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| Top News: AOPA to Give Away Remos GX Next Year | back to top |  |
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AOPA Prize Plane A Remos LSA
The LSA sector may still be young and wet behind the ears compared to the industry stalwarts, but on Thursday at AOPA Aviation Summit, AOPA got on board with the LSA movement, choosing an LSA as their annual Sweepstakes airplane for the first time ever. The shiny new Remos GX LSA is a carbon-fiber airplane with a 100-hp Rotax engine and wings that fold back for trailering. For the next year, AOPA will fly it around to local events to promote their own membership drive and to celebrate light sport aviation. "We plan to get out and have fun with it," said AOPA President Craig Fuller at the unveiling in the exhibit hall, complete with drum roll and a dramatic opening of the curtain. At next year's Summit, in Long Beach, the winner of the airplane will be announced
The choice of a brand new airplane is a departure for AOPA. For many years, the Sweepstakes airplane was a year-long refurbishment project of a used aircraft. The prize airplane will feature a Dynon multifunction display and autopilot, a panel-mount Garmin 496, and leather seats. Remos VP of marketing Ken Weaver said approval to add floats to the GX is in the works, and approval is expected in the spring. Both amphibious and straight float configurations will be available. The floats feature Kevlar hulls with aluminum and stainless steel fittings. AOPA's prize plane, however, won't come float-equipped. |
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| All Eyes on New Aircraft at AOPA Summit | back to top | |
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Cirrus Jet In Capital Crunch, But Progressing
Undertaking the development of a light jet is a project "not for the faint of heart," Cirrus CEO Brent Wouters said at AOPA's Aviation Summit on Thursday, but he assured the press who had gathered for his update that Cirrus is up to the task. "We are making progress," he said. The team working on the Vision Jet is smaller than it was, and progress is less dramatic now that they are out of the flight-test phase and focused on detailed internal and structural design. He said the project is "capital constrained," and unless new investment is found soon, it's "highly unlikely" that a timeline for deliveries in 2012 will be possible, and he declined to project a new date. "Progress will depend entirely on access to capital," he said. "We're working hard to find that capital, but it's just not available today." Wouter also announced that Avidyne's Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck system is now available as a factory-installed option on selected new SR20 and SR22 aircraft.
Release 9 features an innovative page-and-tab user interface that the company says makes it easier to access data than the standard hierarchical menus and pop-up windows. The system aims to reduce complexity and head-down time while providing redundancy and safety. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli took a look at the system when it was introduced in December, click here for his video report.
Cessna CEO's Wife Gets First Skycatcher
The first owner of a Cessna Skycatcher won't have far to turn if she has a complaint. Cessna announced at AOPA Summit that Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton will get the first 162. "When I first saw the Skycatcher mockup at Oshkosh in 2007, I knew that was the aircraft I wanted to learn to fly in," Pelton said. "I couldn't be more excited to own the first Skycatcher." Mrs. Pelton will get her Skycatcher later this year and although the aircraft is an LSA, she'll be going after her private pilot certificate. The aircraft received ASTM certification earlier this year and production has begun at the contractor's factory in China but the Skycatcher has had a more difficult development than many Cessna designs and two aircraft crashed during spin testing.
Despite the development bumps, Cessna has maintained a healthy order book on the design, which has a backlog of 1,000 orders. The company has also built a new ab initio training program around the Skycatcher, which melds the advances of the current crop of LSA offerings with a slightly heavier but more traditional Continental O-200 engine. |
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| A Little Something for the Cockpit, Too | back to top | |
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Avidyne Announces New Products
Avidyne Corp. announced a new EX600 Multi-Function Display for GA airplanes and helicopters, at AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa on Thursday. The new model features a larger display and the addition of Map Planning, a highly-requested feature, according to Avidyne, which makes it more user-friendly. The MFD can be used in aircraft that have never had an MFD or as an upgrade to an early-generation MFD. "We continue to refine our display technology and incorporate the features and functions that pilots care about most, and with the EX600 we have made the very best radar-replacement MFD even better." Pricing starts at $9,990.
It was a busy day for Avidyne. They also announced a new attitude-based Digital Flight Control System and a Release 8.0 upgrade specifically for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. |
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and see the dozens of other stories from pilots who say Zulu has changed their minds.
| Aviat Joins Wildlife Preservation Fleet | back to top | |
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Kenya Wildlife Service Gets Husky
The folks with the Lindbergh Foundation have been working for a few years now to provide support to the pilots of the Kenya Wildlife Service, who fly under extreme conditions in their effort to protect wild animals from poachers, and on Thursday at AOPA Summit, Foundation chairman Larry Williams announced the group will donate a brand-new Aviat Husky to the effort. The Foundation has been working with Patty Wagstaff and John and Martha King to provide training to the pilots. "They have a fleet of about seven airplanes and a couple of helicopters, and each of them has crashed at least three times," said Williams. The pilots have minimal training. They are often shot at and operate from rough runways with no lighting. "It's very challenging conditions," Williams said.
The Husky was acquired thanks to a donation from Dr. Rich Sugden, an air show performer, vintage aircraft owner and businessman who visited Kenya with the Foundation last year. The Husky has already been flown from the factory in Wyoming to Kansas, where it is being crated for transport to Kenya. It should be there and ready to fly by next February, when the Foundation plans to return for another training session, Williams said. |
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| News from Outside the Summit | back to top | |
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Piper Names New President, VPs
Piper Aircraft has shuffled the front office after the resignation of former president John Becker. Current CEO Kevin Gould will assume the presidency and that, along with some promotions from the ranks, seem to be in line with the new owners' plan. "The expansion of Kevin's responsibilities and the augmentation of his management team directly reflect the strategic investments we're making in Piper's future," said Stephen W. Berger, Piper's Chairman and Managing Partner of Imprimis. "Kevin has an exciting and aggressive vision for the company.... We will deliver the breakthrough Piper Jet to the market and dramatically expand Piper's global market presence, especially in Asia. Kevin's team has the experience and commitment to deliver on this vision and help solidify a durable global leadership position for Piper. We are prepared to support that vision with substantial new capital."
