| This issue of AVweb's AVflash is
brought to you by ... JA Air Center
JA AIR CENTER, YOUR GARMIN SOURCE, IS PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE A NEW LOWER PRICE ON THE GARMIN GPSMAP 296 WITH TERRAIN
— ONLY $1,495!
 All the new aviation
GPS units are in stock, including the GPSMap 296, iQue
3600A, GPSMap 96C, and GPSMap 96. Also, JA Air Center stocks
non-aviation Garmin GPS like the StreetPilot 2620, Quest, GPS V
Deluxe, eTrex Legend C, GPSMap 60CS, GPSMap 76C, and the GPS 10
Deluxe GPS (Bluetooth compatible). Established in 1965,
JA Air Center prides themselves on being Garmin's
largest avionics dealer. With exceptional customer service
and the finest Garmin avionics installations, JA Air Center is the
place to purchase your next Garmin product. Extensive inventory
of all Garmin units and accessories. Contact JA Air
Center at (800) 323-5966 and mention this AVflash, or order online at
http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/ja/296/avflash. |
 |
The Top Headlines From
AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire.
MISRIGGED
(NEW) CESSNAS GROUNDED…
If you've recently taken delivery of a new Cessna 172 or 182, check
the serial number against a list in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued Friday. A
few dozen of the brand-new airplanes are grounded until they can be
inspected for potential control rigging problems. "The FAA has been
notified that inadequate or incorrect flight controls rigging may
exist on recently produced Cessna Models 172R, 172S, 182T and T182T,"
the Emergency AD reads. It should be stressed that the affected
airplanes are grounded. No ferry permits or repositioning flights will
be allowed. More...
...LONG
LIST OF DEFECTS
What's perhaps most disturbing about this AD is the breadth of defects
discovered by Cessna technicians. Normally an AD focuses on a specific
part or system in an airplane but this one identifies a Pandora's box
of potentially serious issues. According to the AD, Cessna found
misrigged and misaligned control surfaces, a missing bolt on a flap
push/pull rod, cables chafing fuel lines (resulting in damaged fuel
lines), cables routed outside cotter pins, crossed cables, cables
routed outside of pulleys, cables rubbing on bulkheads and center
consoles, unpinned or improperly pinned barrels on control cables and
a bent flap bell crank. These are new aircraft, remember.
More...
PAYING TOO MUCH FOR LIFE INSURANCE?
If you
are a pilot who currently has or is applying for a life insurance
policy with anyone other than the Pilot Insurance Center (PIC),
STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! You are probably overpaying for your
insurance or awaiting a higher premium once you are approved. PIC
assures you the best policy at the best price from an agent who knows
aviation and won't send your rate into a flat spin after underwriting.
You have nothing to lose, and it might be the most profitable five
minutes of your day. Call PIC at (800) 380-8376 and get an instant
quote, or visit PIC at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/piclife/avflash. |
GLOBALFLYER'S
LEGACY…
Well, by now Steve Fossett has had that well-deserved sleep, meal and
shower, the media hordes have left Salina and GlobalFlyer is sitting
in a hangar, awaiting what will likely be its final flight (to the Air
and Space Museum, via Oshkosh, it's been speculated). But what,
besides some fleeting drama and a line in the record books, did the
first solo, nonstop round-the-world flight leave as a lasting legacy?
According to at least one aviation theorist, it might pave the way for
single-pilot operations on long-distance flights. "It took years to go
from three to two pilots in the cockpit and now imagine going from two
to one and doing it with every bit as much safety and precision of
flying, " Bruce Holmes, a NASA aeronautics researcher, told the
Houston Chronicle. "If he can do it, why can't we make it something
that more and more pilots could do one day, rather than just a few
elitists, romanticists and aviation enthusiasts?" More...
...RECORD-SETTING
TRIVIA...
For the record, Fossett came perilously close to not claiming the
record -- aside from the lost(?) 2,600 lbs of fuel (typo'd in a
previous issue as gallons). The requirement for setting the record was
that Fossett cross all longitudinal lines and cover a distance equal
to that of either the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn, or
19,863 nautical miles. Somehow, Fossett's irregular route through
North America, Europe and Asia carried him only 17 nm farther than the
record distance. He did it in 67 hours, 1 minute and 46 seconds
(bouncing the landing on arrival, but if you've ever seen an albatross
land ...). That made his average ground speed 296.6 knots.
More...
...AND
ROUND THE WORLD ON SOLAR POWER
What's next for Fossett and his well-heeled buddies? There's
apparently something in the works and it will be announced in a few
months, but we have to wonder if it's as ambitious as Bertrand
Piccard's plan. As AVweb
told you a couple of years ago, the Swiss psychiatrist (no
relation to Jean-Luc) thinks he'll be the first to circumnavigate the
world in a solar-powered aircraft called the Solar
Impulse. The technical challenges he faces make GlobalFlyer's fuel
problems seem trivial. " Our greatest problem is managing to store
enough solar energy during the day to be able to fly at night," said
Piccard. More...
