Over Priming a Cessna 210

 

 Video by Fly high with Mike 

Published on January 17, 2014

"Just by chance I was filming the start up of this particular Cessna 210. This is what can happen when you over prime your Cessna 210. Enjoy!"
~

Yahoo snapping Canberra with low-flying plane

A Cessna-206 aircraft seen flying around Canberra over the last week is doing 3D-mapping work for Yahoo, according to police. 

ACT Policing received a number of calls over the weekend, from people who reported seeing the low-flying light plane cruising around the city.

Police released a tweet addressing residents concerns early on Sunday, based on information they'd gained from aircraft control towers:

Monash resident Richard Tuffin said he was at home on Monday morning when he heard the buzzing overhead.

"At first I thought it was like a dash eight just flying over-head, from Qantas or Virgin, but then I heard it pass three or four times," he said.

Mr Tuffin managed to snap a picture as the plane flew overhead.

"There’s obviously a bit of paranoia around at the moment about spy-planes and the NSA," he said. "So there was a little bit of interest about it."

Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au

Police say the Cessna seen flying over Canberra is doing 3D-mapping work for Yahoo.

 Photo: Richard Tuffin

Lawsuit says plane flipped over during 2012 derecho: Kanawha County, West Virginia

CHARLESTON – A man is suing Executive Air Terminal Inc. for alleged damages an airplane sustained during the 2012 derecho and breach of contract.

On June 12, 2012, Bruce Caswell delivered a Cessna into the care, custody and control of the defendant, by parking it at the defendant’s premises in the normal and ordinary course of business between him and the defendant, according to a complaint filed Oct. 4 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Caswell claims the Cessna was damaged on June 29, 2012, as a result of the derecho that occurred in the area.

During the storm, the plane was caused to flip over and approximately $80,000 in damages was caused to the plane, according to the suit.

Caswell claims the defendant was negligent in allowing the plane to be damaged and failing to properly secure the plane using the use of tie-downs.

As a direct and proximate and proximate result of the of the defendant’s negligence, Caswell’s plane was damaged and he suffered aggravation, annoyance, inconvenience and loss of use of his plane, according to the suit.

Caswell is seeking compensatory damages in the amount of $80,000. He is being represented by John Andrew Smith of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 13-C-1871

Source:   http://wvrecord.com

Textron 3rd-Quarter Net Drops on Lower Cessna Deliveries

Textron Inc.'s  third-quarter profit slid 34% as the aircraft and industrial product maker delivered far fewer Cessna planes than a year ago, and as labor disruptions hurt profitability at the Bell helicopter business.

The maker of Cessna planes, Bell helicopters and E-Z-Go golf carts has reported muted sales from prior-year levels, and the company's top line has missed Wall Street's expectations for five consecutive quarters.

Profit in the latest quarter also was muted, leading Textron to trim its full-year estimate. The company now sees a profit of $1.75 to $1.85 a share from continuing operations, down from the prior view of $1.90 to $2.10.

Chairman and Chief Executive Scott Donnelly said the reduced guidance was due to lower margins for the Bell business due to labor disruptions, as well as lower aircraft deliveries at Cessna.

Overall, Textron posted a profit of $99 million, or 35 cents a share, down from $151 million, or 51 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 3.2% to $2.9 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a profit of 47 cents a share on $2.97 billion in revenue.

Cessna revenue fell 24% as the company delivered 25 new Citation jets in the quarter, down from 41 a year ago. The unit swung to a loss of $23 million, reflecting the lower jet deliveries.

Bell revenue climbed 8.1%, though the segment's profit declined $34 million, hurt by labor disruptions.

Industrial and Textron systems revenue jumped 4.1% and 1.3%, respectively.

Shares, inactive premarket, closed Thursday at $27.52. The stock has risen 11% in 2013, underperforming the broader market. 

Beechcraft Owners Said to Be Approaching Potential Bidder

Beechcraft Corp., the U.S. planemaker whose aircraft have trained military pilots since World War II, is for sale again, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Credit Suisse Group AG is contacting potential suitors on their interest in acquiring Beechcraft, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Beechcraft may fetch about $1.5 billion, another person said. Cessna Aircraft parent Textron Inc. is among companies exploring a bid, said two of the people.

Beechcraft could be attractive to companies focused on smaller defense and general aviation aircraft after shedding debt from an earlier leveraged buyout and shutting a struggling jet unit, said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia-based consultant.

