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October 19, 2006
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Adam Aircraft Designs & Manufactures the A700 AdamJet & A500 Centerline Piston Twin
Adam Aircraft's A700 features twin Williams FJ-33 engines, state-of-the-art avionics, and comfortable seating for eight (or seven with an aft lavatory). The A700 is currently undergoing flight
test and development. Adam Aircraft's A500 centerline piston twin has been Type Certified by the FAA and offers superior safety, range, and performance, along with the pressurized comfort of a
roomy six-seat interior.
For complete details on
both aircraft, go online. 
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 Cirrus Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales John Bingham told AVweb that the name "the
jet" derives from this repeated question: "When will you guys be doing the jet?" So the name stuck. Cirrus' jet program was launched in June and yesterday at the NBAA show Cirrus
announced that it selected the 1,900-pound-thrust Williams FJ33-4A-19 turbofan, but stopped short of offering details on the jet's configuration. Bingham did confirm that it will have an emergency
recovery parachute and retractable gear, fly up to 25,000 feet and cruise at more than 300 knots. He added that the jet will have a "large comfortable cabin," but declined to say how many seats will
be installed. No avionics have yet been selected and Bingham noted that "no assumptions should be made that it will be Avidyne." Cirrus plans to certify the jet "as soon as possible," though it's
unlikely this will happen before 2010. With delivery of a "grey box" promotional package, the company
has started taking orders, and Bingham said Cirrus has received a "substantial" number of deposits.
 Attendance at the National Business Aviation Association annual convention this week in Orlando reached 31,919
attendees by midday yesterday, the second day of the show. This second-day sum is already more than 10 percent higher than the final three-day total for the 2005 show, also held in Orlando. The tally
also surpasses the previous attendance record for the show, which was 31,665 in Las Vegas in 1998. The final 2006 attendance numbers will be announced after the show closes later today.
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Fly in Ultra-Comfort with LightSPEED Headsets
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View the 60-second
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 Nancy Lynn, 50, an aerobatics instructor and performer who
lived in Annapolis, Md., died in a Virginia hospital this weekend after an air show accident in her Extra 300L. Lynn was performing at Culpeper Regional Airport while her son, Pete, 18, narrated the
show from the announcer's stand. The Extra's left wingtip hit the ground, and the aircraft flipped, crashed and caught fire. The airport manager, Frank Bossio, suffered burns to his hands when he
attempted to turn the plane on its side. Rescuers were able to cut Lynn from the cockpit and took her to a hospital, as Pete returned to the announcer's stand to reassure the crowd before going to
join her. She died later that night. Lynn was also a motivational speaker and worked with AOPA's Air Safety
Foundation (ASF), teaching seminars, appearing in training videos and speaking to crowds at AOPA Expo. "We shall miss her greatly, and our deepest sympathies go to her son, Pete, and the rest of
her family," said Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the ASF. Lynn operated Lynn Aviation at Bay Bridge Airport (W29) on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where she offered aerobatic instruction in her
Extra 300L.
 Australia's Civil Aviation Safety
Authority (CASA) said on Tuesday that it plans to introduce a new multi-crew pilot license. The license would be issued to pilots who train specifically to become a first officer in an
air-transport operation, and would require just 240 hours of total time, with 70 hours of that in an actual aircraft, and only 10 hours solo. Current rules require at least 1,500 hours total time. The
change would be allowed under new international rules due to take effect in November. CASA says the aim of the rule change is to improve air safety, but Australia's aviation community already is
speaking out against it. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations and the Australian and International Pilots Association have expressed grave concerns with the proposal. Bryan
Murray, president of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, says simulator training is no substitute for real-world flying experience. "Simulators don't have inertia, and a new candidate would not
necessarily sense a danger or a lack of a safe condition that might otherwise be sensed if he was in a real aeroplane. You know at the end of the day that you can step away from that simulator," he
told an ABC reporter.
