TWO OF THE WORST THINGS an aviation maintenance technician can experience are having his or her aircraft crash or go missing. I've had both. While still a teenager, I was crew chief on a medevac UH-1V Huey stationed at Seoul Army Heliport H-201 in Korea. I had just come off a four-day shift at our forward base at Camp Casey, near the DMZ, and was looking forward to a night on the town when our duty NCO came running down the barracks hallway, yelling: ``Dustoff 328 is down! They've crashed!'' I ran to the hallway, ``What happened?''
In a short Sept. 7 announcement, Bombardier announced the departure of Peter Edwards, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, effective immediately. Bombardier Aerospace President and CEO Pierre Beaudoin will head the business aircraft unit until a replacement for Edwards is found. Sudden management shakeups are not unusual at Bombardier, but the 49-year-old Edwards is very highly regarded in industry circles, and the preponderance of industry speculation has him exiting Bombardier under his own power. But his destination -- as we go to press -- is unknown.
The GAMA board also voted in six new members: Robert (Rob) Gillette, president and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace; Martin V. Glass, vice president, general manager Aircraft Engine Systems, Woodward Governor Co.; Gretchen Jahn, CEO of Mooney Aerospace Group, Ltd.; D. Scott Kallister, vice president, Corporate Jet Sales-North America, for Embraer; Tim Mahoney, president of business and general aviation for Honeywell Aerospace; and Simon Prior, general manager of Smiths Aerospace Mechanical Systems-Yakima.
Cessna's first production Mustang business jet (s.n. 0001) made its first flight Aug. 29 from the company's facilities in Wichita. The aircraft flew for exactly two hours, as the pilots performed systems and avionics checks, engaged the autopilot and evaluated handling characteristics. The very light jet logged 7.5 hours in its first four flights. ``We have a strong team working on the Mustang program, and they've achieved a major milestone by getting production unit one off the ground a month early,'' said Russ Meyer III, Mustang program manager.
The Cypress RSVP-720 mobile robot is designed for fully autonomous, 24/7 operation. Typical applications include: guard tours, hazardous area protection, visitor lobby and escort, random ID checking and alarm verification. The RSVP-720 features automatic docking for battery recharge, 802.11 wireless video, laser mapping and navigation, two-way audio, and Suprex technology for systems integration. Cypress Computer Systems, Inc. 1778 Imlay City Rd. Lapeer, MI 48446 (810) 245-2300 www.cypressworld.com
Capitalizing on the Garmin G-1000 MFD installed on Mooney Bravo and Ovation2 GX models, Mooney Aircraft is offering owners an STC-approved Garmin GDL-69A remote sensor installation that interfaces with the G-1000 to add location-specific XM WX satellite weather services powered by WxWorx, and up to 130 channels of XM satellite radio information and entertainment. Mooney says it has delivered more than 60 Bravo GX and Ovation2 GX piston singles that can take advantage of the optional upgrade.
Aviatrade Inc. plans to open an office in Shenzen, China. Philip Rushton, president of the jet acquisition consultancy, specializing in Gulfstreams, said, ``there will be substantial demand for private jet travel both within and to/from China in the near future and therefore plenty of business aviation-related opportunities for those willing to invest the time to cultivate and build on the necessary relationships.
The third-quarter edition of Vref Publishing's Market Leader newsletter believes that the market for previously owned aircraft is ``in the early stages of a moderate recovery.'' However, despite the continued rise in aircraft sales activity and values since the end of 2003, the publication cautions that the market still has a long way to go before returning to the heady days of the late 1990s.
Proposed Rules Bell 206A and 206B helicopters -- For aircraft modified by Aeronautical Accessories, periodically inspect the helicopter's cross tubes and replace any that are cracked. General Electric CF34 engines -- Conduct a one-time inspection of certain fan disks to determine it there are electrical arc-out indications. Replace the disks if necessary. Also, reduce the life limit of the fan disks.
The NBAA and National Air Transportation Association are creating a joint working group to encourage 100 percent filing for fuel tax refunds, as well as to develop a tax-secure process workable for business aviation. Currently, there are 54 fuel terminal areas at airports designated as secure by the IRS for fuel tax purposes.
In his opening remarks at the 2005 Canadian Business Aviation Association convention in Vancouver, organization President Rich Gage made a provocative statement. Referring to the increasingly isolationist ``Fortress America'' posture assumed by the Bush Administration since 9/11, Gage stated, ``If there's trouble brewing [for Canadian business aviation operators], this is where you're going to find it.'' Recently, B&CA asked the articulate Gage to elaborate on his CBAA convention remarks.
Delta AirElite Business Jets teamed with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to provide a package of special benefits to Delta's jet charter clients. Beyond preferred rates, Enterprise will deliver and pick up Delta clients' cars at most general aviation terminals as well as provide a complimentary upgrade from ``Premium'' to ``Luxury'' class vehicles when available.
