January 18, 2012

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Aircraft Leasing and Financing Workshop to Be Hosted by Cozen O'Connor in Washington, DC The Legal Aviation Workshop (LAW) on Aircraft Leasing and Financing is returning to Washington, DC in 2012 in order to address legal issues and answer critical questions. The workshop will cover themes such as Principles of Contract Law, Operating Leases ("Dry"), Aircraft Finance, Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance & Insurance ("WET") Leases, and Aviation Insurance. A practical exercise is included in order for the participants to debate the results of the day. Click here to learn more and register. AVflash! Cessna Citation X Takes Flight back to top  Sponsor Announcement Citation Ten Prototype Flies click for photos Cessna celebrated the first flight of its Cessna Ten, a faster and updated version of the Citation X that may preserve Cessna's title to the fastest business jet. Cessna says the Ten will do 527 knots at maximum cruise with a maximum range of 3242 nm. Although it looks like a Citation X, it's actually about 15 inches longer and the Rolls Royce AE 3007C2 engines also give it a certified ceiling of 51,000 feet. "Our first flight, today, was a great success. We have a great team working on this project and I know they will take this dominant aircraft up a notch," said Kelly Reich, business leader for the Cessna Citation X and Ten, in a news release. The aircraft also uses the latest panel from Garmin, the G5000, which is state of the art for navigation, synthetic vision, systems and communications. "The high-resolution multi-function displays have split-screen capability, allowing continuous monitoring of engine, flight control, hydraulic and electrical systems. "Garmin's SVT synthetic vision technology on the primary flight displays gives the crew a virtual reality view of runways, terrain, traffic and obstacles. Electronic charts with aircraft position overlay provide dynamic situational awareness during approach." Certification is planned for early 2013 and first deliveries in the second half of 2013. Click for photos. FAST-Flight: The Cure for Annual Anxiety and Painful ADs Ever miss 100-hour, medical, BFR or annual due? FAST-Flight Aircraft Services tracking software automatically flags ADs and SBs from the FAA — and custom logs your parts inventory, IRS trip logs, warranties, receipts, POs, oil changes, and discrepancies for one airplane or a small fleet — all for about the cost of a single tank of fuel. Keep current, stay legal with FAST-Flight. Click here for more information. This Week: U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring back to top  Sponsor Announcement LSA Expo Launches Thursday The eighth annual event for light sport aircraft, the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, will be held Thursday through Sunday this week in Sebring, Fla. The event features demo flights, educational forums, social events, and aircraft displays. Under new management this year, the show is expected to be a little more upscale, while retaining its traditional focus on personal attention for prospective buyers, with a wide range of LSA aircraft on display. Thursday evening, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association hosts a dinner gathering for all the vendors and players in the industry, with special guest Rod Hightower, the president of EAA. AOPA President Craig Fuller also will speak at a pilot town-hall event, followed by a question-and-answer period. Among the newer LSA models that are expected at the show are Bristell's next-generation low-wing airplane, with a wide cabin and an eight-hour range. The airplane was first shown at the AOPA Summit last September; click here for a video report. Gates open at 8 a.m. every day. A sport pilot fly-in to the Bahamas follows the expo, with takeoff from Sebring on Sunday. AVweb staff will be on site for the show, filing daily video and news reports. Phillips 66® Aviation — The Most Trusted Wings In Aviation™ On the go? When it comes to convenience and functionality, the WingPoints® app puts you in the pilot's seat. This no-cost app will allow you to plot your next flight. Plan your next purchase. Reward yourself with the WingPoints App. Just another reason why we are The Most Trusted Wings in Aviation™. Click here to learn more. Making Airplanes back to top  Embraer Eyes More U.S. Military Contracts Embraer is planning to bid on at least three more U.S. Air Force contracts as it awaits word on the legal challenge to its recent victory in the competition for a light air support platform. In an interview with Reuters, Luiz Carlos Aguiar was dismissive about Hawker Beechcraft's legal challenge to the contract award, in which the Air Force chose Embraer's Super Tucano after kicking Hawker Beech's AT-6B out of the competition. The Air Force has since suspended work on the LAS project but Aguiar told Reuters he expects a speedy decision by the courts to confirm the contract and allow deliveries of the armed-to-the-teeth turboprop single to begin this year from a plant in Jacksonville. "Our team is totally ready. No one was deactivated," said Aguiar. "You just press the button and we go to work." Aguiar said he expects the $950 million Super Tucano deal to be a springboard for more international defense work for Embraer. The U.S. deal is Embraer's first with a NATO alliance member and he said it should pave the way for deals with other NATO countries. "It naturally opens the door to the NATO countries, which have many joint operations," he said. Aguiar didn't specify which other U.S. contracts it's bidding on but it's developing UAVs and a military transport known as the KC-390. Wisconsin Wins Kestrel Plant Wisconsin has apparently outbid Maine in attracting Kestrel Aircraft. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced Monday that Kestrel's manufacturing and headquarters will be located in Superior, just across the border from Kestrel CEO Alan Klapmeier's home of Duluth, Minn. "I am pleased with the aggressive package we have put forth in conjunction with strong local support to make this major job creation contribution to Superior," Walker said in a news release. "This relocation will be a huge boost to the Superior-area economy." Kestrel will get $22 million in direct tax incentives from Wisconsin agencies and will be supported in application for $90 million in federal tax credits. Kestrel originally announced that it would set up in Maine with incentives and support from local and state governments there but that changed just before Christmas. Klapmeier told Maine media the state failed to come up with promised financing. Kestrel hopes to eventually hire up to 600 people to build its fast single-engine turboprop. Lightspeed Aviation Trade-Up Program Your old less-than-perfect headset has trade-in value on our new Zulu.2 or Sierra headsets. Just visit us online at LightspeedAviation.com, click on our Trade-Up