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Helicopters Magazine Careers in Aviation
On the Fly-July/August 07
Written by Fred Petrie   





BRYAN WEBSTER RECEIVES TC AVIATION SAFETY AWARD
Bryan Webster of Victoria is the recipient of the 2007 Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award for his longstanding commitment to aviation safety.

“Mr. Webster’s outstanding initiative in the field of egress training has helped thousands of pilots and their passengers across Canada learn how to improve their chances of survival in an emergency ditching,” said Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. “He experienced first-hand the dangers of an emergency ditching and, through his own initiative, has dedicated his professional career to providing a comprehensive and successful training program aimed at saving lives.”

Webster has accumulated over 11,000 hours in more than 35 different aircraft types. His career as a commercial pilot includes bush, air ambulance, corporate and single-pilot IFR cargo flying. He currently flies, part-time, a de Havilland Beaver commercially along the BC coast. Along with his egress training courses, he has written a book, Ditching Principles: A Survival Guide to Ditching an Aircraft, and is a monthly columnist for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association’s Canadian Flight magazine.

AIRBUS TO BOOST MONTHLY PRODUCTION OF A320 AIRCRAFT
Airbus will increase monthly production of its single-aisle A320 aircraft to 40 from 32 by the end of 2009. The company said its decision to ramp up production is driven by strong demand for the aircraft and a record backlog of more than 2,500 orders.

After a delay in the launch of Airbus’s A380 superjumbo airplane has stretched into two years, parent company European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. posted a loss of 768 million euros (US$1.01 billion) in October- December. Airbus still delivered more planes than major rival Boeing Co. in 2006, but is expected to fall behind in 2008, given current order backlogs and its late-to-market midsize A350 jet.

The company has announced a major restructuring program, shedding 10,000 jobs across Europe – especially in France and Germany, where the bulk of the company’s operations are based.

P&WC NEW-GENERATION ENGINES LEAD GREEN EVOLUTION
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is embracing the green evolution in aerospace with its newest generation of engine technologies and environmental stewardship across all facets of its business.

P&WC’s new-generation engines are surpassing International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) emissions standards. The PW307 engine, which recently entered service on Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 7X, currently betters ICAO standards for nitrous oxide emissions by 33% and meets Zurich 5 emissions requirements for no landing fee surcharges. This achievement is the result of a TALONTM 2 combustion technology that reduces emissions without compromising performance, durability or operating economics.

A new 10,000-poundthrust- class engine developed by P&WC for the next generation of large, long-range corporate jets will better current ICAO standards for nitrous oxide emissions by 50 per cent and meet the most stringent emissions standards for the next 10 to 15 years. The engine will also offer a step-change in fuel burn compared with current leading engines and is designed for low noise, well below Stage IV standards.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT APPOINTS CHIEF PILOTS, SALES
Hawker Beechcraft has appointed Dan Weatherford to chief pilot, Hawker sales demonstration and Peter Kennedy to chief pilot, Beechcraft sales demonstration.

Weatherford moves into the Hawker chief pilot role after extensive involvement in Hawker 4000 flight test activities and serving as training captain in the Hawker 800 series and 4000. He joined the demonstration department in 1997 and has been flying worldwide demos in the Hawker 400XP, 800 series, 1000 and 4000. He was demo pilot of the year in 2004.

Kennedy is an experienced senior demonstration captain on all Beechcraft models currently in production. He was the 2005 Demonstration Pilot of the Year. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1974 and flew the BAe Jet Provost T Mk 4, T Mk 5, Folland Gnat and Hawker Hunter, Jetstream T Mk1, and Avro Vulcan fourengine jet bomber.

BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE LAUNCHES 100-SEAT CRJ1000 REGIONAL JET
Bombardier has announced the launch of its CRJ1000 regional jet. Previously designated the CRJ900X jet, the CRJ1000 regional airliner is designed specifically to meet the needs of growing regional airlines for jets of up to 100 seats.

The CRJ1000 aircraft program is launched with 38 firm orders, 15 of which are CRJ900 conversions, and 23 conditional orders and options. The following three customers have placed these orders:

Brit Air of Morlaix, France, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air France, has placed a firm order for eight CRJ1000 aircraft, and has taken options on eight additional CRJ1000s. With the launch of the CRJ1000, My Way Airlines of Italy is converting, as announced in September 2006, 15 of its 19 CRJ900 regional jet orders to CRJ1000 regional jets. An undisclosed customer has placed a firm order for 15 of the aircraft, with a conditional order for an additional 15.

The new CRJ1000 regional jet is scheduled to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2009. First flight is scheduled for the summer of 2008.

PLANE TALK FROM A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT
The events of September 11, 2001 obliterated the chance of visitations to the flight deck where lucky passengers were able to meet the pilot and ask questions. In From the Flight Deck: Plane Talk and Sky Science, airline pilot and author Doug Morris takes the reader on a 14-hour non-stop flight. Through each stage of flight Morris gives a pilot’s perspective on the popular science, operations, and fun of flying. Morris’s easy to understand explanations and anecdotes coupled with facts, trivia and humour make From the Flight Deck an informative and most enjoyable read. Published by ECW Press in May, the book is available through Annexbookstore.- com.

EXELTECH SIGNS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT WITH WEST WIND AVIATION
ExelTech Aerospace has signed a 13-month maintenance contract, including options for renewal on an annual basis, with West Wind Aviation. West Wind Aviation has been a customer of ExelTech Aerospace since 2002.

Under the terms of this new agreement, ExelTech Aerospace will provide West Wind with heavy maintenance support for its growing fleet of ATR 42 regional turboprop aircraft. Last month, the Saskatoon-based regional airline acquired another ATR. This aircraft has already entered heavy maintenance in the company’s ATR Maintenance Facility at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport.

The 44-passenger ATR 42 and 64-passenger ATR 72 are modern regional turboprop airliners manufactured in Toulouse by a consortium of French and Italian companies. According to the manufacturer, demand for these modern, fuel-efficient airliners has soared in recent years, with the current backlog for the ATR family standing at 142 aircraft.