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| Top Stories: Good News Amid Economic Turmoil | | back to
top |  | |
LSA,
HOMEBUILT SECTORS WEATHERING THE DOWNTURN
Companies of all
kinds worldwide are feeling the impact of the current economic problems,
but many of the smaller companies that build light sport aircraft and
sell kit airplanes appear to be holding their own. "New kit sales are
down across the board, a little bit," Kitplanes editor
Marc Cook told AVweb on Wednesday, while acknowledging that the
sector doesn't track hard numbers. "But nobody is really panicking," he
added. He's noticed a "small uptick" in used homebuilt aircraft for
sale, but he said it's nothing like what's been happening in the GA
market overall. "I think most kit aircraft are more affordable to
operate, and also the owners have more emotional investment in the
aircraft," he said. An owner who has spent hundreds of hours building an
airplane might fly less if cost becomes an issue, he said, but most are
reluctant to part with their creations. Dan Johnson, chairman of the Light Aircraft Manufacturing
Association, told AVweb on Wednesday that he sees a similar
situation in the LSA market. While sales have definitely slowed, he said
the smaller companies that build LSAs are better able to adapt to
changes. "There's no market shakeout," he said. The annual Sebring LSA
Expo is just six weeks away, and while a few companies have opted to
conserve their cash and stay home, Johnson said, overall he expects a
robust turnout for the show. Also, he noted that one company who pulled
out is Cirrus, which won't be there to promote their LSA this year.
Cirrus said
in October it would slow down its LSA project for now, citing a lack
of demand in the sector. More...
AERO
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN REPORTS 20 PERCENT GROWTH
Aero
Friedrichshafen, the European general aviation expo that has been
growing fast in recent years, announced this week that next year's show, April
2-5, 2009, already is showing a 20-percent rise in exhibitor bookings
over the last show, held in 2007. Starting next year, the show will be
held every year, instead of every other year as in the past. "In these
turbulent times, it is evidently important for most [exhibitors] to
maintain their marketing efforts in order to create a basis for future
growth," said Thomas Grunewald, project manager for the show. The event
includes a wide range of aviation sectors, from parachuting and
paragliding, ultralights, gliders and motorized gliders to single- and
twin-engine piston aircraft and business jets. In 2009, the show will
also add helicopters and a green-flying exhibit. Grunewald said he is seeing a
rising number of bookings from Eastern Europe, especially the Czech
Republic, as well as a sharp rise in interest from the U.S. In addition
to many new exhibitors such as Hawker Beechcraft, he said he expects a
significantly bigger presence from many returning exhibitors, such as
Cessna, Cirrus, Diamond, Embraer, Pilatus and Piper. More...
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| | |
| |
AUTOMAKER
BAILOUT PACKAGE TARGETS FLIGHT DEPARTMENTS; NBAA REACTS
When
Congress on Tuesday proposed that automakers would have to sell off
their private jets as part of a bailout deal, the National Business Aviation Association was quick to
respond. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent late on Tuesday,
NBAA President Ed Bolen expressed concern about the draft legislation,
which "appears to prohibit the use of business aviation in ALL
situations," Bolen wrote, "including when it is the sole mode of
transportation available to a business, or it is the most prudent and
cost-effective solution to a given transportation challenge." The $15
billion bailout deal is still undergoing intense negotiations between
Congress and the White House, but pressure is high to resolve the issue
quickly. Bolen argues, in essence, that the aviation sector shouldn't be
made to suffer for the errors of a few auto executives. "Business
aviation is the most prudent and cost-effective transportation solution
in a wide number of situations," he wrote. "While we understand the
intent of Congress to address a specific situation dealing with the auto
industry, we believe that the broad wording of the provision could be
misinterpreted as suggesting that Congress does not recognize the
critical importance of this mode of transportation to the success of
U.S. businesses facing unprecedented international competition, the
economic development of small towns and rural communities, and the jobs
of hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers." More...
