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April 4, 2011
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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A Life Insurance Policy That Returns All of Your Premiums? — YES
The Return of Premium Term policy available through Pilot Insurance Center features fixed premiums and guarantees to return the total of all premiums at the end of the policy. No aviation exclusions.
Call (800) 380‑8376 or
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The crew of a Gulfstream G650 test aircraft that crashed at Roswell, N.M., on Saturday morning had been conducting braking tests, according to Gulfstream. All on board -- two pilots and two flight
engineers -- were killed. The aircraft had been in the pattern for a couple of hours, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford told EAA over the weekend. Skies were clear and winds were light from the southwest.
"The plane had just lifted off when the right wing struck the concrete. The plane hit the ground again and the landing gear collapsed," Lunsford said. The airplane skidded for some distance and slid
to a stop about 40 feet from the control tower. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. Gulfstream released a brief statement on Saturday confirming the crash. On Sunday evening, the company released the
names of the four men who died. "We mourn the loss of our colleagues and friends and extend our deepest sympathies to their families," said Joe Lombardo, president of Gulfstream Aerospace.
Killed in the crash were experimental test pilots Kent Crenshaw, 64, and Vivan Ragusa, 51, and technical specialists David McCollum, 47, and Reece Ollenburg, 48. All four were residents of
Savannah, Ga. The G650 is the largest jet in the Gulfstream line, and aims to be the fastest civil airplane, with speeds up to Mach 0.925. The company has been flying the test fleet since November
2009, accumulating hundreds of hours. About 200 orders are on the books for the $65 million jet, which seats up to 18 and can fly up to 7,000 nm nonstop. Deliveries are expected to start sometime next
year.
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Meet the New Reletex Anti-Motion Sickness Device!
It's finally here — Reletex, the new version of the highly-touted ReliefBand that is so effective for nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness. Worn on the wrist, the Reletex
produces a small neuromodulating current which stops peristaltic waves in the stomach, ceasing nausea and vomiting without drugs or side effects. Reletex is available in 60- and 150-hour
versions. O.K. for pilots and great for aerobatic flight.
Reletex —
exclusively at AeroMedix.com.
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NARCO, an iconic company that started making avionics long before they were called avionics, has closed and is apparently in bankruptcy. The company, which started in 1945, has darkened its website
except for one page, which contains this message: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform you that after over 65
years in business, Narco Avionics, Inc. has closed. A trustee will be appointed shortly to oversee liquidation of assets and assure return of Customer's property, such as Customer's Radios sent to
Narco for service, as soon as possible. We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience this causes and thank all loyal Narco Customers, around the world, for their loyalty over all of these years!
Please monitor this web site as informational updates will be provided as soon as possible."
There are tens of thousands of NARCO radios in use around the world and NARCO also built hardware for other companies to sell under their own nameplates. Since the company is being liquidated, it
raises the question of whether another avionics firm will snap it up or if it will be sold in bits and pieces, raising serious questions about future support of existing products.
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All Aspects of Security Interests in Commercial
Aircraft to Be Explored in New York
The Legal Aviation Workshop (LAW) " Security Interests in Commercial Aircraft" will take place on April 13, 2011 in New York. This major event is hosted by
Kaye Scholer, LLP, and it will cover the following main themes: Introduction to Security Interests in Commercial Aircraft; Cross-Border Matters; Multiple-Aircraft Transactions: Warehouse Agreements
and Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates; Cape Town Update; Repossession and Remarketing; and the event will conclude with a Practical Exercise.
Click here to learn
more and register.
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Witnesses say the pilots of a CASA 212 appear to have made a last-second decision to avoid landing on an a crowded commuter route and instead hit a brick sound barrier next to the freeway in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada last Friday. One man on the plane died but the two pilots survived with relatively minor injuries. One engine on the aircraft, a highly specialized mineral and oil
exploration platform owned by Toronto-based Fugro Airborne Surveys, was reported to have failed when the aircraft was about 12 minutes out from Saskatoon. Fugro spokesman Terry McConnell told the Postmedia News the second engine also failed and there was
plenty of fuel onboard. Saskatoon Deputy Fire Chief Dan Paulsen said the pilots apparently did all they could to avoid further injuries. "Where he put the aircraft down it was certainly a great deal
of airmanship to avoid any other injuries on the ground, because there certainly was potential for that," said Paulsen.
