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 Aircraft Spruce Reduces Pricing on Your Noisebuster
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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded,
Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire. BARON
CRASHES AFTER SEEMINGLY PILOTLESS FLIGHT
The pilot of a
twin-engine turbo Beech Baron 56-T-C was headed home to St. Paul, Minn.,
from Glendive, Mont., on a business trip, when he apparently lost
consciousness somewhere above Wisconsin last Friday night. The airplane
continued on course until it ran out of fuel near Charleston, W.V. Two
F-16s intercepted the Baron and attempted to make contact with the
pilot, and fired flares, to no avail. They escorted the airplane until
it descended and crashed in a rural area about 9:45 p.m. The pilot,
William Roger Cammack Jr., 56, of St. Paul, who was alone on board,
died. Nobody on the ground was hurt. Cammack had been a pilot for over
25 years and had recently joined the Civil Air Patrol, family members
said. More... AS
HELIOS CRASH INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Meanwhile, the report
into last year's crash of a passenger jet in Cyprus is nearing
completion. The Helios Airways 737-300 ran into a mountainside after
running out of fuel, after the cabin's loss of pressure led to the
incapacitation of the cockpit crew. It has been reported that a flight
attendant with minimal experience as a pilot was only able to gain entry to
the cockpit after the aircraft lost power from fuel exhaustion. All
121 on board died. The investigation so far has found that "latent
errors have lain there for years waiting for the pilot to pull the
trigger," according to Akrivos Tsolakis, head of the investigation. The
systemic faults created "a window of opportunity" for the errors made by
the pilots, he said. Tsolakis spoke last week at an aviation safety
seminar in Athens, Flight International reported. More... |
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AIR
SHOW SEASON OPENER WEEKS AWAY
For much of the U.S., the
summer flying season starts on April 4, when the annual Sun 'n Fun
show opens in Lakeland, Fla. On Monday, the FAA released its official arrival procedures, complete with a video
tour of the VFR route. The folks at Sun 'n Fun Radio 1510 sent out a
reminder this week to bring a portable AM radio. They will broadcast 24
hours a day, with schedules, interviews, weather updates, the daily air
show narrative, and remote broadcasts of the evening programs. The
entire Sun 'n Fun campus also will be a wifi hotspot, so bring your laptop and stay
connected. Special programs will honor the 25th anniversary of the first
Space Shuttle launch, and the 20th anniversary of Voyager's historic
nonstop round-the-world flight. More... WHAT
TO EXPECT AT SUN 'N FUN '06
Sun 'n Fun attracts about 4,000
airplanes, with a wide variety of classics, homebuilts, sport planes,
and warbirds. This year's special-guest list includes a new air vehicle
from the folks at CarterCopter, who promise to demonstrate a new
Personal Air Vehicle prototype, an "aerial motorcycle." They plan to fly
it in from Atlanta, stopping at gas stations, restaurants, attractions
and other hotels along the way to Lakeland, to prove the aircraft's
versatility, and arrive at the show at noon on Wednesday, April 5. The
first civilian air show appearance of the F-22A "Raptor" stealth-technology fighter, America's newest
fighter aircraft, is scheduled for Thursday, April 6. And lots more. If
you can't be there in person, watch for AVweb's special coverage
to automatically arrive in your inbox on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
that week, complete with galleries, interviews, and all the news from
the show. More... |
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 Mach 1
Headset by LightSPEED: Small, Durable &
Ultra-ComfortableTry it out at the upcoming Sun 'n Fun
show (booths D52-53 and D75).After years of pilot input,
LightSPEED introduces the MACH 1, a high-performance
in-the-ear (ITE) headset. The "born to be worn" MACH 1 packs a lot for
its size. Connect to cell phone and music interfaces. Get supreme
comfort with unbelievable noise attenuation. To order, contact a
LightSPEED dealer or call (800) 332-2421 (PST business hours). Click here to view the 60-second MACH 1 video.
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CONGRESS
GOES TO WICHITA FOR AVIATION HEARING
The Aviation
Subcommittee of the U.S. House traveled to Wichita yesterday to hold a
field hearing on economic competitiveness in the aviation industry.
Peter Bunce, CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association
(GAMA), urged committee members to support GA with tax relief and
clarified export rules. He also assured the panel that the introduction
of very light jets into the airspace system -- expected to begin this
year -- will not "clog up the airways." Bunce said the VLJs will stay
away from crowded airline hubs and add value to underutilized GA
airports. The committee also heard from Jack Pelton, president of Cessna
Aircraft, and James Schuster, CEO of Raytheon. More... IAOPA:
GLOBAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR GA SAFETY
The directors of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) met in Montreal,
Canada, this week to discuss a global strategy for aviation safety.
While most of the conference dealt with air-carrier issues, GA concerns
were represented by John Sheehan, of the International Council of
Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA). Addressing the
conference, Sheehan emphasized the need for GA pilots to have
sufficient, affordable information pertinent to the safety of flight.
"Weather and airport information are not always available or affordable,
and regulatory restrictions and high fees deter pilots in obtaining
added experience and proficiency," said Sheehan. More... |
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 The SJ30-2 Is
the World's Fastest Light Business JetNot only is it
fast; it has intercontinental range -- 560 mph and over 2800 sm
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sky today -- the perfect package of speed, range, and good looks.
Click
here for details.
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PIRATE
STATIONS INVADE CROWDED AVIATION AIRWAVES
As if the radio
frequencies weren't already busy enough, now pirate radio stations in
Florida are interfering with aviation communications. "It's a
nightmare," Jim Marinitti, president of the Miami Tower branch of the
National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Monday. For the last
month, pilots have been hearing hip-hop tunes and Haitian music instead
of clearances and callbacks. Police traced the signal of a radio station
that calls itself Da Streetz to a warehouse with an antenna, but nobody
was there. Audio broadcasting equipment was confiscated, but the music
has kept on playing. More... COPPERSTATE
FLY-IN CHANGES SCHEDULE AND MENU
Arizona has hosted some form
of the popular Copperstate Fly-In every year for over 30 years, and
it has been held at at least six different sites. This year, the change
is all about the date, pushing back to later in the fall in hopes of
cooler weather. This year's show will run Thursday through Sunday, Oct.
26 to 29, which statistics say should provide 80-degree days, 12 degrees
cooler than past events. Show organizers also have axed the usual
afternoon air show and replaced it with hourly fly-bys and demos of the
antique, classic, and homebuilt aircraft that fly in to the field. The
change will keep the airport open all day, organizers said this week,
and give the fly-in pilots who attend the show a chance to showcase
their aircraft. More... |
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GROWING
PAINS FOR INDIA'S AVIATION INDUSTRY
With a booming economy
and a rapidly expanding aviation sector, India is finding it tough to
fill all of its pilot seats, and extra demands are made on the pilots
that are available. Pilots at Air India are assigned to legs as long as
10 hours without relief, a practice that would not be allowed under FAA
air-carrier rules. To ease the shortage, India has been hiring foreign pilots to fill its seats, but that
has caused problems when the pilots are not fluent in English. Incidents
in recent months involving foreign pilots have raised concerns that
there may be miscommunication with air traffic controllers, and even
among cockpit crews. More... PILOT
GROUPS SUPPORT FAA CHANGES TO "POSITION AND HOLD"
Although
the FAA's recent efforts to minimize the use of "taxi into position and
hold" procedures have been vociferously opposed by the National Air Traffic Controllers
Association, two pilot groups this week said they are fine with the
changes. "The FAA's review [of TIPH] promises to build in necessary
safeguards during departure and arrival operations on the nation's
runways," said Larry Newman, a spokesman for the Air Line
Pilots Association (ALPA). The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which
represents American Airlines pilots, agreed. "We applaud the FAA's action to improve
safety on our runways," said Mike Leone, APA Safety Committee chairman.
"The risk factors the FAA found in its review are real, and the changes
mandated ... will significantly mitigate those risks."
