April 22, 2007

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Fly with the Bose® Aviation Headset X Enjoy an unmatched combination of benefits: Full-spectrum noise reduction, clear audio, and comfortable fit. Voted the #1 headset for the sixth consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2006 Headset Preference Survey. Buy today and receive a complimentary Garmin® Geko 201 handheld GPS. Learn more and order. » Visit Bose Corporation in booth SNF-009 at Sun 'n Fun The "Space" Plane back to top  Roomy Four-Door High Wing Debuts at Sun 'n Fun Newly formed VX Aerospace make the trek to the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In Lakeland, Fla., this week to show off its four-seat FX-300 kitbuilt airplane. The new design -- which has roots in the former Four Winds FX-10 -- incorporates a composite fuselage, chrome-moly steel cage and a strut-less, high-performance composite high wing. According to VX Aerospace, the FX-300 is the only four-seat, four-door aircraft on the market. The kit price is $88,000, not including either a 260-hp Lycoming IO-540 or Continental IO-550 engine. Buyers can take advantage of the builder-assist program to complete their FX-300 in about 90 days. A production airplane started flying last month and has already logged about 35 hours. VX Aerospace President Raymond Jones said a certified version should be available in about 18 months, though pricing for this version has not yet been determined. The company, which recently chose Morganton, N.C., as its new home, is also a dealer and builder-assist center for the Ravin 500, which is an all-composite, kitplane version of the Commanche with a new wing section and a Lycoming IO-540 engine. Reason #31 — Look Ma, No Hands The new Garmin GFC 700 autopilot gives you more hands-free flying control than ever. The flight director is seamlessly integrated into the G1000 glass cockpit and standard on new Skylanes and Stationairs. Letting go never felt so good. For more great reasons, visit CessnaReasons.com. » Visit Cessna Aircraft in booths SNF-003-007 at Sun 'n Fun Tragedy in South Carolina back to top  Navy: Blue Angels RTB After Fatal Crash The U.S. Navy Sunday said it will be at least three weeks before it can release significant information on the fatal crash of Blue Angel No. 6 during an airshow at Beaufort, South Carolina on Saturday. Although the Navy didn’t officially identify the pilot, news reports identified him as Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, 32, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The Angels were just completing a six-ship low-level maneuver when Davis’s F/A-18 Hornet apparently struck trees. The resulting crash showered debris across houses and mobile homes and cut a path through pine trees. Local resident Raymond Voegli told The Chronicle News that he witnessed the crash, saying the aircraft was "a big fireball coming at me ... taking pine trees and just clipping th em." The flame and debris doused his truck, Voegli told the newspaper. Blue Angels Lt. Cmdr Anthony Walley, who flies the No. 2 jet, said no other aircraft were involved in the accident. According to reports, the last Blue Angels fatality happened in October 1999 in Georgia during routine practice before a scheduled airshow. Saturday’s show was the start of the team's show season and more than 100,000 people were expected to attend. A Navy official said the team would return to its base at Pensacola, Florida on Sunday. "We will regroup," he said. Meet the Oregon AeroSM SkyDancer Duo at Sun 'n Fun Make sure to visit Building A (#40) to meet Oregon AeroSM SkyDancer pilots Steve Oliver and Suzanne Asbury-Oliver, one of the most thrilling and unique aerobatic and skywriting teams. While you're there, pick up autographed hero cards and SkyDancer trading cards, and check out Oregon Aero's wide range of Painless, Safer, Quieter™ aviation upgrades. For more information, visit Oregon AeroSM SkyDancer. » Visit Oregon Aero in booths A-040-042 at Sun 'n Fun AVweb Audio News — Are You Listening? back to top  AVweb's Sun 'n Fun Podcast #6: Embraer's Ernest Edwards File Size 11.8 MB / Running Time 12:58 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS AVweb Editor-in-Chief Chad Trautvetter sat down with Embraer North America Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ernest Edwards at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida to get more background on the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer and its growing line of business jets. Dual Antenna Traffic Systems Simply Perform Better Avidyne's dual-antenna TAS600 Systems detect other aircraft sooner and more accurately, avoiding the shadowing effects inherent with single-antenna systems. TAS600s actively interrogate other aircraft, providing timely alerts and precise locations of conflicting traffic. Starting at just $9,990, the dual-antenna TAS600 provides full-time protection and higher performance. When it comes to safety, you want to see the whole picture. Go online for details. » Visit Avidyne in booths D-069-070 at Sun 'n Fun Flight Planning on the Go back to top  Pilot My-Cast Adds Flight Planning Feature Garmin subsidiary Digital Cyclone this week at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., unveiled a new version of its Pilot My-Cast cellphone application that allows pilots to file a flight plan using a mobile phone. Pilot My-Cast is a subscription-based ($12.95 per month) cellphone service that gives pilots personalized flight planning and weather information in the palm of their hand. "Pilot My-Cast is a wonderful flight planning tool because it offers pilots precise, personalized weather reports," said Garmin Vice President of Marketing Gary Kelley. "Now that you can also file a flight plan directly from Pilot My-Cast, pilots will be able to use the weather information they see on their phone to make informed route planning decisions before they file." The first time a pilot uses the Pilot My-Cast