Operational and political issues associated with the massive influx of new jet aircraft are expected to be the top priority of the larger U.S. regional airlines for the rest of the year. Despite their apparent customer acceptance, some say RJ proliferation has increased the pressure on the U.S. air traffic control system, created no small measure of airline labor discord and threatened scheduled air service to small communities.
CNS/ATM, short for Communications/Navigation/Surveillance Air Traffic Management, is the linchpin of international airspace modernization. While stakeholders have reached a consensus on VDL Mode 2 as the communication data link, and VDL Mode 2 is becoming the standard for local area differential GPS broadcasts, the choice of data link for surveillance functions, such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance, is unclear.
Duncan Aviation has become the first independent authorized service center for Cessna Citation 650-series aircraft. The company already performs factory-authorized service on the Honeywell TFE731 engines that power the Citation VII, and it has been a Citation 500 series service center for the past 27 years. Duncan recently won STCs for installation of Honeywell TCAS II, GPWS and NZ-2000 FMSes on 650-series aircraft at any of seven U.S. locations.
Fairchild Aerospace says it is in the final stages of certifying the 328JET for a service ceiling of 35,000 feet -- a 4,000-foot increase resulting in improved range -- as well as the first of several refinements. The company also has begun final assembly of the first 328JET approved for higher gross weights, which translates to nearly 900 pounds of additional payload. Atlantic Coast Airlines unit Atlantic Coast Jet will take delivery of the first increased-payload aircraft this month.
The U.S. government has redesigned NOS (National Oceanic Service) approach charts with the goal of reducing pilots' head-down time during instrument approaches. The new plates are easier to read than existing NOS plates and present information in a logical format from top to bottom to aid in pre-approach briefings. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to convert the charts on an airport-by-airport basis, so revisions will mix the old and new formats until the transition is complete.
A Learjet 60 operated by the FlexJet fractional ownership program overran the runway at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) in Wyoming on March 12. The NTSB is investigating the possibility that black ice on the 6,299-foot runway contributed to the accident. The overrun caused the nose gear to collapse, but there were no injuries. There were no passengers onboard the flight, and damage to the aircraft was said to be minor.
One thing FOARC members could agree on easily was that elements of FAR Part 135 are woefully antiquated. A case-in-point is the ``60 percent'' rule, which requires Part 135 operators to be able to land within the first 60 percent of the available runway at their destination, adding a 40-percent margin to landing distance. The rule rests on the ``state of the art'' in the 1930s and 1940s, which in many respects wasn't very advanced.
The European Commission (EC) is calling on member nations to pursue an international aviation fuel tax to help reduce aircraft emissions. The European Association of Aerospace Industries opposes the measure, saying that the EC's own studies show taxation would produce only a ``minimal'' environmental benefit, while posing economic harm to European operators. The trade group prefers international support of aging fleet replacement and further development of new technologies to taxation.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Paul Richfield Wildlife Offers Charter Challenge
If you think your passengers are demanding, consider the plight of pilot Chris Johns, who had to subdue a huge crocodile during a wild charter flight in Papua New Guinea. Native hunters in Kikori had trapped the reptile and asked that it be removed, so John Lever, head of PNG's Crocodile Management office, chartered a Macair Britten-Norman Islander to fly it to Port Moresby, according to a story in Britten-Norman's Approach magazine.
Signature Flight Support's regional maintenance center in Las Vegas has received avionics repair station certification for Radio classes 1, 2 and 3. Opened in October 1998 at McCarran International Airport, the RMC specializes in service for Hawker, Gulfstream and Citation aircraft.
US Airways and its pilots' union have reached a tentative agreement on a regional jet ``mini-deal'' that allows the addition of up to 35 RJs, but reduces their maximum seating capacity from the 69 now allowed to 50. Additionally, the deal specifies that one out of six pilots hired by US Airways will come from the company's wholly owned regional carriers, and guarantees a set number of block hours for mainline pilots.
Executive Jet Aviation (EJA) has ordered six additional Dassault Falcon 2000s for its NetJets fractional ownership program. The new aircraft were slated for delivery early this year and increase the operator's commitment to 60 of the large cabin, long-range jet. NetJets currently operates seven Falcon 2000s, which are assigned to its U.S., European and Middle East fractional ownership programs.
Midcoast Aviation (Cahokia, Ill.) -- Steve Burke has been promoted to director of materials, purchasing and Mark Berg to manager of turbine engine services.
Cirrus Design says it has firm orders for more than 500 SR20s -- with 100 of those orders being placed within the past six months. Around 15 aircraft have been delivered, including several in the Midwest, four in Europe and two each on the East and West Coast. New orders still outpace manufacturing with one SR20 built every four to five days and an aircraft sold every one to two business days, the company says. Cirrus added that should change late this year when output is expected to hit one aircraft per business day.
This spring, Garrett Aviation plans to open an avionics sales and service operation at Florida Jet Center's facility in Fort Lauderdale. The venture will be called Garrett Aviation Avionics and operate as a satellite of Garrett Aviation in Augusta, Ga. Garrett says the new business also will give operators access to its airframe, interior and engine services, and hopes to appeal to a growing number of South American customers. Garrett is a General Electric subsidiary.
Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (RVSM) are now in effect over the Pacific Ocean. Separation for RVSM-equipped aircraft is reduced from 2,000 to 1,000 feet between 29,000 and 39,000 feet. The FAA plans to expand affected altitudes to FL 410. European RVSM is not expected until early 2002.
With the advent of ultra-long-range business jets and an increase in intercontinental flights, the need for overwater safety equipment also has increased. Survival Products, manufacturers of life rafts, vests and slides, has introduced a new line of double tube rafts that are ideally suited to business aircraft. The TSOed equipment can accommodate from six to 15 passengers with a variety of survival equipment options to meet FAR Part 91, 121 or 135 requirements. Price: six-person raft, $2,970 to $4,220; 10-person raft, $3,517 to 4,995
The McGraw-Hill Cos. (New York) -- Jay S. Kilberg has been named vice president and general manager of the company's AviationNow.com Internet initiative. Kilberg reports to Kenneth E. Gazzola, executive vice president of Aviation Week.
The FAA has ordered Atlantic City, N.J., to fix unsafe conditions at Bader Field (AIY). According to the agency's March 3 letter, city officials must repair inoperable Precision Approach Path Indicators and runway end identifier lights, poor signage and pavement markings, and poorly maintained runways and taxiways. Bader has been a source of controversy for years, with local officials opposing its continued operation despite accepting federal grants that require it to remain open until 2006.
Singapore Airlines has ordered six Cessna 172Rs for pilot training. The new aircraft will join five other Skyhawks at the Singapore Flying College, near Perth, Australia.
Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Paul Richfield Soloy Dual Pac Targets OEMs
Soloy Corp.'s new President David A. Stauffer, 44, says at least two airframe manufacturers are studying the company's Dual Pac turboprop mod for use aboard ``clean sheet'' aircraft designs. A successful bid would provide a much-needed boon to the Olympia, Wash.-based business, which suffered a major setback in 1999 when the FAA consented to allow commercial IFR flights in single-engine aircraft.
New Piper Aircraft announced three new California-based dealers: Northern California Piper in Palo Alto, Cutter Aviation in Santa Monica and Southern California Piper in San Diego.
