Global demand for agricultural aircraft is boosting sales, with Embraer forecasting an increase in Ipanema deliveries this year as it hands over its 1,300th aircraft to Rio Verde, Brazil-based Fort Aviacao Agricola. The Brazilian manufacturer expects to deliver 70 Ipanemas this year, up from 66 in 2102 and 58 a year earlier. The single-engined aircraft has been in production for more than 40 years. In the U.S., agricultural aircraft manufacturers Air Tractor and Thrush Aircraft are on track for record deliveries this year.
There's been much talk recently in aviation regulatory circles about three issues — fatigue, aircraft automation and basic airmanship. The incident we're discussing this month has a happy ending with no injures and no significant damage to the aircraft. But it does shine a light on the dangers of fatigue when dealing with the complexities of modern flight management/control systems.
A key element of ensuring safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into U.S. airspace will be equipping UAS operators as if they’re sitting in flight decks, rather than on the ground, says an Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) executive who focuses on the issue. Pilots of manned aircraft benefit from situational awareness triggered by much more than instruments and sensors, says ALPA First Vice President and Alaska Airlines Capt. Sean Cassidy.
The FAA has logged four “Category A” runway incursions—the most-dangerous type—at towered airports in the U.S. so far in calendar year 2013, matching calendar 2012’s pace. Category A incidents are considered “serious incidents in which a collision is narrowly avoided,” according to the FAA.
DEFENSE: Global hotspots and country-by-country analyses of national priorities, budgets and programs. See pages 38-47. MILITARY AVIATION: Rivals upgrade their combat aircraft as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter begins to gain international traction. Special missions become a key part of transport market. See pages 58-67. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT: Europe finally may be getting its act together on UAS, but China and civil developments are moving faster. See page 68.
The entry and rapid success of the Robinson R66 in the light turbine helicopter market has sent shock waves through the industry. The bigger manufacturers were preoccupied with the growing light-twin market, and happy to leave Frank Robinson's hugely successful piston-engined R22 and R44 to dominate the general-aviation market. They had virtually rejected their light singles—many with designs roots in the 1960s and 70s—and all but starved them of investment.
From commercial airline fleet renewal through fighter procurement challenges to industry consolidation in the face of budget pressures, 2014 looks certain to be a pivotal year for aerospace and defense. Here are 12 areas to keep an eye on. 787
Textron, the corporate owner of Cessna aircraft has reached a deal to buy the GA and light jet manufacturer's competitor BeecH Holdings, the manufacturer of Beechcraft aircraft including the top selling King Air family
StandardAero completed a licensing agreement to become an authorized maintenance, repair and overhaul center for the Rolls-Royce RR300 engine that powers the Robinson R66. The licensing agreement makes StandardAero the first independent entity with such a designation. StandardAero has already received its first three RR300 engines at its Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada repair facility. StandardAero is also a longtime service provider on Rolls-Royce M250 engines.
ROBERT WALTERS was appointed as a director of Biggin Hill Airport in London. Walters, who spent seven years as business development manager for the airport company, will continue to lead sales and marketing but will also manage customer service. Before joining the airport staff, he helped establish and manage the first civilian handling unit for business aircraft at RAF Northolt. He has also served in the Marine and Aviation Reinsurance section of Wellmarine, a Lloyds of London broker.
LYCOMING fuel injected reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-0218; Directorate Identifier 92-ANE-56-AD] – proposes to supersede AD 2011-26-04, which requires inspection, replacement if necessary, and proper clamping of externally mounted fuel injector fuel lines. Since FAA issued AD 2011-26-04, the agency received revised service information that adds engine models to the applicability. This proposed AD would expand the scope of affected engine models, require inspection, replacement if necessary, and proper clamping of externally mounted fuel injector fuel lines.
James Coon, who has served as executive vice president for the National Air Transportation Association for the past year, is joining the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association as senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy. Coon brings a strong background on Capitol Hill, including serving as staff director for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and majority staff director for the House aviation subcommittee. In his new role, Coon will manage the association’s advocacy team on a range of Washington issues.
SCOTT CLAREY has joined Gulfstream Aerospace as sales director, North American Sales, Southwest. Clarey is responsible for Gulfstream sales in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah. He is based in Tempe, Ariz. He previously served as regional sales director for Piaggio America.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC225LP helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0984; Directorate Identifier 2013-SW-022-AD] – proposes to require measuring the operating load of the cockpit fuel shutoff controls and replacing the tangential gearbox if the operating load threshold is exceeded. This proposed AD is prompted by the jamming of the left-hand (LH) side of the fuel shutoff and general cutoff controls. The proposed actions are intended to prevent the jamming of the controls so that a pilot can shut down an engine during an engine fire or during an emergency landing.
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Despite a sluggish third quarter and a government shutdown that delayed $1.9 billion in deliveries, the U.S. general aviation aircraft manufacturing sector remains on pace for nearly double-digit gains in unit shipments this year and is poised to grow by at least as much next year, according to the Aerospace Industries Association. The gains, if they remain on track, would return the industry to a steady upward trend that began after U.S. deliveries hit a nearly 15-year trough in 2010 with 1,334 shipments valued at $7.9 billion.
Atlantic Aviation has reached a deal to acquire five fixed-base operations from Galaxy Aviation for $195 million. Atlantic Aviation parent Macquarie Infrastructure Company plans to fund the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, through a combination of cash, proceeds of an equity offering and a credit facility.
The FAA will keep its minimum random drug and alcohol testing percentage rates the same for calendar year 2014, testing at least 25% of covered employees for drugs and 10% for alcohol, the agency has determined. The decision, set to be formalized in a Dec. 20 Federal Register notice, is made each year based on full-year testing results from the last full calendar year. If positive test rates exceed 1.0% for drugs or 0.50% for alcohol in a year, FAA must boost the percentages of employees tested.
Senate passage of the budget deal on Dec. 18 comes as a relief to general aviation advocates worried that a prolonged impasse could have led to another costly government shutdown in January.
