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April 13, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Fly With Bose® Aviation Headset X™
Enjoy an unmatched combination of full-spectrum noise reduction, clearer audio, and comfortable fit. Voted the #1 headset for the seventh consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2007 Headset
Preference Survey. Also rated "Best ANR Headset: The Aviation Consumer Product of the Year" by Aviation Consumer. Purchase by May 3, 2008, and receive a
complimentary pair of Bose in-ear headphones ($99.95 value).
Learn more and
order. 
Quotes reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2007 Headset Preference Survey, 12/07; Aviation Consumer, 8/07.
» Try out the Headset X™ and other Bose Corporation products at booth SNF-009 at Sun 'n Fun
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Changes for Light Sport Rule, Upgrades for
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The FAA will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Tuesday that makes more than
20 revisions to the rules for Sport Pilot certificates. According to Paul Hamilton, the author and DVD producer of Sport Pilot materials for ASA, there are some significant changes being proposed but
nothing that should upset most involved in the category. Among the highlights is a requirement for at least an hour of instrument training for anyone who wants to fly a Light Sport Aircraft that goes
faster than 87 knots. The various ratings and endorsements available are now attached to the certificate rather than logbook entries and there are a lot of housekeeping details that clarify and, in
some cases, alter the role and responsibility of an instructor.
Hamilton was surprised with the timing of the posting of the rules on the FAA Web site as most of the industry is gathered in Lakeland, Fla. for Sun 'n Fun. "We knew these changes were coming but
we didn't expect to see them until September," he said. Hamilton noted that complex rules like Sport Pilot/Light Sport inevitably need tweaking after they're put into practice and, after three years
in force, Sport Pilot is due. There will be a 90-day comment period after the NPRM is published.
Cirrus and Tornado Alley have enjoyed smashing success with the turbonormalized SR22. Now that Tornado Alley has caught its production up to Cirrus's impressive demand, it's doing what it set out to
in the first place: making the turbonormalizing systems available to aftermarket SR22 owners. TAT's Tim Roehl told AVweb about these systems
when we visited the TAT booth on Thursday afternoon. Roehl said the Cirrus aftermarket kits will be available for all but the earliest model SR22s and should begin shipping by late 2008 or early 2009.
Turbonormalizing turns the already speedy SR22 into a 200-knot-plus airplane in the low flight levels. In a little more than a year, Cirrus has sold some 500 factory turbonormalized SR22 and demand
continues to be strong.
Related Content:
Audio interview with Roehl (podcast)
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Discover the Thrill
You are here when you discover that the thrill of hanging 10 has nothing on hanging around Cloud 9. In a brand-new Cessna Skyhawk, you too will discover life in a brand-new way, whether you're
learning to fly or fulfilling the lifelong dream of owning a new Cessna. Call 1 (316) 517-6056, or
visit
CessnaYouAreHere.com. 
» Be there with Cessna Single-Engine at booths SNF-001-005 at Sun 'n Fun
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Lightweight + Alternative Energy = Sun and
Fun |
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For the sport flyer who enjoys local fun flights and $100 hamburgers, Electraflyer's new battery-powered airplane may be just right -- and with no fuel to burn, it can cut the cost of that hamburger
down to about 60 cents. That's how much it costs to fully charge the lithium-polymer battery pack, says Randall Fishman, president of the Electraflyer Corp. The electric engine is mounted on an old Monnet motorglider that Fishman built from a kit, and the aircraft just this week earned its experimental airworthiness
certificate. Fishman also is flying a battery-powered trike, which has about 55 hours on it. The battery pack has
an endurance of about an hour and a half on the trike, and Fishman said he is still tweaking it on the airplane, but expects it will last about the same or a little longer. The charging unit weighs
about five pounds, he said, so it's easy to take it with you and recharge anywhere. "It's so quiet when you're flying, you can hear the wind going by, and there's no vibration," he told AVweb at Sun
'n Fun on Saturday. He's selling copies of the trike, and engine kits for homebuilders, from his Web site; a complete trike system runs about $17,000.
