GAMA NUMBERS SHOW 'ONE OF THE TOUGHEST YEARS EVER'
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced on Tuesday that 2009 worldwide shipments and billings of general aviation airplanes were down in all categories. GAMA Chairman Rob Wilson, president of Honeywell Business and General Aviation, said it was one of the toughest years ever for GA manufacturers. "The worldwide economic crisis, which included major constraints on credit, cutbacks in flying hours, and downsizing and divestiture of business jet fleets, forced manufacturers to take difficult steps in 2009," Wilson said, at the annual industry review and market outlook briefing, held in Washington, D.C . "General aviation manufacturers had no choice but to cut production and announce painful layoffs and furloughs," he said. Industry billings dipped to $19.5 billion, a 21.4 percent decrease from the 2008 record high of $24.8 billion, but still the third highest year ever. Worldwide shipments of GA airplanes declined for a second year in a row with a total of 2,276 units delivered, a 42.6-percent decrease over the 2008 total of 3,967 airplanes. The piston airplane segment experienced the greatest decline at 54.5 percent. Shipments totaled 965 piston airplanes in 2009, compared to 2,119 the year before. Wilson added, however, that there are some hopeful signs the worst of the economic crisis may be over. More...

BEECHCRAFT, CESSNA REPORT ON 2009 DOWNTURN
It's no secret that 2009 was a tough year for the U.S. economy, and year-end reports released last week by two industry stalwarts show how hard it's been for general aviation. Sales of business and GA aircraft at Hawker Beechcraft were down by about 30 percent in 2009 compared to the year before, the company reported. Deliveries in 2009 totaled 309, including 98 jets, 155 turboprops, and 56 piston aircraft. In 2008, sales in those categories totaled 441. Overall the company posted a net loss of $451 million for the year. Cessna also summed up the results of a bleak year last week, noting in a strategic review of 2009 that its workforce has been cut in half and the current business-jet down cycle is "unprecedented in severity." Textron, Cessna's parent company, projects that business-jet shipments will bottom out and start to rise again by the end of this year. Cessna's newest business jet, the CJ4, should start deliveries this summer, according to the report. More...

ANALYST SEES 8900 NEW BIZJETS BY 2020
Business aviation analyst Brian Foley has taken a cue from the judging protocols of some sports competitions in determining that, overall, business jet sales will grow at 2.7 percent over the next 10 years. Foley tossed out the results of bizav's best year in recent memory (2008) and one of it's worst (2009) to come up with figures he thinks will stand up and actually mean something for those making plans for the next decade. "2009 was too unsettled and 2008 was a clear anomaly, an unsustainable peak," Foley said. "Our same numbers would yield a minus growth -2.6 percent if measured against 2008, but that's not really useful information." Foley predicts 8900 business jets worth $170 billion will be built between now and 2020. Foley has also tried to forecast bizjet fuel consumption and, if he's correct, there will be a significant increase in the use of private aviation. More...

HELI-EXPO STARTS SATURDAY
The trade show season revs up next weekend in Houston with Heli-Expo 2010 put on by Helicopter Association International (HAI). Thousands of delegates and hundreds of exhibitors will fill the George R. Brown Convention Center for the event, which runs from Feb. 20 to Feb. 23. Exhibits and business meetings will go from Sunday to Tuesday. Most major helicopter companies and makers of related gear will be in attendance and the exhibit floor looks mostly booked. There are dozens of seminars and educational forums scheduled and the event wraps up with HAI's annual Salute To Excellence Awards dinner. More...

FLEXJET, VISTAJET FORM ALLIANCE
Texas-based Flexjet and Switzerland-based VistaJet have formed an alliance to expand service to their customers. Flexjet, which is owned by Bombardier and VistaJet, which bought Bombardier's European and Middle East-based Skyjet International in 2008, have reached an agreement that will allow customers of each company access to the other's aircraft. The deal also includes customers of the Flexjet 25 Jet Card program, who buy blocks of aircraft time through Part 135 operator Jet Solutions. Under the deal, Flexjet fractional customers and Flexjet 25 customers will get guaranteed access to VistaJet's European operations and be able to book flights in the Middle East and Asia as availability permits. The preferred rates that customers get through their existing affiliations apply on the expanded network. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: IS LEAD IN FUEL MORALLY BAD?
Lead in auto fuel has already become a memory, and it seeems that day may be coming for avgas, too. In the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli asks whether the scientific data supports a crusade to remove lead from aviation fuels. Click here to read Paul's thoughts and add your own. More...

PIAGGIO PROMOTES BINGHAM

John Bingham

John Bingham is the new Piaggio Aero America President and CEO. He was formerly an executive vice president with Cirrus Design.
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ANDERSON NEW SPIRIT CFO
Philip Anderson has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer for Spirit AeroSystems. He was formerly treasurer and VP of investor relations.
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WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 100,000 AIR BP BRAVO REWARD POINTS

Now's your chance to win 100,000 Air BP Bravo Rewards Points as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year. If you've already entered for the previous Bose Headset drawing, you're all set — no need to register again.)

And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)

Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time February 19, 2010.

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Congratulations to Ron Goin of Idaho Falls, ID, who won the Bose Aviation Headset X! (click here to get your own from Bose Corporation)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AIRBORNE LASER SHOOTS DOWN MISSILE IN FIRST SUCCESSFUL TEST
Boeing may have a legitimate proof-of-concept for its airborne laser targeting weapon, which this week successfully intercepted a liquid-propelled ballistic missile in flight. AVweb's Glenn Pew has the video. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AVWEB'S PIPERSPORT FLIGHT TRIAL
At the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, Piper launched its entry in the light sport market, the Czech-built PiperSport. Aviation Consumer editor Paul Bertorelli got a flight demo on the airplane, and here's his video report. More...

MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

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