DC-3 DREAMS
Cirrus Design co-founders Dale and Alan Klapmeier defied enormous odds to build a successful, profitable airplane company but it wasn't just the technology and innovation that made the SR22 the best selling single in the world. A fundamental love of aviation has driven them from day one (they aren't unique in that) and they were among the dozens of pilots who took part in the AVweb and Herpa Miniature Models offer to fly in aircraft that few others get to experience. Alan flew back seat in a taildragger Nan Chang CJ6 and Dale was his lead, flying the gorgeous Herpa DC-3. "It was a lot of fun," said Dale Klapmeier after he climbed out of the 20,000 lb. Douglas after flying it for an hour, including a low-level pass with six Nan Changs in formation, one of them with Alan in the back seat. All of this resulted from our essay contest inviting folks to tell us why they wanted to fly the 70-year-old twin-engine airliner and we'll be telling you more about our amazing few days with Dan Gryder and his beautiful airplane, plus the formation aircraft. (Click through for a video clip.) More...

MAULE TO OFFER FORWARD VISION ON ALL ITS AIRCRAFT
At their press conference at Sun 'n Fun on Thursday, the folks from Forward Vision passed around one of their compact EVS-100 units, fixed up with a battery pack and a small video screen. Pointed at the front of the press tent, the image clearly showed the podium and each of the speakers, looking much like an old black-and-white video picture. The enhanced-vision system, which uses a long-wave infrared sensor, now will be offered as a factory-installed option on the entire line of Maule aicraft. It is to be used in advisory capacity only. It can provide a nuanced picture of the terrain when night falls or visibility is less than perfect, and can sometimes help in spotting traffic as well. Cost for the option is $21,900. More...

FOR KIT MANUFACTURERS, 51% SOLUTION REMAINS UNCERTAIN
Since the FAA issued its report on the "51-percent" homebuilt rule a few weeks ago, the homebuilder community and kit manufacturers have been fretting over what changes will be made, and what impact they will have. AVweb caught up with Glasair CEO Mikael Via at Sun 'n Fun on Thursday, and he was confident that whatever guidance the FAA eventually issues, his company will be able to cope. "We are already making pro-active changes in the Two Weeks To Taxi program," he said, in anticipation of FAA changes. The two-week builder-assist program for the Sportsman has been popular, with over 100 sold. But since customers already are doing the vast majority of the work, he said, only a small portion of the program will be affected. As for the rest of Glasair's line, Via said that existing kits that have already been approved by the FAA, will most likely not be affected, though the FAA has not yet made any official statement to that effect. He added that the Two Weeks To Taxi program has helped the company to produce a better, safer airplane. More...

DELTA CONNECTION AND EMBRY RIDDLE TEAM UP FOR TRAINING
Demand for pilots is so great that ab initio candidates can now go from zero time to the right seat of a regional jet in a couple of years. But any pilot with designs on flying for a major airline will need a four-year degree and to make that easier. Delta Connection and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University have joined in a program to give students who earn their ratings at Delta Connection 36 credit hours toward a degree. In essence, that could shave about a year off a four-year degree program at ERAU, not to mention a sizeable chunk in tuition savings. Delta's Doug Blissit told AVweb on Thursday that demand for pilots has never been greater and virtually all of the 170 or so students Delta graduates find employment as professional pilots. For more, see DeltaConnectionAcademy.com. More...

NEW LSA DESIGNS DEBUT AT SUN 'N FUN
About a half dozen Special Light Sport Aircraft are showing at Sun 'n Fun for the first time this week, and each of them has an example on display in the LSA Mall. The Paradise P-I, a Brazilian design, has a classic Cessna 150 look on first glance, with a strutted high wing, tricycle gear, and mostly metal construction. But inside, the two seats ride close to the floor, for plenty of headroom, and the control yokes are recessed into the panel, providing legroom as well. The one on display has round gauges, but the company will install any avionics the customer requests, said sales rep Christopher Lee Regis. Also on display is the Urban Air Lambada, the first light-sport motorglider. Jeff Shingleton, who flew it down from New York, said "it gets better mileage than a Prius." Considering that it flies at 100 knots and sips just 2.3 gallons per hour with the motor running, that sounds about right. Turn off the engine and let it glide, and you can follow the cloud streets all day. More...