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TWO
PILOTS RESCUED FROM ARCTIC ICE FLOE
It was a night flight,
across a cold stretch of the Arctic so empty and dark that the two ferry
pilots didn't know for sure if there was land or water or ice beneath
them. But when both engines on their Cessna 337 Skymaster failed on
Sunday night, just south of Baffin Island in the north Atlantic, they
had little choice but to radio for help, aim for the surface and hope
for the best. The airplane came to rest in the water, with one wing
resting on an ice floe, and the two scrambled out of the windows onto
the ice just before the airplane filled with water and sank -- taking
with it their life raft and emergency gear. They were wearing their
survival suits, a precaution that likely saved their lives. Soon they
heard search planes overhead, but with no flare guns or flashlights to
signal them, the aircraft flew right by. "We were on this ice sheet not
having a clue if it would support our weight, hoping to death that it
would," Oliver Edwards-Neil, 25, an Australian living in Sweden, told
the Sydney Morning Herald. With no food or water, no
shelter, and nowhere to sit, Edwards-Neil and his flying partner, Troels
Hansen, 45, a Dane who also lives in Sweden, spent the long Arctic night
standing on the ice and shivering as temperatures fell to about 4
degrees below Zero. After more than 12 hours, when the sun crept above
the horizon, the pair spotted land in the distance and began to head for
it, hopping from ice floe to ice floe and hoping to escape the notice of
polar bears, when the crew of a shrimp boat, which had been fishing 180
miles away, turned up to rescue them. "They were happy to see the boat,"
ship captain Bo Mortensen told the local media. "They were a little bit
frostbitten on the feet, but they were in good shape." The Toronto
Globe & Mail has a photo of the two lost pilots taken from the
deck of the rescue ship that simply must be seen; click here to view it. More...
F/A-18
CRASHES NEAR SAN DIEGO, FOUR DEAD
A Marine F/A-18D based at
Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego, Calif., crashed at
11:59 a.m. local time in a residential neighborhood, destroying two
homes and killing four on the ground. The pilot and sole occupant
ejected successfully. One home was thought to be unoccupied at the time
of the crash, the other home contained four people -- a grandmother, a
mother and two children. The aircraft encountered a problem during
training with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and was returning
to Miramar for landing, according to local news reports. The jet
approached Miramar MCAS from the west with a slight tailwind when it
crashed nose-down less than 9000 feet shy of the longer Runway 06 Left,
and north of the extended runway centerline. Witnesses reported hearing
two bangs followed by a larger earth-shaking explosion that many likened
to an earthquake. Debris from the crash was resting on the residential
street and strewn in neighborhood trees after firefighters quenched
flames. The crash site is about 1000 feet east of local high school
buildings, 300 feet from school grounds and less than 200 feet from an
uninhabited canyon, just beyond the debris field.
See
AVweb's initial
video coverage, including still images from the crash site edited
together with images from Google Earth and Google Maps.
More...
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| |
Win This Plane! Last Chance
to Win — Enter by December 31st
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| | |
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| Flying for Fun: Don't-Miss Destinations for 2009 | | back to
top | | |
AIRVENTURE
2009 TO HONOR HUMANITARIAN FLYING
The breadth and depth of
good works accomplished by general aviation pilots will be in the
spotlight at AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, EAA announced this week. A
weeklong "Fly for Life" program at next summer's event will recognize
those who fly to serve others. "Aviation is used to meet basic human
needs and bring hope in so many ways, including medical and dental
missions to remote regions of the world, famine relief, and a wide range
of other humanitarian projects," said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and
AirVenture chairman. "We are looking forward to recognizing those people
and organizations during EAA AirVenture 2009." The Fly for Life program
will highlight public-benefit aviation activities and mission-based
flight operations, with EAA working with the Air Care Alliance
and the International Association of Missionary Aviation to
represent more than 200 organizations. Activities will include a major
display adjacent to AeroShell Square, aircraft displays, numerous forums
and presentations, an evening program, and other events. AirVenture 2009
will be held July 27-Aug. 2, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh,
Wis. More...
AUSTRALIA
FROM THE AIR
Australia has always been a popular destination
for pilots in search of a flying vacation, and with so many vast open
spaces to explore, flying a general aviation aircraft is hands-down the
best way to see the continent. Now with a popular new movie, Baz
Luhrmann's Australia, out in theaters, and a favorable
exchange rate (right now, $100 U.S. will buy about $150 Australian),
Australia is likely to be a top choice for flying vacationers in 2009. A
new trip offered by Air Adventure Australia takes eight travelers around
the continent for two weeks as passengers in their own private
twin-engine aircraft, with a professional photographer along to offer
tips on getting the best pictures of your trip. "The Australian
landscape is truly magical, and by plane is the perfect way to
experience it, especially with a tour like this that visits so much of
the best of Australia in a short time frame," said John Dyer, tour
leader with Air Adventure Australia. Pilots can also book tours that
allow them to fly on their own with Australian
Air Safaris, which offers a wide variety of tours flying
single-engine Cessnas, from the Outback to wineries to the Great Barrier
Reef. More...
