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| A Nightmare That’s Every Private Pilot’s
Dream | | back to
top |  | |
150-HOUR
CESSNA PILOT HELPS OUT IN CONTINENTAL EMERGENCY
Stephen Brown
says he has no intention of abandoning his successful air conditioning
business in Albuquerque, but he’s done something most private
pilots haven’t. The 47-year-old 182 pilot was asked to take the
right seat of a Continental Airlines Boeing 757 after the captain
collapsed at the controls (he later died) shortly after takeoff from
Houston bound for Puerto Vallarta 10 days ago. Brown, along with his
wife and some friends, was among 210 passengers heading on vacation
when, less than an hour into the flight, Brown said he knew something
was terribly wrong not long after a flight attendant asked if there was
a doctor on board. “Anyone who could see up front could see them
pulling one of the pilots out of the cockpit,” Brown told
AVweb in an exclusive interview. More... A
STRANGE BUT FAMILIAR VIEW
After presenting himself to the
cabin crew, Stephen Brown was asked to sit in one of the front passenger
seats while the right-seat pilot switched sides. He then transitioned
from a 182 cockpit to the glass screen spectacle that is a modern
airliner’s command post. “Gosh, there’s a lot going on in
there compared to a 182,” he said. Brown said the pilot introduced
himself as a 28-year veteran of this world. “At that moment I was
probably the least nervous person on the plane,” he said. Brown
said it was obvious the pilot was more than capable of safely landing
the plane himself but the concept of cockpit resource management
dictates that two sets of eyes, hands and feet are better than one and,
despite his relative lack of experience, he was able to make a
contribution. More... Click here to
hear AVweb's exclusive podcast interview with Stephen Brown about his
experience on the Continental
flight. |
| |
New Term Rates Available from
Pilot Insurance Center
Private pilots that expect to fly less than 200 annual hours and have
100 or more solo hours — or who expect to fly 201-300 annual hours
and have 400 or more solo hours — may qualify for new lower rates
from the Pilot Insurance Center ( PIC). PIC
specializes in providing pilots — from student to ATP — with
the life insurance protection they need. A+ RATED CARRIERS — NO
AVIATION EXCLUSIONS — Quick and Easy Application Process. Get a
Quote from PIC by calling 1-800-380-8376 or
visit online. 
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SYMPHONY
AIRCRAFT FACES THE MUSIC
The eleventh-hour balk of a Symphony
Aircraft Industries investor has forced the company, which shipped
five aircraft in 2006 (all in the first two quarters), to lay off all
employees and declare bankruptcy, according to a letter sent Tuesday to dealers by now former
President Paul Costanzo. "It was a big shock for the dealers," said
Florida dealer Jeff Ermish, who also sells Storm
LSAs. Other knowledgeable sources on Thursday told AVweb that
the company had told dealers in a Jan. 5 conference call that a plan to
secure funding for continued operations and production of the Symphony
160 – a two-seat, fixed-gear, high-wing airplane that sold for
roughly $160,000 -- was approved and moving forward. The turn of events
is rumored to have been ignited by a late change in the funding plan
that would have required a larger investment from a lead investor who on
Jan. 19 reviewed that change and pulled out of the deal.
More... WHAT'S
NEXT FOR THE SYMPHONY 160?
As for the future of the Symphony
160, "I don't know, specifically," Jeremy Keninger, the company's former
national sales director, told AVweb. "I don't think it's the end
of the aircraft -- it's a great value at that price point [IFR-equipped
for about $165,000]," Keninger said. "It's too bad it didn't work out in
Canada," where the company in recent years completed manufacturing
facilities. Keninger could not confirm rumblings that the current lead
creditor is thinking about resurrecting the company and bringing it to
the U.S., where the cost of labor and efficient building practices would
likely remain key issues. For aspiring owners with deposits already
paid, "they will be treated as unsecured debts of [Symphony]," writes
former president Paul Costanzo. "It is extremely unlikely that the
proceeds of liquidation will be sufficient to pay the secured creditors,
and as such the entirety of these deposit amounts will more than likely
be lost." More... LIBERTY
HONORS SYMPHONY AND TIGER DEPOSITS
Symphony Aircraft and
Tiger Aircraft customers may be down but they're not necessarily out.
