July 4, 2012

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. AVflash! Restructuring HBC back to top  More Layoffs At Hawker; Bids Considered Hawker Beechcraft laid off another 125 workers in Wichita last week, and six bids are under consideration from potential buyers of the company's assets, the Wichita Eagle reported on Monday. The company said no final decision has been made regarding a sale, but the bids were solicited as the company continues to restructure under bankruptcy protection. "The Debtors are continuing to evaluate potential sale alternatives and may elect to incorporate one or more sale or plan sponsorship transactions into the plan," according to the bankruptcy filing, the Eagle reported. The new job cuts are the latest in a series, totaling 906 jobs lost so far this year, according to the Eagle. Hawker filed for Chapter 11 in May, citing a loss of over $600 million last year and a heavy debt load. CEO Robert Miller said he expects Hawker to reorganize and emerge as a more competitive company. AVweb Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli offered his analysis of the company's situation and options in a recent AVweb Insider blog; click here to join the conversation. Our Agents Are Pilots! Talk to pilots who value your airplane, even before they insure it. Aviation Insurance Resources (AIR-PROS.COM) will research your aircraft's market value before you buy, sell, trade, or renew. And we shop coverage options from all major aviation insurance markets to save you time and money — or expand coverage — for new owners, transitioning pilots, renters, FBOs — even flight schools. Call (877) 247‑7767. Or click here. Coming to America? back to top  Airbus Plans First U.S. Factory Airbus will build its first U.S. factory in Mobile, Ala., the company announced on Monday, in a move that aims to help Airbus compete with Boeing on its home turf. Aircraft in the A320 family will be assembled and delivered from the facility. "The time is right for Airbus to expand in America," said CEO Fabrice Bregier. The U.S. is expected to need 4,600 airplanes similar to the A320 in the next 20 years, he said. The $600 million plant is scheduled to open in 2016 and will create about 1,000 jobs. Boeing spokesman Thomas Brabant said those jobs "pale in comparison to the thousands of U.S. jobs destroyed by illegal subsidies." Airbus and Boeing both have complained to the World Trade Organization that their rival receives illegal government support. The new plant is expected to produce about one airplane per week once it is up and running. The project is a consolation prize of sorts for Mobile, which would have been the epicenter of Airbus's ultimately failed bid for a $35 billion contract to replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of in-flight refueling aircraft. Airbus already operates an engineering center in Mobile, as well as other facilities in Kansas, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C., providing a total of about 1,000 U.S. jobs. Your Personal S1 Experience With its revolutionary adaptive digital noise cancelation and customizable comfort features such as headband contact pressure adjustment, the S1 Digital is truly a headset that can be personalized for every user and every environment. We want you to experience this level of customization for yourself. For a limited time only, try an S1 Digital without risk for 30 days, share your experience with us, and get rewarded. Learn more. Isaac Asimov Would Be Proud back to top  The Drone Code -- Three Laws Of UAS Proposed The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International published a set of guidelines on Monday to help ensure that drone aircraft are operated in a "safe, non-intrusive" manner. "By proactively adhering to these guidelines, we want to demonstrate how the rights of individuals and the safety of all users of civil airspace are our top priority, as we work to unlock the incredible potential this technology holds," said Michael Toscano, president of AUVSI. The FAA recently proposed that drones should start to be integrated into the national airspace by 2015, a move that has raised many questions about safety and surveillance. These concerns are addressed by the AUVSI code, which proposes that all UAS operations should promote "safety, professionalism, and respect." The guidelines (PDF) stipulate that all UAS users should be properly trained and thoroughly assess the risks prior to launch. They also should comply with all laws and cooperate with all levels of government authority. Also, UAS users should respect other users of the airspace and the privacy of individuals. By adhering to the code, users can ensure that drones are "integrated responsibly into civil airspace," said Toscano. He added that the emergence of the technology represents "one of the most significant advancements to aviation, the scientific community, and public service since the beginning of flight." Reletex, the New Version of the Highly Effective ReliefBand ... is the most effective method to treat nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness and other problems. Worn on the wrist (acupuncture's P-6 meridian), the Reletex produces a small neuromodulating current which stops peristaltic waves in the stomach, ceasing nausea and vomiting without drugs or side effects. Reletex is available in 60- and 150-hour versions. FAA-O.K. for pilots doing aerobatic flight as well as everyday passengers. Get your Reletex at AeroMedix.com. (888) 362‑7123 As Above, So Below — Where Noise Is Concerned back to top  Grand Canyon Restrictions Stopped Some last-minute political maneuvering by Nevada and Arizona congressmen from both sides of the aisle has stopped the National Parks Service from imposing more restrictive anti-noise regulations on air tour operators in Grand Canyon National Park. The Parks Service wanted to introduce rules that would have resulted in the "substantial restoration of natural quiet" to the park by limiting flights in such a way that two-thirds of the park would have been free of audible aircraft 75 to 100 percent of the time. It also would have encouraged operators to buy quieter aircraft by allowing them more flights in those aircraft. Aviation groups were concerned about the proposed regulations on philosophical grounds in that they would have effectively given the Parks Service control over airspace. But the politicians who banded together to shoot down the initiative had more practical concerns. About 1,250 people