November 2017
Editor's Briefing
As I write this, the 2017 NBAA Convention is drawing to a close. This year’s show was held in Las Vegas, which was still reeling from the horrific shooting at an outdoor music festival that left 58 dead and 500 injured just one week before. There was a subdued, but determined feeling among the Las Read More
Feature
Twin & Turbine’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide
Whether you are looking to drop a hint, buy a gift for your favorite pilot or simply treat yourself, Twin & Turbine is here to help. There are plenty of pilot-oriented gadgets and gizmos out there, so we narrowed the field down to 12 unique gifts for the owner-pilot (and those who travel along) at Read More
Jet Journal
Every aircraft has its unique characteristics, which begs the question: how can this airplane hurt us? It is a short trip today: Seattle’s Boeing Field (KBFI) to Boise, Idaho KBOI) in a vintage 1983 Lear 35. Less than 30 seconds after our wheels leave the pavement of runway 13R we are doing 250 knots and Read More
Jet Journal
No aircraft is immune to hydroplaning. Know your hydroplane speed, plan ahead and use good technique when landing on wet surfaces. A light jet overran the runway at Chicago Midway Airport in mid-July. Perhaps because the new-model jet was the first of its type delivered to a customer, images of the aftermath received widespread distribution in Read More
Five on the Fly
WHO: Bart Jones WHERE: Vero Beach, FL POSITION: Piper Aircraft Chief Pilot, Senior Manager of Production Flight Test CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Ratings: Seaplane, Tailwheel, Single-Engine Commercial and Multi-Engine ATP Hours: 10,000+ 1. You’ve been at Piper more than 28 years. Can you describe your start at the company? I was hired into the training department in Read More
Feature
Editor’s Note: One of the highlights of EAA AirVenture 2017 was witnessing two B-29s flying together for the first time since they were in military service more than 50 years ago. Longtime Twin & Turbine readers may remember writer Doug Rozendaal, who through his prolific flying career, contributed a number of articles to this magazine. Read More
From the Flight Deck
From the Flight Deck: Deferred Maintenance
“Pay me now, or pay me later.” (Fram oil filter slogan, Circa 1971) DMI (Deferred Maintenance Item) – postponing maintenance activities in order to save costs, maintain a schedule or to meet budget constraints. The failure to perform such repairs could lead to higher long-term costs, component deterioration and ultimately, component failure. Lately, the Duke Read More
NBAA Focus
The Fight Against ATC Privatization Continues
As Twin & Turbine readers are certainly aware, NBAA and its members have been hard at work this year as part of an historic coalition of voices opposing privatization of air traffic control (ATC) services in the United States. The recent passage of a funding extension for the FAA did not end this fight; to Read More
NBAA Focus
Business Aviation Responds to Calls for Hurricane Relief
Over the past two months, the business aviation community has mobilized in response to devastating storms impacting Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico. They were aided by a resource established by NBAA to connect relief organizations to operators and personnel able to help at a moment’s notice. NBAA’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) database is a Read More
NBAA Focus
BAI – Promoting Ethics and Integrity in Business Aviation
Are professional ethics and integrity cornerstones of your organization? How can you encourage ethical behavior throughout your aviation department, charter operation, maintenance facility or other aviation-related business? Simply put, ethics are standards that govern the conduct of members of a society or group, while integrity is adherence to those standards. Those are broad, abstract concepts, Read More
NBAA Focus
Graphical Forecast for Aviation Replaces Text-Based Area Forecasts
On Oct. 10, the transition to graphical forecasts for aviation (GFAs) for the continental U.S. is set to be complete as traditional textual area forecasts (FAs) will be discontinued. The move, in a transition phase since July, will enable National Weather Service Aviation Weather Center forecasters to focus their efforts on maximizing operational benefit Read More
NBAA Focus
New Study Reaffirms Industry’s Contributions to Successful Companies
Ahead of NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), the largest and most significant event focused on the global impact of business aviation to companies and communities across the nation and around the world, the Association welcomed a new study of S&P 500 companies demonstrating that by a host of measures, the use of business Read More
En Route
En Route: Honeywell’s New iPad App Optimizes Routes
Honeywell has released its latest flight planning application GoDirect Flight Bag Pro. Pilots can create and file flight plans for easy reference, calculate and compare aircraft cruise modes to increase performance, and access real-time weather updates to ensure the aircraft arrives at the destination on time. GoDirect Flight Bag Pro is available via an iPad Read More
En Route
Raisbeck Certifies Five-Blade Prop for King Air 350
Raisbeck Engineering has received Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval from the FAA for its new Composite five-blade swept propeller for the Beechcraft King Air 350. The composite propeller, designed to improve King Air comfort, performance and efficiency, was developed in collaboration with Hartzell Propeller. At 106 inches in diameter, Raisbeck’s propeller reduces weight and contributes Read More
En Route
En Route: Certification Imminent for Pilatus PC-24
Pilatus expects to obtain certification for its PC-24 light jet from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the FAA in December 2017. First customer aircraft is scheduled by yearend. The Pilatus PC-24 development project has now entered its final certification phase, with the three PC-24 prototypes having flown 1,250 flights and 2,000 hours thus Read More
On Final
So You Want to Buy an Airplane
Each time I buy an airplane (now on number 10) I get a little more organized. Perhaps you can learn from my successes and failures. Here’s some things you should consider. Who Are You Buying From? My experience with purchasing from the manufacturer (Textron in my case) on both new and used Citations has been Read More