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January 20, 2010
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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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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Cessna is telling 162 Skycatcher position holders that their order will be delayed six to 10 months because of design changes that resulted from the flight test program. "We did find a few things
during our flight tests," Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver told AVweb. Most of the changes were needed to fix spin recovery issues. Cessna lost two aircraft to unrecoverable spins, although the
pilot in each instance was uninjured. Oliver said the rudder needs more surface area and the elevator and aileron travel needs to be increased on each aircraft and that work is currently being done
after the aircraft are finished by the factory in China. Eventually, the design changes will be integrated into primary production but in the meantime it's causing delays as Yingling Aviation, which
is reassembling the crated aircraft in Wichita, makes the modifications.
Oliver said all the computer modeling and wind tunnel testing each Cessna design undergoes can't precisely duplicate real world conditions. "It is important to remember that these aircraft, as
with all Cessna aircraft, are designed to be in service for decades, so we prefer to take a little extra time now to ensure its long-term success," Oliver said. Cessna has the first production model
Skycatcher on display at the Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Fla., which starts Thursday. The first Skycatcher is owned by Rose Pelton, the wife of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton, and she's currently taking
her Sport Pilot certificate on the aircraft. And yes, this one has the mods....
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The aircraft was registered to Mitts Corp., of Gainseville, and was approaching Lorain County Airport in Elyria, Ohio, when it went down. It's not clear what stage of flight it was in. On board and
believed dead were two pilots and two passengers. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries issued a statement within hours of the crash, pointing out that it was the first fatal accident in almost four years for
the aircraft.
A spate of accidents before that prompted the FAA to issue a Special Federal Air Regulation in 2008 mandating type-specific training for MU-2 pilots. The MU-2's safety record was analyzed by the
FAA in 2005 and found to be comparable to other twin-engine turboprops but its unique design requires different flying techniques, particularly in emergency situations. The MU-2's flaps extend for the
full length of the wing, and it doesn't have ailerons. Roll control comes from highly effective spoilers.
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JA Air Center — Your Source for the New Garmin Aera Series!
The Aera is Garmin's first touchscreen aviation GPS, filled with features for both flying and driving. Terrain, Safe Taxi, and XM weather are just a few of the features available. You'll love
the Garmin quality and ease of use with the new Aera. Don't get stuck with your old unit — JA Air Center will buy your used portable GPS. Call (800) 323-5966 or
click for more
info. 
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Early predictions give Delta Air Lines the edge over American Airlines in the forthcoming tug of war over increased access to Asian routes now flown by Japan Airlines. JAL was scheduled to declare
bankruptcy at 3 p.m. Tuesday and is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, an international codeshare group with airlines like
American, Qantas and British Airways. However, rival SkyTeam Alliance, which includes Delta, KLM and Air France, is
trying to lure JAL away so its members can capitalize on the extensive network of routes in Asia, one of fastest-growing areas for airline travel. Meanwhile, the JAL bankruptcy will become Japan's
largest as the company walks away from $16.5 billion in debt.
The bankruptcy is expected to put a chill on investments in Japan because it had widely been assumed that JAL was simply too large to be allowed to fail and that the Japanese government would prop
it up. However, the fortunes of Japan's flag carrier have sagged in recent years, with maintenance issues tarnishing its reputation and politically important but financially difficult domestic routes
sucking revenue from the more profitable international flights. About 60 percent of shares are held by individuals and they are expected to lose everything if, as expected, the stock is delisted by
the Japanese Stock Exchange.
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Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has reached the end of its initial airworthiness test phase, the company said last week,
which means more crew members and engineers now can fly in the cabin and additional aircraft will be added to the program. "This is an important step forward," said Scott Fancher, general manager of
the 787 program at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are very pleased ... The pilots have told me the results we are seeing in flight match their expectations and the simulations we've run." The 787
has flown 15 times and accumulated about 60 hours since the first launch in mid-December. Pilots took the airplane to 30,000 feet and speeds up to Mach 0.65. Initial stall tests and other dynamic
maneuvers have been run, as well as an extensive check-out of the airplane's systems. In the next phase of testing, the team will expand the flight envelope to altitudes above 40,000 feet and up to
Mach 0.85.
Most of the flights have been flown by Dreamliner No. 1. Dreamliner No. 2 has flown only twice, and was sent back to Everett, Wash., last week to have particulates and debris removed from its fuel
tanks. "We've refined the manufacturing inspections to make sure it doesn't happen again," Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber told the Seattle Times. The program has suffered a number of delays and setbacks. First flight
was originally scheduled for 2007, then was rescheduled about five times. First delivery is planned for the fourth quarter of this year, the company says.
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Rediscover Jet City!
Make King County International Airport/Boeing Field your flight destination! Conveniently located just 5 miles from downtown Seattle, KBFI is positioned in the center of the growing
economy of the Puget Sound region, serving as a hub for business travel, private jets, and general aviation travel. Partner with aviation experts when you fly to Seattle. Make your destination
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For more
information, visit online. 
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Two big aviation events are coming up on the calendar -- the Singapore Airshow, Feb. 2 to 7, is the biggest show of its kind in Asia,
and this week the first Bahrain International Airshow launches. The three-day Bahrain show is produced by the same folks
who put on the well-known Farnborough event in Great Britain. The inaugural trade show at Sakhir Airfield will focus on civil, defense, and business aviation, and aims to promote networking among
companies that operate in the region. Static displays and flight demos will showcase products. Companies sign up for "ultra-luxurious hospitality space" in fully equipped chalets where buyers and
sellers can meet. The Singapore Airshow, which first launched in 2008, is back for its second edition. The show welcomes the trade for four days, then opens up to the public for the weekend, with
airshows scheduled for both days.
This year's airshow will feature the F-111 strike aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, making its last performance in Asia. And the A-10 Thunderbolt II, operated by the U.S. Air
Force, will make its Asian show debut. The Singapore Airshow also features a series of high-level conferences dedicated to leading players in the global aviation industry -- the Singapore Airshow
Aviation Leadership Summit and the Asia-Pacific Security Conference. Click here for more info.
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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.
Aviation Consumer is conducting a survey to hear your experiences with engine overhaul shops. Whether the experience was propulsion bliss or aggravation of a new order, please take a couple
minutes to let others know how it went. Your response will help inform an article on engine shops for Aviation Consumer magazine.
Click here to participate.
(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click
here.)
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Paul Bertorelli has a couple of posts on the AVweb Insider blog about aviation lending a helping hand with Haitian earthquake relief. Click here and then click here to see how you may be able to do more good at
this stage by dropping a little cash out of your wallet than by dropping supplies over Haiti.
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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.
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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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Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
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As a Mooney owner herself, Jennifer can guide you through the purchase process.