Fishman also said he is working on a two-seat model that would carry a larger electric motor.
The WAM diesel-powered IndUs Thorpedo LSA arrived on schedule to a packed news conference at Sun 'n Fun on Saturday and there was a cluster of people around it most of the day. With the numbers IndUS
is reporting, it's no wonder. The supercharged and turbocharged three-cylinder, two-cycle inverted cylinder diesel puts out 120 hp. Spokesman Scott Severin told AVweb it pulls the low-wing along at
100 knots on three gph. While the LSA flew for the first time with the diesel only a few days ago, company spokesman Scott Severin said the engine has been extensively tested by IndUS. The engine is
undergoing Light Sport certification and initial TBO is 1,000 hours but is expected to go to 3,000 hours.
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Avidyne Extends Interface Capability for Tactical WX Detection System
Avidyne's TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection System has a Compatibility Mode providing a second output format for display of monochromatic lightning strike and storm cell information on a
number of existing lightning detection-compatible displays. The TWX670's normal RS-232 output protocol supports the TWX670's TWxCell™ and Color Strike modes on compatible displays, including
Avidyne's EX500, EX5000 and MHD300. With Compatibility Mode, the TWX670 provides an alternate protocol compatible with other manufacturers' displays.
Click here for more
information. 
Sign up to be an
Avidyne Insider. 
» See Avidyne technologies in action at booths D-069-070 and N-028 at Sun 'n Fun
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Best in Show: Some of Our Favorite Finds at
SnF |
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Legendary pilot Dick Rutan stars in the first volume of the Aviator Series training videos, a new project by Fly Right Films. "Dick tells
such great stories, and we use those as a starting point to teach the viewer about safe flying techniques," producer Chris Jules told AVweb at Sun 'n Fun on Saturday. In the first 40-minute video,
called "Attitude Flying," Rutan talks about safe recovery from unusual attitudes, how to fly IFR with less fatigue, and more. Clips are showing on a widescreen at Forward Vision's booth. The film
captures the feeling of going flying with Dick Rutan and picking up great tips from his extensive and unique flying experiences -- there is no sitting-in-a-classroom or crammming-for-a-test tedium,
yet by the end, you'll be a smarter pilot. The trailer is online at the company's Web site. The full-length video will debut at EAA
AirVenture at Oshkosh this summer, Jules said. The DVD then will go on sale for $59.95.
The team plans to produce more films for the series, featuring "names you would recognize, for sure," Jules said. The Web site also features a video series on runway safety that the team produced
for the FAA, which can be downloaded for free.
The LSA world has busily populated itself with a wide variety of aircraft, but the Falcon LS, which is showing for the first time here at Sun 'n Fun this week, stands out with a sleek, muscular,
sporty look. "It's the Kevlar," said T&T Aviation vice president Tom Pizzuti, who was minding the airplane under the hot morning sun. T&T plans
to assemble the all-composite aircraft in Pennsylvania, with parts fabricated in Europe, Pizzuti said. The airplane is still in the certification process, but Pizzuti says he hopes that will be
complete by mid-May. The show airplane has a Lycoming engine installed, which gives the airplane a useful load of 492 pounds. Other possible options offered by the company include Continental, Rotax,
or Jabiru engines, all of which are lighter, for a useful load increase of up to 60 pounds. Intro price is $125,000, Pizzuti said.
The low-wing Falcon features side-by-side seating, a wide tinted canopy, and an emergency parachute system.
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Inflight. Every Flight.
XM WX Satellite Weather has quickly become the leading way to fly for pilots across the country. With flexible display solutions from aviation's biggest names and the accuracy-assured data of
WxWorx onboard, datalink weather from XM WX has been embraced by pilots and the industry alike. It's simply the best way to soar with confidence — inflight and every flight.
Click here to learn
more about XM WX Satellite Weather. 