The aircraft had been in the air for more than three hours when the first engine failed. The crew was on its way to Saskatoon when the second engine failed and they set up for the emergency
landing. "They picked the best possible location to try and put the aircraft down," McConnell said. The plane, which is a substantial aircraft used as a commuter airliner, cargo and military
transport, was removed over the weekend and investigators are now looking at it.
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Call On TCM to Help Get Your Spring Off to a Good Start
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— no surprises — and the latest production improvements. New part content averages 80% on rebuilt engines. "No-hassle" core return and first-run engine core discounts. Call
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click here. 
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A small probe that can fit into an aircraft fuel line, detect water in the system, and alert a pilot was introduced at Sun 'n Fun last week by Jim Wiebe, CEO of Belite Aircraft. The system is still
undergoing testing, he said, and he intends to have test and reliability data available at EAA AirVenture later this summer. "It will be for sale at Oshkosh, at a price to be announced," he said. The
price will be affordable for the homebuilt and ultralight market, he said, and he expects the probe will also be available for light sport and certified aircraft. Wiebe said he came across the
water-detection technology by accident while working on another problem.
The system could be designed into future airplanes by manufacturers, he said. "You could screw this into a fitting near the sump in a fuel tank, or redesign the fuel tank to have this sensor at the
bottom of the tank, if you were an OEM," Wiebe said. "Ideally, we'd like to see one of our OEM partners design a system whereby the detection of water in the line triggers an auto-switching system
that selects another fuel tank and warns the pilot at the same time, thereby preventing the water from ever getting to the engine and causing an engine-out situation." The probe does not detect
dissolved water in fuel, but is sensitive to drops of liquid water, Wiebe said. He is working to patent the technology, he added.
Flight Design executives said at Sun 'n Fun last week they will introduce a mock-up of their four-seat fully-certified airplane at the Aero show in Friedrichschafen, Germany, later this month, and
will also show it at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in July. They showed renderings of the design to the press corps at Lakeland. The fuselage shares the high wing and wide cabin of the current CT designs,
but with a less dramatic taper toward the tail. It will have fixed gear and "a lot of commonality with the CT," said Matthias Betsch, managing director of Flight Design International. "It will be big
and quiet, quite an elegant airplane," he said. The price point should be between $200,000 and $250,000, with a range of about 1,200 nm and 150 kts cruise speed, according to Betsch. Targets are to
have a prototype flying next year, with FAA certification by the end of 2012 and production starting in 2013. Betsch said the European version will have a diesel engine, and he will have more
information later about engine choices for the U.S. market.
Betsch was upbeat about the market overall and said he is seeing signs of a strong recovery in Europe. He expects an EASA type certificate to be issued for the CTLS design within the next month or
two, he said. Flight Design also introduced a hand-control-only retrofit kit that is ready for the market at $4,000. At Sun 'n Fun, the company donated one of the units to Able Flight for use by
students with disabilities. The company also "accidentally" let the press corps glimpse a sketch of a CT with jet engines -- in honor of April Fool's Day.
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Trade Up to the Lightspeed Aviation Zulu
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headsets, Lightspeed Zulu features Full-Function Bluetooth™ connectivity, enhanced communications, a distinctive look, and unparalleled comfort.
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LightspeedAviation.com, learn the value of your headset, and trade up to Zulu.
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The Sun 'n Fun tornado last week was certainly a dramatic enough event, and affected enough people, that a T-shirt to commemorate it was inevitable. By Saturday, show-goers were turning up with
gray T-shirts that proclaim, "I survived Sun 'n Fun 2011," with a graphic of a spinning tornado tossing tents, airplanes, and various critters into the air. The actual tornado that hit the airport,
while it was certainly damaging, was not quite so dramatic as the one on the T-shirt, but for those who were there, it's now officially a t-shirt-worthy event.
The shirts are for sale online at PilotMall.com for $25.
For a look at dramatic tornado-force winds flipping an airplane end over end, click here for AVweb's exclusive
video of the storm. The National Weather Service confirmed on Friday that a tornado struck the field, with top wind speeds of 95 mph; click here for the details from their report.
