DASSAULT MOVING AHEAD WITH SMS?
A Canadian landing-gear manufacturer may have spilled the beans that Dassault is moving forward with a new business jet design. Montreal-based Heroux-Devtek announced to the Canadian Press last week that it had won a contract to design, build and help certify gear for the as-yet unannounced bizjet. "It's a recognition by another world leader that Heroux-Devtek can design, develop and build aircraft landing gear so it's a great win for us," company CEO Gilles Labbe told CP. Dassault has not yet confirmed the project but it's likely a revival of the super midsize SMS project that was announced in 2007 and shelved in 2009. More...

BOMBARDIER TO BOOST BIZJET PRODUCTION
Bombardier says sales are so good at the top of the market it's going to increase production of its Global series of business jets. "Our backlog is growing and we're actually increasing our production rates in March of next year, and we're also looking at further increases in the following year," Simon Roberts, VP and manager of the company's Toronto plant, told Reuters. The company announced two new aircraft in the Global series just prior to the National Business Aviation Association convention in October and will spend up to $1.8 billion to develop the ultra-long-range 7000 and 8000 jets. Bombardier also took the time to gently refute a Middle Eastern airline owner's harsh assessment of its CSeries airliner program. More...

LOBBYIST NAMED TO TOP POST AT ATA
Nicholas Calio was named this week as the next CEO of the Air Transport Association, the trade organization that represents most U.S. airlines. Calio holds a long Washington pedigree both as a lobbyist and as a White House staffer. "Nick has a record of success in managing complex issues and working collaboratively with people at the highest levels, both in the private and public sectors," said Glenn Tilton, ATA chairman. "His leadership skills and reputation for integrity on both sides of the aisle make him uniquely suited to head ATA." Calio said he will focus on easing taxes and regulations for the industry, improving infrastructure and increasing access to international markets. More...

NEW CEO AT DIAMOND AIRCRAFT
After 20 years at the helm of Diamond Aircraft, Christian Dries is stepping down as CEO, and this week he named Gerd Berchtold as his successor. Dries will retain ownership of the Austria-based company, and will maintain an active management role. Departments responsible for marketing, distribution and aircraft finance will continue to report to him. Berchtold will take charge of design, production and customer support, and also will report directly to Dries. "Mr. Berchtold is a highly experienced and respected aeronautical engineer," Dries told the Financial Times Deutschland. "I need a CEO who takes care 100 percent of the aircraft." Dries said although the company is still feeling the effect of the economic downturn, it has benefited from its special-mission aircraft, such as those used for surveillance missions. The company employs 1,200 workers and has customers in 28 countries. Berchtold, an active pilot, formerly was employed by EADS, where he held several positions developing commercial and military aircraft. More...

LEGACY FROM BRAZIL COLLISION BACK FLYING
Not many business jets that collide with airliners at 37,000 feet are repaired and returned to service but that appears to be the outcome for the Embraer Legacy 600 that contacted a GOL Boeing 737 over Brazil on Sept. 29, 2006. The collision resulted in the loss of the 737 and the deaths of all 154 on board but the Legacy pilots, who were on a delivery flight from the Embraer factory to New York, managed to land the damaged bizjet safely at a military airfield in the jungle. The tragedy resulted in a protracted legal and diplomatic squabble that might not be over yet. The Legacy, however, lives on. It was flown to Cleveland, Ohio, on Nov. 19, minus the winglet it lost in the collision, where it will undergo extensive repairs. 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...

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 INSIDER BLOG: FRIENDS OF THE EARTH — THE UPSIDE
This environmental group is seen as the main heavy in the struggle to find a replacement for 100LL, but it is in fact just one of many players. On the plus side, the Friends' petition — and maybe a lawsuit — against the EPA may finally push the lead issue in one direction or another, ending the uncertainty over future fuels. That, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog, is not a bad thing. More...

THE FINAL GRAND GIVEAWAY CELEBRATING AVWEB'S 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: WIN A GARMIN AERA 510 HANDHELD GPS

Where has the time gone? Our 15th anniversary year is almost over, and that means we've come to our 15th (and final) "Grand Giveaway." If you haven't already, register for one final chance to win — as we give away a Garmin aera 510 handheld GPS. All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You must be a registered AVweb user; if you've entered any of our previous 15 Grand Giveaways drawings, you'll automatically be considered for the aera — no need to enter again.)

Remember: We won't rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can enter this final 15 Grand Giveaways drawing. (We won't spam them, either — but do we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)

Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time Sunday, December 19.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

VIDEO: LEARNING TO FLY WITH FLYVIE & JEPPESEN
Jeppesen and Flyvie may revolutionize the way student pilots learn to fly (and the way flight instructors approach flight training) by making actual flight lessons recordable, portable, and reviewable on the ground at the flight school, at home, and almost anywhere. 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

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
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Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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