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March 5, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Trade-A-Plane, Aviation's Original Search Engine, Is Celebrating 70 Years
Back in 1937, Trade-A-Plane was the original (and only) place to look for parts to repair an airplane. It's still the best, with everything that keeps you flying — thousands of
planes, products, and services. Call (800) 337-5263 or
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In print or online, start your search with the world's largest aviation resource.
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The Aircraft Electronics Association, which represents virtually all the companies that make and fix avionics, says the FAA’s proposed next-generation communications, navigation and surveillance
(CNS) system is more elaborate than it needs to be and wastes the money aircraft owners have already spent on their current gear. In a news release issued Tuesday, the day after the close of comments
on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, AEA government affairs expert Ric Peri described the system envisioned as “ADS-B on steroids” and called for the agency to take a deep breath. “The
FAA must develop a proposal utilizing an ‘evolutionary’ process that utilizes existing avionics to the maximum extent possible, rather than this stepped ‘revolutionary’ process of
wholesale technology replacement of the entire CNS suite in general aviation aircraft,” Peri said. Among the AEA’s biggest beefs is that the rule doesn’t specify what the system will
ultimately be. That, says Peri, means manufacturers don’t know what they should be building to have any assurance there will be a market for the products as the system is built out. And, of
course, that leaves aircraft owners potentially paying big bucks for equipment that won’t work when the new system is fully engaged about 25 years from now, not to mention those who have already
paid significantly for first-generation ADS-B gear. “The FAA’s proposal does not build upon the evolutionary investment made by thousands of aircraft owners and operators who purchased the
first-generation ADS-B equipment,” he noted. “Rather, the FAA’s performance requirements have made the original ADS-B equipment obsolete with its revolutionary approach to
NextGen.”
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JA Air Center, Your Garmin GPSMap 496 Source, Is Looking to Purchase Used GPS Units, Avionics, and Aircraft
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Fitting More Aircraft into the Atlantic
Corridor |
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Properly equipped (RNP 10 and RNP 4) aircraft will be able to take advantage of a new routing structure in the West Atlantic Route System (WATRS) off the east coast of the U.S. starting June 5. In a
podcast interview with AVwebBiz, FAA Oceanic Procedures Specialist Scott Luka says the FAA is cutting lateral separation from as much as 90 miles to
50 miles over an expanse of ocean from 200 miles south of Long Island to Puerto Rico and between the continent and Bermuda. That will increase to nine the number of north/south routes available to
business aircraft and airliners from the current five. “It means will be offer better altitudes to a lot more flights,” Luka told AVweb.
The area is not covered by radar and separation depends on position reports from individual aircraft. The 90-mile separation was dictated by the capability of navigation equipment on board most
aircraft at the time the airspace was designed. Since then there have been major developments in onboard navigation gear and about 92 percent of aircraft using the airspace have the minimum ability
required to accurately pinpoint their position to within 10 miles 95 percent of the time (RNP 10). Aircraft must be inspected and registered with the program to qualify for the closer separation.
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Quotes reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2007 Headset Preference Survey, 12/07; Aviation Consumer, 8/07.
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When start-up aviation companies throw in the towel it’s almost unheard of for them to come out for another round, but Aviation Technology Group (ATG) is apparently game for another swing at
developing its sexy two-place “executive” jet, the Javelin. The Colorado company suspended operations in December and a news release issued Tuesday says the board of directors has
successfully renegotiated deals with its main lenders. Now, the company is in a position to look for a buyer to (hopefully) fund the completion of the certification process and starting production,
which could run $200 million. “Multiple teams are pursuing a list of potential buyers,” the release said. “Though subject to change, the general plan in this regard is to ask for best
and final offer bids from prospective buyers to reach ATG within the next few weeks.” The Javelin is always a crowd pleaser at airshows but its curb appeal may not be what saves it. Although
there will certainly be civilian demand for the fighter-like aircraft, a large part of the development effort is focused on military trainers, including possibly a supersonic version. Israeli Aircraft
Industries is involved with development of the military version, which comes with ejection seats and military avionics.
 The Taiwanese government has invested $426 million into Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. (SSAC) since 1995, but now plans to
sell most of its shares in the company for $150 million. The buyer is said to be UAE and UK-based venture capital firm Action Aviation, and the sale would provide it an 80-percent holding in
Swearingen, leaving Taiwan and original investors with the remainder of their 91.6 percent share.(If that sounds familiar, Action Aviation was involved in a previous deal with ACQ Capital, of
California, last September, to buy Sino Swearingen but ACQ pulled out of that deal.) Taiwanese press reports have said Swearingen, which currently has orders for 270 jets, would need a $300 million
infusion to put the company on track for profit and the Taiwanese government is not interested in taking on the risk. One unnamed official has said Sino Swearingen would have to file for bankruptcy
without a new cash infusion, according to Middle East Online. Some Taiwanese editorials have been critical of the government's decision, framing it as a waste of money to set up Sino only to sell it
to a foreign firm now that the manufacturer has started to deliver. However, the government says SSAC continues to lose money. The $5.5 million seven-seat SJ30 business jet was certified in October
2005 -- first delivery took place one year later. Production delays lost the company an estimated $20 billion.
