Flight Safety Information October 11, 2011 - No. 209 In This Issue Loaded .357 found at Sea-Tac airport FlightSafety Receives Approval From the DGAC in Mexico for Five Simulators Wyvern releases its Broker Pledge, teams with industry groups American Airlines to cut capacity and retire 11 planes Eclipse Jet Orders Reopened For New Aircraft Loaded .357 found at Sea-Tac airport Man with gun in carry-on traveling to Las Vegas A loaded .357 handgun was found in a carry-on bag at Sea-Tac International Airport on Saturday afternoon. It was the 23rd weapon found at a Sea-Tac security checkpoint this year, officials said. The man who was carrying the .357 was trying to board a flight to Las Vegas. The gun had six rounds of ammunition and one in the chamber, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said. Two days before the Saturday incident, a passenger going to Minneapolis was found with a loaded handgun in a carry-on bag. "We're not talking incidents that were potential threats," Sea-Tac spokesman Perry Cooper said. "These were not people trying to do something with them, fortunately. But what it ends up doing is delaying the people behind them." More than 800 firearms have been found by Transportation Security Administration workers nationwide, Dankers said. Last year, TSA workers at Sea-Tac found 21 weapons at security checkpoints. "Responsible gun owners should know where their guns are at all times," Cooper said. "In this case, you should know how to pack them and the proper procedures to get through an airport. And there's no problem when you know how to do that." Passengers are allowed to transport firearms on airplanes, but federal law requires they be unloaded, packed in checked baggage and declared to the airline. Realistic firearm replicas are also prohibited in carry-on baggage. The TSA also encourages travelers wanting to transport firearms to check with their airline for possible additional firearm and ammunition policies. The man in the Saturday incident has not been charged. "Hopefully," Cooper said, "when word gets out that will reduce the numbers we see." Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Loaded-375-found-at-Sea-Tac- airport-2211952.php#ixzz1aTCowUu1 Back to Top FlightSafety Receives Approval From the DGAC in Mexico for Five Simulators and Flight Training Devices FlightSafety International LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, New York (October 10, 2011) - FlightSafety International is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) in Mexico for two Level D simulators and three Level 7 qualified flight training devices. FlightSafety has now received approval for 274 of its simulators and flight training devices from the DGAC in Mexico. "The approval of five FlightSafety simulators and flight training devices by the DGAC in Mexico shows our commitment and ability to provide our Customers in the region with training programs and advanced simulators that are approved to the highest standards in the country in which they operate," said Greg McGowan, Vice President, Operations. "To date, FlightSafety has received 1,119 qualifications from aviation regulatory agencies worldwide for 337 Simulator Configurations currently in service at its Learning Centers." The DGAC has granted its approval for FlightSafety's Dassault Falcon 7X and Eurocopter EC135 full flight simulators that entered service in 2011 at the company's Learning Center in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. The Falcon 7X simulator has received Level D qualification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration and regulatory authorities in Brazil, Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Also approved by the DGAC are FlightSafety's Level 7 qualified Bell 206, Bell 207 (L3 and B models), and Eurocopter AS350 flight training devices. These devices have previously been qualified by the FAA and Transport Canada. "A growing number of business aviation professionals who fly and maintain fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in Mexico, Central and South America rely on FlightSafety's comprehensive training programs," said Willy Vargas, Managing Director - Mexico, Central America, Venezuela & Peru. "Our Customers appreciate the high quality training programs and outstanding service FlightSafety offers and the investments we are making to support their training needs." Back to Top Wyvern releases its Broker Pledge, teams with industry groups Earlier this fall Wyvern Ltd, an international aviation safety consultancy based in Trenton, New Jersey, launched its Broker Pledge project. Geared towards Wyvern Brokers, the Pledge is intended to act as a broker's promise to engage in safer business practices. By signing the document brokers make a commitment to promote safety through the use of Wyvern data programs including The Wyvern Report and Safety Intelligence Reporting, and by running Wyvern PASS reports on every trip. "At Wyvern, we believe the best service a broker can provide their clients is to help them source the safest charter alternatives," explains Brent Moldowan, Managing Director of Wyvern Ltd. "That's why it is important to us that we partner with brokers who are making their best efforts to serve the consumer in the charter buying process. Managing operator selection through safety information and awareness should be a part of every charter mission." The Broker Pledge is part of a larger effort by Wyvern and a group of charter brokers to put emphasis on best practices and make safety due diligence a more permanent part the purchasing process. Wyvern has made a complete overhaul of their membership programs in order to ensure that brokers have a wide range of tools at their disposal for safety due diligence. "At ACS the safety of our clients is paramount when we charter an aircraft for them, this is why we vet all operators using Wyvern and PASS," says Andy Christie, Executive VP at Air Charter Service (ACS), one the world's largest brokerage firms. "We have our own in- house compliance department who keep records of aircraft documents including AOCs and insurance levels, but Wyvern goes beyond that and provides us, and our customers, with total peace of mind." Wyvern has also made great efforts to ensure that brokers have access to a network of available Wyvern Wingmen, operators that are audited to guarantee they adhere to the Wyvern Standard, as well as, the most advanced technology for safety information handling in the world. "Our clients demand that we make the extra effort to ensure the aircraft and crews for their flights meet or exceed FAA requirements, have a solid safety record, and ample insurance," explains