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September 22, 2011
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Bose® A20® Aviation Headset
The Best We've Ever Made
Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly. Today, we continue to set the standard with the Bose A20
Aviation Headset. The headset provides acclaimed noise reduction, with a comfortable fit and the clear audio you expect from Bose. It also features Bluetooth® connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and priority switching.
Learn more.
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Tomorrow's Fuels Will Demand Tomorrow's
Engines |
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While the industry awaits an unleaded replacement for 100LL, Continental has moved rapidly forward to certify a new version of its six-cylinder IO-360 that will run on lower octane fuel. At AOPA's
Summit in Hartford, Connecticut, the company's CEO Rhett Ross told us the new engine will be used in the four-place C4 announced by Flight Design earlier this year. The engine's designation is
IO-360-AF for alternative fuel and it's intended to operate on fuels such as 94UL with sufficient detonation margin. The IO-360, which is used in the Cirrus SR20, normally has an output of 210HP, but
for the AF variant, Continental has essentially de-rated it to 180 HP by installing lower-compression pistons (7.5 to 1) and with minor tweaks to the fuel injection system. The version we were shown,
which represents a new type certification for Continental, has conventional magnetos, but it might eventually use Continental's PowerLink FADEC system.
And how about auto fuel approvals? Yes, says Ross, but not just pump gas. As does Lycoming's Michael Kraft, Ross believes any auto fuel approved for a type certificated engine will need some kind
of approval or certification standard to assure its octane and consistent composition. Ross says Continental's view is that automotive fuels are not tightly enough controlled and on the international
market—where this new engine is clearly going to be pitched—an auto fuel bought in Germany might not be the same as one sold in Brazil. For more details on the new engine, see this AVweb video.
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Continental's not waiting for the industry to figure out a replacement for 100LL. At AOPA Summit in Hartford, it announced a new line of low-compression engines that can run on
low-octane fuels.
This video is brought to you by Lightspeed
Aviation and XM WX Satellite
Weather.
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There's Nothing Light About This Jet
Meet the latest and greatest member of the world's most successful family of light jets, the Citation CJ4. It delivers more speed and greater range while retaining the pilot-friendly
— and single-pilot-certified — operations of the CJ family. The CJ4's cabin is larger, more comfortable, and outfitted with new entertainment and communication systems. All this equals an
aircraft that is flexible enough to meet the requirements of many mid-sized aircraft at light jet costs, plus the service reputation of Cessna to back up your decision. It's what every light jet
aspires to be.
Visit
Cessna.com.
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AOPA Aviation Summit opens in Hartford, Conn., on Thursday with a challenging agenda: how to get all of general aviation's advocates to work together to advance the industry. President Obama's Jobs
Act may have provided a rallying cry with its shop-worn inclusion of user fees on top of fuel taxes as a new method of raising revenue. "This group in the White House can't say 'No' to user fees,"
AOPA President Craig Fuller told AVweb's editor-in-chief Russ Niles, on the eve of the show. (Click here for the full podcast.) "We want to
help pay for the system but we want to pay at the pump." The Summit features an exhibit hall packed with aviation products for sale, keynote talks, a series of seminars aimed at light business
aircraft users, static displays at the nearby Brainard Airport, and lots of social events. AVweb staffers are on site to bring you daily podcasts, videos, and reports from the show right
through Saturday.
Among the events scheduled for the Summit are a series of keynote talks on the future of aviation, and a visit from FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, featuring a discussion with Fuller about topics
of interest to GA pilots. Fuller also will share the stage with EAA President Rod Hightower on Saturday morning for a discussion about how to make aviation attractive and accessible to a new
generation of pilots. Also, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. will visit the show on Thursday to talk about the new film from George Lucas about the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, which is due in theaters
early next year.
File Size 8.8 MB / Running Time 9:35
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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There will be discussion about the latest user fee threat as AOPA kicks off its annual Summit in Hartford starting Thursday but there is much more on the agenda. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke
with AOPA President Craig Fuller about the busy agenda.
This podcast is brought to you by XM WX Satellite
Weather and Lightspeed
Aviation.
Click here to listen. (8.8 MB, 9:35)
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Lightspeed Aviation Announces the Availability of Zulu.2
Lightspeed is pleased to announce the availability of the Zulu.2. Stop by the Lightspeed booth ( #420) at the AOPA Summit and give it a try. Improving in the areas of quiet,
comfort, and clarity, Zulu.2 once again sets the standard in the premium headset market. Zulu.2 is currently the only aviation headset offering full-function Bluetooth™ technology for both phone
and music applications.
Learn more at
LightspeedAviation.com.