A charter flight full of vacationers was about to depart for home from Mexico City when a mechanical problem put the Boeing 707 back in the gate. All the passengers were off-loaded and then kept around the departure gate for seven hours while the aircraft was restored to flying health. However, by then the crew had run out of duty time and could only make it across the border.
Steve Summers unwittingly may have set a record on Aug. 30. He pumped 14,000 gallons of fuel -- by himself -- in one day. The operations manager for Signature Flight Support's base at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) was the only person on the airport pumping fuel in the first few days after Hurricane Katrina, and he may have been the only person in New Orleans pumping jet fuel those first few days.
Precision Castparts Corp. is scheduled to close its purchase of Special Metals Corp. in the third quarter. The $540 million deal lacks only regulatory approval, the company said. PCC is a diversified manufacturer of complex metal components for a number of industries, including aerospace, where it supplies investment castings, airfoil castings and forged components used in jet aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.
FlightSafety International has developed a Twin Commander aircraft training program in Houston. The program includes initial and recurrent training for pilots and maintenance personnel. FlightSafety has installed two Level A Twin Commander simulators that will be used in the training. The Houston learning center also trains those who fly and maintain Bombardier Challenger, Raytheon King Air and Hawker, Embraer regional jets and ATR turboprop aircraft.
AS OF NOV. 17, 2003, ``eligible'' charter operations have been able to shoot instrument approaches to airports without weather reporting and plan flights to airports where they can land in 80 percent of the available runway length instead of the standard 60 percent planning requirement.
CAE has signed a 10-year agreement with U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic Airways to provide pilot training for the carrier's entire fleet of Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The contract also includes an option for Airbus A380 training. The programs include ground school as well as simulator training at CAE's Burgess Hill, U.K., center. Existing A340-600 and B747-400 simulators will be redeployed from other CAE training sites to Burgess Hill by summer 2006 for this purpose.
He remembered the pilot had ``that way'' about him. An easy comfort in the cockpit; a manner and presence that only happens when flight time is measured in five figures, many of them in the very same cockpit. In his early 60s, this pilot had been flying this particular Gulfstream I for over 30 years -- he and the airplane had been together since they were both green.
For most helicopter pilots, formal training about the dangers of wire strikes consisted of little more than a slide show of crumpled helicopters and an admonishment to ``Avoid wires. They will kill you.'' Recognizing a need to provide pilots with more practical information about the hazards, Robert Feerst, president of Utilities Aviation Specialists, Inc., Crown Point, Ind., created a series of seminars designed specifically for those who fly in the wire environment.
Shock Trauma Air Rescue is upgrading its fleet. The public safety EMS helicopter unit operated by Travis County, Texas, is replacing its two Eurocopter EC 135s with two larger, heavier-lifting EC 145s. Powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 engines, the EC 145 is capable of carrying one pilot and nine passengers. With a 132-knot cruise, an advanced glass cockpit, IFR package with digital autopilot for both single- or dual-pilot applications and endurance of nearly four hours, the EC145 can perform a broader range of missions, said Travis County officials.
``War on Error'' is the theme of Bombardier 2005 Safety Standdown, which will be held October 25 through 27 in Wichita. The objective of this annual three-day conference is to improve corporate aviation safety, and the material covered is applicable to all business jet aircraft regardless of manufacturer. Session topics will include medical and emergency training, international operations, recurrent training, the ``global war on error,'' fatigue countermeasures, high-altitude physiology, advanced aerodynamics, professionalism, performance and safety.
On June 15, 2005, the owner/pilot of a small piston-powered helicopter was returning home to Cherokee County Airport near Jacksonville, Texas, after conducting business in Shreveport, La. Around 8 a.m. eyewitnesses near the small town of Rusk, Texas, watched the helicopter, which was following a highway, descend into unmarked power lines. The little aircraft crashed to the ground, killing the pilot -- the 31st civilian to die in five years due to wire strikes in the United States.
AirClassics Flight Bags are designed and engineered to be functional and able to stand up to the toughest treatment. The bags are black with silver wings logo, and are made of fully padded 1000D nylon for extreme durability. They feature wraparound carry straps for strength, a non-slip detachable shoulder strap, and high-quality single-pull zippers on the main compartments.
Rockwell Collins reported a 20-percent increase in sales for its fiscal 2005 third quarter. Sales totaled $890 million, the company said, and net income was up 33 percent over the third quarter of fiscal 2004, reaching $101 million, or 56 cents per share. Government and commercial segments of the company contributed to the growth almost equally, with the commercial segment reporting a 20-percent growth in sales over third quarter 2004, and the government segment, which provides defense electronics and communications systems, reporting a 19-percent increase.
