Bell 407, N407KS: Accident occurred December 28, 2012 in Renton, Washington

NTSB Identification: WPR13TA081 
 14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Friday, December 28, 2012 in Renton, WA
Aircraft: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 407, registration: N407KS
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this public aircraft accident report.

On December 28, 2012, about 1015 Pacific standard time (PST), a Bell Helicopter, Model 407, N407KS, made a hard landing during a ground handling operation at Renton Municipal Airport (RNT), Renton, Washington. King County Sheriff’s Department was operating the helicopter under public-use. The commercial pilot was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor system and to the fuselage. The local law enforcement flight was preparing to departed Renton when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that while preparing to depart from the raised platform, as he increased the throttle the platform started to rotate. The pilot attempted to stop the rotation by retarding the throttle, but was unsuccessful. The helicopter came off of the platform and the helicopter sustained damage to the tail rotor system, fuselage, and the landing gear.

The platform was locally fabricated by the King County Sheriff’s Department. It consisted of a platform with 8 sets of casters (total of 16 wheels). The sheriff uses these carts to move aircraft in and out of their hangar. With the exception of the rear fixed casters, the remaining 6 sets of casters swivel. The fixed casters (one wheel in each corner of the cart) were chocked to prevent movement of the cart before the aircraft was operated.

Other operators at RNT use similar landing platforms which use six casters. It was noted that these operators chock the corner swivel casters to prevent movement of the cart.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 407KS        Make/Model: B407      Description: Bell 407
  Date: 12/28/2012     Time: 1815

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: RENTON   State: WA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N407KS BELL407 ROTORCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, SLIPPED OFF CART AND THE TAIL ROTOR 
  SEPARATED, RENTON, WA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Take-off      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: SEATTLE, WA  (NM01)                   Entry date: 12/31/2012

http://registry.faa.gov/N407KS

The Guardian One helicopter is seen after the accident.

RENTON, Wash. - One of the helicopters operated by the King County Sheriff's Office will be out of service for a while after an accident at the Renton Airport late Friday morning. 

The chopper, known as Guardian One, was taking off from the trailer used to wheel it in and out of the hangar, when it slipped somehow - a move described by KOMO AIR 4's pilot Gary Pfitzner as skateboarding - and the tail rotor struck the ground.

Some debris from the rotor went flying, but no one was hurt.  The helicopter, one of four operated by the department, is the only one equipped with an infrared camera used to track suspects on the ground.  The accident is under investigation.

http://www.komonews.com

Damaged Guardian One helicopter

RENTON, Wash. — The King County Sheriff's Office helicopter Guardian One was damaged at the Renton Airport Friday. The helicopter came off its mobile landing pad. The tail rotor hit the ground and sent debris across the tarmac at the airport. No one was injured. The helicopter was taking off when the rotor hit. The extent of the damage or how long Guardian One will be out of service is not yet known. 

http://www.kirotv.com

 

King County Sheriff's Office Guardian One, the helicopter that serves as aerial support for the King County Sheriff was damaged today in an incident during warm up. An investigation is underway.

The King County Sheriff's eye in the sky, helicopter Guardian One was damaged in an incident prior to take off on Dec. 28. 

Sergeant Cindi West King County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer said in a statement: 

 "Earlier today our Guardian One Helicopter was preparing to respond to a burglary in progress and was damaged during the warm up phase .

The pilot was preparing the helicopter for lift off. Due to an unknown cause the helicopter became unstable on a dolly and was damaged. No injuries were reported.

The FAA responded to conduct an investigation and has released the helicopter to the Sheriff’s Office for repairs.

The Sheriff’s Office will also be conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident and amount damage sustained. “

http://www.westseattleherald.com

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, N62959: Accident occurred December 18, 2012 in Payson, Arizona

NTSB Identification: WPR13FA072 
 Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 18, 2012 in Payson, AZ
Aircraft: PIPER PA-31-350, registration: N62959
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On December 18, 2012, about 1825 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-31-350, N62959, was lost from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radio and radar contact about 10 miles southwest of Payson, Arizona, during an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX), Phoenix, Arizona. The wreckage was located the following day; the pilot had received fatal injuries. The flight was being operated as Ameriflight 3853 as a cargo flight for United Parcel Service (UPS), and was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity at the time contact with the airplane was lost.

According to information from representatives of Ameriflight and UPS, the flight departed Holbrook Municipal Airport (P14), Holbrook, Arizona, about its scheduled time of 1700, with a scheduled arrival time of 1730 at Payson Airport (PAN), Payson. According to the driver of the UPS truck who was at PAN and was scheduled to meet the flight, he never saw or heard the airplane. The driver left PAN about 20 minutes after the flight was due.

According to FAA air traffic control (ATC) information, the flight's first ATC contact was with Albuquerque air route traffic control center about 1812, when the airplane was at an altitude of 13,800 feet; the pilot requested a clearance to PHX. The flight was assigned a discrete transponder code, radar identified, and then instructed to proceed "direct" to PHX. The flight was instructed to be at 10,000 feet when it was 40 miles from PHX. Shortly after the airplane reached the assigned altitude, the pilot requested a lower altitude; his request was denied due to ATC minimum vectoring altitude limitations. Shortly thereafter, radio and radar contact was lost. The last primary radar target associated with the airplane was recorded at 1824:33, at a location of N34º 06.4794' by W111º 28.2604'.

Weather conditions in the area precluded an aerial search until the following day. About 0950 MST on December 19, 2012, the wreckage was located at the same approximate latitude/longitude as the last radar target associated with the airplane, at an approximate elevation of about 7,000 feet. The accident site was located about 12.4 miles, on a true bearing of about 213 degrees, from PAN.

According to FAA information, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with the same ratings. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued in August 2012. The pilot was an employee of Ameriflight. According to Ameriflight information, the pilot had a total flight experience of about 1,908 hours, including about 346 hours in the accident airplane make and model.

FAA information indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1976, and was equipped with two Lycoming TIO-540 series engines. The airplane was registered to UAS Transervices, Inc., Pasadena, California. The airplane was equipped with two three-blade Hartzell propellers, and deicing boots on the wing and tail. Maintenance records information indicated that the airplane had about 19,200 hours total time in service, and had accumulated about 23,400 flight cycles.

