September 1, 2010

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Are You Ready to Move Up to a Zulu? Then your wait is over. Thanks to Lightspeed's greatly expanded trade-up program, you may be able to move up to the quietest, most comfortable headset in the world. No matter what brand you're currently flying with. This offer is available only through Lightspeed Aviation direct. To learn more about the Zulu and check the "tradeworthiness" of your current headset, just go to LightspeedAviation.com. John & Martha King Add "Police Training" to Resume back to top  Sponsor Announcement Kings To Help Develop Police Aviation Training Click for more photos John and Martha King will help the Santa Barbara Police develop training for members of the department to help them more effectively deal with incidents involving aircraft. The Kings were detained at gunpoint, handcuffed and held at the Santa Barbara Airport last Saturday after a case of mistaken identity over the N-number on their leased Cessna 172. Martha King told AVweb the chief of police, Camerino Sanchez, called her husband to apologize "clearly and profusely" for the aggressive manner in which they were detained. "He said that the police don't have any training for aircraft stops, and used the only procedure they knew – a 'hot stop' on a stolen vehicle," she said. The Kings will be providing the department with ideas on how to develop training for officers to intercept aircraft properly. John King also suggested the training could be developed into a national set of standard operating procedures for all police departments. Martha King said the conversation with the police chief was "very cordial." Meanwhile, AOPA is reporting that the FAA has removed the N-number from the list of stolen aircraft and the National Business Aviation Association is calling for further action that would likely have prevented Saturday's incident. NBAA President Ed Bolen said the incident, in which the 172 was misidentified as a Cessna 150 stolen eight years ago, points to the need for review of the way the government gathers and shares information about aircraft. In this case, the N-number (N-50545) was cancelled on the 150 in 2005 and reassigned to the Cessna-owned 172 in 2009. On the aircraft's first flight, from the factory to company headquarters in Wichita in late 2009, the company pilot was met by police who had been alerted by the El Paso Intelligence Center, a multi-agency intel unit that specializes in gathering data on drug dealers and smugglers. The incident with the Kings was a repeat of that scenario. "We recognize that law enforcement officials need to have a reliable source of up-to-date aircraft information to prevent illegal activities," Bolen said. "At the same time, we believe the government process for using the data appears woefully inadequate. This isn't the first time outdated information has resulted in a situation like the one involving the Kings, but we want it to be the last. We're asking government leaders to look at this unfortunate event as an opportunity for industry and government to collaborate on a solution that will prevent similar incidents in the future." Related Content: More details on the Kings' landing. Podcast interview with Martha King. Photos of the "bust." It really could happen to any pilot — Paul Bertorelli comments on the AVweb Insider blog. Introducing: Our Best Pilot Headset Ever NEW Bose A20™ Aviation Headset Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly. Now the Bose A20™ Aviation Headset sets an entirely new standard, providing significantly greater noise reduction than currently available. It also features an improved level of comfort, clear audio, Bluetooth® connectivity, auxiliary audio input and priority switching. Learn more. If the Recession Is Winding Down, What's Next? back to top  Industry Execs Look To Future The recent past hasn't been all that pleasant for the business and commercial aircraft sectors, so a group of leading industry execs is looking to the future. Representatives of manufacturers, brokers and operators will debate the topic "Preparing For The Future" at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Long Beach, Calif., Sept. 14-16. Among the topics to be discussed are whether the recent uptick in orders signals an end to the downturn. There's also the interesting question of whether the absence of consolidation of manufacturers during the downturn was a good thing or a bad thing. Of course, the main focus of the show is the myriad of products used in the cabin to determine and improve the specific missions of each aircraft. It's not all about flat screens and cupholders, though. Weight-saving materials, efficient use of space and safety equipment are also top of mind for vendors and participants. Communications and IT in Aviation: Innovation and Renovation India's growing traffic and aircraft demands present a challenge for the industry. The CITA Summit will explore the latest developments in modern technology and new business opportunities and challenges for operators and manufacturers. It is a unique opportunity for all participants to debate the future of aviation technology, learn about the regional infrastructure development (as well as innovative technologies), and network with leading experts from India and around the world. Click here for more information. Where Luxury, Business and Technology Intersect back to top  "Big Boy Toys" Showcases BizAv Although business aviation in much of the world has been downplaying the luxury aspect and emphasizing efficiency and productivity, a major exhibition in Abu Dhabi next February embraces the undeniable comforts that come with private air travel. Most of the major business aviation companies are expected to take part in Big Boy Toys, which runs from Feb. 2-5, 2011, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. Although an exhibitors' list isn't available on the website, Al Bawaba, a Middle Eastern news agency, says the show is "expected to attract top aviation customers across the globe." In addition to kicking the tires on the latest that aviation has to offer, attendees can shop for high-end marine, automotive and electronics products and maybe even book their favorite superstar for a private concert. Meanwhile, the publication says the market for business aircraft looks rosy in the region and that bodes well for the show. Quoting a year-old Frost and Sullivan study, the publication confidently predicts 200 bizjet deliveries in the region by 2015 and another 400 by 2023. A spokesman for the exhibition said Big Boy Toys is ideally timed to capitalize on the anticipated growth in business jet sales. "'Big Boys Toys' comes at the right time as the business jets market is picking up in the region and UAE, and exhibitors aim to meet the needs of high net worth customers or owners of private jets who are more focused on ergonomics, ambience and luxury," said Biju Jayaraaj, CEO, Artaaj. Big South Fork Airpark Is More than Just a Neighborhood — It's a Community Each home has convenient runway access and is in the immediate vicinity of the 125,000-acre Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area with its forests, gorges, and sandstone bluffs. All Big South Fork Residents can enjoy: Safety — Big South Fork Airpark is one of the safest Airparks in the country. Convenience — the 5,500-ft. runway has four approaches, pilot-controlled lighting, an on-site maintenance facility, and FBO; fly in 24 hours a day. Value — home sites starting at $89K; there is no income tax and low property tax in Tennessee; no tax on your airplane! Click here for more information. Aviation Safety back to top  Report: Simulator Training Flawed Problems stemming from simulator training have been cited as contributing factors in airline accidents that caused more than half of the 522 fatalities over the last decade, according to a USA Today analysis published on Tuesday. Most recently, the NTSB cited deficient simulator training as a contributing factor in its final report on a December 2008 accident in Denver, in which six people were severely hurt when a Continental 737 ran off a Denver runway. Simulated crosswind training in the airline industry is "inadequate," the NTSB reported, due to "deficient simulator wind gust modeling." Simulators are not able to provide pilots with "realistic gusty crosswind training," the NTSB said. USA Today noted that simulators also were cited in the NTSB reports on last year's fatal Colgan Air crash and the November 2001 crash of an American Airlines A300 in which 265 people died. In its report on the Colgan Air crash, the NTSB said airline simulators needed to do a better job of helping train pilots to handle icing emergencies. In the A300 crash, the NTSB found that a simulator exercise had given pilots a false sense of how the rudder would respond to inputs. The investigators found that the rudder pedal motion in the simulator and the airplane produced by normal and high pilot input forces resulted in different pedal displacements. The differences were attributed to the software representation of the elastic cable stretch in the simulator, which was less stiff than the cable stretch on the A300-600 airplane. The NTSB voted earlier this year to urge federal regulators to create higher standards for simulator performance, USA Today said. 