|
This issue of AVweb's AVflash is brought to you by ... LightSPEED Aviation
 LIGHTSPEED AVIATION INTRODUCES
NEW LINE OF HEADSETS
LightSPEED's new LightFlight
L-1 ultra-lightweight aviation headset weighs in at only 0.5
ounces but is a heavyweight in features. Their in-the-ear technology
attenuates 35-45dB of noise and features the same standard features as
their premium headsets: High-fidelity stereo speakers, electric mic,
cell/satellite phone and music input, carry case, and a 3-year
warranty. Orders are being taken now for shipping in December. Retail
price is $429 USD. For more information and to place an order, go to
http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/litspeed/L1/avflash.
|
The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded,
Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire.
FAA
FACES SAFETY ALLEGATION
A Michigan pilot claims he's being persecuted by his employer for
rejecting an airplane he considered unfit to fly. Chris Gottwald told
AVweb he's been kept off the flight schedule and assigned
menial office tasks since May when he told his superiors he wouldn't
fly a King Air that had propeller-control problems. But while such
pilot-management tussles may be all too common in the cash-strapped
world of commercial aviation, Gottwald doesn't fly for some tin-shack
terminal commuter line. The operator he claims is trying to pressure
its pilots to fly unsafe airplanes is the FAA. More...
...PROPS
WOULDN'T REVERSE...
Gottwald said that when he landed the King Air at Hulman Field in
Terre Haute, Ind., last May 13, the props wouldn't go into reverse.
With up to 9,000 feet of runway in front of him, the lack of reverse
thrust wasn't much of a concern, but it wasn't the first time the
props had acted up. Gottwald said he'd experienced at least two
uncommanded pitch changes on King Air props previously, one while
taxiing and another in which one propeller went to a virtually
flat-pitch setting while he was on short final. "It caused a
tremendous amount of yaw," he said. When the props wouldn't obey his
inputs at Terre Haute, he'd had enough. "I didn't know what the props
were going to do," he said. More...
...TAKEN
OFF FLIGHT SCHEDULE, PILOT SPECULATES WHY
The FAA launched an investigation and immediately took Gottwald off
the flight schedule. He's been "working" at a desk job ever since. "I
don't have any office duties. I look at reports, file miscellaneous
forms and I study flight manuals. I'm just supposed to keep myself
busy," he said. He still gets paid his full salary of just under
$100,000 a year. Gottwald said the FAA wrapped up its investigation in
June but still won't tell him when to expect a decision. FAA
spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said no date has been set for the decision
and, in the meantime, she can't comment in any detail. She did say
that FAA maintenance standards, um, meet FAA maintenance standards and
that FAA flight operations have an outstanding safety record.
More...
THE SCHEYDEN GIVEAWAY CONTINUES! LOG ON TO SEE THE
LATEST WINNERS
"They blow my RayBans out of the water!"
says private pilot Jason Downs. A pair of Scheydens
will be given away every other week to a lucky AVweb subscriber, with
a retail value up to $395! The unique flip-up design has become the #1
choice of pilots who demand quality and function. Scheydens are
handmade of Titanium (Ti) frames with quality lenses. A Rosewood case
and plush micro-fiber cleaning cloth are standard equipment. For
information and to register to win, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/scheyden/avflash. |
DIAMOND
DELAYS TWINSTAR DELIVERIES
Sometimes when you're on the leading edge you have to put up with a
little turbulence. Diamond Aircraft says it has delayed (to
individuals) the first deliveries of its innovative diesel-powered
DA-42 TwinStar because an adequate support network won't be in place
for the Thielert diesels in time. "We have to be able to provide
service for those customers," Diamond's North American CEO Peter
Maurer told AVweb. While the company had hoped that first
deliveries would be made by the end of this year, they've been put off
for at least a year. "It's quite realistic that in 2005 there will be
Thielert deliveries," he said. Fleet customers (who presumably will
have trained service personnel) will get the Thielert aircraft as
scheduled. Diamond designed and built the diesel twin in 2002 and it
was certified in Europe earlier this year. It made its North American
debut at EAA AirVenture last July and the company claims it's
redefining fuel-efficiency standards for light twins.
More...
...THE
AVGAS ALTERNATIVE...
