May 5, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Fly with the Acclaimed Aviation Headset X® Enjoy an unmatched combination of full-spectrum noise reduction, clearer audio, and comfortable fit with the Bose® Aviation Headset X. Voted the #1 headset for the ninth consecutive year in Professional Pilot's 2009 Headset Preference Survey. Save $150 when you order by May 31, 2010. Learn more and order. Quote reprinted with permission: Professional Pilot, 2009 Headset Preference Survey, 12/09. AVflash! Biz Benefits from Volcano at EBACE back to top  Sponsor Announcement Market Sluggish, Volcano Might Help The European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) opened Tuesday in Geneva and manufacturers are trying to sound optimistic and realistic at the same time as they face the inevitable questions about their market. In a speech at EBACE, Cessna CEO Jack Pelton said the European market is showing signs of improvement and he's hoping emerging markets in Eastern Europe will be part of Cessna's future growth in the region as a whole. "Before the economic downturn, for example, Eastern Europe was a very strong region for us and we are beginning to see signs – including Citation sales – of that business coming back," he said. Pelton also said the recovery will be a long one, sentiments echoed by Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture in an interview with The New York Times. "I think it's premature to call 2010 a recovery year," he said. "The market still feels the way it did at the end of 2009." Gulfstream CEO Joe Lombardo told a news conference the industry is maturing and globalization is an increasingly important factor. Meanwhile, the industry got an unexpected boost from the volcanic eruption that paralyzed much of Europe's aviation industry last month. The airspace closures shut down airlines because there was no way to maintain their schedules even though it was safe to fly at least some of the time. Business aircraft operations were also affected but with some creative flight planning it was possible to get around Europe in a private aircraft. "The good news for us is that flexibility has value," David MacDonald of charter broker Air Partner told the Times. "In the wake of the volcanic ash situation, we have had requests for urgent travel from Spain to the United States and the Middle East to Southern France, as executives needed to get to meetings which could not be reached on scheduled airlines." The Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia said anything that highlights the advantages of business aviation will help an industry that has suffered from an image problem during the downturn. "Business aircraft have been hit harder by the economic crisis than any other aerospace market," Aboulafia said. 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. 2009's Most Celebrated Landing: The NTSB Report back to top  Sponsor Announcement NTSB Wraps Up "Miracle" Investigation As expected, the NTSB determined on Tuesday in wrapping up its investigation into last year's "Miracle" landing on the Hudson that the probable cause of the accident was the ingestion of large birds into both engines, causing an almost total loss of thrust. A slew of factors contributed to the positive outcome, including effective crew resource management, the fact that the aircraft happened to be equipped for overwater flight although it was not required to be, the performance of the cabin crew in facilitating the evacuation, and the proximity of rescuers. Twenty-four safety recommendations followed, including the need for better engine-monitoring technology; better emergency checklists; training for dual-engine loss at low altitude; better training for ditching scenarios; and more research into bird-deterrence technology. "What's important here is how to protect future passengers and help future flight crews should they end up in a situation like this," said NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman. That said, the board's recommendations included a list of things that went wrong and could be improved in the future. For example, since few of the passengers had paid attention to the preflight safety briefing, perhaps better ways can be developed to impart the information. Also, the brace positions that are now recommended may have contributed to shoulder injuries in some passengers. 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. View from the Top: Recession? What Recession? back to top  Super Luxury BizAv In Demand While much of the business aviation market continues to suffer, the super luxury segment is all but impervious to economic woes and public relations problems and Fly Comlux is investing heavily to solidify its place in that market. The company announced at EBACE that it's adding six big aircraft to its fleet including a 767ER Boeing Business Jet. "With the arrival of the 767BBJ beginning of autumn 2010, we will better serve our Head of State and Royal Families customers," said Comlux President Richard Gaona. "Together with our six Airbus we will confirm our position as the largest operator of VIP charter wide body aircraft and we can offer aircraft management solutions to any customer." The 767 will be configured for about 70 people. The company also announced the addition of two Bombardier Global Express XRS aircraft, a Challenger 605, an Airbus A318 and an A320. Company CEO Stephen Laven says the lavish and long-legged aircraft are just what his customers want. "This niche market is very specific and demanding," he said. AeroExpo UK: 25-27 June 2010 Established, proven, and successful! It is the exhibition to attend in the U.K., whether you are interested in learning to fly or are