The Detroit Free Press noted 26 pilot reports of illumination by lasers from the ground in a one-hour period on Feb. 13 between 1830 and 1930 in the vicinity of Detroit Metro Airport. Evidently the hits were from a relatively low-power red laser normally used as a presentation pointer. Red lasers can dazzle and distract pilots, especially at night. More expensive and powerful "green" lasers can damage an eye's retina or cornea. As we go to press, David Banash awaits sentencing under provisions of the Patriot Act for illuminating aircraft near Teterboro Airport, N.J.
Beginning Jan. 1, European en route ATC charges billed by Eurocontrol were lower in 23 of the 31 member states. The organization said the average overall decrease is 3.5 percent, but Bosnia-Herzegovina has cut by 18.8 percent, Sweden by 16.4 percent, Switzerland by 14.2 percent, and Germany by 11.5 percent. Those with increased fees include the Czech Republic at +31.6 percent, Croatia +17.9 percent and Greece +13.6 percent.
The NTSB called for the FAA to impose stricter requirements on EMS flights in a special report released Jan. 26. The Safety Board undertook the report after investigating 55 EMS accidents in a three-year span between January 2002 and January 2005. The Board noted that while carrying patients or organs, EMS flights are required to operate in accordance with FAR Part 135 regulations, but positioning flights conducted without patients on board can operate under Part 91.
AS A DEMONSTRATION, instructor, ferry and sometime engineering test pilot for de Havilland Canada, I had the best flying job in the world. One day in the early 1970s, I got a plum assignment to deliver the first of six new Twin Otters to Royal Nepal Airlines and spend three months training its new pilots, first in the French Alps, later in Kathmandu.
Intelligence | 11 ?228-137? GAMA: 2005 Best GA Year Ever ?228-137? Eclipse Wins Collier Award ?228-137? Flexjet Is Launch Customer for Learjet 40XR ?228-137? Chinese Close to Allowing Civil Helicopter Ops Over Shanghai ?228-137? NTSB Calls for FAA to Impose Stricter Requirements on EMS Flights Edited by James E. Swickard Commentary 7 | Viewpoint By William Garvey Road Hazards 84 | Cause & Circumstance By Richard N. Aarons
Cutter Aviation has taken over from WingsPoint Aviation Services at the McKinney, Texas, Airport. "This is a strategic move for Cutter that expands our FBO footprint throughout the Southwest," said CEO Will Cutter. "As of 1991, over a dozen of the world's largest companies have moved their headquarters to the area. As more companies have come to McKinney to do business, more have stayed.
Sandel Avionics has received European Technical Standard Order (ETSO) authorizations from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its ST3400 TAWS and SN3500 EHSI systems. Similar to the U.S. FAA TSO, which both systems had already received, the ETSOs confirm that avionics dealers, installation centers and aircraft operators are legally entitled to recommend and use both products (www.sandel.com).
Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC) and its tenant Keystone Aviation are expanding together with parallel airport infrastructure and FBO facility expansion allowing OXC to attract a steadily growing population of turbine business aircraft. The Connecticut DOT, which owns OXC, and the FAA have extended the main runway to 5,800 feet and added ramp space and access roads.
It was around 2040 when the Aerospatiale AS350B lifted off from Ocean Reef Club Airport, Key Largo, Fla., heading for nearby Speedway Heliport. The pilot checked in with the tower at Homestead Air Reserve Base and was told to proceed direct to the speedway facility. The controller then said there was no traffic to report and told him to switch to the "race control frequency," which he did, telling the new controller that he was two nm southeast, inbound.
NBAA, Washington, D.C., has promoted Marti Smith to director, regional forums and static displays. Smith will be responsible for management of the static displays at the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, EBACE, LABACE, ABACE and regional forums.
At press time, Elliott Aviation was expecting to receive an STC for its RVSM package for Beech King Air 200, 300 and 350 aircraft. The Midwestern-based aircraft support organization's RVSM solution includes equipment configurations focused around the various autopilot and equipment interfaces of the three King Air models, including the Collins APS-65, APS-80 and AP-105 autopilots, as well as Honeywell SPZ-200A and -4000 and Bendix/King KFC-300 and -400 units.