But while many potential customers are drawn to the technically
advanced TwinStar, the launch hiccups have shown Diamond that there's
also a market for something a little more conventional. Earlier this
year, the company flew a Lycoming 0-360-powered version of the
TwinStar and is accelerating its development. In fact, said Maurer, he
expects the avgas version to be ready about the same time as the
diesel and at the same price. "We'll introduce both aircraft and let
the customer decide," he said. The gas-powered TwinStar uses more fuel
but also has noticeably better performance than the diesel.
More...
...CUSTOMERS
"UNDERSTANDING"
Maurer said early-position diesel customers are naturally disappointed
that they won't be getting their airplanes when they expected but most
have been understanding. "Anybody that's acquiring leading-edge
technology expects and is very tolerant of teething problems as long
as they're dealt with effectively," Maurer said. He said Diamond is
committed to the diesel program because the company believes the time
is coming when 100LL will be phased out. "The future in fuel is jet
fuel or mogas," he said. "We're looking to that future but we're not
going to go into it blindly." More...
BRAIN
IN A BOWL FLIES SIMULATOR
Someone once said he could teach a monkey to fly but researchers at
the University of Florida have taken it a quantum leap further. The
biomedical team says it has a dish full of about 25,000 rat neurons
that can keep a PC flight simulator on the straight and level. "It's
as if the neurons control the stick in the aircraft, they can move it
back and forth and left and right," Professor Thomas DeMarse told
Wired News. Now, the researchers aren't explicitly looking to replace
pilots with rat neurons ... at least not yet. More...
FLIR
SYSTEM TARGETS GA
A system that's helped fighter and attack aircraft pilots see better
for decades could soon be coming to a GA panel you recognize. Forward.Vision, a division of Aercomp Inc., has
developed a relatively low-cost (under $20,000) forward looking
infrared system (FLIR) for general aviation. It's been selling them to
homebuilt owners for the last couple of months but company spokesman
Pat Farrell says several major manufacturers are interested in a
certified version. "They are some of the biggest OEMs you would
recognize," Farrell told AVweb after a successful showing at
AOPA Expo last week. We might hope that one would endeavor to take on
the certification hurdles. The Forward Vision system uses an infrared
camera to peer through smoke, haze and precipitation, with varying
degrees of clarity. More...
|
LOOK TO THE PIEDMONT HAWTHORNE AIRCRAFT SALES TEAM WHEN
YOU’RE BUYING or SELLING YOUR NEXT AIRCRAFT
Whether
you're looking for that "envy of many pilots" single (such as a
Bonanza) or a workhorse turboprop, or multi-mission jet, Piedmont
Hawthorne Aircraft Sales does it all — and has done so for
over 65 years — boasting a professional sales/marketing team
engaged in new and pre-owned aircraft with more than 100 years of
sales, support, and consulting expertise — Turnkey assistance
from acquisition, financing, or sales consulting to award-winning
service and avionics centers, and a VIP program for every customer at
their extensive network of 36 FBOs — Always looking to purchase
quality turboprop, mid-size, and large turbine aircraft. One
call to (800) 259-1940, or one click to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/phas/avflash. |
RUDDER
INPUTS BLAMED FOR 587 CRASH
The NTSB has blamed the first officer's "unnecessary and excessive
rudder pedal inputs" for the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in
Belle Harbor, N.Y., on Nov. 12, 2001. In its final report, released Tuesday, the NTSB said the
vertical stabilizer separated from the Airbus A300-605R after the
first officer "inappropriately manipulated the rudder back and forth
several times" after hitting the wake turbulence of a Boeing 747. The
extreme movements exceeded the design loads of the vertical fin, which
separated -- 265 people died, including five on the ground. The NTSB
also cited peculiarities with the aircraft's rudder-system design and
elements of American Airline's pilot-training program as contributing
factors. More...
TAX
BILL QUASHES BIZJET PERK?
Possibly one of the nicest perks of corporate air travel has been
quashed in a provision in a corporate tax bill signed into legislation
by President Bush last week, and it could put a damper on the bizjet
and fractional-ownership industry. While alphabets and manufacturers
lauded a provision in the bill that extended the delivery dates on
airplanes qualifying for deferred depreciation to the end of 2005 (a
perk worth about $250 million) another measure was slipped in at the
last minute. That measure drastically decreases the tax deduction
corporations can claim when their aircraft are used by officers and
employees of the corporation for personal business. According to
Forbes Online, the provision, tucked in during the final Senate-House
conference on the bill, will save the government $2.2 billion.