“You get military trainers, you get the world’s most popular turboprop aircraft,” Aboulafia said in a phone interview.

Slumping demand for private jets and curbs on U.S. defense spending led the company, formerly known as Hawker Beechcraft, to file for bankruptcy in May 2012. Negotiations to sell it for $1.79 billion to a Chinese buyer collapsed months later. Beechcraft exited court protection in February and has publicly said it’s selling Hawker assets to focus on propeller-driven and military planes.

‘Good fit’

At the right price, Beechcraft could be a good fit for Textron, whose holdings include Bell helicopters, military drones and Cessna aircraft, Textron CEO Scott Donnelly said during a July 2012 quarterly earnings call after the Chinese bid for Beechcraft was made public.

“I think some of the assets of the company are interesting and would be a good fit in our company and that we could do the right thing for their existing customers and our customers -- it would all work,” Donnelly said at the time.

Beechcraft’s twine-engine King Air turboprops would compliment Cessna’s single-engine Caravan line, especially after Beechcraft landed a $788 million order in August, said Brian Foley, who heads Brian Foley Associates, a Sparta, New Jersey consultant.

The King Air division is Beechcraft’s most valuable asset and biggest driver of its profits, Foley said in a phone interview.

“They practically rule the twin-engine general aviation market,” he said. “They have a very good brand, loyal customer following.”

A spokesman for Credit Suisse declined to comment. Nicole Alexander, a spokeswoman for Beechcraft, and David Sylvestre, a spokesman for Providence, Rhode Island-based Textron, both declined to comment.

Cessna, Bombardier

Beechcraft, based in Wichita, Kansas, is now controlled by its former creditors. Centerbridge Partners LP, Sankaty Advisors LLC and Angelo, Gordon & Co. are among the funds that own a combined stake of about 90 percent and took control following the bankruptcy, according to the company. Before bankruptcy, Hawker Beechcraft was owned by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Onex Corp. 

Negotiations to sell Hawker Beechcraft to Superior Aviation Beijing Co. ended in 2012 while the planemaker was reorganizing, partly because of questions about the Chinese company’s financing, people familiar with the process said at the time.
Recovery in Demand

Beechcraft, whose competitors include Canada’s Bombardier Inc. and Brazil’s Embraer SA, is now seeing a recovery in demand and estimates first-half deliveries rose 67 percent to 115 airplanes. King Air sales will help drive up revenue and earnings “materially” this year and the next, Standard & Poor’s said in April.

Signs of a recovery are also evident in worldwide aircraft shipments tracked by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, a trade group. Deliveries of multi-engine turboprops rose 71 percent in the first half of 2013 versus a year earlier and single-engine turboprop deliveries rose 3.8 percent. Piston-engine airplanes increased 16 percent, while business jet shipments fell 4.1 percent.

“We’ve already turned the corner,” said Foley, who described business jets as a lagging indicator for the sector.

Any deal involving Beechcraft’s defense assets being sold to non-U.S. suitors would be subject to a review from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.

Beechcraft had previously announced plans to sell by the end of the year assets from its shuttered Hawker and Premier IA jet units, including certificates, spare parts and a manufacturing plant. Foley said he expects those assets to still be sold separately from the rest of the company.

Story and Comments/Reaction:  http://www.bloomberg.com

Southern Airways, which added Birmingham flights in July, seeks funds for expansion

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Southern Airways, the small, Memphis-based airline that began Birmingham service in July, is raising funds for an expansion, founder Stan Little said today.

The airline, which was launched in August, is in discussions with venture capitalists in New York, Little said in a prepared statement.

"We need the next round of funding to secure more aircraft, expand our routes, and add the resources we need to do it right," he said.

The airline currently flies four refurbished nine-seat Cessna turboprops and serves five states. Tickets for flights from Birmingham to the Gulf Coast range in price from $129 to $249 each way with flights to Gulf Shores, Destin and Panama City. 

The potential investors have expressed interest in duplicating Southern Airways’ model in the Northeast, serving New York, the Hamptons and Cape Cod, Little said. The airline is pitching the addition of routes connecting Memphis with Southeastern cities that lost nonstop service following the Northwest Airlines, Delta merger, he said.

