The FAA is seeking operator input to refine new regulations that could make it easier for helicopter crews to use the IFR system. Under the proposed rules, helicopters would not have to file an alternate if the destination ceiling at their ETA is forecast to be 400 feet above the lowest approach minimum, or 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, whichever is higher.
The NBAA and the Flight Safety Foundation are trying to wake up the industry to the problem of pilot fatigue with video and a special report. Both organizations feel that getting the word out to the industry about the body's need for sleep and educating pilots about sleep strategies can reduce safety risks.
AlliedSignal has agreed to acquire data-link provider NavRadio for an undisclosed price. The FAA recently selected the Golden, Colo.-based company to uplink real-time weather information to business and general aviation aircraft. Beginning in mid-2000, flightcrews will be able to access text weather information at no charge, or graphic weather displays of any U.S. location and other data such as NOTAMs for a monthly fee. The FAA says the data will be transmitted to aircraft 10 times faster than current VHF data links.
Aircraft Shipments Rise in First Half 2nd Quarter Calendar Year to Date 1999 1998 1997 999 1998 1997 AI(R)* NA NA 16 NA NA 27 ATR 3 9 * 14 22 * Aviat NA NA NA NA NA NA Boeing 6 NA NA 13 NA NA Bombardier Business
For flight departments or FBOs in which space is at a premium, BR Metal Technology's new PC Work Center mounts on a wall or sits on the floor compactly. Measuring 42 inches wide and 20 inches deep, the Model 2552 accommodates all computer components -- monitor, keyboard, CPU, printer, paper, modem and mouse. Price: $297 per unit (quantity price breaks are offered) BR Metal Technology N57 W13400 Carmen Ave. Menomonee Falls, Wis. 53051 Phone: (414) 790-4840 Fax: (414) 790-9106 www.brmetal.com
Columbus, Ohio--Million Air celebrated the grand opening of its newest facility at Port Columbus International Airport over the summer. The facility's two 50,000-square-foot hangars are used for maintenance and can house large aircraft, such as a Gulfstream V and a Boeing 737.
BFGoodrich Avionics Systems announced an interface in the works between the Skywatch Traffic Advisory System and Avidyne's FlightMax Flight Situation Display Systems.
AlliedSignal began initial shipments of the new Airsat 1 airborne satellite communications system, which uses the Iridium low-earth-orbit satellite constellation.
CAMP Systems International (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) -- Hector Ortega was appointed national sales director for this aviation service and information provider.
Britten-Norman, maker of the Islander and Trislander piston utility aircraft, will test fly experimental `scimitar' planform-shaped propellers this summer in an effort to reduce aircraft noise. Hartzell Propeller will provide the props, which are said to employ ``aerodynamic and acoustic design techniques'' developed for NASA's AGATE general aviation safety initiative.
Fractional ownership franchiser SkyShare International added eight franchisees this summer, raising the company's total to 10. Little Rock, Ark.-based SkyShare is geared to small companies and individuals that fly from one local airport, travel within a small radius of the airport and return the aircraft to its point of origin. Unlike other fractional operators, SkyShare does not offer guaranteed availability or include deadhead legs, but it does offer owners the option of providing their own flightcrews.
The VibraLite 3 Model VL300 Vibration Watch from Global Assistive Devices features a countdown timer that will count in seconds, minutes or hours. Available as a 24-hour or 12-hour clock, the VibraLite vibrates rather than sounding an alarm, which can be difficult to hear in many cockpits. This watch's ground-side applications include serving as a reminder for taking medication, timing presentations and procedures and as a wake-up device. Price: $49.95 Global Assistive Devices 4950 North Dixie Hwy. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33334
Aircraft component manufacturer The Nordam Group has purchased the Dee Howard Co.'s thrust reversers operations from Italy's Finmeccanica for an undisclosed sum. San Antonio-based Dee Howard produces thrust reversers for airframe manufacturers including Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Raytheon and IAI, as well as for AlliedSignal. Nordam also produces thrust reversers for several light business jets, as well as 737-200 hush kits and aircraft windshields, among other products.
Photograph: IAR's Twin Otter participates in a wide variety of airborne research projects. IAR Canada's National Research Council (NRC) is using a specially equipped de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter to study global warming in the remote Mackenzie River Basin, which covers around 20 percent of Canada's landmass. The project underlines the indispensable role that aircraft play in scientific research far from populated areas, while showcasing one of the world's most sophisticated airborne sensor packages.
The newly christened FACTS V, FACTS Training's latest model of its Aircrew Emergency Procedures simulator on-the-go, offers convenience and some savings to flight departments that want to run eight to 10 people through FACTS initial cabin safety training at one time.
CTT Systems' Zonal Drying System reduces unnecessary water weight in business jets by eliminating condensation of water between the aircraft's skin and the insulation blankets of the fuselage. By keeping this area dry, the system lessens corrosion and ``reduces the risk for failure of electrical systems.'' To dehumidify the aircraft, zonal dryers are installed under the floor between the inner and outer skins of the aircraft, where water collects. Price: $50,000 (Boeing Business Jet; other applications available) CTT Systems
The FAA has scrapped a much-derided proposal to issue the aviation equivalent of traffic tickets to pilots who commit minor violations in favor of a more liberal stance. Under its new ``streamlined administrative action'' process, accused violators will have 30 days to discuss their situation with an FAA inspector prior to any enforcement action. ``We all yelled long and loud, and the FAA heard us,'' says Phil Boyer, president of the AOPA. ``There won't be any `ramp cops' handing out tickets to pilots.''
AlliedSignal's new Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS II) has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) approvals from the FAA, clearing the way for full production of the TCAS II derivative. Essentially a software upgrade to the existing TCAS II hardware, ACAS II is designed to meet European regulatory requirements.
Two airline pilots have located the wreckage of a Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-4 missing since its March 1948 crash into Alaska's Mount Sanford. An engine data plate, a nearly-intact propeller and silverware bearing the Northwest Airlines logo of the period were discovered within a mile-long debris field at the 6,800-foot level. Northwest Boeing 747 captain Marc Millican and Kevin McGregor, a Delta Boeing 767 captain, had been searching for the remains of Flight 4422 -- a charter from Shanghai, China to New York La Guardia -- for a decade.
Airbus received Joint Aviation Authorities certification for its A319CJ corporate jetliner in mid-August. The type certificate is an amendment to the TC for the A319 airliner, and enables the aircraft to be fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks and cruise at FL 410, and includes a forward extension of the c.g. envelope. The first A319CJs are about to roll off the line in Hamburg, Germany and will be completed at Jet Aviation and Lufthansa Technik.
The FAA has issued an Airworthiness Directive affecting New Piper Malibus manufactured since January 1995. The AD requires installation of a wing-to-fuselage reinforcement kit to prevent structural failure that could cause separation of a wing from the fuselage and subsequent loss of control. This is a result of the possible use of substandard sheet steel, which may have been used in construction of the aircraft's wing attach fittings. The FAA estimates that compliance will take approximately 30 work hours, cost $1,800 per aircraft and that 185 Malibus are affected.
