August 2, 2009

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

EFB Charts & Plates Cost Less and Are Easier to Update Than Paper! FlightPrep™ ChartBook™ EFB shows your position directly on charts, plates, and airport diagrams, far ahead of the simple stick maps on handheld GPS devices. ChartBook™ EFB makes it easy to add XM™ in-cockpit weather now or later. Now displays Zaon™ Traffic, too! FlightPrep™ ChartBook™ systems start at $1,595. Full VFR/IFR charts just $357! To demo ChartBook™, see us in Hangar C, Booth 3119/3120 or buy online at FlightPrep.com/AVweb. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 3119-3120 Top News: Klapmeier, Cirrus Shake-Out Continues back to top  Klapmeier Out As Cirrus Chairman Alan Klapmeier will be replaced as chairman of the board of Cirrus Aircraft by the end of August and it will be up to the board to decide if he continues as a board member. In a wide-ranging podcast interview Saturday, Cirrus Aircraft CEO Brent Wouters told AVweb that Klapmeier has known for "several months" that his contract as board chairman will not be renewed. Wouters also said he considered Klapmeier's attempt to buy the VisionJet program a "sideshow" and a "long shot" and that in the end he believed that Klapmeier could not raise the necessary money. He said it was his belief that the two parties were "very close" to a deal when Klapmeier suspended negotiations. Wouters said he doubts there will be future negotiations but he's not ruling them out. Klapmeier said through a spokesperson that he'll have more to say on the matter later. Wouters said there may be a silver lining to the controversy. Wouters said there have been an unspecified number of inquiries from qualified investors interested in funding the development program for the jet. Regardless of whether any of those deals materialize, Wouters said Cirrus will continue to fund the jet's development from cash flow, which will take longer than he'd like. He said the core company remains strong and sales are steadily improving. 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 eighth consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2008 Headset Preference Survey. Purchase by August 22, 2009 and also receive a complimentary Bose premium flight bag ($80 value). Learn more and order. Quote reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2008 Headset Preference Survey, 12/08. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 283, 284, 285 Thinking About Learning to Fly? You're Not Alone back to top  Learn-To-Fly Day Announced A worldwide effort to inspire interest in aviation is being launched next May 15 with the first International Learn To Fly Day. Jason Blair, spokesman for the National Association of Flight Instructors, says the idea is to get those already involved in aviation to spend a day promoting it to their family friends and coworkers by getting them out to the airport and, hopefully, into the air. "We want to get as many people around the world to get people interested in flying for one day," Blair said. The effort was launched at AirVenture Oshkosh with charter sponsors NAFI, EAA, AOPA, Sporty's, REMOS and Cessna and Blair said he hopes the list grows. "We're asking for industry partners and ideas," he said. There are any number of things individuals and companies can do to promote aviation but the single most important is to get non-flyers into the air. "Let's just get people out and going flying," he said. Business Aviation Will Help Companies Not Only Survive But Prosper During the Current Financial Crisis To be your most productive, and your most efficient, you must keep flying. Because in so doing, you will emerge from these times even stronger than before. And you will replace the uncertainty that surrounds many, with the confidence and courage to light the way for all. Visit CessnaRise.com. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 78-80, 100-116 You Don't Need Six Figures to Do This back to top  Three LSAs Under $65,000 Without too much difficulty, this year at AirVenture Oshkosh we found three light sport category ready-to-fly aircraft available for less than $65,000 — the Cheetah, X-Air LS, and the Aerotrek A240. There are others in the price range; this is just a random sample from a group of high-wing, front-engined, tricycle-gear aircraft we saw at the show (the Aerotrek A220, pictured, is that company's taildragger version of the A240). The Cheetah came in at a base of $48,500 and is expecting SLSA approval next month. The X-Air LS was displayed on sale for $59,900 and had first delivery last year at OSH. The $63,000 Aerotrek A240 has delivered 45 aircraft in the U.S., but not under the Aerotrek name, which was adopted in April. As the most expensive of the three, Aerotrek's A240 also offers the fastest cruise ("120 mph-plus," according to the company, compared to a VNE of 125 for the wider Cheetah, and 113 mph X-Air LS). The A240 also offers folding wings to facilitate trailering. For this price in this group you are getting a tube-and-fabric airplane with externally braced wings and