The 1735 automated weather observation at PAN included winds from 170 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 2,600 feet above ground level (agl), an overcast layer at 3,300 feet agl; temperature 6 degrees C; dew point 3 degrees C; and an altimeter setting of 29.78 inches of mercury.

The 1815 automated weather observation at PAN included similar conditions, except for scattered clouds at 2,600 feet agl, a broken cloud layer at 3,100 feet agl, and an overcast layer at 4,500 feet agl. AIRMETs for icing, IFR, mountain obscuration, and moderate turbulence for the accident site about the accident time were issued several hours before the accident. There were several PIREPs of light to moderate icing for central Arizona that were issued prior the accident.

Kappes, David J. 28, tragically left this life on the evening of 12/18/2012 while doing what he loved most...flying. 

David was born 6/20/84 in Mesa, AZ. He graduated from Mtn.View H.S. in Mesa and then went on to earn his B.S. in Aeronautical Mgt. Technology from ASU. Growing up he was very active in sports , concentrating on swimming,baseball and snowboarding. He also loved the outdoors, especially exploring AZ. in his beloved Jeep.

David's passion was aviation and he was extremely proud and happy that his career in commercial aviation was taking off. His proudest day was when he was awarded his silver wings and hired on as a Captain for an air cargo co., Ameriflight. David had a wonderfully quick smile and a great sense of humor. He was a very loyal & kind person who loved life, friends and everything around him. A loving son, perfect in every way. He will be sorely missed by all. David is survived by his parents Joe and Ros Kappes, sister Michelle Krider and her kids....Aaron and Ashley...who adored David as their Uncle. Grandmother Beth Winkle, Grandfather Robert Kappes and many cousins, Aunts and Uncles. 

A memorial service will be held in David's honor at Apache Wells Community Church, 2115 N. Gayridge Rd. Mesa, AZ 85215 on Sat. 12/29/12 at 2:00pm. 

Guest Book:     http://www.legacy.com/guestbook

http://www.legacy.com/obituary

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, N62959, Ameriflight 3853 

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 62959        Make/Model: PA31      Description: PA-31/31P Navajo Chieftain
  Date: 12/19/2012     Time: 0125

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: PAYSON   State: AZ   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N62959 AMERIFLIGHT 3853 PIPER PA 31 CRASHED INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE 1 
  PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE, WRECKAGE 
  LOCATED NEAR PAYSON, AZ

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (WP07)                Entry date: 12/20/2012 

Towards a sustainable regional air transportation service

 Bridgetown, Barbados (TDN) -- Built-in challenges

Casual observers make facile comparisons between air transportation services in the Caribbean and elsewhere, without understanding the challenges that attach to Caribbean air transportation as a direct result of its history, geography and economy.

If the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s membership is taken as the widest area, we are dealing with 31 island states; Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S Virgin Islands and the mainland territories of Belize, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. This has implications for the complexity of any regional or sub-regional routing and scheduling system.

The size and populations of these territories differ widely. There are small islands like Montserrat with 5,140 persons, Anguilla with a population of 10,300, Antigua and Barbuda with 87,884, Barbados, 286,705, Dominica,72,969, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 103,869. 14 of the islands have populations under 110,000 persons. This has implications for the level of demand, the through put at airports, the seat capacity that can be accommodated and for costs generally, whether it relates to airport development and maintenance, or airline operating expenditure.

There are middle size states like Trinidad and Tobago with a population of 1,222,505, Jamaica, 2,868,380, Puerto Rico, 3,898,133, and there are the largest states like the Dominican Republic, with a population of 9,956,648, Haiti- 9,719,932, and Cuba-11,087,330. These states however have varying levels of disposable income and propensities to travel.

Historically, the states mentioned above were owned by five different metropolitan powers with which they traded and developed separate and distinct services operating under different systems of law. There is a saying that transportation follows the flag. Therefore there has, generally speaking, not been a great deal of traffic between the different language groups, except with Puerto Rico. This island, for historic reasons is “Spanglish” rather than Spanish, and is a major hub for international carriers serving most of the region’s destinations.

Within the large archipelago which is the Caribbean, there are smaller archipelago national states, for the governance of which transport connections are critical. These are the Cayman Islands, formerly linked with Jamaica, The Bahamas, comprising some 700 islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Virgin Islands , the U.S Virgin Islands and other forms of associated states, for example the OECS, and CARICOM itself.

This combination of circumstances creates a nightmare for regional and sub-regional transportation of any kind, but especially for air transportation which becomes costly and often inefficient.

Costs and subsidies

Caribbean States depend for their social and economic survival on air transport services. Some have had to face two realities. One is; owning a national carrier, because there are few private entrepreneurs willing or able to undertake transportation as a social service; the other is; subsidizing the costs of providing national air transport services in order to keep fares at a reasonable rate.

In the case of the Cayman Islands, their support to their carrier extends to marketing and advertising it within the Tourism budget. Other Caribbean countries, depend heavily on these services, but make either no or little financial contribution to assist the carriers or the states that own them.

The need for subsidies apply not only to air travel. Across the world the same need for subsidies to bus and rail services obtain to support the social and economic demands of the population. In the USA, many of the air services serving rural communities, with many features similar to those in the Caribbean, are subsidized by Federal funding, which atypically is supported by both Democrats and Republicans.

A 2008 IATA study has also demonstrated that many journeys of similar distance in Europe and North America cost far more than LIAT’s base fares in the Caribbean.

The much touted view that privatization is the answer to the problems of intra- Caribbean air transportation is demonstrably false. The Caribbean reality is that privatization of air transport services of Air Jamaica, BWIA and LIAT in the mid-1990s was a miserable failure, with the private sector operators demanding as much subsidies as were paid by government under public sector ownership.

Several private sector airline ventures in the region have started and then disappeared. Moreover international private sector companies operating to and in the region, have had to seek government subsidies in various forms, such as route guarantees or/and marketing support. The trend continues; American Eagle, having declared bankruptcy in 2012, will cease to fly in the region after March 2013.

British Airways will cease operating to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after March 2013, Virgin Airlines will cease operating its summer programme to Tobago in 2013 unless the government there pays them £ 1,000,000. On 7th December 2012, Iberia announced that it will cease to fly into Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic and Havana, Cuba, starting 1st April 2013. Surely other carriers will/ may take their place.

But it will be at their price and they will decide on their own time of leaving, whatever they are paid. This is the kind of business that air transportation is.

