Mike Ward (Award Aviation Consulting Deer Harbor, Wash. )
In reference to the Cave Creek helicopter crash review titled “Command Presence,” (Cause & Circumstance, June 2013, page 56), I totally support your points on command authority. In 24,000 hr. of flying, there have been many times where I have had to work to retain that authority even when it was unpleasant or politically incorrect to do so. The best contribution your article made was to provide an argument for the professional pilot the next time a similar situation occurs.
The aviation community lost two more exemplary members over the summer. Paul Poberezny, the founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the creator of the world's largest general aviation air show — AirVenture — passed away at the age of 91 from cancer in Oshkosh, Wis., on Aug. 22. And John Marino, who spent nearly four decades as a FlightSafety International executive at the organization's academy in Vero Beach, Fla., in China, and in Washington, D.C., died on Aug. 16 following a long battle with cancer. He was 65.
In August, Beechcraft and Wheels Up, a new members-only air transportation club, announced an agreement for the largest order for turboprop airplanes and services in general aviation history, a deal potentially worth $788 million for the acquisition of up to 105 King Air 350i aircraft along with another $600 million in nose-to-tail support services, including engine reserves, airframe and avionics maintenance, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, even consumables. The contract is for 35 firm aircraft orders plus options for another 70.
GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems has joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, raising the trade association's total membership to 84. The unit is a division of GKN Aerospace, one of the world's largest independent first-tier suppliers to the global aviation industry with over 100 years of aerospace experience and 12,000 employees in more than 35 facilities worldwide. GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems designs and manufactures glass, acrylic and polycarbonate transparency systems and tests and certifies cockpit and passenger windows.
Dallas Airmotive, Dallas, appointed Thomas Kennedy regional engine manager representing all of the company's engine and auxiliary power unit service for customers in the New England area.
Vistajet, the swiss-based block charter outfit is teaming with jet aviation flight services and newly formed Wheels Up to expand into the U.S. Under the agreement, Vistajet will initially base 12 new Bombardier Global jets in the U.S. For both international and domestic trips. The aircraft, valued at $600 million, will be managed and operated by Jet Aviation on its FAR Part 135 certificate. Wheels Up, meanwhile, will market and sell the service, called the Vistajet Flight Solutions Program.
StandardAero secured a three-year agreement to provide Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services for RainAir Aircraft Services. Under the agreement, StandardAero will be the exclusive engine service provider for RainAir, which is based at Albertville Regional Airport in Alabama. StandardAero's facility will perform line and heavy maintenance engine work up to hot section inspection at its Maryville, Tenn., facility and engine overhauls at its Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada shop.
I provide supplemental pilot services on Gulfstream IV and V aircraft through May Hill Inc., a Connecticut-based C-Corp. In doing so, along with all the other necessary things involved in providing these services, I must go to recurrent training once per year for each of the two types of aircraft that I operate. As both the owner and the working man (I pay for my training), I feel that the training requirements under FAR Part 91 versus Part 135, as well as the content and the methods used, can certainly use a recasting.
Distractions in the cockpit can have terrible consequences. There are times when pilots can be oversaturated with tasks, alerts and confusing information. There are also times when a flight is so boring that there is a strong temptation to pull out the tablet and lose focus on job number one: flying the aircraft. To help pilots learn about such dangers, the FAA has published an advisory on recognizing and managing cockpit distractions.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) annual Aviation Summit set for Oct. 10-12 in Fort Worth, Tex., will be its last. Mark Baker, the association's new president, is scrapping the big convention in favor of local “grassroots” events at which he can better mingle with AOPA members. The decision marks the first major shift for the association under Baker, who took the helm on Sept. 6. A pilot and former head of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores is the fifth person to lead the association, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year.
Aug. 29 — About 1941 EDT, a Piper PA-28-161 (N9089N) was destroyed when it hit an antenna and terrain adjacent to Runway 2 and a post-accident fire ensued at Danville Regional Airport (DAN), Danville, Va., following a go-around maneuver. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was killed in the crash. It was VFR at the time of accident. The student pilot was flying the airport pattern on a supervised solo flight. Eyewitnesses observed the airplane attempt two landings preceding the accident landing attempt.
