May 26, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Be Sure You Cast Your Vote for Your Favorite Aviation Charity The new Lightspeed Aviation Foundation will help to support a select group of 20 charities, and the top five will receive no less than $10,000. Every pilot can vote. Just go to LightspeedAviationFoundation.org. And when you buy a new Lightspeed headset, you can also designate a percentage of your purchase to go to any of the 20 charities when you register your warranty. AVflash! FAA Targets Carbon Monoxide back to top  Sponsor Announcement FAA Says: Replace Old Mufflers If the muffler on your reciprocating aircraft engine is more than 1,000 hours old, you should replace it to help minimize the chance of getting carbon monoxide in the cockpit, according to a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin released by the FAA. The recommendation is not mandatory. The FAA based its suggestion on the results of a technical study by Wichita (Kans.) State University that was completed last year. The researchers surveyed accident data from the NTSB and found that when CO was a factor, the muffler system was the top source. In 92 percent of the muffler-related accidents, the muffler had been in service for more than 1,000 hours. Diesel-powered engines are not affected by this recommendation, Centurion Aircraft Engines said this week, because that combustion process produces hardly any excess CO. The next revision of the FAA's SAIB will make note of the fact that diesel engines are exempt, Centurion said. The FAA bulletin also noted that pilots should use CO detectors in the cockpit. The Wichita study, which is posted online (PDF), found that electrochemical sensor-based CO detectors were the most effective of the commonly used detectors and the instrument panel was the most effective location. 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. The Race for New Fuels back to top  Biofuel-Friendly GA Engine Debuts In South Africa A South African company has introduced a new engine for general aviation aircraft that the company says will run on a range of fuels, including unleaded mogas with an octane rating as low as 85, standard avgas, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), or biofuel. The 320-hp Adept Aviation engine "sets new standards for performance and low life-cycle costs," according to the company's news release. The liquid-cooled engine with electronic engine management was rolled out last week in an SA Ravin 500 airplane. The engine features low emissions and noise levels, the company said, and weighs about 348 pounds. "It is roughly 30 percent lighter than traditional piston engines of comparable horsepower and offers fuel efficiencies of up to 30 percent better than conventional GA powerplants," the company said. The company, which is based at Virginia Airport in Durban, S.A., has been ground-testing the engine and expects to start flight tests soon, according to its Web site. Adept Aviation is a seven-year-old company that was launched with private funding. Since 2005, UK-based AgustaWestland Helicopters has provided significant support and continues to fund Adept's certification process through the European Aviation and Safety Agency (EASA). In 2007, the South African government's Department of Science and Technology invested R10.5m (about $1.4 million in US dollars) to fund the company to a pre-production stage. Adept is now in discussion with prospective funders for support to ramp up to full production. Limited Time Only — Hangar Special! Due to high demand, ONLY 3 hangars remain in phase 1. The remaining hangars are available at close-out pricing (but you must purchase a lot in order to qualify for hangar specials). If you are up for a little adventure, join us June 26-27 for our summer kick-off weekend. Be our guest and stay at one of our luxury houses, indulge in a gourmet meal, and enjoy all of the amenities the Airpark has to offer. A hangar and rental car are included. All for only $99. Space is limited. Click here to book your visit. Road to Recovery back to top  Used Aircraft Inventory Down Slightly Business aircraft use is up and used aircraft inventories are down but both are a long way from the heady days of early 2008, according to a study released by JETNET. There are still 2,700 used business jets on the market and 1,400 turboprops for sale in the U.S. but both figures are down slightly compared to the same time last year. The number of jets for sale represents 15.5 percent of the fleet, down from 17.7 percent at its peak in July of 2009. Proportionately fewer turboprops are on the market. As of the end of April, about 11 percent were available compared to the high of 12 percent last summer. Meanwhile, perhaps one of the most encouraging signs is the increase in business aircraft use. JETNET says the FAA is reporting that business jet use was up 11.3 percent in the first quarter of 2010 over 2009; it also noted that the 2009 figure was down by more than 30 percent over the previous year. So, despite the double-digit increase this year, business jet operations are still down by 21 percent when compared to the pre-recession days. So, it's still a buyer's market out there and prices remain depressed, but it looks like it isn't going to last forever. YES! Powered by AirFleet Aircraft financing available? Yes! Flexible financing programs for new and used aircraft are still readily available, and AirFleet Capital can fix today's low rate for up to 20 years. In this buyer's market with big tax incentives and historically low interest rates, now is a great time to buy and finance the aircraft you've been waiting for! Please