The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) on June 9 embraced legislation proposed by Reps. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) to require the transportation secretary to buy defense systems to protect commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired, man-portable air defense missiles (MANPADs).
GAMA and the National Air Transportation Association are concerned that targeted legislative action by Rothman would encourage other lawmakers to introduce bills calling for restrictions at other airports. NATA officials, joined by Jet Aviation executives, met with Rothman to discuss Teterboro but were rebuffed in their attempts to convince him that the recent spate of accidents there was coincidental.
Jet Source, a full-service FBO and charter provider in Carlsbad, Calif., offers a charter gift card for five hours of occupied flight time from any suitable airport in the contiguous 48 states. Gift card recipients receive limousine transportation to and from the airport, a complimentary bottle of champagne and gourmet catering on the flight. Other benefits include concierge services to assist with travel accommodations and a $500 American Express Travel Funds Card to spend as desired.
This hydraulic hardware kit contains an assortment of MS-21921 nuts and MS-21922 sleeves, in both steel and stainless. MS-21921 Aluminum nuts are also provided. Six pieces of each, sizes 2 through 6, and 8 are included. All items are packaged and identified by size, material, and manufacturer's lot number for traceability. The convenient carrying case has two layers of bins; the top layer has 12 bins for sleeves, and the bottom has 18 bins for nuts. Kits may be purchased with or without pre-set tooling for installation. Price: $275
An NTSB law judge rejected a request to overturn the FAA's emergency revocation of the airman certificate of Hayden L. Shaeffer, the Cessna 150 pilot who flew into restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. in May. Shaeffer's attorneys disputed the ``emergency'' nature of the revocation in their appeal to the Safety Board, but Law Judge William Pope rejected their arguments.
Sikorsky Aircraft has received a contract to deliver 35 new S-76 helicopters to Offshore Logistics, Inc. The contract, which in units is the largest single civil helicopter order in Sikorsky's history, includes options for an additional 24 S-76s. The first aircraft is set for delivery late this year. Another 20 deliveries are scheduled for 2006 and 2007 and the balance between 2008 and 2012. The contract was announced at the Paris Air Show at a signing ceremony attended by William E. Chiles, president and CEO of Offshore Logistics, and Steve Finger, Sikorsky president.
Flybe, a low-cost British carrier, has ordered 14 Embraer 195s and holds options for another 12. The firm order is worth $470 million, according to the Brazilian airplane maker, and first deliveries are due soon after certification in August 2006. The aircraft will be configured with the maximum 118 seats, and according to Embraer, will be the first of its type to be delivered and in service anywhere in the world. The new aircraft will replace Flybe's fleet of BAe 146s.
Fasten your seatbelts, shareholders. It's no secret that aircraft fractional ownership is encountering some turbulence thanks to the general economic downturn since 2001, soaring fuel prices, lower aircraft valuations and the rise of card membership programs among charter brokers (read: more competition). Adding a further degree of uncertainty to this milieu is an acrimonious contract negotiation between the management of NetJets, the largest fractional program manager, and Teamsters Local 1108 representing the company's pilot group.
Aerosonic Corp., Clearwater, Fla., has been selected to provide standby instruments for Adam Aircraft's twin-piston A500 and A700 jet aircraft. Adam has received type certificate approval for the A500 and expects to begin deliveries this year. The A700 is slated for certification and delivery in 2006. Aerosonic will supply altimeters and airspeed indicators for both aircraft.
Elliott Aviation added a Citation II, King Air 200 and King Air 90 to its charter fleet based at Flying Cloud Airport near Minneapolis. The Citation II and King Air 200 are configured to carry eight passengers and the King Air 90 can carry six passengers.
Back in the early days of metal aircraft, the height of aero style was aluminum skin burnished to a mirror-like finish as displayed on such famous machines as the Lockheed Vega and Howard Hughes' H-1 Racer. But such beauty comes dearly, and constant care was required to maintain these glistening air vessels. Although polished metal has largely gone out of fashion for most aircraft these days, the quest for that brilliant shine -- a reflection of the aircraft owner's pride and joy -- remains.
Nelson Miller Program Director FAA/NASA Aviation Safety and Security, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City, N.J. A Ph.D. in Safety Engineering from Drexel University, Miller's career includes stints at Boeing Vertol where he worked on early tilt-rotor technology and developing aircraft arrestment hardware for the U.S. Navy. He joined the FAA Tech Center (then called NAFEC) in 1970 and has moved steadily up the research ranks.
