2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Ian J. Twombly

The FAA recently issued Advisory Circular (AC) 91-78, which clarifies that electronic charts, whether obtained through installed or portable display, are l

FAA Clarifies Electronic Chart Policy

AIN Staff

The good news about the proliferation of new high-altitude airplanes–turbocharged piston or turbine–is that they offer users the chance to experience the i

What to do when the air runs out

An easy day of flying is not hard to define.

Tough Approaches

Few things can make or break a flight as thoroughly as catering.

Catering: Special Report

Curt Epstein

Albuquerque-based very light jet maker Eclipse Aviation delivered on a plan devised seven years ago when the company put one of its early production aircra

Eclipse auctions first very light jet

Matt Thurber

Of all the subsegments of the general aviation market, the turboprop field is the only one not experiencing an increase in new development.

New Turboprops

James Polehinke, copilot and sole survivor of last year’s crash of Comair Flight 5191 on takeoff from the wrong runway at Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, Ky

Comair Crash Survivor Sues Plenty of Parties

Gulfstream’s more spacious rework of the Westwind-derived G100, the G150, received EASA certification last month.

G150 Earns EASA Certification

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey will become president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) when her term as head of the agency ends Septem

Administrator Blakey to lead AIA

When NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker asked two of his Safety Board compatriots–both erstwhile airline pilots–whether they ever took off into “a black hole,” bo

Crew confusion contributed to Kentucky takeoff accident

AIN this week participated in a demonstration of new technology aimed at preventing runway incursions, where Honeywell’s airborne TCAS uni

Tech Team Demos Incursion-prevention Technology

Denver-based Air Methods has reached a definitive agreement to acquire all the stock of FSS Airholdings, the parent company of medical helicopter provider 

Air Methods Acquires CJ Systems

Get ready to light the candles, Atlanta: NBAA will be celebrating 60 years of annual meetings and conventions, as well as the 100th anniversary of powered 

NBAA Preview

the surprises started early at this year’s EAA AirVenture show, better known simply as “Oshkosh.” The night before the show’s official opening on Monday Ju

EAA AirVenture 2007

At EAA AirVenture, Epic Aircraft’s single-engine Victory jet made its first public appearance.

Epic considers engine choices 

Daryl Murphy

Gore Design Completions received its first Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) for completion early last month.

With first A320 in house, Gore readies for bigger projects

As a result of the Comair Flight 5191 crash in Lexington, Ky., the NTSB issued five safety recommendations to the FAA this week in an effort to mitigate ai

Kentucky Crash Spawns NTSB Recommendations

Montreal-based flight simulator manufacturer and operator CAE announced last month it will acquire flight-safety company Flightscape in a deal worth approx

CAE To Buy Software Company Flightscape

The Transportation Department’s inspector general told the House aviation subcommittee in July that possible extensions to the durations of medical certifi

DOT urges FAA to review medical certification process

Mark Huber

The July 27 fatal midair of two television news helicopters over Phoenix has prompted the industry and federal regulators to re-examine the sector’s operat

Midair sparks debate about current ENG procedures

Overall deliveries of Bombardier business jets in the six months ending July 31 declined slightly to 99 aircraft from 101 in the same period last year, the

Bombardier Bizjet Shipments Drop Slightly

Five people perished on August 5 when their King Air E90B crashed on departure from Ruidoso Airport in New Mexico.

Medical Flight Claims Five Lives

If you are thinking of starting a business aviation charter or management company, consider sending as many of your company’s managers as possible to Conkl

Tax course addresses needs of commercial operators

During a press conference this afternoon, soon-to-be-acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell and Vincent Capezzuto, the agency’s surveillance and broadcast

Huge FAA ADS-B Contract Awarded to ITT

Charles Alcock

Executive aircraft operator PrivatAir is preparing for a full launch of its Select Membership block charter program later this year in the U.S.

PrivatAir formally launches U.S. charter program

Jennifer Harrington

The business jet market is doing well at the moment, with deliveries forecast to reach an all-time annual high of 1,200 by next year, but analysts at the 1

Aircraft acquisitions seminar

The day after the FAA held a meeting with more than 40 industry leaders to discuss runway safety, two jets–a Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet Boeing 737 a

Incursions Keep Occurring Despite Safety Focus

Gregory Polek

A Fayette County (Kentucky) Circuit Court judge ruled last month that Comair may not sue Lexington Blue Grass Airport for the crash of a Bombardier CRJ200 

Judge Rules Blue Grass Immune

John Sheridan

It may sound unreal, but it seems likely that future pilots could use a takeoff checklist sequence that reads “V1, rotate, V2, gear, climb power, check NOx

Emissions rules likely to take center stage at ICAO conference

Six professional engineering societies jointly presented the Elmer A.

EMAS Developers Get Sperry Award

After purchasing Landmark Aviation and Standard Aero from The Carlyle Group on August 1, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) announced that it is selling a di

DAE seeks buyer for Landmark’s FBO group

Charter/management company North American Jet (NAJ) flew the first revenue passenger flight in an Eclipse 500 VLJ on August 17.

