With its plans to convert East Hampton Airport (KHTO) into a private-use East Hampton Town Airport (KJPX) at least temporarily thwarted by legal action, the Long Island, New York town has requested that its attorneys begin the process of shutting down the airport entirely. Facing what it described as a “mountain of litigation” from stakeholders and groups such as NBAA, which filed lawsuits over the town’s plan to shutter the airport on May 17 and reopen it days later as the publicly-owned, permission-required, private-use KJPX, the town has decided to move in the opposite direction.
The legal actions resulted in a court-issued temporary restraining order last month. In response, the town board has asked its consulting law firm, Cooley LLP to complete the steps to close the airport “as soon as legally possible.” William O’Connor, a partner in the firm stated that the town’s initial plan, which was intended to address noise and traffic concerns from the more than 32,000 private aircraft and helicopter flights last year by imposing limitations on the size and type of aircraft as well as limit their daily takeoffs and landings, was met with a “remarkable” amount of litigation “by a small minority with seemingly unlimited funds.”
O’Connor left the door open on a possible reopening of the airport at some time in the future “under commonsense regulations.”
AINsight: CBD Revisited
The FAA recently issued official guidance on the use of CBD products. As a brief review, CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the flowers of the cannabis plant (marijuana). The 2018 Farm Bill includes a provision that legalizes the cultivation of hemp, which is basically cannabis with a very low THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content—less than 0.3 percent.
As most pilots know, marijuana itself is not legal to consume while flying—in reality, the FAA expects that a pilot never consumes marijuana, on or off duty. Further, for all pilots subject to random DOT testing in Part 135 and 121 operations, a positive test for THC is a showstopper. Basically, the FAA stance is that it cannot specifically disqualify a pilot simply for using a CBD product. However, the purity and actual THC content is not guaranteed in an unregulated substance.
I have worked with pilots who have had a DOT-positive test for THC after taking a CBD product that “assured” the consumer that there was no THC present. But CBD products can lead to positive DOT tests for THC. Whether the test was done on- or off-duty, the outcome is disastrous for the pilot.
My recommendation is simple, and that is to avoid CBD products entirely.
A pair of well-known aviation attorneys said Wednesday’s crash of a Bell 407 helitour flight on Hawaii’s Big Island highlighted continued FAA oversight insufficiency of the industry. The helicopter, operated by Paradise Helicopters, crashed in a lava field. All six aboard survived, but two are seriously injured.
“Every one of the Hawaii air tour helicopter crashes we have handled have been preventable. Each one involved safety deficiencies in the pilot and operator of the helicopter or experienced malfunctions due to deficiencies in maintenance or manufacturer design,” said attorney Ladd Sanger. “These helicopters and pilots are pushed to their limits by the Hawaiian operators and sometimes beyond,” added Sanger, explaining that “high utilization of helicopters, or many hours of flying time each day demands meticulous maintenance processes and adequate rest for the pilots. Malfunctions and mistakes, often fatal, result from such high utilization.”
Sanger and Rick Fried, the Hawaii-based co-counsel in a recent settlement obtained from Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, said much of the problem translates back to lax FAA oversight. “The FAA is not doing its job and using its authority to punish lax operators. The public trust in the FAA is, unfortunately, misplaced,” Fried said.
Collins Aerospace opened an additive manufacturing center at its MRO campus in Monroe, North Carolina. Celebrating the dedication of the new center today, Collins said the addition will expand its global maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities, beginning with two 3D printers and with plans to add more in the future. The center joins Collins’s network of other additive production facilities in Iowa, Minnesota, and Singapore, and research centers in Connecticut and Poland.
“Through a process of joining materials layer upon layer to make parts from 3D model data, additive manufacturing offers several key benefits compared to traditional manufacturing,” said Collins Aerospace operations v-p Kevin Myers. “By using additive manufacturing to produce aircraft parts and components, we can help reduce weight, cost, and time to market, and provide more sustainable solutions for our customers.”
The addition of the additive manufacturing capabilities in Monroe comes on the heels of a $30 million expansion Collins completed in Monroe in 2021. Collins has since invested another $15 million as part of a Monroe City Council and Union County board of commissioners MAGNET100 economic development incentive program. The investments have enabled Collins to streamline operations, as well as improve quality control and employee safety.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlines four significant schedule risks to Boeing’s new Air Force One (VC-25B) program for the U.S. Air Force. The program is already two years late and an estimated $1.2 over budget, much of which will be absorbed by Boeing. According to the GAO, the unit cost of each program aircraft has risen to more than $2.6 billion, with software accounting for 20 percent of program costs.
Converting the two repurposed Boeing 747-8is to the presidential fleet includes structural modifications, electrical power upgrades, and adding mission communications, military avionics, defensive systems, and executive interiors. The GAO found ongoing scheduling risks to the program including the addition of a new subcontractor to complete the interior, a move that added one year to the completion schedule; rewiring the aircraft; finding enough qualified labor that can complete security screening; and the sustainability of a realistic ground and flight schedule.
Rewiring the aircraft will be particularly problematic. The GAO noted that the VC-25Bs require “over 2,000” wire bundles and “200 miles” of wire, “double” that of a commercial 747. According to the GAO, “Wiring must meet a broad set of complex requirements from electrical protection to proper separation, according to VC-25B officials. They explained that Boeing is leveraging lessons learned from the Boeing-developed KC-46 tanker to avoid on-aircraft wiring issues.
At $24,990, Bizjet Mobile’s new Certus BizjetInternet system is the lowest-cost aviation satcom that works on Iridium’s Certus network, which offers much higher speeds than the original Iridium constellation. The Certus BizjetInternet system uses a Certus 100 module, which allows emailing and SMS and WhatsApp text messaging.
Monthly service costs $599 and includes unlimited emailing and texting; live internet connectivity at up to 88 Kbps is available on a pay-for-data basis. BizjetInternet makes efficient use of the Certus 100 bandwidth by “shutting down all background activity,” according to Bizjet Mobile, which “eliminates bill shock.” Messaging is done via Bluetooth, using a dedicated app, with internet access using Wi-Fi “only when they need it.”
The first installation of BizjetInternet is on BizjetMobile’s Gulfstream G450. Victoria, Australia-based ASiQ manufactures the satcom systems for BizjetMobile.
“BizjetInternet is a paradigm shift for the corporate executive who needs unlimited global connectivity without the massive price tag,” said BizjetMobile CEO Adam Chapman. “With over a decade of corporate customers flying on Iridium, we have learned that corporate executives don’t surf the internet; they just want to say in touch with the office, family, and friends. Our unique Bluetooth app allows operators to stay connected the entire flight and control what they spend.“
The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) has accepted 10 new products and services companies onto its membership rolls, bringing its total membership to 79 products and services members, 50 accredited aircraft dealers, and seven OEMs.
Its newest members are: Aeronautical Systems of Miami Lakes, Florida; AV8 MRO of Houston; Dassault Aircraft Services of Little Rock, Arkansas; HCH Legal of Potomac, Maryland; JetValues of Waterloo, Illinois; Priester Aviation of Wheeling, Illinois; Scope Aircraft Finance of Columbus, Ohio; ServiceElements International of Scottsdale, Arizona; Shearwater Global Capital of Atlanta; and Silicon Valley Private Bank of Santa Clara, California.
“The IADA board of directors welcomes these well-qualified companies into our organizations,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “These 10 companies, like all of our verified products and services members, have been thoroughly vetted to assure adherence to the highest standards of ethical behavior and skilled aviation expertise.”
Norway has terminated its contract to acquire 14 NH90 medium-lift helicopters it intended to use for coast guard and anti-submarine warfare missions. Citing 20 years of frustration with the NH90 helicopter program, the Norwegian government additionally requested a full refund from NHIndustries.
The NH90 program, operated by NHIndustries, is a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo that began in 1995 and delivered its first helicopter in 2007. To date, 471 have been delivered to a variety of armed forces, primarily in Europe. Over the years a variety of operators have reported a range of operational issues with the NH90 related to its rear ramp, fuselage strength and corrosion, engines, transmissions, and spares availability.
"Based on a joint recommendation by the Armed Forces and associated departments and agencies, the Norwegian government has therefore decided to end the introduction of the NH90 and has authorized the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency to terminate the contract," said Norwegian minister of defense Bjørn Arild Gram today in Oslo. Gram said Norway will begin seeking alternative solutions to meet the missions for which it ordered the NH90.
Norway originally signed a contract for the delivery of 14 aircraft in 2001 for deliveries beginning in 2008. As of today, eight have been delivered in fully operational configuration.
Full Stop. Against the gloom of a looming tropical storm, AIN freelance photographer Barry Ambrose captured this Beechcraft King Air 350 coming to a stop before athletes disembarked to participate in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. More than 120 Textron Aviation turbine aircraft transported 800 passengers from 28 states on June 4 as part of the Special Olympics Airlift. Thanks for sharing, Barry!
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