The FAA has certified the Learjet 75, clearing the way for deliveries to formally begin. The approval, which came Nov. 14, had been slowed by delays in certification of the Garmin 5000 avionics panel and more recently by the government shutdown. The first customers of the new Learjets are banker and real estate mogul Louis Beck and London Air Services, a charter operator. Fractional operator FlexJet is also expected to begin taking delivery soon.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has elected Boeing Business Jets President Steve Taylor as its 2014 chairman. In addition, Hartzell Propeller President Joe Brown becomes vice chairman and will continue serving as chairman of the Policy and Legal Issues Committee. The board also elected Aviall President and CEO Ed Dolanski to chair the Environment Committee, John Uczekaj to chair the Flight Operations Committee and Piper Aircraft President and CEO Simon Caldicott to head the Safety and Accident Investigation Committee.
Two-year-old CAEA Aviation of Beijing, exclusive distributor for mainland China, has signed a contract for up to 10 extended-range Piaggio P180 Avanti II turboprops. The first two aircraft will be delivered in 2014. The eight options are destined for SR Jet, a subsidiary of Beijing-based Sparkle Roll Investment Holdings LTD. Piaggio is fitting the aircraft with a removable 400-lb.-capacity auxiliary fuel tank that mounts on one side of the lavatory. The extra fuel extends four-passenger range by 210 nm.
Strong growth and renewed confidence in the market for Beechcraft aircraft will allow the Wichita planemaker to bump up its prices in 2014. Boosted by rising orders in several key sectors — and the added lift from its recent $1.4 billion order from Wheels Up — Beechcraft says that a pricing increase is now not a matter of if, but when. “We have exceeded market forecasts, and even our own plans, on deliveries so far this year and we are headed into the fourth quarter with an excellent tailwind,” says Shawn Vick, Beechcraft's executive vice president, sales and marketing.
FlightSafety International, La Guardia Airport, N.Y., announced that Ron Ladnier was promoted to vice president of Flight Safety Services Corp., a division of FSI that provides military training, advanced technology devices and support.
As winter approaches, flight crews are gearing up for the heart of the icing season. Virtually all of them are aware of the potentially lethal consequences of attempting to take off with airframe ice contamination. But some pilots think that minor ice contamination has little, if any, effect on aircraft performance.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), Alexandria, Va., has selected Greg Kinsella, president and CEO of Key Air, to the ACSF Board of Governors. American Eurocopter, Grand Prairie, Texas, named Samuel Adcock to the post of vice president-general manager of the company's helicopter production plant in Columbus, Miss.
As the U.S. government's new fiscal year kicked off in October, Washington remained at budget war, and once again, the business aviation community became ensnared as a pawn in a much larger political debate. The acrimony over the budget resulted in the Oct. 1 shutdown of the federal government. That's now happened 18 times since the late 1970s. However, new this year was how the manner of the shutdown which affected a much greater portion of federal employees.
If possible: (1) Put the aircraft in a heated hangar. If left outside: (2) Park facing the wind and clamp on the covers. (3) Put liquids, gels, sauces, etc. in a warm place. (4) Drain potable and gray water systems (don't forget the self-filling coffee pot). Once operating: (5) Apply brakes several times while taxiing out. (6) Refer to braking action reports. (7) Use deice/anti-ice fluids, as appropriate.
First Aviation Services Inc., announced further investments into its wholly owned subsidiary Piedmont Propulsion Systems, LLC, making a multi-million dollar investment in an expanded pool of spare propellers for exchange or lease, as well as additional overhaul capabilities. Included are Dowty Model R408 assemblies to support the Bombardier Q400 and Hamilton Sundstrand Model 14SF to support Dash 8 and ATR aircraft.
FreeFlight Systems has developed an ADS-B Out upgrade for Garmin's GTX 330 Mode S transponder. FreeFlight, which signed a technology licensing agreement with Garmin, is interfacing its Model 1201 WAAS/GPS sensor with the GTX 330 to provide an additional 1090 MHz Extended Squitter (1090ES) ADS-B Out upgrade. The system, tested during the FAA's ADS-B Capstone Program, meets ADS-B and RNP accuracy, integrity and availability requirements worldwide.
