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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2717.PDF
BUSINESS & GENERAL AVIATION BROKERAGE KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON Ex-FlightTime duo in charter launch Former employees plan to create one-stop shop offering "premium white glove service" to customers and operators Two former employees from the now-defunct FlightTime have established a charter brokerage to reclaim the customer base of their former online charter employer. Boston-based Executive Charter Services says it has cultivated "some very strong relationships" with around 80 FlightTime cus tomers and so far has organised travel arrangements for more than a dozen of these. Brian Carr, Executive Charter Services chief executive, says: "We are picking up the pieces where FlightTime left off. So far we have a couple of large corporations and a number of high net-worth individuals as our regulars. We have the capacity to handle up to 60 individual or scheduled trips a month." Carr says the company hopes to become a one-stop shop for charter and is examining a number of ini tiatives towards this goal. These include a customer loyalty scheme and a corporate shuttle service, although Carr suggests the "market isn't begging for this type of service at the moment". He says: "We regard ourselves as a facilitator, offering a premium white glove service to both the cus tomers and the operators." Carr believes FlightTime's demise has left a bad impression with many operators. Some, it is understood, have not been paid for their services. "To run a successful charter company you must be able to guarantee availability. In order to gain the loyalty from our opera tors we pay upfront for any flights and get the money from the pas sengers before their trip," he says. Flights are booked via phone, email or internet, although Carr admits the latter service is limited. "We plan to expand the online service eventually and are now in talks with a software provider," he says. CERTIFICATION New rudder, ailerons for PAC 750XL New Zealand's Pacific Aerospace (PAC) PAC 750XL has completed several flight tests as part of an agreement between PAC, its US distribu tor Utility Aircraft and the Mojave, California-based US National Test Pilot School, which has been enlisted to help certificate the single- engined turboprop to US Federal Aviation Admini stration Part 23 requirements. PAC says the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-pow- ered utility aircraft flew five sorties and completed around 80 spins during which a num ber of shortcomings "at the extremes of the envelope" were identified and are now being rectified. PAC reveals that the aileron forces were too heavy. The ailerons are being redesigned to obtain stick forces of less than 7.26kg (161b); the flaps are also being strengthened to handle the spin recovery speeds, while the vertical surfaces are being increased in size by extending the fin and rudder, PAC says. The upgraded aircraft is scheduled for completion this month, after which flight test ing will resume. DEVELOPMENT Lack of finance halts composite helicopter One Bongo technical demonstrator has already been built by NA Design Czech aerospace design bureau NA Design has halted development of its NA 40 Bongo composite two- seat very light helicopter, blaming a lack of investment. The company had hoped to start production of the twin-turboshaft helicopter by year-end, but says it will now have to concentrate instead on gaining funding for the programme (Flight International 19- 25 February). NA Design general manager Jan Oplatek says: "We are seeking a single financial investor at this stage, but it is prov ing very hard." He admits NA Design has a prob lem. "While a number of potential investors have expressed an inter est in the programme, they will not part with any money until the company has produced a flying prototype. But if we don't have the investment [upfront] we can't pro duce a flying article." NA Design has applied for government fund ing, but Oplatek says the applica tion could take time to process. Three Bongo applications are still planned, however - the NA 40 sport model for the private flyer, NA 42 Barracuda military and police version, and the NA 44 Bion vertical take off and landing unmanned air vehicle (UAV). NA Design has already built a Bongo technical demonstrator and was in the process of manufactur ing the first of three prototypes when the work was frozen. CESSNA FUEL CARD Cessna has teamed with Avfuel to offer a contract fuel card pro gramme to 5,000 owners of Cessna turbine-powered aircraft, providing savings of 20-30% on jet fuel purchases. PROPELLOR DE-ICER Goodrich has developed an electrothermal propeller de-icer, Fastprop, that takes just an hour to install using "peel and stick" pressure-sensitive adhesives. EVS FLIGHT TEST Gulfstream has begun flight testing its enhanced vision system (EVS) on a GIV-SP test aircraft, aiming for US certifica tion by year-end and first installations early next year. The EVS is already operational on the GV DELTA FLEET Delta AirElite Business jets has added two Bombardier Challenger 604s and two Gulfstream IV-SPs to its US- based charter management fleet. The Delta Air Lines sub sidiary now has a charter fleet capacity of over 250 aircraft. EXCEL DELIVERY Cessna has delivered a Citation Excel business jet to the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation, for government and ministerial transport. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10-16 SEPTEMBER 2002 29
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