More...
|
A BRAND-NEW AIRCRAFT FOR THE COST OF A SECOND
CAR!
OurPLANE Fractional Aircraft Ownership is the
#1 world leader in offering brand-new Cessna, Cirrus, and Raytheon
aircraft at a fraction of the cost of sole aircraft ownership. No
hassles, no responsibilities with these brand-new aircraft, including
the glass-cockpit Cirrus SR22 and Cessna 182T. Lowest-cost aircraft
ownership GUARANTEED! Locations throughout California, Florida,
Texas, New York, Minnesota, and Connecticut. Call (877) 775-2631 and
mention this AVflash, or online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/ourplane/avflash. |
EPIC,
WHY NOT US?
Epic has
announced its intention to produce a (very light) jet (download the
press release, here) with an
expected cruise 35 knots faster than it's "older" turboprop sibling on
which it is based, for a higher fuel burn and an extra $150,000 in
base price -- perhaps simply proving the practicality of the turbine.
Recall the Epic LT. Announced one year before its debut, the $1.2
million Epic LT -- a six-place, all-carbon-fiber experimental turbine
-- is currently going through its flight-test paces and expects to
offer full-tanks, full-load flying at 350 knots. The jet will use most
of the same major airframe components. If history is any indicator,
expect it (springtime) soon. More...
THE
NEW HEADSETS AT AOPA EXPO: FORGET ANR
At least two companies, LightSpeed Aviation and Aloft Technologies,
have set aside over-the-ear headset ANR technology with in-ear
technology products, driving sound with hearing-aid speakers and
dampening it with ... replaceable ear plugs. A third, the Panther CATS
system (which is similar, but not as new) takes a mold of the user's
ear, making the sets individual-fit perfect -- but multiple-user
exclusive. All three units look very much like fancy earplugs at the
end of some wire (excluding the tiny boom mics). So there's a
marketing challenge for the arguably superior products: It's not
likely to come in comfort (we've tried them all) or noise dampening,
and it might take some talent to convince pilots that what appear much
like earplugs on a string should cost more than $400.
More...
|
FLYING RENTED OR BORROWED AIRCRAFT?
There's
only one thing worse than paying to repair an aircraft — knowing
you might not have had to. Avemco Insurance Company offers one
of the most comprehensive Renter's Insurance policies in the
country. For as low as $95 covering basic liability — or
$155 providing basic liability and $1,000 worth of Aircraft Damage
Liability — there is no reason not to have this coverage.
Avemco's policy includes loss of use, Civil Air Patrol coverage, and
more. Liability coverage up to $1,000,000 and Aircraft Damage
Liability coverage to $150,000 are available. To bind
coverage today, contact Avemco by calling (888) 241-7891 and
mentioning this AVflash, or go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/avemco/avflash. |
ON
THE FLY...
Pilot landed safely after 172 cut three major power
lines…
Dudley Hill, founder of Hill Aviation, died at
85…
Finn Air pilot pleaded guilty to preparing to fly while
drunk…
Airport might make way for new bus lane…
Garmin
G1000 flight training devices were ordered. More...
AVWEB'S
NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Drop us a line. Heard something that 130,000 pilots might want
to know about? If it caught your eye, it will probably interest
someone else, too. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com.
More...
|
ATTENTION, CESSNA OWNERS & PILOTS
The new
Cessna Flyer Association (CFA) provides parts locating, tech
support, a monthly member magazine, online forums, national & regional
events, an annual convention, seminars, and more. CFA's staff has over
90,000 hours of combined flight experience. For less than a tank of
fuel ($39.00 for a one-year membership), you can access the
information you need to expand your knowledge and get more enjoyment
from owning and flying your Cessna aircraft. Join the Cessna Flyer
Association (CFA) today as they build the ultimate Cessna association.
Go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/cfa/avflash. |
AVWEB'S
BUSINESS AVFLASH
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb’s NO-COST twice monthly Business
AVflash? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash also focuses on
the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make
headlines in the Business of Aviation. Business AVflash is a must
read. Watch for a Business AVflash regular feature, TSA WATCH: GA
IN THE "SPOTLIGHT". Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/
More...
NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
_______
COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #11: Ignition
TLC
Mags and spark plugs don't need a lot of maintenance, but
they do require some and it's often neglected. You may get away with
such neglect for a while, but eventually it'll bite you.
More...