Jonathan Tasler, President of Air Charter Team. "Wyvern's PASS Reports allow us to do these checks quickly and accurately so we can book planes with confidence." In addition to its own efforts Wyvern has also pledged its support to the Air Charter Association of America (ACANA), which is attempting to create a benchmark for excellence in the industry by promoting best practices amongst industry professionals. To that end ACANA will be holding a session at NBAA to discuss regulatory change, as well as issues surrounding ethical practices, due diligence and liability for brokers. The session will be moderated by Brent Moldowan, Managing Director of Wyvern and Vice President of ACANA. To find out more about the Wyvern's Broker program visit Wyvern in the Avinode booth, C7818. http://www.charterx.com/resources/article.aspx?id=9030 Back to Top American Airlines to cut capacity and retire 11 planes Responding to an unsteady economy and high fuel costs, American Airlines announced that it planned to cut overall capacity this year and retire 11 older Boeing jets next year. The capacity cuts, made by canceling unpopular flights, among other changes, will reduce the number of seats available on planes by 3%, compared with projections made by the airline in January, the airline announced Monday. The move was also in response to an unusually high number of pilots retiring in October. "While our advance bookings are generally in line with last year, we are taking these additional steps in light of the uncertain economic environment, ongoing high fuel costs and to ensure we run a reliable schedule for our customers given additional pilot retirements we anticipate throughout the fourth quarter," said Virasb Vahidi, American's chief commercial officer. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline also announced it planned to retire up to 11 Boeing 757 aircraft in 2012 to make way for some of the 460 newer, more fuel-efficient planes the airline ordered in July. The capacity cut comes only a week after stocks for American's parent company, AMR, dropped 33% on rumors that the troubled airline might be considering filing for bankruptcy protection. The company's stock has since rebounded and recovered most of the losses. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/10/american-airlines-to-cut-capacity- and-retire-11-planes.html Back to Top Eclipse Jet Orders Reopened For New Aircraft LAS VEGAS, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NBAA -- Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. announced today it is now taking orders for the Eclipse 550, the new twin-engine jet model in the Eclipse Jet family. "We're thrilled to be taking this positive step forward in Eclipse history," said Mason Holland, CEO and Chairman of Eclipse Aerospace. "We expect a robust customer response based on the support we've received from current Eclipse owners, our suppliers and the aviation community in general. Ultimate production and production levels will be driven by overall market demand, and we couldn't be more excited or optimistic." The Eclipse 550 will be a technologically advanced, twin-engine jet aircraft with a design that utilizes the same airframe and power plant as the popular EA-500 model, along with significant innovations in most aircraft systems designed to improve overall operations, direct operating costs, technology, comfort, and performance. The base price of the Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet is USD $2,695,000 (2011 value). Eclipse Aerospace expects to produce 50 to 100 aircraft per year with deliveries beginning in 2013. The Eclipse 550's enhancements will include expanded aircraft computer systems and integrated avionics package, which will now support features such as Synthetic Vision, Enhanced Vision, dual-mode FMS, TAWS, TCAS-1, ADS-B, on-board color radar, Radar Altimeter, and iPad data entry integration. In addition, Eclipse Aerospace will become the first in its industry to offer Auto-Throttles as an option for the Eclipse 550. "One of the true values of the Eclipse 550 design is the ability to incorporate new technology such as Auto-Throttles into our aircraft with improved cost efficiency," said Holland. "The Eclipse 550 will also include performance enhancements to further improve the aircraft's fuel efficiency advantage over competitors." Innovative Solutions & Support, provider of the EFIS portion of the Eclipse 550's integrated Avio FMS avionics package, will continue to provide engineering and design services in the development and certification of Synthetic Vision, Enhanced Vision, and integration of Auto Throttles. All of these features will be supported by a new generation of flat panel displays with enhanced graphics and robust microprocessors, all tested to the more rigorous standards normally applied to military aircraft. The Eclipse 550 will be powered by the same Pratt & Whitney PW610F turbofan engines used in the EA- 500, which collectively produce 1,800 lbs. of thrust. This gives the 6,000 lb. Eclipse Jet a maximum cruise speed of 375 knots and an IFR range of 1,125 nm with a full fuel payload of 700 lbs. Like the EA-500, the Eclipse 550 will have a maximum service ceiling of 41,000 ft. and a cruise fuel flow of only 59 gal/hr. "Eclipse is in a place all to itself. First, the cost to operate an Eclipse Jet is significantly lower than the next closest jet in our class. Couple this with the low purchase price entry point for the Eclipse 550 and you have a winning combination," Holland said. A limited number of introductory position holders will receive a contract without CPI escalation and, as an additional incentive, over $120,000 in optional equipment at no additional cost. The Eclipse Jet is on display at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention, October 10-12 in Las Vegas, NV at booth 12012. For more information please visit Eclipse Aerospace at www.ECLIPSE.aero About Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. is the manufacturer of the technologically advanced, fuel-efficient Eclipse 550 twin- engine jet. Eclipse also provides engineering, maintenance, service, and support for the fleet of 260 Eclipse 500 Twin-Engine Jet aircraft. Adhering to the motto "Customer First," Eclipse Aerospace is focused on providing a superior customer experience for existing and future owners, operators, and pilots of the revolutionary Eclipse Jet aircraft. Eclipse Aerospace corporate offices are based in Charleston, S.C. Principle operations are located in Albuquerque, N.M. and Chicago, Ill. Eclipse Aerospace is located on the Web at www.ECLIPSE.aero. SOURCE Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC