The growth of democracy in Romania has seen a surge in business aircraft operations, according to Romanian Airport Services (RAS), an FBO at Bucharest's Baneasa Airport. Corporate flights in and out of Baneasa have increased from just 65 in 1995 to 453 last year, thanks to tax incentives for foreign investors, a lack of slots at Bucharest's other airport -- Utopeni -- and cheap fuel. RAS charges $0.77 for each gallon of Jet-A. Despite the growth, RAS President Dorin Ivascu fears the war in Kosovo will force a decrease in business aircraft use.
As any business traveler can tell you, block time is the real measure of any trip's length. One of the advantages general aviation aircraft have always had is the ability to use smaller airports that usually are closer to travelers' final destinations. Since the advent of the hub-and-spoke airline system, the block-time advantage of GA aircraft has actually increased. But virtually all airplane passengers -- whether traveling by business or commercial aircraft -- must still drive to and from the airport.
Jamming of the flap jackscrews on some Dassault Falcon 2000s has led the FAA to call for inspection and possible replacement of the affected parts. The proposed airworthiness directive affects 159 U.S.-registered aircraft, and includes Falcon 900 and 900EX aircraft that employ the same inboard flap jackscrew assembly. France's regulatory authority -- DGAC -- triggered the FAA's action, after several operators reported asymmetric flap deployments while their aircraft were in the approach-to-landing phase of flight.
Mercury Air Group will supply fuel at a discount to pilots performing flights on behalf of Angel Flight, a tax-exempt, non-profit group that transports critically ill patients to medical care. The Los Angeles-based FBO chain joins ``hundreds'' of other fuel providers that offer the discounts, according to an Angel Flight official. The group relies on private aircraft owners and pilots, who are responsible for all mission costs. Since no pay is received, the flights are considered non-commercial.
Egad. Accounting ``weaknesses'' among the FAA's bean counters are responsible for the inspector general's sniffers being unable to substantiate nearly $21 billion in property, plant and equipment values. Good grief, Charlie Brown, can you imagine the rhubarb such a disclosure would create in the ``private sector.'' The private sector is where people like those in General Motors are to be found. Wow, $21 billion. There are so many discrepancies and examples of fiscal mismanagement in the FAA's bookkeeping that it boggles the mind.
The listing for Raytheon's Premier I in the ``Business Airplane'' section of the Purchase Planning Handbook (May, page 80) contained the incorrect certification basis. It should have read FAR 23 A 52 pending.
There's no substitute for advance planning and experience, especially when it comes to flight planning in Europe. The best means of minimizing delays is to file flight plans with Eurocontrol as early as possible. In general, the system works on a first-come, first-served basis, so filing early can minimize delays.
In Grand Junction, Colo., Timberline Aviation was named an authorized FAA repair station for all 500-series Cessnas, and also offers maintenance and avionics for the Citation I, II, V and Ultra.
Wiggins Airways is now providing aviation services at its new 97,000-square-foot, $6 million facility at Manchester, N.H., Airport. Having acquired Stead Aviation in 1997, Wiggins now includes a complex of three hangars, a new 4.5-acre ramp, tenant facilities and aircraft maintenance. A $2 million fuel farm will be completed before year-end.
Jim Hall, the NTSB's chairman, has been waging a determined campaign for years to get better FDRs and CVRs into all executive turbines and air carrier aircraft. His efforts are largely responsible for the development of the Future Flight Data Committee discussed in the feature.
Three new members were elected to three-year terms on the organization's board: Robert T. Francis, II, vice chairman of the NTSB; Renee Martin-Nagle, counsel for Airbus Industrie of North America; and Debra McFarland, vice president, administration and meeting management for the Aircraft Electronics Association. Jennifer Saddler Thomas was named manager of communications.
An aircraft must be fully stabilized at all times inside the FAF, and the flightcrew should be fully stabilized (oriented and coordinated) too. Any debate? There shouldn't be. That concept is one of the few universally accepted maxims of flight. As recently as May, the Flight Safety Foundation's Approach-and-Landing Accident Reduction Task Force reminded flightcrews to put this concept into practice and, specifically, to: -- Be fully aware of situations demanding a timely go-around;
City officials in Mesquite, Nev., have proposed a new ``regional jetport'' 10 miles southwest of the town, to encourage growth and serve as an alternate for Las Vegas. Around 22 sites were explored for the project, but a site on Mormon Mesa near I-15 is said to be the preferred location. The same area also was proposed for ``Project Noah's Ark,'' a theme park featuring endangered animal species, but the two factions have agreed to combine the ventures. ``Mesquite is an exciting place to be right now,'' says Dr.
Boeing says a nine-aircraft flight test program has revealed no ``safety of flight'' issues connected to the year 2000 computer problem. Avionics and other systems tested included flight management computers made by Honeywell, Smiths Industries and other suppliers. An earlier study ``showed that only three equipment items were sensitive to the year 2000 date on some Boeing airplanes, but none affected safety of flight or operation of the aircraft,'' Boeing says.
Edited By Paul RichfieldPaul Richfield, in Teterboro
An aviation industry downturn is coming in the next 12-18 months, but fear is not justified, according to a panel of experts that convened in May at Dassault Falcon Jet in New Jersey. Even with the predicted dip in sales, market levels are expected to remain substantially higher than during the 1983-1996 period. In 1997-1998, Dassault sold 173 business aircraft. ``What we're seeing now is a `market bubble,' or `overstimulation' driven by new models and technology,'' says Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the Teal
Edited By Paul RichfieldLinda Martin and Paul Richfield
The search for an environmentally friendly Halon substitute continues, nearly 12 years after production of the popular fire suppression agent was banned. An industry/government team known as the International Halon Replacement Working Group (IHRWG) is reviewing performance standards and testing methods, but proposed Halon substitutes have failed to meet desired standards.
Manufacturing ``discrepancies'' have led the FAA to call for life limits on the high-pressure compressor spools and disks on certain General Electric CF34 engines. The proposal covers some 600 CF34-1A, -3A and -3A2 turbofans that power Canadair Challenger CL600-2A12, -2B16 and -2B19 aircraft, and could cost operators as much as $4 million, collectively. The FAA said the parts anomalies could lead to higher stress levels and ``lower low-cycle fatigue lives,'' conditions that could result in an engine failure. To date, these problems have triggered no CF34 failures.
Arnie Lewis must have written scores of obits in his career, especially in the beginning, 34 years ago at the Wichita Eagle. After all, writing obits is the front half of the deal when you start out as a newspaperman. If you do a reasonable job with the obits, you get to move on to the night-side rewrite, then to the police beat, and then, if you are both good and lucky, you get to go wherever your interests take you. (Arnie was both good and lucky and made all those stops.)