Public/private Sector Ownership

In 1971 BWIA sold LIAT to a British Company Court Line and in 1974, CARICOM states saved it from oblivion by investing as shareholders in LIAT 1974 Ltd. After 10 years of privatization, the government of Jamaica was forced to take back Air Jamaica from private owners to save it, the government of Trinidad and Tobago took back BWIA for the same reason, and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, became major shareholders in LIAT, again for the same reason.

It should have been clear then that, if air services are to be guaranteed in the Caribbean archipelago, that the core intra-Caribbean air transportation services need to be owned and supported by government in some form, if they are to survive. Bahamasair and Cayman Airways have stuck faithfully to the concept of a government owned carrier, subsidized annually to maintain an airline service at reasonable prices. While acknowledging the need for the greatest possible efficiencies, they recognize that the airlines are unlikely to make a profit in the existing circumstances.

Competition

There is no reason to shut out any competitor, private or public sector, which has demonstrated the financial strength, technical knowledge and will to compete on a level playing field. However, competition for its own sake simply makes no sense. Many of these arguments are fostered by the ideologies of liberalization, de-regulation and privatization, often based on a lack of local knowledge about the market and the absence of any personal skin in the game.

Such advocates close their eyes and ears to the realities of the region outlined at the beginning; there is such a thing as over-capacity and under-demand on certain Caribbean routes, and, in the absence of a subsidy, attempts to entertain competition, especially on price on such routes, will lead to a blood bath of price wars and to haemorrhaging of cash.

This can result in the bankruptcy of one or more services and, in a worst case scenario, of all operators. It has happened many times before, but more recently with Caribbean Star, Caribbean Sun, Carib Express, REDjet and others now forgotten. The more often this happens, the less likely private sector investors are likely to come forward. No lessons, however, are learnt by the arm chair analysts.

Air transportation services within the Caribbean Community

The concept of a Single Market and Economy takes for granted the existence of an efficiently run and reasonably priced transportation service that meets the passenger and cargo needs of all Community partners. Until this is achieved, CARICOM should prioritize the discussion of this item at the highest level.

The discussion should not, however, be restricted to how inefficient and expensive are the existing services paid for by a few countries, although this is a legitimate concern. It should also be about what are the reasons for the inefficiencies and what each member state of CARICOM, other destinations currently served, and all the various tourism partners, such as hoteliers for whom air lift is critical, intend to contribute, financially and otherwise, according to their abilities, to achieve the objectives desired.

This is a discussion that many of those who now benefit, and will benefit even more from an improved service, have, to date, refused to entertain.

The Need for Rationalization of Air Transport Services

Within the last decade, global air transportation services have experienced major financial difficulties and these have been addressed and efficiencies effected, largely by means of alliances and mergers between carriers that had often competed aggressively with each other. In Europe, North and South America, and even in the Caribbean, there have been no less than a total of 91 instances of such activities.

In this region, there has been a clarion call for better communication, cooperation and alliances between Caribbean carriers that stretches over a long period. There are many forms to consider; code sharing, alliances, functional cooperation, a Holding Company, under which each carrier retains its separate persona and an outright merger where all entities become one.

But there is nothing new about this call. The need for some form of cooperation between the government owned CARICOM carriers was addressed by the 1972 CARIFTA Secretariat Report.

It was addressed by the CTO Functional Cooperation study commissioned by CTO when I was Secretary General and executed by Ian Bertrand and the Miami Aviation Services in 1993. It demonstrated how efficiencies could be achieved, money saved and services improved. Its findings were not implemented. Rather the governments chose to privatize the carriers and the idea inevitably died.

Bilateral discussions between BWIA and LIAT morphed into an agreement in 2003 to form the Caribbean International Airways Holding Company (CIAH) out of BWIA and LIAT. Agreement was reached between the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to establish the CIAH company which was registered in Port of Spain. Suddenly, without explanation, Trinidad and Tobago, pulled out of the arrangement and the idea collapsed.

Much has happened with air transportation, most of it negative, in the Eastern Caribbean between 2003 and 2012; Caribbean Star, Caribbean Sun, Air Jamaica, REDjet and EZjet have ceased to operate. LIAT and CAL ex BWIA, continue to struggle to survive. Many millions of dollars have been lost and Caribbean people continue to complain about the costs and the inefficiencies of airline services. LIAT promises a profit in 2013, if a number of difficult conditions are met. CAL too has outlined a plan for improvements, but warned not to expect a profit in the short term.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean has announced the creation of yet another aviation committee, comprising people who are capable of once again articulating the problems. We wish it well, but hope that its advocacy role will focus on some of the real causes and effects covered in this paper and will not simply comprise a wish list of “Goodies”, as cheap fares that do not cover costs, competition, as a “good” on every route, whatever the consequences, and the removal of government and airport taxes, while suggesting no clear alternative on how the airports will be maintained and improved.

Airlines need good airport infrastructure, which is very expensive to maintain. It is important to recognize that these issues are not being addressed for the first time and there is the need to take into consideration or/and be influenced by the evidence of history and by the factors affecting regional air transportation that have been delineated in this paper and elsewhere.

Next Steps

Of course, Caribbean carriers must take the hard decisions needed to put their own houses in order, but then so must all their partners. The basic objective must be to provide an acceptable service to the travelling public at reasonable costs, while cutting costs and increasing revenues.

Speaking for LIAT, there are internal inefficiencies which the carrier and its several constituencies, including its industrial partners, recognize. These are currently being addressed in the LIAT Business Plan which is being presented to shareholders and other partners by the Chairman of the Board and the CEO.

LIAT has made the case for capital investment to replace its aging fleet to both its present shareholders and to those who currently receive its services and are seen as potential shareholders. In some cases it awaits their responses.

LIAT understands the reason for the high level of regional taxation on aviation and that they will not be removed by the stroke of a pen. Steps need however to be taken to analyse the matter scientifically and Heads of Government should turn to CARICOM and CDB for help in examining the situation to see what relief can be got and what options exist.

Even in difficult global economic circumstances, improved services and better marketing of the airlines will lead to increased demand. But what role do hotels and Tourist Boards see for themselves in helping to market airline services wholly or partially owned by their own governments? For example, the Cayman Islands Tourist Authority is aggressive in marketing the services of Cayman Airways.

