August 31, 2011

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Bose® A20® Aviation Headset The Best We've Ever Made Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly. Today, we continue to set the standard with the Bose A20 Aviation Headset. The headset provides acclaimed noise reduction, with a comfortable fit and the clear audio you expect from Bose. It also features Bluetooth® connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and priority switching. Learn more. Transparency, Privacy Line Up for Courtroom Clash back to top  Sponsor Announcement NBAA, AOPA Take BARR Fight To Court The FAA acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" when it reversed a longstanding policy and refused to allow aircraft owners to block their flight information from the public, NBAA and AOPA argue in a court brief (PDF) filed this week. "Very real concerns about safety, security and competitiveness justify giving aircraft owners and operators a way to 'opt-out' of having their flights tracked by anyone, anywhere in the world with an Internet connection," said NBAA President Ed Bolen. "The government ignored these concerns, but we believe the court will not be so dismissive." In their brief, filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, NBAA and AOPA argue that the FAA's recent revisions to the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program are unlawful and should be invalidated. The FAA has failed to "offer any explanation" for its decision to change the policy, which had been in effect for over a decade, according to the brief. The need for "government openness and transparency" must be weighed against personal privacy concerns, NBAA and AOPA said, which the FAA also failed to do. The FAA has until Sept. 28 to file a brief in response to NBAA and AOPA. The two associations will then have an opportunity to file a final brief on Oct. 12. The Court of Appeals will hear arguments shortly thereafter. EAA filed a "friend of the court" brief in support of the suit. There's Nothing Light About This Jet Meet the latest and greatest member of the world's most successful family of light jets, the Citation CJ4. It delivers more speed and greater range while retaining the pilot-friendly — and single-pilot-certified — operations of the CJ family. The CJ4's cabin is larger, more comfortable, and outfitted with new entertainment and communication systems. All this equals an aircraft that is flexible enough to meet the requirements of many mid-sized aircraft at light jet costs, plus the service reputation of Cessna to back up your decision. It's what every light jet aspires to be. Visit Cessna.com. The New Normal: Quarterly Reports, Job Speculation back to top  Bombardier Layoffs Looming? Analysts are predicting Bombardier will announce layoffs and production slowdowns this week as part of its quarterly reporting. The Montreal-based company is doing well with its business jet division but has seen only a trickle of orders for its regional airliners this year. There were no orders in Q2 and only five in Q1. The order backlog is also creeping down and is at an uncomfortably low 11 months for the Q400 line and a slowdown has already been put in place at that operation. The CRJ line backlog is at 18 months, the low end of the company's backlog comfort zone. Slowing down a production line is a costly business but may be necessary. Ironically, however, a lot of airlines are getting ready to retire older regional airliners and it could be only a matter of months before the company would be forced to ramp up production. On the other hand, the business jet market is acutely affected by overall business conditions and a close eye is being kept on that market for signs of weakening. Experience Trade-A-Plane in a Greater Way! Our all-new web site is better than ever. Advanced searches, more detailed results, expanded content. Clean, fresh design and easier navigation, too. Exclusive premium benefits for subscribers! Selling? Affordable, online-only listings are now available in many categories, and it's quick and easy to place one. Try it now to reach aviation's active buyers! Visit us today at Trade-A-Plane.com for everything that keeps you flying or call (800) 337‑5263. China's Deer Jet Goes Platinum back to top  Deer Jet Gets ARGUS Platinum Deer Jet, China's largest business jet operator, has become the only one with an ARGUS Platinum Rating. The designation, the most prestigious awarded by the independent audit organization, is reserved for the best of the best in terms of service, safety and equipment. Of 2,000 operators that have submitted to the voluntary audit, only 87, most of them in the U.S., have received the Platinum ranking. "The award means Deer Jet has reached the highest operational level of the industry. It will be more trusted by the top 1,000 enterprises of the world, given more business opportunities," said ARGUS CEO Joseph Moeggenberg. Deer Jet is a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, China's fourth largest airline, and is based in Beijing. It currently has 39 of the country's roughly 70 business aircraft and just welcomed a big addition to its stable. On the 15th anniversary of the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), Deer Jet accepted a new BBJ. It also flies the Airbus ACJ 319, along with a range of Gulfstream and Hawker Beechcraft models. Trade Up to the Lightspeed Aviation Zulu Ranked #1 in Professional Pilot magazine's Annual Headset Preference Survey, Lightspeed Aviation is offering you a chance to trade up to Zulu. Setting the standard for all ANR headsets, Lightspeed Zulu features Full-Function Bluetooth™ connectivity, enhanced communications, a distinctive look, and unparalleled comfort. Visit LightspeedAviation.com, learn the value of your headset, and trade up to Zulu. New Lease on Life: Remanned 737 Engines back to top  Boeing Launches 737MAX Re-Engine Program Boeing's board of directors has approved the executive plan to re-engine existing models of the Boeing 737 in response to Airbus's similar plan for its A320. The "new" aircraft