January 13, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

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 order. Quote reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2008 Headset Preference Survey, 12/08. Top News: Waiting for Changes to ... Waiting back to top  "Position And Hold" Change Expected Soon The FAA could soon implement a changeover from "position and hold" to "line up and wait," to conform with international phraseology standards, NBAA said this week. If approved later this month, the new terminology could be implemented as soon as this June. It's long overdue, according to NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman. She said the NTSB issued six recommendations in July 2000, asking the FAA to change various ATC procedures to reduce the risks of runway operations. "In response, we were recently advised that the FAA soon plans to adopt a single change: the use of "line up and wait" instead of "position and hold" to instruct pilots to enter a runway and wait for takeoff clearance," Hersman said at a runway safety summit in Washington last month. "We needed to wait nine years for that?" Bob Lamond, of NBAA, told AVweb on Tuesday he doesn't expect too much distress over the change. "Folks are going to stumble over it at first, but we'll get used to it," he said. "It's been talked about for years, so it's really a non-issue for us." However, implementation will require an "extensive awareness campaign" to ensure that pilots and controllers are informed, NBAA said. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, speaking at the safety summit last month, said the FAA has done a lot to address runway safety concerns. "The numbers prove we've made a dramatic improvement," he said, nothing that in the past year there were just 12 incursions out of more than 50 million operations, and only two of those involved commercial carriers. "We've revamped our on-line courses. We've produced public service spots. And we mailed a half-million runway safety DVDs and brochures to pilots," said Babbitt. "It's been a tremendous joint effort across all parts of the FAA and the aviation industry. It worked." He added, however, that there is still work to be done in the GA community. "We can make every protection possible, but the human in the loop is the challenge of the future," he said. Click here for the full text of Babbitt's talk. View Trade-A-Plane's New Edition at No Cost on Your Mobile Device! Just enter Trade-A-Plane.com/mobile. Search for aircraft (hourly updates). Find companies, products, and services. Locate dealers/brokers. Call or e-mail sellers, and click directly to their web sites. With our web and mobile editions, you can view all of our ads at no cost, all the time! Call (800) 337-5263, or visit us online. Football, Flights, and Finance back to top  FAA Security Procedures In Force For Super Bowl Economic forecasts for the coming year may be mixed, but the FAA is bullish on its expectations for air traffic at next month's Super Bowl. "A large number of aircraft" are expected to arrive in the South Florida metropolitan area during the period from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8 for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV, the FAA says. The FAA recently posted a notice describing temporary procedures in place to manage the flow of traffic, enhance safety and security, and minimize delays. Pilots flying in the area during that time frame should be prepared to provide documentation, including personal identification, certificate number, aircraft ownership information, and a contact number, the FAA says. Pilots also will be required to maintain two-way communication and comply with discrete transponder requirements. Access to some airports may be restricted, local flight training will be curtailed, and TFRs will be in place. Details about TFRs will be disseminated by Notam and found online at the FAA's TFR Web site just three to five days before the event, the FAA said. Pilots should also be prepared for potential airborne holding and reroutes. "Pilots are encouraged to check Notams frequently to verify they have the most current information," the FAA suggested. More details, including likely arrival routes, can be found at the FAA's Web site. The Super Bowl will be held Feb. 7 in Dolphin Stadium, near Miami. The Remos GX: Fun to Fly The Remos GX is changing aviation. The culmination of legendary German engineering, best-in-class performance, and industry-leading safety features, the Remos GX combines the best of tomorrow's aerospace technology with the simplicity of your love of flying. Innovative design and technically superior, yet uncomplicated and easy to fly, the Remos GX handles all the equipment you and your companion will need in an affordable, flexible, and fun flying experience. Click now for details (Remos.com) or call 1 (877) REMOS-88. Cirrus Leads the Charge Abroad back to top  Cirrus Continues Global Push As the domestic aircraft market remains flat, manufacturers are looking offshore to bolster sales and Cirrus Aircraft's sales force is getting that message this week. The company's 65 sales executives are in Duluth for a week of meetings and since 35 of them cover other countries there's a global perspective to the meeting, punctuated by CEO Brent Wouters in his comments to the gathering. "I want to drive home the point that we are a global company today, and we need to think differently about how we operate in a world market," he's quoted as saying in a story in the Duluth News Tribune. Cirrus now sells airplanes in 50 countries and will get a presence in Argentina next. Wouters also said that markets elsewhere may recover faster than in the U.S. and that the weak U.S. dollar is helping sell airplanes in foreign markets. In fact, there are some places that have been largely untouched by the recession. Steve Maltby, who represents Australasia, told the newspaper that Australia's economy remains buoyant on the strength of agricultural and resource exports. He predicts a good market for Cirrus's new single-engine jet. "It's perfect for Australia," Maltby said. "It's similar in size to the U.S., but the distance between population centers is quite large. You couldn't build a better aircraft for Australia." 