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September 30, 2009
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Business Aviation Will Help Companies Not Only Survive
But Prosper During the Current Financial Crisis
To be your most productive, and your most efficient, you must keep flying. Because in so doing, you will emerge from these times even stronger than before. And you will replace the uncertainty that
surrounds many, with the confidence and courage to light the way for all.
Visit
CessnaRise.com. 
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Top News: New "Jumbo Jets" the Next Big
Thing? |
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Click through for a guided tour of the Gulfstream G650, from EBACE 2008
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Gulfstream rolled out the first example of its ultra-large G650 Tuesday in front of about 7,000 people at its plant in Savannah, Ga., and announced the program is on schedule with first deliveries
planned for 2012. The aircraft has been spotted several times in recent weeks as it underwent engine start and low-speed taxi tests. The rollout on Tuesday presumably marks the beginning of the flight
test program, although no date has been announced for a first flight. The rollout comes about two months after Cessna announced it was shelving its large-cabin Columbus intercontinental jet. "Simply
put, the Gulfstream G650 is in a class by itself," said Joe Lombardo, the executive vice president of General Dynamics' aerospace group.
Announced in the heady days of massive backlogs, maximum production and seemingly boundless opportunity (about 18 months ago), the 650 was clearly presented as a flagship product intended to assert
Gulfstream's dominance of the ultra-luxury market. It's the largest G ever built, with a top cruise speed of .925 Mach, a maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet and a range (at .85 Mach) of 7,000
nm. It will carry up to 18 passengers, depending on cabin configuration, and includes a separate compartment for a second crew on those long flights.
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Trade Up Your Old Lightspeed Headset for a Zulu
If you haven't been quite ready to move up, this program is for you. Your older Lightspeed headset is worth up to $500 when you trade it in for a new Zulu. Different headsets have
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The first SJ30 light business jet to be delivered by Emivest, the company that resulted from the takeover of Sino Swearingen by Emirates Investment and Development Corp., was handed over to its new
owner Sept. 23. The Emivest jet is serial number 8 and the third SJ30 to enter service. The well-appointed aircraft went to Harry Mahoney, who runs an international entertainment business. Mahoney had
to wait four years for his aircraft as Sino Swearingen went through some difficult times before emerging as Emivest. "We have persevered through it all but have always known that the SJ30's
performance would be worth the wait," Mahoney is quoted as saying by Emivest. There's another high-profile delivery to actor Morgan Freeman coming up next month.
The SJ30 underwent a protracted development period under the start-up company, Sino Swearingen, which was founded by designer Ed Swearingen and was heavily backed by the Taiwanese government. When
political support disappeared for the American jet project, the company floundered until it found the Emirates backers. At last year's NBAA convention, the Emirates investors essentially pledged to do
what it would take to get the business going again. Although it's a single-pilot light jet, the SJ30 mixes it up with bigger iron in terms of performance. It will cruise at 49,000 feet at .83 Mach and
its pressurization system will maintain a 12-psi differential, meaning sea-level cabin pressure at 41,000 feet.
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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 eighth consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2008 Headset
Preference Survey.
Learn more and
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Quote reprinted with permission:
Professional Pilot, 2008 Headset Preference Survey, 12/08.
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Court to Hear Curious Case of Crash
Coverage |
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The widow of one of the passengers who died when the GOL Boeing 737 he was on collided with an Embraer Legacy and crashed in Brazil three years ago has put a price on the damage allegedly done to
her country's honor by an American journalist. As we reported last year, Rosane Gutjhar launched the suit saying New
York Times columnist Joe Sharkey, who was on the Legacy, caused "moral damages" in his coverage of the tragedy. According to the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, Sharkey didn't actually get served with suit until
Sept. 16; the suit is demanding $280,000 and a public apology from Sharkey. Sharkey told the CPJ that the comments referenced in the suit were published on a Brazilian newspaper and incorrectly
attributed to him in the reader comments on the site. But that may not mean much in the strange litigation class under which he's being sued.
According to the CPJ, citizens of Brazil have the right to sue the media if they think the country's national honor has been insulted. In this case, Gutjhar claims Sharkey called the government-run
air traffic control system "archaic" and Brazil's citizens "idiots," words Sharkey told CPJ he never used in interviews or his various written accounts of the disaster. He was, however, critical of
air traffic control and the judicial process in his accounts and interviews with other outlets. The CPJ says the Brazilian law is used to stifle criticism by the country's media and there have been
thousands of suits launched under the provisions.
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terms, we have financing programs to fit your needs. Call (800) 390-4324 to speak with a financing specialist, or
request a quote
online at AirFleetCapital.com. 
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The NTSB on Tuesday released its annual compilation of transportation fatalities, and reported that in 2008
aviation-related deaths increased slightly to 572, from 550 in 2007. Nearly 87 percent of those fatalities occurred in general aviation accidents (495), which was almost unchanged from the previous
year (496). The other deaths occurred in air taxi operations (66), airlines (3), and foreign or unregistered aircraft (8). Commuter airlines were fatality-free in 2007. "We at the NTSB will continue
to press hard advocating improvements in all modes of transportation to keep this trend moving in the right direction," said NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman. "Every transportation fatality is an
unnecessary tragedy." Also on Tuesday, the board issued several safety recommendations asking the FAA to take action
to prevent bird-strike accidents. The FAA should ensure that GA airports near woods, wetlands, or water comply with the wildlife-hazard assessments they are required to perform, the NTSB said. Also,
aircraft manufacturers should be required to develop guidance for pilots to minimize bird-strike damage, such as airspeed charts that show the safest speeds to fly when in areas of known bird
activity.