Story, Photo Gallery and Comments/Reaction:   http://www.al.com

Arrest after vehicle damages three planes at Englefield airfield - UK (With Video)

A man has been arrested after three light aircraft were vandalized at an airfield near Reading.

Thames Valley Police said it appeared a vehicle was driven into the Cessna single engine planes in Englefield.

The three planes have been written of as a result of the damage, estimated by the owners at up to £700,000.

A Jeep Grand Cherokee was discovered set alight nearby, in Bath Road. A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Buildings at the airfield were also damaged by the planes being pushed into them.

Hare coursing

Police said the planes were a 50 vintage type, a four-seater piston-powered plane and a six-seater light business plane.

The damage was discovered by estate staff shortly after 07:00 BST. They had been told that animals had escaped onto the nearby A4, and found a gate had been forced open.

David Wiggins, gamekeeper at the Englefield Estate, said: "We're pretty sure they were in after hares.

"We've got a lot of problems with hare coursing.

"Not just coursing, but just driving the animals over, running them over, flattening them.

"That's what it started as I guess and then it turned into this damage we've got here."

Peter Ford, owner of the 50 vintage type said: "The guys obviously came with this four-wheel drive, pushed the aircraft into the back of the barn and then came again."

He said his plane's wing had been "snapped off".

Story and Video:   http://www.bbc.co.uk

Mandalay-Based Two Cessna Planes Will Serve As Charter Flights

A couple of  Cessna planes (Grand Caravan) made in USA will reach Myanmar on 28 October 2013 and both will be based on Mandalay for flight, said U Khin Nyein, Deputy General Manager of Myanmar Airways.

The two planes will be placed in the former Chanmyathazi airport of Mandalay Region and the flights will launch as soon as permission has been given by Department of Aviation. 

“We’ve sent pilots and engineers to Wichita in Kansas State of the US to attend the training course there so that they can operate both planes,” U Khin Maung Nyein said adding that a couple of planes will serve as both charter flight and sightseeing tour.

“Both flights have a capacity of 14 seats each, but we carry only 12 passengers. If we want to carry more loads, we will need to reduce the number of passengers. A plane can carry 8,750 lb the most,” said an official of Myanmar Airways.

This kind of plane is known to be used for taking sick or injured people, aerial photography, project and rescue.

“It is good to hire them as both charter flight and sightseeing tour. This sort of light plane is a private flight. Sometimes, some families visit Myanmar in such flights,” said an air controller of Yangon International Airport.

It is reported that the two planes equipped with high-tech electronics manufactured by Cessna Company in USA and their engines, PT6A-114A Pratt & Whitney were made in Canada.

Original article:   http://www.myitmakhamediagroup.info

Up close & personal: ease, efficiency of fixed-wing ambulance

 Guest Column

By  Marilyn (Labar) Nasman/San Juan Island

I am grateful for both fixed wing and helicopter ambulance service on our island.

As a 41-year-resident of San Juan Island, I have seen some dramatic positive changes in air evacuation. Ten days ago I wrote the following thank you letter to the EMS service and Island Air. Recent concerns over the fixed-wing service cause me to make my letter public.

To: Jim Cole, San Juan Island EMS, Jackie Hamilton, Island Air

I found myself in a “time capsule” two weeks ago. I stood on the tarmac of the Bellingham Airport at one o’clock in the morning watching my husband being transferred from Island Air’s fixed-wing ambulance plane to the waiting ambulance ready for the journey to the cardiac care unit of St. Joe’s hospital. We had been transported from our boat at Shipyard Cove to the new Peace Island Hospital by the EMS personnel.

After a determination at the local hospital that my husband’s heart was in need of attention by specialists, Jackie’s team was called into duty to join the EMS for the evacuation to Bellingham. We left the new local hospital with its wonderful team of skill and support to be transported to the Friday Harbor Airport. It is here where my memory of 40-plus years on the island came full circle.

My late husband, Les Labar, the founder of Aeronautical Services, had been a pioneer in fixed wing medical evacuation to St. Luke’s Hospital in Bellingham in the late 1970s. I remember our original Cessna 207; the day UPS freight hauler, quickly converted to accommodate a stretcher and two EMS personnel.

If I recall correctly that conversion involved removing a piece of plywood that formed the floor of the freight area and then allowing the stretcher to be tied to the floor rings. I think there was one rear seat for one EMS person and the other personnel sat up front with Les.

