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October 15, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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JA Air Center Is Offering Great Incentives for the King Air 200 Series G1000 Upgrade
The G1000 Integrated Flight Deck includes XM weather & radio, FliteCharts®, SafeTaxi®, GWX68 radar, TAWS-B and RVSM compliance. Register your King Air with JA Air Center before
November 30, 2008 and qualify for $20,000 in free upgrades.
For more information,
go online.
Call JA Air Center at (800) 323-5966 to speak with an expert about your King Air 200.
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The FAA says it's "looking into" whether the training of a developmental controller in Florida was accomplished at the expense of three airlines and their passengers aboard four airliners. The
National Air Traffic Controllers Association alleged Tuesday that a supervisor ordered on-duty controllers at the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center to re-route a Delta Boeing 757, a Virgin
Boeing 747 and two Southwest Boeing 737s to generate more traffic for a trainee undergoing a "skills check." NATCA says the aircraft were diverted by up to 100 miles and into the path of thunderstorms
but the FAA says the longest diversion was about 50 miles and not into thunderstorms.
Regardless of the details, the FAA does seem to be putting the incident under a microscope. Spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen confirmed to AVweb that four flights were involved and stressed that flight
safety was not affected by whatever happened. The FAA will determine whether experienced controllers were directed to re-route air carrier flights to generate additional traffic for the trainee, who
was undergoing a skills check," Bergen said in a statement. "The FAA's has strict training guidelines which do not permit re-routing flights nor inconveniencing pilots or the flying public.
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Trade-A-Plane Features Thousands of Classifieds, Updated Hourly
With thousands of hourly updated Classifieds, a Product & Advertiser Index, Forums, NAAA Evaluator, Performance Database, Spec Sheets, and Aviation Weather, Trade-A-Plane gives you
everything that keeps you flying. Order your Trade-A-Plane subscription by calling (800) 337-5263, or
go online.
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NASA is working with Gulfstream to test a "fly-by-cam" system in which the pilot of a supersonic business jet would land the aircraft using a video feed from an HD camera. According to The Register the system is aimed at solving one of the vexing issues facing
development of the speedy bizjets in that their design almost inevitably dicates a high angle of attack for landing and the long pointy nose of such aircraft obscures the forward view. Concorde
designers solved the problem with the intensely complicated drooping nose but that's not likely practical for business jet-sized aircraft. So, the researchers are trying to convince the FAA that a
camera in the nose is a replacement for the view out the windshield and they're inviting FAA pilots to test the theory themselves.
NASA and Gulfstream have been flying an F-18 with a camera set up for the pilot in the back seat to use for landing. A safety pilot with an unimpeded view sits in the front but so far he or she has
been a passenger in the successful landing experiments. The FAA will reportedly get its chance to fly the system before the end of the year.
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Fly With Bose Aviation Headset X®
Enjoy an unmatched combination of full-spectrum noise reduction, clearer audio, and comfortable fit. Voted the #1 headset for the seventh consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2007 Headset
Preference Survey. Also rated "Best ANR Headset: The Aviation Consumer Product of the Year" by Aviation Consumer.
Learn more and
order.
Quotes reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2007 Headset Preference Survey, 12/07; Aviation Consumer, 8/07.
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Begumpet, the former international airport at Hyderabad, India has been named the permanent host for a
biennial business aviation show that organizers say will attract 12,000 delegates daily for the next three days. The arrival of an Airbus A380 on Thursday is being touted as the highlight of India
Aviation 2008, which, a week on the heels of the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, has attracted a laundry list of business aviation companies, along with all the major
airliner manufacturers. Boeing is using the show to announce the sale of a total of 110 aircraft to Air India and Jet Airways and flew in a 777ER to punctuate the announcement. And while the show is
aimed at the business of aviation, the public will also get a chance to add their oohs and aahs.
