Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. completed a second SJ30-2 airframe and moved it from the company's headquarters building where it was assembled to the structural test facility on the opposite side of San Antonio International Airport. The static test unit, which will be fitted with an extensive instrumentation package, is the second of five SJ30-2 airframes to be assembled for FAA certification testing. The No.
British Midland Commuter has converted four options for two Embraer ERJ 135s and two ERJ 145s with deliveries due in January and April 2002. This takes British Midland's firm orders for the ERJ 135 to four and ERJ 145 to 10. The airline holds six more options for the ERJ 145, taking the total contract value to $270 million. Its seventh ERJ 145 arrived in February.
Handcuffs and guard dogs greeted the passengers and crew of an Atlantic City-bound helicopter that mistakenly landed at a military airfield. In a report filed with NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, the pilot claimed that air traffic controllers suggested using the airfield (unnamed, but possibly McGuire AFB) because it was closer to the New Jersey city's casinos than the flight's original destination. The helicopter continued to land even after receiving no replies from the airport's control tower and witnessing ``many B-52 bombers . . .
Washington insiders knew the DOT was in for big changes when Norman Mineta took over as secretary (B/CA, March, page 97), but it's still a bit surprising how quickly the agenda there is being transformed. When the Bush administration's budget proposal went to Capitol Hill in early March it marked the first time in eight years that the White House wasn't trying to slap new user fees on the aviation community. The Clinton-Gore budgets had advocated several such schemes -- some calling for billions of dollars in additional charges on aviation users.
A new regional fractional ownership program serving the Southwest has begun operation, with ultimate plans to add the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 once the jet is certified. Dallas-based SevenBar, an SJ30-2 distributor, created the Ascend program with a pair of used Raytheon Beech King Air B200s. A one-eighth share in the King Air is priced at $287,500. Pricing for the Sino Swearingen jet has not been established. The SJ30-2 is currently undergoing flight testing and is expected to be ready for certification in 2002.
Executive Jet is giving a big boost to the aviation careers of Ohio State University students under the terms of a new ``educational partnership.'' The arrangement calls for creation of Executive Jet scholarships and grants, an accelerated flight training program for graduates and continued use of student interns at Executive Jet operations in Columbus, Ohio. EJA also has agreed to consider using products and services created by OSU students and faculty.
Belfort Instrumentation has released DigiWx, an automated local weather reporting system that can be queried by a handheld digital display unit for preflight and inflight use. Designed for installation at airparks, glider ports, seaplane bases, heliports and private airfields, DigiWx uses state-of-the-art sensors to provide real-time, aviation quality data that can be accessed by the handheld unit as far as 10 miles away. The DigiWx system can be customized to provide minimal or extensive weather information.
Wahl Instruments has introduced the DHS110 Heat Spy series of compact, handheld, non-contact infrared thermometers. The six-by-two-inch unit has a temperature range from 0F to 850F and can display in either the Fahrenheit or Celsius scale. The unit features a keypad-actuated backlight that aids the display in low light conditions and comes equipped with a laser-aiming beam for targeting. One nine-volt battery supplies power for the Heat Spy and the LCD indicates when the battery is running low.
The way turbine flight crews train is about to change to meet challenges presented by modern avionics and cockpit automation. All of the major training organizations and avionics manufacturers tell B/CA they now are immersed in efforts to develop new courseware, presentation methods and information distribution channels to meet customer desires to better understand the avionics and automation features of the airplanes they fly.
Columbia Air Services, located at Connecticut's Groton-New London Airport (GON), has opened a new FBO facility at Allaire Airport (BLM) in Belmar, N.J. The contract with BLM provides exclusive rights to the new FBO and fueling operation. Columbia said Bill Reber, manager of the GON facility, will oversee the management and transition of the Allaire facility. Columbia specializes in line services, maintenance, avionics, charter/management and aircraft sales, and recently was appointed the Northeast distributor for Socata Aircraft's TBM 700 turboprop.
Charlotte County Airport (PGD), Punta Gorda, Fla., tenants are in an uproar after a memorandum was issued by Director Fred Watts requiring a 20-gallon minimum fuel fill before a truck is dispatched to a hangar. At a recent board meeting, Lionel Schumann, a tenant, told attendees that the memo discriminates against aircraft that won't hold 20 gallons and it discourages owners from topping off their tanks.