Luton-based Harrods Aviation has won a two-year contract to handle all NetJets movements at the U.K. airport starting January 2006. Signature Flight Support holds the contract until then. ``We expect to jump to a 65-percent aircraft movements market share against Signature's 35 percent at Luton. Only five years ago we handled just 10 percent of all business aircraft movements here,'' said Managing Director Steve Grimes. He said his Luton market share should convert into 11,000 to 12,000 movements in 2006.
Few aircraft in the world have more avionics and systems integration than the Eclipse. Most aircraft that boast this level of integration actually have federated systems, collections of independent systems and avionics boxes that function like a union of independent member states.
FOR DECADES, MOST PILOTS have believed that they were allowed to share the cost of a flight with passengers without violating FAR Part 91. However, both the FAA and the NTSB have restricted this privilege far more than one might realize simply from reading the regulation.
Mooney Airplane Co. reported sales of $9.38 million for the quarter ended March 31, an increase of 162 percent over the first quarter 2004 sales total of $3.58 million. The company sold 20 airplanes in the first quarter this year compared with just seven in the same period last year, and noted that it does not record a sale until ``the airplane is paid in full and the airplane is delivered to the customer.''
C.C. ``Doc'' Dockery, a businessman and retired insurance executive from Lakeland, Fla., knows aviation, so he's probably a fractional provider's worst nightmare.
More than 9,000 pilots remain on furlough from the large scheduled airlines, but ``May will go down in the record books as the largest pilot-hiring month since 9/11,'' according to AIR, Inc., the Atlanta-based firm that tracks pilot-hiring trends. The industry added 1,215 pilots in that month, including 427 who joined national carriers and 339 who went to work for non-jet operators. Two of the four major fractional aircraft providers hired a total of 42 pilots in May, raising the number of pilots added during the first five months of the year to 249.
San Diego-based Sandel Avionics has opened an East Coast sales and support center at Concord Regional Airport, near Charlotte, N.C. Now with offices on both coasts, Sandel offers tech support to dealers, completion centers and OEM service centers from 8 a.m. Eastern through 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Tracie Bray and Britini Thompson were awarded the Jane Trammell Scholarship for 2005-2006 at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The award is granted annually to a student (first preference is given to a female) who has ``superior potential as a professional in aviation,'' among other qualities, and who is enrolled in an advanced aviation program. Archie Trammell created the scholarship in 1992 in honor of his wife, who was actively involved in aviation safety for 30 years. At one time, she was a special assistant to the editor-in-chief of B&CA.
Bombardier Inc., Montreal, announced the opening of a new Eastern U.S. sales operation for Bombardier Challenger and Bombardier Global business aircraft. Bill Monroe, vice president of sales, eastern United States, and Doug Smith, sales director, Mid-Atlantic territory, are now based in Baltimore.
SUMMER WAS UPON Southern California, and I was glad to be inside Western Helicopters' air-conditioned office with a phone in my ear, instead of being out there, flogging around in the hot smog.The gentleman calling sounded like a baritone cowboy and, having grown up in Texas, I found his easygoin' manner soothing. Turns out he was in the mining business and had an operation in northern Mexico.
Forecast International predicts that long-range business jets and very light jets (VLJ) will help drive a market for 10,900 business jets valued at $141 billion in the next 10 years. The market analyst said business jet production is heading into a period of growth that will last at least until 2014. The company's World Market for Business Jet Aircraft analysis, however, did caution that several factors could dampen the market's progress, such as tax and regulatory issues, potential new environmental requirements and airport access limits.
May 4 -- During a routine flight near Calabasas, Calif., a Sikorsky S-70A experienced a vibration when an APU door departed the aircraft and struck a main-rotor blade. An uneventful landing was performed and there were no reported injuries to the two pilots and two paramedics aboard.
NetJets Europe is investing upwards of $28 million in a new building to house its operations and administrative headquarters in Lisbon. The current 30,000-square-foot facility, in which the firm says it has invested some $300 million over the years, is being replaced, with staff moving into the new one in December. ``We're going into something with three times the capacity,'' says Lisbon-based Chief Operating Officer Dave Marcus. Current employment of about 350 people will increase by about 60 this year, and by a like amount annually in years to come, he says.