work in the air tour business in Arizona and Nevada and the Parks plan was seen as a threat to the continued employment of at least some of them. Rep. Paul Gosar, who led the legislative effort, said the bill, which essentially maintains current flight frequencies and routes, prevents and "unwarranted assault" on the air tour industry, noting that operators are voluntarily investing in quieter aircraft and taking other steps to minimize the impact of noise in the park. "I am pleased to end the war on those rural Arizona jobs," he said in a statement. But environmentalists and conservation groups say it's the park that's under attack and they're appalled at the political sleight of hand that occurred. "This bill means that the Grand Canyon is going to stay noisy from air tours, and it's a good example of the effects of money on politics when you look at the stealth way that this was done," said Rob Smith, senior organizing manger for the Sierra Club in Phoenix. "The Grand Canyon is one of the 10 natural wonders of the world. It shouldn't sound like an airport." 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. News Briefs back to top  Boeing Boosts Airliner Forecast Ahead of the Farnborough Air Show order fest, Boeing has revised its market forecast upward, saying the world will need 34,000 new airliners over the next 20 years and the business will be worth $4.5 trillion. That's up from a mere $4 trillion predicted in its previous forecast and, as expected, Asia is fueling most of the growth. Boeing says the Asia Pacific region will take more than 30 percent of those aircraft as air travel continues to grow rapidly in emerging nations. "It's incredible to see just how much air travel has changed since I took my first flight back in 1977," said Boeing's VP of marketing, Randy Tinseth. "It has become critical to business and something we do for pleasure, to connect with family and friends. As the market continues to grow, especially in emerging economies, air travel will become affordable to even more people." Budget carriers will drive much of the growth so Boeing is predicting that more than two-thirds of the market is for single-aisle airliners, chiefly its 737 and the Airbus A320. Twin-aisle models like the 787 and the soon-to-fly A350 will account for about 8,000 units. About 2,020 regional airliners will be needed and 790 large (747/A380) airliners will be sold. Only about 940 new freighters will be ordered but about 1,120 older airliners will be converted to freight. Find Out Why Leading Flight Training Schools Fly Diamond Aircraft! Diamond Aircraft offers the only complete modern fleet of technically-advanced training aircraft, along with model-specific flight training devices and a safety record that is second to none. Call now to Find Out Why Leading Flight Training Schools around the globe fly Diamond Aircraft. Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: The FAA's LSA Paper Chase When the FAA agreed to let the light sport industry self-regulate, it reserved the right to step in if it found the industry was falling short. Now it's doing exactly that. But it's more paper chasing than anything to do with real safety. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli says whether the agency's efforts prove benign or damaging depends on how much it tangles itself up in the LSA manufacturing biz. Read more and join the conversation. AVweb Insider Blog: The FAA Knowledge Test Under Review Changes to the FAA knowledge test are in the wind, but on the AVweb Insider blog, contributing editor Mary Grady explains why we need a discussion that goes beyond the simple issue of whether or not to make the questions public. Read more and join the conversation. A Professional Pilot Available from AVweb Bookstore. Guides to help you along the way to becoming a professional pilot. These and others will outline your choices, let you know what to expect (and what will be expected of you), and offer critical guidance to help you succeed along the path you choose, each step of the way. Call (800) 780‑4115 or click here for more information. New on AVweb.com back to top  Brainteasers Quiz #173: Call Me a Taxi Inside a big sky, little mistakes are easily masked before ATC calls a foul. But on the ground, the margin for error shrinks, and one slip across a hold-short line could ruin your day. Save that day by acing this quiz. Take the quiz. More Brainteasers 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. 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. 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. In the Soup? Whether you fly in the system daily or just IPC check rides, IFR magazine helps you be the best instrument pilot you can be. Subscribe now. AVweb Video: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Video: 'Aviation Consumer' Takes the Show on the Road with Five Folding Bicycle Reviews The July issue of our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, features a blow-by-blow comparison of some of the best folding bikes for pilots we could find. See them in action in these five video reviews by Consumer's Jeff Van West. Video: ANA 767 Hard Landing Creases Fuselage Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos An All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300 carrying 193 passengers was damaged during a hard landing at Tokyo Narita airport, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The ANA jet touched down on Runway 16R. Airport weather reports show winds at 230 and 16 knots gusting to 29 at that time, suggesting a potential crosswind component of more than 27 knots. However that may have affected the pilots and aircraft, security camera footage shows the airliner came down first on the right main, then on the nosewheel alone, before porpoising into a second impact that appears to impart visible flex on the airliner's forward fuselage. No injuries were reported, but an early post-flight inspection clearly showed buckling and creases in the fuselage skin forward of the wing root. Japan's transportation safety board is investigating. 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. 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 Tom Bliss Editorial Director, Aviation Publications Paul Bertorelli Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles Webmaster Scott Simmons Contributing Editors Mary Grady Glenn Pew Contributors Kevin Lane-Cummings Jeff Van West Ad Coordinator Karen Lund 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.