will be called the 737 MAX and the zeroes will be dropped from the current 700, 800 and 900 model numbers in the new designations. The aircraft will be powered by CFM Leap-1B engines that Boeing says will make the new 737 4 percent more efficient than the new model A320neo. Boeing wants first deliveries no later than 2017 and is suggesting, but not promising, that it might be ready earlier. Both of its most recent development projects, the 787 and 747-8, are years behind schedule. "Given our recent track record, we are being very prudent and disciplined to make sure that whatever we talk to our customers about, we actually have a plan to deliver on," Nicole Piasecki, the company's head of business development, told Bloomberg. Landing-gear height was an issue with the engine upgrade, and the fan size of the new engines is marginally bigger than the current 61 inches. Engineers are apparently deciding whether 66 inches is enough or whether to push it to 68 inches. Whatever the decision, it must meet Boeing brass's requirement that no substantial redesign of the airframe be necessary. Boeing had been leaning toward a new design to replace the 737 but risked losing market share during the long development phase. It said it already has commitments for 496 of the new variant. Don't say good-bye to the legacy 737 just yet, though. Boeing has a backlog of 2,100 orders for it and will be building them until at least 2020. Get Spidertracks Aviator, The Aircraft Safety System That Makes Flying Fun! Spidertracks tracks you in real-time and automatically sends SOS alerts within minutes of an accident. Your flights are displayed on the Aviator web site, and your online logbook automatically fills in flight time and distance. You can upload photos, share your flights, "follow" other pilots, and talk flying with other aviators who love flying as much as you do. Get Aviator today — call 1 (800) 491‑2895 or visit Spidertracks.com. Safety & Security back to top  Research Aims To Identify GA Airport Threats New research supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security aims to help officials detect unusual activity or behavior at general aviation airports. "We want to understand the variation associated with usual general-aviation activity and operations, so unusual activity can be detected, analyzed and resolved," said Justin Chimka, a researcher at the University of Arkansas. "Based on historical data, there are basic assumptions or expectations about what should be going on at these airports," he said. Chimka and his research team analyzed data such as the annual number of landings and takeoffs, the number of aircraft and flight schools based at the airport, population within a 100-mile radius, and whether the airport has a control tower, to determine typical activity for the airport. Then any current data that reveals a deviation from the norm can be investigated. "We have to ask ourselves if reality -- what's really going on -- meets these statistical expectations," said Chimka. "If not, then we probably should look at it." Chimka and student Ryan Black based their work on existing models that were developed to predict growth at general aviation airports. WingX Pro7 Version 5 for iPad — Includes In-Flight Weather The new WingX Pro7 Version 5 Moving Map adds ADS-B In-Flight Weather, Terrain-Enhanced VFR Sectionals, IFR Low/High Enroute charts, ADS-B NEXRAD, TFRs, SUAs, and a lot more. All moving map views can be displayed fullscreen or side-by-side. Also included: Animated weather images, DUATS, A/FD, AOPA Directory with Yelp integration, Route Planning, FARs, E6B, and more. WingX is also available for Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Android. Click here for more information. Who's Where back to top  Zimmerman to Gulfstream Derek Zimmerman Derek Zimmerman is Gulfstream's new VP of product support materials. He was previously VP of supply chain and aftermarket development for Piper Aircraft. Sekles New Embraer Communications Director Flavia Sekles Flavia Sekles has been appointed the external communications director for Embraer. She's been with the company for four years, most recently at the São Paulo office. 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. Fly More for Less Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives, bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view current offers instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details. Click for the resource page. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Tackling Weather in LSAs LSAs were never intended to be heavy weather airplanes, yet you can equip them with the latest datalink weather capability. Whether you choose to depends a lot on your previous experience, as Paul Bertorelli discusses in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. AVweb Insider Blog: Sukhoi's T-50 -- The End of U.S. Dominance? Maybe, says Paul Bertorelli in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog -- but the real threat isn't whether the T-50 is competitor to the F-22 but whether the panic that is could set off a cascade of political overreaction. Read more and join the conversation. How to Own an Airplane Available from AVweb Bookstore. Here are some good ideas on how to afford and own an airplane, including checklists, sample contracts and agreements, your rights and responsibilities, simplified FAA and tax rules, and lots of how-to solutions and ways to best economize your investment. Call (800) 780‑4115 or click here for more information. AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Video: Kent Pietsch at Abbotsford Air Show Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Most of us who go to air shows have seen Kent Pietsch's Interstate Cadet routine. Here's an up-close look at what makes it one of the most impressive flying displays on the circuit. 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. 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 255,000 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. 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.