172
GETS GLASS
You could call it glass for the masses. Joining multiple modern
manufacturers producing glass-paneled aircraft in similar price
ranges, Cessna has won FAA certification of
the Garmin G1000 in the 172S. Cessna previously had the glass
panel certified on 206 and 182 models. It will be offered as an option
on the 172S and Cessna says deliveries are "imminent." As on the other
Cessna singles, the 172S's G1000 panel will consist of two 10.4-inch
high-definition LCD displays that will show all primary flight,
navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather and sensor data.
There's also an economy version of the system in the works for the
172. More...
WARNING:
GARMIN SOFTWARE PROBLEM
Garmin has issued
an alert (PDF file) warning owners of recently delivered new and
repaired GPS units not to use them for DME arc procedures. The main
software (versions 5.03 and 4.03) installed in Garmin 500- and
400-series units shipped new or shipped after repair between Feb. 11
and March 2 apparently has glitches that could give incorrect
navigational information and/or an incorrect depiction on the moving
map display while flying DME arc procedures. The immediate fix is to
revert to the previous software package, which lacks features of the
new program. New full-feature corrected software should be available
by March 31. More...
|
LANCAIR COLUMBIA 400 — NOW CERTIFIED TO
FL250
The Columbia 400's twin turbochargers can now be put
to full effect with the aircraft's recent certification to 25,000
feet. With the added altitude to play with, the Columbia
400 gives pilots even more flexibility than before. Set the
throttle to 80% power and cruise at 235 knots — that's faster
than any other piston-powered aircraft in production today. Or ease
the power back and increase range to standard-setting
levels. A company official recently flew an unmodified
Columbia 400 non-stop from Bend, Oregon to Fort Worth, Texas (a
distance of more than 1,300 nm) while averaging 200 kts.
Find out what a Columbia 400 can do for you. http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/lancair/avflash |
THREE
ENGINES (OUT OF FOUR) OK FOR BA
It would make an interesting slogan: "BA, now flying on three of four
engines -- and perhaps getting you there." A lot of people (including
the FAA) are wondering if financial considerations have trumped
safety, after flying long distances over the arctic and water in a
Boeing 747-400 with a bad engine has apparently become an acceptable
practice for British Airways. Twice in a week, the same plane lost the
same engine early in a long flight and the flights headed for their
destinations rather than the closest suitable runway (one flight
reached its destination of London). The trend began days after a new
European Union rule came into effect guaranteeing compensation for
passengers facing long delays or cancellations. The airline denied any
link between the new rule and the engine-out procedure. "The plane is
as safe on three engines as on four," Capt. Doug Brown, BA's senior
manager in charge of the 747 fleet, told reporters. "It was really a
customer service issue, not a safety issue." FAA spokesman Greg Martin
told AVweb the agency is looking into one of the incidents,
which began in Los Angeles. More...
SURVEILLANCE
GEAR BOOSTS CAP ROLE
It'll undoubtedly be handy in a search, but the digital
camera/computer combination now being tested on some Civil Air Patrol
(CAP) aircraft can do a lot more than pinpoint wreckage. In fact, the
hyperspectral enhanced reconnaissance system is the same basic
hardware used by military patrol aircraft, but it's been scaled down
to fit in a Gippsland GA-8 Airvan, an Australian utility
aircraft picked for the duty because of its large capacity and modest
purchase price ($400,000) and operating costs. A belly-mounted camera
supplies images to the large-screen computer console installed in the
boxy airplane's passenger/cargo area. The result is a view of the
world below and memory that human eyes and brainpower can't match.
More...
|
GET READY FOR SPRING! DOUG RITTER'S SURVIVAL GEAR FROM
AEROMEDIX.COM
Doug Ritter has designed a Pocket Survival
Pak™ and two RSK Survival Knives by Benchmade.
Aeromedix.com is the exclusive outlet for the Doug Ritter
RSK MK1™ and Mini RSK MK1™. Says Doug, "I don't
believe that you will find a better value in a folder for everyday
utility or survival." The Mini RSK M1™ knife has the same
incredible CPM S30V steel and same superb Griptilian handle — now
in black or yellow handles. The Pocket Survival Pak™
is waterproof, floats, and has all the essential survival items. No
other pocket survival kit compares to the overall quality of the
Pocket Survival Pak™. Call Aeromedix at (888) 362-7123, or view
Aeromedix's complete line of safety and survival products for pilots
at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/aeromedi/avflash. |
TETERBORO
CRASH CHARTER SHUT DOWN
The FAA has shut down the Florida charter company whose Challenger
bizjet ran off the runway at Teterboro Airport last month. The agency
ordered Platinum Jet Management to "cease and desist" all operations
on Thursday after allegedly discovering the company doesn't have the
necessary paperwork to provide the crew and airplane for hire. But the
company says the charges are bogus and part of a "witch hunt."
