Many medical experts, among them, MedAire's Garrett, believe that the risk of infection from dangerous pathogens is increased when loaded aircraft remain sealed up on the ground for extended periods of time, as ventilation systems don't reach full efficiency until engines are spooled up. Under this condition -- which is becoming more common as ATC delays mount -- the aircraft interior can become a breeding ground for infectious diseases -- or as one physician, Dr. Richard Dawood, has termed it, ``a giant bell jar.''
While the politicians took aim at Delta, Westchester County Airport (HPN) saluted corporate operators complying with the noise restrictions. The Olin Corp. and US Tobacco were recognized for achieving the lowest average sound level among operators at the airport's annual Spirit of Noise Abatement award ceremony. Olin received the award for a single aircraft -- a Cessna Citation X -- while US Tobacco received the fleet award for its pair of Challengers.
Atlanta-based Epps Aviation has added a Bombardier Learjet 31A to its charter fleet. The operator plans to add two additional jets by the end of the year, increasing the size of its charter fleet to nine aircraft.
When they were introduced on the McDonnell Douglas F15 fighter and British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde SST, brakes with carbon/carbon rotors demonstrated significant weight reductions below their steel counterparts and promised to double service life. As standard equipment on these early supersonic applications, carbon brakes seemed an appropriate high-tech solution to the problem of hauling around dead weight, with the added benefit of improved heat dissipation under hard braking conditions like rejected takeoffs.
The NTSB will relocate the wreckage of TWA Flight 800 from Long Island, N.Y., to the Board's new investigation training academy, which is being built at George Washington University's Loudon County, Va., campus. NTSB Acting Chairman Jim Hall said the new facility will address the ``increasing need for well-trained accident investigators'' both in the United States and abroad. The university already offers an Aviation Safety and Security Management Certificate Program and houses the DOT's Crash Analysis Center, which is adjacent to the site of the new NTSB facility.
Barfield, Miami, has promoted Frederic Denise to vice president of sales and marketing promotions. John Rogers, former director of sales, was promoted to vice president of customer support.
Galaxy Aero-space has selected Wellington, Fla.-based B/E Aerospace to design and manufacture seats for the Galaxy business jet. Delivery of the 16-g seats is slated to begin this month .
Pennsylvania lawmakers have formed a bipartisan committee to study the merits of privatizing Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). State House Majority Leader John Perzel (R-Philadelphia) asked the state to consider privatization after hearing about Atlanta's effort to turn Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport into a revenue-generator.
Tempus 2000, from Remote Diagnostics Technologies, is a remote medical monitoring kit designed to provide data to ground-based medical experts during an airborne emergency. The system is fully automated and provides EKG, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, temperature, respiration rate and breath analysis. A removable color screen guides crewmembers through the steps, and still video with hands-free integrated voice link allows them to interact with the ground medical units.
Nav Canada earned a $2 million profit on revenues of $909 million in the fiscal year ending August 31. Although the profit is down from last year, when ``excess of revenue over expenses'' reached $7 million, the company is still struggling to comply with its mandate to limit fee income to cover actual operating costs. Nav Canada is obligated to return excess revenues to users through reduced user fees and has proposed extending existing fee reductions through the end of 2001.
For the business aviation community the year 2000 was memorable for its economic solidity and expanding constituency. Aircraft manufacturers are reporting multibillion-dollar backlogs. Fractionals are growing at dizzying rates. Utilization is up across the board. Business aircraft operators are showing excellent returns. All in all, it's been a good year.
Super-cell thunderstorms and their associated convective activity often produce a range of hazardous weather including microbursts, tornadoes, hail and lightning -- all well known to pilots. They also produce gust fronts, lesser-known phenomena that, nevertheless, deserve attention from flight crews.
The FAA says the radio frequencies aircraft use to communicate with air traffic controllers and each other are nearing capacity, and industry demand could ``exhaust'' the system by the end of the decade. Several technological advancements could slow or even reverse this trend, the agency says, but the experts wonder if the improvements will reach the users before ``radio gridlock'' reaches crisis proportion.
Ladies and gentlemen, we'll have to ask at this time that you turn off all portable electronic devices including laptops, electronic games and cell phones. Once we're airborne and on our way, we'll let you know when you can turn your computers and electronic games back on. All cell phones must be turned off for the duration of the flight.''
Ranger Jet Center, Kissimmee, Fla., has named Judy Bennett to the position of flight support operations manager. Judy started her career in 1971 as a flight attendant for American Airlines and has eight years of experience in ground transportation services.
While most operators provide some form of warning to their passengers against the use of portable electronic devices, the perception of the potential problem and the specifics of the warnings do vary. As pilot Bill Capozzi of CitationShares in White Plains, N.Y., notes, ``I'm not aware of any PED interference problems on our aircraft. Most of the passengers we fly are fractional owners who fly frequently. They know to turn off their cell phones when we start the engines. We do allow laptops to be used during the en route portion of the flight.''
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has authorized funds for development at seven public-use airports in the commonwealth. Recipients include airports in Bedford, Berks, Blair, Elk, Erie, Montgomery and Westmoreland Counties for projects ranging from corporate hangar construction to terminal rehabilitation and sewage system design. The grants come on the heels of a recent study showing aviation's direct and indirect contribution to Pennsylvania's economy.
President Clinton has signed into a law a bill that gives the NTSB a major funding increase, prohibits the disclosure of cockpit voice or video recordings, and allows the Safety Board to more easily volunteer its services to foreign governments. The law also creates the position of chief financial officer at the NTSB, with oversight for waste, fraud and abuse by the DOT's inspector general. Additionally, the NTSB now is free to create an overtime pay schedule independent of the rest of the government.
The NBAA is close to a decision on a possible extension of its annual meeting and convention from three days to four days in 2001. The convention is scheduled to take place in New Orleans on September 18-20, although seminars and other events typically begin several days before the start of the show. According to an NBAA spokeswoman, the reasons behind a possible extension include the sheer size of the convention floor and a scheduling conflict with the Jewish high holy days, which prevented some members from attending this year.
