Latest from Gordon Gilbert
FBOs
New FBO at London City includes expanded ramp
London City Airport will hold the official opening of its new business aviation center on May 31.
Accidents
All survive King Air crash into roof of Reno building
The airplane was destroyed, but the pilot and five passengers escaped serious injury March 13 (no, it wasn’t a Friday) when their King Air E90 crashed into
Avionics
Collins Pro Line 21 certified in Challenger 601
Rockwell Collins received certification for a retrofit of its Pro Line 21 avionics suite in the Challenger 601.
Avionics
Jepp chart/moving-map display STC'd in GIV/IV-SP
Gulfstream Aerospace received an STC for the installation of the Northstar Technologies Flight Deck Organizer in the GIV and GIV-SP.
Maintenance and Modifications
Jet Aviation Singapore to do Learjet RVSM mods
Learjet 30-series jets operating in the Pacific Rim can have RVSM mods performed by Jet Aviation Singapore.
Accidents
Incident started with wrong word, not wrong squawk
According to the AOL Time Warner flight department, it wasn’t a hijack code that was mistakenly squawked (AIN, December 2001, page 10<
Petitions cast doubt on Czech OEM merger
A bankruptcy court judge in the Czech Republic last month granted bankruptcy petitions filed by several creditors against Moravan Airplanes and Libor Soska
Accidents
King Air gear collapse kills Texas mechanic
Don Judy, a mechanic for Addison (Texas) Airport-based DFW Aero Mechanix, was killed last month when the landing gear of a King Air 200 apparently collapse
FBOs
Delayed Opening for Conroe, Texas FBO
Construction of Wing Aviation, which started last September at Montgomery County Airport in Conroe, Texas, is now slated to finish in the fall instead of t
Charter & Fractional
Buffett gives highs and lows of his bizav units
Insight into the competitive performances of FlightSafety International and Executive Jet can be found in a candid and personal letter by Berkshire Hathawa
Aircraft
Sovereign prototype well into flight testing
The Citation Sovereign, Cessna’s newest aircraft, had completed 15 test flights at press time since its first flight on February 27.
Charter & Fractional
Sky obscured over financing of Nimbus/Eclipse 500 mega-deal
In early February the Nimbus Group of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., announced it had received a “commitment” for $1.2 billion to finance its previously disclosed
Accidents
Helo air-tour crash was fourth fatal for Papillon
The fatal crash of an Aerospatiale AS 350 at the Grand Canyon on August 10 was the fourth fatal accident of a Papillon Helicopters tour flight since Septem
Aircraft
U. of N. Dakota will help train Eclipse 500 pilots
Eclipse Aviation introduced an in-house mandatory training program for customers of its Eclipse 500 very light twinjet, which includes pilot qualification
Training and Workforce
MedAire, ASU offer altitude chamber training
Altitude chamber training is now being offered by MedAire at Arizona State University.
Engines
P&WC launches e-business supplier portal
Pratt & Whitney Canada last month launched an e-business supplier portal designed to share information in real time with the Longueuil, Quebec, company
ATC
Honeywell's Johnson warns of inefficiencies in NAS
Honeywell Aerospace president and CEO Robert Johnson, speaking to the Society of Automotive Engineers World Aviation Congress early last month in Phoenix,
Regulations and Government
Blakey sees challenge to safety as traffic increases
Addressing some 1,000 delegates at the 11th annual Airports Council International conference last month, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey emphasized safety,
Safety
Sixth annual Safety Standdown draws 200
More than 200 pilots and other crewmembers representing 94 different business aircraft operators attended Bombardier’s sixth annual Safety Standdown, held
Starlite opens Fort Lauderdale catering facility
Starlite Aviation Catering has opened a facility in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,“just minutes from Hollywood International Airport.” It is the first major expans
Aircraft
Goodrich Hella Lighting picked for Global 5000
Bombardier chose Goodrich Hella Aerospace Lighting Systems to provide LED technology for internal and external lighting on the new Global 5000.
Charter & Fractional
Nimbus eyes Adam 700, quashes merger plan
Nimbus Group is now looking at the recently announced Adam 700 very light twinjet for its proposed affordable nationwide jet-taxi network.
Regulations and Government
Cessna responds to Encore pressurization problem
In response to a problem of water freezing inside the Citation Encore’s emergency pressurization valve, Cessna next month will issue a Service Bulletin (SB
Regulations and Government
Challenger 800 corporate shuttle makes China debut
Bombardier Aerospace and Beijing-based China Ocean Aviation Group have introduced a new Challenger 800 corporate shuttle into service in the People’s Repub
Regulations and Government
STC for Sabreliner 65 non-OEM RVSM package
Avmats of Chesterfield, Mo., has received RVSM STC group approval for Sabreliner 65s.
Regulations and Government
Avanti earns RVSM in Canada, FAA to follow
Transport Canada has approved the Piaggio Avanti to operate in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace in Canada.
Engines
Another Gulfstream hush kit close to STC
Miami-based Quiet Technologies said the FAA now has all the test data, and the company expects to receive an STC for its Gulfstream II/III Stage 3 hush kit
Charter & Fractional
Brazilian frax helicopter operator adding jets
HeliSolutions, the fractional helicopter provider in São Paulo, Brazil, has started a fractional jet company called JetSolutions, according to HeliSolution
Maintenance and Modifications
Raytheon offering up to 90 percent off some parts
Through the end of the month, Raytheon Aircraft Parts Inventory and Distribution Co.
