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September 10, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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The National Business Aviation Association has announced that Phil Boyer, the outgoing president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, is the winner of its 2008 Award for Meritorious Service
to Aviation. NBAA says it's the organization's "most distinguished honor" and is awarded to an individual who "has made significant, identifiable contributions that have materially advanced aviation
interests." NBAA also announced that George Saling, former VP of aviation and travel services at Altria Corporate Services, is getting the John P. "Jack" Doswell Award for his work in developing
business aviation safety programs.
Among Boyer's accomplishments, NBAA pointed out his role in convincing the FAA to certify GPS for general aviation and the lobbying effort that led to passage of the General Aviation Revitalization
Act in 1994, which lessened the exposure of aviation companies to liability suits and led to a revival of the industry. "Phil Boyer is among the most respected, knowledgeable and effective figures in
the history of general aviation, and it is an honor for NBAA to pay tribute to him with our Association's highest honor," said NBAA President Ed Bolen. Boyer and Saling will get their awards at NBAA's
annual convention in Orlando Oct. 6-8.
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A Gathering to Discuss Tomorrow's Marketplace
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It's been a heck of a ride for most involved in business aviation for the past five years, but does what goes up necessarily have to come down? Leaders from all sectors of the industry will gather in
London Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 for the second Future of Business Jets conference
and they'll tackle a variety of topics pertinent to the ongoing success of the industry. "As well as focusing on regulatory, legal, financial, insurance and technical issues, [the conference] will
this year provide a forum for topical issues," says a promotional brochure for the event.
The speaker list reads like a Who's Who of the industry with senior management from industry, government and advocacy groups talking about everything from selling privately configured A380s to
whether or not the rules should be tightened for commercial use of VLJs. The sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
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... But Tomorrow's Market May See Fewer
Gatherings |
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While fuel prices are the overwhelming factor in the spate of recent airline failures, the Web site Telepresence Options claims that
teleconferencing is also having an impact. The site, sponsored by a group called the Human Productivity Lab, says meeting face to virtual face by satellite is becoming a money-saving alternative to
air travel and cites HSBC's installation of a system linking its London and Hong Kong offices saving the bank $604,000 in airfare in one month. There's nothing particularly new about teleconferencing
but it's been inaccessible or inconvenient for most of us, something HPL is hoping to change through PowWow Virtual, a system of
public-access teleconferencing sites.
HPL is looking for investors to get the network going but some companies have already started selling the idea and the gear. According to HPL, there should be hundreds of publicly accessible
teleconferencing sites at hotels and convention centers worldwide.
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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 $16 billion. The global fleet of more than 5,200 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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Jet fuel costs grabbed the spotlight on the second full day of the Canadian election campaign on Tuesday. Current Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that if his government is re-elected it will cut
the federal excise tax on jet fuel in half, to about nine cents per Canadian gallon. No reductions in the 50-cent-per-gallon tax on avgas were mentioned. Harper said the reduction, which will also
apply to diesel fuel, will cost the country $600 million CDN a year but offer some relief to airlines and transportation companies struggling with high fuel costs. His rivals in the election (which,
by the way, was called on Sunday and will be over Oct. 14) are dismissing the tax cut as a "gimmick," but it may have legs as an issue because of a proposal by the Liberal Party for a nationwide
carbon tax that would almost triple the current fuel taxes.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's Green Shift plan would increase the current 18-cents-per-gallon jet fuel tax to about 50 cents a gallon. Harper defended the proposed tax cut against criticism that
it will encourage air travel and road transport at the expense of the environment. He said jet fuel and diesel power essential services and that extra taxes won't curb their use, just cost consumers
more.
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Attention, Turboprop Operators! Reserve October 28-30 on Your Calendars
Turboprop Expo 2008, October 28-30 in Scottsdale, AZ, will offer specialized programs including seminar tracks for airframe and turboprop engine topics as well as operational and ownership
information. Dr. David Strahle will present his informative and acclaimed seminar: Understanding Nexrad Imagery. Enjoy the relaxing surroundings of a classic resort and network with industry
leaders at Turboprop Expo 2008.
For more information
and to register, visit online. 
