EMBRAER BRINGS PRODUCTION PHENOM 100 TO SUN 'N FUN
Embraer has so far delivered 12 Phenom 100 business jets in the U.S. and both customer acceptance and service records are good according to Clint Clouatre, the company's senior marketing manager for executive jets. Embraer is displaying a customer-delivered aircraft at this year's Sun 'n Fun. In a video interview with AVweb, Clouatre said the aircraft is performing beyond original expectations and early-delivery glitches have been resolved. Embraer isn't immune to the current economic issues but he said order cancellations are rare. "There have been some requests for deferrals," he said. The order book for the Phenom 100 and its bigger cousin, the 300, still tops 800 aircraft, Clouatre said. More...

FAA CERTIFIES ENTEGRA RELEASE 9
Avidyne has been busy promoting Release 9 of its Entegra flat panel in advance of FAA certification and held a detailed press briefing Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun. About 10 minutes after the news conference ended, the FAA called company officials to tell them the certification had been approved for both the integrated flight deck system and the FMS900w flight management system. The upgrade received a Technical Standard Order for retrofit into existing Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. "Entegra Release 9 sets a new standard in performance and safety by providing the highest level of integration, and the easiest-to-use pilot interface available," said CEO Patrick Herguth. More...

CIRRUS ANNOUNCES FAA OK FOR FIKI SYSTEM, UPDATE ON JET
It was known to be imminent, and we already have heard all the details about the new Cirrus TKS system for flight into known icing (FIKI), but on Tuesday at Sun 'n Fun the Cirrus folks made it official -- the FAA has issued final approval for the design, which is available on the SR22 and Turbo models. The FAA also approved the Aircraft Flight Manual Supplement validating the company's Known Ice Protection training materials. The company also detailed its new upgrades and additions to the Cirrus Perspective avionics system, including the addition of enhanced vision, 10-inch screens, S-TEC autopilots, and MFD engine data, as well as new navigation options. The system is now available on all Cirrus piston airplanes. The company also offered an update on the Vision program. Staff that was occupied with the FIKI project is now moving over to the jet, and the overall program schedule is going forward. The rate of development is capital-dependent, the company said. All major suppliers for the production line will be under contract by the end of this year. More...

PIPER OFFERS G1000 FOR MERIDIAN, UPDATE ON JET PROGRESS
Piper on Tuesday introduced its new Garmin G1000 avionics option for the six-seat Meridian turboprop to the Sun 'n Fun crowd, saying that the system is certified and ready to go as a $50,000 upgrade on the $2.1 million airplane. The three-screen system features a 15-inch multi-function display in the center with two 10-inch primary flight displays on either side. The option also includes Garmin's synthetic vision technology. "The G1000 gives the Meridian a new brain, taking the airplane to a whole new level of performance," said Bob Kromer, VP of sales and marketing. The new panel gives the Meridian the "look and feel of a larger, business-class aircraft," he said. More...

WANT A CHANCE TO WIN AN AV8OR GPS FROM BENDIX/KING BY HONEYWELL?

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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.

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