Signature Flight Support parent BBA Aviation is bracing for continued volatility in the market for the remainder of the year, but BBA CEO Simon Pryce maintains that “medium term” indicators look much stronger. Business aircraft traffic was softer than expected — remaining relatively flat — keeping a damper on services overall. Even so, the company reported growth in revenue of 3% to $1.094 billion, thanks to an 11% increase in aftermarket services and higher fuel prices.
American Eurocopter announced that California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), with headquarters at McClellan, Calif., will purchase up to eight EC135 helicopters. CALSTAR operates nine full-time bases in northern and central California and is the largest nonprofit air ambulance provider on the west coast. With this order, it will replace older aircraft and become an all-Eurocopter operator.
Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) has begun Phenom pilot and maintenance technician training in Brazil at CAE's facility near Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo. Courses began the end of August. This is the third ECTS training location, including Dallas, Texas in the U.S., and Burgess Hill, in the U.K., and the fourth Level D Phenom full-flight simulator (FFS). The Phenom FFS in São Paulo is the first advanced technology flight simulator a business aircraft in Latin America.
Sennheiser has launched the S1 Passive, a high-performance GA headset that offers pilots both excellent passive noise attenuation and optimum wearing comfort. The full-size headset was developed for pilots who want noise attenuation but do not want to use an active headset. It is also equipped with Sennheiser's ActiveGard feature that protects the pilot's hearing against extreme volume peaks that can occur during radio communications. If a signal above 110 dB is received, ActiveGard compresses the sound and everything remains clearly intelligible at a healthy volume.
Lightspeed Aviation has launched its FlightLink app for Zulu.2. It's a free, downloadable app developed to work with newer Zulu.2 headsets. All communication through the intercom is recorded and available for instant playback and permanent archiving. Multiple recordings may be stored either in Apple devices or in an iTunes account. FlightLink allows for up to 2 min. of instant playback of ATC transmissions. The entire flight can be recorded and saved for future use. With FlightLink, pilots can toggle from other apps to access recordings and notes.
I read with great concern the accolades being used to describe former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (Intelligence, June 2012) in regard to his return to aviation consulting. I must take issue with the praise being given Babbitt in terms of his contribution to advancing aviation safety.
“The most important thing with international procedures for contingencies is an equal understanding between the pilot and the controller on the actions the former is required to take,” Chris Dalton, ICAO's chief of air traffic management and a former oceanic controller, told BCA. “The pilot must have an understanding of what the controller wants him to do, otherwise the controller can't maintain separation and keep the airspace safe.”
Pilatus Business Aircraft has named Landmark Aviation at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Municipal Airport an authorized service facility for the PC-12 business turboprop. Landmark's facility will serve as a satellite service center in the southwestern United States, under the Pilatus sales and service region managed by Colorado-based Tempus Aircraft Sales and Service.
Embraer Executive Jets milled the first part for its mid-light Legacy 450 executive jet last week, marking the beginning of fabrication for the new aircraft. A forward fuselage component was milled from a block of aluminum alloy by a five-axis, high-performance machining center. The fully-automated milling process drew data directly from a digital mockup of the 2,300-nm-range Legacy 450. Once completed, the part was approved by a quality control process that employs laser devices for design validation and conformity with the digital mockup.
Gulfstream Aerospace has delivered the 600th Gulfstream business jet equipped with the PlaneView cockpit, achieving the milestone nine years after the flight deck was first delivered. Gulfstream reached the 600th PlaneView mark with the delivery of the 362nd large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550 aircraft.
GE Aviation is launching two derivative engines of its recently certified H80: the H75 and H85 turboprop engines, the company announced July 23. The H75 will be rated at 750 shp for both takeoff and maximum continuous operation, and the H85 will be rated at 850 shp. Like the H80, the H75 and H85 engines will be manufactured at GE Aviation's facility in the Czech Republic and aimed at the agricultural, commuter, utility and business turboprop aircraft segments.
Cessna wants EASA to certify its Skycatcher light-sport aircraft. Tracy Leopold, business leader for the 162, says the aircraft currently is only permitted to operate in nine countries and EASA approval will provide expanded sales opportunities. Leopold stresses that the aircraft – which is not certified in the U.S., but meets ASTM standards for certification – will remain a light-sport aircraft in the U.S., even if it is certified in Europe.
