AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS often use a method championed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The great fictional detective taught that in a particularly difficult investigation sometimes you have to determine all the things that did not happen. What's left, then, is probably what did.
The collapse of a major highway bridge in Minneapolis in August 2007 uncovered a host of earlier warnings that had been filed by professionals and subsequently ignored. That was hardly the first time that clear evidence about a transportation hazard was dismissed through ignorance, stupidity or deliberate inaction by those who should have taken action.
With a fleet of some 25,000 turbine aircraft increasing continuously in number, locale and capability, and the ever-growing number of company and individual users expanding through jet cards, charter, fractional ownership and other arrangements, business aviation today is well rooted, its purpose validated by its long record of accomplishment. Such was not always the case, not in the early years. Certainly not in 1958, as that year's June issue made clear in many ways.
Honeywell has licensed Mercury Computer Systems' VistaNav 3-D Synthetic Vision Intellectual Property. Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will sell and support the VistaNav Cockpit Information System situational awareness products. VistaNav Synthetic Vision is a portable 3-D synthetic vision navigation system and a key element in the VistaNav electronic flight bag solutions designed to increase pilot situational awareness and improve flight safety.
NetJets rolled out a "green" initiative in September 2007 and has moved ahead with a carbon offset program that allows aircraft shareholders to voluntarily participate in a program to offset emissions from their flights. The program tailors participation fees to correspond with class of aircraft and share size. NetJets is working with 3Degrees in the United States and Eco-Securities in Europe to contribute to projects that include reducing methane emissions at coal mines and dairy farms and expanding wind farm use, among others.
Congratulations on taking your flight operation global. The flight crews, support and technical personnel, and even your passengers are now veterans at this game and know their way around the skies over the burgeoning international markets of India, China, Russia and elsewhere. You're running with the big dogs as the company's aircraft alight at business hubs around the world. But do you have a plan in place for all the contingencies that come with your new globe-trotting status?
North Atlantic Air, a full-service FBO located in Beverly, Mass. (BVY), has entered into an agreement with the Airport Authority to add 50,000 square feet of transient parking and 7,200 square feet of corporate hangar space to its leased premises. The addition of the new hangars gives NAA over 95,000 square feet of indoor storage and maintenance space. The agreement extends the term of NAA's operating lease to 40 years. NAA has been servicing general aviation at BVY since 1949 and provides ground services to both the east and west sides of the airport.
Intelligence | 13 * Business Jet Deliveries Jump 40 Percent * Court Halts Jet Ban at Santa Monica * Aviation Taking Sides in Presidential Race * FAA Mulls Rules for Small UAS * Strong Demand for New G650 Poses Challenges Edited by James E. Swickard Commentary 7 | Viewpoint By William Garvey Supply, Demand and Dollars 24 | Business & Commercial Aviation 1958, a Year in Review 77 | Cause & Circumstance By Richard N. Aarons
The AOPA is warning buyers to be careful of flying into Maine within one year of purchasing an aircraft because of possible sales and use tax consequences. The association said the state will attempt to collect a 6-percent tax on the value of an aircraft if the airplane spends more than 20 days in Maine within the first year after the aircraft is purchased, unless the buyer has paid sales tax in another state. If the purchaser paid less than a 6-percent sales tax elsewhere, Maine will attempt to collect the difference between the tax paid and its 6-percent levy.
The Embraer Phenom 300 light jet made its first flight -- ahead of schedule -- April 29 from the Brazilian planemaker's Gaviao Peixoto facility. That was less than two weeks after Embraer announced it had completed wing-fuselage mating and engine installation on the aircraft. During the one hour and twenty-two minute flight, Captain John Sevalho Corcao and Embraer Chief Pilot Eduardo Alves Menini, accompanied by flight test engineer Jens Peter Theodor Geiger Wentz, evaluated the aircraft's handling characteristics and systems operation.
At EBACE 2008 in Geneva, Bombardier Aerospace officials announced that the Learjet 85, potentially the successor to the Learjet 60XR, will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engines and will feature Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics. Standard equipment also will include a Honeywell RE-100 APU, approved for inflight operation.