With respect to financial support, LIAT expects to be treated no better and no worse than other airlines when asked to provide specific flights to a destination where its costs of operation cannot be covered by the air fares.

What then can be done in pursuit of a sustainable air transportation service in the Caribbean? The major government owned carriers in the CARICOM Community are Cayman Airways, Bahamasair, CAL, LIAT and Surinam Airways.

The persons who are well placed to effect the changes needed are the Heads of CARICOM and the airlines owned by CARICOM leaders are the carriers about which they can do something. But a service which is so critical to the survival of the Single market and Economy must be the concern of the entire Community.

What is being recommended here is as follows:

· That a special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government be convened early in 2013 to discuss regional air transportation and its critical role in supporting the Caribbean Single Market and Economy. The focus of the meeting must not be about blaming the airlines which have given a total of 200 years of service to the region and the countries which have subsidized the rest of the region.

It must be about what is needed to get regional transportation right and what and how much each country which is a beneficiary of the services will contribute to the cause in its own best interests. The agenda must be wide enough to include a number of aviation issues which are related to the proper functioning of regional air transportation.

· That the idea of CARICOM airline alliances must be once more put on the table and a committee, including representatives of the management of the carriers be established, without delay, to examine the feasibility of this concept.

· That these deliberations take place with regard to the articles of the CARICOM Multilateral Agreement concerning the operation of Air Services within the Caribbean Community. 

Source:     http://www.thedominican.net

Flying Is Safest Since Dawn of Jet Age

December 28, 2012, 7:41 p.m. ET 

By ANDY PASZTOR

The Wall Street Journal

Air travel is now the safest it has been since the dawn of jet planes, with the global airline industry set to mark its lowest rate of fatal accidents since the early 1960s.

There have been 22 fatal crashes world-wide this year, a number that includes all passenger and cargo flights, down from 28 crashes in 2011, according to data assembled by the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles accident and incident information online. That crash count is down from a 10-year average of 34 fatal accidents per year.

The U.S. hasn't had a fatal accident since a commuter plane crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., in 2009.

Airline safety has improved steadily over the years, and accident rates in the U.S. and elsewhere began dropping with the advent of voluntary incident-reporting programs that encourage pilots and mechanics to pass on information about mistakes without fear of retribution.

Other reasons for the safety improvements include better and more reliable equipment, improved pilot training, advances in air-traffic-control procedures and tighter regulatory oversight in some developing countries.

Of the year's 22 fatal crashes, just 10 involved passenger aircraft, and just three of those were larger Western-built jetliners.

The other seven passenger-plane incidents involved Western- or Russian-built turboprops, according to Ascend, an international consulting firm that assembles a separate year-end safety breakdown.

Russian-built planes typically fly relatively few passengers but historically have suffered much higher crash rates than aircraft made in the U.S. or by European manufacturers.

"Overall, it was the certainly the safest year ever," according to Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend. With one fatal accident per 2.5 million flights world-wide, this year "was almost twice as safe as 2011, which itself had previously" attained that distinction, according to Ascend.

But such improvements also underscore persistent safety problems that mean significantly higher crash rates—often by a factor of four or more—across much of Africa, Latin America and other developing regions. And even in the U.S., safety experts warn of potential dangers from pilots becoming confused by cockpit automation and increasing ground-collision hazards posed by congested airports.

There were 470 fatalities from air accidents in 2012, compared with an average of more than 770 people who died annually over the decade.

Mr. Hayes and his staff stressed in their year-end report that "unfortunately, we do not believe that the world's airlines have suddenly become this much safer." Instead, the report says the unexpected sharp drop in the global accident rate perhaps "should be considered more of a fluke than the new norm."

Experts believe that for regions with already record-low accident rates, future improvements primarily will require analyzing huge volumes of incidents and other flight data, culled from multiple carriers around the globe, to identify and eliminate safety threats.

The results are particularly impressive given the growth in world-wide passenger traffic. Some 2.9 billion passengers took to the air in 2012, a 5.5% bump from the previous year, according to the latest figures released by the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations. With traffic climbing by double digits in some regions, ICAO projects total passenger numbers will double by 2030.

The Ascend report says Western-built jets had one fatal accident per 10 million flights in 2012.

"It's very hard to point to one reason to explain why this year was particularly so safe," according to Harro Ranter, president of the Aviation Safety Network, an affiliate of the Flight Safety Foundation, a global advocacy organization based in Alexandria, Va. Mr. Ranter said industry and regulatory initiatives, combined with outside audits by international organizations, "continue to stimulate countries to improve air safety."

Corky Townsend, director of aviation safety for Boeing Co.'s commercial-airliner unit, said "we are pleased and encouraged that the numbers" demonstrate steady improvement.

But she said it "doesn't mean there is any less" focus on pushing toward further improvements.

The statistics again underscore that turboprop operations, which typically carry fewer passengers and often tend to serve smaller airports than scheduled jets, have significantly higher crash rates.

To serve the developing world, turboprops generally fly into fields that are less advanced and are equipped with less-reliable air-traffic-control equipment than major Western airports.

International groups and independent safety organizations are stepping up efforts to help enhance pilot training, improve maintenance and tighten government oversight of turboprop operators.

The last deadly airline accident in the U.S. was the early 2009 crash of a Colgan Air turboprop approaching the airport in Buffalo, N.Y., which killed 50 people.

Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean continue to rack up a disproportionately large share of overall accidents and fatalities.

The regions together account for roughly 7% of today's global passenger traffic but have recorded nearly half of all 2012 airline accidents, according to Mr. Ranter.

Boosting safety in areas that are lagging behind will require enhanced technical cooperation and data sharing with the rest of the world, according to Kevin Hiatt, the Flight Safety Foundation's chief operating officer and its next president.

"We really need to start comparing what's going on around the world," said Mr. Hiatt, and then broadly distribute the lessons learned.

Some regions already are spearheading ways to achieve greater safety. Airlines, U.S. regulators and trade associations have successfully joined forces in Latin America and elsewhere to reduce accidents.

But in addition to turboprops, some other parts of commercial aviation aren't doing as well.

For the first time since the Flight Safety Foundation began compiling its detailed annual safety analysis in the late 1990s, this year has produced more business-jet crashes than passenger-plane accidents world-wide, Jim Burin, the foundation's director of technical programs, told a recent industry conference.

