Flight Safety Information December 30, 2013 - No. 263 In This Issue Rule changes in China open doors of opportunity for general aviation New Federal Safety Alerts Aim To Improve General Aviation Delta to retire last commercial service Douglas DC-9 aircraft Think ARGUS PROS First Private Supersonic Jet Promised in 2018 - For $80M Priester Aviation appoints new VP of Flight Operations/Director of Operations Rule changes in China open doors of opportunity for general aviation BEIJING - Ferraris and Rolls-Royces have become common sights in China's cities as a new class of super-rich indulge a growing appetite for luxury, but tight regulation has meant the private jet, the ultimate status symbol of the global elite, remains rare. Recent rules changes, however, indicate that China is preparing to open its skies to private aircraft, in a move that may herald the greatest expansion of business and private aviation in the last 30 years. Last month, China's aviation regulator simplified flight approval procedures for private aircraft and lowered the threshold for obtaining a private pilot license. More importantly, the implementation of little-noticed guidelines issued by China's State Council and the Central Military Commission in 2010 will gradually lift the ceiling for low-flying aircraft by 2020. For companies such as Cessna, Gulfstream, Dassault Aviation SA and Bombardier Inc, which have spent a decade trying to build their China business, it may present the needed opportunity to expand in the world's fastest-growing aviation market. "This tells everyone publicly that China now endorses the use of business aircraft and general aviation just like any other countries worldwide," Roger Sperry, Gulfstream's senior vice president of international sales, told Reuters in an interview. "I'm nothing but optimistic." General aviation, which refers to all flights that are not operated by airlines, charter firms or the military, is already a $150 billion business in the United States. In contrast, there are only 1,610 registered general aviation aircraft in China, the latest figures from the China General Aviation Association show. That compares with about 228,000 in the United States, according to Craig Spence, secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations. Obstacles remain Still, in a country where the military controls 80 percent of airspace, there have been obstacles to expanding private air travel. Approval for a three-hour trip on a private plane can still take weeks in some cases. A lack of facilities where small planes can take off, land or refuel means hopping on a private plane to visit the other side of the country for the weekend remains a dream for even the most well-heeled. But the environment for general aviation began to change in 2010, and sales have begun to grow. For example, guidance issued by regulators in 2010 aims to open up airspace below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) by 2015 and expand to airspace below 3,000 meters by 2020. And rules about pilots filing flight plans have been relaxed in many areas of the nation. Business jet sales in China for Canada's Bombardier have topped 100, while Textron Inc.'s Cessna has sold more than 70 planes. All are gearing up for growth. Cessna has already started delivery of its Grand Caravan EX made at its China venture with state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Delivery of its Citation XLS+ jets built by a separate venture with AVIC is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to William Schultz, senior vice president of Business Development at Cessna Aircraft's China operations. Bombardier forecasts overall business jet deliveries in Greater China at 2,420 from 2013 to 2032. The growth, industry insiders say, would be fueled in part by demand for smaller jets in a country where large-cabin models, such as Dassault's Falcon 7x or Gulfstream's G550 and G650, are among the best sellers. "There is a beautiful potential in this market," said Beijing-based Jean Michel Jacob, senior vice president of international sales with Dassault Falcon. http://www.kansas.com/2013/12/28/3200050/rule-changes-in-china-open-doors.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top New Federal Safety Alerts Aim To Improve General Aviation On Friday the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency, announced that it had issued five new safety alerts that provide general aviation pilots with strategies for preventing accidents. The alerts follow five others that were issued earlier in the year that focused on the most frequent types of general aviation accidents. New, Tougher Co-Pilot Rule Aims To Boost Plane Safety Tanya MohnTanya Mohn Contributor The Gift of Foreign Language: It's One Most Americans Still Need Tanya MohnTanya Mohn Contributor Vacation Deprivation: Americans Have Twice As Many Unused Days Off As Last Year, New Survey Finds Tanya MohnTanya Mohn Contributor The Need For Speed: Nearly Half Of U.S. Drivers Believe Speeding Is A Problem Tanya MohnTanya Mohn