"Traditional methods of training pilots emphasize independence and individual skills," CASA wrote in a news release. "The training behind the proposed new licence is designed to embed multi-crew
teamwork from the very start of training, which will lift safety standards. ... Claims that the changes will put safety at risk have been firmly rejected by CASA." Training for the multi-crew license
would last a year, focusing on large-aircraft flying skills, crew resource management and threat and error management. CASA doesn't say what would happen if the multi-crew situation were to suddenly
change. In the U.K. last month, a Ryanair flight had to divert and land after the captain was
incapacitated due to illness. The first officer took over and landed the airplane without incident.
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PowerLink™ FADEC Certified on Liberty XL-2; Is It Right for Your Aircraft?
Liberty Aerospace is the first certified piston-powered aircraft with PowerLink™ FADEC as standard equipment. PowerLink™ FADEC is now also available for several additional
certified and experimental aircraft, including the A-36 Bonanza and VANS RV series. Find out how you can bring your aircraft into the state-of-the-art
online. 
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 Floridians who didn't make it to AirVenture last summer in Oshkosh, Wis., will have a chance soon to check out the
one and only mock-up of Diamond's D-Jet. The mock-up will visit Europe-American Aviation (E-AA) in Naples, Fla., the first (and so far the only)
Diamond Brilliance Flight Center in the U.S. E-AA offers Diamond flight training exclusively, with a fleet of two DA20
Eclipse two-seaters, seven DA40 Diamond Star four-seaters with G1000 glass cockpits, and one DA42 Twin Star. E-AA also has the only Diamond Elite Twin Star simulator in the U.S. The D-Jet mock-up will
visit the flight school on Sunday, Oct. 29, and the public is invited to come by and check it out. E-AA is right beside the general aviation terminal at the airfield.
 The FAA has finalized its airworthiness directive (AD) on some Cirrus brakes. Cirrus Design argued that
the best fix to avoid overheated brakes (or brake fires) is to taxi more slowly. The FAA agreed but said it will nonetheless also require maintenance and hardware upgrades as proposed. The AD applies
to some 2,135 Cirrus SR20 and SR22 airplanes. It requires replacement of O-ring seals or brake calipers as well as modifications to landing-gear wheel fairings to allow for temperature monitoring,
plus changes to the Pilot's Operating Handbook. The AD results from several reports of the castering-nosewheel airplanes experiencing main gear brake fires and two airplanes losing directional
control, the FAA says. Cirrus has said it will provide warranty credit for some of the work. The AD takes effect on Nov. 17.
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Aircraft Spruce Carries Nitrogen Inflation Systems
GENTEC® refillable nitrogen inflation systems allow for easy, cost-effective inflation of aircraft tires with pure nitrogen. Michelin, the FAA, and other leading tire manufacturers
recommend the use of nitrogen for all tire inflation. Nitrogen has a larger molecule than air, thus tire pressure is maintained longer. Tires run cooler from the lack of moisture internally, and
oxidation and corrosion are eliminated as well. Help extend the life of your aircraft's tires; use nitrogen. For more information and to order, call 1-877-4-SPRUCE, or
visit online. 
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 In Europe, where the threats of global warming and air pollution are taken much more
seriously than in some other parts of the world, the contributions of aviation to rising carbon-dioxide levels are coming under scrutiny. The U.K. aims to cut its carbon emissions 60 percent by 2050,
but a new report released this week says that can't happen without including aviation, which is not addressed under
current schemes. About 5.5 percent of U.K. carbon emissions are from aircraft, but that percentage will rise to about 25 percent by 2050. Richard Branson, of Virgin Airlines, has said that airlines
could cut their emissions by 25 percent right now by implementing new procedures, such as taxiing less and
carrying less fuel. Branson also recently pledged to spend $3 billion to develop alternative fuels.
 It's a dream many aviators share -- to fuel up their airplane and head east, and keep going until they land again at
their home airport, having circled the earth. Right now, three aviators from New Zealand are in the midst of living just that dream, flying a Cessna 421. "Our intentions are to travel across the world
and film it, while educating ourselves on the various local cultures and people we will discover," they write at their Web site. "We will
also be looking for the effect aviation has had on the places we will visit." They launched on Sept. 14 and as of Tuesday had reached Narsarsuaq, Greenland. They expect the entire trip to take about
four months. The three travelers, Flora and Joe Lloyd, and Alistair Blake, said they were excited about the challenge. Their route will continue through Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia,
and back to Australia and then New Zealand. The project is affiliated with The Starship Foundation, which raises
money for a children's hospital in Auckland. Their Web site features daily updates of their progress.
