Eurocopter announces plans to build diesel helicopter [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
Diesel fuel is finally ready to take over the world. Sort of. Well, at least the friendly skies. Eurocopter, the largest producer of helicopters in the world, has announced plans to introduce a diesel-powered helicopter in a smaller-sized package within the next five years. Unlike the turbine engines that currently dominate helicopter use, Eurocopter is actually considering using piston engines that run on diesel fuel. To make that a reality, though, the company needs to shave some weight off of current diesel engines, as light weight is of paramount concern for helicopter use. The benefits, though, could be huge: "Specific fuel consumption is cut by 40 percent," Oliver Jouis, head of environmental affairs at Eurocopter told Wired. In addition to the obvious benefits of guzzling less fuel, Eurocopter says that diesels ?? buoyed by the addition of a turbocharger, as is usually the case with road-going diesels ?? would perform better at high altitudes that traditional turbines. One possibility is the innovative two-stroke, opposed-piston diesel from EcoMotors International.E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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House Aviation Subcommittee hears testimony on aircraft icing [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman on Wednesday gave testimony before the House Aviation Subcommittee, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, discussed the dangers of aircraft flying in icing conditions and highlighted longstanding Safety Board recommendations that have yet to be adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration to address the issue. Reducing the dangers of flying in icing conditions has been on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since 1997. Last week, the NTSB voted to keep the issue area, along with its four open recommendations to the FAA, on the 2010 Most Wanted List with a "red" classification. The red classification indicates an unacceptable response by the FAA."Although the NTSB relies on others to implement these recommendations, we have worked to educate the pilot community about some of the hazards associated with icing conditions through our Safety Alerts," Hersman said.In 1981, the NTSB published a report titled "Aircraft Icing Avoidance and Protection" and recommended the FAA review icing certification criteria. The special study followed a series of icing-related accidents where aircraft operating in icing conditions and the varying consequences that ice accretion had on different types of aircraft raised concern. In the 1990s the NTSB re-examined the issue of airframe structural icing and concluded that the icing certification process continues to be inadequate. The Board also became concerned about airplanes that fly in supercooled large droplet conditions and that used pneumatic boots to deice the aircraft in flight.  In the last decade, the Board has investigated more than 50 accidents involving aircraft icing, resulting in over 200 fatalities and it continues to investigate accidents where icing is a factor.In the last few years, the FAA has addressed some of the recommendations related to icing by issuing a number of final and proposed regulations.  However, not all of the NTSB's recommendations on icing have been addressed. Click here to read the full text of Chairman Hersman's testimony. E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Bell Helicopter acquires European avionics services firm [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
Bell Helicopter, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., has acquired Aviation Service, an avionics services firm based in Prague, for an undisclosed amount. Bell Helicopter said in a statement that the acquisition will help the company continue to meet the needs of its European customers and to more rapidly provide service support in the region. Aviation Service has an estimated annual revenue of about $14 million.??This facility provides us with the capabilities to meet the maintenance and modernization needs of Bell??s current European fleet of aircraft, while providing a foundation to accommodate future growth with local completion and customizing capability for new aircraft deliveries,? Bell President and CEO John L. Garrison said.E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Court rules against long-term protection of flight data [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced late last week that a District Court judge for DC has ruled that aircraft tail numbers submitted to the FAA for blockage from distribution to sources outside the FAA under NBAA??s Blocked Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program must be made available in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  The ruling does not permit the disclosure of real-time flight data, historical data, or operator names.  ??NBAA has long believed that security and other imperatives make it absolutely essential to protect our Members?? aircraft and flight information from being made widely available, which is why we created the BARR program,? said Bob Lamond, NBAA Director, Air Traffic Services and Infrastructure. ??Unfortunately, and in spite of our work to uphold the BARR program through every legal avenue available, the court has ruled the above information cannot remain permanently sealed.?  The BARR Program was established over a decade ago in response to recognized security concerns and competitive considerations. The program, which allows NBAA Members?? flight information to be concealed from release outside the FAA, came under challenge in December 2008 when an investigative-journalism organization filed a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request with the FAA seeking the tail numbers for aircraft which had been submitted to the FAA for blockage from public view.  