In September, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) gave medals to Brian Bosman and Brandt Hershman, the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives and Senate leader, respectively, for leading the repeal of the state's aircraft gas tax — good for about 40 cents per gallon — as well as a 7% tax on aircraft parts and labor.
TAG Farnborough Airport, Farnborough, U.K., has been awarded Airport Carbon Accreditation at the “Optimization” level, recognizing a reduction in carbon emission under the airport's direct control between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has agreed to a compromise solution on the introduction of global market based measures to tackle aviation emissions. The global market concept is expected to be adopted at ICAO's assembly in 2016 and be implemented by 2020. The Council adopted a European proposal that allow states to implement a market plan prior to global implementation that covered aircraft emissions “for the portion of those flights within the airspace of that state or group of states.”
After some missteps and setbacks, there's good news for Maine's Brunswick Executive Airport (BXM). The former P-3 Orion base is getting some federal money as well as a new tenant. The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) — the agency that is redeveloping the former Brunswick Naval Air Station — will be getting $1.1 million federal grant to help renovate a former Navy Air Operations Center and turn it into a general aviation terminal.
Cockpit Apps has released the latest version of their app, iLOG 2.0, which incorporates several new capabilities and enhancements. New in the release is an optional MEL function that alerts the crew and maintenance personnel to Category A, B, C, and D MEL items. It also tracks both hours and cycles for each log and pre-populates a crew's out/off/on/in time using the industry standard of one-hour show, one-hour-go time. Other enhancements make iLOG 2.0 viable for smaller aircraft operators including a single-pilot option and an RVSM On/Off option.
Being a high-performance, true eight- to 10-passenger business turboprop aircraft with a refined cabin environment, the King Air 350i has no direct competitors. The sleek Piaggio P180 Avanti II is higher-performance turboprop, but comfortably seats four or five, and up to eight in a pinch, but only five with full fuel. So, the 350i is really in its own niche.
While U.S. flight operations have remained flat in recent years, European operations are continuing to slide year over year, particularly in the western countries, according to the latest figures by Eurocontrol. Operations have climbed throughout the year in Europe, but when compared with the previous year's levels, traffic is down across the board. And 2012 levels were down from 2011. In July, the number of arrivals in Europe was 3% fewer. Departures were down 2.2%, internal flights within Europe were off 2.8% and overflights through Europe were down 3.3%.
Business aviation leaders are encouraged by an endorsement from transport ministers at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum of a set of core principles to foster business aviation in the region. The ministers, representing 21 economies, agreed to three core principles Sept. 5 during the forum.
ANA Holdings, the parent company of Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways, has purchased Pan Am International Flight Academy and plans to expand training offerings in Asia with its purchase of the Miami, Fla.-based operation. Pan Am provides training to airlines and individuals worldwide through simulation and other training services.
Flt.plan.com reports the highest number of monthly flight plans and weather briefings created in company history: 460,193 flight plans and 452,000 weather briefings for the month of August. The company saw a 3.3% increase in flight plans created for jets over August 2012, and a 3.8% increase for piston aircraft flight plans created over the same period in 2012. Helicopter flight plans rose 53% from a year ago.
I have been delinquent in writing about some previous columns. So here goes. 1. Regarding Mrs. Garvey and “Bitchin Betty” in “She Knows Her Way Around” (Viewpoint, February 2008) software engineers are notorious for getting things past marketing. Some of the working phraseology such as calculating, re-calculating, etc., can be wholly explained by watching re-runs of “Star Trek” such as when Kirk and Spock ask the computer to do things like calculating the warp effect if they do a gravity assist from the binary star system Zoerk 7.
Criticized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for lax safety oversight, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has responded in part by banning domestic business aircraft operators from conducting international flights until they demonstrate compliance with new safety standards. The DGCA's decision comes in the wake of an ICAO audit that found that operators were inadequately prepared for long-distance flights. ICAO officials also cited India as among 13 nations with the worst record for air safety oversight.
Retrix Aviation has begun construction on the company's new FBO at Worcester Regional Airport in Massachusetts. The new Worcester facility is one of two FBOs that the Retrix will be constructing as a result of a multi-million dollar contract awarded by Massport. The other facility will be at Hanscom Field, and combined, they will create almost 100 new jobs and will be large enough to accommodate business jets.
