Transport Canada has approved a 500-lb. gross weight increase for Bell Model 429 helicopter to 7,500 lb., the company says. As we go to press, Bell is seeking FAA and EASA validation. Responding to customer requests, Bell worked on the change for more than a year and spent the last several months validating data for the weight increase with Transport Canada. The improvement provides increases in range or longer loiter times — which the company notes can be particularly important for EMS and law enforcement, two key markets for the 429.
Michael Toscano President and CEO, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Alexandria, Va. After earning an engineering degree at the University of Rhode Island in 1976, Toscano began a 30-plus-year career with the Department of Defense that included serving as coordinator of the DOD's joint robotics program, advising on the Roles of Unmanned Vehicles, and managing R&D for Nuclear Security of weapons systems, personnel and facilities. He joined AUVSI as it chief executive in October 2008.
The FAA says the continuing failure of the U.S. Congress to pass a reauthorization bill is undermining confidence in the administration's ability to execute the Next Generation air traffic modernization plan. Pressing for immediate action, FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta says the hiatus “creates a climate of uncertainty.” The FAA is in its fourth year of operating under temporary funding, with Congress having passed more than 20 extensions in lieu of a full reauthorization bill.
Dec. 26, 2011 — At 0554 EDT, a Bell 206B (N5016M) operated by SK Logistics, d.b.a. SK Jets, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Green Cove Springs, Fla. The pilot and two passengers (a doctor and a medical technician) were fatally injured. The on-demand air taxi flight was en route to Shands Cair Heliport (63FL), Gainesville, Fla. There was no flight plan filed for the flight that originated from Mayo Clinic Heliport (6FL1) in Jacksonville, Fla., at about 0537.
In “Cabin Electronic Systems” (December, 2011) the listing for Audio International (subsidiary of DeCrane Aerospace) should actually have been Goodrich Interiors — Cabin Electronic Systems. Goodrich acquired the Audio International asset of DeCrane over a year ago.
Breitling produced a special timepiece — the Naval Centennial Limited Edition Airwolf — as part of the company's year-long salute to naval aviation. Five hundred pieces were produced. The first piece traveled with Cmdr. Mark Kelly on the space shuttle Endeavour in May 2011 during his and the shuttle's last flight before retirement. The Airwolf is being sold at Breitling's flagship Manhattan (New York) boutique and through its network of authorized retailers. Breitling www.breitling.com Price: $4,500 (retail)
Cell phones have taken over so much of the world's voice communications that many people have discontinued use of their land-lines altogether and rely solely on the mobile phones for telephony. But in the U.S., these ubiquitous devices are barred from use in aircraft both by FAA Advisory Circular 91-21B and by the Federal Communications Commission. However, Europe allows cell phones on aircraft.
FAA anticipates small UAVs will be a fast-growing segment in the commercial market, according to an agency fact sheet. Industry may be ready to sell UAVs for civilian use within the U.S., but that does not mean the machinery of government is prepared to regulate them. FAA is trying to ensure safety of the vehicles, which can be difficult for larger aircraft to see. But the process has been slow and already delayed.
After a steady decline in his health, the father of a colleague passed away not long ago. In the weeks that followed, the gentleman's survivors, a son and daughter, had to deal with all the details of his departure — accounts to close, notifications to various institutions, cleaning out a lifetime's collections of paperwork, photos, clothing, mementos. A long, melancholy process. The very last item on their To Do list was the biggie: Selling the house.
Cessna's Citation Ten prototype made its first flight Jan. 17. The flight lasted more than 2 hr. and included tests of stability and control, handling qualities, functional operations including the autopilot and autothrottle system, engine operability and avionics before landing at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) where Cessna's main manufacturing facility is located. Michael Voigt, Cessna's engineering test pilot flew the Ten prototype. “All systems functioned as expected including the Garmin G5000 avionics system.
Despite strong opposition, the Obama administration is not backing off its support for a $100 per-flight user charge. “The administration is making tough choices across the federal budget and asking everyone to do their fair share,” says Dana Hyde, associate director for General Government Programs for the Office of Management and Budget.
TSA approved a five-year extension of its partnership with National Air Transportation Association Compliance Services (NATACS) to provide a range of general aviation security programs. The partnership recognizes NATACS as a Trusted Fingerprint Facility to process biographical and biometric information. The partnership, established in 2002, has been extended through December 2016. NATACS provides all pre-enrollment, enrollment, fingerprint collection, and secure data transmission for TSA-conducted background checks of aircrew members and flight students.
The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which took effect in January, is discriminatory toward business aviation and still needs substantial work to be viable, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) says. On Jan. 9 the association aired a number of concerns it has with the scheme, which has drawn nearly universal opposition from commercial and business aviation leaders outside of Europe.
After a review of the latest round of tests of the GPS interference potential of LightSquared's proposed wireless network, the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee has found “both LightSquared's original and modified [plans] would cause harmful interference to many GPS receivers.” Further, FAA analysis concludes that LightSquared's proposals are not compatible with several GPS-dependent aircraft safety-of-flight systems, says a Jan. 13 letter to the U.S.
Although by no measure the business aviation hub of its heyday years, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is once again welcoming — albeit in an admittedly paranoid manner — business aircraft operators to take advantage of the close-in facility, located minutes from the federal capital.
Business aviation's recent post-9/11 “record” day at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has encouraged the general aviation community that changes implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are finally gaining some traction. Signature Flight Support, which runs the sole fixed base operation at DCA, reported that operations topped 30 in a single day, the most since before 9/11.
Landmark Aviation has launched a new mobile app called Landmark Connect. The new app provides customers with access to service and contact information for every FBO within the Landmark Aviation network and serves as a comprehensive source for FBO service and amenity descriptions, runway maps, current weather condition and direct-dial features. It is compatible with the iPhone and iPad, and versions for Android smart phones, BlackBerry's Storm and Torch smart phone models will be available soon. San Diego, Calif.-based Treeline Interactive assisted in the development.
A unique “helipod” single-place helicopter design uses a shroud-ring to completely enclose coaxial short-span rotors. The shroud serves to shield counter-rotating blades to overcome lift dissymmetry and increase rotor efficiency. Helipod Inc. of California, which plans to build the ship in Japan, calls it a “shielding rotating wing biplane” and says the prototype will fly this summer.
Last year I pointed out that throughout Fred George's excellent article, “Crew Scheduling and the New Generation of Ultra-Long-Range Jets” (February 2011, page 38), the word “berth” was misspelled as “birth” and the mention of “two-birth bunk beds” made me wonder if this was a flying maternity ward. Ah, the revenge of the spell checker. But just to show that I read all magazines carefully, I think this excerpt from another publication definitely outclasses the berth/birth situation. To wit:
NationAir Aviation Insurance has introduced a mobile application for iPads and iPhones to provide more convenient services to its clients. The app includes a corporate directory with one-touch contact capabilities for NationAir's top management brokers, account executives and risk management partners. It also features a claims checklist and the ability to begin the claims process from an iPhone or iPad in the event of an accident or incident. NationAir Aviation Insurance www.nationair.com