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Cessna Aircraft Company, the World's Largest General Aviation Manufacturer
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2007, Cessna delivered 1,272 aircraft, including 387 Citation
business jets, and reported revenues of about $5 billion. Cessna has a current backlog of $12.6 billion. The global fleet of more than 5,100 Citations is the largest fleet of business
jets in the world.
More information
about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at Cessna.com. 
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Sir Richard Branson says he’s married the convenience of travel-booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity with the rating system of eBay and the online booking ease of Priceline to create his
latest transportation venture, Virgin Charter. The company will tap into the availability of aircraft from more than 2,500 charter operators in the U.S. to allow potential clients to pick and choose
who and what flies them to their destination. Key to the system is the ability of clients to see eBay-style ratings of the service they received from each of the operators. "They (charter operators)
will have to get quality right," Branson told Reuters. "They can't just get away
with it (bad service) anymore." Branson said he was at least partly inspired to create the business by his “dire” experience on a charter flight in which a glass of water hit him on the
head as he napped. However, it also likely has something to do with the rapid growth of private aviation ($30 billion last year) as an alternative to the airline experience and Branson’s desire
to recoup part of what he might lose on the other end. He said his service will cut up to 20 percent off the current cost of flying privately because clients will be able to book the flights
themselves rather than going through a broker.
 Over the next two years, Honeywell's facilities in Malaysia and Indonesia will swell by 130 jobs -- the number to be transferred there
from Honeywell's Olathe avionics plant. The plant produces navigation equipment, including autopilots and DME equipment. The jobs are moving; the workers are not. Honeywell says it will try to place
eligible workers in other positions within the company, or offer job-placement assistance and severance packages. The company says the move was triggered by a review and aims to increase cost
efficiency; it will seek to lay off temporary workers and subcontractors before full-time employees. Honeywell expects to maintain more than 1,000 employees in Kansas. The latest job-reduction plans
are scheduled for the next 18-24 months.
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Attention, Operators, Avionics Shops, and FBOs
Stay within budgets with Bennett Avionics. Bennett Avionics provides quality avionics to meet the needs of business and commercial aircraft operators and those who service their
equipment. 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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 Hawker Beechcraft Thursday announced that India's import license rules and taxes act to dissuade potential customers,
and the company is seeking changes, according to Hindu.com. The comments came the same day the company opened a service center in the country. Hawker Beechcraft is forecasting that large business and
financial growth in India will lead to increased demand for business jets; Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said, "The demand for business jets will increase to 500 in the next 10 years." But
Hawker Beechcraft CEO Jim Schuster believes the Indian government is placing barriers between potential buyers and aircraft. "The tax burden on imported small and medium jets is proving disadvantage
[sic] for them," Hindu.com reported. Hawker Beechcraft claims a 56-percent market share for turbine aircraft in India and recently reported a 20-jet order from BJETS.
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Diamond DA40 A Fleet Favorite
Airline Transport Professionals: Beijing PanAm, Empire Aviation, European-American Aviation, Galvin Flying Services, Middle Tennessee State University, Sabena Airline Training Academy, Utah Valley
State College, Utah State University, and many more have all selected the G1000-equipped Diamond DA40. For value, efficiency, and safety, the Diamond Aircraft DA40 is the fleet
favorite.
Go online for
information on all Diamond Aircraft. 
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| Brent Wouters |
Cirrus Design has announced that Brent Wouters, the company's Chief Financial Officer, has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. Wouters joined Cirrus in 2002 after working at
Delta Airlines developing simulators and acting as a technology consultant on the F-22 program.
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff
appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference,
too.
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File Size 4.4 MB / Running Time 4:49
Podcast Index
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How to Listen
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Subscribe Via RSS
Starting June 5 there will be almost twice as much room for aircraft traveling the busy north-south oceanic corridor off the east coast of the U.S. FAA Oceanic Procedures Specialist Scott
Luka explains to AVweb's Russ Niles how technology already on board most business jets and airliners is allowing for closer separation in that area. The closer separation means more
available airways and a better shot at a more efficient, smoother ride, but owners must make sure their aircraft are registered with the FAA to take full advantage of the improvements.
Click here to listen. (4.4 MB, 4:49)
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Dassault has introduced a jet that changes the playing field for business jet manufacturers, operators and pilots. That jet is the $40 million Falcon 7X. In this exclusive video, AVweb
video editor Glenn Pew takes us inside the Falcon 7X.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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 Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 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.
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AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
The AVwebBiz team is:
Publisher
Timothy Cole
Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli
Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles
Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew
Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings
Click here to send a letter to the
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