The local ambulance met the plane at our freight hangar; no extra lights, or special equipment, just Les, the plane and a space for the stretcher. No one was tracking the flight, no communication network, no cell phones, no radio contact with the hospital, just the promise to meet the flight by the original contact from St. Luke’s.

There was limited ability for the EMS to provide medical support for the patient in route and no room for a family member to accompany the patient. Compare that 35-year-old scenario to what I experienced in the early morning of Aug. 18, 2013.

We were greeted by a gleaming Cessna 207 fully dedicated to medical evacuation. It was housed in a spotless hangar with state of the art equipment to smoothly move my husband into an aircraft equipped in a manner my late husband could have only dreamed.

I had met our pilot, Craig Bailey, just the week before at the 40th anniversary for Aeronautical Services. He was the consummate professional. He orchestrated the flight with skill, competence and ease.

Continued ....

Read more here:  http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/opinion

2 planes hit with bullets at Corona Municipal Airport (KAJO), California

Corona police are investigating what may be separate incidents that have left two planes at Corona Airport with bullet holes.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, Jim Yost arrived at the airport for an early morning flight on behalf of Wings of Faith Ministries, which delivers clothing and food to Native American reservations in California and nearby states.

Instead, his wife, Debbie, noticed damage on the passenger side of their Cessna 182. Before long, they found one bullet hole in the door of the hangar and another in a storage box in the rear of the hangar. The bullet grazed the plane in two places.

A week earlier, Dave Mejia, whose Cessna 172 is tied down nearby, discovered a bullet hole on the wing as he prepared for a morning flight.

Mejia said the repair estimate is $5,600. Yost is awaiting his. Both planes are insured for body damage.

Mejia, whose family plane has been at the airport for 23 years, suggested that “someone with a pass” to open the gate at night might be responsible. “We’re a community that looks after each other.”

He doubted that the crimes would have occurred during the day when the airport is busy.

Police Sgt. Brent Nelson said two bullets of similar caliber have been found, and that an investigation is continuing.

The Mejias were longtime owners of Mejia TV & Appliances on East Sixth Street in Corona until its closing last year. Dave’s mother, Eva, learned to fly at the age of 55, and his late father, Zeke, was also a pilot.

Mejia said news of the shootings spread quickly around the airport, and he fears that “one of these guys will come down here at night with a gun and someone will get hurt.”

The gate is the only security at the airport, Assistant City Manager Greg Irvine said, although police make random patrols. The airport land is owned by the Army Corps of Engineer and is leased to the city. Private parties own the improvements, such as hangars, and lease them to individuals and businesses.

The city’s airport manager retired recently, Irvine said, and the city has begun recruiting efforts to find a replacement.

Follow consolidation of city departments in August, the Parks and Community Services Department took over administration of the airport, which is home to more than 350 private aircraft.

Original Article and Photos:   http://www.pe.com

Photography business takes to the air

WORCESTER — Worcester Aerial Photography, a new business at the Worcester Regional Airport, is planning to take area photography to new heights.

The company was founded in May and is setting its sights on an innovative way to view Worcester and its surrounding towns, with aerial shots taken from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the ground. Founder George Charles Allen decided to combine his lifelong passion for flight with his skills in photography to create a new business venture.

Mr. Allen has been in and out of planes since he was 3 years old, joining his father, Bill Allen, in his enthusiasm for aviation. He would eventually fly as a part of the Civil Air Patrol, doing work for the Red Cross, FEMA and MEMA. Later, he helped found the Worcester Regional Flight Academy.

"I had been flying around here so much that I know the aerial view very well," Mr. Allen said of the inspiration for his venture. "I've gotten to know all the nooks and crannies of Worcester, all the unique spots that people maybe wouldn't even think about, or that you wouldn't even see when you are driving around."

Worcester Aerial Photography uses a high-wing Cessna 172, which is flown by a skilled pilot while Mr. Allen shoots photos with a Canon digital SLR camera. The standard client package involves aerial photos of a 25-mile radius around Worcester and its surrounding towns, but accommodations can be made for shooting destinations outside the radius. Clients can go along, provided the airplane remains within safe weight limits.

The photographs are a unique way to view the city. The end product is well suited for real estate assessments, construction, and businesses looking for exciting shots for the office or to show investors. Mr. Allen said the only limitation is a client's imagination.

