Hide/Show Archive Navigation.

All News

October 18, 2006

Everything Back On Hold At Mesaba

Judge Postpones Strike Decision

The bankruptcy judge reviewing Mesaba's motion to block a strike by its workers has postponed his decision.

Sets Price At $3.65 Million

Big news from Honda at NBAA. The company says its now accepting orders for its unconventional HondaJet.

Embraer’s Phenom 100 Jet Will Allow Avantair To Expand Product OfferingS

Avantair has placed an order for 20 Phenom 100 executive jets from Embraer. Avantair’s firm contract has an order value of $57 million at list price in January 2005 economic conditions. The Phenom 100 is expected to enter service in mid-2008 and Avantair is scheduled to take delivery of its first aircraft in June 2009.

ARINC Direct has disclosed that it will provide popular Inmarsat Swift satellite communications services directly for operators of corporate jet aircraft equipped with any brand of Swift capable hardware, effective immediately. The offering includes Swift64, Swift128, and Swift256 services priced significantly below industry reseller rates.

Raytheon has just delivered the 500th Beechcraft King Air 350 in a special ceremony at the 2006 National Business Aviation Association convention. The customer, Spartan Chemical, has owned a King Air C90, a King Air 200 and this will be their fourth King Air 350.

An Ol' Dawg's New Tricks

Do your Flight Crews or Maintenance Technicians require Recurrency Training? At the NBAA Convention in Orlando Florida, Jeppesen demonstrated its new web-based, flight training system, and it has been developed with you in mind. Currently there are 7 modules containing 24 lessons on over 60 topics. Training modules include aviation weather, performance, charts and navigation, airport operations, regulations, flight procedures and human factors. What Jeppesen offers to their customers is quality classroom training without the classroom time.

US, EU Have Temp Info Sharing Agreement

US Officials Say It's Model Of Cooperation

The US and European Union (EU) finally have deal. After months of haggling over details, European airlines are now allowed to share passenger information with US law enforcement officials -- legally.

Part 135 Operators Can Keep A Full Belly

Part 135 Operators know how costly it is to have an "empty-leg" mission. To get the most return on their investment, these folks want to have their aircraft in the air and carrying passengers. Enter OneSky Jets. It has found a niche market for itself in the private jet sector. The company's mission is to bring together the Part 135 Operators with their potential clients and it is all done over the internet.

Radomes Will Have 'Outstanding' Protection From Elements'

Smaller jets, by nature, tend to land and take off more often than their larger brethren. That means they spend a greater ratio of their flight time climbing and descending through rain and hail, and their radomes often take the brunt of the beating. Saint-Gobain Flight Structures has told Aero-News they have agreed to supply their nearly indestructible radomes to two aircraft companies whose planes will do a lot of this kind of flying: Adam Aircraft, and Embraer.

Enhancements Provide New Capabilities and Added Safety

Garmin tells ANN that they have added significant enhancements to their all-glass, G1000 integrated avionics suite. These upgrades simplify operation, enhance situational awareness and increase safety during flight and when taxiing. Garmin's FliteCharts, ChartView, and SafeTaxi are on display at Garmin's exhibit (#2853) at the NBAA Convention in Orlando, Florida.

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 10.18.06

Piper rocks NBAA with unveiling of PiperJet...
Airbus outsells Boeing in at least one segment this year...
And Raytheon is still making GA airplanes... really!

ANN Daily Touch-And-Go: 10.18.06

Piper rocks NBAA with unveiling of PiperJet...
Airbus outsells Boeing in at least one segment this year...
And Raytheon is still making GA airplanes... really!

ANN Special Feature: Glass Panel Retrofit for King Air 10.18.06

Jim Campbell talks with Greg Plantz of S-Tec about a slick new glass panel retrofit for the King Air.

Cirrus Picks Williams FJ33 Series For 'The Jet'

Duluth Planemaker Plans Single-Engine Jet

While Cirrus is still staying mum on concrete details of their upcoming single-engine jet program, ANN has learned that Cirrus has selected an engine supplier. CEO Alan Klapmeier says Williams' FJ33 fills the bill perfectly for "The Jet" -- that's what Cirrus has been calling it since it doesn't have a name for its Personal Jet... yet.

Boeing Business Jets tells ANN that it already has a whopping seven orders for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 747-8. Undisclosed customers have ordered one 787-8, three 787-9 and three 747-8 airplanes specifically designated for the VIP market.

G150 Also Receives Group Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum Approval

Gulfstream's new G150 business jet has met Stage 4 noise requirements as set forth by ICAO. It is the first Gulfstream business jet to be certified by the FAA for Stage 4, the industry’s most stringent noise standards. Additionally, the G150 recently received group Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) approval.

Fuel Tank Deliveries Slow Program Progress

NASA may delay some or all of its scheduled 2007 launches. The space agency says despite the delays, it still plans five ISS construction missions.

Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW617F engine, selected to power the Embraer Phenom 100 very light jet (VLJ), has successfully completed its maiden flight on P&WC's Boeing 720 flying test bed (FTB), marking a significant milestone in its development program. The four-hour maiden flight achieved 20,000 feet and included a number of tests to assess the engine capabilities. Subsequent flights characterized the engine up to 41,000 feet.

Airbus Just Can't Catch A Break

Delays For A350 May Cost Sales

Is Airbus set to announce another program delay? We've all been watching as the European plane maker struggles to get the A380 program back on track, it's now two years behind schedule.

Beware Of Dual-Use Items

Here's another be-careful-what-you-put-in-your-carry-on-bag story.

The Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) has placed on order on an Enstrom 480B Guardian helicopter. The helicopter will be outfitted with an SX-5 searchlight, camera mounting system, and an oversized vertical sliding window. L.A. IMPACT's missions address a myriad of law enforcement challenges including organized crime, drug enforcement, and homeland security.

Aero-Tips!

Our review of the FAA's "Top 10" causes of pilot-error accidents (which in turn comprise over 70% of all mishaps) comes to the next cause category: improper level-off.

Aero-Linx!

Hero recognition. Flight attendants, air crew, ground crew, law enforcement agents are some of the possible nominees.

Aero-News Quote of the Day "Oh crap, it's almost midnight and we don't have a quote!" Source: ANN Associate Editor James Aronovsky after visiting nearly 5,000 exhibits at the NBAA event and wading though 4,999 press releases. Lisa Kondrick, contributing reporter, perked up and said, "why, that's the quote of the day right there!"