Littleton, Colo.-based Jettech obtained FAA supplemental type certification (STC) for installation of Garmin's touchscreen GTN 650/750 GPS/NAV/COM on Cessna Citation 500 series aircraft. The STC covers Models 500, 501, 550, 551, S550 and 560 business jets and includes the installation of Garmin GTX 33's transponders, remote GMA35 audio panels, and GA35/37 antennas. In addition, the company says the STC facilitates WAAS approvals.
Once a conch-wannabe living in Coconut Grove, I recently returned to the Sunshine State at the invitation of Embraer Executive Jets, which was showing off its new $52 million digs at Melbourne Airport. The Phenom maker has reason to strut; the sparkling campus is brand new, carefully considered, nicely executed and, well, a phenom.
“Honeywell's inertial reference systems navigate only in true but display magnetic headings to pilots,” Jerry Norton reminded readers. “However, at 72.5 deg. N, they are programmed to switch to true course.” A retired avmanager at Honeywell, Norton logged considerable time piloting a Gulfstream in avionics trials in the high latitudes. Above 80 deg. N, “just like going across the Pacific,” he observed, “there are not a lot of alternates, just Barrow, Deadhorse, and Spitsbergen Island.” Norton continues to fly as a free-lance contract pilot.
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman concedes the agency was surprised by a Safety Board study that did not find a measurable improvement in the safety records of general aviation aircraft with glass cockpits. 'We didn't see that safety gain that we thought we would,” she says, adding one of the challenges is the familiarity with the technology. The findings underscored the need for pilots with glass cockpits to be fully trained on the technology. But she does not rule out future safety gains.
Aug. 7 — About 0845 CST, a Bell 214ST (N409SB) experienced a loss of tail rotor authority near Avalon, Texas. The pilots were not injured during the precautionary landing; however, the helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was owned and operated by Bell Helicopter Textron of Fort Worth. VFR conditions prevailed for the local flight operating without a flight plan. An initial report from the commercial pilot to the responding FAA inspector stated that they had departed Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY) on a test and evaluation flight.
Piper Aircraft continued to increase aircraft deliveries and grow revenues during the first half of 2012. During the second quarter of 2012, ended June 30, Piper delivered 39 new aircraft contributing $37,423,010 in revenue. That was up 18% from 33 aircraft in the same period in 2011, with revenue up more than 20% from $31,141,182. For the first half of this year, Piper delivered 76 airplanes, up 28% from 59 during the same period in 2011 while generating $69,001,213 in revenue, up more than 20% from $57,300,885 during the same period in 2011.
Mobiata's FlightTrack Free, a completely redesigned and free version of its best-selling travel app, is now available for iOS and Android devices. Features include a completely redesigned interface that integrates the flight details and flight map; real-time departure and arrival information, delays, gate numbers and baggage claim information; zoomable maps with satellite imagery; coverage of more than 16,000 airports worldwide; and full international coverage.
At the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Cessna announced that it has increased the range expectation of its new midsize Citation Latitude from 2,300 nm to 2,500 nm. In 2011, the Latitude was originally announced with an expected range of 2,000 nm, but Cessna engineers responding to customer input pushed the range figure to, first 2,300 nm, and most recently to 2,500 nm. “As we talked with more customers, getting to 2,500 nautical miles was imperative,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, International Sales, South America.
Richard Santulli's Milestone Aviation Group has placed several major orders from three helicopter manufacturers. Most recently, Dublin-based Milestone increased its orders for Sikorsky S-92s from three to a total of 22. At this year's Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo, the company announced an order for 16 Eurocopter EC225 aircraft valued at $480 million to be delivered over five years. This is in addition to five new Eurocopter EC130B4 helicopters for its airmedical business, the first of which is planned for delivery in the second half of 2012.
Weather Services International (WSI) has updated its 2012 tropical forecast to 13 named storms, six hurricanes and three intense hurricanes (Category 3 or greater). These numbers are slightly higher than the previous forecast of 12/six/three, and are quite close to the adjusted long-term (1950-2011) averages of 12 named storms, seven hurricanes and three intense hurricanes and averages from the more active recent period (1995-2011) of 15/eight/four.
Anticipating STC approval, Hawker Beechcraft factory-owned service centers are scheduling Blackhawk engine upgrades for King Air 200s equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics. The installation will replace the original Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 or -42 engines with factory-new PT6A-52 engines. Blackhawk Modifications expects certification of the engine upgrade on Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft in the fourth quarter of this year. Pro Line 21-equipped King Air 200s require a separate STC to modify the engine instrument displays.
