MARKET SLUGGISH, VOLCANO MIGHT HELP
The European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) opened Tuesday in Geneva and manufacturers are trying to sound optimistic and realistic at the same time as they face the inevitable questions about their market. In a speech at EBACE, Cessna CEO Jack Pelton said the European market is showing signs of improvement and he's hoping emerging markets in Eastern Europe will be part of Cessna's future growth in the region as a whole. "Before the economic downturn, for example, Eastern Europe was a very strong region for us and we are beginning to see signs – including Citation sales – of that business coming back," he said. Pelton also said the recovery will be a long one, sentiments echoed by Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture in an interview with The New York Times. "I think it's premature to call 2010 a recovery year," he said. "The market still feels the way it did at the end of 2009." Gulfstream CEO Joe Lombardo told a news conference the industry is maturing and globalization is an increasingly important factor. Meanwhile, the industry got an unexpected boost from the volcanic eruption that paralyzed much of Europe's aviation industry last month. More...

NTSB WRAPS UP "MIRACLE" INVESTIGATION
As expected, the NTSB determined on Tuesday in wrapping up its investigation into last year's "Miracle" landing on the Hudson that the probable cause of the accident was the ingestion of large birds into both engines, causing an almost total loss of thrust. A slew of factors contributed to the positive outcome, including effective crew resource management, the fact that the aircraft happened to be equipped for overwater flight although it was not required to be, the performance of the cabin crew in facilitating the evacuation, and the proximity of rescuers. Twenty-four safety recommendations followed, including the need for better engine-monitoring technology; better emergency checklists; training for dual-engine loss at low altitude; better training for ditching scenarios; and more research into bird-deterrence technology. "What's important here is how to protect future passengers and help future flight crews should they end up in a situation like this," said NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman. More...

SUPER LUXURY BIZAV IN DEMAND
While much of the business aviation market continues to suffer, the super luxury segment is all but impervious to economic woes and public relations problems and Fly Comlux is investing heavily to solidify its place in that market. The company announced at EBACE that it's adding six big aircraft to its fleet including a 767ER Boeing Business Jet. "With the arrival of the 767BBJ beginning of autumn 2010, we will better serve our Head of State and Royal Families customers," said Comlux President Richard Gaona. "Together with our six Airbus we will confirm our position as the largest operator of VIP charter wide body aircraft and we can offer aircraft management solutions to any customer." The 767 will be configured for about 70 people. More...

DELIVERIES, PROGRAM UPDATES
The order count tradition at shows like EBACE is still with us in the downturn but the numbers are a little more modest. Still, aircraft are moving and the Middle East appears to offer the most in the way of opportunities. Dassault announced the delivery of the first of four Falcon 7X three-engine jets to Saudi Private Aviation, the business aviation side of Saudi Arabian Airlines. The aircraft were ordered in 2007. At the other end of the spectrum, Cessna announced the sale of two Citation Mustangs to the Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy and Embraer found a home for a Legacy 650 in Jordan. The 650 is on track for certification later this year. Meanwhile, Gulfstream announced an important couple of milestones in its latest model, also a 650. More...

BAE UNVEILS BACKCOUNTRY BIZJET
For those who like the idea of a camper but require plenty of comfort, the BAE Avro Business Jet Explorer concept unveiled this week would seem to fit the bill. The luxury interior provides up to four sleeping cabins plus living space to provide both transport and accommodation in remote locations. While on the ground, a spacious rear deck area can be deployed where "passengers can relax for the evening ... and enjoy a cool drink in the open air as the sun sets," according to the news release. The concept is the first of five new interiors by Design Q, a U.K. firm. It was introduced at EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition) in Geneva on Tuesday. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: OIL SLICKS AND AVGAS
If BP doesn't get it under control, the growing slick in the Gulf of Mexico could become a major disaster that will reset attitudes and policies toward offshore oil production. None of that is necessarily good for the price of avgas, and Paul Bertorelli breaks down some of the potential consequences in the lastest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Click here to read more (and share your own opinions). More...

"HOW WE DID IT" — RED BULL GLIDER SKYDIVER TRANSFER
Say, how did those guys pull off that skydiver glider-to-glider transfer that's getting some much attention on YouTube and Red Bull's site? Here's the inside story from Ewald Roithner, the lead pilot. He spoke with AVweb's Paul Bertorelli. More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A KING SCHOOLS GET-IT-ALL TRAINING KIT

Win a Get-It-All Training Kit from King Schools 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 — so if you've already entered, you're all set.)

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 May 21, 2010.

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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...

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...

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.

The AVwebBiz team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Glenn Pew

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