Contributor The agency defined alerts as brief information sheets that pinpoint particular safety hazards and offer practical remedies to address the issues. The new "Armed" for Safety: Emergency Locator Transmitters alert, for example, advises pilots to verify that devices are switched on and attached to aircraft to ensure that they will work when needed. They can save pilots' and passengers' lives by helping search and rescue personnel locate a downed aircraft after an accident and minimize risk to personnel during operations, but "these lifelines can be rendered inoperative" if switch positions are improperly set or if they becomes detached from the aircraft, the agency said. The other four recent safety alerts are: * Check Your Restraints * Engine Power Loss Due to Carburetor Icing * All Secure, All Clear (securing items in the aircraft cabin) * Proper Use of Fiber or Nylon Self-Locking Nuts Commercial aviation continues to have a strong safety record, the agency said, however each year it continues to investigate an average of 1,500 general aviation accidents in which about 475 pilots and passengers are killed and hundreds more are seriously injured in the United States. "Knowing these accidents, which sometimes include entire families, can be prevented is why 'General Aviation Safety' is on our Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements," Deborah A.P. Hersman. NTSB's chairman said in a statement. "At a time when many people are putting together their list of resolutions for the coming year, these five Safety Alerts remind pilots, mechanics and passengers of basic safety precautions to add to their checklists to ensure a safe flight for all on board." In describing the problem, the agency wrote: "In many cases, pilots did not have the adequate knowledge, skills, or recurrent training to fly safely, particularly in questionable weather conditions. In addition, the more sophisticated "glass" cockpit displays present a new layer of complications for general aviation pilots. And not only are pilots dying due to human error and inadequate training, but also they are frequently transporting their families who suffer the same tragic fate." Also, although the overall general aviation accident rate has remained relatively steady, the components have changed dramatically over the last 10 years, the agency said. Personal flying accident rates, for example, have increased 20 percent, while the fatal accident rate has increased 25 percent over the same 10-year period. To learn more about the new safety alerts and 25 others issued since 2004, click here. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2013/12/29/new-federal-safety-alerts-aim-to-improve-general- aviation/ Back to Top Delta to retire last commercial service Douglas DC-9 aircraft Last flight comes as the airline modernizes its fleet and reduces fuel usage. ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines on Jan. 6, 2014 will retire its remaining Douglas DC-9 aircraft following Flight 2014 scheduled to depart Minneapolis/St. Paul for Atlanta at 4:20 p.m. (CST), the last scheduled commercial flight of the DC-9 by a major U.S. airline. "The DC-9 has been a workhorse in our domestic fleet while providing a reliable customer experience," said Nat Pieper, Delta's vice president - Fleet Strategy. "The aircraft's retirement paves the way for newer, more efficient aircraft." Since 2008, Delta has removed or retired more than 350 aircraft from its fleet including 50-seat CRJ-200s; Saab 340s and DC-9s; while adding economically efficient, proven-technology aircraft such as the Boeing 777- 200LR; two-class, 65 and 76-seat regional jets and variants of the 737 and 717, largely on a capacity-neutral basis. The DC-9 retirement comes just months after Delta began taking delivery of its orders of 88 Boeing 717-200 aircraft and 100 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, which began entering service in October and November, respectively. Each aircraft features a First Class cabin and slim-line seats throughout Delta's Economy Comfort and Economy cabin along with Wi-Fi connectivity and in-seat power ports. Additionally, the Boeing 737-900ER offers on-demand entertainment throughout the cabin. Delta also recently announced its order for 40 Airbus aircraft including 30 narrowbody A321s, which will begin to be delivered in 2016. Delta was the launch customer for the original 65-seat version of the DC-9 in 1965 as the airline replaced propeller aircraft on high-frequency, short-haul domestic routes. The twin-engine plane was removed from the Delta fleet in 1993, but larger variants reentered service following the merger; those aircraft joined Northwest after it acquired Republic Airlines in 1986. Delta has flown a total of 305 DC-9s since 1965. To acknowledge the DC-9's retirement, the last flight has been tagged DL2014 noting the final year of service, while the preceding flight operating from Detroit to Minneapolis/St. Paul will be flight DL1965, the aircraft's initial year of