Liberty Aerospace, which came on the scene roughly concurrently with the
now-bankrupt Symphony and Tiger, is offering to honor the deposits of
customers of its former competitor toward the purchase of a Liberty
two-place touring aircraft. "The exit of these two companies is a
tremendous loss to the aviation community," Keith Markley, chief
operating officer of Liberty Aerospace, said in a news release. "Pilots
and the rest of the industry have a strong history of working together
and our wish is to keep the aviation community flying by delivering to
those who still desire a new aircraft." More... |
| |
Fly with the Bose®
Aviation Headset X
Enjoy an unmatched combination of benefits: Full-spectrum noise
reduction, clear sound, and comfortable fit. Voted the #1 headset for
the fifth year in a row by readers of Professional Pilot
magazine. ( Professional Pilot, Headset Preference Survey, 12/05)
Learn more and order. 
| | |
| |
SUPERIOR'S
NEW PRESIDENT AND (SOON) CERTIFIED ENGINE
Frank Thielert,
the CEO of Thielert AG, announced that Kent Abercrombie has been
selected as the new president of Superior Air Parts. Abercrombie joined
Superior in December of 2000 as the director of finance and was promoted
to V.P. of finance in September 2005. Last year Superior experienced
25-percent growth, and further growth is expected since Superior aims to
offer the four-cylinder 220-hp angle-head XP400
engine as a certified product, according to the company. Thielert
AG, whose diesel engines have won industry acclaim for efficiency
serving in the sleek Diamond TwinStar, acquired Superior last spring.
More... SOCCER
SQUAD UNDER AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
The British media is buzzing
about a covert video and photo surveillance mission that’s worthy
of an Ian Fleming novel. But unlike a Fleming book, there’s nothing
as paltry as the future of mankind at stake. This plot has shaken and
stirred something far more important—soccer (or, as they prefer to
call it in Britain, football). According to the Daily Mirror, a highly modified Cessna 172 has been
flying over the heavily guarded training complex of Manchester United as
the lads practice and set tactics for future matches. United appears to
be the team to beat in Britain’s top league and the video and still
pictures taken “during the astonishing spying mission could be
invaluable to rival clubs,” the newspaper speculated.
More... |
| |
Use Trade-A-Plane
& See Why 96% of Their Subscribers Choose
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Thousands of classifieds (updated daily), product and advertiser
indices, NAAA Evaluator, and aviation weather —
Trade-A-Plane is everything that keeps you flying! To
order, call (800) 337-5263 or
order online. 
| | |
| |
NTSB:
OSU KING AIR CRASH LEAVES LEGACY OF SAFETY
An NTSB
recommendation resulting from its investigation of a January 2001 King Air crash that killed all aboard
-- two crew and eight members of the Oklahoma State University
basketball team -- has borne fruit. NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker praised
the "admirable work" of the National Collegiate Athletics Association
(NCAA) and other student athletic organizations as "above and beyond"
for the creation of a 64-page "Safety in Student Transportation" guidance manual
that has since June been distributed to some 9,200 presidents of
colleges and universities, athletics directors and business and risk
managers at educational institutions across the country. If officials
implement the policies, "We will have gone a long way toward making
something good come out of a tragic accident," said Rosenker.
More... FREIGHT
COMPANY BLAMES ATC FOR TAXIWAY COLLISION
The owner of two
small cargo aircraft that collided at Milwaukee General Mitchell
International Airport last Wednesday says both pilots were complying
with instructions from the tower. One of the pilots was slightly injured
when the Cessna 402 and Beech 99, both owned by Freight Runners Express,
came together at the intersection of three taxiways just off the
airport’s main runway. "Both aircraft were operating in controlled
areas under explicit instructions of air traffic control," Freight
Runners said in a statement quoted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Neither
pilot was notified by [air traffic control] of the impending conflict at
the intersection, which would have prevented this accident." The NTSB
hasn’t decided whether it will investigate. More... |
| |
Doc Blue's Emergency Medical Kit — Don't
Leave Home Without It!