The result has prompted some safety experts to consider placing more emphasis on assessing that segment of commercial aviation.

Source:   http://online.wsj.com

http://aviation-safety.net

http://flightsafety.org

http://www.ascendworldwide.com

Coastal Bend airports to receive needed upgrades thanks to Eagle Ford Shale revenue

 

Photo by Michael Zamora, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

 Michael Zamora/Caller-Times County Commissioner Jim Price closes the electric bi-fold door on his T-hangar Thursday where he houses his Cessna 210 at the McCampbell-Porter Airport in San Patricio County. The county plans to spend a $1.1 million grant to add 15 more hangars to its already full airport.

CORPUS CHRISTI — Millions are being spent at airports around the Coastal Bend, partly because of boosts in the economy due to Eagle Ford Shale and partly because repairs are long overdue.

Joe Montez, executive director of the Bee Development Authority, is part of a group working to make the Chase Field Industrial Airport public. The first step is installing GPS so pilots can use instruments to land, rather than landing simply by sight. This means they'll be able to land safer when it's foggy or rainy.

The price tag for the upgrade is $200,000, with $100,000 coming from the Beeville Economic Improvement Corp. The rest came from development authority and through private donations.

"Chase can serve the region because it is a very large airport," Montez said, declining to comment further on the movement to turn the private airport public.

The city of Alice, on the other hand, is ready to spend $5 million on a variety of upgrades to the city's airport. For example, a new lighting system will be installed, crews will repave and re-stripe the runways and a precision landing instrument will be put in place. The funding is through a grant with the Texas Department of Transportation.

Charles Brazzell, Alice airport manager, said the project was in the planning stages before the Eagle Ford Shale boom because the runways and taxiways needed an upgrade. Just over a year ago a company was hired to manage the airport, putting in new bathrooms, showers, snack bars and a pilot lounge.

"It's a brand new face-lift," Brazzell said. "It's really encouraging to be out here and seeing all this happen. We have had quite an influx of planes.

"Since all this boom with the oil companies and everything, we have a lot of executives that fly in and out," he said, adding that also H-E-B executives have been flying in to check out progress on the store's renovations.

Another grant from the Department of Transportation will allow reconstruction of the asphalt runway and south taxiway at the Kleberg County Airport. The projected cost is $4.7 million.

Meanwhile, San Patricio County is ready to spend $1.1 million through a grant with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation. The money will pay for 13 T-hangars and two box hangars. Currently, the airport has space for 50 aircraft, and it's full. The airport, conceived in 1986 and opened in 1994, is fairly new.

There also are plans to build a crosswind runway under the Department of Transportation's five-year plan.

"Our growth has very, very little to do with Eagle Ford Shale," said San Patricio County Commissioner Jim Price, who oversees the airport, adding that the airport was at full volume several years ago. "We like to think that we're very general aviation friendly."

Price believes there have been fewer people buying aircraft, and more people moving to the area. He surmised that some of the growth at the airport is due to a company hired to manage it.

Ruben Saenz, Nueces County airport manager, said fuel sales are up at the Robstown-based airport, and he's doing everything he can to capitalize on the oil and natural gas boom. The county has some of the lowest fuel prices in the area, which lured one helicopter operator to fuel up at the airport, spending $4,000 in 72 hours. The county also is improving its credit card system to accept aviation cards and payments over $300.

The airport committee also has plans to build hangars, runways and taxiways, but construction of Interstate 69 is stalling the planning stage. That's due in part because the city of Robstown has plans for a foreign trade zone north of the airport, and the committee believes it would benefit the county and city if they worked together on an entrance to the properties.

"We're looking at the big picture at what everyone else is doing, and we're trying to fit our pieces in," said Cecil Johnson, chairman of the airport committee. "We're going to make Robstown a corporate aviation headquarters, whether they know it or not. We're going to take a sow's ear and turn it into a silk purse."

Story and Photos:    http://www.caller.com

Beechcraft B100 King Air, N499SW: Accident occurred Tuesday, December 18, 2012 in Libby, Montana

 

Carl J. Douglas

NTSB Identification: WPR13FA073

 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation

Accident occurred Tuesday, December 18, 2012 in Libby, MT

Aircraft: BEECH B100, registration: N499SW

Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On December 18, 2012, about 0002 mountain standard time (MST), a Beech B100, N499SW, collided with trees at Libby, Montana. Stinger Welding was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The noncertificated pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces. The cross-country personal flight departed Coolidge, Arizona, about 2025 MST on December 17th, with Libby as the planned destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the nearest official reporting station of Sandpoint, Idaho, 264 degrees at 46 miles, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the pilot had been cleared for the GPS-A instrument approach procedure for the Libby Airport. The clearance had a crossing restriction of 10,700 feet at the PACCE intersection, which was the initial approach fix for the GPS-A approach. The pilot acknowledged that clearance at 2353. At 2359, the airplane target was about 7 miles south of the airport; the pilot reported the field in sight, and cancelled the IFR flight plan.

A police officer reported that he observed an airplane fly over the city of Libby, which was north of the airport; the airplane then turned toward the airport. The officer went to the airport to investigate, but observed no airplane. He noted that it was foggy in town, but the airport was clear. He also observed that the rotating beacon was illuminated, but not the pilot controlled runway lighting.

When the pilot did not appear at a company function at midday on December 18, they reported him overdue. The Prescott, Arizona, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) issued an alert notice (ALNOT) at 1102 MST; the wreckage was located at 1835.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) and investigators from the FAA and Honeywell examined the wreckage on site. A description of the debris field references debris from left and right of the centerline of the debris path. The debris was through trees on a slope that went downhill from left to right.

The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a topped tree with branches on the ground below it and in the direction of the debris field. About 50 feet from the tree were composite shards, and a piece of the composite engine nacelle, which had a hole punched in it.

The next point of contact was a 4-foot tree stump with shiny splinters on the stump. The lower portion of the tree had been displaced about 30 feet in the direction of the debris field with the top folded back toward the stump. Underneath the tree trunk were the nose gear and a couple of control surfaces followed by wing pieces.

One engine with the propeller attached was about 50 feet from the stump, and on the right side of the debris path. Next on the left side of the debris path was the outboard half of one propeller blade; another propeller blade was about 10 feet further into the debris field.