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Low Year-End Aircraft
Financing Rates
Get your aircraft financing application to AirFleet Capital before December 19, 2008 for a year-end
closing to take advantage of tax benefits and low year-end rates. 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
go online to submit your
application. 
| | |
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BOEING
737 TO FLY ON ALGAE-BASED FUEL
A 737-800 operated by Continental Airlines will be the first air-carrier
aircraft from North America to fly on biofuels when a demonstration
flight takes off from Houston on Jan. 7. Continental said on Monday that
the flight, which will be operated with no passengers, will be powered
by a special blend of 50 percent jet fuel and 50 percent components
derived from algae and from jatropha plants. These sustainable,
second-generation fuel sources don't impact food crops or water
resources and don't contribute to deforestation, according to
Continental. The demo flight will be the first by a commercial carrier
using algae as a fuel source, and the first using a two-engine aircraft.
The Boeing 737-800 is equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines.
Developers of algae-based fuels have formed the Algal Biomass
Organization, based in Seattle, which recently held a conference in
Seattle. [more] It's possible to grow algae anywhere, according to the
Tacoma News-Tribune. Algae can flourish in
saltwater, freshwater or brackish water. Virgin Atlantic carried out the
world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel in
February, using fuel made with coconut and babassu oils.
More...
ON
THE FLY ...
Negligence charges against the U.S. pilots
involved in Brazil's worst air disaster have been dropped...
FAA
granted certification for WAAS LPV on a Bombardier Challenger 604
aircraft...
Canada's Transportation Safety Board calls for tighter
balloon regulations.
Record world flight to raise funds for ALS
research nears its finish...
Two flight students and their
instructors died when their aircraft collided in Florida on
Saturday...
A new book for children leads them through aviation's
phonetic alphabet, to inspire an interest in flying...
A judge has
blocked the planned slot auctions for New York City area airports.
More...
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| |
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| | |
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| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | | back to
top | | |
QUESTION
OF THE WEEK: FUEL PRICES AND FLYING HABITS
Fuel prices are
down. This week, AVweb wants to know how that's affecting your
flying (if at all): Are you flying more?
Plus: Last
week, we asked if Ford & GM made the right move in selling off their
corporate jets; click through to read what AVweb readers had to
say on the subject. More...
|
| |
Q: What's the Difference
Between a $10,000 Annual and a $2,500 Annual?
A:
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Learn how they do it. 
| | |
| |
PHENOM
100 CERTIFIED IN BRAZIL
Embraer's entry-level Phenom 100 jet
has been certified in Brazil, and U.S. certification is expected
shortly, according to a company news release. The $3.6 million aircraft
emerged from certification testing with a top speed of 390 knots, 10
knots faster than expected, and an overall fuel consumption 3.6 percent
less than predicted. Its range and takeoff numbers have also improved.
"I am thrilled to announce that the Phenom 100 has not only met all
original specification targets, but has also surpassed several
performance goals," said Carlos Affonso, executive vice president of
Executive Jets for Embraer. The certification came a few days after
another milestone in the company's methodical plan to become a force in
business aviation. More...
PIPER
REDUCES WORK SCHEDULES
Piper Aircraft, in Vero Beach, Fla.,
is not immune to the market pressures that have been bearing down on the
GA industry, and this week the company said it has instituted a reduced
work schedule for some departments. "Our efforts are designed to
maintain as many jobs (and associated benefits) as possible," Piper
spokesman Mark Miller wrote to AVweb via e-mail on Tuesday. "We
remain concerned about the turmoil and volatility in the world's
financial markets," Miller added. "In accordance with normal seasonality
and softening market demand, Piper continually assesses and adjusts its
workforce and schedule." The company normally shuts down briefly around
the holidays, he said, and this year will close most departments for
three weeks. According to the Palm Beach Post, in recent years the holiday
shutdown has been only one or two weeks long. Although the company has
not announced any layoffs or staff cuts, one worker told the local TCPalm news site that her job was eliminated, along
with about 20 others. Meanwhile, a recent report from PMI Media
in the United Kingdom predicts that the current economic turmoil will
have a dramatic impact on the VLJ market. "Prospects for the very light
jet (VLJ) market for the next 10 years (2008 to 2017) have declined
sharply over the last few weeks," PMI said last week. "Given the current
difficult market circumstances it is difficult to see how more than one
or two new aircraft entrants -- outside established aircraft
manufacturers such as Embraer, Diamond, PiperJet, Cessna -- will be able
to survive a prolonged period of market uncertainty," said PMI-Media's
editorial director Philip Butterworth-Hayes. More...
