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April 14, 2010
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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FIND THEM AT:
Bose Pavilion
SNF-009 |
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Quote reprinted with permission:
Professional Pilot, 2009 Headset Preference Survey, 12/09.
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A British company is hoping to take the best from its brief association with Epic Aircraft and deliver a certified single-engine turboprop that they claim has more range, speed and payload than
other aircraft in its class. Farnborough Aircraft contracted with Epic to do the aerodynamic work on the Epic LT but the two
companies parted ways in 2005. While Epic went on to develop the kit-built LT, Farnborough, after some legal entanglements were resolved, created the Kestrel, which is 27 percent larger than the LT
and headed for the certified market. "We have no interest in the kit-built market," CEO Adrian Norris said. He also said it's possible that Liberty Aircraft will build the aircraft in Florida.
Norris said the Kestrel is build from the same type of carbon fiber as the Liberty XL two-place aircraft and the two companies have formed a good working relationship. The company is privately
funded and is expected to announce more financing in the coming year with an eye to getting the certification process under way. There's no set target for certification but Norris said it will take
about three years after the financing is in place.
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
On the show line at Sun 'n Fun is a largish single-engine turboprop that looks like an Epic — but it isn't. It's the Kestrel turboprop. Here's AVweb's report on this
intriguing aircraft.
This video is brought to you by Conoco-Phillips and Bose
Corporation.
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FIND THEM AT:
N-083
N-088 |
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New at Sun 'n Fun this year is Hawker Beechcraft's latest iteration of the King Air, which has been in production in various forms since the 1960s. The 350i has no substantial upgrades in engines
or avionics over the last version, but the cabin has had a total makeover that brings it up-to-the-moment for the digital age. Slick controller devices mounted into the armrests control the cabin
environment, from dimming the LED lights to darkening the windows to operating an iPod dock or a high-definition video monitor. Plenty of USB ports and electrical plugs make it easy for passengers to
bring their work on board, with fold-out tables for everyone. Eight roomy seats in double-club formation are easy to reposition or remove for a variety of missions.
The $6.6 million 350i was recently certified by both the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency. Deliveries started last December. The twin turboprop is powered by two PT6A-60A engines by
Pratt & Whitney Canada. It has a range of up to 947 nautical miles with full payload.
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Hawker Beechcraft's King Air has been in continuous production longer than any other turboprop in history. The latest variant, the 350i, emphasizes cabin amenities, and this detailed
video from AVweb tells the complete story.
This video is brought to you by Lightspeed
Aviation and WxWorx XM WX
Satellite Weather.
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FIND THEM AT:
Cessna Tents
SNF-001
SNF-002
SNF-004
SNF-005 |
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.
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Pilots around the country are invited to participate in a Safety Stand Down organized the FAA Safety Team this Saturday, April 17. A special
Stand Down event will be held at Sun 'n Fun, in the FAA building, with a daylong schedule of events, including a talk by popular aviation educator Rod Machado. "Pilots around the country, in every
state, will find an event going on nearby this Saturday," said Randy Prine, FAA FAASTeam Program Manager. "Most of them will have a pancake breakfast or other social event, with about four hours of
safety seminar." The event will focus on four areas that have been identified as factors in a majority of general aviation accidents: owner-performed maintenance, approach and landing, surface
deviations, and risk management.
Pilots can find an event scheduled nearby via the newly redesigned FAA Safety Web site — or use the FAASTeam
event finder embedded to the right in this very story. (Hint: Enter the ZIP Code for Lakeland, Fla. — 33811 — to pull up a list of FAA seminars at Sun 'n Fun this week!) This handy widget
is always accessible on the AVweb home page; just scroll down about halfway down the page and find it in our Pilot Resources section.
Pilots can also take free online courses at the new Web site, which is a popular feature, Prine said. The courses can help fulfill requirements to qualify for recognition under the FAA's Wings safety program.
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FIND THEM AT:
B-036
B-037 |
Top Pick EFB by Aviation Consumer:
ChartBook, Again!
FlightPrep™ ChartBook™ EFB wins "Top Pick" again with the call-outs "best 3D, simple, big buttons, highly configurable, fast rendering." Dedicated Charts and IP
(instrument procedures) buttons make using the system easy and intuitive. Our Exclusive Flight Definition display upgrade gives you improved brightness, clarity, contrast and freedom from glare.
Includes standard solid state disk, too. Add XM Wx or traffic awareness when you're ready. Demo ChartBook™ yourself in Hangar B, Booths 36 and 37 at Sun 'n Fun or buy online at
FlightPrep.com/AVweb10. 
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Lightspeed Aviation is inviting customers and all pilots to help promote worthy aviation-related causes through its Lightspeed
Aviation Foundation charitable program. Lightspeed has selected 20 non-profit aviation charities to be potential beneficiaries of a unique online charity drive. At a news conference at Sun 'n Fun
2010, Lightspeed CEO Allan Schraeder said the purpose of the drive is to promote aviation, draw more people into it and make it better for the planet. The company is putting up a minimum of $50,000 to
support at least five non-profits accomplishing those goals tub there's an important interactive aspect.
Lightspeed has selected 20 organizations it thinks meets those goals and is asking any pilot to vote for the group it thinks is most worthy. The top five selections will each receive at least
$10,000 each. Those who buy Lightspeed products in the next year can augment those totals or ensure the 15 groups not selected get something. Purchasers of a Zulu can direct $50 to the charity of
their choice while those who buy a Sierra or Mach 1 will send $25.
