USER FEES FIGHT RAMPS UP
While it's too early to tell what effect the Nov. 7 election results will have on the most pressing legislative issue facing general aviation, something politicians in Washington (the new and the old) can count on hearing plenty about is the aviation user-fee issue. In yesterday's opening general session of AOPA Expo in Palm Springs, AOPA President Phil Boyer said the most crucial period of the lobbying effort is looming as President Bush prepares a budget for presentation in February. That budget must make provisions for funding the FAA and its funding tenure runs out at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2007. Just what the administration intends to do about FAA funding will be hidden in the folds of that massive document. "We'll be looking for blanks in the budget," Boyer said. More...

CESSNA'S FUTURE ON DISPLAY AT AOPA EXPO
At AOPA Expo, Cessna is debuting a mockup of its Next Generation Piston (NGP) aircraft and displaying its flying proof-of-concept Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). It further announced upgrades for its current single-engine pistons. The company anticipates a launch decision for the NGP program by next summer, which would be followed by an 18-month certification schedule if given the green light. Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton said the flying proof-of-concept aircraft is meeting and exceeding expectations with more than 80 hours in the air since its maiden flight on June 23. Meanwhile, he said the LSA concept is on track, with a program launch decision expected in the first quarter next year. Cessna's LSA is expected to cost less than $100,000. More...

PIPER PICKS WILLIAMS POWER
The PiperJet will be packing plenty of punch when it flies off the drawing board. Piper President Jim Bass announced yesterday at AOPA Expo that a Williams FJ44-3AP will be in the tail-mounted nacelle of the jet. The engine is normally rated at 3,000 pounds of thrust, but this one will be derated to 2,400 pounds, giving it 1,000 pounds more than the belly-mounted FJ33 on the Diamond D-Jet, and 500 more than the-jet proposed by Cirrus, which will also have an FJ33. Bass told AVweb he wanted a big engine in the plane to ensure it had the kind of performance he desired. But he also said the derated engine gives them the flexibility to make larger versions of the aircraft as demand warrants. Bass said Williams was the clear choice even though Piper has a business arrangement with Honda, which has developed a new jet engine in cooperation with GE. More...

DIAMOND ANNOUNCES D-JET FLEET ORDER
Airline Transport Professionals, which provides direct track training for airline pilots, announced the purchase of 20 Diamond D-Jets at AOPA Expo. In turn Diamond has announced that ATP will develop and provide type certificate training for the D-Jet. Diamond President Peter Maurer said training is a key component of any jet program, because of the type certificate requirement, and he noted that ATP trains about 300 transport-rated pilots a month. Diamond is also developing a simulator. But the training arrangement goes both ways and ATP President Derek Dennis said the D-Jet is an ideal platform for his airline ticket students. "What the airlines want is jet time," he said. More...

GARMIN GNS 400/500 SERIES GET WAAS TSO
Garmin announced yesterday that the GNS 400/500 series have been TSO'd for lateral-precision with vertical (LPV) guidance approaches and receive GPS navigation via the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The FAA also granted approved model list STC approval, allowing the 400W/500W equipment to be installed on more than 980 makes and models of aircraft. The GNS 400/500W series joins the G1000 and GNS 480 in providing WAAS enabled navigation for aircraft. More...

PILOT/JOURNALIST BARRY SCHIFF ENTERTAINS CROWD
Barry Schiff has been checked out in more types of airplanes than most people have probably even seen in a lifetime but his message is consistent. "It doesn't matter what you fly," he told the opening luncheon crowd at AOPA Expo. "What matters is that you fly." Schiff, who retired as a Boeing 747 captain in 1998 after 34 years with TWA, has more than 300 types in his logbook and he's aiming for 400. While aviation has been his job for his entire adult life, he said he's never forgotten to have fun with it. Schiff, who has written several books and numerous magazine articles on the subject, said he tries to make his love and awe of aviation infectious. "And I urge you to pass it to others," he said. More...

MUSTANG APPROVED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING
Cessna yesterday said the FAA cleared the Citation Mustang for flight into known icing, some two months after the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F-powered very light jet received type approval. "While approval for flight into icing is not required for certification of the airplane, we wanted to have this in place prior to delivering our first Mustang and in advance of this year's major icing season," said Cessna Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Pelton. "The Citation Mustang has met or exceeded every performance objective established when we announced the program in 2002, and we beat the schedule doing it." More...

BONANZA TURNS 60 AND HAS NEVER LOOKED BETTER
A special 60th anniversary package was revealed yesterday by Raytheon Aircraft for 2007 model-year Beechcraft Bonanza G36s. The anniversary editions will come with several upgrades, including a redesigned sidewall that offers more space and comfort, leather seats tailored with a combination of embossed stingray and wheat leather, removable headrest covers embossed with the Bonanza shield, leather-wrapped control wheels, tweed carpet and a sculpted 60th anniversary entry mat. Raytheon said the exterior will preserve the Bonanza legacy, while advancing technology and design with specially formulated paints. More...

"LIVE" FROM PALM SPRINGS: OUR AOPA EXPO 2006 PHOTO GALLERY
Our AVweb staffers had their cameras handy at this year's AOPA Expo. Walk the booths and by-ways of the show with us in our virtual stroll. More...

AVWEB'S FRIDAY PODCAST: CESSNA'S JACK PELTON
Today's podcast features an interview with Cessna chairman, president and CEO Jack Pelton at AOPA Expo. Pelton talks about his company's next-generation small airplanes, namely Cessna's light sport airplane and Next Generation Piston family, both of which are being spotlighted at the show. Click here to listen. More...

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Today's issue was written by Chad Trautvetter and Russ Niles (bio).

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