» See why XM WX Satellite Weather is the official weather provider of Sun 'n Fun
when you visit WxWorx at booths C-024-025 and N-036 at the show
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In an industry built on superlatives there can only be one fastest, and Mooney's recently
certified Type S model now holds the crown as the fastest production single. It'll do 242 knots at 25,000 feet and it doesn't use extra power to get to those lofty numbers. "There have been a lot
of subtle enhancements," Mooney Sales Director Rick Neely told AVweb at Sun 'n Fun 2008. Gap sealing, a composite front gear door and other improvements that have "slicked up the airplane" are
responsible for the performance.
The S has a turbocharged Continental TSIO 550 engine that puts out 280 hp. The base airplane is loaded with a Garmin G1000 standard and deluxe interior. Options like air conditioning are also
available.
Carol Ann Garratt has flown around the world in a Mooney before -- taking her time, on a seven-month trip that she wrote about in a book, "Upon Silver Wings." This time, she is taking a co-pilot and
aiming to break the round-the-world record for single-engine aircraft, by making the flight start-to-finish in just seven days. The team will fly for 140 hours and make only nine stops. Garratt said
it's not just flying time that counts, but total time. "We'll have ground crew to meet us at each stop, to help fill up with fuel, dump our trash, pick up our supplies, stretch, and get back in the
air," she told AVweb at Sun 'n Fun this week. "We'll take turns sleeping in the airplane. We're installing a big extra fuel tank behind the seats, so we're hoping we will be able to recline at least a
little." Garratt and teammate Carol Foy, a past winner of the Air Race Classic, plan to launch this December. They are paying all of their own expenses, but hope the world flight will raise $1 million for ALS research.
More than 350,000 people worldwide suffer from ALS, also know as Lou Gehrig's disease, for which there is no cure.
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Aircraft Financing to Fit Your Needs
AirFleet Capital offers a competitive and experienced approach to each and every loan program by focusing exclusively on aircraft financing. AirFleet Capital provides exceptional terms
coupled with personal service and a long-term commitment to support the business and shared passion of aviation. From Light Sport Aircraft to VLJs and Business Jets, AirFleet Capital has a
loan program to fit your needs. Call an AirFleet Capital financing specialist at (800) 390-4324, or
request a quote
online. 
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Piper Matrix — Piper Compelling
Click here for more
information on the new Matrix, Piper's next generation of cabin-class sophistication. Compellingly priced at $757,000.
» Discover the Matrix and other Piper Aircraft at booths MD-018C and MD-019B at Sun 'n Fun
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Motion Sickness Solution for You and Your Passengers
The Relief Band Explorer offers the most effective and predictable relief available for nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. Your passengers will never feel the ill effects of
motion sickness in your plane again! This FDA-cleared wristwatch-like device is available exclusively at Aeromedix.com. It's the best $129.95 purchase you will ever make. Call
Aeromedix at (888) 362-7123, or
go online to
purchase. 
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New on AVweb: SnF Coverage Continues
Online |
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GALLERY FIVE
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CLICK FOR LARGE IMAGES
EACH IMAGE WILL OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW
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XtremeAir Xtreme 300 |
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Mini-Mustang! Titan T-51 with Retractable Gear Lands at Paradise City |
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Hal Shevers at Sporty's Conference |
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Deals Were Everywhere in the Exhibit Halls |
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John Roush Looks Over the L3 SmartDeck with Matt Fussy of L3 |
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Warbird Display Ramp |
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CubCrafters Sport Cub Instrument Panel |
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Randy Burnley of Liberty Talks Planes with Showgoers |
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Aerobatic Rides Given Daily in a Pitts S-2C |
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John Mohr's Signature Engine Failure During Super Slow Roll |
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Start Your Engines, Thunderbirds! |
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Thunderbirds Are Go! |
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Diamond Formation Fly-By |
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Crossing Paths in Knife-Edge During 4-Point Roll Cross |
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Dave Keim Addresses the Crowds from the Air Show Announcer Stand |
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Just a Short Break from Marshalling Planes |
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GALLERY FIVE
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.
Read more.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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 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. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part.
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.
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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.
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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and 
and 