Platinum spokesman Mike Moulis told Miami/Fort Lauderdale's Local 10
news the FAA "has no clue what's going on with this investigation" and
has unfairly targeted the charter company. More...
PIMP
YOUR PLANE?
So, is your pride and joy giving you a little less of each? From the
dull spinner to the flaking paint on the rudder, has your airplane
seen better days? Well, in keeping with the makeover craze that's
sweeping the cable channels these days, the producers of a television
program that usually turns run-down cars into glittering icons of
boulevard excess is now setting its sights a little higher. The
company that transforms beaters into beauty for the MTV program "Pimp
My Ride" is looking for planes to, er, pimp. West Coast Customs
spokesman Tito Arteaga said they're talking to an owner and letting
their imaginations run wild. More...
|
SEVEN FREE ASF AVIATION SAFETY COURSES!
Boost
your aviation expertise with no-cost online courses available through
the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Online Safety Center. Each
20-45-minute course offers not only a handsome graduation certificate
attesting to your increased aviation knowledge, but also FAA
Wings safety program credit. ASF safety materials are without
charge and available to all pilots because of donations from
individuals and companies interested in promoting general aviation
safety research and education. For complete information, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/aopa/asf/avflash. |
ON
THE FLY...
Porsche closed its airplane engine division...
Hot air balloon New
Mexico's state aircraft...
Airport fire truck a waste, says
town...
Delta pilot arrested for allegedly being drunk.
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...
|
ASA MEETS THE NEEDS OF SPORT PILOTS
ASA and
Sport Pilot expert Paul Hamilton have introduced a new line of
products dedicated to the Sport Pilot — the "Freedom to Fly"
series. The Sport Pilot airman certificate provides a simple path
to a pilot certificate and to a variety of aircraft that people can
own and/or operate inexpensively. Now more people will be able to
experience the freedom to fly. Learn about all your flying
options and what is right for you with the Sport Pilot
DVD. Gain FAA certification with the Sport Pilot Test Prep
book or Prepware. Learn whether to fly with the Weather to
Fly DVD. Meet the pilot record-keeping requirements in the
beautiful and useful Sport Pilot Logbook. For complete
details about this new series of Sport Pilot products, visit ASA's web
site at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/asadirect/avflash. |
READER
FEEDBACK ON AVWEB'S NEWS COVERAGE AND FEATURE ARTICLES:
AVmail: March
7, 2005
Reader mail this week about lying to the FAA,
growing military airspace, more NTSB accidents and much more.
More...
NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
As the Beacon Turns #87: What
Customer Service?
For too long pilots and wannabe pilots have
put up with mediocre (or worse) customer service from some aviation
businesses, who are relying on our dogged enthusiasm to keep us coming
back. AVweb's Michael Maya Charles says that we have no chance for
growing GA unless we change that attitude. More...
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...
SHORT
FINAL...
As heard over the Palomar Tower Freq. back in 1981, from a female
controller to a distinguished elder gentleman pilot (and
friend)... Palomar Tower: Tiger Moth on the right
downwind, say your intentions. Tiger Moth: Strictly
honorable Ma'am, strictly honorable. 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 |
|
BENEFIT AVIATION & YOURSELF WITH THE NAA PLATINUM
VISA® CARD
In addition to favorable rates, NAA
cardholders will receive benefits including a discounted rate for NAA
membership and aviation products. You may also qualify for no-cost
accidental death and dismemberment coverage and aircraft damage
reimbursement. NAA, the first national aviation association, receives
a contribution from BankOne with every purchase made on the NAA
Platinum Visa® Card. Those contributions help NAA preserve
the heritage of aviation by supporting the presentation of prestigious
awards and the certification of national aviation records. For more
information — and for the 2004 Collier Winner — go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/naa/visa/avflash. |
MODERNIZING YOUR KT76 DOESN'T GET ANY
EASIER!
Narco Avionics proudly announces that their
plug & play line of digital transponders now includes the new AT165/K
Transponder, a competitively priced replacement for the mechanical
KT76/78. Narco's line of plug & play transponders also includes the
AT165, a replacement for the AT50 through AT155 and the AT165/KA, a
replacement for the KT76A/78A. Coming Soon: Narco's
AT165 Value Series, a cost-effective way to put a no-frills digital
transponder in your panel. SPECIAL: Purchase an AT165 and get
an AR850 for $99. For more information, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/narco/avflash. |
SEE CLEARLY METHOD IMPROVES & STRENGTHENS VISION
NATURALLY
The See Clearly Method does this without
the risk or expense of laser surgery. Developed by award-winning
optometrists and research scientists, the See Clearly Method is based
on the same principles and techniques used by thousands of pilots in
WWII. As one pilot states, "I never thought it was possible to
actually improve your vision, but it worked. I tell other pilots that
this is an effective way to improve your vision, naturally."
