Aviation Consumer

Many pilots might be surprised to hear that Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is looking into building a municipal airport to support corporate and personal aviation, and drive economic growth. It feels as if we more often hear about airports closing to give way to residential or commercial development. In the Northeastern U.S., where I have been based for many years, seasoned pilots typically can name at least a few local airports that have closed over the years.

The internet is abuzz following the forced landing in Brazil of a Cirrus SR22 that experienced an in-flight fire. According to early media reports, the 29-year-old pilot deployed the aircraft’s emergency parachute and survived the accident with no injuries beyond smoke inhalation. The scenario gives pilots a lot to consider and might compel many to review briefing procedures before and during future flights.

Textron named Brian Rohloff president and CEO of Textron Aviation, succeeding Ron Draper, who recently announced his retirement, effective August 31, after eight years at the helm. Rohloff has been with Textron Aviation for 29 years, during which he worked in a range of roles, including vice president of sales, vice president of quality, director of paint operations, and senior product director for Citation XLS+ and Citation X. Rohloff is a graduate of Wichita State University in Kansas.

It isn’t official yet, but the coast-to-coast speed record that SyberJet Aircraft recently claimed for its SJ30-2 light jet is worthy of attention. The Phoenix-based manufacturer said test pilot Gordon Bryan made a nonstop flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Diego in about 4 hours and 7 minutes at an average speed of 505.3 mph, or 439 ktas, with company CEO Trevor Milton on board. The flight, SyberJet said, set an unofficial speed record for the C-1.f class of aircraft.

Certain events in life can make us feel as if time is passing faster than we would like. Major anniversaries come and go, children grow up, graduate, and get married—and our state-of-the-art avionics become obsolete. Aspen Avionics recently let pilots using its older EFD1000 and EFD500 cockpit displays know that their aircraft’s panels could soon be living on borrowed time.

Have you ever landed at your destination airport only to have the manager tell you the runway is closed, or “NOTAMed out,” as I have heard some say. Perhaps you have spotted work crews, maintenance vehicles, or other obstructions in your path after turning final and decided to make a last-minute diversion. Sometimes the end result is more serious, emphasizing the need for situational awareness and vigilance in our flight planning.

The de Havilland DH.88 Comet known as “Grosvenor House,” famous for winning the MacRobertson Trophy Air Race from England to Australia in 1934, sustained serious damage after nosing over while landing during a weekend airshow at Old Warden Aerodrome (EGTH) in Bedfordshire, England. The pilot was hospitalized and later released. The sleek, red, twin-engine monoplane, with registration G-ACSS has long been a jewel of the Shuttleworth Collection, which is based at the aerodrome.

The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring inspections of certain Rotax 912 and 914 engines following the discovery of parts missing from one recently manufactured powerplant’s propeller gearbox that could potentially lead to accidents “This AD was prompted by a report of an oil spray nozzle and certain screws that were not installed on the propeller gearbox,” the FAA said in a news release.

FedEx brought back memories for aviation fans of a certain age with the unveiling of a Boeing 777 painted in the company’s original livery, which dates to 1973. The event helped mark the official renaming of Memphis International Airport Airport as Frederick W. Smith International Airport in honor of the air freight company’s founder, whose development of overnight air delivery revolutionized global commerce and the aviation industry. The airport will retain its well-known identifier, KMEM.

The Federal Aviation Administration has established a new prohibited area around Trump Tower in New York City, but the restricted zone, which had previously been covered by TFRs, is not expected to affect general aviation traffic significantly. Helicopter charter operators and pilots flying the popular VFR corridor through the Hudson River Special Flight Rules Area, for example, are unlikely to notice major differences in daily operations.