AVWEB'S
QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
This week, AVweb wants to know which very light jet is your pick to be
a major force in the marketplace. PLUS: Results of last week's
pilots-vs.-controllers question. More...
AVWEB'S
PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
Californian Kendall Mauldin takes home top honors in this week's
"POTW" contest — with a SpaceShipOne photo we kinda wish we'd
taken! Great job, Kendall — we're sending you a nifty AVweb
baseball cap as a token of our appreciation. If you want an AVweb cap
of your own, send us your best amateur aviation photos. Funny,
exciting, serene, or as downright strange as this week's bonus
picture, your photo is sure to bring some joy and mirth to our
workday. So what are you waiting for? Submit!
More...
| Sponsor News and
Special Offers
Access to AVweb and AVflash is provided by
the support of our fine sponsors. We appreciate your
patronage. |
| SHOPPING DEALS |
|
ATTENTION, PROSPECTIVE OR CURRENT STUDENT
PILOTS!
Supplement your training with a no-risk,
no-cost six-month AOPA membership, including members-only access
to both Flight Training and AOPA Online — compliments of
AOPA! Plus, you'll receive six issues of AOPA
Flight Training magazine, full of articles to help develop and
perfect your flying skills and prepare you for the checkride.
FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS: Receive a complimentary subscription
to AOPA Flight Training magazine by enrolling prospective and
primary student pilots in the no-cost six-month AOPA
membership. Enroll and sign up online today by visiting http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/aopaftm/avflash. |
MODERNIZING YOUR TRANSPONDER DOESN'T GET ANY
EASIER!
Narco Avionics is proud to announce the
introduction of the AT165/K Transponder, a digital
plug-and-play replacement for the old mechanical KT76A. The
all-digital AT165/K is competitively priced with the current crop of
mechanical transponders. Also available is the AT165, a
plug-and-play replacement for the Narco AT50, AT50A, AT150, or
AT155. Coming Soon: The plug-and-play replacement
for the Cessna RT-359A. FALL SPECIAL: Purchase an AT165
and get an AR850 for $99. For more information on these
innovative Narco Avionics products, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/narco/avflash. |
SAVE ON
THE MAGAZINE THAT SAVES AIRCRAFT OWNERS BIG MONEY!
For 25
years, this acclaimed monthly has shown general aircraft owners how to
cut the cost of repairs and maintenance by doing scores of procedures
themselves. Light Plane Maintenance can be your
ticket for keeping costs down and spending more time in the air.
Subscribe to Light Plane Maintenance and save from the regular
rates at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/lpm/avflash. |
HASSLE-FREE AUTO BUYING FROM CREWCAR & CONSUMER
GUIDES
Next to your home and airplane, a vehicle is the
most important item you will purchase. Don't go blindly into a
dealership; look to CrewCar. CrewCar is a car-buying
service formed by aviation professionals providing shoppers with a
complimentary integrated phone and electronic concierge-level buying
service offering value no matter the geography. The service is
provided gratis and meets the Consumer Guide dealership network
standards. For more information, visit CrewCar at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/crewcar/avflash. |
ORDER
AN ONLINE COURSE JUST LIKE YOU WOULD A BOOK!
It's the wave
of the future, and it's being brought to you by Gleim
Publications. Gleim Publications, the company you depend
on for all your training books and supplies, is offering online
courses for: Private Pilot; Instrument Pilot; Commercial Pilot;
Flight/Ground Instructor; and Fundamentals of Instruction.
SPECIAL INTRO OFFER: Save 25% on each online course now at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/gleim/avflash. |
ALWAYS DREAMED OF BECOMING A PILOT? NO WONDER —
IT'S HUMANKIND'S
wildest dream fulfilled: Soaring among
eagles, playing tag with the clouds, and gazing down upon wonders of
the earth. Wing your way over lakes, canyons, and crowded freeways,
all while blessing friends and family with your newfound gift of
flight. Whether you're 17, 40, or beginning a new life after
retirement, the skies are yours. Take that long-awaited first
step in fulfilling your dream of flight: Strap yourself into the
friendly cockpit and take off with Greg Brown's new full-color
book You Can Fly. Order your autographed copy at
http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/paperjet/avflash. |
HAVEN'T ORDERED YOUR FLYING SUBSCRIPTION? LOOK
WHAT YOU'RE MISSING!