Midway into the debris field were several trees with sheet metal wrapped around them. Near the midpoint of the debris field, a portion of the instrument panel had imbedded into a tree about 15 feet above the ground. The wiring bundle hung down the tree trunk to ground level. To the left of the instrument panel was one of the largest pieces of wreckage. This piece contained the left and right horizontal stabilizers, vertical stabilizer, and part of one wing with the landing gear strut attached. The rudder separated, but was a few feet left of this piece.

Next in the debris field was a 6- by 8-foot piece of twisted metal, which contained the throttle quadrant.

About 100 feet right of the debris path centerline and downhill from the throttle quadrant was a 10-foot section of the aft cabin. This section was connected by steel cables and wires to a 4- by 7-foot piece of twisted metal.

The furthest large piece of wreckage was the second engine; the propeller hub with two blades attached had separated.

Carl J. Douglas, the 54-year-old CEO of Stinger Welding who was killed in a plane crash Dec. 19, was not certified to pilot the aircraft that night. 

 According to the Federal Aviation Administration registration records, Carl James Douglas was only a student pilot and navigating the Beechcraft King Air 100 at night, above the clouds and without clear visibility of the ground exceeded his student qualifications.

   Douglas and his passenger, John Smith, 43, died after Douglas’ twin-engine turbo-prop slammed into Swede Mountain just about three miles northeast of Libby Airport.

   According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website, Carl J. Douglas received his student pilot’s license on June 9, 2010. There are no records indicating Douglas had a full-fledged pilot’s license.

   “It is correct to say the FAA records online indicate that (Douglas) was only a student pilot,” wrote Allen Kenitzer, manager of communications for the FAA in the Northwest Mountain and Alaska Region to an online inquiry from The Western News. “(However,) this is under investigation, and we don’t comment on ongoing investigations,” Kenitzer stated.

   Similarly, The Western News did a search of the FAA site and found no full pilot certification for Douglas, 54, born June 8, 1958. However, Douglas’ student license approval was indicated.

   A student’s license limitations are extensive. Most notably, a student pilot may not carry passengers, may not fly for hire or the furtherance of a business and may not fly above clouds or when visual reference cannot be made to the surface. Certainly, an investigation is incomplete, but it appears Douglas was in violation of all these limitations when he crashed shortly after midnight Dec. 19 in a snowstorm.

   Currently, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which initially indicated would take a week to 10 days to complete.

   As of Friday, the NTSB website has not indicated the results of that investigation.

   Reports of Douglas’ lack of proper certification to pilot the aircraft at night in a snowstorm and with a passenger came as news to Ron Denowh, chairman of the board that governs Libby Airport.

   “If that’s the case, that really surprises me,” said Denowh, who said he’s known Douglas for about four years. “I hate to hear this. If it’s true, there will probably be a lawsuit.”

   Denowh said he’s witnessed Douglas fly into Libby many times.

   “That plane has had hundreds of operations into Libby,” Denowh said. “From what I understood, he’s been flying all his life.”

   Denowh admitted as pilots come and go from Libby Airport, there is not a mandatory certification check of a pilot’s license — no log that requires signing in and out with a pilot’s license number.

   “It’s not up to me to check that,” Denowh said. “Carl did a lot of EPS (instrument only) approaches, which is an accomplishment. Normally, you just don’t pick that up.”

   Douglas’ funeral was Thursday in Arizona.

http://www.thewesternnews.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N499SW

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N499SW

http://www.myaviation.net

http://flightaware.com/photos

http://www.libbymt.com/community/airport.htm

http://www.airnav.com/airport/S59

http://www.deckjoint.com/index.htm

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 499SW        Make/Model: BE10      Description: 100 KING AIR (U-21F UTE)
  Date: 12/19/2012     Time: 0702

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: LIBBY   State: MT   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE 
  FATALLY INJURED, SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE, WRECKAGE LOCATED 3 MILES FROM 
  LIBBY, MT

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: HELENA, MT  (NM05)                    Entry date: 12/20/2012 

CHINA: Aviation sector cleared for takeoff

Strategic industry emerges as China's next growth engine after automaking has hit a barrier

In driving the economic powerhouse that is modern China there is probably no sector that has done more than the auto industry.

In the two decades or so since it was chosen as one of the country's pillar industries, not only has it helped China become the world's biggest maker and seller of cars, it has pulled a considerable part of the economic load, contributing more than 6 percent of GDP and about 13 percent of the country's tax income in 2010.

But the roads of big Chinese cities are now bursting with cars, and it has become clear that the auto industry has hit a barrier. As efforts to restructure the economy steam ahead, policymakers have been on the lookout for other engines of growth, and some now have their eyes cast in one direction: the sky.

What they have in their sights is general aviation, an industry that includes civil aviation other than commercial flights, and includes activities such as search and rescue, private flights and air charter services.

In 2010 China's cabinet named general aviation as a strategic industry in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), and in November this year the country's air traffic management authority announced that airspace regulations would be relaxed from the beginning of next year.

On top of that, in July the State Council issued guidelines for the development of the civil aviation industry, including estimates that flying time in general aviation will increase by an average of 19 percent a year between now and 2020. All of those signals are being interpreted in the industry as permission for takeoff.

"General aviation has emerged as the next economic driving force after the car industry," said Ma Xin, deputy director of the National Air Traffic Management Committee Office in China, at the ninth Zhuhai Air Show, the largest international aerospace trade show in China, last month.

"It's a high-tech sector. It has a long industrial chain that can drive the development of various sectors from raw materials in the upstream, to after-sales and maintenance services in the downstream. It has a much bigger role to play in China's economy."

Ma said changes to the low-altitude airspace management system will spread from test areas to the rest of the country. Communications and surveillance facilities have already been built to ensure flight safety at the beginning of next year, and a trillion-yuan market is about to take off, he said.

"As reforms forge ahead, we believe the general aviation industry will gain momentum and, as with cars, will become a new growth point."

General aviation is not new to China, but it is one of the few sectors that have not experienced strong growth over the past 30 years, hemmed in by stringent airspace rules that have given priority to military, and now increasingly commercial, flights.

For every takeoff, private aircraft owners have to go through a laborious process to obtain approval from the aviation authority. That has given rise to so-called black flying - taking to the air without approval - which has become more prevalent as rich Chinese splurge on their own aircraft.

Gao Yuanyang, director of the general aviation industry research center at the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University in Beijing, said that generally when a region's GDP per capita exceeds $4,000 it is ready for a general aviation industry.