TIGER BUILDER UPBEAT
True Flight Industries is continuing to develop plans to produce a modern incarnation of the Grumman Tiger at a plant in Valdosta, Ga. President Kevin Lancaster says interest remains strong in the sporty four seater with the unique sliding canopy. "I get people saying to me all the time that they can't understand why the airplane hasn't stayed in production," Lancaster said. The next Tigers will come with glass cockpits and more power is being considered. Lancaster said he hopes to end the stop-and-go production of the aircraft with some innovative approaches to its revival. (Click through for a video clip.) More...

AIRLINE WOES PROVE GA WORTH
Plenty of general aviation pilots here at Sun 'n Fun are doubtless very pleased to know they will be flying home when the show is over in their very own airplane -- instead of counting on airlines like American, which this week left more than a quarter million passengers stranded at airports across the country. And it's not over yet. The airline said it had "no choice" but to ground 300 MD-80 jets, almost half of its fleet, after FAA checks found that Airworthiness Directives that required a wiring inspection had not been completed. The incident, along with a similar one recently at Southwest, has been called a "wake-up" call for both the industry and the regulators, who are widely perceived as having a too-cozy relationship. "The airlines and FAA have spent too much time talking about how safe the system is without trying to ensure the continued safety," James Hall, former chairman of the NTSB, told Bloomberg News. "This is kind of a spanking, and that's certainly better than an accident." More...

BOEING DREAMLINER DELAYED AGAIN
Boeing announced on Tuesday that its 787 Dreamliner will be delivered 14 to 16 months late, but some industry analysts said that was good news, the Seattle Times reported -- it at least was a schedule they could believe. The original completion date had already has been pushed back twice. This week, the company added another six months, saying the airplane won't fly until October and will be delivered in the third quarter of 2009. Boeing also reduced its production goals, saying it will deliver just 25 of the airplanes next year, down from over 100 in earlier estimates. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FROM SUN 'N FUN 2008:
VANS RV-12 LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT
Van's latest design, the RV-12, is a light sport aircraft already available as a partial kit and could be available as a complete aircraft soon. AVweb gets the inside scoop at Sun 'n Fun from Dick van Grunsven himself. (Video by AVweb's Glenn Pew and Kitplanes editor-in-chief Marc Cook. Click through to watch.)

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

AVWEB'S BLOG BUZZING WITH ACTIVITY DURING SUN 'N FUN
AVweb's only official blog is packed with off-the-cuff reviews, personal experiences, and fun diversions from our contributors on the ground at Sun 'n Fun. Look for new posts from our own Paul Bertorelli and Kitplanes magazine contributors Rick Lindstrom, Marc Cook, and Amy Laboda — all of whom are enjoying the sights, sounds, and gadgets at Lakeland. More...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO SUN 'N FUN CROWD:
"BRING YOUR PLANE AND COME ON DOWN!"
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
The Dominican Republic is opening its doors to general aviation, and a large delegation of officials was at Sun 'n Fun to get the word out. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke to Secretary of State Jose Thomas Garcia.

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

DELTA CONNECTION AND EMBRY RIDDLE TEAM UP FOR TRAINING
(RECORDED LIVE AT SUN 'N FUN 2008)
Any pilot with designs on flying for a major airline will need a four-year degree — and to make that easier, Delta Connection and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University have joined in a program to give students who earn their ratings at the Delta Connection Academy 36 credit hours toward a degree. In this podcast from Sun 'n Fun, Delta's Doug Blissit explains the details.

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

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2008 GALLERIES: OUT AND ABOUT BETWEEN ASSIGNMENTS ...
Sun 'n Fun is keeping us busy, but we were able to send Mariano out to mingle with folks and snap a few shots today. 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...

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...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

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.

The AVwebFlash team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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