cub-like flat-airfoil tail surfaces. And, yes, you may find yourself paying more for upgrades (like Mode C transponders) to suit your needs. The fit and finish of each aircraft was similar between the X-Air and Cheetah, both of which may require the slightest extra attention during ingress and egress to avoid cables or brake lines. The X-Air felt smaller than the Cheetah (we did manage to fit two six-plus footers comfortably in the Cheetah), but the Cheetah's throttle-integrated moveable armrest arrangement felt less solid than we'd prefer. The Aerotrek was impressive for fit and finish and in our opinion shouldn't be left off the list if you're shopping for a new aircraft in this price range. AV8OR ACE™ The new AV8OR ACE from Bendix/King by Honeywell is the latest in paperless, full Electronic Flight Bag solutions — a highly affordable, portable system for the cockpit. Its compact, lightweight design includes airborne navigation, all FAA charts, airport diagrams, weather, traffic, automotive, and multimedia capabilities. With its geo-referenced charts and large, easy-to-use touchscreen, the AV8OR ACE lets you clearly read your charts as you stay on course. For more information, go online. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 259, 2083-2086, S-22 News Briefs back to top  CAP Hunts Down Stray ELTs, Missed Flight Plans Every pilot who flies into Wittman Regional Airport during AirVenture tries to put his or her best foot forward but some come up a little short. While there have so far been no major accidents or injuries at the show (as of Saturday afternoon) pilots do make mistakes and that's where the Civil Air Patrol comes in. CAP crews were on duty throughout the event tracking down stray ELT signals and hunting for aircraft whose pilots forgot to close flight plans. "By [Friday morning] we had 32 'finds,'" said Lt. Col. Kathleen Wiley, of Biloxi, Miss., who was on duty in the North 40 aircraft camping area with Cadet First Lt. Kayla Galarneau, of Butte, Mont., and Cadet Capt. Warren Martin, of Roanoke, Va. "We compete against the other patrols," said Galarneau as she and Martin swung an antenna attached to a radio direction finder around trying to isolate an ELT signal. Most false signals result from hard landings. And most open flight plan culprits are Canadian, Wiley noted. Hundreds of CAP kids from all over the country help out at Oshkosh and most stay at a camp on the field. Last Day of the Show — But Just the Beginning for a Long Line of Pilots Who Have Changed Their Minds About Their Headset of Choice We're heading home with literally hundreds of stories we've heard this week, and although no two of them are exactly the same, they all have one thing in common: Zulu is their headset. Check out the Zulu buzz on the ZuluChangeYourMind.com web site. You might just change your mind, too. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 260, 2029-2030 AVweb Audio —? Are You Listening? back to top  EAA AirVenture 2009 Podcast Series: Busy Week for Cirrus Jet Program Ends with a Statement from CEO Brent Wouters File Size 8.0 MB / Running Time 8:43 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS Cirrus CEO Brent Wouters says there's been a lot of reaction to former CEO Alan Klapmeier's decision to suspend negotiations for acquisition of the Vision Jet program. Wouters told AVweb's Russ Niles that one of the results of Klapmeier's announcement was interest from other investors in the jet program. Listen in for the details. This podcast is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. Click here to listen. (8.0 MB, 8:43) EAA AirVenture 2009 Podcast Series: TCM's Rhett Ross on Taking Aviation's Future by the Horns File Size 4.8 MB / Running Time 5:17 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS "Pushing forward" seems to the dominant philosophy at Teledyne-Continental Motors. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli sat down with TCM president Rhett Ross to talk about how the company managed to bring a bevy of new projects to Oshkosh despite the economy. This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation. Click here to listen. (4.8 MB, 5:17) Like a 696 on Steroids GPS moving map & XM Weather. The most advanced system anywhere. For more information and live video demonstrations, click here. The Sights and Sounds of AirVenture back to top  EAA AirVenture 2009 Panoramic Photos Shortly before this year's EAA AirVenture, contributing photographer Mariano Rosales got his daddy rating — but even with a new baby, he managed to make it to Oshkosh and take a bevy of great photos. Faced with the challenged of capturing the event for those who couldn't make it, Mariano's stitched them together into seven amazing panoramic photos. These panoramas are super-widescreen images you can view, zoom in on, and explore at your leisure — so grab a cup of coffee and click through for links to all seven. EAA AirVenture 2009 Galleries: Day Seven Click for more photos It's been a long, tiring — but ultimately thrilling — week for the AVweb team at EAA AirVenture. Intern Adam should