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Even as the new aircraft market continues to stumble, more companies are getting into the aviation insurance game and, as a result, premimum prices for some classes of aircraft are at historic
lows. In a podcast from AOPA Summit in Hartford this week, Jon Doolittle of Sutton James Insurance, told AVweb that insurance premiums on
jets used for business flying are lower than ever and it doesn't end there.
There's similar softness in premiums for light pistons, but not to the extent seen in the current jet market. LSAs remain insurable and although rates are competitive, there are far fewer players
in the LSA segment because many insurers aren't sure which companies are viable and despite all the blather about global markets, some U.S. insurers just aren't comfortable with small, offshore LSA
manufacturers.
File Size 5.3 MB / Running Time 5:11
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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Subscribe Via RSS
Even as insurance costs decline across the board for aircraft, new players are entering the industry. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spoke with Jon Doolittle of Sutton James Insurance.
This podcast is brought to you by Bose
Corporation.
Click here to listen. (5.3 MB, 5:11)
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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 #303 during AOPA
Aviation Summit or
visit us
online. 
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Meanwhile, at Brainard Airport ...: Airport
Fest |
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The World Outside Hartford: Beyond the
Summit |
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NextGen air traffic control improvements are championed by government officials, but one former government official argued through an editorial this week that ATC may fare better in private hands.
According to Peter Orszag, former director of the Office of Management and Budget, NextGen is "a step in the right direction." But because it's being rolled out in stages, he argues it will take too
long to implement. The former director cites Canada's nonprofit corporation NAV Canada and says the answer to a better air traffic system in the U.S. is the private sector. And user fees. Not everyone
agrees.
Orszag is now the vice chairman of global banking at Citigroup Inc. His opinion is that a user-based revenue model would ensure that those who use the system would pay for it. That, says Orszag, would also keep funding debates outside of the political
process. Orszag says that while NAV Canada suffered initially, it now offers a nonprofit example that compares favorably against the FAA. "It tends to be more responsive to innovation and better able
to make improvements in technology, investing in the needs of its user airlines," he said. Opposition to Orszag's approach may have already formed. Nine groups, including AOPA, EAA, GAMA, and NBAA,
issued "unified opposition" to a deficit-reduction plan proposed by President Obama, Monday, that included user fees for some general aviation flights. And questions remain. One raised by another
editorial asks what leverage users would have if private controllers decided to strike and suggests that costs borne by airlines would cause ticket prices to skyrocket.
One reason we don't know more about why Boeing aircraft suffered fuselage skin cracking can be tied to regulatory decisions made by the FAA. A Southwest Airlines 737-300 suffered a crack in its
fuselage on April 1, and an American Airlines 757-200 suffered a tear in its skin last year. Both incidents led to the discovery of symptoms that could lead to similar problems on other jets. In the
case of the 737, rivet work was questioned. In the case of the 757 the NTSB determined that the aircraft's skin was of nonconforming thickness -- it was thinner than it was supposed to be. But
Boeing's records of how those and other affected planes were built and inspected were missing ... as directed by the FAA.
A study of the manufacturing processes for the jets could explain why or how each situation came to pass. Without the associated paper trail, such a study is not possible. In 2009, the FAA revised
rules previously devised in 1964 that set limits for how long manufacturers should keep records of their manufacturing and inspection processes. Per the old rule, manufacturers records should be kept
for two years. The new rule requires that record are kept for five years and 10 years in the case of critical components. Southwest's jet, which saw a 5-foot section of the fuselage tear open at
34,000 feet, was built in 1996, so Boeing kept no records. The American Airlines jet entered service in 1990 so, again, no records are available. The NTSB found that "incorrect manufacturing" led to
the problem on the 757. And thanks at least in part to the FAA's 5-year rule, there were limits on what else the bureau could find. "Therefore," said the NTSB, "a cause for the manufacturing non-conformance could not be identified."
Thirteen teams applied to compete in next week's Green Flight Challenge, with $1.65 million in prize money at stake -- the largest aviation prize ever offered -- but now the field is down to five
competitors, NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation said on Tuesday. Only those five teams met all of the criteria to compete. The criteria are complex, but include that
the aircraft must be capable of reaching an average speed of at least 100 mph, take off in less than 2,000 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle, and produce a decibel rating of less than 78 dBA at
full-power takeoff. The five finalists are Team Feuling, Phoenix Air, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Pipistrel-USA, and e-Genius. To win the competition, an aircraft must fly 200 miles in less
than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity.
If more than one aircraft meets the criteria, first place will go to the team with the best combination of speed and efficiency. The competition will run from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 at the Charles M.
Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, Calif. The schedule of events is posted at the CAFE Foundation website.