Working with legal counsel, NBAA aggressively defended the confidentiality of the blocked tail numbers by filing an action with the District Court seeking a reversal of FAA??s determination to grant the FOIA request. After considering the matter for several months, on February 26, 2010, the court declined to overrule the FAA??s decision to release the blocked tail numbers. The court??s ruling does not impact real-time or historical data on BARR-concealed flights.  ??Obviously, NBAA views this as an unwise decision on the part of the court,? Lamond continued. ??Nevertheless, our legal counsel has advised us that further appeals on the matter would not likely be productive.? Lamond noted that although NBAA is unaware of what, if anything, the investigative-journalism organization intends to do with the information obtained through its FOIA request, operators with aircraft tail numbers included in the FAA Block List might be contacted by the news organization. In that event, NBAA is prepared to assist members in responding to such inquiries. E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Empire Aviation Group records 11% increase for January sales [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
The regional market for business jet charter is continuing to recover, according to Empire Aviation Group - which manages and operates the Middle East's largest mixed fleet of 21 business aircraft - after the company reported another month of strong charter demand in January 2010, with an 11 percent increase in charter sales. This follows a strong recovery in October-December (Q4) 2009, after charter bookings for the company dropped around 40 percent in the first half of 2009. The Middle East continues to dominate the charter market as the favoured point of departure to global destinations and also as a destination for clients, with the trend in the number of enquiries through brokers rising over the last 12 months, from its lowest level during the recession at the start of 2009.Paras Dhamecha, Executive Director , Empire Aviation Group, commented, "Empire Aviation Group operated charter flights to a variety of global destinations in January 2010, including the Far East, Africa, Maldives, South America, Afghanistan/Iraq, and the CIS countries. The number of enquiries, bookings and the flying hours of our fleet of business jets, increased significantly in Q4 2009, and 2010 has also started strongly." This includes a rise in the number of enquiries for 'block hours' from our corporate clients, who are flying similar routes more frequently and can benefit from advance purchase." According to the company, charter demand is a good indicator of the health of the overall private aviation sector: "This segment of our business allows us to showcase our aircraft and the benefits of business jet ownership," adds Paras Dhamecha. "Aircraft finance is becoming easier to obtain again and so the buying option is becoming realistic; and with aircraft values still depressed, there is an increasingly attractive opportunity for those seriously considering purchase."There are around 45 private business jets operation out of Dubai and over 500 in the Middle East, mostly in Saudi Arabia under private ownership for personal use. There is no official charter market value for the Middle East. Paras Dhamecha says: "Our aircraft charter business has remained positive due to the careful mix of business jets in the fleet that we manage and operate on behalf of owners. This ensures a wide range of aircraft options for clients and allows us to consistently generate charter income for owners, as we manage their valuable assets." E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 programs making headway [2010-03-04 08:30:18]
Embraer said production of the Legacy 500??s first parts has begun at suppliers?? facilities. The nose and main landing-gear forgings arrived at Heroux-Devtek in Canada and are now machined. Meggitt performed the first forgings for the wheels and brakes, while Sonaca began the first trials for stretching the rear fuselage panels at its facilities in Gosselies, Belgium. Meanwhile, Embraer held the first critical design review meetings for the Legacy 500 and says it has already submitted certification documents to Brazil??s Anac, the FAA and the EASA.Certification of the 500 is planned for the second half of 2012; the 450 will trail its larger sibling by a year. Embraer is also advancing development of the Legacy 450/500??s Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics and homegrown fly-by-wire flight control systems, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer said.The Legacy 450 and 500 will be Embraer??s first fully fly-by-wire jets.Click here to read the original article in AIN Online. E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Asia poised for first Falcon 7X delivery [2010-03-04 08:30:17]
Dassault is preparing to hand over the first Asia-based Falcon 7X business jet to Indian holding company Religare Voyages. The long-range aircraft will be operated by New Delhi-based Religare's aircraft charter subsidiary. It will join a fleet of business jets, turboprops and helicopters that also includes a Falcon 2000, a Beechcraft 1900D, Beechcraft King Air B200/C90, Bell 430, Bombardier Challenger 604 and Hawker 800XP/900XP.Dassault is building its support infrastructure across the region as its Falcon fleet continues to grow there. A spares facility and customer service team have already been set up in Mumbai along with a liaison office in Delhi and a clutch of approved service centres in and around the country. Meanwhile, Dassault is gearing up to hand over the first China-based 7Xs over the following three months.E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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Gama Aviation FZC awarded United Arab Emirates AOC [2010-03-04 08:30:17]
