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October 20, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Do You Have Enough Life Insurance?
According to LIMRA International, a leading industry research firm, 68 million adult Americans have no life insurance. Those who own life insurance have an average of four times their annual
income in coverage, considerably less than most experts recommend. Pilot Insurance Center specializes in providing pilots — from student to ATP — with insurance planning at an
affordable rate. A+ Rated Carriers – No Aviation Exclusions – Quick and Easy Application Process. Call PIC at 1 (800) 380-8376 or
visit online. 
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 According to preliminary figures released Thursday, overall transportation fatalities in the United States fell 4 percent year over year
from 2006 to 2007 and did include a larger reduction in aviation fatalities. Aviation deaths, specifically, decreased from 784 to 545, with general aviation as the segment's largest contributor. In
2007, nearly 90 percent of aviation deaths were attributed to general aviation accidents. For 2006, 703 of the 784 deaths were attributed to general aviation. For 2007, the numbers show 491 of 545
deaths attributed to GA. The numbers were delivered independent of total hours flown. Overall, there were 43,193 transportation fatalities recorded in 2007 versus 45,085 in 2006. Highway fatalities,
the segment that accounts for nearly 95 percent of all transportation deaths, also dipped in 2007 from the previous year. Within that category, however, motorcycle fatalities were marked by a 6
percent increase -- the single largest increase in any specific category across all the included modes of transportation.
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JA Air Center, Your Garmin GPSMap 496 Source
JA Air Center is YOUR source for Garmin equipment, including the popular GPSMap 496 with XM Weather, Terrain, AOPA Airport Guide, Taxiway Database, and built-in Automotive GPS. JA
Air purchases used GPS units, avionics, and aircraft. Call (800) 323-5966.
JA Air Center [Opening - Aurora (KARR) in Sugar Grove, IL December 1, 2008] provides the finest avionics installations, turbine/piston maintenance, avionics/instrument service, mail order, and
aircraft sales. Call (800) 323-5966, or
click here for more
information. 
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 Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 15 that five satellite flight service stations will be closing in February and AOPA was quick to take
exception with the way the change in service was made. "We are extraordinarily displeased that the FAA, which is supposed to be managing this contract, did not consult with its 'customers' before
allowing this," AOPA President Phil Boyer said. The FAA told AOPA it wants to work with the association to ensure service meets its contract requirements. But Boyer expressed concern that "some of our
members will be incensed" upon notification of the non-discussed closures. For its part, Lockheed Martin said that the closures are the result of improvements to the nationwide network coupled with a
reduction in the amount of general aviation pilots seeking use of the FSS system. Reasons for that reduction were not addressed. The specific stations targeted for closure are Oakland, San Diego,
Denver, Albuquerque and Macon (Georgia) and Lockheed Martin says incoming calls will be routed to specialists who, regardless of their physical location, are knowledgeable about the particular flight
area.
Today, most of those specialists are located in Ashburn, Va.; Fort Worth, Texas; and Prescott, Ariz., where all in-flight and flight data functions are currently routed. None of the parties
involved made any inferences that other factors like modern electronic resources available to pilots (in-cockpit near real-time weather services like XM weather), or pilot dissatisfaction with flight
service station performance, were yet contributors to a significant reduction in pilots' use of the service.
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Lycoming® — The Engines of Choice
Lycoming® produces the most complete line of horizontally opposed, air-cooled four-, six-, and eight-cylinder certified aircraft engines available, with
power ranging from 100 to 400 HP. For homebuilders, air race and aerobatic pilots, and others looking for non-certified engines with Lycoming dependability, Lycoming offers custom-built
Thunderbolt Engines. Lycoming piston engines have a reputation for reaching or exceeding TBO.
For more information,
please visit Lycoming.com. 
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 Textron Thursday announced a nearly 20-percent decline in third-quarter profits and plans to shrink its workforce through layoffs and
workforce consolidation that along with other measures could save the company $40 million per year. The company's financing division -- which, among other things, provides financing for buyers of new
and used Cessna business jets -- showed a 66-percent decline in profits. It earned $18 million where Textron had originally expected $30 million. That reality, plus the uncertainty expressed in the
financial markets and credit industry, is countered with another fact: Sales across of most of Textron's businesses rose, including sales of Cessna business jets. Textron Chairman Lewis B. Campbell
believes the future economic environment "will continue to be uncertain over at least the next several quarters, but believes "the actions we are taking, combined with our government programs and
aircraft order backlog, position us to perform well through these difficult times." Textron's stock lost nearly 80 percent of its value between December of last year and mid-October of 2008.
Hopefully the story for its workers, particularly those laid off from the company's financing division, will read somewhat differently in one year's time.
 American Airlines has entered into a purchase agreement with Boeing for 42 787-9 Dreamliners (with options for up to 58 more),
expecting first deliveries in 2012, but its pilots retain the right to have a say in that. The airline believes the up-to-290-passenger, 8,500-nm cruising jet could theoretically operate on every
route it currently serves, while allowing it the flexibility to seek new routes as conditions warrant. American has not yet decided on a preferred cabin configuration for the wide-body, or even its
engine type. But provisions in the agreement allow the company to not acquire any number of the 42 aircraft if it has not reached an agreement with its pilots union to operate the aircraft. Until
then, American will take delivery of 76 Boeing 737-800 aircraft as it continues to phase out its fleet of narrow-body MD-80s. Once expected to fly for the first time in the spring of 2009, program
delays and the current strike by Boeing's machinists could set first flight of the 787 Dreamliner beyond the fall of 2010.