|
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| | |
| |
AVWEB'S
VIDEO GIFT IDEAS 2008
 Looking for a gift for yourself or
your pilot friends? AVweb can help! Video editor Glenn Pew has
put together our most useful product overviews for you to peruse and get
ideas. If you see something you like in one of these videos, visit our
sponsors and get your
shopping done online. Stay informed; stay entertained. Happy holidays
from your team at AVweb. (Click through a link to the videos.)
More...
|
| |
Diamond Aircraft
Raffle:
Great Gift Idea for the Pilot Who Has
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restoration facilities at Keystone Heights Airport, Florida (42J). Target drawing date (if 5,000 tickets are sold) is
February 22, 2009. Void where prohibited.
For more information, visit
WingsOfDreams.org. 
| | |
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EXCLUSIVE
VIDEO: F/A-18 CRASH NEAR SAN DIEGO
 An F/A-18 Hornet crashed about 9,000
feet shy of Runway 06L at MCAS Miramar, in a residential neighborhood
near San Diego, California, Monday December 8, 2008 at approximately
11:59 a.m. local time. This initial report was published by Glenn Pew
the day of the crash with the information available at that time. (Click
through to watch.) More...
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| |
Virtual Flying in Some of the
World's Great Airplanes
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into the pilot's seat of some of the world's great airplanes. Be there
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Flying the Legendary DC-3, 
Flying the PBY Catalina,
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Flying the de Havilland
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Click on the individual titles for complete descriptions, and
click here to order all DVDs
online. 
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FBO
OF THE WEEK: DON DAVIS AVIATION (KEHR, HENDERSON,
KY)
 AVweb's
"FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Don Davis
Aviation at Henderson County Airport (KEHR) in Henderson,
Kentucky. AVweb reader George Samara recommended
this week's winner, writing: This airport team goes
out of their way to please and accommodate a visiting pilot ...
[everyone from] the girls on the desk, Christa and Sarah ... [to] the
manager, Nancy, who stay[ed] late one evening to make sure my passenger
got his rental car through the security gate to load equipment and to
make sure we got off OK ... [to. the line personnel ... [who] help[ed]
chock and tie down the plane. They volunteered to put the plane into a
heated hanger when it iced up overnight and did not charge for it! This
FBO makes you feel inportant and well taken care of, including a
well-equipped flight-planning room with a personal computer to
use! 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! More...
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Find an Unusual Gift for Any
Pilot and All Aviation Enthusiasts
Build A Plane announces its annual fund-raising eBay auction. For
sale: lunch with New Piper CEO James Bass, Patty Wagstaff's flight suit,
a B-25 bomber ride, Eclipse 500 jet stick time, a Honeywell AV8OR MFD, a
1949 A35 Beechcraft Bonanza, and so much more. Items start as low as a
few dollars. All sales will benefit the Build A Plane program.
Complete information at
BuildAPlane.org. 
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PICTURE
OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
 Mark
Reed of Seattle, Washington claims the top spot this week,
with a photo that — let's be honest — has some shortcomings.
Yes, it's hard to find the plane in there — but that's the point of
Mark's shot! Still skeptical of our choice for this week's top spot? Put
it to the same test we did: Set it as your desktop wallpaper and see if
you can take your eyes off it. It's a lot of white, but one gorgeous
photo ... . 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 Webmaster
Scott
Simmons Contributors
Jeff
van West
Click
here to send a letter to the
editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not
intended for publication.) Comments or questions
about the news should be sent
here. Have a product or service to advertise
on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's
sales team. If you're having
trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd
prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device),
there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete
instructions on making the switch, click
here. Aviate.
Navigate. Communicate. More...
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