NBAA UNVEILS NEW ANNUAL EVENT FOR LIGHT AIRPLANE OPERATORS
The usual conception of business aviation may be that it is all about big corporations with flight departments, but in fact, NBAA President Ed Bolen said Wednesday at Sun 'n Fun, fully 60 percent of NBAA's 8,000 members operate just a single airplane to help advance their business. "We've been talking to those members about how we can better serve their needs," he said, and from those conversations arose the concept of the Light Airplane Conference & Exhibition, a new three-day annual event that will be held in San Diego, Calif., starting next March. The show will feature forums and workshops about safety for the single pilot, regulatory issues, taxes, and more, that will focus on business owners and other operators of light jets, turboprops, and piston airplanes. "We are confident that the Light Airplane Conference & Exhibition will be well received by our light airplane operators, who will now benefit from a show filled with exhibits and educational information sessions focused on their unique interests, and a static display that showcases their aircraft," Bolen said. The show will be held at the San Diego Convention Center, with room for up to 1,000 exhibitors. A static display for up to 50 aircraft will be located at the nearby San Diego International Airport. Next year's show is set for March 12, 13, and 14. More...

COMP AIR ADDS TWO NEW DESIGNS
Comp Air, a manufacturer of composite aircraft kits based in Merritt Island, Fla., has added two new designs to its lineup. The Comp Air 9 is a high-wing, fixed-gear six-place turboprop. "We saw an empty spot in the market that this aircraft would fit," Comp Air spokesman Bill Fedorko told AVweb at Sun 'n Fun on Wednesday. "It will haul a lot of weight, it's easy to fly, fuel-efficient and low-maintenance, a good family aircraft." The other new design is the Comp Air 11, a slightly smaller version of the Comp Air 12, but with the same turbine engine, which Fedorko said will drive it at speeds up to 360 knots. It will be a low-wing airplane with retractable gear. The first copies of both aircraft are now under construction. The Comp Air 9 should be ready to fly to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer, and the Comp Air 11 should be flying by next January, Fedorko said. More...

SOCATA UPGRADES THE TBM 850 FOR 2008
Socata has added a series of enhancements to its TBM 850 for the 2008 model, the company said this week at Sun 'n Fun. Upgrades include an integrated all-glass three-display flight deck based on the Garmin G1000 system, a digitally controlled cabin temperature system with two-zone control, and a new "European-style" cabin design by Catherineau. The seat cushions and backrests have been re-designed to maximize comfort. An extra inch of cabin height, plus the new seats, make it easier for the pilot to access the cockpit. The company also redesigned the logo and the paint scheme for the airplane. "Sun 'n Fun traditionally heralds the start-up of a year's aviation gatherings, and it is the best venue to introduce our new 2008 TBM 850 to the general public," said Nicolas Chabbert, the president of EADS Socata North America. More...

NO USER FEES -- IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The user fee issue is an internal issue in the U.S. aviation community, but that doesn't mean other countries aren't listening. The Dominican Republic sent a 19-member government delegation to Sun 'n Fun to bring the news that all six of the smaller GA-oriented airports and at least one international airport (Santiago) have banned parking, landing and all other fees for aircraft under 30,000 lbs. with a capacity of 12 passengers or fewer. "Tourism is very important to us," the country's Secretary of State Jose Thomas Garcia told reporters at a Sun 'n Fun news conference. The thrust behind the country's remarkable PR exercise at the show is to offer tourists who fly themselves an alternative to other countries in the region that have already captured a thriving GA clientele. And according to the government officials, it's modern, well-equipped flight destination. More...

EMBRAER PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON ITS JET PROGRAMS
There are now four Phenom 100s flying in the Embraer flight-test program, CEO Frederico Fleury Curado said at Sun 'n Fun on Wednesday, and the jet is on track for certification and first deliveries by the end of this year. Also, the first Phenom 300 is under construction in Brazil. The fuselage and wing have been mated together, and final assembly is near completion. First flight for the 300 is expected later this year. Curado confirmed that the company has over 700 orders for the two aircraft, from 44 countries. He also talked about the company's two new jets, which were recently announced as definite programs. The mid-size jet is scheduled for deliveries in 2012, and the mid-light jet for 2013. Both will be powered by the latest generation of the Honeywell HTF7000 turbofan engine. Final names and prices for the two new clean-sheet designs will be announced at EBACE in Geneva this May, Curado said. More...

Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers

THE SAVVY AVIATOR #56: BEFORE YOU YANK THAT JUG ...
Your aircraft is undergoing its annual inspection, and your IA tells you that a cylinder has weak compression and has to come off. Here are some things to consider before you tell him to go ahead. More...

GOT CYLINDERS? TELL US ABOUT YOUR SERVICE HISTORY
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting a survey on aircraft engine cylinder products. If you've done an overhaul during the past several years, the magazine's editors would like to hear from you on how the cylinders have performed. Just click on this link to take the survey.

The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here. 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...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FROM SUN 'N FUN 2008:
KITPLANES MAGAZINE PREVIEWS ADVANCED FLIGHT SYSTEMS' NEW EFIS DECK
AVweb's sister publication, Kitplanes magazine, interviews Advanced Flight Systems president Robert Hickman to learn about his company's latest EFIS, engine monitor, and angle-of-attack systems available for experimental aircraft. (Video by AVweb's Glenn Pew and Kitplanes editor-in-chief Marc Cook. Click through to watch.) More...

GPS IN YOUR POCKET:
CONTROL VISION IS HARD AT WORK MAKING THE DREAM A REALITY
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
Control Vision is well known for its extensive and flexible line of PDA-based GPS navigators. Although these products are flexible, buyers have asked for solutions that require fewer wires and individual components. This week at Sun 'n Fun, Control Vision responded with a new product based on HP's diminutive iPaq Travel Companion. At $695, it combines both turn-by-turn ground navigation and a rich moving map for aviation use in a single package, with Bluetooth capability to reduce the wiring clutter. In this podcast, Control Vision's Jay Humbard gives AVweb the details.

This podcast brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

CESSNA'S NEXT-GEN AIRPLANE IS STILL ON TRACK, BUT IT'LL BE A WHILE
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
Cessna's VP of sales and marketing, Roger Whyte, told AVWeb this week that even though it's focusing much of its attention on the recently acquired Columbia composite line, Cessna is still on track to build the so-called next-generation single. It will occupy a narrow niche between the 182/206 and the 350 and 400 from Columbia. Whyte also updated us on the Skycatcher project, which is soon to begin production in China.

This podcast brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2008 GALLERIES: THE SHOW IS UNDERWAY!
As the fly-in entered its second day, the crowds began to grow and the grounds came alive with foot traffic. More...

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

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Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
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Glenn Pew

Features Editor
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