I started to read “Commencement Exercise” (Viewpoint, June 2012, page 9) but stopped when it appeared you were going to divulge something that happened to Louis Zamperini that I hadn't gotten to yet in the book (and you're right, it is superb). I'm up to the 24th day at sea and after fending off shark attacks and machine gun attacks from a Japanese bomber, they are down to one raft and have just patched most of its holes. I'll get back to your commentary once I get past Zamperini as an “angry drunk” in the book.
It seems that every few months or so, the scientific or medical community discovers that a particular chemical, compound or food item that was once considered perfectly healthy actually poses a threat to our health and thus should be avoided. In aviation maintenance, we technicians have more than our share of exposure to dangerous substances and need to be cautious and take preventive measures to prevent long-term health problems.
Landmark Aviation's charter department added a Gulfstream IV, a Hawker 400XP and a Falcon 7X to its managed fleet. The Gulfstream IV is based in Conroe, Texas (CXO) and can seat up to 14 passengers. The eight-passenger Hawker 400XP is based in Frederick, Md. (FDK). The DuPage, Ill. (DPA) based Falcon 7X also seats 14 and is one of only five available for charter in the U.S.
The FCC is planning to issue a notice “shortly” that explores potential options for strengthening regulations and/or standards surrounding the use of emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) on general aviation aircraft, an FCC official told the NTSB on July 17 at a forum on general aviation search and rescue that members hope will highlight the agency's decades-long concerns about the adequacy of current search and rescue policies. The NTSB chiefly is concerned about the lack of a mandate for general aviation aircraft to install updated ELTs.
Even though I understand your reasoning on the trees (Viewpoint, July 2012), which are making Runway 11/29 at HPN less than optimal, I must disagree on this one. Why? Well, it has to do with our freedoms as Americans, and our right to do what we wish with our own property.
Robert Baugniet (Commodore (ret.), Royal Canadian Navy )
If “Commencement Exercise” (June, page 7) provokes any negative reactions, it is obviously your fault. Any glowing tributes should be referred to my parents, in memoriam. Commodore (ret.), Royal Canadian Navy Savannah, Ga.
Textron reported second-quarter revenue of $3 billion and manufacturing profit of $288 million, increases of 10.7% and $59 million, respectively, over the same period in 2011, buoyed by increased sales of Cessna Citation business jets and Bell commercial helicopters.
Aero Charter, St. Louis, Mo., hired Dustin Stephenson as a charter pilot. He has been a pilot for over eight years and worked as a professional pilot for six. He has experience operating 47 aircraft types.
The FAA and EASA have approved the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter for operating in Sea State 6 (SS6) conditions, completing the S-92A emergency flotation system sea state expansion. Certification by Transport Canada is expected soon. The S-92 helicopter optional emergency flotation system consists of three primary floats, certified for ditching in conditions up to and including Sea State 5. An additional optional five-float configuration is now certified for ditching in conditions up to and including Sea State 6.
I had no idea. We knew you to be a mild mannered, gifted writer and possibly a tenacious editor. But imagining you with a chain saw in your mitts (Viewpoint, July 2012) really summons up an amusing picture. Despite my Dad making a decent enough living as a “tree man” to put me into college, I agree that the direction the airport is going seems mad. Why aren't there any arbitrators that can broker an agreement?
Hawker Beechcraft's proposed sale to a Chinese firm was not a complete surprise. But the fact that the smaller Superior Aviation Beijing emerged as the possible bidder instead of the larger AVIC or CAIGA leaves some industry experts wondering whether the deal will close at the $1.79 billion asking price. In announcing the sale (see above), Hawker Beechcraft Inc.
Honeywell aims to be the first avionics manufacturer to offer an advanced technology head-down display system that will enable operators to fly instrument approaches down to lower weather minimums than what's permitted with conventional primary flight instruments.
A new chapter has been added to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. “Runway Incursion Avoidance,” in Appendix 1, provides information on which pilots will be tested and checked in the Private Pilot and Commercial Pilot Practical Test Standards, effective June 1, and also in the soon to be released CFI and ATP PTSes, which include a required Runway Incursion Avoidance task to be incorporated in pilot training and testing.
Transport Canada has granted a type certificate to Embraer for its Phenom 300 light jet. The Phenom 300, which was certified by U.S. and Brazilian aviation authorities in 2009, is now certificated in more than 40 countries. The move comes as the company adds a new seating configuration — with a two-place divan. Canada certificated Embraer's entry-level Phenom 100 in 2010. The Phenom 300 accommodates up to 11 occupants.
The FAA is mandating an offshore noise-abating route for helicopter traffic near Long Island, N.Y. — with exceptions for safety and weather — in an action that opponents contend will unjustifiably expand the agency's authority to become involved in aircraft noise disputes. Various groups representing helicopter and general aviation operators argue that, historically, the FAA addresses noise abatement issues that are initiated by an airport sponsor as it applies to takeoffs and landings, not the en route operation of aircraft.
It was the call we all dread. The car was overheating, and now there was oil on the garage floor. On the phone, the mechanic was saying terrible things: failed head gasket, engine bolts stripped, block compromised, and so on. His repair estimate exceeded the car's book value. My roadster was toast, never to roar again.
In the second quarter of 2012, Embraer delivered 35 jets to the commercial aviation market and 20 to executive aviation. Total deliveries for the first six months of the year are 56 commercial and 33 executive jets, 13 more than for the same period last year.
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are renewing a proposal to extend corporate aircraft depreciation schedules to seven years as a means to help offset the costs of a research and development tax credit. The committee Democrats introduced legislation, the Investing in American Innovation Act of 2012, to renew the 20% credit for certain research expenses, at least through the end of this year. The legislation would help pay for the credit through a two-year extension of the corporate aircraft depreciation schedule, currently at five years.
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics, with three or four CRTs, originally were installed in the Beechjet/Hawker 400. Both Nextant and Hawker Beechcraft are offering complete three- and four-screen, 8- by 10-in. Pro Line 21 cockpit upgrades that will provide much more than cosmetic improvements and new display functions.
Bombardier Aerospace announced July 2 that it has received firm orders for three Global 6000 and five Global 8000 jets from an undisclosed customer. The transaction is valued at approximately $507 million based on the 2012 list price for typically equipped aircraft.