The current data analyzed by Robert E. Breiling Associates shows that for the U.S. jet and turboprop business fleet the number of accidents have gone down — a big improvement — but the number of fatalities has gone up for the first six months of 2012 versus the same period in 2011. Combined accidents decreased by 12, from 38 to 26. Fatal accidents were up by one and fatalities were up from 15 to 23.
The pressurized de Havilland DH 125 was rolled out in a record 16 months after initial design. The company expects the six-passenger jet will clear a 35-ft. obstacle from a 3,000-ft. runway at 19,000 lb. max takeoff. Despite the executive jet design, DH 125 is being pushed hard as a military trainer, liaison and radar trainer, with the RAF weighing the purchase of 30 units. Standard version would be about $420,000.
The “bible” for operations over the high seas is ICAO Document 4444, Section 15, which delineates general oceanic contingency procedures. An accompanying reference is ICAO Document 7030, which covers supplementary (unique) procedures applying to the eight ICAO regions. These two can be purchased through ICAO's main website in paper or online subscriptions at www.icao.int/publications/catalog. (They are not presented gratis on the ICAO website as FARs are on the FAA website and must be purchased. However, the full set is included in a Jeppesen JeppView subscription.)
Give thanks to HICAT — that's the “High Altitude Clear Air Turbulence” program — for much of our knowledge about the jarring phenomenon. Between 1964 and 1968, a U.S. Air Force U-2 conducted 285 flights, covering more than 800,000 km over the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Panama, eastern Canada, England and France to gather information.
Asia Pacific Jets has ordered 10 Nextant 400XT business jets to be delivered over three years, with the first two delivered by the end of this year. Singapore-based Asia Pacific provides medical evacuation and corporate charter services. The company will also become Nextant's sales agent in Asia and has partnered with Hong Kong-based AirMed Asia, a subsidiary of medical transportation specialist AirMed International, to establish a new operating base for that company in Singapore.
ward Opportunities Each year, the NBAA's Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee promotes education and career development through scholarships and training awards supported by the generosity of industry donors. To date, the committee has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships along with countless training awards. Applications for the 2013 scholarships and awards are available now on www.nbaa.org.
In “Shoptalk with Wendi,” (Schedulers & Dispatchers, July 2012) the correct spelling of the author's surname is: Gavigan. (Apologies, Wendi and any Gavigan relatives.) In the Lima, Peru, “Destination Cities” report in the August 2012 issue, BCA incorrectly stated that the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California, were administered as a single governmental entity. Actually, they are independently governed.
Robert Clare, Director of Sales for Universal Avionics, announced that Universal will open a new European satellite sales office in London, U.K. to support the region's growing avionics sales activity there. The office is slated to open in September. The London office joins Universal's other European office in Basel, Switzerland, which opened in 2004. The Basel office currently oversees all sales in Europe.
In October 2010, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) encountered an unwelcome surprise. As he tells the story, he was flying passengers in his Cessna 340A into Cameron County Airport (PIL) near Brownsville at the southern tip of Texas — an airport he knows well, having set down there at least 200 times over the years as a builder and owner of property on South Padre Island. As so many times before Inhofe recalls Valley Approach Control once again clearing him for a visual approach and landing on Runway 13, the facility's primary strip.
Anti-Authority “No one tells me what to do!” Impulsiveness “I (we) need to do something about this now!” Invulnerability “It can't happen to me!” Macho “Watch this!” Resignation “We're doomed!” Pressing “I've got somewhere I need to be!” Ego/Vanity “I'd rather die than look bad!”
The business and general aviation market is gaining ground in 2012, with industry billings improving by double digits and business jet and turboprop deliveries both increasing, according to GAMA. Billings for the first half of 2012 reached $8.202 billion, a 13.2% increase from the $7.246 billion in the first six months of 2011. The jump in billings corresponds to a 13.1% increase in business jet shipments in the first half. Manufacturers delivered 294 business jets in the first half, compared with 260 in the same period in 2011.
Safari Air Link of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has added a Cessna Citation Mustang 510, the first in Tanzania, to its fleet. Safari Air Fleet Director Peter Fox says the Mustang will provide more air transport services to the business sector, tourism and emergency health care in Tanzania. Safari currently operates two Cessna C206s, a C210, a C208 Caravan and a C206B Grand Caravan.