be home by the time you read this, and the remnants of our on-site team and cleaning up and putting the finishing touches on stories for Monday's regular edition of our AVwebFlash newsletter. Thanks for joining us at EAA AirVenture this year! Click here to view photos. EAA AirVenture 2009 Galleries: Our Day at the Seaplane Base (3 of 3) Click for more photos On Thursday, we sent Aviation Safety editor-in-chief Jeb Burnside out to the Seaplane Base at EAA AirVenture. In exchange for his freedom, we demanded pictures — and Jeb brought back three galleries' worth of awesome snapshots. This is the final of Jeb's three galleries. Click here to view photos. As Vital As Vision XM WX Satellite Weather provides comprehensive in-flight weather data directly to your cockpit. Never fly blind again when you sign up today for one of XM Weather's Aviator LT, Aviator, or Aviator Pro weather data packages. Enhance your situational awareness with data products like Radar, Lightning, Winds, and more. Come see the latest from XM WX Satellite Weather at Booth C-3030 to C-3032 during EAA AirVenture 2009 or visit us online at XMWXWeather.com. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 189, 3030-3032 AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  EAA AirVenture 2009 Video Series: AVweb Meets FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos "If it used to fly, if it does fly, or if it's possibly gonna fly, you'll find it here," says Randy Babbitt of his first AirVenture as FAA Administrator (though it's hardly his first time at the show). AVweb caught up with the new Administrator at the KidVenture section of the show. This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. EAA AirVenture 2009 Video Series: Centurion's Challenge — Rehabilitate the Diesel Engine Market Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Thielert AG's financial struggles gave diesel aircraft owners some sleepness nights last year, but now Centurion seems poised to take over the top spot in diesel engine production. Centurion's Jasper Wolfson took a moment to talk with us about the state of the industry at EAA Airventure 2009. This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Lightspeed Aviation. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. EAA AirVenture 2009 Video Series: P-40 Cockpit Tour Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Ever wanted to fly a classic warbird? AVweb's Paul Bertorelli can tell you there are more switches, cranks, and levers that you may be used to in the cockpit of the P-40N. Vintage Wings of Canada's Dave Hadfield walks you through all those mechanisms. This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Bose Corporation. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. EAA AirVenture 2009 Video Series: Product Minutes—VAL Avionics' COM 2000, ComLinkPro Angel Bluetooth Receiver, and BrightLine Bags' Pilot Bag Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Once again, we visit the LSA Mall and vendor booths at EAA AirVenture to see what don't-miss products we can find among the displays. This time, we uncovered: VAL Avionics' super-slim COM 2000 radio; a keen Bluetooth receiver/remote control from ComLinkPro; and one of the handiest flight bags we've seen, at the Brightline Bags booth. This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. Cirrus Flying 2.0 There is something vastly better than the status quo of Flying 1.0. At Cirrus, we reject the status quo — and offer you the achievement of vastly higher standards of technology, reliability, and performance. With unique features like Cirrus Known Ice Protection, Cirrus Perspective by Garmin™ avionics, the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS™) and now the new standard in airplane individualization, Xi, Cirrus continues to reinvent the lifestyle of flying. We call it Flying 2.0. CirrusAircraft.com Booths at EAA AirVenture: 183-188, 199-204 The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! back to top  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. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part. How Do You Like That Glass Panel? Take Aviation Consumer's User Survey Virtually every new airplane these days has an electronic flight display system of some kind. Our sister publication Aviation Consumer would like to hear from users of these systems. Click here to take the survey. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) TCM AirVenture and Web Specials! Come see Teledyne Continental Motors for our show specials, seminars, new engines, and innovation in booths 229-234. Can't make it to AirVenture? Read TCM's exciting news and get exclusive web discounts on factory-new and rebuilt engines for the first 50 engines ordered from July 27 to August 2. For any engine owner unable to attend AirVenture, please click here to find out more information or call (888) 221-6442 for a quote. Booths at EAA AirVenture: 229-234 Names Behind the News back to top  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 Mariano Rosales 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.