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. News Briefs back to top  Washington Eyes Aircraft Ownership Tax Washington State aircraft owners are getting ready to fight a new tax that could add hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to their fixed costs. State Sen. Cheryl Pflug told the Washington Pilots Association that a citizens' commission on tax preferences has recommended a 1 percent yearly excise tax based on the value of aircraft. An aircraft worth $100,000 would therefore be taxed $1,000. Pflug told the association that the commission views the tax as a "revenue opportunity" and is recommending the state legislature impose it. She urged the WPA to give her ammunition to fight the proposed tax in the form of economic impact analyses and the volunteer efforts of pilots in maintaining state-owned airports. WPA spokesman John Townsley told AVweb that aircraft owners now pay a flat annual registration fee ($65 for a piston single) and that the proposed tax wouldn't benefit aviation. "Currently state aircraft registration fees and excise taxes collected for aircraft go to the general fund and are not reinvested in airport infrastructure," Townsley said. He also noted that aviation fuel is the only fuel that has sales tax added and that those taxes also go into the general fund. He noted that there are 138 airport projects pending that have not been funded. Bank Sues Defunct Flight School Over Student Loans Two flight training companies and their owners are being sued (PDF) by Wachovia Bank, which is alleging fraud in the alleged improper disbursement of student loans. As we reported last May, a number of students were caught in the middle of their training when Jet University abruptly closed. Now, some of those students are either unwilling or unable to repay student loans provided by Wachovia Bank and the bank is now saying they shouldn't have gotten the money in the first place. In the suit filed earlier this week, the bank claims that Jet University was not properly accredited and students got their money through a fraudulent arrangement with SimCenter, a properly accredited institution that applied for the loans on behalf of Jet University. The two institutions then split the money, according to the bank's suit. Both institutions plus Henry George, owner of SimCenter, and Heath Cohen, owner of Jet University, are named in the suit. Appalachian Mountain Special Let us build you a custom 2,000-square foot home at the Big South Fork Airpark! Home amenities include stone fireplaces, wood floors, antique bathroom vanities, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and much more. All custom homes are nestled on beautifully wooded home sites with detached two-car garages. For a limited time only, this special includes your own private "T" hangar. Live the aviation and equestrian dream for only $499,000! Click here for more information. Who's Where back to top  Ring Promoted at Avidyne Pete Ring Pete Ring is Avidyne's new sales manager for eastern North America. He was previously the inside sales rep for the region. Canavera Back at Sierra Industries Thomas Canavera Thomas Canavera has rejoined Sierra Industries as sales manager. He was most recently senior director of delivery and insurance risk management at Mooney Airplane Company. Who's Where? You Tell Us 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. Experience AeroExpo Europe, 28-30 May 2010 Europe's Festival of Aviation brings visitors a dedicated weekend of general aviation at its finest. With new features designed to cover as many aspects of general aviation as possible, visitors will have the opportunity to Compare, See, Try and Buy at Europe's Festival of Aviation. Pribram Airfield, LKPM. Click here for more information. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: All Sully, All The Time As an aviation editor, Paul Bertorelli has seen enough coverage of the US Airways Flight 1549 ditching to last him a lifetime — but still, he found TLC's Brace for Impact worth watching. Read Paul's comments and add your own at the AVweb Insider blog. AVweb Insider Blog: Films You Gotta Watch What is it about World War II pilot training films that make them so interesting to watch? Paul Bertorelli offers no answers in his latest post to our AVweb Insider blog — but he does have plenty of links, so you can watch a few and develop your own theories. Click here to revisit the golden age of training films. Diamond Has Your Training Needs Covered Getting your license or upgrading your rating? Operating a flight school? Diamond offers the only complete modern fleet of technically-advanced training aircraft, along with model-specific flight training devices and a safety record that is second to none. Leading flight training schools around the globe fly Diamond Aircraft. Find out why. Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... It's Your Chance to Win a Bose Aviation Headset X Win a Bose Aviation X headset as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and email address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year — so if you've already entered, you're all set.) And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.) Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time Friday, January 29, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. Business & Corporate Aviation Management A comprehensive guide to choosing a business aviation model and making it work. Covers evaluating air transportation needs, running a flight department, and combining the needs of operations, administration, and financial — plus regulatory requirements, policies, scheduling, planning, security, safety, training, and more. Book / eBook $49.95 Call (800) 780-4115 or click here for more information. AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Exclusive Video: SMA's Cessna Conversion — One Club's Experience Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Despite good fuel specifics and power-to-weight ratio, SMA's Jet A-fueled SR305 hasn't made major inroads into the aircraft engine market. The Paramus Flying Club in New Jersey converted one its 182s to diesel power nearly a year ago, and in this joint report by AVweb and Aviation Consumer magazine, we report on the club's encouraging operational experience. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly. Looking for Low-Cost, Yet Effective, Marketing Options? Let AVweb assist your company in creating effective direct-response marketing campaigns to generate leads. No other digital aviation news media reaches more qualified subscribers more often. Text messages in newsletters combined with online banners reach over 255,000 readers monthly and deliver more new users to sponsor sites weekly than most print publications do monthly. Click now for details. The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! back to top  AVweb's Newstips Address ... 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. Names Behind the News back to top  Meet the AVwebBiz Team 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. Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team. If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebBiz. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.