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FIND THEM AT:
D-016
D-017 |
Aspen Avionics' "Power Your Panel" Rebate
Choose the Evolution Package that suits your needs and budget. Now is the time to buy with Aspen's "Power Your Panel" Rebate offer through June 30,
2010.
Come see us at Sun 'n Fun Booth D-16 or
click here to learn
about the rebate online. 
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Latest and Greatest Come to Flight Design,
Piper |
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At their Sun 'n Fun news conference on Tuesday, Flight Design revealed more details about their upcoming new model, the CTHL. The aircraft was developed in Europe mainly to meet the needs of glider
towing. It will be equipped with a turbocharged 115 HP Rotax 914, a 12 percent larger wing for added lift, a larger stabilator, and a full-aircraft parachute as standard equipment. The model will cost
an extra $14,000 over the standard CTLS. "We think a great use for this airplane in the U.S. would be as a floatplane," said Flight Design USA CEO Tom Peghiny. So the aircraft will also accommodate
optional Clamar amphibious floats. The new model should be available later this year.
Also talking in the press tent was Matthias Betsch, CEO of Flight Design in Europe. He said the company has now received both type certification and a production certificate from China, which will
allow the company to make sales there, though the airplanes will continue to be built in the Ukraine. "The CTLS LSA is now the first and presently the only LSA aircraft that is certified and allowed
to be operated in China in this new class," Betsch said. India, Australia, and many other countries have great potential for GA to grow, he said. "I think a quite good market is coming up," he said.
Additionally, new rules to certify sport pilots are expected to be enacted in Europe sometime this year, which Betsch also saw as a positive development for LSA manufacturers. Peghiny also added that
the company is continuing its research on a hybrid powerplant and hopes to fly it for the first time sometime this year.
Piper CEO Kevin Gould said at Sun 'n Fun on Tuesday he's "encouraged" by the current economy, and his company will expand production by more than 75 percent this year, compared to 2009. Gould
wouldn't hazard a guess, however, how long it might take to return to 2008 levels. Since production in 2009 declined by about two-thirds compared to 2008, even a 75-percent improvement shows there is
a still a long way to go. Nonetheless, Gould and other Piper execs were upbeat, noting that the company's owner, Imprimis, is "in it for the long haul." Piper also announced that Forward Vision
Systems' EVS-100 and DVS-600 Enhanced Vision Systems are now available for installation in the Malibu, Matrix and Mirage models.
The company also plans to offer a system for the Meridian as soon as it is available to work with the Meridian's higher performance envelope (up to 30,000 feet). Gould said Piper has hired 60
engineers to work on the PiperJet project, and they recently completed the Preliminary Design Review, which showed that the design is on track to meet its performance goals. Soon the crews will start
to build the first conforming production prototype.
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FIND THEM AT:
C-092
C-093
C-094
C-095 |
KFD 840 Purchase Includes Bonus Warranty for Limited Time
Get a two-year warranty for your entire Bendix/King cockpit at no cost when you purchase the Bendix/King KFD 840 Primary Flight Display by August 31. This is
a unique opportunity to renew your Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan or activate a new warranty at no extra charge — up to a $4,000 value. Part of the Apex Edge Series, the KFD 840
features one of the largest displays in general aviation. Some conditions apply.
Visit
KFD840WarrantyOffer.com for more details.
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FIND THEM AT:
D-051
D-052
D-053 |
Come by Lightspeed's Booth Today and Cast Your Vote for Your Favorite Charity
The five that have the most votes will each receive no less than $10,000 from the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation. Every pilot can vote at the show or online. Also, find out about Lightspeed's
hot Sun 'n Fun Zulu special running April 13-18 at the show. Can't make the show? The special's also available through any Lightspeed dealer nationwide.
Learn more at
LightspeedAviation.com.
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SPONSOR |
Something New Your Garmin Can Do
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To find out more,
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FIND THEM AT:
C-024
C-025
C-026
N-036 |
As Vital As Vision
Never fly blind again when you sign up today for one of XM WX Satellite Weather's Aviator LT, Aviator, or Aviator Pro data packages. Enhance your situational awareness with products like
Radar, Lightning, Winds, and more when you make XM WX a permanent part of your cockpit today. Come see the latest from XM WX Satellite Weather at booth C-024 during Sun 'n Fun 2010 or
visit us online at
XMWxWeather.com/aviation. 
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Win Scheyden Dual RX frames and Flight Crew Ensemble flight gear as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your
name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year — so if you've already entered, you're all set.)
And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15
Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)
Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time April 30, 2010.
Click here to read
the contest rules and enter.
Congratulations to Jack Feiden of Wichita, Kansas, who won an XM WX Satellite Weather Receiver from WxWorx in our last drawing! (click
here to get your own from WxWorx)
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SPONSOR |
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Time is limited, so call (208) 337-5111 or
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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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 newstips@avweb.com. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part.
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.
Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."
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Have You Seen the Future of Aviation?
Remos Aircraft has reinvented personal aviation by combining the best features of the LSA class with real-world utility and adventure. Featuring the best of German precision engineering and
modern manufacturing in an economical, safe, and fun-to-fly aircraft, the Remos GX is changing what general aviation means.
Come and see the
future of aviation at Remos.com. 
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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
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version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
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BOOTHS AT |
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Where to Find Our Sponsors at Sun 'n Fun 2010
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and 
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