Commercial written

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the "Ron Brown" accident?
Well depending on what you believe Ron Brown, Commerce Secretary under Clinton was either involved in a aircraft accident or was murdered at the orders of Clinton and a cover up of an aircraft accident was undertaken to hide the murder.

Lets deal with the accident theory.
On April 3, 1996, while on an official trade mission, the Air Force CT-43 (a modified Boeing 737) carrying Brown and 34 other people, including New York Times Frankfurt Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash, crashed in Croatia. While attempting an instrument approach to Čilipi airport, the airplane crashed into a mountainside killing everyone on board; the final Air Force investigation attributed this to pilot error and a poorly designed landing approach.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Brown_(U.S._politician)
 
Well depending on what you believe Ron Brown, Commerce Secretary under Clinton was either involved in a aircraft accident or was murdered at the orders of Clinton and a cover up of an aircraft accident was undertaken to hide the murder.
This ain't the Spin Zone, so if anyone wants to further discuss the latter thought, take it there.
 
They had looked into getting us GPS a while back.
I'm also surprised that you don't have GPS. It was my impression that for at least a few years all turbine powered airplanes with 6 or more seat had to have TAWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning System) and that airplanes had to have a GPS to make it work. That's when all our airplanes, which didn't already have it, finally got GPS.

Here is some information.

Q. What is TAWS?
A. The FAA has mandated that all US registered, turbine powered aircraft with six or more seats must install a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) by March 5, 2005. TAWS is a new enhanced technology that replaces earlier Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS). TAWS uses position data from a navigation system such as GPS and a digital terrain database to display surrounding terrain.
 
I'm also surprised that you don't have GPS. It was my impression that for at least a few years all turbine powered airplanes with 6 or more seat had to have TAWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning System) and that airplanes had to have a GPS to make it work. That's when all our airplanes, which didn't already have it, finally got GPS.

Here is some information.

Q. What is TAWS?
A. The FAA has mandated that all US registered, turbine powered aircraft with six or more seats must install a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) by March 5, 2005. TAWS is a new enhanced technology that replaces earlier Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS). TAWS uses position data from a navigation system such as GPS and a digital terrain database to display surrounding terrain.

We have EGPWS, so technically yes, we do have GPS on board...we just don't have a head unit that allows us to us it. There is a GPS receiver and processor on board that feeds info to the GPWS, but nothing to display that data for us.

And even that data isn't all too up to date. Boston recently (within the last couple years) installed a new runway - Runway 32. It's relatively short (compared to the other runways), out of the way, and serviced only by a GPS approach. The runway is pretty much only used in good weather conditions (there's another design reason for that...see my blog for more:goofy:), so if they're using it, we can usually expect to get a visual approach to it. The only problem is, the GPS database in our GPWS doesn't know it's there. It sees us descending at 700fpm toward what it thinks is nothing but open field and it goes NUTS. We have to disable the GPWS before starting the visual approach to 32 (the disable button is the one under the flip-up plastic cover under COM 2, in case you're interested). So yes, we have GPS on board, but not in a way that we can use for navigation.
 

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We have EGPWS, so technically yes, we do have GPS on board...we just don't have a head unit that allows us to us it. There is a GPS receiver and processor on board that feeds info to the GPWS, but nothing to display that data for us.
That seems... dumb. You would think if there is already a receiver and processor it wouldn't be too much more cost to install a control head. It would give you a lot more flexibility in routing not to mention accuracy. But what do I know. :dunno:
 
That seems... dumb. You would think if there is already a receiver and processor it wouldn't be too much more cost to install a control head. It would give you a lot more flexibility in routing not to mention accuracy. But what do I know. :dunno:

You'd think, but I guess it's enough of a cost to not seem worth it to the folks who sign the checks.

Anyone know how much would it have cost to install, say, a 430 head unit into (at our peak) 14 1900s and 32 340s?

The lack of GPS doesn't bother me so much as the lack of autopilot. Talk about high work load in bumpy IMC! DHC-8-400Q, anyone?
 
matt - you ARE the autopilot

That's our running joke

"Ya, of course we have auto-pilot...it's even voice activated. 'Hey take the controls' is all it takes to turn it on!"

I'm the autopilot AND the glorified flight attendant.
 
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