"I want to show the citizens of Worcester the city that they are living in," Mr. Allen said. "I want to give them a totally new perspective."

Mr. Allen, a Clark University graduate, had been shooting photos for years when he dug into his interest in photography while working on a doctorate degree at the University of Edinburgh. The Scottish countryside proved to be an invaluable tool for learning the nuances of photography. When he returned home, he helped start the Worcester Regional Flight School and then Worcester Aerial Photography.

"I was expecting to be a professor and get a Ph.D," Mr. Allen said. "But, once the opportunity to become an entrepreneur came around, I took hold of it, and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't go back and do anything differently at this point."

Looking back, he said, it seemed as if Worcester Aerial Photography was destined to come together, as Mr. Allen kept a camera by his side while the flight school grew.

"As things settled down with the flight school I always had a camera in my hand trying to get photos of our students, but then I started pointing it out the window and started getting really cool shots, and I thought, 'I can do something with this,' " he said.

Story and Photo:  http://www.telegram.com

Man charged with pointing laser at Virginia State Police plane

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

CHESTERFIELD, VA  - A Chesterfield man is under investigation, accused of aiming a green laser pointer at a State Police plane.

Authorities say 20-year-old Matthew Farr created some dangerous moments for that pilot. Farr was arrested at his home this past weekend, but says he didn't realize what he was doing.

For Trooper pilot Adam Culbertson, a green laser shining into his cockpit was scary, painful, and dangerous. He was flying over Chesterfield County, practicing at night.

"It was very distracting and it causes you to involuntarily close your eyes," said Culbertson. "It causes the pain that hits you in the face."

It scares him to think about what might have happened, if his eyes had been injured.

"I was a single pilot, the only person in the airplane. Had my eyes been damaged from the laser, it's very possible I wouldn't have been possible to make it back on the ground safely."

From the sky, Culbertson was able to help State Police track down the man who is reportedly responsible.

Farr didn't want to speak on camera about what happened, but said he started pointing the laser at the plane while he was hanging out with a friend. He said he had no idea the plane was a State Trooper or that he was shining it in the Trooper's eyes. He was surprised when State Police showed up at his house.

Pointing a laser at a pilot, or a trooper for that matter, is a crime in Virginia. Green lasers can cause eye injuries and completely incapacitate pilots.

Scarier yet, the laser was reportedly being used in an area used by commercial pilots flying into Richmond. It could have been a plane carrying hundreds of passengers.

Farr is due in court in August for this crime. An FAA investigation  could mean more consequences for Farr.

Sources: 

http://www.nbc12.com

http://wtvr.com

Cessna 150 donated to B.C. Rain's aviation academy

 

Steve Boykin, left, supervisor of agriculture and technical education for the Mobile County school system, is shown with Kyle Cook, director of Gulf Coast operations at Alabama Aviation Center. Cook helped arrange for the Cessna's donation from Enterprise State Community College.

MOBILE, Alabama – Aviation students, your Cessna has landed.

Mobile County school system students who enroll in aviation courses at B.C. Rain High School’s Aviation and Aerospace Academy will be able to assemble and repair the parts of a Cessna 150, which was donated by Enterprise State Community College.

The small four-seater is almost completely disassembled, which will make it easier for students to learn about how the parts go together, said Kyle Cook, director of Gulf Coast operations at Alabama Aviation Center.

The tricycle gear plane, which was likely built from the late 1950’s to the late 1970’s, will be temporarily housed at Bryant Career Technical Center in Irvington while construction is completed on B.C. Rain’s new Aerospace Training Facility. It is scheduled to open this fall.

Enterprise State Community College has been a partner in establishing the academy and the academy will use Enterprise State’s curriculum, according to a media release from the school system.

Courses will include theory of flight, sheet metal repair, electrical currents and hydraulics.

Among other skills, students will learn to repair the Cessna’s rivets and will cut holes in the sheet metal, then patch them, said Steve Boykin, supervisor of agriculture and technical education for the Mobile County school system.

Students will also be able to connect the flight control cables to the yokes – the plane’s version of steering wheels – and to the rudder pedals, which turn the plane, Cook said.

The school system has contracted with Enterprise State and Bishop State Community College to set up a dual enrollment program at the Aerospace Training Facility, through which students may earn college credit and higher credentials while still in high school.

Bryant Career Tech’s program is probably one of the nation’s first to offer aviation courses to high school students, “and we’re very proud of that,” Boykin said. 

