Proposed Rules Cessna 208 and 208B airplanes — Modify the aileron carry-through cable attachment to the aileron upper quadrant with parts of improved design. Dassault Falcon 50 airplanes — Use a new, repetitive ultrasonic inspection procedure to detect cracking of the stiffeners of the right-hand and left-hand wing lower panels between Ribs 13 and 17. If any cracks are found, repair them.
John H. Winant, NBAA’s longtime, gentlemanly president and a critical player in the evolution of modern business aviation, died Jan. 13 at his retirement home in Williamstown, Mass., nearby to his cherished alma mater, Williams College. He was 85 and had been ill for some time. “John was respected and trusted by aviation professionals, company executives, cabinet secretaries and elected officials. His integrity, knowledge, dedication and gentle nature made him an extraordinarily effective advocate for our community,” said NBAA President Ed Bolen.
— At 1550 Hawaiian Standard Time, a McDonnell Douglas Helicopter MD 900 (N902AF) sustained minor damage subsequent to the inflight separation of the lower right side vertical stabilizer while landing near Kona, Hawaii. The helicopter is registered to, and operated by Vulcan Aircraft, Inc. It was VFR at the time of the accident. The flight originated offshore at 1520 with a planned destination of Kona. According to a representative of the operator, the lower vertical stabilizer (inplate) separated from its support bracket as the helicopter was landing.
On the morning of March 26, 2006, a Bighorn Helicopters AS350D flew four passengers to British Columbia’s South Racehorse Creek weather station, situated 6,300 feet high in the Canadian Rockies. The pilot, by regulation considered “certified and qualified for the flight,” had about 2,460 hours total flight time, almost all of them in helicopters and 170 in type. He had completed a 15-hour mountain flying course, and had about 780 hours of mountain flying experience, a definite necessity because of the terrain in which he operated.
A self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, or SCUBA, allows sport divers to spend minutes on end exploring the world beneath the water’s surface, but for Bryan Doxey, the maximum depth for recreational diving — around 130 feet — just isn’t deep enough. An AirMed Beechjet captain, he started diving in San Diego 30 years ago but was away from it for about 20 years before getting back into it a few years ago.
— At 1206 EST, an Ercoupe 415-D (N99154) was destroyed during an inflight breakup near Sebring, Fla. VMC prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO), Avon Park, Fla., about 1115. According to a friend of the accident pilot, who was also a certificated aircraft mechanic, he and the pilot flew together in the accident airplane immediately prior to the accident flight.
Baynan Air Service, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., appointed Alvie Barron as director North American Sales. He will be responsible for promoting avionics and maintenance departments.
The airplane has been sitting instead of flying. Grounding saves on fuel and other variable costs, but a parked airplane draws the attention of nervous bean counters. Suddenly the fixed expense of the hangar, the airplane loan (and your salary) seem much more costly.
Regional fractional aircraft operator Executive AirShare, based in Kansas City, Mo., announced Jan. 8 that the company will base a Beechcraft King Air C90B at Atlantic Aviation at Wiley Post Airport (PWA) in Bethany, Okla., to serve the Oklahoma City area. Executive AirShare has shareowners in Tulsa, Dallas, Fort Worth, Wichita and Kansas City.
The U.S. business turbine fleet experienced a considerable increase in the number of accidents, fatal accidents and fatalities during 2008 over those experienced in 2007. The combined business jet and turboprop fleet experienced 69 accidents including 24 that resulted in 64 passenger and crew fatalities during routine business operational flights, according to Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. In 2007, the combined fleet experienced 55 accidents, 17 of them fatal, and 51 fatalities, the company reported.
“The Liz” was an attractive, converted Lodestar that flew Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd “Round the World in Eighty Days.” The Hollywood power couple were leasing a Lodestar and expected to buy one.
In White Plains, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen kicked off testimony saying, “It is important that we get this right. Overly broad or unnecessary regulations that do not take into account the unique attributes of business aviation will needlessly destroy companies and the jobs they create.” He recommended the creation of a government/industry Aviation Rulemaking Committee similar to that used to create the FAR Part 91K fractional ownership regulations.
Gulfstream Aerospace has put together an EFB its calls PlaneBook and Randy Gaston, vice president of flight operations, recently spoke with Business & Commercial Aviation about its development.
Col. Michael R. Gallagher, USAF (ret) (Hillsboro, OR)
Great analysis of an accident that never should have happened (“Warm Airplane; Cold, Snowy Ramp,” Cause & Circumstance, January 2009, page 72). You’d think we’d get tired of proving that contaminated airfoils just don’t work as well as clean ones.
One Saturday morning while John Alter was attending the Navy’s flight school in Pensacola, Fla., he was driving his Triumph TR3 with the top down when he spied “two young ladies all dressed up and on their way to a sorority tea and their car had conked out. They saw this naval aviator and somehow knew I could fix their car.” Alter got it started, but when he declined payment, they invited him and two buddies to a homemade spaghetti dinner. A year later, in June 1962, Alter was awarded his wings and he and one of those young ladies got married.
B/CA And as promised to all with perfect answers, Capt. Syed M. Husain of Mississauga, Ontario will be receiving a 50th anniversary Business & Commercial Aviation picture frame. Thanks for following our Golden Anniversary coverage, and for your continuing support.
Jet Works Air Center of Denton, Texas, has obtained two new supplemental type certificates (STCs)—one for a Rockwell Collins AHS-3000S upgrade for the Learjet 31A, and another that covers installation of a Rockwell Collins data link system in the Piaggio Avanti II.
The FAA is extending the 75-per-hour flight cap at New York La Guardia through Oct. 24, 2009, according to an amendment to the current rule filed in the Federal Register. The rule was set to expire last year, to be replaced by the controversial plan to auction slots at the airport, the “Congestion Management Rule for La Guardia Airport.” The amendments to the “Operating Limitations at New York La Guardia Airport” released Jan. 7 also include a provision to allow carriers to trade or lease operating authorities at the airport.
The 16th annual Aircraft Registry Forum, which will feature sessions on FAA Registry practices and the Cape Town Convention, will take place on Monday, February 9 and Tuesday, February 10 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida. Co-chaired by Frank L. Polk of McAfee & Taft PC and Michael T. Amalfitano, Sr. of Banc of America Leasing, the forum offers presentations by noted experts in aviation law and financing. Besides exploring the key considerations of FAA and Cape Town rules, other sessions offered during the two-day conference include:
Also in trouble is the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program, jointly funded by the European Commission and Eurocontrol’s 39 member countries. Officially launched Dec. 8 with 15 aviation industry companies standing ready to join, the undertaking’s goal is to squeeze more aircraft into existing airspace. But it’s been abruptly derailed because apparently nobody consulted with Europe’s military entities and the ATC controllers. Europe’s military forces doubt the project’s merits and value. The controller community has multiple concerns.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, large oil reserves were discovered in the toe of the Arabian Peninsular boot, primarily under Oman and the emirates that, in 1971, were to unite to form the United Arab Emirates. As exploration and development of the oil and gas industry moved offshore, the need for use of helicopters soared and, in 1976, led to the creation of two helicopter companies within the U.A.E. to support the industry — Abu Dhabi Aviation and Aerogulf Services.
Flight Display Systems, Alpharetta, Ga., has hired David Oblinger as general manager. He will oversee the daily manufacturing processes and system of the company. Hillary Davis has been appointed production coordinator, responsible for production scheduling including work order development, and Chris Cayia has been named operations manager, responsible for production work-flow, technical and customer support, and purchasing.
