The Avfuel network of participating FBOs has kicked off its ``1,000,000 AVTRIP Point Sweepstakes.'' Until September 1, 1998, each purchase of fuel counts as an entry in the sweepstakes, the grand prize for which will be drawn at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas in 1998. (313) 663-6466.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer officially launched its 37-seat EMB-135 regional jet in mid September in a move that surprised no one. The launch customer, also to no one's surprise, is expected to be Continental Express (COEx). COEx also was the launch customer for the EMB-145 50-seater a year ago, placing an order for 25 firm and 175 options at the Farnborough Air Show in England.
You didn't get the wrong number if you dialed Air BP Atlanta and heard Airway Aviation Services answer the call. The company has decided two names are better than one. The DeKalb-Peachtree Airport FBO says the new name is in ad-dition to the old one. (770) 452-0010.
Executive Wings of Lakeland, Fla. recently received FAA approval to overhaul AlliedSignal TPE331 engines, series -1 through -11. The new service will supplement the company's previously approved -10 upgrade program for TPE331-8s. A description of the company's services is located on the Web at www.execwings.com.
Model 70 is one of the designations Bombardier is considering for a new twin-engine ``medium-large'' business jet. The aircraft reportedly will have a cabin cross-section larger than the IAI Galaxy or Hawker Horizon, but smaller than a G-IVSP or Falcon 2000. Headroom may exceed 6.2 feet. The Model 70 will be able to fly six to eight passengers from Paris to New York at 0.80-plus Mach. It's likely that the powerplants will be Allison, CFE or Pratt&Whitney. Look for an official introduction in mid to late 1998.
At press time, Bell Boeing said it had total commitments for 41 Model 609 tiltrotor aircraft from 29 operators. The aircraft development program remains on schedule for a first flight in mid 1999.
AvBase LLC recently launched a charter and aircraft management firm from Flight Center's FBO at Seattle's Boeing Field. The new company is a partnership firm owned by Seattle businessman and pilot Craig O. McCaw and charter firm Aviation Methods, Inc.
Edited By GORDON A. GILBERTPerry Bradley/Gordon A. Gilbert
A menu-driven, hourly cost, engine maintenance program is being introduced by Dallas Airmotive in partnership with Jet Support Services Inc. The program, which has been planned since late 1996 (January, page 18), is designed to allow custom tailoring for each client, and covers all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, including hot sections, overhauls, service bulletins, ADs, removals and installations, LRU/accessory maintenance, loaners and labor costs. The program also provides troubleshooting and on-site field support.
Jet City Entertainment of Seattle offers inflight movies to private aircraft operators without the need to purchase the films. The company provides first-run Hollywood studio releases in VHS/DVD format on a monthly lease program.
E.U.A. Air Support of Dallas is building an additional aircraft service hangar. Upon completion in early 1998, the company will expand its aircraft maintenance, inspection and repair services to include Dassault Falcons and Canadair Challengers.
Galaxy Aerospace's worldwide headquarters at Fort Worth's Alliance Airport, which broke ground during the NBAA convention on September 23, is slated for completion in fall 1998. The complex will include marketing and customer support offices for all Israel Aircraft Industries business jets, a facility for completing and painting IAI Astra SPX and Galaxy business jets, the company's first factory service center and a parts distribution outlet.
Mercury Air Centers has started offering free access to the Internet on its Gateway 2000 G5-200 computer systems located at each of the company's 13 FBOs (14 when Mercury opens at Charleston International Airport in spring 1998).
Visitors to this site can subscribe to WorldWatch, ``continuously updated'' security information for over 150 countries. In addition, WorldWatch offers general information on each country, such as cultural and political profiles, medical services, significant dates and law enforcement capabilities, as well as general travel tips.
Several new products from AlliedSignal are scheduled to be available by mid 1998: a smaller, lighter series of CVRs and FDRs; an AP for single-pilot IFR Bell 430s; a -10 upgrade for TPE331-5s and -6s; GPS receivers meeting European B-RNAV requirements; and an enhanced GPWS for aircraft with analog systems. The firm also has developed a 75-pound APU for the Learjet 45, the Citation Excel and other light aircraft.
By Fred George Special-use Category I Local Area Differential GPS paves the way for public-use Local Area Augmentation System GPS precision approaches.
Local Area Differential GPS development reached a milestone on August 7, when Honeywell and Pelorus received FAA Type Certification of their SLS-2000 satellite landing system equipment. This marked the first time that a precision GPS landing system (GLS) was certificated for civil use. The FAA is expected to grant operational approval by year-end, thereby allowing Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines pilots to use the system to fly precision GLS approaches at Minneapolis.
Of the 14 accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets during the first six months of 1997, one was fatal and involved a privately owned and operated IAI 1121, according to Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. Non-U.S. operators of business jets were involved in five accidents, all of which were fatal, resulting in 18 deaths. Breiling reports 21 U.S.-registered turboprop accidents in the first half of the year, including five fatals and 11 fatalities. Non-U.S. turboprops experienced nine accidents, with only one fatality.
Collins soon will offer five-inch ATI flat-panel LCDs for Gulfstream IIs and IIIs. The screens, featuring a 4.2-by-4.2-inch viewing area, will be available in early 1998. A four-screen retrofit will cost about $250,000. Adding a fifth screen as a multi-function display provides TCAS display capability, real-time video, enhanced GPWS, datalink text and ground weather, if the display is linked to other equipment aboard the aircraft. The fifth display boosts the cost by about $75,000 to $85,000.
Dassault Falcon Jet is conducting a design study aimed at bringing out a corporate SST sometime after 2007. The company envisions that the Falcon SST would have a Falcon 50EX cabin size, weigh less than 60,000 pounds, be powered by three non-afterburning turbofans and cruise about 2.0 Mach.
Fairchild Dornier claims a 55-percent boost in range with 10 passengers and a 25-knot increase in maximum cruise speed over the original specs for the firm's 328JET, which is scheduled to make its first flight in early 1998. Extra fuel tanks boost range to 2,000 nm with a 2,000-pound payload. When configured for corporate service, the 328JET can accommodate up to 19 passengers. The aircraft will be powered by two Pratt&Whitney Canada PW306B turbofans, flat-rated at 6,050 pounds of thrust for takeoff up to ISA+20C.
Flight Dynamics of Portland, Ore. received a contract to assist NASA in the development of a head-up system for GPS-based rollout, runway turn-off and taxi guidance
AlliedSignal has extended Duncan Aviation's authorized engine work to cover line services for the TFE731 series fanjets that power the Dassault Falcon 900EX, the Falcon 50EX, the Astra SPX and the Learjet 45. Separately, Duncan recently developed three Audio International entertainment systems installations for midsize business jets.
The fiscal 1998 transportation appropriations bill, recently approved by the U.S. Congress, provides $9.08 billion for FAA operations and facilities, and requires the FAA to ensure it is processing requests for pilot records within 30 days. The bill no longer contains a provision allowing the closing of Richards-Gebaur Airport in Kansas City, Mo. and Bader Field in Atlantic City, N.J. The bill also prohibits implementing the Ha-Laska Free Flight demonstration in fiscal 1998 (May, page 20), but the Wide Area Augmentation System was fully funded.
Teledyne Controls has signed an agreement with Dassault Electronique under which the Los Angeles firm will assist in the marketing and customer support of a Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS). Dassault Electronique, which is developing the product, says GCAS is an improvement over conventional GPWS because its look-ahead capability tells pilots how much time they have to avoid an obstacle, not just the time to impact. GCAS is scheduled to be available in 1998 (July, page 16)
