A Beechcraft 1900D aircraft operated by Nepal’s Buddha Air crashed in the Kathmandu Valley on Sept. 25, killing all 19 people on board. Flight BHA-103 lost contact with the Tribhuvan International Airport tower in the capital of Kathmandu at 7:31 a.m. local time, soon after it had made a flight around Mount Everest. It crashed 4 min. later about 15 km (9.5 mi.) south of the airfield, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The twin turboprop plane was broken into pieces, and the rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather.
The Wichita Aero Club wants to ensure the world knows that the Midwestern city is still the air capital of the world. To that end, the club is creating a new logo that will be unveiled at the upcoming National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention. The old logo is dated, says club Executive Director David Franson. “We saw an opportunity had arisen, with an uptick in business aviation, and we wanted to take advantage of that,” he says.
Avfuel Corporation has expanded its branded dealer network to include Monterey Jet Center at California’s Monterey Peninsula Airport, providing the FBO with fuel and service solutions, as well as marketing and branding support. Monterey Jet Center’s facility includes 200,000 sq. ft. of hangar space with the ability to house aircraft up to the size of a DC-9. The 10-acre ramp can accommodate the largest corporate aircraft. A variety of amenities are available to pilots and passengers.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has become a member of the Air Charter Association of North America (ACANA), which was founded to foster the air charter industry by promoting best practices and educating consumers about the benefits of private aviation. “While ACANA membership includes leading Part 135 and Part 121 air carriers, it was originally founded for and continues to consist predominantly of air charter brokers,” says ACANA Chairman David McCown.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) is offering new interiors in its Beechcraft Baron and Bonanza airplanes. The new interiors are designed to improve cabin comfort and functionality, the company says, adding that features found in luxury automobiles inspired them. The interior upgrade includes an automatic climate control system and an LED external lighting package. New interior features will be phased into production in the second quarter of 2012.
GULFSTREAM Galaxy and Gulfstream 200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0646; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-224-AD; Amendment 39-16814; AD 2011-20-04] – Replace certain nuts and conduct a one-time radiographic inspection of certain airframe locations for cracked nuts, replacing any damaged nuts found. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the civil aviation authority of Israel, was prompted by the discovery of cracked nuts on the aircraft production line during a routine post-assembly inspection.
FAA will be “knocking on some of your doors very soon” seeking participation in a new aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) on aeronautical knowledge training and testing materials, says FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. FAA is forming the ARC to obtain recommendations on improving the materials. The effort is part of the agency’s five-year plan to transform GA safety, Babbitt says. “We don’t have all the answers for GA safety, so we need your help,” he says.
PIPER AIRCRAFT PA-23, PA-31 and PA-42 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0218; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-006-AD; Amendment 39-16820; AD 2009-13-06 R1] – Lubricate all nose baggage door latching and locking components and inspect for damage, wear, corrosion or non-conformity of these components. Replace life-limited components and install or inspect, as applicable, the nose baggage compartment placard. Verify that the baggage door key can only be removed from the lock while in the locked position.
The Harbin Aircraft Y12F, which has completed several test flights, is expected to achieve Chinese certification next September, according to Li Xiaodong, senior business manager for marketing of Harbin parent company Avicopter. The Y12F is substantially different from the Y12E model. The latest model has a new wing, with no external struts, and a new fuselage with a more spacious cabin that is 1.8 meters high and 1.9 meters wide. Li says earlier models of the Y12 had no overhead luggage bins, but the Y12F does along one side.
Opposition continues to grow against President Obama’s proposed $100 air traffic control per-flight fee as a grass-roots petition, “Take User Fees Off the Table,” generates thousands of signatures, dozens of mayors express their concerns about the user fee to the president and a cargo association estimates that the fee could cost its members $20 million.
DWAYNE WILLIAMS joined night-vision goggle specialist Aero Dynamix. He has 28 years of experience with Bell Helicopter Textron as an experimental test pilot, director of flight operations and chief pilot. He also has served as chief pilot for Heritage Aviation and MD Helicopters. His aviation career began as a warrant officer in the U.S. Army.