First Eclipse Charter Flight Takes Off

With Congress out of town for its “summer district work period,” there was little action on the FAA’s reauthorization bill, and the nagging question of how

Time runs short for Congress to agree on FAA funding plan

The FAA issued a special condition fire-extinguishing requirement for the Adam Aircraft A700.

Special Conditions for A700 Fire Bottles

Although the second quarter of this year raised the order backlog at Hawker Beechcraft to a company record $5.1 billion, roughly double what it was at the 

Hawker Beechcraft Numbers Mixed for 2Q

Fractional operator Avantair, which flies the P180 Avanti II exclusively, said last month that it is partnering with carbon offset company TerraPass.

Avantair To Offer Carbon Offsets

After a year-and-a-half-long court battle, maintenance-tracking provider Camp Systems International and Gulfstream Aerospace signed a cross-licensing agree

Camp Systems, Gulfstream Settle Dispute

Grounded Jetstream 32/Saab 340 operator RegionsAir filed suit last month against the federal government for breach of contract and seizing property without

RegionsAir won’t go down without a fight 

The FAA completed validation flights last month for DayJet’s fleet of 12 Eclipse 500s, bringing the company one step closer to launching the first fully di

DayJet awaits first ‘digital’ operating OK

In an unusual display of harmony, leaders of 18 aviation associations signed a letter to President Bush asking that he appoint a new FAA Administrator to t

Alphabets Ask for No FAA Recess 

The Alerts (aircraft logging and event recording for training and safety) system, designed jointly by Appareo Systems and Bristow Group subsidiary Air Logi

New Inertial Sensor Now Available for Helos

Andrew Wood

A study commissioned by the NGATS Institute on behalf of the FAA’s JPDO and prepared by the advanced engineering and sciences division of ITT determined th

eLoran named best backup for satnav

Bombardier continued its deliberate penetration of South and Central America last month with an order from Mexico’s AeroLineas MesoAmericanas (ALMA) for a 

Bombardier Logs CRJ, Q400 Orders

The Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) is gaining momentum, president and CEO Rich Gage announced at the association’s annual general meeting in

CBAA expands services for Canadian operators 

While the FAA was in the process of reducing the size and shape of the Washington, D.C.

Security changes ahead for general aviation

Embraer’s second-quarter profit fell considerably as the Brazilian manufacturer struggled to keep pace with its record backlog.

Embraer’s Profit Falls Sharply in 2Q

In a preliminary report on the July 10 crash of a Cessna 310R in Sanford, Fla., the NTSB said it could find “no obvious pre-impact mechanical malfunctions”

NTSB: No Clear Problems in 310R Crash

Said by some to be flat on the canvas and awaiting only the referee’s count, the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) staged a

LABACE stages successful return

The NTSB has completed a majority of the on-site investigation into the August 16 fatal crash of a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver floatplane in Ketchikan

T-storms, Hail During Alaska Crash

Cheyenne owners now have an option for RVSM certification, in the form of a Jettech kit available for all Cheyenne 400LS models equipped with the Collins A

Jettech Makes Cheyenne RVSM-capable

Honeywell announced recently that it had won approval for its TPE331-12JR turboprop to be installed on the Cessna Caravan.

Honeywell TPE331-12JR OK’d for Caravan

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) increased the fees it charges for various services on July 1, but it also lowered some fees.

Australia Raises Service Fees

Mesa Air Group expected three of its Bombardier CRJ200s to enter service with the newly christened KunPeng Airlines by the end of this month.

Mesa Jets Fly above China

Ant farmers have a goal: keep the ant colony alive.

DayJet to take operations from the virtual world to the real one

Clearwater, Fla.

Op Technologies Now Owned by Aerosonic 

A new Information for Operators dealing with risk assessment was released last month, specifically focusing on how it relates to a safety-management system

FAA Releases Risk-assessment Tool 

Deliveries of both jets and turboprops were up again in the first half of this year, according to second-quarter numbers released by the General Aviation M

Jet, turboprop deliveries continue in earnest

Embraer gained FAA certification for the E195 last month, more than a year after it won certification for the 110-seat airliner from European and Brazilian

FAA Certifies E195

A Brazilian judge asked ExcelAire pilots Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino to return to Brazil to testify at the August 27 beginning of the trial on criminal 

ExcelAire Pilots To Remain in U.S. 

In response to a recent spate of aviation safety reports (ASRs) filed by pilots, New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport (TEB) could be in danger of losing one of i

Teterboro departure in jeopardy

In response to ongoing flight service complaints, the FAA recently established a hotline ([888] FLT-SRVC [358-7782]) to track and manage issues with Lockhe

FAA Opens FSS Complaint Line

Airports throughout Jamaica, Mexico and Belize were shut down at press time as Hurricane Dean plowed through the Caribbean and the Yucatan Peninsula.

