NEWS ON THE 51-PERCENT RULE -- NO NEWS YET
Nothing to see here, move along. At noon on Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun, FAA's Don Lausman provided an update on the agency's progress overhauling the so-called "51% Rule." However, Lausman said, "The talk I intended to give and the one I'm about to give are two different things." Since the FAA is about to get a new administrator soon, presuming Randy Babbitt is confirmed as expected, progress has been delayed. "It wouldn't be fair to the new administrator to introduce new rules without him having any input," Lausman said. It was expected that the update on Tuesday would address changes to the Advisory Circulars that provide guidance for Designated Airworthiness Representatives to interpret the FAA rules regarding homebuilt aircraft. But instead, Lausman said the draft of the new Advisory Circulars should be out by July 31, in time for discussion during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. Tuesday's forum focused instead on the great number of public comments received by the agency. There were some 2,273 individual comments filed, including 1,300 pro-forma entries, and of the total, some 900 opposed, specifically, the proposed requirement for a specific percentage of builder fabrication. (This is the so-called 20/20/11 provision, where 20 percent of the project must consist of "fabrication" by the builder, with 20 percent being assembly; the remaining 11 percent can be either.) In addition, the vast majority (98 percent) specifically opposed changing the FAA policy at all. More...

FAA SAYS SECOND PHASE OF S-LSA MANUFACTURER AUDITS IS COMPLETE
Brian Cable, from the FAA's AIR-240 office, reported on Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun that the agency has completed initial interviews of 30 Light Sport Aircraft manufacturers and importers for the audit program that began last September. While the agency is still crunching the numbers, Cable reported that it found "good" levels of compliance with key criteria and that it had very good assistance from manufacturers, who allowed complete access to the FAA team. Among the aspects checked in this fact-finding mission -- ensuring that the manufacturers were in compliance with the design standards; quality-assurance systems integrity; assembly procedures and documentation; maintenance procedures and documentation; and continued airworthiness programs. This round of in-person inspections of the manufacturers and importers was the second of three phases in the program, according to Cable. (The first, of course, was planning the whole thing.) Next comes analysis of the data and reporting, which is planned for the end of July. More...

CIRRUS ANNOUNCES FAA OK FOR FIKI SYSTEM, UPDATE ON JET
It was known to be imminent, and we already have heard all the details about the new Cirrus TKS system for flight into known icing (FIKI), but on Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun the Cirrus folks made it official -- the FAA has issued final approval for the design, which is available on the SR22 and Turbo models. The FAA also approved the Aircraft Flight Manual Supplement validating the company's Known Ice Protection training materials. The company also detailed its new upgrades and additions to the Cirrus Perspective avionics system, including the addition of enhanced vision, 10-inch screens, S-TEC autopilots, and MFD engine data, as well as new navigation options. The system is now available on all Cirrus piston airplanes. The company also offered an update on the Vision program. Staff that was occupied with the FIKI project is now moving over to the jet, and the overall program schedule is going forward. The rate of development is capital-dependent, the company said. All major suppliers for the production line will be under contract by the end of this year. More...

PIPER OFFERS G1000 FOR MERIDIAN, UPDATE ON JET PROGRESS
Piper on Tuesday introduced its new Garmin G1000 avionics option for the six-seat Meridian turboprop to the Sun 'n Fun crowd, saying that the system is certified and ready to go as a $50,000 upgrade on the $2.1 million airplane. The three-screen system features a 15-inch multi-function display in the center with two 10-inch primary flight displays on either side. The option also includes Garmin's synthetic vision technology. "The G1000 gives the Meridian a new brain, taking the airplane to a whole new level of performance," said Bob Kromer, VP of sales and marketing. The new panel gives the Meridian the "look and feel of a larger, business-class aircraft," he said. More...

EMBRAER BRINGS PRODUCTION PHENOM 100 TO SUN 'N FUN
Embraer has so far delivered 12 Phenom 100 business jets in the U.S. and both customer acceptance and service records are good according to Clint Clouatre, the company's senior marketing manager for executive jets. Embraer is displaying a customer-delivered aircraft at this year's Sun 'n Fun. In a video interview with AVweb, Clouatre said the aircraft is performing beyond original expectations and early-delivery glitches have been resolved. Embraer isn't immune to the current economic issues but he said order cancellations are rare. "There have been some requests for deferrals," he said. The order book for the Phenom 100 and its bigger cousin, the 300, still tops 800 aircraft, Clouatre said. More...

FAA CERTIFIES ENTEGRA RELEASE 9
Avidyne has been busy promoting Release 9 of its Entegra flat panel in advance of FAA certification and held a detailed press briefing Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun. About 10 minutes after the news conference ended, the FAA called company officials to tell them the certification had been approved for both the integrated flight deck system and the FMS900w flight management system. The upgrade received a Technical Standard Order for retrofit into existing Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. "Entegra Release 9 sets a new standard in performance and safety by providing the highest level of integration, and the easiest-to-use pilot interface available," said CEO Patrick Herguth. More...

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2009 PODCAST #3: UPDATE ON THE 51% RULE
Last year, a proposed new interpretation by the FAA regarding how it would enforce its rule for homebuilt aircraft raised considerable controversy. This week at Sun 'n Fun, AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with Joe Norris, EAA's homebuilt community manager, for an update on the situation.

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

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2009 PODCAST #4: LEARN TO BE AN LSA REPAIRMAN
Tired of your current job? Feeling employment-challenged in the current economy? Rainbow Aviation Services in Corning, California has a 120-hour course that will let you hang out your shingle as an LSA repairman and can be a stepping stone to getting a full-fledged A&P certificate for working on larger aircraft.

This podcast is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation's Zulu Headset and Gulf Coast Avionics. More...

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2009 VIDEO #3: ASPEN AVIONICS UPDATE
Aspen Avionics has improved the show-stopping retrofit avionics it introduced last year. We had a look at what makes the new systems tick.

This video is brought to you byWxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather andBose Corporation. More...

AVWEB'S SUN 'N FUN 2009 VIDEO #4: EMBRAER PHENOM 100 TOUR
Embraer brought a production model Phenom 100 entry-level jet to Sun 'n Fun and told us it's performing well in service. We looked at the new jet, inside and out.

This video is brought to you byGulf Coast Avionics andLightspeed Aviation's Zulu Headset. More...

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