NetJets already is beginning to see possible returns from its new fleets, says Patrick Gallagher, senior vice president and head of sales for the fractional ownership provider. After announcing orders in June for midsize cabins — including the Cessna Citation Latitude and Challenger 300 series — the number of inquires on the Web and calls tripled, he says, adding that “customers are excited to see us reinvest in our business.”
Modern aircraft cabins, equipped with sophisticated arrays of electronics designed to keep passengers comfortable, entertained and in touch, are wonders to behold. But keeping all of today's cabin components in harmony requires an integrated, easy-to-use control hub.
The Internal Revenue Service has permanently put in place deduction rules involving the use of business aircraft for entertainment purposes, providing little relief to industry on the scope or implementation. In 2004, Congress mandated that the IRS close the gap between what an employee counts as compensation from entertainment-related flights and what a company deducts for its corporate aircraft operations. The NBAA had urged the IRS to reconsider its approach on both the scope and reporting requirements.
What follows is a compilation of actual inflight emergencies experienced by business aviation flight crews in oceanic airspace. Note the follow-throughs, cockpit resource management, and adherence to ICAO contingency procedures these tales reflect.
Pan Am International Flight Academy now has an agreement with Carnegie Speech to aid in the company's Aviation English training. Carnegie's patented language learning technology will be used at the Academy's training centers in the U.S. and abroad to increase English proficiency within the aviation field. To help students meet and surpass the ICAO requirements (known as Operational Level 4), Pan Am integrates Carnegie Speech's “NativeAcccent” technology and “Climb Level 4 Aviation English” software with their programs.
As the EPA put off potential regulations on emissions from leaded aviation gasoline, the general aviation community has stepped up its efforts to look at alternatives – from new lines of diesel airplanes to replacement fuels and even lower octane fuels. But despite these efforts, the majority of industry leaders believe that leaded aviation gasoline will remain a fixture, at least in the U.S., for some time.
More diesel plans. Continental Motors Inc. (CMI), working with its Chinese parent AVIC International, is planning to invest in a line of diesel engines ranging from 160 hp to 350 hp or more. At the same time, CMI is pursuing the supplemental type certificate market, recently obtaining the first for a diesel option on the Cirrus S22. CMI President Rhett Ross stresses that the company plans to continue to support the aviation gasoline engine market and sees it remaining in the U.S. for some time.
Citing the potential impact on the relationship between MRO providers and their customers, as well as the proposal's scope, nine associations have asked the FAA for 90 more days to comment on the agency's proposed repair station rule changes. The original comment period's closing date was Aug. 20. The trade groups say members have noted major concerns with the new rule , which would radically revamp FAR Part 145.
Baker Aviation's new maintenance facility at Addison Airport (KADS) has been named a certified repair station by the FAA. Baker, the only certified repair station at KADS, is a full-service private aircraft charter, management and maintenance company licensed to provide professional aviation services in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
NATA is reaching into the airline industry for a successor to longtime President James Coyne, announcing July 24 that Thomas Hendricks will take the helm as of Sept. 1. Hendricks was senior vice president, safety security and operations of Airlines for America, responsible for technical and operational functions, as well as advocacy and policy positions on flight operations, safety, engineering, air traffic management and security.
To encourage flight crews to think about actions they would take in the event of a contingency, international procedures expert Dave Stohr, president of Air Training International, provided a sample list of items that would need attention if it were necessary to depart an organized track or a random route. Other items could be added.
Beginning a design exercise on a clean sheet of paper has been a rare event in general aviation. The philosophy has always been you can tinker with it but, since it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Witness the progression of the 1945 Beech Bonanza into the 2012 Baron, the 1945 Cessna 140 into the 2012 Stationair, the King KX 160 navcom to the KX 175, the RCA Primus 40 radar into the 21st century Primus 880. Even Garmin, with its image of being the great innovator, got into airborne weather radar by upgrading an ancient design (and very successfully, it should be noted).