Do you carry a first-aid kit in your airplane or car? AVweb's Dr. Brent
Blue says drugstore first-aid kits are packed with mostly useless stuff.
Dr. Blue has assembled a traveling medical kit for dealing with all
sorts of medical problems, based on his long experience as an emergency
room doctor, frequent traveler, pilot, outdoorsman, and dad. It would
cost more than $500 to duplicate this kit, but it's available on sale
from Aeromedix for $333. Order by calling (888) 362-7123,
or
go online. 
| | |
| |
NATA
URGES LORAN UPGRADE
It may not be as flashy or capable as GPS
but Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) is almost bulletproof when the
going gets tough, and that’s why the National Air Transportation
Association (NATA) is urging the federal government to improve it. The
feds have asked for opinions on what to do with LORAN, a ground-based
system that uses the time difference of low-frequency radio signals
between the receiver and ground stations to plot the position of the
receiver. Although GPS is now the favored navigational aid for everyone
from pilots to hikers, NATA says it’s also vulnerable to disruption
from weather and terrorists, while the long waves of RF from LORAN are
hard to jam. “LORAN provides a critical back-up should GPS
malfunction or become unavailable,” NATA says in its comments to
the Department of Transportation. More... VIETNAM’S
FIRST HOMEBUILT SET TO FLY?
Vietnam’s flying farmers
(well, technically, they haven’t really flown yet) are at it again
and this time, according to VietNamNet Bridge, it looks like they
might actually put some air between themselves and the ground. As
AVweb reported in 2004, Tran Quoc Hai and Le Van Danh from
Tay Ninh Province cobbled together a helicopter from salvage parts and a
Russian truck engine, and the Vietnam government (perhaps wisely)
confiscated it before it they could test fly it properly, although they
said at the time they’d hovered it about 18 inches above the
ground. Undeterred, the duo started construction on another aircraft,
which looks a little like a recycling bin with a rotor, but which they
say is much improved over the first one. Now comes word that the
country’s prime minister has decided to give his blessing (and you
thought the bureaucracy was tough in North America and Europe) to a test
flight, provided the ministry of defense and other relevant agencies
agree the chopper is airworthy. More... |
| |
Join NAA and Help Shape the Next Century of
Flight
It's a great time to join the National Aeronautic Association
( NAA), the nation's oldest aviation organization. At $39 a year,
NAA membership is a terrific value for any aviation enthusiast! Members
receive the Smithsonian's Air & Space and NAA's Aero
magazines, plus access to aviation records, product discounts, and much
more. Call (703) 527-0226 to become an NAA member, or
sign up online. 
| | |
| |
ON
THE FLY
Florida County to fight FAA for control of Witham
Field…
Open baggage door a factor in Citation crash…
New
Marine One touched down on White House lawn…
Most FAA employees
satisfied with jobs…
Grenade-shaped belt buckle halted
flights…
Pilot error cited in Predator crash…
Double
engine failure led to highway landing…
NATCA honors top
controllers. More... |
| |
Attention, Cessna Owners and
Pilots!
Join the fastest-growing and best association for Cessna Flyers
— the Cessna Flyer Association ( CFA), since 2004
providing same-day parts locating, faster answers to technical
questions, an informative monthly magazine, online forums, national and
regional events, an annual gatheringseminars, member discounts, and more
for only $39 yearly. The CFA is located in the Blue Hangar
on the Waupaca Municipal Airport (PCZ) in Waupaca, Wisconsin, just 35 nm
NW of Oshkosh. For more info, visit
CessnaFlyer.org. 
| | |
| |
WELCOME
TO THE NEW FACE OF AVWEB
AVweb.com, the world’s best Web site for
general aviation news and information, is now even better thanks to a
redesigned home page that was unveiled this weekend. The revamped home
page has more content, easier navigation, a more user-friendly podcast
interface and better graphics to complement AVweb's real-time
general aviation news, incisive commentary and unparalleled feature
reporting. More... |
| |
Avidyne TAS600 — Because Two Antennas Are
Better than One!