More... |
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In Aircraft Insurance, There Is an
Option -- Go Direct to AvemcoMany insurance agents
say they represent "all the markets," implying once you call them you
needn't bother with any other aircraft insurance provider. What these
agents don't tell you is that there is an option -- Avemco.
Avemco is the ONLY direct writer of general aviation insurance in the
country and the only insurance company you can contact directly to
purchase insurance. You always have an option with Avemco, offering
mid-term premium discounts, storage options, credits for training,
same-day service, and multiple payment options. Call (888)
241-7891 or go online.
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ON
THE FLY...
Aerobatic pilot Nick Nilmeyer, Stars of Tomorrow
team captain, died Monday...
Custom Chelton EFIS for Vans RV-10
released by Direct-To Avionics...
New data will provide better
warning of solar events that affect GPS...
EAA Sport Pilot Tour stops
added in Tenn., Chicago, Calif., and more...
Pilots are among the
safest drivers, study finds...
Aerospace Gala at Braintree, Mass.,
April 22...
Japan Airlines' new program to keep older workers on as
mentors...
FAA testing screened-off taxiway design to prevent runway
incursions...
ATG reports continued progress with flight tests of its
Javelin Jet.
More... |
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The 2006 New Piper Mirage Offers Serious
SophisticationAvidyne's Flightmax Entegra Integrated
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system, and dual Air Data/Attitude and Heading Reference System (ADAHRS)
combine to provide serious sophistication for a higher level of
confidence. Click here for complete information on the New Piper
Mirage.
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NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
BRAINTEASERS
Quiz #105: Think
Clearly
Flying instruments is not particularly difficult. It's
figuring out what Air Traffic Control expects that fogs the brain.
Learning the hidden powers of IFR and VFR clearances launches any pilot
on a direct route to success. More... |
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Get Award-Winning VFLITETM Computer-Based Training for Your
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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... |
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Click, Shop, Save -- at the Pilot's
Shopping Site -- Pilot ShopMake shopping for
everything you and your plane need easy and quick at Pilot Shop.
Books, sunglasses, flashlights, radios, GPSs, timers, headsets,
watches -- the list goes on and on! AVweb Special: $15
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Isn't It About Time You Choose Something
Extra?Pilot-inspired, German-engineered, and
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QUESTION
OF THE WEEK
Taxi into position and hold procedures are no
longer welcome at most airports. Your local airport was probably
affected, but it's possible nobody asked your opinion. So now we are.
PLUS: Results of last week's question on owner maintenance.
More... |
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Don't Wish Your Airplane Had All the
Bells and WhistlesBennett Avionics makes that wish
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stocks a complete line of used avionics that will add tremendous
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newer electronics. Bennett Avionics is your one-stop used avionics
specialist. Call the Bennett Avionics specialists at (860)
653-7295, or go online.
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PICTURE
OF THE WEEK
 Welcome back to AVweb's
"Picture of the Week." Each week, we sort through the top aviation
photos submitted by AVweb readers and choose our favorites. We share the
best of the best right here and award the number-one photographer with
an Official AVweb Baseball Cap. This week's winning cap goes to Billy Walker of Phoenix, Arizona. Billy's
submitted before, but the fun perspective in this week's photo took him
all the way to the top spot. Congratulations, Billy — your hat is
on the way! More... |
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 AVWEB
APPRECIATES YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS, WHO BRING YOU
TODAY'S NEWS AND FEATURES AT NO COST TO YOU
Going to Sun 'n Fun? Plan on Visiting AVweb's
Sponsors!
Our sponsors help us bring you the news -- twice
a week -- at no cost to you. Please stop by their Sun 'n Fun booths to
say "thank you" for their support. Click
here for a list of AVweb sponsors attending the show and where to
find them.
Pilots Know They Need to Protect & Improve
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As a pilot, Brian Grote knows that visual
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Sees & Then See What They Do with the Information
The
AVweb Edition of Flight Explorer is the PC-based graphical
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AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles,
products, features, and events featured on AVweb,
the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
Today's issue was written by news writer Mary Grady (bio).
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.
Freedom, independence, responsibility.
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