Dean Halts Caribbean Travel

Embraer’s first Phenom 100 lands at the company’s main facilities at São Jose dos Campos, Brazil,&nbsp; following a certification test flight on August 6.

Phenom 100 flies

Inconsistencies between the Mitsubishi MU-2B elevator trim indicator scale dial and the elevator trim mechanical stop have prompted the FAA to issue an air

New Elevator Trim AD

The FAA last month released a final rule governing certification of transport-category (Part 25) airplanes for operation in icing conditions.

FAA Amends Appendix C in Icing Regulations

Cessna will offer a TKS “weeping wing” anti-icing system for the Cessna Grand Caravan beginning next March.

TKS Anti-Icing Replaces Caravan Boots

Flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) programs are finally seeing application in business aviation, and in early February the Altria flight departmen

FSF demo brings airline safety system to bizav

AgustaWestland has delivered two helicopters–one AW109 Power light twin and one AW139 medium twin–to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

AgustaWestland Delivers to China

Each year the Bush Administration tries to slash funding for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, and each year it fails, thanks in no small part to ad

Communities getting lost in Essential Air Service shuffle

Thierry Dubois

Several French-based companies, universities and local authorities have joined forces in a project to reduce helicopter support costs by 30 percent.

French project aims to reduce costs for helicopter operators

The Eurocopter EC 145 has received the first certification for night vision goggle- aided civil operations.

EC 145 gets European OK for civil NVG operations

The U.S.

GAO Finds Few Concerns with Growth of VLJ Market

Sikorsky announced that the FAA has cleared the S-92 to take off and land in crosswinds up to 35 knots, versus the previous 20-knot limitation, and to carr

Sikorsky Betters S-92 Dispatch Rate

Indian-based manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) is making progress toward European certification of its Dhruv light-twin helicopter.

HAL Dhruv inches toward 2009 European certification

Mary F. Silitch

Jean-Paul Herteman has been named chairman and CEO of the Safran supervisory board.

People in Aviation: September 2007

Eurocopter this summer unveiled two modernized facilities at Donauwörth, its main German industrial site.

Eurocopter Upgrades German Sites

For many years, the one market segment that General Electric’s turbine engine-manufacturing business didn’t serve was aircraft that use smaller turboprop e

GE Targets T-Prop Market with Walter Buy

Sikorsky Aircraft has successfully ground tested fly-by-wire (FBW) technology that will debut on 28 H-92s slated for delivery in 2009 to Canadian military 

Canadian S-92s Will Fly by Wire 

Customers flying to Eurocopter’s Donauwörth training center and customer service facility in Germany now benefit from a helicopter-dedicated airspace layou

New heliport aerospace in Donauwörth

Northrop Grumman now owns 100 percent of Mojave, Calif.-based Scaled Composites.

Northrop Grumman Seals Scaled Composites Deal

Air Methods’ products division has been selected by American Eurocopter to provide medical interiors, avionics and airframe accessories for the AS 350 and 

American Eurocopter Chooses EMS Interior Provider

The AgustaWestland/Bell/Lockheed Martin VH-71 made its first flight July 3 in Yeovil, UK.

Development hurdles ahead for future presidential helicopter

The Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a new technology initiative that will provide enhanced surveillance, and thereby improve access, to 

Enhanced ATC surveillance coming to Colorado airports

Bernard Fitzsimons

Police and emergency services helicopters have undergone a dramatic metamorphosis since the mid-1980s, evolving from the equivalent of the Sopwith Camel to

Evolving surveillance technology keeps police helos one step ahead

The leadership of Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) is collapsing under the pressure of international criticism.

Brazilian Aviation Agency Losing More Leaders 

The Miami branch of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CPB) Office of Air and Marine has taken delivery of two AgustaWestland AW139s.

Customs Takes Two AW139s 

This summer a Eurocopter EC 155 all-weather demonstrator performed satellite-guided precision approach tests in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of a researc

Euro program tests satellite vertical guidance for helo steep approaches

Australia’s Civil Aviation Authority (CASA) has grounded several Cessna 441 Conquest II turboprops, citing the potential for in-flight structural failures 

High-time Cessna Conquest IIs Grounded Down Under

Fractional share operator Avantair opened its second FBO, in Camarillo, Calif., on August 6.

Avantair expands its FBO network to California

Dassault Falcon announced last month a multi-year expansion at its Wilmington, Del.

Delaware Center Expands To Meet Falcon Demand

The head of the 14,000-member air traffic controllers union said last month that the FAA is trumpeting the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextG

NextGen Press Obscures ATC Woes

Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian, Wellsville, Mo., June 28, 2007 – All three occupants of the Meridian were killed when it broke up in fl

Preliminary Report: Meridian breaks up in flight

Mitsubishi MU-2B-35, Argyle, Fla., Sept.

Final Report: MU-2 suffered in-flight breakup during storm

Content Archive: August 2007

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