9 for a crack. This proposed AD is prompted by a report of a crack in frame No. 9 on an AS365 helicopter. The proposed actions are intended to detect a crack and prevent loss of structural integrity and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates the proposal would affect 37 helicopters on the U.S.
AGUSTA Model AW139 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0529; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-050-AD; Amendment 39-17648; AD 2013-22-16] – requires replacing certain solder splices in the co-pilot audio system. This AD was prompted by the discovery of improper installation of solder splices on the co-pilot audio system causing intermittent noise through the audio system during flight.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), which formally launched its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) in the Great Lakes region in August 2012, is working to expand the program next in the Western Pacific, New England and Eastern regions, ACSF President Bryan Burns says. The program is one of a couple of cornerstone programs that the organization has been developing as it continues to expand its membership and reach new categories of members.
President Obama on Nov. 27 signed into law the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, setting a definitive timeline for FAA to complete a sweeping rewrite of Part 23 certification regulations with the goal of doubling safety while cutting certification costs in half. Industry leaders lauded the signing, calling the December 2015 deadline for new Part 23 rules necessary to ensure that the effort stays on track on a global scale.
Landmark Aviation, known as one of the largest chains of fixed-base operations, has been working to raise the visibility and build up two of its other core businesses – Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and Aircraft Management and Charter – as the company continues on the acquisition trail. Landmark President and CEO Dan Bucaro notes that Landmark “clearly has a different model than most in that we fill all three spaces.” But he adds that those spaces – FBO, MRO, and management/charter – “fit well together” to serve the customer base.
The designer of the distinctive Edgley EA-7 Optica is looking for new investment to restart production of the lightweight observation aircraft. John Edgley, who designed the EA-7 in the 1970s, believes there is now a wider market for observation aircraft for security and utility operations. He claims that the Optica, with its unique, helicopter-like visibility around the cabin, could find a niche in operations for which helicopters would be too expensive.
Though the FAA in early November published a final rule requiring U.S. airline pilots to experience and recover from full stalls in the simulator, key details needed to put the training into practice within five years are as yet unfinished and the topic of continuing debate.
X-Plane creator Austin Meyer does not know the names or strategies of his competitors in the flight simulation world, nor does he care to. Meyer's attention is, and always has been, focused on his own projects, which are meant in large part to solve problems he encounters. That tunnel vision, coupled with a strong sense of self-preservation and a “full throttle” approach to any endeavor, has been the secret to business success for the 44-year-old Californian who now makes his home in Columbia, S.C.
Nam Cho's letter about general aviation being too expensive is spot on (October 2013, page 13)! I sold my airplane and bought a new boat; sure, one expensive toy traded for one not quite as expensive, but flying around smashing bugs for fun lost its shine.
Designers attempt to give exceptional capabilities in all areas, including price, but the laws of physics, thermodynamics and aerodynamics do not allow one aircraft to do all missions with equal efficiency. Tradeoffs, as a result, are a reality of aircraft design. The Learjet 75, for instance, is the only aircraft in the group to have a flat cabin floor, a design feature favored by many operators. But the lack of a dropped aisle also means it has 3 to 4 in. less maximum headroom along the centerline of the cabin.
International aviation insurance underwriter USAIG has introduced Performance Vector PLUS, an “individual good experience program” that returns up to 15% of premiums and more to operators who avoid losses while meeting prescribed safety standards. Customers can earn “good experience returns” when they achieve any of three safety standards during a policy year while also avoiding loss claims. Each standard met earns a 5% “good experience” return.
NBAA recently topped 10,000 Member Companies for the first time in the association's 60-plus-year history. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said that reaching that milestone “in difficult economic times” underscored the value of business aviation and his organization's advocacy. The 10,000th member is TCB Air, LLC, which operates a Beechcraft King Air C90A out of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich., International Airport. Two manufacturing companies own the plane and use it for staff transport.
Some military airborne interceptor operations will come under FAA air traffic control starting Feb. 1, 1964. FAA/military officials agreed air defense activities should be conducted within the ATC system reducing midair collision hazards.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks for receiving Business & Commercial Aviation monthly. I read “Emergency Divert” (September 2013) with interest. This and also most of the articles provide us with good information. Previously I worked for Myanma Airways as senior cabin crew. In 1994, I joined Air Mandalay as traffic manager at Yangon Mingaladon Airport, and then became Sales, Ticketing and Reservation Manager at Head Office. My colleague and I started Auto Net Travels in 2000.
StandardAero launched dedicated Mobile Repair Teams (MRT) conducting on-wing hot section inspections and repairs for the P&WC PW610 and PW615 series engines that power the Eclipse 500 and Cessna Mustang. “Providing on-wing services like HIS at a location of the customer's choice assures the customer of the fastest and most efficient use of the downtime,” said Rob Cords, senior vice president, StandardAero.
Wichita-based Winglet Technology has completed the first flight of a Cessna Citation Sovereign with its patented Elliptical Winglets. The aircraft flew from Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport for just under two hours, as planned. Winglet Technology and the Cessna Service Center network said that they'll upgrade existing Sovereigns with the winglets, work that also will include a 350-lb. gross weight increase.