Million Air at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey has received FAA authorization to add Raytheon Hawker, Dassault Falcon 50/900 and Canadair Challenger aircraft to its maintenance/repair certificate. Previous to the amendment, Million Air Teterboro had been approved to maintain Cessna, Gulfstream and Learjet aircraft.
Indigo, the Chicago Midway-based public charter operator, is planning a major fleet expansion even as the company responds to calls from a New Jersey congressman to shut down its Teterboro operation. Indigo Chairman, CEO and founder Matthew Andersson says Indigo is weighing bids from a handful of manufacturers for an initial order of 25 to 50 new jets with options for 50 additional aircraft. Indigo presently flies two daily roundtrips on weekdays between Midway and Teterboro with four Falcon 20s.
Jet Aviation at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport (TEB) has implemented a new software program called FOS/NT used to support the company's flight operations, charter and maintenance planning. The software is designed to quickly process customer requests and gives information such as charter quotes, crewmember availability, aircraft tracking, scheduling and costs.
British European has ordered 20 new Avro RJX-100 airliners from BAE Systems. Valued at more than $600 million, the deal includes firm orders for 12 of the 112-seat aircraft and options for eight more. The British regional carrier currently operates a fleet of 17 BAe 146s throughout Europe and the British Isles. RJX-100 flight testing is expected to begin this month, with certification and initial deliveries planned for the first and second quarters of 2002, respectively.
The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) has warned President Bush that ``a devastating shortage of certificated and experienced maintenance technicians is looming.'' In a March letter to Bush, PAMA urged a number of education and liability changes to improve ``this situation.'' Coincidentally, the General Accounting Office -- Congress' investigative arm -- will study the potential ``bow wave'' of retirements and resulting labor shortage of aviation maintenance technicians. Acting at the request of Rep.
Several training companies conduct programs designed to put pilots -- some beginning with zero time -- into the right seats of regional turboprops and jets largely, and often entirely, at the trainees' expense. While such ventures are not new, the ``pay-for-training'' (PFT) concept is an issue that has divided the pilot community.
Stevens Aviation, Greenville, S.C., has named Christopher Crum as its president and chief operating officer. Prior to Stevens, Crum served as vice president of Garrett Aviation's Houston facility, and was responsible for overseeing the maintenance, modification and refurbishment activities.
-- Historical CFIT risk from 1984 to 1994 (no GPWS), 30 million departures with 22 losses, is one CFIT accident for every 1.3 million departures. -- Post-GPWS operation with 24 million departures, there has been one loss, demonstrating a CFIT risk of one CFIT accident for every 24 million departures, a reduction in CFIT risk of 18 times since GPWS introduction. -- Aircraft fitted with EGPWS will further reduce the CFIT risk by another 100 times or one CFIT accident every 250 million departures.
ExecuJet Australia has been named an approved foreign repair station by the FAA. The Sydney-based company received its certification after international field officers from the FAA completed inspection of the facility and procedures manual. ExecuJet Australia's managing director, Ian Vanderbeek, said the approval was crucial to the company's strategy of tapping into the maintenance and repair service for the large number of corporate aircraft that visit the region. In addition Bombardier Aerospace has named ExecuJet Australia as an authorized service and sales facility.
Faced with mounting delays, the FAA is accelerating efforts to redesign the airspace around the New York and Phila- delphia metropolitan areas. Under the system being contemplated, aircraft will rely mainly on their onboard FMSes for navigation, and less on ground-based navaids and fixes. Satellite positioning systems including Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast (ADS-B) also are expected to gain new importance. This technology will permit additional routes to be placed closer together than now.
Airport peak-hour pricing proposals are gaining momentum in Washington, D.C. as government officials grapple with ways to ease growing congestion in the nation's airways. A number of industry economists and analysts recommended allowing the nation's most crowded airports to charge higher prices for takeoffs and landings during the busiest times of the day. This concept apparently has begun to gain support from some senior Washington officials, including Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).
Europe's newest airport, Eleftherios Venizelos at Spata, near Athens, Greece, due to open on March 1, was delayed until March 28 after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and airline representatives expressed grave doubts about the airport's land-side infrastructure.