He was also quick to give credit to Larry Mouton, executive director of career and technical education for the Mobile County school system. “He has really been aggressive at getting things going” with the aviation curriculum, Boykin said. 

The plane came from Enterprise State Community College’s Ozark campus, Cook said, after one of the instructors discovered it was available and arranged for the donation.

The plane does not have an engine or an instrument panel. The school system is hopeful that someone will donate those and other airplane components to the aviation academy. If you have parts to donate, call Boykin at 251-610-2596.

The $1.6 million, 15,500-square foot Aerospace Training Facility at B.C. Rain will feature a main shop area, training rooms with Smartboards, a large mezzanine storage area and an overhead monorail crane.

There are still limited slots still available for enrollment in the aviation academy. Rising sophomores from anywhere in Mobile County who have at least a 2.0 grade point average are eligible. 

Story and Photo Gallery:   http://blog.al.com

Wakaya invest $5million on luxury aircraft

SUVA, Fiji --- The Wakaya Group has invested $5million (US$2.6 million) for the acquisition of a brand new top-of-the-line luxury aircraft in Fiji.

The aircraft, an 11-seater Cessna Grand Caravan Ex, would be based in Nadi and available to the public for charter.

Owner and FIJI Water founder David Gilmour said the latest addition to its assets would allow travelers to arrive at their destination calm, cool and collected.

“People come to Wakaya on a private plane but mostly commercial. Now Fiji has this magnificent new aircraft and when you get off the aircraft, there's a bit of a void in the continuity of quality of transport within Fiji," he said

“So I felt it was very important to bring in the latest technology where our visitors feel totally comfortable in this luxurious and fast airplane — it takes 35 minutes to fly from Nadi to Wakaya. We brought in a trainer, who is a top teacher with Cessna, and he's staying here for several months to train the pilot and copilots. I only want to use local pilots, which is the same as the Wakaya Club where I only have Fijian chefs.

“We want this to be a wonderful indigenous experience. Anyone who comes to Fiji is not stacked with Europeans who are totally capable. But I'd rather teach a Fijian to do the same job because we need employment in this country." He said this investment would generate a lot of interest and government did not have to invest in anything.

“It's our job to do that. All government does is create favorable conditions that make things happen quickly. We have nothing but total praise for government. We're asking for whatever help that is not an expense to the government, get on with business and create export dollars,” he said.

Gilmour, who recently featured in Forbes Magazine March 2013 issue for his latest ginger product, Wakaya Perfection, said delays in business processes often created an impediment to real growth.

Meanwhile, central bank governor Barry Whiteside said investment activity was extremely buoyant.

Source:   http://www.islandsbusiness.com

Bid to make Assam Flying Club operational: India

GUWAHATI: In a bid to boost the aviation industry in the NE region, Assam Flying Club Revival Committee will pressure the government to make the Assam Flying Club operational at the earliest.

The Cessna 152 and Pushpak MK-1 trainer aircraft, available at the club located in at LGBI Airport here, are lying unused for over 10 years now. Set up in 1958, the club enjoyed the distinction of being the lone flying club of the NE region to issue private and commercial license to pilots, but it started facing hurdles in the early nineties.

Now the committee, under the leadership of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority chairman Robin Bordoloi, has urged the state government to take urgent measures to make the club functional.

"We want development of the aviation industry in Assam and the northeast. Across the world, this industry is considered to be lucrative, but unfortunately due to lack of scope, aspiring flyers from NE have not been able to get flying training in the region. So, we want the government to take necessary steps to make the flying club operational once again," said Bikrom Singha Lahkar, general secretary of the committee.

He urged the state government to pay the dues to Airports Authority of India (AAI) as lease amount. "The AAI may not allow execution of the revival plans of the club if the lease amount remains unpaid," he said.

"At present, the space where the club exists is used by Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited and by AAI. The two aircraft are dumped in a corner. Pushpak MK-1 is permanently grounded and de-registered, while the Cessna 152 is temporarily grounded. The Cessna 152 was allotted to this club by Aero Club of India. Now, the Aero Club has re-allotted this aircraft to Bombay Flying Club," added Lahkar.

An official of the club, however, said it has become difficult to resume training program at the airport due to increased air traffic at LGBI Airport.

Source:  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Sounds Air takes flight with another aircraft

Commuter airline Sounds Air is growing.