service. http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/58344/delta-to-retire-last-commercial#sthash.NDYWNaLX.dpuf Back to Top Back to Top First Private Supersonic Jet Promised in 2018 - For $80M spike-s-512-1500 For billionaire executives, a 16-hour flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo is just too damn long to spend out of pocket. The Spike Aerospace S-512 promises to cut that time in half, and it won't cost more than a measly $80 million. The Boston-based Spike crew is made up of former Airbus, Bombardier, and Gulfstream engineers, along with a handful of entrepreneurs and investors that have set out to create the world's first supersonic private jet. Their goal is to create a new breed of business aircraft that can reach a cruising speed of Mach 1.6 (1,218 mph) and a top speed of Mach 1.8 (1,370 mph). At those speeds, the S-512 is theoretically capable of flying from New York to London in less than four hours, all while carrying up to 18 passengers in the opulence they're accustomed to. It's no accident that Spike is quoting flight times over oceans and not the continental U.S. - the FAA prohibits supersonic flight over land, with few exceptions. But Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and even NASA have been working on ways to redesign supersonic aircraft to reduce the boom when breaking the speed of sound, but to no avail. And Spike isn't the first to promise a supersonic jet. Aerion announced plans in 2009 to create its own 12-seat supersonic business jet (which, ironically, was pegged to cost $80 million). That jet was supposedly due in 2015 - and Spike's is promised to take off in December 2018. Spike Aerospace S-512: Fly Faster. Do More. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/12/spike-aerospace-s-512/ Back to Top Priester Aviation appoints new VP of Flight Operations/Director of Operations Industry veteran William L. McNease brings more than 37 years of global flight operations management to Priester Aviation's leadership team WHEELING, IL - Priester Aviation, LLC is proud to announce the addition of William (Bill) L. McNease as the company's new Vice President of Flight Operations and Director of Flight Operations. McNease will be responsible for Priester Aviation's global flight operations. McNease brings an extensive knowledge base with over 37 years of aviation management and flight operations experience to Priester Aviation. Prior to joining Priester Aviation, he served as Director of Operations and Chief Pilot for AMR Combs Worldwide Flight Operations. McNease got his start in aviation as a US Army pilot flying 173 combat surveillance missions in Vietnam. After gaining experience he moved on to Gulfstream where he was a test pilot on nearly all of the Gulfstream models that have been produced. His extensive resume includes ratings as an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) with 18,000 flight hours and 24 type ratings including several Airbus models, Gulfstream G550/G450, Dassault Falcon 900 and Bombardier Challenger 601 series. His international credentials include operating licenses for Costa Rica, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, Malawi, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. He has also served as an FAA air carrier inspector and general aviation operations inspector. "Bill embodies everything we set out to find. His impressive background, leadership skills and ability to relate and work cooperatively with team members and clients are what inspired us to hire him," said Andy Priester, President and CEO. "These are truly exciting times as The New Priester continues to take form as the preeminent choice in aircraft management, aircraft charter and related aviation services." McNease earned his Masters of Commercial Aviation at Delta State University, following his Bachelor of Professional Aviation from Louisiana Tech University. McNease is certified as an IS-BAO safety systems auditor and a recipient of the prestigious Admiral Luis de Florez Flight Safety Award, presented by the Flight Safety Foundation which recognizes outstanding individual contributions to aviation safety. About Priester Aviation, LLC Headquartered at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), Priester Aviation is among the world's most experienced global aviation solutions providers, specializing in aircraft management and private jet charter, with over 65 years of aviation experience. Priester is a privately held company and holds the highest safety ratings including the ARG/US Platinum rating, Wyvern Wingman, IS-BAO and Air Charter Safety Foundation certifications. Priester's aircraft are strategically based in Chattanooga, TN; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Jacksonville, FL; Milwaukee, WI; New York, NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Philadelphia, PA; St. Louis, MO and West Palm Beach, FL. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11286056/priester-aviation-appoints-new-vp-of-flight- operations-director-of-operations Curt Lewis