Program, and discover how easy it is to own the headset most pilots prefer. Quiet and clarity never felt so comfortable. You get an incredible headset at a great price from a company that is totally committed to aviation. Headsets for aviation is our only passion. Click here to learn more and to find a dealer near you. Signs of Growth in the Airline Industry? back to top  New Airline For Canada? Canadian airline WestJet is considering creating a spinoff regional carrier in a move seen as a direct challenge to the country's flag carrier Air Canada. WestJet said it's considering buying about 40 turboprop airliners to serve smaller markets and shorter routes. The airline would be competition for Air Canada Express, the big airline's contracted regional carrier, and Porter Airlines, which targets business travelers from its hub at Toronto City Centre Airport, which does not allow jet aircraft. In a news release Monday, WestJet said the regional airline is a "logical extension" in the growth of the company but it will also break a tenet that is cited in its success so far. WestJet has followed the example of Southwest Airlines in operating only Boeing 737 aircraft. It started in 1995 with two 200-series 737s and now operates more than 100 modern 600-, 700- and 800-series 737s. The regional line would use either Bombardier Q400 or ATR 72 70-seat turboprop twins. In some cases, the regional carrier might take over short routes now inefficiently flown by the jets, freeing them up for longer-haul operations. WestJet said it will poll its employees, who are all shareholders, to determine if it proceeds with the regional carrier. 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. Back to Work for AirTran Pilot back to top  Whistleblower Pilot Reinstated AirTran has been ordered to reinstate a pilot who federal authorities determined was fired in 2007 in retaliation for reporting mechanical problems with airplanes. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) said the action violated whistleblower legislation and told the airline, which was taken over by Southwest last year, to pay the unidentified pilot more than $1 million in back pay and compensatory damages. "Airline workers must be free to raise safety and security concerns, and companies that diminish those rights through intimidation or retaliation must be held accountable," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "Airline safety is of vital importance, not only to the workers, but to the millions of Americans who use our airways." The pilot said he was suspended from flight duty in August of 2007 pending an investigation into what the airline said was a "spike" in snag reports from the pilot. After a subsequent hearing, the pilot was fired, allegedly for failing to properly answer a question in the 17-minute hearing. "OSHA found that the pilot did not refuse to answer any questions during the hearing, answers to questions were appropriate, and the action taken by the airline was retaliatory," the news release said. OHSA does not identify complainants in whistleblower cases. Professional Piloting Available from AVweb Bookstore. Three books on professional piloting skills by Les Kumpula of Embry-Riddle University for the commercial pilot with high career aspirations — and for current airline and corporate pilots who want more of the whys of what we do. Advanced Airmanship | Book: $34.95, eBook $31.45 Aerodynamic Principles | Book: $56.95, eBook $51.25 Flight Technique Analysis | Book: $56.95, eBook $51.25 Call (800) 780‑4115 or click here for more information. Beyond Business back to top  Wingsuit Flyer Injured In Crash 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. Wingsuit flyer Jeb Corliss broke both legs in a fall after jumping from Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday. A YouTube video (right) shows Corliss and a videographer jumping off together, and a few seconds later Corliss hits the mountainside and tumbles to a stop. He was evacuated by helicopter. Corliss, 35, has successfully jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower, and last September flew through a narrow mountain tunnel in China. Merle Collings, a spokeswoman for the Table Mountain National Park, told ABC Australia that Corliss did not have permission for the attempt. "The danger associated with base jumping does not allow us to issue permits," she said. The accident might have been caused by "a strange gust of wind [or] it could have been that he got too close to the mountain," fellow adventurer Joby Ogwyn told ABC Australia. Corliss reportedly deployed his emergency parachute before hitting, but it may not have fully deployed. He could face fines and charges for attempting the jump without permission. Corliss posted photos from an earlier jump at Table Mountain at his website last week, and said the jump was "for HBO." He was reported to be in stable condition on Tuesday. Cheap Thrills Join the fastest-growing segment in GA today! With a subscription to Kitplanes, you're where the action is — at a price that won't break the bank! Strap in now. Who's Where back to top  Ziskind at Dynamic Airways Richard Ziskind Richard Ziskind is the new vice president of sales and marketing for Dynamic Airways. He was previously at Omni Air International. 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. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Intentional Pucker Factor R-LOCs -- runway loss of control incidents -- are the leading result of aircraft accidents. Can you innoculate yourself against them? Flying more challenging training scenarios might help, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. AVweb Insider Blog: A Tale of Two Captains Last weekend's grounding of the Costa Concordia reminded Paul Bertorelli of another event that happened almost three years ago to the day: U.S. Air 1549's Hudson ditching. But how the two crews behaved is a study in contrasts, says Paul on the AVweb Insider blog -- if not cowardice. Read more and join the conversation. AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Video: iPad Datalink Weather — ADS-B vs. XM Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos To make the iPad a real MFD contender, you need some datalink weather. There are two ways you can get it, and Aviation Consumer's Jeff Van West takes a look at both. 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. 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 world's premier independent aviation news resource. The AVwebBiz team is: Publisher Timothy Cole Editorial Director, Aviation Publications Paul Bertorelli Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles Contributing Editors Mary Grady Glenn Pew Webmaster Scott Simmons Contributors Kevin Lane-Cummings Jeff Van West Advertising Director, Associate Publisher Tom Bliss Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481]. 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. If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.