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Airport
News
·DuPage
Flight Center Completes More Than $3.5M In Improvements.
The DuPage Flight Center has completed its
48,000 square feet of additional community/transient hangar
space in time for Chicago’s winter. In
addition, the Flight Center has enhanced its business
services by upgrading
its pilot lounge, executive passenger waiting area,
concierge and rental car lobby, restaurant & catering
facilities and workout room.
Call the DuPage
Flight Center at
630-208-5600 for more info.
·1st
Major Tenant Locates To DuPage Airport’s Tech Park.
Just weeks after the formal approval of a
Master Development Agreement between the DuPage Airport
Authority and CenterPoint Properties, the DuPage National
Technology Park landed Pella Windows and Doors as its first
tenant. Pella
will construct a 170,000 square foot light manufacturing and
distribution facility in the south section of the park along
Fayban Parkway. Interest
in the park is strong with several more tenants expected to
make DNTP their home over the next 18 months.
Visit www.dupagetechpark.com
or dntp.com
Industry
News
·Paying
To Avoid Commercial Airport Security Line May Not Work.
A
long-delayed federal program that aims to speed
preregistered travelers through commercial airport security
this summer may not eliminate as many hassles as fliers
would like. In a Jan. 20 announcement, the federal
Transportation Security Administration said program
participants would still be subject to random secondary
screening at checkpoints. Participants may also not be
exempt from some of the more annoying rituals of the
security line: removing shoes and coats and separately
sending laptops through X-ray machines. www.travelwirenews.com
· Congress’
Tax Relief Act Remains Challenge for Business Aviation.
Congress is returning to session this month and will
consider the Senate approved Tax Relief Act for 2005 that
includes two provisions that penalize business aviation.
The first provision expands
limitations on entertainment use of business aircraft to all
employees, not just CEOs and top executives. The second
provision says that anyone flying along on a business flight
but not involved in the reason for the flight must count the
trip as a fringe benefit and be taxed on it.
The National Business Aviation Association is asking that
people contact Congress to protest these provisions.
www.nbaa.org
·
New
Government Report States GA Is Not A Security Threat.
A
new report from the Congressional Research Service,
"Securing General Aviation," notes that GA is not
a threat to national security, adding that a "one size
fits all" approach to security is not practical due to
the diversity of GA aircraft types.
The report notes the chances of GA being
“used as a platform for conventional explosives is
relatively small compared to trucks which have significantly
larger payload capacities.... Executing an attack that
involves loading a GA aircraft with a large quantity of
explosives may be difficult without raising some suspicion
at the airport where airport operators and pilots have been
instructed to be vigilant for such unusual activities."
It also notes that GA would be a poor choice for
biologic or chemical weapons delivery because of its limited
load-carrying capability.
www.aopa.org
· Boom
In Orders & Production for Cessna and Gulfstream.
According
to
Aviation
International News (AIN),Cessna
and Gulfstream will be increasing production this year due
to a serge in 4th
quarter 2005 orders. Cessna
booked 100 orders in the 4th quarter bringing its
annual total to 329 which is 81 more than what was delivered
in 2004. Gulfstream
had a 27% increase in orders to 121 aircraft last year
compared with sales of 95 aircraft in 2004.
The manufacturer expects to deliver a record 111
business jets this year and 127 in 2007. www.ainonline.com
·Third
Quarter 2005 Aircraft Shipments and Billings Strong.
The
General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released
the third quarter numbers for general aviation shipments and
billings. Compared with 3rd quarter 2004,
shipments rose 25.7 percent to 2,423 units, while industry
wide billings for new airplanes rose to $10.3 billion. www.gama.aero
·
First
Flight: New Bombardier Challenger 605. Bombardier’s
new wide body Challenger 605 made its first test flight
lasting 3 1/3 hours on January 22 in Montreal. The
Challenger 605, which is replacing the 604, features
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics with four 10”x12”
vertically aligned next generation LCD screens, among many
other upgrades. The production 605s will be about 200 pounds
lighter than 604s. The
aircraft now returns to Wichita, KN for a 200-hour flight
test and certification program.
Certification is expected in the 4th
quarter 2006 with the aircraft entering service in the 3rd
quarter 2007. www.bombardier.com
·
Military
Could Utilize Very Light jets (VLJS).
The Air Force's Acquisition Center of Excellence has
issued a Capability
Request for Information urging VLJ manufacturers
to respond. The Air Force has identified a host of potential
roles the small jets could fill including passenger and
cargo transports, navigation and transition training,
homeland security, surveillance and target towing. The
military is asking VLJ manufactures for additional ideas on
how the aircraft can be used for defense purposes. It hopes
to do some flight-testing of VLJs by the end of this year. www.avweb.com
·
Prairie
Landing Golf Tip Of
The Month. The
Long Bunker Shot.
By Bob Dougherty. This shot is probably one of the more
difficult shots to play in golf. Set up with the ball in the
center of your stance and with your club face just slightly
open. This swing should be more shallow than for a regular
sand shot. You must still enter the sand 2-3 inches behind
the ball and make as full of a swing as you can control. You
will have to practice this shot to find your "max"
distance with this shot but you will need to change to a
pitching wedge, or more, if the shot you are facing is more
than forty yards.
If
you would like help with your
golf game, please call Prairie
Landing Golf Pro Brian King at 630-202-4653 or
email bking@prairielanding.com.
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