already a pilot and want to view the latest products available! Showcasing ALL sections of the market, including the latest aircraft available — from light aircraft, or pistons and turboprops from all the major manufacturers, to gliders and power gliders; AeroExpo UK at Wycombe Air Park (EGTB) has them covered. Click here for more information. EBACE, by the Numbers back to top  Deliveries, Program Updates The order count tradition at shows like EBACE is still with us in the downturn but the numbers are a little more modest. Still, aircraft are moving and the Middle East appears to offer the most in the way of opportunities. Dassault announced the delivery of the first of four Falcon 7X three-engine jets to Saudi Private Aviation, the business aviation side of Saudi Arabian Airlines. The aircraft were ordered in 2007. At the other end of the spectrum, Cessna announced the sale of two Citation Mustangs to the Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy and Embraer found a home for a Legacy 650 in Jordan. The 650 is on track for certification later this year. Meanwhile, Gulfstream announced an important couple of milestones in its latest model, also a 650. Gulfstream is touting the G650 as the fastest business jet and it stretched the prototype's legs by hitting its designed maximum speed of Mach .925. The flight occurred over Savannah on Monday. Chief Test Pilot John O'Meara said the aircraft behaved well at almost the speed of sound. "At the conditions flown [Monday], the entire operation was flawless," he said. The aircraft has also passed load limit tests. Certification is expected in 2011 and first deliveries will be in 2012. Get More Rewards Faster with WingPoints®! Reward yourself when you refuel with WingPoints from Phillips 66® Aviation. Start earning points immediately, and earn double points when you use WingPoints with any Phillips 66 Aviation branded card. Get your card today! Sometimes You Can Take It with You back to top  BAE Unveils Backcountry Bizjet For those who like the idea of a camper but require plenty of comfort, the BAE Avro Business Jet Explorer concept unveiled this week would seem to fit the bill. The luxury interior provides up to four sleeping cabins plus living space to provide both transport and accommodation in remote locations. While on the ground, a spacious rear deck area can be deployed where "passengers can relax for the evening ... and enjoy a cool drink in the open air as the sun sets," according to the news release. The concept is the first of five new interiors by Design Q, a U.K. firm. It was introduced at EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition) in Geneva on Tuesday. The Explorer design is available in two versions. Both Explorer One and Four feature top-of-the-line entertainment systems, a spacious galley, a lounge area with curved sofas and white marble floors, and an office workstation. Explorer Four includes the four VIP cabins plus sleeping quarters for the crew in the forward lower hold. Stewart Cordner, VP of Avro Business Jets, said the concepts utilize "the aircraft's unique performance, fantastic interior space and the large rear-opening door to create possibilities previously un-thought of." The New EX600 MFD with QuickPan™ Is Simplicity Reinvented With the EX600's simple "map-centric" operation and new Map Panning feature, you can display a moving map of your flight plan and view Datalink Weather all along your route of flight. And view On-Board Wx Radar. And Special-Use Airspace. And Traffic. And Terrain. And Color Lightning. All without ever leaving the map page. It's the only MFD available that provides the complete picture. Flying Made Simple. Click here to learn more and enter to win an authentic Avidyne leather bomber jacket! AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Oil Slicks and Avgas If BP doesn't get it under control, the growing slick in the Gulf of Mexico could become a major disaster that will reset attitudes and policies toward offshore oil production. None of that is necessarily good for the price of avgas, and Paul Bertorelli breaks down some of the potential consequences in the lastest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Click here to read more (and share your own opinions). "How We Did It" — Red Bull Glider Skydiver Transfer Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Say, how did those guys pull off that skydiver glider-to-glider transfer that's getting some much attention on YouTube and Red Bull's site? Here's the inside story from Ewald Roithner, the lead pilot. He spoke with AVweb's Paul Bertorelli. 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. Now Available: 2010 1/2 FAR/AIM & FARs for AMTs eBooks Extensive changes have been made to the FAR/AIM & FAR/AMTs since the 2010 printed editions were last published. These changes through 3/2/10 are now available in a complete new eBook edition. All eBooks are single-file .PDF documents. They are extensively bookmarked, fully searchable, and printable. There is no easier way to access the information you need, whether you are flying or maintaining aircraft. Click these links to order: 2010 1/2 FAR/AIM eBook | $11.95 2010 1/2 FARs for AMTs eBook | $17.95 Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... It's Your Chance to Win a King Schools Get-It-All Training Kit Win a Get-It-All Training Kit from King Schools as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail 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 May 21, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. 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. 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. 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.