"If its GDP per capita exceeds $10,000 a year it is ready for the development of business jets."

Gao said China is more than ready for general aviation because its GDP per capita exceeded $4,000 a year in 2010, and per capita GDP in the well-developed Pearl River and Yangtze River deltas has surpassed $10,000 a year.

"You need only compare the industry in China with that of the United States to see the potential," he said.

In the US there were 230,000 aircraft last year, and the industry took in $150 billion and employed 1.2 million people. In China there were fewer than 1,200 registered aircraft, relatively few jobs and turnover estimated to be a fraction of that in the US.

"China's population is four times that of the US, and geographically China is as big, so the potential is obvious," Gao said.

Since China's reform and opening-up policy was launched in the late 1970s, nearly all the sectors that could turn into strong industries on a par with the potential that the general aviation industry has shown have done so, he said; general aviation has not.

Christopher Jackson, a consultant in general aviation and director of project development for Genesis Investment of Shanghai, the sales representative in China for Cessna Aircraft, agrees, saying that general aviation accounts for 1.5 percent of US GDP.

"General aviation in China accounts for around 0.0015 percent of GDP," said Jackson, who has been following general aviation in China for 12 years.

"As the country tries to change its economy, drives its domestic consumption and creates jobs, the government sees general aviation as a major driving force to achieve that goal."

During the 1990s in China, the car was affordable to few, but it later shed its luxury status, and as sales grew, making it a mainstay of tens of millions of lives, it was transformed into an economic locomotive. A similar trajectory is forecast for the general aviation industry.

The National Bureau of Statistics says the country produced about 700,000 motor vehicles in 1991. Ten years later 18.5 million rolled off the production line, nearly 17.8 million of them being sold to Chinese.

The market for general aviation aircraft, ranging from helicopters to single-engine planes to business jets, is obviously a lot smaller, but it is the minuscule 1,200 registered aircraft that has the heads of industry insiders spinning.

Among them are aircraft makers, particularly in North America and Europe, which have a much longer history in developing general aviation than does China.

One such is Piaggio Aero of Italy, which delivered its first aircraft to China last month, and which nurses ambitions of being a big player in the Chinese market.

"Europe and the US have been our largest markets for a long time," said John Bingham, chief marketing officer of Piaggio Aero. "But China has the most opportunities to become the largest market in the future, because of the booming economy and people's increasing desire to embrace what is in fact a much better way to travel."

The European and North American markets have been in a lull because of the economic slump "for a ridiculous amount of time", Bingham said, "so we decided to open new markets to gain certifications to sell in 2009".

"We decided we could be more aggressive. We could go for some new markets, such as China."

In doing so, the company has teamed up with the Chinese distributor CAEA Aviation Investment Company, and was due to hand over two P180 Avanti II twin turboprop aircrafts to the Beijing company by the end of this year.

The aircraft is to be operated by CAEA subsidiary Free Sky Aviation in a new club-style shared-use program for private clients, Bingham said.

The company is confident of its future in China, he said.

Piaggio Aero is not alone in seeing the potential of the industry in China. The first time Bingham came to the Zhuhai Air Show, in 2004, just 12 aircraft were on display. At last month's show there were 100, illustrating how important China has become for aircraft makers, he said.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China projects that the number of general aviation aircraft will grow from about 1,200 now to about 2,000 in 2015 and between 10,000 and 12,000 in 2020.

Despite a slowdown in the economy, nearly all major companies remain optimistic about the Chinese market. In fact, aircraft makers and consultancies say that China is one of the markets driving demand in general aviation.

A report by aircraft maker Bombardier predicts that 600 new business jets will be delivered to China by 2019; at present there are little more than 100 in the fleet. That is in line with strong purchases in the three years to 2011, when the number of business jets grew from 20 to 109.

Gao of Beihang University said the number of business jets in China almost doubled from 2010 to 2011, and the new orders for business jets from China is about 20 percent of orders worldwide.

Bombardier said in its report that worldwide demand for business jets correlates with wealth creation, which is largely driven by economic growth.

A report in 2010 by Forbes said there were 1,011 billionaires in the world, 27 percent more than the previous year. The biggest rise was in China, where the number more than doubled to 107.

In China the increasing number of billionaires and multimillionaires has also driven up sales of other aircraft, such as helicopters.

At the start of this year, Bell Helicopter of the US, which first entered China in 1979, had 24 helicopters in service in the country; the company said that it will end the year with almost double that.

"China represents the largest potential market in the world," said John Garrison, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter.

"According to the recent forecasts there is a projected need for as many as 2,000 helicopters in China."

Bell said he believes the country "can easily support" 2,000 helicopters in 10 years as the pace of airspace regulation reforms picks up.

But China still lacks infrastructure such as airports for general aviation, and personnel, such as pilots and product support and maintenance, he says.

With the stringent airspace rules, those two areas have been seen as a serious obstacle to the development of general aviation in China.

"You can have as many aircraft as you want, but without the infrastructure it is like having a Ferrari sitting in the middle of a rice field with no roads to drive," said Jan Fridrich, vice-president of the Light Aircraft Association of the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic is a good case study of a country that has built a light aircraft industry from scratch. In just 10 years it has grown to an industry that produces 350 aircraft a year with an export value of 36 million euros, Fridrich said. The key is to provide a complete system of infrastructure essential to the industry, he said.

Just as the car industry has been turbocharged as roads have been built across the country, a thriving general aviation sector cannot grow without a highly developed network of airports.

There are now about 92 million automobiles in China, and many of them are now being driven on roads that have sprung up in the past year.

In 2011 slightly more than 55,000 kilometers of road were opened, about 9,000 km of that being motorways, the statistics bureau said. In 1992 less than 2,400 km of road were built.

Investment in large infrastructure has obviously been a huge driving force of the economy, and investment in general aviation is forecast to play a similar role. More importantly, unlike large infrastructure dominated by investment from State-owned enterprises, the building of general aviation airports may well be open to foreign investors as well as private Chinese companies.

"Building airports for general aviation is not a mega project like building Beijing Capital International Airport," said Zou Jianming, chairman of Shanghai Zenisun Investment Group, a private Chinese company whose roots are in real estate development.

"We've built five airports in Hainan and Fujian provinces over the past two years, and we plan to build 30 for general aviation by 2020."

