On The Fly…
Tax breaks for GA approved by the Senate (worth $245 million) are just a bonus depreciation extention…Mechanic killed by Cessna hand-propped by son…Excel-Jet plans a move to Eclipse’s home of New Mexico…If you think you’re good with narrow runways, you gotta see this.
Small aircraft manufacturers waiting for money to rain down on them from the government will wait a long time. AVweb reported Thursdaythat the Senate had approved tax breaks worth $245 million for plane-makers but it was just the extension of delivery dates, to the end of 2005, on aircraft qualifying for bonus depreciation. Good news, indeed, but nothing really new...
There's a tragic twist to the bizarre death of an aircraft mechanic in Grand Junction, Colo., last week. As we reported Thursday, John Hoffman died when struck by a propeller that broke off a pilotless airplane that taxied into a parked plane. At first, no one knew (or would say) how the plane started but it turns out Hoffman's unidentified son had hand-started the plane and it got away from him...
Albuquerque-based Eclipse Aviation's latest competitor may also soon become a neighbor. Excel-Jet, which is currently located in Colorado, announced it plans to move New Mexico to take advantage of incentives there. The company plans to build a $950,000 single-engine four-place jet called the Sport Jet...
If you've ever landed on a narrow runway, say 50 feet across, you might be able to empathize with these pilots. The plane was being delivered to a museum at the Rand Airport in South Africa. With our thanks to Mark Monse, the original e-mail stakes the claim, "(elevation 5568 feet with 4898 long x 50 feet wide runway!) The 747-200 outer-to-outer main gear tire width is 41.33 ft. Empty aircraft Vref (landing speed) was 115 kts!" The aircraft was delivered in March. Click through, here, for the pictures, and have a nice day ... drenched in humility.