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Fly with the Bose® Aviation Headset X
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magazine. (Headset Preference Survey, 12/05.)
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 NASA has expanded its original one-year, $250,000 Personal Air Vehicle Challenge to a five-year set of competitions with rewards of up to $550,000 per year. The
competition's goal is to stimulate the development of Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs) that will be viable for the consumer market. The vehicles must have two to six seats, be easy to fly, quiet, safe,
fuel-efficient, and capable of coping with most weather variables. NASA hopes that PAVs can help to relieve surface gridlock and save fuel while giving travelers more freedom. "The market situation
is ideal for an annual Technology Prize to bring about the needed breakthroughs and evolve them over five years," says Dr. Brien Seeley, president of the CAFE Foundation, which will host the PAV Challenge. The PAV Challenge opens team registration on Nov. 1 and the competition begins in 2007. The CAFE (Comparative Aircraft Flight
Efficiency) Foundation is a nonprofit, volunteer group.
James Fallows, reporter for The Atlantic and a Cirrus pilot, offers comment and analysis into
the recent fatal crash in New York. Also, The New York Times provides a detailed
graphic of the flight path...
The continuing investigation into last month's midair over Brazil is raising questions about air traffic control procedures...
A small Fort Worth, Texas, museum is trying to raise $15,000 by the end of the month to save a Navy F-14 Tomcat from the scrap
yard...
The Washington Post looks at the dangers of in-flight fires...
In China, hundreds of high-school students applied over the weekend to work as
airline pilots. Recruiters were surprised by the amount of interest...
In Oregon, aviation companies say skilled labor is scarce, and training programs
can't attract students...
A 1945 C-82 made its final flight last week, bound for a museum in Maryland.
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If Brokers Say They Cover the Whole Market, Why Can't They Get a Quote from Us?
The fact is brokers can't get a quote from Avemco, the only direct provider of aviation insurance. On top of that, only Avemco lets you talk directly to the aviation underwriter for
fast, accurate answers in one simple phone call. Plus, Avemco offers consistent rates and coverage as well as short, easy-to-understand policies. So if a broker tells you he covers the whole
market, he's only telling you half the story. Call Avemco at (888) 241-7891 or
visit online to hear
the rest of the story. 
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 Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something that 130,000 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.
Find all of today's stories in AVweb's: NewsWire
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Introducing New AeroShell® Oil W 80 Plus
The newest member of the AeroShell® family, AeroShell® Oil W 80 Plus is designed to provide excellent protection for pilots who fly in colder weather or less frequently. With the
same anti-wear and anti-corrosion additives found in AeroShell® W 100 PLUS, new AeroShell® W 80 Plus provides pilots with a lighter single-grade oil they can trust.
Learn more
online. 
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COLUMNS
Say Again? #68: ATC Programming
Does your local, stuck-in-the-past, traditionalist pilot complain about how difficult it is to use the latest glass cockpits and how "Real pilots should be able to fly with just needle, ball and
airspeed"? ATC has its own technical and safety issues any time a new software version comes out, says AVweb's Don Brown.
Audio news, plus a new in-depth interview are posted online each Monday and Friday. Check AVweb's audio news index to hear news
directly from the newsmakers.
Find exclusive interviews featuring Cessna's Jack Pelton on his company's LSA, TCM president Bryan Lewis, NATCA president John Carr, New Piper CEO Jim Bass, Hal Shevers for Sporty's Pilot Shop, Light
Sport guru Dan Johnson, Excel Jet's Bob Bornhofen, Adam Aircraft's Joe Walker, FAA administrator Marion Blakey, Cirrus Design's Alan Klapmeier and more. AVweb's Podcast index, is online, now. You'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.
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Garmin 396 vs. Flight Cheetah with XM Weather Comparison
How does the Garmin 396 really compare to the Flight Cheetah with XM Weather? Check out
this link
to find out.
(866) 443-3342
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AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Hill Aircraft at KFTY in Atlanta, Ga.