Call (800) 881-7934 for a no-cost informational video, or visit http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/seeclear/avflash. |
NO-COST RESOURCES FOR STUDENT PILOTS!
Whether
you're already a student pilot or thinking about learning to fly, you
qualify for a complimentary 6-month subscription to AOPA
Flight Training magazine and a complimentary 6-month
AOPA membership! AOPA Flight Training includes in-depth
articles and timely tips that help you become a skilled pilot. Plus,
you'll have 24/7 members-only access to AOPA.org
and FlightTraining.AOPA.org. Prepare for lessons, organize flight
plans, and sharpen your flying skills with interactive online safety
courses and seminars. FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS: Receive a
complimentary subscription to AOPA Flight Training when
you enroll your prospective and current primary students for this
offer! Enroll at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/aopaftm/avflash. |
STOP WONDERING — OR WORRYING — WHERE YOUR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE!
Do you have friends or family
flying in tonight? A business colleague coming in for a meeting? Will
your partner get back before you need the airplane? Find out where in
the air they are with the AVweb Edition of Flight Explorer.
AVweb subscribers can sign up for Flight Explorer at the special price
of $9.95 a month. Go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/flightexplorer/avflash. |
SAVE ON THE MAGAZINE THAT SAVES AIRCRAFT OWNERS BIG
MONEY!
Subscribe to Light Plane Maintenance
and save on the regular rates! For 25 years, this acclaimed monthly
has shown general aviation owners how to cut the cost of repairs and
maintenance by doing scores of procedures themselves. Light Plane
Maintenance can be your ticket to keeping costs down and spending
more time in the air. Order today at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/lpm/avflash. |
BECOMING A PILOT IS HUMANKIND'S WILDEST DREAM
FULFILLED
Soaring among eagles and winging over lakes,
canyons, and crowded freeways, all while blessing friends and family
with your newfound gift of flight. 17 or 40, just starting out or
beginning a new life after retirement, the skies are yours. Take that
first step in fulfilling your dream of flight: Take off with Greg
Brown's full-color book You Can Fly. Order an
autographed copy for yourself or as a gift at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/paperjet/avflash. |
| SPONSOR NEWS |
LISTEN & LEARN WITH THE NEW AUDIO CD VERSION OF ROD
MACHADO'S
Private Pilot Handbook on 30
professionally recorded audio CDs. You will learn more easily, retain
more information, prepare more quickly for your flight review and
private pilot knowledge exam, and make better use of those
otherwise-wasted commute hours. Retention can increase by 70% with
auditory learning. As one listener (David Lau of Watertown, WI) said,
"The longer I listened, the more I realized how much I had forgotten
or just haven't thought about for years. These CDs are great fun to
listen to." Order at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/machado/avflash. |
THOUGHT THAT USING GPS WOULD BE FUN, DIDN'T
YOU?
Then you went through the manual and came away
frustrated and confused. Stop laboring to understand those
manufacturers' manuals! For less than $40 (plus shipping and handling)
you can better understand and operate most of the modern GPS units on
the market with ZD Publishing's Pilot Friendly GPS
Manuals. GPS operation is fun and rewarding when you
understand how to get the desired results. These manuals will help you
through all operations. Order at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/zdpub/avflash. |
POWER FLOW STC INCREASES CESSNA 172N GROSS WEIGHT
CAPACITY
Power Flow Systems, manufacturers of the
Power Flow Tuned Exhaust, has received an FAA STC that increases the
gross weight of C172Ns equipped with 0-320 engines. The only
requirement is installing a cowl cooling lip and limiting flap travel
to 30°. With the additional 100 pounds, owners can take on 15
more gallons of fuel, an extra passenger, or additional baggage. For
full details, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/power/avflash. |
PILOTS COMMENT AFTER READING IFR: A STRUCTURED
APPROACH:
"The GPS chapter alone is worth getting the
book. ... It's the best instrument flying book I have ever read,"
states Fred Scott. "If one book could help you make the leap from a
bit player to a skilled conductor of instrument flight, this is
probably it," reads a November 2003 AOPA Pilot review. With the
help of this book, you will establish your own personal standard
operating practices for IFR, including incorporation of checklists,
flows, callouts, briefings, and the "fly by the numbers" method of
aircraft control. For more information and to order, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/skyroad/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 till every part stops.
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.
|