Gama Aviation FZC, the newly founded Middle East arm of the international Gama Group, is delighted to announce that on the 4th February 2010 following a thorough and extensive process the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has awarded the company an Air Operators Certificate (AOC). Dave Edwards, Managing Director, commented, "We're absolutely delighted to have been awarded our UAE AOC. We started the application process in June 2009 and I'm particularly pleased with the speed with which we've been able to drive the project forward - it's a proud achievement for everyone. This certificate means that we can begin providing our respected and experienced aircraft management and charter services to Middle East clients. Gama's core strengths of safety, service and experience combined with virtually unrivalled understanding of aviation asset management provides a very attractive option to run their aircraft."Marwan Abdel Khalek, the Group's CEO who founded Gama in 1983, commented, "The UAE AOC marks another significant step in Gama's worldwide development. We are now the only business aviation group to hold operating licences in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Bermudan approval. With the addition of the first three aircraft in the region, a Challenger 605, 604 and an 850, it brings our worldwide fleet to over 75 business jet aircraft, which represents models from the Learjet 45 all the way through to the Boeing Business Jet and at every level in between. When I founded the business I always aimed to expand into the region where I spent my childhood, and after sustained growth and development we have now achieved it."Richard Lineveldt, the company's Operations Manager, summed up the news: "This certificate represents a significant milestone in Gama's development in the region, but it is really only the starting point. We pride ourselves on the experience that we're able to offer our clients, in terms of international business aircraft management across all manufacturers and a wide range of types and also most importantly in our substantial collective experience of operating within the region itself - it gives us the confidence to commit to setting the highest possible standards across our business." Gama Aviation FZC is based at Sharjah International Airport and also has a sales office in the Dubai Airport Freezone.E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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LEA expands fleet with Legacy 600 and Citation XLS [2010-03-04 08:30:16]
London Executive Aviation is expanding again with the addition to the fleet of an Embraer Legacy 600 and a Cessna Citation XLS. The expansion means LEA now operates five Legacy 600s and five mid-size Citations in a total fleet of 24 aircraft. George Galanopoulos, LEA??s managing director, says: ??We will both manage the Legacy 600 for the owner and charter the aircraft, in line with the existing successes of our ??hybrid?? business model. The owner had not bought an aircraft before but felt the time was financially right to move into the used aircraft market. He expects to need the jet himself for around 200 hours each year. The remainder of the time will be available for charter."??The Legacy 600 is a very popular aircraft in our fleet ?? reliable, good range, the best cabin space for the money and a huge luggage hold, far larger than any other jet in its class," he continued. "We have only missed one trip in four years with our Legacy 600s, so the dispatch rate is excellent.?The XLS, currently being refurbished, joins four Excel aircraft already operating in LEA??s mid-size Citation fleet. ??Like the Legacy 600,? continues Galanopoulos, ??we are both managing and chartering the XLS, which will be based at Luton. Refurbishing an aircraft that is only two years old is unusual, but the owners have a clear vision of their desired colours and interior scheme.?He concludes: ??These additions to our fleet demonstrate the value of our hybrid business model. For aircraft owners, charter income offsets operating overheads and covers finance costs. The owners themselves can then enjoy some cheap flying!"??We expect to continue adding aircraft to our managed fleet, particularly in these challenging times," Galanopoulos said. "More than ever before, owners are looking at what their aircraft actually cost them. The old days of having an aircraft sitting on the ground, waiting for the owner to fly once a week, are long gone. Owners now realise that an aircraft, like any other asset, needs to work to earn its keep. Adding a business jet to an operator??s fleet makes financial sense and ensures the aircraft is operated safely and professionally.?E-mail your press releases, news tips and feedback to the CharterX News Editor at News@CharterX.com.
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ARSENE WENGER ambasadorem Castrol Professional [2010-03-04 08:30:07]
Legendarny ju?? szkoleniowiec Arsenalu Londyn, jeden najwi?kszych trenerów ??wiata zosta?? Ambasadorem Castrol Professional. Zadaniem Wengera jest m.in. promocja 10 Zasad Zarz?dzania, które nie ograniczaj? si? tylko do ??wiata pi??ki no??nej. S? uniwersalne, odnosz? si? do ka??dej dzia??alno??ci, a ju?? na pewno mog? by? stosowane przez autoryzowane serwisy samochodowe.
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