The night of Dec. 16, 1997, was dark and cold as the flight crew of Air Canada Flight 646, a Bombardier Regional Jet, took off from Toronto for a flight to Fredericton, New Brunswick. In command was a captain with more than 11,000 flight hours, including 1,770 hours in type. While en route, the flight crew had received a revised forecast for one-quarter mile visibility in fog and a vertical visibility of just 100 feet. As the flight neared Fredericton, the RVR on Runway 15 was reported at 1,200 feet.
McCreery Aviation Co. is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Started in 1946 by J.F. "Mac" McCreery in Mercedes, Texas, as a one aircraft flight school, the company has grown into one of the largest full-service FBOs in South Texas. In 1948, it moved to its present location at the McAllen, Texas airport. President Bob McCreery says "with the vision of my parents, Mac and Ardath McCreery, and the hard work of many dedicated employees, we continue to be the most progressive, customer oriented, full-service FBO in South Texas."
To meet a boom in large aircraft completions at Jet Aviation Basel, Switzerland's EuroAirport board of directors has announced that it will develop the south zone of the airport for Jet Aviation, which wants to build a mega-hangar to accommodate aircraft up to the size of an Airbus 380 or Boeing 747-400. Construction will start in 2007 and is expected to be completed by March 2008. Jet Aviation will invest roughly $24 million in this new site and will add approximately 400 professionals to its current work force.
When turboprops first entered service with U.S. airlines, their smoothness seemed astonishing compared to the rumbling old smokies--the Pratt and Wright radials. One airline promoted its Rolls-Royce turboprop-powered Vickers Viscounts by demonstrating in a TV ad that you could stand a quarter on edge on the tray table while cruising in vibration-free splendor. Turbines that spin quickly displaced pistons that reciprocate.
Among the resources available supporting the small flight department, especially the single-aircraft, two- or three-person operation, are services offered by Baldwin Aviation, Inc. (BAI) and Jet Aviation.
IN FALL 1965 I WAS a 24-year-old novice aviator happily employed as an instructor at Flight Proficiency at Dallas' Love Field. Tex Berry, the owner, one day said I was about to meet an authentic aviation pioneer. I was curious and skeptical.
Piaggio Aero is going ahead with its much-discussed business jet, but earliest launch date is the middle of next year or at NBAA 2007, according to José Di Mase, Piaggio Aero CEO. "We are serious about the aircraft; it will be twin turbofan powered, and larger than the P180 Avanti II," he said recently, adding, "We haven't finally decided on the launch date as it will depend on Mubadala Development [the Abu Dhabi-based company that bought a 35-percent share in Piaggio earlier this year] and other risk-sharing partners."
The full gestation and birth of a simulator, at least at FlightSafety International's Simulator Systems Division (SSD), is about a year and a half, which may explain why you won't see a documentary film called "The Making of a Simulator" anytime soon. People with an interest but without that much time to spend can visit the SSD plant in Broken Arrow, Okla., and observe the way astronomers do.
Thank you for doing an excellent job on your recent article "Operator Survey: Boeing Business Jet" (July, page 62), that included the mention of our flight department Ty Air, Inc. and its BBJ aircraft. You had all of the facts right and wove them together into a most readable article. Good work.
FOLLOWING A LONG aviation tradition and sensible SOPs, the first officer went out on the ramp and began a walk-around inspection of the Boeing 737, looking at the tires, gear, flight controls and such. It was Jan. 16, 2006. Reaching the right engine, the F/O noticed a puddle of fluid on the tarmac below the nacelle and told the captain. At that point the four-striper strode out under the engine, examined the puddle and declared the turbofan to be leaking oil.
Recent certification of the Cessna Mustang very light jet and the imminent FAA full approval of the Eclipse 500 VLJ has not yet had affected the robust market for previously owned turboprop buyers, say several industry experts.
The NBAA presented Cessna Aircraft Co. with the inaugural NBAA Albert Ueltschi Humanitarian Award at its 2006 convention in recognition of the "leadership and spirit of service" demonstrated by the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift. "The generosity of the hundreds of Cessna Citation owners and operators required to accomplish this massive humanitarian effort epitomizes the sense of community and service that NBAA intends to recognize with the Ueltschi Humanitarian Award," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
U.S. Air Force reservists just love the sound of a C-130 prop cycling in the morning. The Herk is hell for loud, but the loudest, most filling-loosening airplane ever built and placed in service is probably the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear. Also one of the fastest turboprops in the world with a top speed estimated at around 500 knots, the Tu-95 engendered hangar tales galore. Air Force crews sent to intercept it were said to be able to hear the howl of its counter-rotating noise generators above the sound of their own aircraft from inside their cockpits.
Nicholas Sabatini, FAA associate administrator for aviation safety, told the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee that he wanted to dispel concerns surrounding the introduction of the VLJ into the NAS. "The system is in place today to accommodate the entry of new aircraft into the NAS," Sabatini said. "This is nothing new for the FAA.
Continued strong sales of previously owned, turbine-powered aircraft to corporations, combined with the "impressive performance" of world stock markets in recent months, seem to bode well for the near-term health of the used business-aircraft market. That was the assessment of Paul Wyatt, managing editor of the Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest, in the third quarter edition of his Marketline newsletter.
The FAA's New England Regional Aviation System Plan predicts that airline traffic in the region will grow substantially during the next 15 years, and that growth will require the expansion of both air carrier and general aviation airports within the six-state area. The new report describes a regional strategy to accommodate the anticipated increase at New England's 11 major commercial-service airports from the current 43 million airline passengers annually to an estimated 76 million yearly by 2020.
Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) are coming on strong for one simple reason. Anyone who has ever flown an Instrument Competency Check (ICC) ride under the hood in VFR conditions knows that "One peek is worth a thousand cross-checks." One quick look at the outside world instantly clears up any confusion regarding aircraft attitude, proximity to terrain and obstructions, and distance to go to the runway, among other critical elements of situational awareness.
NATA has developed Operational Control Workshops designed to help FAR Part 135 on-demand operators comply with the FAA's newly revised A008 OpSpec for Operational Control. For over a year, the FAA has been conducting an ongoing investigation of Part 135 operational control issues associated with aircraft leases between charter operators and aircraft owners, and the use of alternate business names. The investigation led to the issuance of new guidance by the agency.
Mike DeWeese, line service supervisor at Million Air Houston, was honored with the first "Houston Friendly Award" presented by the Houston Airport System. This award will be given quarterly to honor individuals who demonstrate excellence in customer service to passengers traveling though Houston's airports.
Quest Aircraft Co. has won Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) from the FAA for the its Kodiak, a single-engine utility turboprop. TIA means Quest and FAA officials can now conduct final inspections to ensure that the first production aircraft, s.n. 001, conforms to specifications. The Kodiak is designed to be an aerial truck, carrying passengers and cargo off short, unimproved landing strips in rugged terrain for a variety of missions.
Several vexing problems with the new international aircraft registry remain to be solved before business aircraft buyers and sellers will be comfortable with the system, but Mike Nichols, NBAA's director of tax, economics and operational services, believes that progress is being made in addressing the industry's concerns. "It's fair to say we are making steady progress," said Nichols recently. "It's probably slower than any of us would like to see, but that's just the nature of something like this."
When the Garrett TFE731 engine made its debut on the Falcon 10 and Learjet 35/36 in the early 1970s, it revolutionized high-performance, light jet business aviation. Compared to turbojet engines that powered light jets of that era, the new turbofan TFE731 burned one-third less fuel and its FAR Part 36 Stage III sound levels provided welcome relief at noise-sensitive airports.