Whether you're flying in a busy terminal area, navigating a long
cross-country, or hovering over a city, seeing and avoiding traffic
requires having the right information in real time. Avidyne's
TAS600 Traffic Advisory Systems, with dual-antenna technology,
provide significantly improved signal coverage and target tracking,
enabling faster updates and enhanced performance over single-antenna
systems, for maximum safety. Starting at $9,990, Avidyne's TAS600
Series makes premium performance, active-surveillance traffic alerting
affordable for virtually every general aviation aircraft.
Visit Avidyne online. 
| | |
| |
AVWEB
AUDIO NEWS
AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new
in-depth interview each Friday. In last Friday's
podcast, you'll find an interview with NATCA's Paul Rinaldi. And
AVweb's podcast index includes
interviews with AOPA's Kathleen Vascouselos; Maule Air's Mikel Boorom;
Professsional Aviation Maintenance Association president Brian Finnegan;
aviation forecaster Richard Aboulafia; NORAD; Bill Lear, Jr.; NATA
President Jim Coyne; Eclipse Aviation's Vern Raburn; and Honda
Aircraft's Jeffrey Smith. In last Monday's
news summary, hear about Tiger Aircraft's bankruptcy filing,
staffing problems at contract control towers, TSA security ramp checks
for GA aircraft, the FAA's imminent decision on the age-60 rule and
more. In today's
special-edition podcast, hear an exclusive interview with Stephen
Brown, the private pilot who went from Continental passenger to
temporary copilot. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you
won't find anywhere else.
Brought to you by Bose Corporation. More... |
| |
Artful Flying Now Available for Michael
Maya Charles Fans!
Artful Flying, written by AVweb columnist Michael
Maya Charles, is now available. Readers will learn the secrets to
becoming a better pilot — and enjoying it more!
Order online and receive ground shipping
at no cost. 
| | |
| |
FBO
OF THE WEEK: TAYLOR AVIATION OF
ELIZABETHTOWN
 AVweb's "FBO of the Week"
ribbon goes to Taylor Aviation of Elizabethtown at KEYF in
Elizabethtown, N.C. AVweb reader Eddie Smith said the FBO
is a shining example of Southern hospitality. "Oscar and Mitch
Taylor go beyond the required service. They have Paymaster self-service
pumps, but are there to service your aircraft anyway. They just cannot
do enough for you. Their fuel prices are extremely low, and I noticed
many others landing there – some even going out of their way to
return. Enough cannot be said about the service at this
facility." 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!
More... |
VIDEO
OF THE WEEK: ULTRALIGHT FLYING OVER CAMBODIA WITH LEE BAER (KOMPONG SPEU
INTERNATIONAL)
Over the last few months, we've seen quite a
few amazing videos from AVweb readers — and if we've learned one
thing, it's how tough it can be to stage, shoot, and produce your own
video. Sometimes you'll see something from the air that's incredible
— but capturing that in a video can be tough. Ultralight pilot Lee
Baer seems to have mastered the art is our latest "Video of the Week"
clip. (Click through to watch.) More... |
SHORT
FINAL
The following exchange took place enroute to opening
day at Sun 'n' Fun last April: Bonanza: Jacksonville
Center, Bonanza Two Zero Yankee. 11,000. Center: Bonanza Two
Zero Yankee, Roger, Jacksonville altimeter 30.12. Bonanza: Are
you working a lot of traffic to Lakeland this
afternoon? Center: I'll tell you what -- if you fell out of
your airplane right now, you'd never hit the ground. More... |
MEET
THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM
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
Contributing Editors Russ
Niles (bio)
and Glenn Pew (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. Aviate, navigate, communicate.
More... |
|