The company said the investment required to build airports varies widely, depending on their size, and the airports Zenisun has built cost between 100 million yuan and 150 million yuan.

Zou entered the industry because of his personal interest in flying, first setting up a company to sell helicopters to the wealthy, before starting a general aviation business, which includes charters.

The Civil Aviation Administration said there were 286 airports in China for general aviation last year, compared with 19,700 in the US.

"To develop the sector we need to have more airports, at least one airport for each county in China," said Jin Qiansheng, director of the administrative committee of Shaanxi Aviation Economic and Technological Development Zone. That would mean there would be 3,000 airports and landing strips in the country, he said.

Jin's zone, in Xi'an, is a pioneer in developing general aviation in China. About 20 such zones have been built or are awaiting approval. "We've built four airports for general aviation in Shaanxi province, and we plan to build 33 more," Jin said.

Last month his zone signed a memorandum of understanding with a US company to co-fund a private equity worth 10 billion yuan for the development of general aviation in China, he said.

"That's a good first step for us in attracting foreign investors. There is about 250 million yuan in the previous fund we set up with the local government in Shaanxi and private companies. With small amounts like that you can hardly play serious games, as with general aviation."

The auto industry in China employs 40 million people, and if the general aviation industry is to take off it will have its work cut out to provide the labor and skills needed. However, there is a gaping hole at the moment, and that is providing huge opportunities to those who can offer pilot training, product support and maintenance and more.

"There are not enough pilots," said Jackson of Genesis Investment, which began to look at investing in general aviation since last year. "Call any flight training school in the US and they will probably tell you there are some Chinese pilots training there. It is even difficult to find catering companies for business jets in China. If you want to have food you need to call those commercial airlines for help."

Garrison of Bell Helicopter said the rapidly increasing demand for helicopters in China will require thousands of professionals to fly and maintain these aircraft.

"There is not only an opportunity to help create these jobs, but also ensure China has access to the best operational and technical training possible."

The world's leading business-jet maker, Gulfstream of the US, is also moving to strengthen its position in China by adding more Chinese personnel to its Beijing service center, which opened last month.

"It is our first center in the Chinese mainland," said Roger Sperry, a regional senior vice-president with Gulfstream. "With this center it will be more cost effective for our customers in China to have services in the mainland rather than going to Hong Kong or Singapore."

Sperry said that with demand for Gulfstream's business jets gradually shifting from North America to Asia and Latin America, more support staff are needed.

"China is one of the major driving forces for our new orders."

Last year 102 Gulfstream jets were stationed in China, he said; 10 years earlier there were none.

The company has already added about 1,400 employees this year, including those at its Beijing service center, and in a department in Hong Kong it also opened this year.

Some aircraft makers have gone further to set up local production, creating more high-tech jobs in China.

Diamond Aircraft of Austria, a single-engine plane maker, has had a joint venture in China since 2005. "Having a local production base in China is an advantage as we can reach markets we couldn't access before," said Gernot Brabner, executive general manager of Binao-Diamond Aircraft of Shandong.

"We've even considered increasing our capacity from 60 aircraft to 100 a year from next year."

Cessna Aircraft signed agreements this year to join the government of Chengdu, in Sichuan province, and the State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China in a joint venture to produce mid-sized business jets and possibly other new models in the future.

Many more joint ventures are expected to mushroom in China, in a similar path that the auto industry took, experts say.

For Bingham, of Piaggio Aero, the lack of infrastructure hold challenges for the industry in the short term.

"But the Chinese government has committed so much to developing this sector, and they have realized that they are way behind on aviation. General aviation is going to develop in the typical Chinese way. After being the last, they intend to be the first."

Source:   http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Police arrest man with rifle parked outside Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR), Newark, New Jersey

NEWARK — A 21-year-old man who police say was parked outside of the airport with an unlicensed rifle, was arrested and charged today, authorities said.

Around 10:45 a.m. a Port Authority police officer was patrolling the arrivals area around Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport when he saw a man in the parking lot with a rifle lying on the front passenger seat, a spokesperson for the Port Authority said.

The man, identified as David Rothe, said he was a hunter on his way to pick up his girlfriend at the airport but police said Rothe didn't have a permit or right to carry a weapon in the state. The gun was not loaded.

Police searched the vehicle and found no other contraband.

Rothe was arrested on site and charged with possession of a weapon.

Story and reaction/comments:   http://www.nj.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEWR

Magnificent video: "America from my Diamond DA40 and Cirrus SR22"

 

Published on December 28, 2012 

By watts237ariel 

"My tribute to America.  From East to West, North to South.  These are views from the cockpit of my Diamond DA40 and Cirrus SR22 airplanes."

“Puppy Pet Insurance” Scam Reaches Casper/Natrona County International Airport (KCPR), Casper, Wyoming

Officials at Casper-Natrona County International Airport say they’ve been contacted multiple times in recent weeks about a purportedly fraudulent pet shipment company that airport officials say is bilking each of its customers out of $1,500 or more.

Animal Airways Services claims it will ship puppies across the country to its customers through Casper-Natrona County International Airport. Airport officials say the scam kicks in when company employees first contact the customers, saying that Casper-Natrona County International Airport staff will not allow their new puppy to be shipped until a “puppy pet insurance” wire transfer to another company, VPI Pet Insurance, is completed.

“Of course, the puppy never shows up and the money goes off to a company in Turkey,” Casper-Natrona County International Airport manager Glenn Januska said. “It seems to be something that’s been happening for a number of years.”

Januska says, to his knowledge, nobody in Wyoming has been affected by the scam. He also says most callers inquiring about their puppy or their “puppy pet insurance” payment are from eastern states.

“It’s not one specific state,” Januska said. “The people are told the puppies are being shipped through Casper, so, when they don’t come, and they’re trying to follow up on what’s happening, that’s when we get contacted.”

VPI Pet Insurance’s website says it’s a branch company of Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance. According to the Better Business Bureau, VPI Pet Insurance is based out of Brea, Calif., and has an ‘A+’ rating.

“The company that provides the insurance is actually a legitimate company, it’s just that the company doesn’t provide (“puppy pet insurance”) – this fraudulent company is just using their name,” Januska said.

Airport officials say individuals who’ve been scammed by Animal Airways Services should contact their local authorities immediately.

http://k2radio.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCPR