July 14, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

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. AVflash! NTSB on Denver Runway Incident back to top  Sponsor Announcement NTSB: Captain Could Have Averted Denver Crash The captain of a Continental 737 that ran off a Denver runway in December 2008 as winds gusted up to 45 knots probably could have kept it on the runway if he had applied enough rudder at the right time, the NTSB said in its final report on the accident on Tuesday. However, the board also said that if the crew had been given better wind information before trying to take off on Runway 34R, they might have delayed departure or requested a different runway. Air traffic controllers provided all the weather data that was required, telling the crew winds were from 270 degrees at 27 knots, but information from sensors located in the center of the airfield showed gusts as high as 40 knots. If the crew had been better trained in crosswind techniques, that also might have helped, the board said. Nobody was killed in the accident, but the captain and five of the 110 passengers were hurt. The board also said better seats in the cockpit would help to reduce crew injuries. NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman praised the flight attendants for evacuating passengers quickly, before fire reached the cabin. "This accident was nothing less than the holiday miracle," she said. The board noted that in reacting to the crosswind, the captain tried using inappropriate controls to steer the aircraft, including the control yoke, which contributed up to four seconds delay. When he called for a rejected takeoff it was too late. 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. Business World Heads Back to Iraq back to top  Aviation Returns To Baghdad One of the fastest-growing business jet destinations wasn't much more than a smoking hole a few years ago, but Baghdad is back. According to Business Week, Lufthansa will start scheduled service next week and Royal Jet, which operates 11 corporate aircraft, is reporting brisk business carrying oil executives and other business leaders to the calmer and gentler Iraqi capital. "The constantly improving security situation combined with ongoing reconstruction and investment has created ideal conditions for private aviation into and out of the country," John Morgan, Royal Jet's vice president for commercial operations, told Business Week. The dissolution of Iraqi Airways by the government as a tactic in a dispute with Kuwait created a gap in airline service and several Middle Eastern carriers jumped into the market earlier this year. Lufthansa will be the first airline from outside the region to return. British Airways and Air France/KLM are pondering resumption of service. The Iraqi government is dissolving Iraqi Airways to prevent Kuwait from seizing aircraft in foreign countries where it has filed suit to get compensation for 10 Kuwaiti Airlines aircraft plundered by Iraqi forces in the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi Airways remains in business on domestic routes and flying to a few countries where there is no legal action waiting for it. It's a Great Time to Buy — Finance Your Aircraft and Get Flying! With the ability to fix today's low rates up to 20 years and great deals on both new and used aircraft in the market, it's the perfect time to buy! Call AirFleet Capital for financing details at (800) 390‑4324, visit us at AirVenture (hangar A, booth #1143), or request a quote at AirFleetCapital.com. Lots of Competitors, Lots of Airplanes back to top  170 Citations In Special Olympics Airlift More than 170 Cessna Citations from all over the U.S. will land at Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday to deliver 2,000 competitors to the Special Olympics U.S. National Games. This is the sixth time Cessna has organized the gigantic Citation Special Olympics Airlift and this year's effort is chaired by Citation owner Harrison Ford. The airlift is a logistical challenge as flights have to be coordinated to ensure smooth flow into Lincoln. It will take 15 hours to recover all the aircraft, which will be carrying between three and seven athletes apiece. Then they'll do it all over again a week later when they fly back to Lincoln to pick up the athletes. It's clearly a labor of love for Cessna CEO Jack Pelton, who is in the thick of the organization and execution of the event. The airlift began in 1985 with two Citations carrying a delegation from Cessna's home state of Kansas. Two years later, 132 Citations were involved and this year's will be among the biggest yet. Calm, Cool & Protected Get the protection you need at a time when you need it more than ever, with Avemco® Insurance Company. Their financial strength — and one of the most stable track records in the industry — has earned them an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best every year since 1977. Get protected! Chinese GA: Still a Tough Nut to Crack back to top  China Making Progress Toward GA-Friendly Skies Changes are expected soon that would make China much more open to general aviation, according to China Daily. "There will be progress in opening up the low-altitude airspace in the later half of this year, and many local governments have expressed interest in investment," said Wang Xia, vice president of the General Aviation School at Civil Aviation University of China. The skies have gradually become more open to private, low-altitude aircraft, but only if operators comply with a complex and time-consuming approval process that involves several different government agencies. To become a private pilot, applicants must pass a series of tests and physical exams, and spend about $20,000. There are only about 1,000 private pilots in China, according to China Daily. Meanwhile, officials are investigating corruption in China's aviation industry, the Canadian Press reports. Several officials have been fired, and investigations continue into bribery and influence peddling involving individuals in both industry and government, according to the CP. "In China, aviation is a semi-militarized industry, not a completely commercial one," said Zhang Qihuai, a law professor at the Logistics College of the Chinese Air Force. "It attracts huge amounts of money and power ... This has been a terrible problem for a while." One aviation official, who had not been targeted in the probe, threw himself in front of a train last week. Lycoming & Continental