The first three days of the show are for registered participants but the last day is being thrown open to the public with reduced ticket prices. As many as 30,000 people are expected on Saturday. A
new international airport opened in Hyderabad earlier this year and Begumbet was quickly tapped as an ideal show site for the troubled, but still growing Indian aviation sector.
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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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A pilot who died last year while practicing formation aerobatics prior to an air show should have been restricted from such flying by his FAA medical examiner, the NTSB said in its final report on the accident. Jan Wildbergh, 74, who had flown with the Geico Skytypers since 1986, died in September 2007. According to the NTSB, after completing their practice, the five-ship team executed a "pop up break" to return for landing.
Wildbergh, however, flying a North American SN J-2, continued straight ahead in a slight descent, with the wings level and in a slight nose-down attitude, until the airplane hit the ground and erupted
in flames. The NTSB said Wildbergh had an extensive history of heart problems and was taking medication, and the FAA medical examiner "clearly had sufficient information to justify restricting the
pilot from commercial and/or aerobatic flight." Wildbergh had visited his cardiologist three days prior to the accident, complaining of multiple episodes of atrial fibrillation over the previous three
months with fatigue and shortness of breath, the NTSB said.
At the time of the accident, Wildbergh had completed over 15 minutes of high-performance flight, including nearly two minutes of increased G-loading (up to 2.9 G), and had just completed the
longest sustained-G maneuver of the show (30 seconds of 2G loading), the NTSB said. Wildbergh's widow, Rosemary, told Newsday she is "disappointed" with the NTSB report. "The NTSB didn't review the
aircraft as much as they reviewed Jan's previous medical history," she said. "I can't imagine Jan getting into a plane if he felt unable to fly." The FAA's aviation medical office is reviewing the
case, an FAA spokesperson told Newsday.
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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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Portable Electronics Acquitted ... This
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The abrupt dive of a Qantas A330-300 last week that injured scores of passengers wasn't caused by a passenger's electronic device, but
by an internal breakdown in the Airbus's flight-control computer system, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
said on Tuesday. The aircraft was flying at FL 370 en route from Singapore to Perth when the Inertial Reference System malfunctioned, which resulted in the autopilot automatically disconnecting,
the ATSB said. However, the faulty unit continued to feed false information to the flight-control computers, which even with autopilot off, still command the control surfaces. Very high, random and
incorrect values of the angle of attack led the computers to command a nose-down aircraft movement. The crew was able to recover within seconds, with a maximum altitude loss of 650 feet and a maximum
pitch down of about 8.5 degrees, the ATSB said. Airbus told the ATSB it has never heard of a similar malfunction, but all operators of aircraft that use the system have been informed of the incident
and provided guidance for a crew response to minimize the effect of any similar failure. The ATSB said its investigation is continuing.
A Preliminary Factual Report will be released within a month, the agency said. More than 70 passengers were hurt in the incident, with 14 treated for broken bones, concussions, and lacerations. The
crew made an emergency landing at an air force base near Perth.
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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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It probably is; you just haven't noticed. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider Blog, Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli discusses why avgas prices are less volatile than those at the
corner service station.
Read more.
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Go Green with Diamond: $1.99 Fuel
Buy a DA40 XLS between October 1 and November 30, 2008 and take delivery of your plane by December 31, and the Diamond team will buy down your fuel cost to $1.99 per gallon for the first
200 hours or 18 months, whichever comes first. The DA40 XLS is the savvy and responsible choice in this day and age of high fuel prices.
For complete details,
go online.
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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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| Jennifer Mitchell |
Jennifer Mitchell, a Long Beach, Calif. imaging business owner, recently featured in a Mooney Airplane Corp. advertisement, has joined the company as a sales representative. Mitchell uses her Mooney
Ovation 2GX to fly all over California on business.
Shadin Avionics has announced that David Olson has been named Interim CEO of the company following the resignation of Allan Kramer Oct. 8. Olson has extensive management experience in the aerospace
and defense industry in the U.S. and internationally.
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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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
Webmaster
Scott Simmons
Contributors
Jeff van West
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