In the November issue of
Flying magazine: Mac McClellan takes a look at Cessna's
new CJ3 to report a few nice surprises; Richard Collins gives his
insights in "Flight Visibility"; and a DC-9 pilot gets a hold of some
unusual aviation memorabilia you'll have to see; some answers to the
new Sport Pilot Rule; plus all the columnists and writers you have
come to respect. Order your Flying subscription with special
savings at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/flying/avflash. |
| SPONSOR NEWS |
THE 2005 KIT AIRCRAFT DIRECTORY INCLUDED IN THE DECEMBER
KITPLANES ISSUE
Don't miss finding out what kit
aircraft is right for you! Also in this Kitplanes issue:
"The Spacemaker: Velocity's Dash 5"; "Riveting Basics for the
Non-Metal Builder"; "How Piston Engines Make Power, Part 8"; "Gas
Welding for the Non-Welder, Part 1"; and insightful columns. Don't
miss an issue; order your subscription today at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/kitplanes/avflash. |
GUARDING AGAINST KILLER CARBON MONOXIDE DOESN'T COME AT
A HIGH PRICE
CO Guardian has carbon monoxide
detector models from portable units to panel-mount units. Each
unit's solid-state sensors and temperature sensors (EMI-shielded to
prevent radio interference) are built in the USA and
FAA-certified. Go online to find the CO Guardian model right for
your aircraft at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/cog/avflash. |
IF
YOU ARE LOOKING TO FALL ASLEEP, READ THE AIM, NOT
Rod
Machado's Plane Talk! Since over 75% of all aviation accidents
result from human error, a comprehensive understanding of risk
management is essential to every pilot's health. How does Rod
help pilots be better risk managers? Have them read NTSB
accident reports and scare themselves without teaching much?
Force them to listen to dusty lectures about safety that put them to
sleep? NO! He has them read Rod Machado's Plane
Talk, which not only keeps them awake, but will teach important
lessons about human nature, risk, safety beliefs, avoiding temptation,
developing an aviation code of ethics, and more — all in an
entertaining format! Order Plane Talk at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/machado/avflash. |
TO
EVERY PILOT WHO WANTS TO FLY WITH AGGRESSIVE CONFIDENCE
AND
at the same time be ultimately safe, Gordon
Henrie's Instructional Methods for Flight Instructors and
Ways to Improve the Precision, Safety, and Confidence of Rated
Pilots is a must-read. This book takes the pilot beyond
questions and answers and looks at the thoughts and feelings
experienced in the cockpit, and was written after 50 years of flying
experience in all types of fixed-wing aircraft. It tells a pilot
how to develop and expand situational awareness, develop accurate
perception of situations, and then train the correct responses that
become instinctive and natural, so that reaction time is reduced to an
effective minimum. It covers beginning, advanced, instrument,
and multi-engine flying skills. Order at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/mountain/avflash. |
ATTENTION, MECHANICS! SOFTWARE FOR YOUR
HARDWARE!
John Schwaner's The Mechanic's Toolbox
+ Engineering Manual Companion has been a mainstay of mechanics
for years. John has revised and updated this publication and put it on
CD. The Mechanic's Toolbox Program contains everything
from: Ohm's Law for Mechanics, Torque Wrench Extension Calculator,
Pressure Conversions, Velocity Computing, and more; to a Palm
operating system including: Alternator Charging System Checker, Hose
Shop, Starter Analyzer, Metals ID using Field Methods, and much more.
Whew! This is immense! For complete details and to order (in
the U.S. only), go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/skyranch/avflash. | |
_____________________________________
We Welcome Your
Feedback!
AVflash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest aviation news,
articles, products, features and events featured on AVweb, the
Internet's Aviation Magazine and News Service.
http://www.avweb.com
Letters to the editor intended for publication in AVmail should be
sent to mailto:editor@avweb.com.com.
Have a comment or question? Send
it to mailto:newsteam@avweb.com.
Today's issue written by News Writer Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
AVweb's
editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on
marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team: mailto:sales@avweb.com.
Fly it until all the pieces stop moving.
AVflash is now available in optional easier-to-read graphic format,
which includes some photos and illustrations. If you prefer, you can
continue to receive AVflash in text-only format. Simply follow these
instructions
and AVflash will continue to arrive as it always has, in text format.
Want to subscribe or unsubscribe? Review/update your AVweb Account?
Forgot your password? No problem! Simply go to our friendly Member
Services menu.
|