The Cook Strait operator which serves Nelson has added another Cessna Grand Caravan to its fleet, which now stands at four aircraft.

Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford said the aircraft was previously operating with Salt Air in Kerikeri, and the company bought it in May.

The past two months have been spent repainting the aircraft in the Sounds Air fleet colours.

It is now in service and took its first commercial flight on Monday, when 12 passengers boarded at Blenheim for a flight to Wellington, Mr Crawford said. "Each passenger was given a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion," he said.

The new aircraft will complement the fleet on flights from Wellington to Picton, Blenheim and Nelson and will allow Sounds Air the opportunity to offer more charter flights and extra flights at peak times as demand increases at weekends and over the summer season, Mr Crawford said.

"With the extra capacity we will also be adding a daily return freight flight across Cook Strait to enhance service to our existing customers and provide options to new freight clients."

Source:   http://www.stuff.co.nz

Lackluster sales of Cessna dent Textron's profit

(Reuters) - Textron Inc, the world's largest maker of business aircraft, reported a 34 percent fall in quarterly profit as deliveries fell by more than half at its Cessna unit.

Cessna, which makes small, piston-powered aircraft and business jets, posted a quarterly loss as deliveries of its flagship Citation jets slumped to 20 from 49 a year earlier.

Sequestration-related budget cuts by the U.S. government have put a lid on spending by many small businesses - Cessna's main customers.

The unit's share of total revenue fell to 20 percent from 26 percent a year earlier.

To cope with declining demand, Textron has been forced to cut costs at Cessna. However, it has also raised prices and introduced new models.

"It's a tough balancing act," Textron Chief Executive Scott Donnelly said on a conference call.

Cessna's two new jets, Citation Sovereign and Citation X, would be ready for delivery late this year and in early 2014, the CEO said.

The Bell helicopter business, which makes military and civilian helicopters and is Textron's largest unit by revenue, delivered 44 commercial helicopters in the second quarter, compared with 47 a year ago. Revenue fell 3 percent.

Donnelly said a number of larger commercial Bell aircraft would be delivered in the second half of the year.

Last month, the unit, in association with Boeing Co. won a $4.9 billion defense contract to manufacture 99 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

Textron's second-quarter revenue of $2.8 billion was below analysts' average estimate of $3.01 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

INDUSTRIAL UPSIDE

A strong performance by Textron's industrials business, which makes fuel systems and golf and turf care products, helped the company beat analysts' earnings expectations.

Earnings of $114 million, or 40 cents per share, from continuing operations came in above the 38 cents per share analysts had estimated.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Robert Stallard attributed the earnings beat to a good performance by the company's industrial unit.

A strong auto market in North America and new products drove growth in the business, the company said.

Revenue from the industrial business rose 6 percent to $801 million, or 29 percent of the total, making it the second-largest unit by revenue.

Stallard said the division could emerge as "a source of upside" for the company's sales.

Shares of Providence, Rhode Island-based Textron, which have shed 6 percent of their value in the last three months, fell a further 2 percent to $26.99 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

Source:   http://in.reuters.com

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney defends $4500 a week spent on charter flights for him from Monto to Brisbane - Australia

 

It would be cheaper for Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney to catch a taxi to and from his electorate than take charter flights, which are currently costing taxpayers about $4500 a week. 

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk today told the Budget Estimates hearing at State Parliament that Jeff Seeney racked up a $162,505 bill on flights in nine months.

He defended the cost as necessary to have strong representation for regional Queensland in parliament, and said he had no plans to change his travel schedule.

"This option has been identified as the best option by the Ministerial Services Branch," Mr Seeney said.

"It is about ensuring that regional Queensland is represented in a government that cares about regional Queensland."

A taxi from Brisbane to Monto would cost about $1100 according to Yellow Cabs - so a return trip would still be somewhat cheaper than Mr Seeney's current weekly charter flight bill.

However to drive from Brisbane to Monto would take nearly six hours - compared with just over an hour to fly the distance.

EARLIER it was reported that Mr Seeney had again been forced to defend the cost of flying to and from Brisbane each week after it was revealed charter flights cost taxpayers more than $160,000 last year.

At the budget estimates hearings on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk asked Mr Seeney if he was using charter planes as a "personal taxi service", given the $162,505 price tag over nine months.

