Four Jet Aviation facilities (Bedford/Boston, Dallas, Palm Beach and Teterboro) have been awarded the 2004 FAA Diamond Award for their aircraft maintenance technicians and repair stations. Jet Aviation Teterboro has also received the Maintenance Department of the Year award for 2004 from the Teterboro PAMA chapter .
FlightSafety International has awarded Chad Twogood a scholarship to attend FlightSafety Academy's advanced airline training program. Twogood is the winner of the Top Pilot award of SAFECON 2005, an annual competition held among students from more than 70 colleges.
Walter Extra, veteran aerobatic championship pilot and founder of Extra Aircraft took first place in the four-minute freestyle competition during the 54th annual German Championships in Dinslaken, Germany. He flew in a newly modified, single-seat EA-300S, which is under development . with an experimental Lycoming AEIO 580-X engine and an innovative single-cooler oil system, the aircraft also features the same aerodynamically redesigned cowling as the new EA-300LP. Extra Aircraft is headquartered in Lancaster, Pa.
Larry Mattiello, president of Aero Insurance, Inc, Addision, Texas, has been named national Safety Officer of the Year by the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Mattiello, who holds the rank of major, is a search and rescue mission pilot.
Cessna's Encore is the latest model to come in for an update with new avionics and dual channel FADECs will create the Encore+. Powerplants will be a slightly upgraded ``B'' version of the current 3,400-pounds-thrust PW535A engines. The Encore+ features a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integrated avionics suite with many of the same features as on the CJ1+, CJ2+ and the CJ3, which are, according to Cessna, the most advanced available on this class of business jet.
CIT Aerospace, New York, N.Y., announced the appointment of Patrick Henry Dowling to managing director and general manager of the company's Aerospace and Defense Finance division.
Cirrus Design Corp. may build a single-engine personal jet. Alan and Dale Klapmeier, co-founders of the Duluth, Minn. aircraft manufacturing firm, told attendees at the recent AOPA Expo in Tampa, Fla., the new aircraft would cost under $1 million and would be equipped with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, similar to those found on its popular SR20 and SR22 piston-engine models. The Klapmeiers "believe this emerging class of personal jet is between high-performance single-engine flight and what is now the new market sector, known as very light jets.
Kansas City Aviation Center (Kansas City) -- Brad Chandler, a 16-year veteran of aircraft sales, has been hired to sell Pilatus PC-12s in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Originally he wanted to become an Air Force pilot, but circumstances intervened and he ended up a uniformed meteorologist, doling out fronts and winds aloft for his silver-winged brothers of the wild blue. Although not his first choice of careers, the work suited him well. He was good at it.
Engenuity Technologies released the next generation of its VAPS software, the VAPS XT, which enables development of visualization and simulation products, including avionics displays. Engenuity developed VAPS XT in concert with Rockwell Collins, DaimlerChrysler and automotive electronics supplier Valeo. VAPS XT simplifies flight display development.
Cessna Aircraft (Wichita) -- Three new vice presidents have been named in the Citation sales organization. Mike Luethye has been designated vice president, national sales west. Gordon Vieth has been appointed vice president, national sales east. Trevor Esling now is the vice president, international sales. Each of the three men, who have held positions of increasing responsibility within Cessna, will continue to report to Mark Paolucci, vice president of Citation sales.
Nagoya Airport (RJNA) in Central Japan is being aggressively promoted as a haven for international business aviation now that most of the region's commercial traffic has been moved to the new Central Japan Airport (RJGG) south of the city. The airport is owned by Aichi Prefecture, whose governor was on hand at the ABACE show in Shanghai last August with members of his staff to represent Nagoya to the business aviation community.
What exactly do we mean by a ``dual-channel FADEC''? Honeywell Engines' George Petrovic, a senior manager in the systems and accessories division, explained: ``In a typical dual-channel FADEC,'' he told B&CA, ``you have one channel controlling, and the other going along for the ride in case the first one fails and the second one must assume an active transfer of control.'' Thus, in operation, the inactive channel ``shadows'' the active one.
Sporty's Radio Check can verify whether your handheld or panel-installed radio is operating properly, including push-to-talk, carrier and audio. When you talk, a red indicator light will light up and flash, confirming a transmission. If the red light is on, but you're not talking, you'll know you have a stuck mic. If you're pressing the push-to-talk switch but the light is not on, you are not transmitting. Radio Check includes a jack for monitoring transmissions with a headset, if desired. You hear just what Air Traffic Control hears.
The NBAA announced several fund-raising initiatives for its 58th Annual Meeting & Convention to help New Orleans citizens impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The fund-raising measures reflect a commitment the NBAA made in September to help New Orleans citizens after the Association was forced to move its convention from New Orleans to Orlando because of Hurricane Katrina's devastating impact. The NBAA will match attendee contributions up to $100,000 for a combined Katrina relief donation.
S-Tec, Mineral Wells, Texas, promoted Chris Becker to vice president of flight operations. Becker was the Marine One helicopter pilot for President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush from 1985 to 1988.
CMC Electronics, Quebec, Canada, announced that Franois Dorval has joined the company as vice president, quality assurance and continuous improvement. Cathy Bain will head up the company's marketing and sales as vice president.
With the introduction of the first Citations in the early 1970s, Cessna created a large gap in its product line between the Model 421 Golden Eagle, its top piston twin, and the Citation I, its entry level light jet. Early Citation 500s sold for more than twice the price of a Cessna 421B. The gap became more like a gulf by the late 1970s, with the price of a Citation I approaching three times that of the 421C.
Embraer selected BMW Group DesignworksUSA to design the interior of its Very Light Jet and Light Jet. Embraer wanted a flight deck seamlessly integrated with the cabin. BMW Group DesignworksUSA responded with what Embraer termed ``a simple, elegant'' design solution using light ambiance and relaxing seats to create a first impression of comfort and functionality. Onboard amenities include a private lavatory, a refreshment center, an executive table and entertainment and communications at the passenger's fingertips.
Years ago I flew E-2 Hawkeyes for the U.S. Navy over the Tonkin Gulf. That big old bird carried two pilots and three controllers. We all wore helmets during launch and recovery, but once on station, each of us would ditch the hardhats and don our Navy-issue headsets; they were bulky, but far more comfortable. That was my first introduction to headsets. As a student pilot at Pensacola, which was my only previous flight experience, I always wore a flight helmet during training.