Version 3.0 of AIRNC Direct's iPad app is now available. It includes an ARINC Direct website component that allows pilots to schedule documents for upload, and a component that give users access to all of their files on iPads and on the web. Documents can be assigned to a specific leg, aircraft or user, and can also be copied from one location to another. The app is available in the Apple App Store. ARINC Direct www.arinc.com
I've never taken the time to write back on an article before, but having read “Checking the Descent” (Viewpoint, August 2013) I wanted to share an in-the-trenches view from someone who is trying to start a flight school and get more people into aviation on a day-to-day basis. In my opinion, the biggest issues (behind the declining pilot population) are not what you mention. They're symptoms and not the cause. There is only one reason: Cost. General aviation has become too expensive.
Bombardier is moving closer to the long awaited first flight of its all-new Learjet 85. The manufacturer recently rolled out the first Model 85 in a private celebration with employees in Wichita, and then invited the press to view it just prior to the NBAA Convention in October. Bombardier, Inc., CEO Pierre Beaudoin says the aircraft is on track to fly before year-end. This, the first FAR Part 25 all-composite business jet, is manufactured in a new dedicated facility in Queretaro, Mexico, and assembled in Wichita, but has suffered a number of program delays.
These included: Ensure that unstabilized approach and go-around policies are clear, concise and unambiguous, including follow-up procedures for non-compliance. Emphasize the importance of good monitoring by both pilots since that can affect the safe execution of a go-around. Operations manuals must contain a strongly worded policy statement that no punitive action will follow a go-around.
Airborne is re-entering the fixed-base operation business with a facility at Stewart International Airport in New York. Airborne created a new subsidiary, Airborne Aviation Services, to run the FBO. Jeff Madtes, who serves as president of Airborne's charter and management subsidiary, FirstFlight, will also serve as president of the FBO. The FBO initially will be housed in facilities at the intersection of Runway 9/27 and 16/34, with the company planning future development of a hangar.
Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) is offering a video series targeted at aircraft appraisers and the aircraft finance market that provides an in-depth look at critical maintenance issues for engines and airframes, and how they directly relate to the valuation of business jet aircraft. It's divided into five one-hour modules and is available at www.jetsupport.com.
Years ago as an Associated Press reporter covering the Florida legislature, I witnessed debate over a bill involving television. While I've forgotten the details, I do recall it centered on the future availability of hundreds of channels. At the time, the maximum available was 13. Seriously. I was astounded by the scale. After all, what kind of programming could possibly fill all those channels?
Flush with new funding, Mooney Aircraft is stepping out of its years-long malaise and reports it will return its swift piston singles — specifically, the Acclaim Type S, Ovation 2GX and Ovation 3 series — to production by January, 2014. It's a new day for Mooney. And with a new investment group that is committed to the future, we're expecting to make a strong move in the industry,” noted Barry Hodkin, CFO for the company.
There never seems to be enough time or resources to complete every necessary task. Yet invariably through teamwork, perseverance, and plain old hard work, the airplane is made ready on time and the customer has no idea of the effort involved. Customers only start asking pointed questions when maintenance glitches cause a flight to be delayed or scrubbed or inconvenience them in some other way. Their overall perception of safety is closely tied to the aircraft's reliability and the easy confidence of the professionals attendant to it.
Business aviation in North Africa is growing at a rate nearly double the global average, but activity is down this year, according to the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA). MEBAA points to WingX data that shows the number of registered business aircraft is increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3%, compared with the global average of 3.7%.
This is Learjet's golden anniversary, and Clay Lacy, a longtime friend of William P. “Bill” Lear and one of the aircraft's original distributors, bore witness from the start. The first Learjet 23 flew on Oct. 7, 1963. In July the following year, it became the first general aviation aircraft to be certified to the then new FAR Part 23 standards. Powered by two 2,850 lb.-thrust GE CJ610 turbojets and sporting go-fast lines, it was an instant phenomenon. But once certification was won, Lear had more hurdles to overcome.
How easily we forget. “Night VFR in the Mountains” was an excellent report on a CFIT accident by Richard Aarons (Cause & Circumstance, October 2013). B&CA published an article on how a common old, low-tech radar can be used to prevent that type of tragedy, way back in March, 1996. The procedure has been picked up by a few operators around the world, but obviously too few. You would perform a major safety service by repeating advice from the mythical “Capt. Lightning” several times each year.