A separate airline already on board with orders for 17 Boeing 787-9s and eight 787-8s, Continental had intended to inaugurate its New York-Shanghai service with the aircraft in March of 2009. No
firm plans can now exist for a 787 service launch.
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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.
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Quotes reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2007 Headset Preference Survey, 12/07; Aviation Consumer, 8/07.
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 Officials Thursday released the names of four victims killed when a medical transport helicopter crashed in a field in Illinois
Wednesday night and as the Association of Air Medical Services prepared for its annual conference held this year on Oct. 20-22. The aircraft came to rest near a newly damaged AM radio tower. As the
accident (which may bring the total to at least 12 crashes and 32 killed in the past 12 months) is investigated and safety concerns for the industry deepen, industry leaders will be meeting in
Minneapolis to "put a specific focus on safety in air medicine." Safety-related products like night vision goggles, TAWS (terrain awareness and warning systems) and weather services will be
highlighted and on display on the show floor, as will risk assessment and safety training programs. A special pre-conference workshop will be under way Sunday afternoon when the Commission on
Accreditation of Air Medical Transport Services will also offer a course designed to create a culture of quality and safety. Then, research presentations will be given "on several safety topics all
day on Monday." The FAA released its own safety recommendations (not regulations) on June 30.
 A wrongful death suit that originally levied a $10.5 million judgment against the EAA and the Northwest Experimental Aircraft
Association (NWEAA) has seen a reversal judgment in a Washington court of appeals. The court found that Don Corbitt was alive in the wreckage of his RV-6A after it crashed shortly after departure at
the Northwest Fly-In at Arlington, Wash., on July 7, 1999, but that Corbitt died in the post-crash fire as bystanders attempted to extinguish the flames. The court found that the fire was ultimately
extinguished by an Arlington Fire Department truck that arrived on the scene within three to five minutes of the crash. One concern of the lawsuit involved the assignment of responsibility for fire
safety at the location of the accident. A common law duty had in a previous judgment been assigned to NWEAA and EAA, along with the multimillion judgment against them. Records from the appeals case
now indicate that the fire was ultimately extinguished on property not included in usage areas identified by special use agreements. The court of appeals found that neither NWEAA or EAA controlled the
portion of the airport where Corbitt crashed, they were not in control of fire or fire aid personnel and had no duty to provide first aid services to Corbitt "once he had left premises possessed by
NWEAA."
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Smart Safety ... Leave Anxiety Out of Your Flight Plan
As a Cirrus owner, you join a lifestyle that takes safety very seriously. Whether flying for pleasure or business, you always fly smart and safe. Cirrus Perspective by Garmin is
designed to help by giving you more time and information to make better decisions, reduce workload, and improve your overall flying experience. Cirrus Perspective adds more ability to
experience the Cirrus lifestyle fully and leave anxiety out of your flight plan.
For complete
features, go online. 
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 The EPA has specifically cited airplane fuels among "significant sources of lead" and there is new concern among pilots that engines burning
leaded fuel may be targeted by new standards for lead in the air set Wednesday night by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's new limit is the first update since 1978, according to the Associated Press,
and sets "a new health standard for lead to slash the amount of the toxic metal in the nation's air by 90 percent." The last update helped phase out leaded gasoline -- the new limit of .15 microgram
per cubic meter is ten times lower. Based on air quality data collected from 2004-2006, only 14 counties across the country may be in violation of the new standard when the EPA makes its report in
2011. At this time any future impact of the new standard on general aviation and its use of 100LL fuel is uncertain.
AP reports that the new standard "would require the 16,000 remaining sources of lead, including smelters, metal mines, and waste incinerators, to reduce their emissions." It is state and local
governments that will be charge with meeting the new standard. Lead concentrations in the air have declined in recent years, but scientific studies have demonstrated that low level lead exposure is
clearly linked to loss of IQ in performance testing.
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Dr. Blue Says, "Be Smart — Carry a PLB!"
Flying, hiking, camping, riding your ATV or bike — accidents happen that can become a life-threatening situation. Be prepared with a Personal Locator Beacon ( PLB). It's as easy as
pushing a button. PLBs from Aeromedix.com include the ACR MicroFix 406 MHz for pilots when you're enjoying activities in unpopulated areas.
Click now to visit
Aeromedix.com for complete details. 