call (800) 390-4324 or request a quote online at AirFleetCapital.com. A Dark Horse Enters the Supersonic Race back to top  Sukhoi-Alenia Supersonic Bizjet? A Turkish newspaper says Italian aviation giant Alenia is in talks with Russia's Sukhoi to bring a new supersonic business jet to market by 2015. Hurriyet, an English daily, says the aircraft will fly at more than Mach 1.6, carry eight passengers and be designed to mitigate sonic booms. It sounds like an update on Gulfstream's collaboration with Sukhoi to develop the S-21 supersonic business jet. Gulfstream bowed out of that project years ago but Sukhoi apparently kept working on it. Sukhoi and Alenia have been working together on the Superjet, a regional jet that is now in flight testing. The S-21 was envisioned as a three-engine aircraft that would have been as big as a regional jet (more than 100 feet long and more than 50,000 lbs.) but most of that bulk was to be employed in quest for speed. Aerion, an American company, continues to work on a supersonic business jet design and is looking for a manufacturing partner. 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. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Should You Butt In When Another Pilot Goes Awry? Every airport has at least one ace of the base whose judgment is just cock-eyed. Do the rest of us have an obligation to straighten this person out? That's the question guest blogger Mark Sletten addresses in the latest installment of the AVweb Insider. Click here to read Mark's post and share your own thoughts. AVweb Insider Blog: Survival by Random Chance What does the Deepwater Horizon disaster have to do with aviation? Maybe nothing — if you don't count the powerful lesson in preparedness that Paul Bertorelli took away from a 60 Minutes interview with survivor Mike Williams. Click here to read Paul's latest post to the AVweb Insider blog and share your own thoughts. 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 King County International Airport/Boeing Field! For more information, visit online. Who's Where back to top  Harlan New Uvalde GM Samantha Harlan Samantha Harlan has been named general manager of Uvalde Flight Center. She was most recently the office manager, dispatcher and customer service rep at Tomball Jet Center in Houston. Sigler to AIA Todd Sigler is AIA's new Assistant Vice President of Civil Aviation. He was formerly at Cirrus Aircraft, most recently vice president of manufacturing support and process engineering. 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. Eur-Avia Cannes Is Southern Europe's Leading Exhibition in General and Business Aviation The exhibition brings together the leading proponents in general and business aviation to allow a demanding clientéle to discover the latest developments and industry innovations in a geographically logical and appealing setting. This professional exhibition is designed for owners and pilots, whether passionate fans or professionals, in general and business aviation throughout Europe — offering visitors a large and representative palette of the aeronautics industry. Click here for more details. The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! back to top  Aviation Consumer: Tell Us About Your Opinions on Diesel Engines and Alternate Fuels Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting research on attitudes toward replacement strategies for 100LL. To take the survey, click this link and let us know what you think. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) Aviation Consumer's LSA Durability Survey p>Do you have an LSA at a flight school? Do you rent one? Aviation Consumer needs to hear from you. Aviation Consumer is looking at the long-term durability of these aircraft when subjected to the rigors of flight training, as well as their cost and ease of repair. Whether you run a flight school with LSAs, own an LSA that you lease back, or just rent them for your flight training, you voice matters. Click here to participate in our quick LSA durability survey. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) 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. 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 AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Aviation Consumer's Diamond Motor Glider Gliding Trial Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos At Sun 'n Fun, AVweb took a look at Diamond's reintroduced HK36 motor glider. In this follow-up video, we tried it out in extended glider operation, and (no suprise) it's a great performer. If you want to learn soaring and still want a powered airplane, the HK36 is a remarkably well-executed compromise. If you enjoy this video, be sure to look for the print review of the FX8 in the June issue of our sister publication, Aviation Consumer. 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. IFR Magazine Shares GPS Tricks for VOR Clearances Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Handling clearances with that panel-mount GPS is a snap — until they throw some rogue radial off a VOR into the mix. IFR editor Jeff Van West unlocks the insider techniques that make clearances like this just another day plying the airways. If you enjoy this video, be sure to check out our sister publication, IFR magazine. 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. Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... It's Your Chance to Win an AV8OR Handheld GPS Win an AV8OR handheld GPS (from Bendix/King by Honeywell) 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 June 18, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. 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.