service, they are asked to input all required data for the FAA flight plan such as the pilot’s name, address, aircraft identification, aircraft type, departure point, cruising altitude, route of flight, fuel on board and estimated time en route. When the pilot is ready to submit the plan, a few keystrokes will automatically send the information to the DUATS provider. In addition to the new flight plan filing feature, Pilot My-Cast subscribers have access to current and predicted National Weather Service data for the current airport, destination airport or any terminal waypoint in the continental U.S. Weather information includes NEXRAD, METARs and TAFs displayed in text and graphic formats, moving weather maps, satellite loops, lightning data, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, PIREPs, infrared imagery, winds aloft and more. Upset Recovery Training: Are You Prepared? APS Emergency Maneuver Training, the leading provider of upset recovery and spin avoidance/recovery training, delivers enjoyable turn-key programs. Fixed-wing pilots will recognize, avoid, and recover from any upset scenario. Courses directly address Loss of Control In-Flight, the leading cause of aviation accidents worldwide. Sun 'n Fun Special: Book a 3- or 4-day course to receive one complimentary add-on training session ($750 value). Call (866) 359-4273 or go online. Windows for Aviators back to top  These Windows Pass with Flying Colors "You can turn a plain window into a plane window," Flying Colors Glass owner and artisan Gary Elshoff told AVweb this week at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla. The Grafton, Wis.-based company allows Elshoff to combine his love of aviation with his skills to create custom-designed stained glass to replace an existing window or even hang on a wall. The result is one-of-a-kind original works of aviation art that showcases your airplane, or any airplane for that matter. At the show, Elshoff said he recently hired a glass carver to expand Flying Colors Glass' offerings of aviation-themed windows. An approximately 18-inch square, custom-made stained glass window made by Elshoff and crew costs about $400. For the more budget-conscious aviator, Elshoff has also offers a line of original holiday ornaments featuring different airplanes each year. It's Not What You Know, but Who You Know that Can Save You Money! Avionics. Next to your airframe and engine(s), avionics are the most expensive items you will purchase for your aircraft. Don't spend more than you need to! Before you buy anywhere else, call Bennett Avionics at (800) 653-7295, or visit online. It's not rocket science, just good business! Cockpit Weather Expands Coverage Area back to top  XM Satellite Weather Services Expand XM Satellite Weather announced at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In this week in Lakeland, Fla., that it will enhance its popular Aviator package, adding more features at no additional charge. "We're excited to announce the expansion of coverage to Canada and Puerto Rico," said XM spokesman Roderick MacKenzie. The package also will include Canadian weather products such as Weather Warnings, Outlooks, METARs, SIGMETs, and winds aloft. XM also said it will offer subscribers an "End of Season" package that allows them to put their payments on hold during the off-season when they don't need the service. Also at Sun 'n Fun, WxWorx announced that its WxWorx on Wings datalink weather system will support the new XM Aviator product. If You Live in One of These States, Mike Busch Is Coming to a Town Near You California, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia, New Mexico, and Oklahoma are states where Mike Busch will be offering his acclaimed Savvy Owner Seminar. In one information-packed weekend, you will learn how to have a safer, more reliable aircraft while saving thousands on maintenance costs, year after year. For complete details, and to reserve your space, click here. FAA Has Xenon-Phobia? back to top  LSA Gyroplane Has January Expiration Date "We can sell this aircraft, factory-built, as an E-LSA until the end of January 2008," Chuck Roberg of Xenon Gyroplanes said this week at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla. "After that, is a big question mark." The uncertainty is due to the evolving status of gyrocopters in the FAA's light sport aircraft rules. "The ASTM standard for gyrocopters is complete and ready to go," Roberg said. "But the Sport Pilot rule itself excludes gyros. We're working with the FAA to either get a waiver or get the rule to allow for gyros, so we can sell the Xenon as a ready-to-fly S-LSA after next January." The aircraft are built in Poland from a French design, and 24 copies already are flying. The heated, enclosed cabin has a roll cage for crash-safety, with two side-by-side seats, wide shoulder room and luggage space. Models are delivered ready to fly at $61,000 to $72,000. The aircraft comes with a choice of three Rotax engines. It will be on display at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in July. Pilot Journey Isn't Just for Students & Instructors; There's Something for Everyone You know Pilot Journey's Discovery Flight program converting leads to students. However, all pilots can find something at Pilot Journey: Pilot e-mail accounts, pilot eCards; a pilot cruise with seminars; AvCareers, where position wanted and positions available are listed; and much more. Pilot Journey is the pilot's choice online. Contact AVweb back to top  AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business newsletter, AVwebBiz? 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. Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/. AVweb's Newstips Address ... 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. Names Behind the News back to top  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 Editor Russ Niles (bio) and Editor In Chief Chad Trautvetter. 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.