In the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli has a novel idea for discussing Sun 'n Fun: Let's banish the word recovery and just talk about what we liked
— which was plenty, actually. Frankly, there was more new stuff and market vitality than anyone expected.
Read more and join the conversation.
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Southeast Aerospace —
Leading Avionics Resource Now More Effective!
The newly designed industry-leading web site
SEAerospace.com
has been released! Get to know all of SEA's services: Part Sales, Repairs, Installations, Special Missions and Engineering. Each online department provides detailed information on services,
capabilities, experiences and contact information. Save time and go directly to the resources you need. And, as always, you can find real-time inventory pricing and delivery on the part sales site,
SEA-Avionics.com. 
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As the pilot population declines, the Department of Transportation might consider listing Pilotus americanus on the endangered species list. Reverse this decline by recruiting new students
who will marvel at your score on this quiz.
Take the quiz.
More Brainteasers
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Finally! Professional Maintenance Management
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Learn how they do
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File Size 4.1 MB / Running Time 4:25
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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Subscribe Via RSS
Most pilots are familiar with Angel Flight, and quite a few have volunteered their airplanes and time. Now there's a new organization called Patient Air Lift Services, or PALS. In this podcast
from Sun 'n Fun 2011, the organization's CEO, Joe Howley, gave us a briefing on how the new group — organized just 10 months ago — works.
Click here to listen. (4.1 MB, 4:25)
File Size 2.3 MB / Running Time 2:31
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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Subscribe Via RSS
We wondered how long it would be before someone developed a Bluetooth headset that drops the wires from the audio jack to the headset — and now someone has. Jake Carlson of Air Gyro
Aviation showed us the Mach 5 headset at Sun 'n Sun 2011, and he describes it in this podcast recorded at the show.
Click here to listen. (2.3 MB, 2:31)
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Fly More for Less
Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives, bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view
current offers instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details.
Click for the
resource page.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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Do you hangar your aircraft? Do you wish you could hangar your aircraft? Do you wish someone would rent that #$^% empty hangar you still own? Please take a moment to share your thoughts (or
rants) in Aviation Consumer's survey. Thanks.
Click here to take the survey.
The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 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.
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Cheap Thrills
Join the fastest-growing segment in GA today! With a subscription to Kitplanes, you're where the action is — at a price that won't break the bank!
Strap in
now.
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Nominate an FBO
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Lake Texoma Jet Center at North Texas Regional Aiport/Perrin Field (KGYI) in Dennison,
Texas.
A little common courtesy (not just a car) from LTJC impressed AVweb reader Daniel Dorgan on a recent unscheduled stop:
Flying a friend for his first flight from McKinney, Texas to the Sherman/Dennison [area]. My friend became airsick and needed a break from the airplane. This FBO provided a courtesy car knowing we
would not be refueling there or having any repairs made to the Arrow. No financial incentive whatsoever — and yet they treated us with respect, as if we were a kerosene-powered aircraft
providing a significant amount of revenue.
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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Traditional Tactics Need a Fresh Approach
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders
directly to your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns.
Click now for
details. 
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The aviation community is coming together to help Kyle and Amanda Franklin get back on their feet and eventually back in the air after their mishap at Air Fiesta at the Brownsville/South Padre
Island Airport. If you'd like to contribute, click on the banner at right to visit the ICAS Foundation web site.
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I overheard the following tower transmission after a King Air made a particularly short landing at Metro Airport near Denver. The King Air landed in less than a thousand feet and
cleared the runway much earlier than the tower anticipated.
Controller (obviously stunned — and in good humor) :
"King Air, would you mind telling the tower exactly what was wrong with the other 9,000 feet of our runway?"
Ryan Lunde
via e-mail
Heard anything funny, unusual, or downright shocking on the radio lately? If you've been flying any length of time, you're sure to have eavesdropped on a few memorable exchanges. The ones that
gave you a chuckle may do the same for your fellow AVweb readers. Share your radio funny with us, and, if we use it in a future "Short Final," we'll send you a sharp-looking AVweb hat
to sport around your local airport. No joke.
Click here to submit your original, true, and previously unpublished story.
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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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