LOOKING
TO THE FUTURE AT AOPA SUMMIT
AOPA's annual meeting in Tampa
has a fresh look, and it's challenged its presenters to come up with
some fresh ideas on the future of general aviation. AVweb's Russ
Niles spoke with AOPA President Craig Fuller.
Click here to listen. (6.7 MB,
7:20)
AOPA
OFFERS MEDICAL SCREENINGS AT SUMMIT
Expanding its services to
members, AOPA is offering medical screenings at the AOPA Summit,
provided by Cook Medical. Specifically, abdominal aneurysms are a
concern for pilot medical issuances, according to AOPA's director of
medical certification services, Gary Crump. At the Summit, Cook
Medical has set up several private examination booths, and members can
get their results before leaving the show. In this podcast, Crump tells
AVweb about additional medical services being offered this year
at the association's health section.
Click here to listen. (4.0 MB,
4:25)
PS
ENGINEERING'S NEW BASIC AUDIO PANEL
If you don't need all the
bells and whistles, PS Engineering's new $995 certified audio panel
might be what you're looking for. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli speaks
with Gary Picou.
Click here to listen. (3.2 MB,
3:26)
CIRRUS
JET PROGRESSES
Lack of capital is slowing development of the
Cirrus SF 50 jet, but progress is being made. AVweb's Mary Grady
speaks with Cirrus Aircraft CEO Brent Wouters.
Click here to listen. (5.4 MB,
5:56)
BUYING?
THERE'S MONEY IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES
The credit market is
still tight, but those who want to buy an airplane and have the
financial credentials to match should have no trouble. AVweb's
Paul Bertorelli talks with Jim Blessing of AirFleet Capital.
Click here to listen. (4.0 MB,
4:21)
PILOT
FIRST, GENDER ALMOST IRRELEVANT
There's still a big gap
between the number of male and female pilots, but Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University makes sure all students are welcome and given
every opportunity for success. AVweb's Mary Grady speaks with
Susan Sharp, ERAU's program coordinator for aeronautical science
and advisor for the campus chapter of Women in Aviation.
Click here to listen. (5.6 MB,
6:05)
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TECNAM
AIRCRAFT'S ROTAX-POWERED TWIN
 It burns 10 gallons an hour of auto
gas and can do 150 knots. But is there a market for a Rotax-powered twin
in the U.S.? AVweb's Jeff Van West takes a closer look at
Tecnam's unique piston twin.
AMELIA
EARHART ELECTRA OWNER'S STAR TURN
 Lockheed 12 owner Joe Shepherd got the
rarest of opportunities: His fully restored airplane was used in the
film Amelia, now playing in cinemas across the country. Shepherd
tells what it was like to play a small but important part in a major
film.
ASPEN'S
NEW EFD1000 MFD
 Aspen is now shipping its new EFD 1000
companion MFD to the popular PFD. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli got a
checkout with Aspen's Scott Smith prior to the AOPA Summit.
MODS
AND UPGRADES ARE HOT AT SUMMIT
 So what if new aircraft sales are in
the tank? You can still fix up an older airframe to near new standards.
Two companies at AOPA Summit were offering such upgrades, and a third,
Premier Aircraft, is offering a premium upgrade to new Diamond DA40s
that can include air conditioning, plus a second alternator and comfy
upgraded leather seats. Nexair Avionics saw an opportunity in Avidyne's
sophisticated Release 9 EFIS and is selling legacy Saratogas with this
big glass upgrade. Sierra Industries is taking a similar tack, but
they're using Garmin's G500 in their Super Centurion upgrade. This video
offers a quick glimpse at products from all three companies.
AOPA
SUMMIT 2009 VIDEO SERIES: STRAP ON A RENO RACER FOR A RUN AROUND THE
PYLONS
 In this video, veteran Reno Racer
Thom Richard tells what it's like to wail around the pylons at
Reno in a Formula 1 race aircraft. It's powered by a 100hp O-200, but
Invictus — which was on display at AOPA Summit in Tampa this week
— is still capable of nearly 250 MPH. It's hot, high-G work, but
it's also six minutes of one of the biggest shots of adrenaline in
aviation.
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AOPA
SUMMIT 2009 PHOTO GALLERY
The AVweb staff have packed
their bags and are on their way home from the first AOPA Summit in
Tampa, Florida — and guess what editor Mary Grady found on her
digital camera? If you said "a bunch of great photos that AVweb
didn't get a chance to share with us during the show," you'd be right.
Let's have a look at some of our favorite snaps from the show.
AVWEB
INSIDER BLOG: AOPA'S TAMPA SUMMIT — RANDOM
OBSERVATIONS
Leading with: Should it be called that or
something else? Big plusses, says Paul Bertorelli in his show-closing
installment of the AVweb Insider blog, include the Inescapable
Dave Hirschman, Joe Shepherd's Electra, and a lot more going on than you
might have expected — not the least of which were the babes in the
Dominican Republic booth.
Read
more.
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