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Mom Got One Last Christmas; Why Not Your
Pilot? |
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Plenty of pilots are familiar with technology that tells us to "Turn right" or "Turn left" in a friendly female voice -- because it's installed on the dashboards of our cars, fresh from Best Buy. Now
Alaska Airlines will be the first airline to provide similar technology for all of its
airplanes, to guide pilots around airport runways. Their technology, however, fresh from Honeywell, will cost $20,000 per airplane. The airline started working with Honeywell three years ago to test
the Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), which provides pilots with audible alerts when they approach and enter taxiways and runways. RAAS confirms runway identifications to help ensure pilots
are on the correct runway with enough distance to complete takeoff, and provides an audible warning if a pilot inadvertently accelerates for takeoff while on a taxiway. Alaska Airlines began
installing RAAS on its Boeing 737s in July, and the fleet will be fully equipped with the aural alert software by the end of this month.
RAAS is a software upgrade to Honeywell's Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, which warns pilots if they fly too close to terrain, and will take about an hour to install. The system will
eventually become standard equipment on all Boeing aircraft, according to the Wall Street
Journal.
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Aircraft Financing to Fit Your Needs
AirFleet Capital offers a competitive and experienced approach to each and every loan program by focusing exclusively on aircraft financing. AirFleet Capital provides exceptional terms
coupled with personal service and a long-term commitment to support the business and shared passion of aviation. From Light Sport Aircraft to VLJs and Business Jets, AirFleet Capital has a
loan program to fit your needs. Call an AirFleet Capital financing specialist at (800) 390-4324, or
request a quote
online. 
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Solazyme, a San Francisco-based company, announced on Tuesday
that it has produced fuel derived from algae that meets the Jet-A fuel standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. The ASTM standards measure performance in areas such as density,
stability, flashpoint, freezing point, distillation and viscosity. By meeting those criteria, the company said, it has shown that the fuel is compatible with existing engines and infrastructure,
bringing it a step closer to commercial development. "We are excited to be the first advanced biofuel company to successfully make jet fuel from algal oil that passes the most critical ASTM D1655 (Jet
A) standards," said Solazyme CEO Jonathan Wolfson. "This announcement is proof of the advantages of our proprietary renewable oil production process to create highly tailorable oils and renewable
fuels." The company is already producing thousands of gallons of oil using a unique process in which algae grow in large tanks quickly, efficiently and without sunlight. The algae feed on materials
such as agricultural residues and high-productivity grasses as well as industrial byproducts. The oils they produce are low-carbon, nontoxic and safe, the company says.
The company recently announced that it had raised $45 million to fund its expansion and growth.
Researchers at Arizona State University also have been working to create algae-based jet fuels,
though their process is based on growing the algae in sunlight. Alternative fuels derived from algae have attracted serious attention from global companies such as Pratt & Whitney Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, Airbus,
and others.
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The world's most important business aviation event, the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention, is coming up Oct. 6-8 in Orlando and there will be hundreds of product announcements
and updates. AVweb will be there with daily coverage of the events, news conferences and announcements that make this show so important but if your company has something more than 100,000
business aviation decision-makers need to know about, we're encouraging you to let us know in advance. That way we can give your news the full attention it deserves and make sure it's released in a
timely fashion during our coverage. Don't worry. We'll strictly observe all embargos. Send your advance material to rniles@avweb.com and thanks for your help in making our coverage the most
comprehensive available.
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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. TAS600 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.
Click here for more
information. 
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| Ross Aimer |
Retired United Airlines Capt. Ross "Rusty" Aimer has been named CEO of Aviation Experts LLC. He's also a flight training captain for Boeing on the 787 and 777.
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| Max Allen |
Max Allen has been named to the newly-created post of Director, Continuous Improvement and Component Repair, at BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO). Allen Joined the company in 2004 as
Director of Operations at the company's Forest Park facility.
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| Chris Crum |
Chris Crum is a Business Developer and Strategist for ServiceElements. He was most recently President and CEO of Royal Jet Group.
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| Ben Lamzed |
Ben Lamzed is the new Director of Asset Management and Technical Group at the International Bureau of Aviation (IBA). Lamzed was formerly asset manager at Close Aviation Finance.
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| Andy Seaton |
Andy Seaton has been promoted to Director of Product Support at Universal Avionics System Corporation. Seaton joined the company in 2004 as a field service engineer.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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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.
 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
Webmaster
Scott Simmons
Contributors
Mariano Rosales
Jeff van West
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