Spectators are welcome, and an Expo at the site will feature over 20 exhibitors showcasing alternative technologies. Free tickets are available online. Google is sponsoring the event, which will finish up with an awards ceremony on Oct. 3 at NASA's Ames Research
Center at Moffett Field, Calif.
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ResQLink 406 PLB with GPS Available at Aircraft Spruce
At 4.6 ounces, the ResQLink™ weighs less than a couple of energy bars. And topping just 3.9 inches, it's smaller than the cell phone in your pocket. The ResQLink™ is a full-powered,
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homing capability — the ResQLink™ quickly and accurately relays your position to a worldwide network of search-and-rescue satellites. Call 1 (877) 4‑SPRUCE or
visit
AircraftSpruce.com. 
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Bombardier is cutting production of its CRJ regional jet series due to a slowdown in orders, but there won't be any layoffs as a result. The company says it has more than enough work for the about
350 workers who will be affected at the company's Mirabel, Quebec, CRJ plant. Bombardier currently has the CSeries airliner, Global 7000 and Global 8000 business jets and the Learjet 85 under
development and will simply shift workers to those projects. It's not saying how much production will be reduced but the CRJ backlog is now at about 60 aircraft, or 15 months, and the company likes to
have about 18 months worth of work ahead of it on all its production lines. It says the future market looks strong for CRJs and production can be adjusted in the future if need be. Meanwhile,
Bombardier signed actor and pilot John Travolta to a promotional role with its business jet division.
Travolta recently got rated in the Challenger business jet (he has 11 type ratings) and Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, said his extensive knowledge of aviation and his
frequent use of business aviation makes him ideal for the title of brand ambassador for the company. "Business aviation has always made sense to me in that it offers flexibility, privacy, security,
and most importantly, timesaving -- meaning I have the ability to keep up with my busy schedule and have more time for my family, which is very important to me," said John Travolta. "On top of that,
I'm a pilot -- I love to fly. Bombardier designs aircraft as much for the person flying them as for the passenger. I'm proud to represent their aircraft."
It seems the stigma of "private" jet travel extends even to top-ranked military officers in Canada, where the country's top soldier will likely pay back part of the cost for at least one trip he
took in a Royal Canadian Air Force Challenger bizjet. Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canada's Chief of Defense Staff (the equivalent of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the U.S.), has been under
fire for the use of the aircraft to meet his family for a Caribbean vacation in January of 2010. The story first came out without comment from Natynczyk, who explained that he had missed his charter
flight because he was commanding a repatriation ceremony for four soldiers and a Canadian journalist killed in fighting in Afghanistan. His boss, Defense Minister Peter MacKay, then authorized a
Challenger flight to allow the general to get to St. Maarten so he could get on a cruise ship in time to be with his family. At first, Natynczyk blew off the reports labeling him a "jet-setting
general," but then he had a chat with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The PM apparently explained to him that Canada has a policy that requires officials to reimburse the government for the commercial airline ticket value of flights that involve personal business.
Harper told reporters he's written checks himself for such travel. On Tuesday, Natynczyk said he too would repay the government.
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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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, would like to know. We're doing a survey on owner experiences with factory-new, factory-reman and factory-overhauled engines. (No field overhauls
this time.)
The survey will take about five minutes, and you can take it merely by cliking this link.
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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Fly More for Less
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Mary Grady has been looking over some numbers related to aviation safety, and in her latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, she has to say it: Maybe pilots need better ways to analyze and
calculate risks.
Read more and join the conversation.
For as much as we, aviation enthusiasts, might hope so, it's not up to us. It's up to the community of Reno. Accidents like the one last week rightfully spark some inward examination of safety
procedures and the risk/reward equation of doing things that are dangerous. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli has the immediate takeaway: Air shows and air races
represent the tiniest of risk for spectators. But anyone who thinks the risk is non-existent should stay home.
Read more and join the conversation.
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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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Nominate an FBO
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Winning FBOs
This week's AVweb blue ribbon goes to the FBO at Upshur County Regional Airport (W22) in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
AVweb reader Michael Davidson discovered Upshur while trying to stay ahead of Hurricane Irene:
[W22] was a large terrain feature away from the Delmarva Peninsula and listed good support facilities. I reached the line manager, Mr. Dick Bennett, who was very welcoming [both] then and when I
called CTAF with landing intentions. He guided me to a better runway choice based on his observation and pilot background. He drove us to Enterprise Rent-A-Car just down the hill, waived the
tie-down fee, and in general made us feel very welcome. I would recommend this destination for large numbers of regional coastal evacuees, not only for goodwill hospitality, but for ample ramp and
hangar space, long runways, physical security measures, and proximity to ground transport and lodging.
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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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.
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