Representatives from 21 countries signed a declaration opposing the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The declaration, signed in New Delhi on Sept. 30, included representatives from North and South America, Asia and Africa, including the U.S., Japan, India, Russia, China, Argentina and the U.A.E.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has agreed to hear arguments Dec. 2 in a case brought by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to preserve the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. The organizations have asked the court to find that FAA acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” when it dramatically scaled back BARR.
Oct. 10-12—National Business Aviation Association 64th Annual Meeting and Convention, Las Vegas, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org Oct. 10-14—International Air Transport Association’s World Passenger Symposium, Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore, www.iata.org Oct. 11-14—Inter Airport Europe 18th International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design & Services, Munich Trade Fair, +44 (172) 781-4400, www.interairport.com Oct. 14-16—China International General Aviation Convention, Shannxi, China, www.cigac.blogspot.com
PIAGGIO P-180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1040; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-029-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to inspect the locking mechanism of the baggage door and ensure its proper adjustment, per the instructions of Piaggio Aero Industries Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 80-0289, Rev. 1 (dated Jan. 11, 2011).
Seven out of 10 of the U.K.’s business aviation airports saw departure increases year to date, according to new statistics from Eurocontrol. East Midlands posted the biggest increase (18.3%), going from 5.61 to 6.7 daily business aviation departures. Others posting gains included: Bournemouth, up 16.6%; London Oxford Airport, up 12.2%; and Biggin Hill, up 12.9%. Airports posting negative growth were: London City, down 10.2%; London Stansted, down 6.7%; and Edinburgh, 3.8%.
EMBRAER EMB-505 (Phenom 300) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0713; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-023-AD; Amendment 39-16810; AD 2011-20-01] – Replace the bolts that attach the balance mass weights to the elevator structure, per the instructions of Embraer Phenom Service Bulletin No. 505-55-0002 (dated Jan. 14, 2011). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the aviation authority of Brazil, is intended to eliminate free-play between the mass balance weight and the elevator structure.
Virgin Galactic is close to finalizing the initial flight crews for its space tourism and science operations. Three pilots will make up the first cadre of crew who will fly both the SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle and WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) mother ship. “There were 550 applicants and we downselected to the finalists this summer,” says Virgin Galactic President and CEO George Whitesides.
DENNIS GILLESPIE was appointed planning leader for HOK Aviation + Transportation Group. Gillespie will work with teams across HOK. He has 33 years of industry experience, including 10 at HOK, working on projects at New Doha International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport and Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco.
Vero Beach, Fla.-based Piper Aircraft is returning to Wichita on Oct. 7 to recruit local talent. The Wichita region—which proclaims itself as the “Air Capital of the World”—has lost more than 30,000 aviation jobs since the beginning of the severe downturn in business aviation in 2008, making it a ripe field for talent recruitment. Piper had its own round of furloughs in 2009 and 2010 as it right-sized production. But as things stabilized, the manufacturer visited Wichita in November 2010 to recruit workers.
Advanced Aircrew Academy has expanded its online course offerings to include Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training for aircraft maintainers and flight crews. The online training satisfies the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) requirement for Occupational Health and Safety (Chapter 13 of the IS-BAO standard).
General aviation jobs on the whole pay better than their airline counterparts, according to FAA’s recent study, The Economic Impact of Civil Aviation on the U.S. Economy. The study finds that the average annual earnings in the GA segment were $44,599, versus $38,415 for commercial aviation. But the commercial segment has categories—such as air couriers and travel arrangements—that bring down the overall commercial wage totals.
Arinc plans to set up a Russian office next year to tap growth in commercial and business aviation in that market. The aviation electronics specialist already has contracts with Russian airports and business jet operators for its infrastructure and inflight offerings. Andy Hubbard, vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says that although the market has long been of interest, a meeting with potential customers this year prompted Arinc to step up plans for its Russian office.