AVweb reader Brett Justus offered comments and a few reasons to stop by.
"I visit 20-30 FBOs a week. Hill has the best service I've experienced, ever. Came in late at night in chilly rain after a long day of flying. They had the fuel truck and my rental car at the plane
in minutes. Rental car GPS was programmed with instructions to my Hotel. I was on my way to a warm room and comfy bed within a few minutes of landing!"
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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If You Think "Bargains" Are Something Alien to Aviation — Think Again!
Spending hard-earned money on your aircraft and its avionics can be expensive. But don't think good deals aren't available in today's marketplace. Bennett Avionics provides pilots with
quality avionics to meet their needs and maintain their budget. Before you buy anywhere else, check out Bennett Avionics at (860) 653-7295 or
online. 
You'll be glad you did!
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 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/ .
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Use the Best — ASA's 2007 FAR/AIMs and FAA Exam Prep Now Available
ASA's 2007 FAR/AIMs, Test Preps for pilots, and Fast-Track Test Guides for AMTs are now available. Prepware combines all the information in the Test Prep and Fast-Track Test Guide series in
computer-based training. Contains all FAA Knowledge Exam questions. Virtual Test Prep lets students study from their TVs or computer DVD players. For complete details about these products,
visit ASA's web
site. 
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This Week's Question
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Last Week's Results
PREVIOUS RESULTS ***
Last week, in our continuing effort to get a better picture of how
much time AVweb readers spend in the skies, we asked how many hours
you've logged with an instructor over the last 12 months.
Even allowing for simulator time, it seems it wasn't much — 46% of
those who responded said they'd spent just four hours (or less) flying
with an instructor since October 2005.
Only 9% of AVweb readers told us they had logged 40 or more hours
with an instructor.
What about the rest of our readers?
View the complete breakdown of last week's poll answers
here.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION ***
Should New York's East River "VFR corridor" be kept open?
Click here to answer.
Have an idea for a new QOTW? Send your suggestions to
qotw@avweb.com. NOTE:
This address is
only for suggested QOTW questions, and not for QOTW answers or
comments.
Use
this form to send QOTW comments to our AVmail Editor.
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IFR, the Magazine for the Accomplished Pilot
IFR magazine presents readers with monthly doses of straightforward, irreverent, pull-no-punches articles and advice and hair-pulling, pencil-breaking, skill-sharpening quizzes —
all to add to your confidence and renewed proficiency for today's flying in the complex IFR system.
Order your subscription
online for savings from the regular rate. 
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Submit a Photo
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Past POTW Winners
Happy days are here again — at least as far as "Picture of the Week"
is concerned! The number of photos we receive each week is
definitely on the rise, and it's getting increasingly tough to pick a
single winner. This week, we had to throw some very tasty fish
back into the virtual sea just to make room (and time) to share some of
our favorites. We've said it before, and we'll say it again — just
because you don't see your photo here, don't think it goes
unappreciated. We gawk at each and every photo you send us.
We're talking to you, Vicente Garza and Josh Cawthra and
the dozen or so other contributors who shall go un-name-checked this
week! (Thanks for the great photos!)
*** THIS WEEK'S WINNERS ***
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Used with permission
of Charles C. White |
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Early Morning Flight Ooh, it's hard to pick a winner
this week — but we don't think you'll be able to find fault with us if
we award the top honor this week to Charles C.
White of Truckee, California. Maintenance (especially
maintenance under duress) was a running theme in this week's entries, so
we couldn't resist picking Charles's photo to kick off our latest
installment of "POTW."
Like all top-spot winners, Charles will receive an official AVweb
baseball cap in the mail. Keep your eyes peeled, Charles — and
everyone else, keep on
sending those
photos!
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AVweb continues to receive a large number of excellent images for
our POTW contest. Here are some of the runners-up. Due to privacy issues,
AVweb does not publish e-mail addresses of
readers who submit photos. |
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Misty Fiords, Alaska
We get a lot of pictures from the Alaskan bush. You might think
we'd eventually get our fill of mountain streams and trusty Cessnas on
floats dusted with an unexpected morning frost — but you'd be wrong.