In April, the financial analysts at JPMorgan Securities stated in their industry research report that the market for used business jets was "beginning to show signs of softening." However, the pundits said it was too early to say that the market had turned.
Aircell now has available a new Cabin Telecommunication Router (CTR) for the company's Aircell Axxess cabin communication system. Standard Aero has completed the first installation and certification of the CTR at its Springfield, Ill., facility on a Dassault Falcon 20 business jet. The new CTR provides Axxess customers with robust 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi coverage in the cabin while adhering to the FAA's more recent guidelines for power output. Aircell LLC 1172 Century Dr. Ste. B280 Louisville, CO 80027
Ambassador Ed Stimpson, chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), presented the Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award to George Saling at the 53rd annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar in Palm Harbor, Fla., in April. The award recognized Saling's work as director of aviation services for Philip Morris and Altria, where he implemented corporate flight operational quality assurance (C-FOQA) programs and developed safety management systems that have become the best practice standard for the NBAA.
Bombardier Aerospace, Montreal, Canada, has appointed Guy C. Hachey as its president and CEO; Gary R. Scott has been named president, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, a new business unit integrating Regional Aircraft and New Commercial Aircraft programs; Steve Ridolfi is the president of Bombardier Business Aircraft; and James Hoblyn is president, Bombardier Aircraft Services. Other appointments are Brant Dahlfors as vice president, U.S. sales, Challenger and Global aircraft sales and Mark Karls as the director of Bombardier's Dallas Service Center.
Held near NASCAR's hallowed oval in Daytona, Fla., this year's NBAA Maintenance Management Conference -- a record setter with 363 attendees -- quite appropriately embraced "Fueling Your Knowledge" as its theme. And Committee Chair Jim Janaitis opened the gathering by encouraging all maintainers to share their knowledge and improve their toolbox of skills to improve safety all around. "Chances are that if you are seeing a problem today, someone else here has already seen it and has come up with a solution," he said.
Cessna Aircraft rolled out the first production Citation XLS+ on April 25 at the company's Wichita facility. Priced at $11.86 million, the XLS+ features a fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and electronically controlled (FADEC) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545C engines. Exterior and interior restyling is also integrated into the new model, most prominently the extended contour of the nose and expanded seat widths, both introduced to more closely resemble Cessna's Citation X and Citation Sovereign models.
The U.S. District Court of Central California issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring the City of Santa Monica from enforcing an ordinance that essentially bans larger business jets from Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO). The ordinance took effect on April 24, but the FAA had issued an interim "Cease and Desist" order April 23, calling on the city to halt enforcement. In addition, the FAA also filed an application for the TRO, that was issued by the court.
Embraer has launched a new maintenance support program, Tool on Time (ToT), to expand the company's customer services in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Under TOT, an inventory of more than 130 maintenance tools and ground support equipment will be available to customers. The new service builds upon Embraer's spare parts pooling program to ensure access to the most critical tools and ground support equipment necessary to complete repairs or other maintenance work.
It is a pleasure to read Business & Commercial Aviation each month. It is wonderfully put together and provides the aviation community with very useful and practical information. In May's issue, I particularly enjoyed reading Fred George's "Garmin's New SVS for the G1000" (page 60). This is amazing technology.
Jettech, the Littleton, Colo., firm that specializes in RVSM and other avionics aftermarket solutions for aircraft not supported by an OEM-engineered installation, has teamed with Vista, Calif.-based Sandel Avionics to develop a glass cockpit for all Piper Cheyennes and pre-275 serial-numbered Cessna Citation 500s. The installation is expected to receive an STC shortly. The STCed installations will incorporate Sandel's new LED-powered SA 4550 primary attitude and SA 4500 primary navigation units, as well as the company's SG 102 AHRS directional gyro.
At 1957 CDT, a Piper PA-32-300, N303TE, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field one mile south of Runway 04 at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston. The pilot received minor injuries and the three passengers were unhurt.
