ALAN KLAPMEIER ON THE FIRST FLIGHT OF CIRRUS DESIGN'S "THE-JET"
In many ways, today was the day Alan and Dale Klapmeier have been waiting for since the 1980s when they first started thinking about building airplanes. But as Alan Klapmeier told AVweb's Russ Niles, Thursday's first flight of the verification test aircraft of Cirrus's The-Jet is actually more of a beginning as they head toward certification and production of the five-plus-two-passenger personal jet.

Click here to listen. (6.0 MB, 6:30)

Related Content:

• Flight report and photos
• Video of the first flight

JETAVIVA'S CYRUS SIGARI ON THE RISE OF VERY LIGHT JETS
Although it's been slower to take off than some had predicted, the very light jet movement is here, and it's putting more owner-pilots in the left seat of some pretty sophisticated hardware. JetAviva is a California company that specializes in helping new owners of VLJs ensure the transition is a smooth one. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with JetAViva CEO Cyrus Sigari about who's buying VLJs and how the little jets are performing.

Click here to listen. (8.0 MB, 8:43)

PIONEERING FEMALE COMMERCIAL PILOT ADDRESSES THE LOOMING PILOT SHORTAGE
What are the best routes to pro-pilot jobs? Which qualifications count most with employers? Just some of the questions you'll hear answered by 30-year veteran and current jet pilot Captain Karen Kahn in today's podcast. Avweb's Mike Blakeney talks to Karen about her extraordinary career and her recent book, Flight Guide for Success, and gets some straight and level tips for budding commercial pilots.

Click here to listen. (16.8 MB, 18:23)