The NBAA has launched Operation Heritage -- a fundraising drive to support a business aviation presence at the Smithsonian's proposed National Air and Space Museum facility at Dulles Airport in Virginia. NBAA members are being encouraged to make corporate and personal donations to the program, which it says will help preserve business aviation's history. The NBAA will match personal contributions up to $500,000. It sponsored and spearheaded Business Wings -- a business aviation exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. -- which closed in June.
A new airline has launched service between Finland and Estonia using Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopters. Copterline, a subsidiary of Finland's Copter Action, operates the 18-minute flights once hourly in each direction. According to Sikorsky, there are now five airlines operating scheduled service with S-76 variants, including Sweden's Helikopter Service AB, Alidaunia of Italy, East Asia Airlines of Macau and Canada's Helijet Airways.
Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet 200 series (CRJ) received type certification from Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau. The Fair, Inc., a start-up regional, plans to inaugurate the country's first CRJ service this summer with two used aircraft and has ordered two aircraft for delivery in 2002. Japan Airlines subsidiary J-Air also has orders for two CRJ 200 series aircraft, with options for three additional aircraft. The aircraft are planned for domestic routes in Southern Japan.
The FAA has proposed a $95,000 fine against Grand Aire Express for maintenance discrepancies. The action comes just a month after the FAA hit the Toledo-based operator with a $195,000 fine for maintenance-related transgressions. FAA records allege that Grand Aire maintained a Fairchild Metroliner without reference to required maintenance manuals, and operated 41 subsequent flights with a broken intercom rocker switch. Grand Aire has 30 days to respond to the FAA's latest action. In most cases of this type, the two parties settle on a greatly reduced penalty.
Space-Ray has introduced a new gas-fired infrared tube heater designed to provide heating for large workspaces, such as hangars and warehouses. According to the manufacturer, the new ETU200 has a 200,000 BTU/hr capacity with reported energy savings of up to 50 percent over forced air heating. The unit is available in natural gas and propane models and features manual temperature control, safety shutoff control and is built to continue operating even in strong wind gusts. Price: $1,300 to $1,800 Space-Ray 305 Doggett St.
Cessna's Citation CJ2 mock-up has embarked on a 60-day 16-city European tour, culminating at the Farnborough Air Show later this month. The mock-up includes a fully functional cockpit as well as a full-size cabin. The tour is an advance of actual CJ2 demonstrators, which are expected to begin flying in the fall.
Atlantic Coast Airlines and Atlantic Coast Jet have selected 14 University of North Dakota aerospace students and graduates as interns. Once the students have accumulated 600 hours total time and completed their internships they are guaranteed job interviews with the carriers.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Carol J. Carmody for the NTSB for a five-year term while current member John Goglia was approved for a second term. Carmody has extensive experience in aviation regulation and legislation, including service with the Air Transport Association, ICAO, the Senate Commerce Committee and the FAA, where three of her 11 years were spent as deputy director for congressional services. Goglia, the first mechanic to serve on the NTSB, remained with the agency since the expiration of his first term. His new term expires on December 31, 2003.
Flying at 0.8 to 0.9 Mach will put business travelers in the slow lane in the 21st century, say supersonic business jet (SSBJ) proponents. As a result, Boeing, Dassault and Gulfstream, among other business aircraft manufacturers, have been studying the feasibility of launching an SSBJ for the past several years. An SSBJ, traveling at speeds approaching 2.0 Mach, potentially could shave flight times by almost 50 percent on the most frequently flown long-distance trips.
Prolonged sitting, whether in the cockpit or passenger cabin, can strain back muscles, cause lower back pain and restrict movement of your spine. A Vermont physician has created a device to prevent or limit lower back problems. BackCycler relies on an inflatable airbag to keep your lower back in motion using ``continuous passive motion.'' The subtle movements created by the BackCycler help exercise the back and reduce fatigue. BackCycler is available for virtually all business and general aviation aircraft. Price: $350 to $550 per seat
As a result of a reorganization of its aerospace business, the company has named Jack Carmola president of the new engine and safety systems group and Michael Piscatella president of the electronic systems group. The company also appointed John Grisik president of the landing systems group and Bud Wetzler is now president of the aerostructures and aviation services group.
Skyjet.com, a Web-based air charter booking service, has introduced MySkyjet, a new online auction for empty legs. The new service allows operators to post empty legs and solicit bids for the segments. As with other online auctions, the seller can determine a minimum acceptable price for the service. Customers also can post proposed itineraries on which operators can place bids. Skyjet says 235 charter companies operating more than 1,300 aircraft participate in its online booking system.
The House Aviation Subcommittee has launched a probe of the government's Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airline flights to small communities that lack the traffic needed to justify profitable service. While EAS funding has nearly doubled over the past five years, the number of communities benefiting from the flights has decreased, and passenger loads have slipped as well.
A funny thing happened in Washing-ton recently. Somebody actually came up with an idea to advance the science and art of aviation instead of a scheme to restrict flying. Specifically, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin asked Congress to give the agency $69 million over the next five years to fund a research initiative called the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), an effort to inspire a combination of high-tech and low cost in a new generation of flying machines. NASA, the White House and Congress have been justifiably criticized for
The McGraw-Hill Cos.' Aviation Week and The International Herald Tribune (IHT) have agreed to jointly produce news from the world's major air shows for the newspaper's worldwide readership. Under the terms of the agreement, Aviation Week's Show News reporters will compile air show news to be published in the IHT. Shows slated for coverage include this month's Farnborough International Air Show, future Paris and Singapore Air Shows and the annual NBAA convention.
European regional carrier Tyrolean Airways will install Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics' Head-up Guidance System (HGS) in its fleet of 12 Bombardier Dash 8-300 aircraft. The airline already operates eight HGS-equipped CRJs.
For 1999, Business Week magazine selected the best-performing companies from the S&P 500 index based on eight factors: total return for 1999, total return for three prior years, sales growth for 1999, sales growth for three prior years, profit growth for 1999, profit growth for three prior years, net margin for 1999 and return on equity for 1999. To select the best performing companies, Business Week combined scores for the eight factors, and added a weighting for sales volume to come up with the following results.
TAG Aviation has selected MedAire to train its pilots to cope with inflight medical emergencies. MedAire will teach the pilots CPR, automated external defibrillator use and crew resource management. The coursework will be a standard part of TAG's initial and recurrent pilot training. MedAire plans to expand its MedLink telemedicine center in Phoenix. Based in the emergency room of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, the call center responds to reports of inflight medical emergencies and other health-related inquiries from aviation providers.
Naples, Italy-based VulcanAir has re-launched the venerable Partenavia P68C piston twin, an effort that will see new-build aircraft touring the U.S. air show circuit this summer. VulcanAir intends to build both the standard P68C and the Observer 2 (Police Package) variant, and says it is moving forward with development of two entirely new designs.