Aircraft Starters — Aviation-Manufactured, OEM-Endorsed, & Factory-Installed ... For Over 20 Years TCM supplier Kelly Aerospace introduces the zero-back torque M-Drive starter — the best lightweight starter designed to start even the hardest-cranking large-bore TCM engines while safely disengaging from the starter adapter. Lycoming-chosen E-Drive starters from Kelly Aerospace are unaffected by kick-backs, saving hours of service time and replacement costs, along with the best warranty available — two-year unlimited! More on Kelly Aerospace aircraft starters. From Artful Flying to Flying back to top  Former AVweb Writer New Flying Editor There's been a change at the top of Flying magazine but the new editor-in-chief is a familiar name to longtime AVweb readers. Michael Maya Charles has replaced Mac McLellan at Flying. Maya Charles wrote more than 100 As the Beacon Turns columns for AVweb before he left us in 2006 to devote more time to his other writing exploits. According to a news release from Bonnier Publications, which bought Flying from Hatchett-Fillipacci a couple of years ago, Maya Charles also wrote for Flying and AOPA. The release did not mention McLellan's circumstances. McLellan was editor-in-chief of Flying for 20 years and had been with the magazine since 1980. Maya Charles recently retired as a captain for FedEx, was the author of the book Artful Flying and wrote occasional blogs. "We have hired one of the most experienced pilots in the magazine business to lead Flying into the next decade," said editorial director David Ritchie. "Michael has more than 22,000 hours of flying time in more than 200 aircraft types and has made a living as a professional pilot for 38 years – as a flight instructor, charter pilot, corporate pilot and airline pilot. He's a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, has owned airplanes since he was 19, and flies his two current airplanes from his airpark home in Colorado." Maya Charles said his mandate at Flying is to create an "engaging magazine that inspires and educates pilots in all market segments, and of all experience levels." 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  Promotions at Cessna (corrected) Bill Collier Peter Wilkinson Cessna has announced that Peter Wilkinson will head the company's McCauley Propeller Systems operations as general manager, and Bill Collier will take over turbine and propeller aircraft parts distribution. Wilkinson has been with Cessna since 1997, and Collier joined the company in 2005. Introducing Cobalt's Co50 A 5-place canard for the certified market using the latest innovations in composites, chassis structure, and fuel/power management systems. TCM's FADEC, 350 hp, twin-turbocharged TSIOF-550-D2B and Hartzell's Constant Speed 3-blade aluminum propeller produce high performance to go 600nm with four adults and one child at +200 KTAS, including 45' reserves. Luxurious and ergonomic interior with great panoramic views. Discover Cobalt's Co50 in the Main Aircraft Display, booths #21-22, at EAA AirVenture. Experience the next stage in aircraft evolution. New on AVweb back to top  Canadian Military Flight Training: A Ride-Along in the CT-156 Harvard II Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos To many people, it's just a joke about funny Canadian place names, but Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is the center of the universe for young military officers from all over the world who want to become military pilots. Under the auspices of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, the Canadian Forces and Bombardier are in a joint venture to train Canada's next generation of pilots and also new pilots from as far away as Singapore. AVweb's Russ Niles went for a ride in the CT-156 Harvard II (the Canadian version of the Texan II used by the U.S. Air Force) and spoke with flight instructor Capt. Zack Charbonneau. 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. AVweb Insider Blog: Jack Pelton Speaks; Let's All Listen Last week, Jack Pelton ate into his vacation to visit General Aviation Modifications, Inc.'s test cell in Ada, Oklahoma for a look at G100UL, a proposed avgas replacement. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli suggests that his involvement — and unambiguous report on what he saw — may represent an inflection point in what has basically been a defeatist effort to find an avgas replacement. The first step in succeeding is the belief that you can. Click here to read more and join the conversation. AVweb Insider Blog: Pushing the Envelope It's a complicated, scary world, full of challenges that compound one on top of another faster than we can keep up — but then again, we may be better at keeping up than we give ourselves credit. When a technological problem is at its worst, the pressure to innovate often gives rise to surprising solutions — and that thought gives AVweb editor Mary Grady a little hope when it comes to the giant hurdles facing aviation. Click here to read Mary's post on the AVweb Insider blog and leave your comments. JA Air Center — When It Comes to Garmin Avionics, Go with a Name You Can Trust! Since 1965, pilots have trusted the avionics experts at JA Air Center. Whether you're looking for ship-in repair, custom installation, or a mail order purchase, no one knows avionics better than JA Air Center. Call (800) 323-5966 or click here. BUY, SELL, or TRADE your avionics and GPS equipment at JA Air Center Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... It's Your Chance to Win a Zaon PCAS XRX Win a Zaon PCAS XRX 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 Friday, July 16, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. Congratulations to Richard Kemp of Canton, Georgia, who won an AV8OR handheld GPS in our last drawing! (click here to get your own from Bendix/King by Honeywell) Rod Machado Private Pilot Training AVweb Bookstore now features professional pilot Part 141-approved training kits based on Rod Machado's text books and work books. We find Machado's teaching style memorable, interesting, fun, and a welcome alternative to Brands X and Y. Many flight schools and college programs agree, citing higher test scores and pass rates since making the switch. Machado Private Pilot Kit / $194.95 Call (800) 780-4115 or click here for more information. 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. 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. 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.