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 More than 200 people met Jeff Hux at the airport when he came home to Missouri with a brand new G1000-equipped Cessna Skyhawk
courtesy of Hal Shevers' Sporty's Sweepstakes. Sporty's has given away at least one new aircraft every year since 1986 and this year's winner received training from a Cessna Flight Industry Training
Standards certified instructor, Sporty's own Charlie Masters. (Sporty's isn't just a pilot shop, it also conducts flight training, performs aircraft maintenance, operates an avionics shop and sells
new Cessna aircraft.) With training under the pilot's belt, Sporty's then put some hot dogs behind it with a celebratory customer lunch at the company's weekly fly-in, with AOPA's Phil Boyer among
those in attendance. Sporty's next sweepstakes winner will be selected in a May 16, 2009, drawing, and will win another brand-new Cessna Skyhawk ... that one will have Garmin's Synthetic Vision.
 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.
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New! Jeppesen Avionics Knowledge Library — Garmin G1000 IFR Training
The Jeppesen Garmin G1000 — IFR Procedures training is an advanced, extensive computer-based training program developed with Garmin teaching skills to master the operation of and
confidently fly the G1000 in IFR conditions. Learn: How to pull up and fly instrument procedures; how to load and activate approaches including RNAV and GPS; all the new WAAS-enabled approaches; and
how to perform course reversals, fly holding patterns, and execute missed approaches. Call Jeppesen at (303) 328-4274, or
visit online for
more information! 
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Hill Aircraft, Your #1 Source for Cessna Aircraft Parts
Everything for your Cessna Single/Multi-Engine Aircraft and Caravan — airframe, engine, aftermarket items, and Accessories. Hill Aircraft's staff has 50+ years of combined Aircraft Parts
Experience. Personalized attention ensures all orders are to your complete satisfaction on pricing and delivery. Please call Hill Aircraft's Parts Department at (800) 998-7832, or
click here for
complete information. 
The fastest and easiest way to order parts online. Se habla español.
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Nominate an FBO
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Homestead Executive Jet Center at X51 in Homestead, Florida.
AVweb reader Skip Weld has been there twice and found them to be an outstanding FBO on both visits, going "far beyond what a normal good staff would do":
They have offered to stay late or open after hours ... [even] offering me the code for the pilots room so I could wait out bad weather in comfort. When I was too tired to fight bad weather, they made
sure I got into a reasonably priced hotel at a good price, made sure I knew where to eat, and picked me up the next morning and brought me to the airport. All because I filled up with fairly-priced
self-serve gas. (They also have full serve.) It is clean and neat [and] doesn't have gold-colored fixtures in the bathroom! ... I will be back every time I am going to the Homestead race track.
Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.
AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!
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Attention, Turboprop Operators! Reserve October 28-30 on Your Calendars
Turboprop Expo 2008, October 28-30 in Scottsdale, AZ, will offer specialized programs including seminar tracks for airframe and turboprop engine topics as well as operational and ownership
information. Dr. David Strahle will present his informative and acclaimed seminar: Understanding Nexrad Imagery. Enjoy the relaxing surroundings of a classic resort and network with industry
leaders at Turboprop Expo 2008.
For more information
and to register, visit online. 
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File Size 7.2 MB / Running Time 7:54
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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Subscribe Via RSS
As AVweb reported recently, the general public is awakening to the benefits of ADS-B. Just as that's
happening, the industry is finally making headway on agreeing on a technical standard, as explained in this podcast with GAMA's Jens Hennig.
Click here to listen. (7.2 MB, 7:54)
Recommend a Video
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VOTW Archive
Before we share our latest viral video find, a hearty "thanks" goes out to all the RC enthusiasts who read AVweb and sent us links to RC-airplane-mounted camera videos this
week. We've saved a few of them for future issues, but we got a kick out of all of them. (And now we know a few new search terms to help us find RC videos on the web!)
Getting down to the business at hand, this week's video clip documents a rather unusual botched landing that we reported on a while back.
An AVweb reader recently sent us a link to the Flight Safety Foundation page about the incident (in
which a Cessna Citation CJ2 overran the runway and plunged into water), where we found the following video:
Don't forget to send us links to any interesting videos you find out there. If you're impressed by it,
there's a good chance other AVweb readers will be too. And if we use a video you recommend on AVweb, we'll send out an official AVweb baseball cap as a "thank you."
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Related Content:
Want more AVweb media from the show?
Click here for podcasts from NBAA 2008.
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Fly (or Drive) Somewhere! Use AVweb's Calendar of Events
Air shows, seminars, conferences, club events, fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, and trade shows are all featured on AVweb's Calendar of Events.
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 | | Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air" |
Heard at Gainesville, Florida Airport:
Cessna:
"Gainesville Tower, Cessna XXXXX, seven west with Tango."
Tower:
"Cessna XXXXX, cleared to land, Runway Six."
Cessna:
"We'd prefer Runway One Zero. We have some passengers to drop off at the terminal."
Tower:
"Cessna XXXXX, you can't do that. You have to use the general aviation FBO."
Cessna:
"We called ahead, and they said we could drop them off as long as we stayed clear of the gate."
Tower:
"I don't know who told you that, but I'll ask the airport manager."
Later ...
Tower:
"Cessna XXXXX. I'm sorry, but you can't taxi to the terminal. However, if you'd like, I can clear you for a low approach, and your passengers can jump out as vou fly by."
Cessna (laughing):
"How about I just use Runway Six?"
Peter Schoaff
via e-mail
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and