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! World's Fastest Bizjet back to top  Gulfstream Claims "Fastest Civil Aircraft" Title For G650 Gulfstream's new G650 recently reached Mach 0.995 on a test flight, which the company says establishes the business jet as the world's fastest civil aircraft. That title that has long been held by Cessna's Citation X, which flies at Mach 0.92. Gulfstream said the G650 achieved the maximum speed during flutter testing, when the test crew took Serial Number 6001 into a dive, pitching the nose 16 to 18 degrees below the horizon. During the dive, flutter exciters introduced a range of vibration frequencies to the wing, tail and flight control surfaces to ensure the aircraft naturally dampened out the oscillations without input from the pilots. "The airplane is very predictable," said test pilot Tom Horne. "It's very easy to control and to get precise control at those speeds." Gulfstream has been working on the G650 flight-test program since November 2009. Four jets are flying, with one more to join the test fleet before production begins. The test aircraft have completed more than 170 flights and 575 flight-test hours. The ultra-large-cabin G650 is powered by Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, and the company says it will fly 7,000 nm at Mach 0.85. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2012. The Citation X has been flying since 1996 and the fleet has accumulated more than one million hours. Related Content: Podcast interview with Gulfstream's Larry Flynn. See What You've Been Missing! Active-Surveillance Traffic Now Available Starting at $8,490 Avidyne announces new full-featured TAS605 and TAS615 models, along with the lowest price available for dual-antenna, active traffic with our TAS600. All TAS600 Series systems provide timely audible and visual alerts with the precise location of conflicting traffic. Patented Top & Bottom directional antennas detect other aircraft sooner and more accurately. Avidyne's TAS600 Series are the smallest, lightest, best performing, and most affordable active TAS systems available. Click here to learn more about the TAS600 Traffic Systems. Who's Where back to top  McEwen to Piper Drew McEwen Drew McEwen is the new Director of Sales, Americas for Piper Aircraft. McEwen had a 28-year career in sales at Hawker Beechcraft before joining Piper. Mayer Back at Socata Stephane Mayer Stephane Mayer, who was CEO of EADS Socata before it was sold to DAHER, has now been hired in his old role by the new company. He spent the interim as CEO of ATR, a turboprop regional airliner manufacturer. Rod Machado Manuals AVweb Bookstore is proud to feature these exceptional Private Pilot and Instrument Pilot training manuals from Rod Machado. We find Machado's teaching style memorable, interesting, fun, and a welcome alternative to Brands X and Y. Now available in book and eBook format. Call (800) 780-4115 or click here for more information. The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! back to top  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. 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. 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. New on AVweb back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Up Against the Fence, Martha The Santa Barbara police chief had the decency and class to apologize to John and Martha King after holding them at gunpoint over the weekend following an erroneous stolen aircraft report. Unfortunately, as Paul Bertorelli reports on the AVweb Insider blog, pilots are uniquely vulnerable to this sort of thing — and we wonder how many agencies would bother with the apology, much less the extra mile to avoid these things in the first place. Read more and join the conversation. AVweb Insider Blog: How the FAA Acts Counter to Safety LEDs are a terrific technology to replace old, failure-prone landing light bulbs. And the fact that you can leave them on constantly means the aircraft is more conspicuous, thus reducing the collision risk. Yet the FAA has so complicated the unnecessary approval process for these products that the market has been nearly strangled. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli explains the details. Click here to read more. Aviation Consumer Flies a Silver Eagle Turbine-Converted Centurion Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Wanna go fast and climb like hell? That's what the Silver Eagle Conversion of a P210 with a Rolls Royce turbine engine does. Aviation Consumer's Paul Bertorelli recently took a flight demo in the airplane. If you enjoy this video, be sure to look for more on the Silver Eagle package in the September 2010 issue of 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. Help Us Celebrate AVweb's 15th Anniversary back to top  15 Years and Now 15 Grand Giveaways ... We're Giving You Another Chance to Win a Bose Aviation Headset X Our 15th anniversary celebration continues, with a second chance to win a Bose Aviation Headset X! 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, September 3, 2010. Click here to read the contest rules and enter. Congratulations to Roger Newcomb of Austin, TX, who won our last drawing, for a Spidertrack Aviator! (click here to get your own from Spidertracks) 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.