Take a gander at this photo from Robert W. Nagel of Hilton, New York,
and tell us you could get tired of this sort of thing. The
approach, writes Bob, "includes flying directly at a 3,000' rock face
and a steep turn to final." |
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copyright © Gary
Dikkers
Used with permission |
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Nice Camouflage
Gary Dikkers of Madison, Wisconsin
made the pilgrimage down to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio to visit the
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. While there, he snapped
this colorful display of a World War I-era Fokker D.VII. |
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Powered Parachute in Bavaria
Bob Perkins of Sherrills Ford, North
Carolina writes, "This guy was having a lot of fun in Bavaria.
Wish I'd been with him!" |
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copyright © John
Rippinger
Used with permission |
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Slot Position with the Lima Lima Flight Team
John (Ripper) Rippinger of the
Lima
Lima Flight Team — if you're reading this at work, adjust your
speakers before you click! — took this self-portrait during a press
flight for the Chicago Air & Water Show.
Who could have guessed that those guys' flight outfits were as
well-coordinated as their aerobatic routines? |
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End of the Day
Kenny Chapman of Canby, Oregon sees
us off this week with a photo taken at Olbia, Sardegna (Italy).
...
No, wait. It was a big week for submissions. Who's game
for two more? |
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Great Emergency Landing
Alan Jewell of Binghamton, New York
tells the tale:
This is a beautiful 1968 Champion-Citabria en route from
Hampton, NH to Fargo, ND. Piloted by William Cowdan
of Fargo when engine problems forced this landing in a cow
pasture just two miles short of the Greater Binghamton Airport.
This was a spectacular landing, as you can see from the distant
photo — a long downhill, a brushy swampy patch, and the little
pasture where he finally touched down only to be faced with a
four-strand fence and about two acres of muck and cow pies. He
took out the fence and got right into the muck, [which] killed
off his speed. He somehow managed to keep the nose up and the
airplane in a straight line. Unfortunately, the prop did get
into the mud, and the pilot got slight injury to his nose, but,
all told, he made a remarkable landing.
Indeed! Thanks for the photos, Alan! |
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Death of a Lady
Here's an aircraft that didn't fare as well, unfortunately.
Dean Zinter of Tigard, Oregon
writes, "This aircraft last flew in 1990. The owner would not sell
or maintain it ... sad that someone would let this happen." |
To enter next week's contest,
click here.
A Reminder About Copyrights: Please take a moment to consider the
source of your image before submitting to our "Picture of the Week" contest.
If you did not take the photo yourself, ask yourself if you are indeed
authorized to release publication rights to AVweb. If you're uncertain,
consult the
POTW
Rules or
send us an e-mail.
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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
Attention, Cessna Owners and Pilots!
The Cessna Flyer Association (CFA) provides parts locating, tech support, a monthly member magazine, online forums, national and regional events, an annual convention, seminars, and
more. With a one-year membership for $39, access the needed information to expand your knowledge and get more enjoyment from owning and flying your Cessna aircraft. The CFA is located on the
Waupaca Municipal Airport in Wisconsin, just 35 NW of Oshkosh.
Click here to request a
sample magazine and more information.
Attention, Private Pilots & Aviation Enthusiasts! Track Commercial & GA Flights!
From the comfort and privacy of your desktop computer, you can track commercial and general aviation flights on IFR flight plans in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Canada, New
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Safety Equipment ... Add Aviation Safety to Your MEL
A Minimum Equipment List is not complete without a subscription to Aviation Safety. Discover this informative, instructive monthly publication that sharpens your air readiness.
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Power Flow Is Now FAA-Approved for the Diamond DA40
The Power Flow Tuned Exhaust System is now standard equipment on all 2007 Diamond DA40 aircraft. Benefits include: Speed increases of up to 8 knots; 15% more climb; or, go the same speeds and
save up to 1.2 gallons per hour. Starting in October, existing DA40 owners can retrofit their aircraft.
For complete details,
go online!
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 personal standard of
IFR operating practices, including incorporation of checklists, flows, callouts, briefings, and the "fly by the numbers" method of aircraft control.
Order online.
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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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