The NTSB would also like to make it mandatory for all wildlife strikes to be reported to the FAA database, which is now voluntary. The NTSB also asked the FAA to require that all flight plans
identify the operator and specify the operating rules under which the flight is being conducted. The NTSB would also like the FAA to require that all cockpit voice recorders be checked periodically to
verify that the audio is being recorded properly, is intelligible, and is free from electrical noise or other interference. Several other recommendations addressed charter operations.
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For Those Who Love to Fly, It's the Best Coverage on Earth
Other aircraft insurance companies claiming better protection and superior service have come and gone. But Avemco® has proven it by remaining a leader in
the industry for nearly a half century. To get your no-cost quote, call (888) 241-7891 or
visit us
online. 
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General aviation airports and private aircraft have taken a beating in the press lately (click here if you missed it), but
the industry is not taking it without a fight. This week, the Alliance for Aviation Across America unveiled a new tool for the
defense of GA -- an online compilation of data from each of the 50 states detailing the jobs, businesses, and other economic activity generated by all those little airports and aircraft. "We've been
working for about six months to collect all this data," AAAA spokeswoman Selena Shilad told AVweb on Tuesday. "So it's not a direct response to the recent USA Today stories -- but it is
particularly important in light of that." She said AAAA aims to communicate to the public, to lawmakers, and to the media that GA is a crucial element in our communities, supporting thousands of jobs
and small businesses. Click here to view the new map, which allows users to look up local airports by state or by
Congressional district.
"This is just the start of a big new campaign to educate the public," said Shilad. The map will be an ongoing project and data will be updated periodically, she said. The nonprofit Alliance, formed
in 2007, comprises more than 4,000 representatives from business, agriculture, FBOs, small airports, government, and charitable organizations. Members include AOPA, EAA, NBAA, the Air Care Alliance,
and Helicopter Association International.
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Garmin Days at JA Air Center
Visit our new facilities at Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR) during "Garmin Days" and see the latest in Garmin technology. You'll qualify for special discounts on everything from
portables to flat panel displays. You'll have a chance to win a Garmin Nüvi GPS just for attending! If you're serious about avionics, this is one event you won't want to miss!
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Thursday, October 8th | 1:00pm - 8:00pm |
| Friday, October 9th | 9:00am - 1:00pm |
For information, call (630) 584-3200 or (800) 323-5966 or
visit JA Air
Center online. 
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Don Antonucci has been named chairman of the board of directors of Metron Aviation, which specializes in air traffic management. He retired in 2006 as president of Lockheed Martin.
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| Tann Chesley |
Tann Chesley is the new vice president of Skytech Inc. He is working out of the company's new FBO at Carroll County Regional Airport in Westminster, Md.
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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Garmin Glass for the Diamond DA20!
Diamond Aircraft is celebrating the introduction of the lowest cost certified glass cockpit airplane with a time-limited spectacular introductory offer. Every purchaser of a new DA20
equipped with Garmin G500 will receive a no-charge avionics upgrade and free SVT (Synthetic Vision Technology), a $9,685 value!*
Visit
DiamondAircraft.com
or call (888) 359-3220.
* Some terms and conditions apply.
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AOPA Prez Craig Fuller met with FAA and industry officials in New York this week to talk about ways to reduce congestion in New York. Resident blogger Paul Bertorelli points out that he quite
rightly pledged that GA would do its part but isn't sure GA has a part to play. Traffic volumes are already in the tank, and not many of us file New York's three major airports as a final
destination. If you really want to cut congestion, says Paul on the AVweb Insider, eliminate about every third RJ operation into New York.
Read more.
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Jeppesen Pilot Training
Smart pilots never truly fly solo. For 75 years, pilots have taken their aviation partner along for the journey — Jeppesen. Pilots (and future pilots) look to us for the tools and
training they need to fly safely and effectively. Throughout your career flight path, you can count on Jeppesen. Choose the learning tools best for you with our integrated system. Learn more
at
Jeppesen.com/pilottraining. 
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Peter Drucker Says, "The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create It"
It's easy for your company to be more proactive, flexible, and entrepreneurial with AVweb's cost-effective marketing programs. Discover the benefits of instant response, quick copy
changes, monthly tracking reports, and interactive programs. To find out how simple it is to reach 255,000 qualified pilots, owners, and decision-makers weekly,
click now for
details. 
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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If you've ever had to make an emergency landing on a road, we'd like to hear more about it. As part of sister publication Aviation
Safety magazine's new podcast series, we're looking for pilots who have had the combined misfortune and good luck to make a forced landing on a road. Especially if your event includes a
"teachable moment," we may ask you to help inform other pilots about the lessons you learned by participating in an upcoming podcast, moderated by Aviation Safety magazine Editor-in-Chief Jeb
Burnside.
If you've "been there, done that" and would like to share your experience with other pilots, please drop us a note at aviation_safety@hotmail.com briefly describing what happened. Please also include your name, e-mail, and
telephone number. We'll take it from there!
 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
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.
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version of AVwebBiz. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
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