Gould will get some help to carry out Berger and Imprimis's plan. Four senior employees have been named vice presidents. Jeff Barger has become vice president of manufacturing operations while Dr. Dennis Olcott is the new vice president of engineering. Derek Zimmerman has been named vice president of supply chain and aftermarket development and Mary Messuti is the senior director for Asia, Piper's identified growth area and central to Imprimis's plans, which are financed by the government of Brunei.
GAMA Pushes Next-Gen Operator Incentives Before Subcommittee
The general aviation industry, which each year contributes an average of $150 billion to the economy, lost 19,000 jobs over the past year and among the industry's biggest coming challenges is the implementation of NextGen. Financial incentives may help, says GAMA. The organization Thursday told a House Subcommittee on Aviation that steps necessary for putting NextGen in place "will be imperative in helping realize long-term safety, capacity, economic and environmental benefits." But user confidence is key, meaning, in the words of GAMA vice president of operations Jens Hennig, that "equipage will only take place when users are confident about the potential for benefits." Until then, GAMA supports financial incentives for operators. Meanwhile, the industry is pushing ahead with investments in NextGen avionics like Required Navigation Performance, data communications, and ADS-B. Those pieces of the puzzle not only help develop NextGen, but also stimulate economic growth and employment. There are potential bottlenecks.
Aside from whatever cost burden that ultimately falls on users, one bottleneck the industry hopes to avoid is approval and certification. NextGen will shift key facets of the air traffic control infrastructure from ground-based people and equipment to aircraft-based people and equipment. "GAMA looks forward to working with this Committee, others in Congress, the Administration, and industry stakeholders to develop opportunities to further NextGen through financial incentives for equipage," said Hennig. |
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| News Briefs | back to top | |
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From Hollywood To Tampa: Joe Shepherd's Lockheed Electra
When the filmmakers at Fox Searchlight needed a Lockheed Electra for their movie about Amelia Earhart, it took only a couple of phone calls to lead them to Joe Shepherd, a retired airline pilot with a beauty of an Electra gleaming in his custom-built hangar in Fayatteville, Ga. "There were 130 of these that were built, and 23 now on the registry," he said on Wednesday, as he rested in the shade beneath a shiny wing at AOPA Summit's flight line, at Peter O. Knight Airport in Tampa. Of those 23, as far he knows, about a dozen are flying, and maybe five have been brought up to prime condition like his. He spent about 20 hours flying it for the Amelia movie, which opened in theaters on Oct. 23. "We worked long hours, dawn till dark," he said. "It was an incredible amount of work, but we had a wonderful time."
Shepherd acquired the Electra back in 1988, and has been working on it, along with a contingent of friends and relatives, ever since. It had been neglected when he bought it, and he got it flying for the trip home, but then decided it needed a thorough overhaul. One thing led to another, and 18 years later, it flew again. Since then, he's logged about 200 hours of flying, and many hundreds more in polishing. Click here to visit his Web site with more about the Electra. |
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| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn | back to top | |
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AOPA Summit 2009 Video Series: Amelia Earhart Electra Owner's Star Turn
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Lockheed 12 owner Joe Shepherd got the rarest of opportunities: His fully restored airplane was used in the film Amelia, now playing in cinemas across the country. Shepherd tells what it was like to play a small but important part in a major film. This video is brought to you by Bose
Corporation
AOPA Summit 2009 Video Series: Aspen's New EFD1000 MFD
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Aspen is now shipping its new EFD 1000 companion MFD to the popular PFD. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli got a checkout with Aspen's Scott Smith prior to the AOPA Summit. This video is brought to you by Ultra
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| AVweb Audio — Are You Listening? | back to top | |
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AOPA Summit 2009 Podcast Series: PS Engineering's New Basic Audio PanelFile Size 3.2 MB / Running Time 3:26
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
If you don't need all the bells and whistles, PS Engineering's new $995 certified audio panel might be what you're looking for. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli speaks with Gary Picou.
This podcast is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX
Satellite Weather
AOPA Summit 2009 Podcast Series: Cirrus Jet ProgressesFile Size 5.4 MB / Running Time 5:56
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
Lack of capital is slowing development of the Cirrus SF 50 jet, but progress is being made. AVweb's Mary Grady speaks with Cirrus Aircraft CEO Brent Wouters.
This podcast is brought to you by Ultra
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As a Mooney owner himself, Wayne can guide you through the purchase process.
| Your Favorite FBOs | back to top | |
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FBO of the Week: Beatrice Municipal Airport (KBIE, Beatrice, Nebraska)
Nominate an FBO | Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at Beatrice Municipal Airport (KBIE) in Beatrice, Nebraska.
AVweb reader R. L. Saathoff told us how the crew at BIE took care of business on a recent visit:
The airport manager and staff are willing to help in any situation. While traveling to see my father who was hospitalized, I needed transportation. They provided a crew car for my entire stay and had my aircraft ready for me when I returned.
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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| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | back to top | |
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AVweb's Newstips Address ...
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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 | Names Behind the News | back to top | |
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Meet the AVwebFlash TeamAVwebFlash is a weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
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