Mr Seeney lives in Monto in central Queensland and uses a charter service to travel to Brisbane each week because commercial flights do not service the town.

"I am a regional member of parliament and our government believes that regional members of parliament have every right to hold senior positions in the government and we will continue to ensure regional Queensland is well represented in our government," said Mr Seeney.

"I travel once a week from where I live to Brisbane in a small Cessna aircraft, a four-seater.

"I would dearly love the opportunity that I suspect the (deputy Opposition leader) Member for Mackay has to have a Qantas business class option but that's not available to me."

He said the cost to taxpayers amounted to about 60 percent of his travel budget.

The bill amounts to about $4500 a week.

Sources: 

http://www.couriermail.com.au

http://au.news.yahoo.com

Low-Flying Airplane Maps New Madrid Zone: U.S. Geological Survey

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey 

Department of the Interior/USGS

 U.S. Geological Survey/photo by Michael Hobbs , EDCON-PRJ, Inc.

Starting around July 10, and continuing for approximately one month, an airplane operating under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey will be making low-level flights over a 1400-square-mile area including Blytheville, Ark., Kennett, Mo., Piggott, Ark., and Qulin, Mo., along with other parts of southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, and western Tennessee. The magnetometer on the airplane measures the magnetic field of the earth without emitting any energy or signal of its own.

The survey is designed to measure the magnetic field of the earth, which is related to rock formations that lie below the land surface. These flights are part of an ongoing USGS earthquake research program to identify hidden geologic features, such as changes in rock types, thus providing a better understanding of the geology and hydrology of the area. For example, the magnetic survey may help map shallow concealed faults associated with the New Madrid seismic zone. It will take several months to a year before results from the survey are released.

"Faults sometimes bring together rocks with different magnetic properties,” said Dr. Richard Blakely, the USGS geophysicist who organized the survey and will lead data analysis. “These variations in magnetic properties produce very small magnetic fields that can be measured with low-flying aircraft, allowing us to map and characterize faults even though they may be completely hidden by vegetation or young sediments."

For the last 40 years, the New Madrid area has been the most seismically active region in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Although no knowledge of an imminent large earthquake exists, the USGS has serious concerns about the potential repeat of a destructive earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone, like those that occurred in the winter of 1811-1812. Large sequences of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 7 to 8 also occurred in this region in about 1450 A.D., 900 A.D., and 2300 B.C. The geologic evidence indicates that these were large earthquakes that produced prolonged and very strong ground motions in the area that is home to several million people today.

Anyone observing the low-flying single-engine Cessna red and white airplane should not be alarmed if they see it fly overhead or pass below the horizon. The airplane is operated by experienced pilots who are specially trained for low-level flying.

The airplane is operated by EDCON-PRJ of Lakewood, Colo., which is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law.

Photo of the Cessna airplane to be used for the study.

In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project.  Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.

Source:  http://www.usgs.gov

Airfield owner's new bid for bigger hangar

The owner of Perranporth Airfield is seeking planning permission to extend the facilities to make room for his private jet.
 
Last year Cornwall Council rejected an application to extend a hangar because of concerns regarding noise.

Now the owner has resubmitted the application to extend the hangar 25m by 22m, with a height of 4.9m, to house a Cessna Citation Mustang jet.

The 334-acre clifftop site is on the market for £1.49 million by owner John George, who founded mobile phone giant JAG Communications.

It is operated by Perranporth Flying Club Limited, which holds the Civil Aviation Authority license.

Eighteen local residents wrote to the council objecting to the proposals, along with St Agnes and Perranzabuloe parish councils.

Residents said they fear the additional storage would lead to increased use of the airfield, where, they claimed, the level of flying is already "beyond distressing", and increased noise, traffic and aircraft movements.

Some claimed the airfield's "creeping expansion" would have a negative impact on local tourism and that the hangar would be an "eyesore" visible from a coastal path.

Cornwall Council's planners said they are recommending approval, and that previous noise concerns have been addressed.

In a report to members of the area planning committee, which is due to consider the application on Monday, planners said: "The planning authority having assessed these revised details considers that the previous uncertainty regarding the potential noise increases that may be generated by the additional hangar storage has been adequately addressed and raise no objections to the current proposal on noise grounds."

A noise report by Applied Acoustic Design (AAD) claimed any change in aircraft movements would have a negligible impact on residents because of noise.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk