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Garmin Retires the GNS 430/530 |
In 1998, Garmin unveiled the Garmin Navigation System (GNS) series GPS system. For the next 13 years, this system took the aviation world by storm. With over 10,000 units sold, it’s safe to say you either have or know someone who has a GNS unit. On November 4, Garmin announced that they will be ending the production of the line with the GNS 530W ending on November 30, 2011 and the GNS 430W wrapping up sometime in the first half of 2012. According to their press release, the decision was based upon decreased demand and limited parts availability.
The modern Garmin Touch-screen Navigator (GTN) system is hailed as the replacement. The new system, as the name implies, is touch-screen based. All the benefits of the GNS system are enhanced with an integrated NAV/COM system and an MFD including moving map, terrain, and weather system. Naturally the GTN series has several versions with different combinations of features from basic GPS navigation to comprehensive all in one avionics.
With the GNS system being so successful during its run, it’s possible there will be some concern among pilots and aircraft owners that their current system will no longer be supported. Garmin stated in the press release that they will continue to support these products with repair services and maintenance software releases for many years to come. That should be good news for those who still use a 430, 530, or a combination of both.
More information can be found at http://www.garmin.com/us/products/intheair. Information from the November 4 press release was used in this report and that can be found at http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2011/11/since-their-introduction-in-1998-the-garmin-gns-series-gpsnavcom-products-have-been-widely-accepted-with-over-100000-of.html.
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Winter is coming, are you ready? |
Winter is fast approaching yet again. Not only do you want to make sure you have your snow shovels, salt, and hot chocolate ready, you also want to make sure to brush up on your winter flying knowledge. While snow may not fall on all 48 states this winter, the threat for icing in the skies is always present. Here is a link to an AOPA Safety Advisor on Aircraft Icing:
http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa11.pdf
The AOPA Air Safety Institute (formerly Air Safety Foundation) has several great educational resources for all phases of flying. Some of the sections may be for members only but most of the Air Safety items are available for free. Here is the website to the ASI safety publications and articles section:
http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/
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FAA Aircraft Re-Registration Requirement in Full Swing |
October 1 marked the one year anniversary into the three year process of aircraft re-registration. Remember, failure to comply with the new registration rules will result in the cancellation of registration and loss of your assigned N-number for non-compliant aircraft. Failure to comply is also a likely violation of the terms and conditions of the applicable aviation insurance policy and aircraft lease or financing agreements.
We at Scope recommend that you investigate this thoroughly with your aircraft title company. Additional information is provided in the PDF link below, courtesy of AIC Title Service, LLC. The second page has the FAA Final Rule in its entirety.
Click here to download the complete article |
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"ATTENTION: The FAA Final Rule regarding the Re-Registration and Renewal of all Aircraft goes into effect on October 1, 2010" |
ATTENTION: The FAA Final Rule regarding the Re-Registration and Renewal of all Aircraft goes into effect on October 1, 2010, and will place substantial new burdens on U.S. aircraft owners. Failure to comply with the new registration rules will result in the cancellation of registration and loss of your assigned N-number for non-compliant aircraft. Failure to comply is also a likely violation of the terms and conditions of the applicable aviation insurance policy and aircraft lease or financing agreements.
We at Scope recommend that you investigate this thoroughly with your aircraft title company. Additional information is provided in the attached pdf, courtesy of AIC Title Service, LLC. The second page of the pdf has the FAA Final Rule in its entirety.
Click here to download the complete article |
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"Serious about safety: New tool aids in risk assessment" |
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Air safety doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of careful planning and preparation. Part of that preparation is evaluating any risks associated with every flight—a lesson the airlines have learned well, giving their pilots tools and rules for making a go/no-go decision.
Now the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has developed a risk evaluator tool for general aviation pilots. The ASF Flight Risk Evaluator highlights the factors pilots need to consider and provides an intuitive interview-style tool for assessing risks for each flight.
"Whether we think about it or not, as pilots we make judgments about risk every time we fly,” said Bruce Landsberg, president of the foundation. “For most of us, it’s a pretty informal thing—just something we do sort of automatically. But research has shown that there are real safety benefits to taking a more formal approach.”
In addition to the educational components typically found in Air Safety Foundation online courses, the ASF Flight Risk Evaluator allows a pilot to enter values for numerous risk factors, such as weather, runway length, experience, and currency, to generate a guidance list to help pilots make an informed go/no-go decision.
“By FAA regulation, the pilot is the final authority for the safety of any flight,” said Landsberg. “So the guidance our Flight Risk Evaluator provides is just that—guidance.
“But with it, a pilot can take a systematic approach to risk assessment for a clearer understanding of the risks to be considered for any given flight.”
By Chris Dandy, May 20, 2010
Note from Scope Aircraft Finance: This article is from the AOPA website and is linked directly to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Risk Evaluator. The Evaluator is free with registration to the AOPA site.
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"Mission to Haiti: Business Aviation Lends a Helping Hand" |
Scope participated in a small way in the airlift of supplies to Haiti following the January 12 eathquake that struck the island nation. A Beech King Air, owned by Scope, but on long-term lease to a corporate Lessee, was used to carry supplies and refugees.
Though Scope’s only involvement was to grant permission for the offshore flight, it was also an opportunity for us to feel like we played a small role in Business Aviation’s early response to the disaster.
Thanks to the generosity of the Lessee, the efforts of the staff at G.O. Ministries, and the dedication of the flight crew, they carried hundreds of pounds of emergency supplies in the cabin of the King Air, and consumed great quantities of coffee. For more information about G.O. Ministries, see their website at
http://www.go-ministries.org/.
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"Have You Ever Been Sleepy When Flying?" |
USAIG, America’s First Name in Aviation Insurance® and Alertness Solutions - two well respected companies in their fields who share a common safety vision – introduce the first science-based fatigue and alertness management solution that is designed to reduce risk for aviation professionals.
The Z-Coach Game Plan is web-based and available 24/7, making it accessible to employees who are geographically dispersed. It establishes a secure and private relationship between the individual user and Z-Coach.
The Z-Coach Program is unique to the aviation insurance industry because it focuses on the individual, providing practical tools for each person to understand and manage their personal fatigue thresholds and levels of alertness. It coaches the user on how to implement simple, but effective countermeasures to meet the challenges posed by stress, irregular work hours and the constant disruption of normal sleep habits - all things aviation professionals deal with almost every day.
David L. McKay, President and COO of USAIG said “Dr. Rosekind’s science based approach to fatigue management is here now, provides practical, real world fatigue countermeasures and we believe, if widely deployed and adopted, will have a major impact on improving aviation safety. We are thrilled to partner with Alertness Solutions to bring Z-Coach to our customers and help move this critical safety initiative forward.”
Z-Coach inventor, Dr. Mark Rosekind, President and Chief Scientist of Alertness Solutions, has spent two decades studying the science of sleep and fatigue management. USAIG has a remarkable eighty-one year history of – and commitment to – aviation safety. Please visit their website at:
www.alertnesssolutions.com
USAIG is making Z-Coach available to its corporate and turbine charter operator policy holders on beneficial terms, set forth in greater detail in their policies.
For additional information about the USAIG – Alertness Solutions program, contact Joan Mirabile, Vice President, USAIG, at 212-859-3910; E-mail
jmirabi@usau.com.
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Around the Office:
Scope associates are actively
involved in the Ohio Regional Business Aviation Association
(ORBAA), the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA),
and the National Aviation Finance Association (NAFA).
ORBAA
and its members were influential when it came to the NBAA
holding its Regional Forum in Dayton, Ohio – June 26,
2008. The ORBAA meeting was held the day before, and ORBAA
arranged tours of the National Museum of the United States
Air Force in Dayton, followed by a reception at the National
Aviation Hall of Fame. Later in the evening, ORBAA members
and their guests attended a dinner honoring Walter Pague as
a founding member of the NBAA Board of Directors.
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