It was a beautiful summer day in McCall, Idaho, a great day for flying in mountain country. The mission involved a low-altitude run over the rugged Hell's Canyon. As the pilot zipped along, he noticed his B58P Baron was rolling to the right. He corrected the tendency with aileron trim and determined to have the flight control system checked once he landed.
Phoenix East Aviation, Inc. , Daytona Beach, Fla., has named Oliver Kroos as director of flight training. Kroos is a native of Germany and a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Eurocontrol awarded a contract to Thales for five AS-685 multi-channel ADS-B receiving systems and traffic information systems-broadcast (TIS-B) to be installed at the Eurocontrol experimental center in France and other sites in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal. They will be used for operational trials as part of Cascade, a Eurocontrol advanced surveillance program. ADS-B provides aircraft position, altitude and speed information to air traffic controllers and other aircraft. TIS-B complements ADS-B coverage by allowing aircraft to receive surveillance radar data.
I wanted to let you know that on Dec. 28, 2005, Rader Aviation Inc. of Summersville and Lewisburg, W.Va. was re-issued its Air Carrier Certificate. Rader Aviation has developed a new General Operations Manual, Training Program and an updated Compliance Statement. The company has improved its policies and rededicated itself to safety. The company is currently offering service in a Cessna 421C, and plans to add a Cessna 560 to the certificate within the first quarter of this year.
First stop on a short cross-country. The ATP crew of a Hawker 125-700 was on final approach to Runway 12R when the tower asked the crew where they intended to park on the airport. The pilots responded they were going to Millionaire, at which point the controller said they might prefer landing on Runway 17 since that was adjacent to the FBO. They agreed, and the controller cleared them to 17.
Raytheon Aircraft has received FAA approval for its souped-up Beechcraft King Air 90, the King Air C90GT. The aircraft is fitted with two 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 engines that improve the aircraft's takeoff, climb and cruise performance. The new engines boost the C90GT speed by 26 knots at maximum cruise speed and reduce the time to reach its 30,000-foot certified ceiling by 50 percent when compared with the predecessor C90B. The C90GT has a maximum cruise speed of 272 knots and takes 22 minutes to reach 30,000 feet.
Capital Aviation at Oklahoma's Wiley Post Airport (PWA) now has a 2,000-square-foot full capability avionics shop. Carón Casteel, the new avionics manager, is a 26-year veteran of the avionics world, by way of Cessna Aircraft, Duncan Aviation, NE Airmotive and EAC. The shop is an authorized dealer for multiple avionics OEMs and has the technical workforce to tackle any avionics installation - including glass cockpit upgrades. Capital Aviation is a turbine aircraft refurbishment center specializing in large-cabin corporate jets.
FlightSafety International has received official European JAR STD 1A Level "D" Simulator Certification for its Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy and Falcon 2000EX EASy aircraft simulators located at the company's learning center in Teterboro, N.J. Certification of the full-flight simulators was achieved following evaluation by the La Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) of France representing the European Joint Aviation Authorities.
Airlines should be careful of what they ask for, according to a study commissioned by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The airline industry wants to make other airspace users, such as general and business aviation, pay for a larger share of FAA costs through user fees. But the union study, written by aviation consultant Darryl Jenkins, says that replacing the current tax system with one financed through user fees could be a "financial disaster" for carriers because it could result in the carriers paying more than they do now.
Eurocontrol says acceptance of the new 8.33 kHz comm radio channel spacing means a successful transition to the new standards is likely. The move to reduce spacing between channels above FL 195 will occur on March 15, 2007, and will require some aircraft to retrofit new radio equipment. The fact that at least 20 European states will put the recommendation into effect is "one of the most visible" signs that it has been broadly accepted by the states, Eurocontrol's 8.33 kHz program manager Peter Alty told our affiliate publication Aviation Daily.
Jetalliance is claiming a speed record for a Gulfstream G550 flight from Toluca, Mexico, to London's Luton Airport that was completed in eight hours, 24 minutes on Dec. 4, 2005. The aircraft was carrying two pilots and a flight attendant.
