October 30, 2012

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Weather with Perspective XM WX Satellite Weather gives you onboard perspective on the weather. Graphical data like Radar, Lightning, Winds and more enhance your situational awareness and is compatible with the industry's leading MFDs, EFBs, glass cockpits, and now the iPad. Additionally, flexible subscription options ensure you get the dataset that's right for you. Come see the latest from XM WX Satellite Weather at booth 1090 during NBAA 2012 or visit us online at XMWXWeather.com/aviation. The Future of Beechcraft back to top  This is the first of three special editions of AVwebBiz covering the NBAA Convention in Orlando, Florida. Regular AVwebFlash issues will resume Friday with Friday Features, and the regular AVwebBiz will resume next week. Beechcraft Eyeing New Turboprop Single Beechcraft Corporation is hoping to build a new big turboprop single as it emerges from bankruptcy, abandons jet production and focuses on the turboprop and military side of its current operations, following the collapse of a takeover bid by China-owned Superior Air Parts. In a wide-ranging news conference at NBAA 2012 in Orlando on Monday, Beech officials announced the company will continue to support almost 30,000 jets in the field and continue with retrofit programs to modernize them. He also said the company is entertaining offers from a variety of potential suitors, some of which would resume production of some jet models and others that would just assume the support function. The focus on new product development will be on prop-driven aircraft, including the as-yet unnamed turbine single. In a podcast interview, Beech VP Shawn Vick said the turboprop will use the Premier fuselage that will allow executive club seating for eight or a high density configuration for up to 11 passengers. There are also plans for an unpressurized utility version that can operate from unimproved fields. Vick said the piston line will be retained but there could be some kerosene in its future. Vick said the company is working with Pratt and Whitney Canada on potential turbine retrofits for piston aircraft. Beech is also exploring diesel piston options as the market expands to areas where aviation gasoline is unavailable. He said the new company will encompass the military side of the business that was hived off to accommodate the deal with China and Beech is working hard to win the Air Force contract for a Light Air Support aircraft with its AT6B. The Easy-to-Install IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM As the newest member of Avidyne's integrated flight display family, the IFD440 has been designed to be an easy-to-install, plug & play replacement for legacy GNS430-Series navigators. The IFD440 provides powerful navigation, communication, and multi-function display capabilities, and its easy-to-use Hybrid Touch user interface allows pilots to perform virtually all functions using dedicated knobs/buttons or via the touchscreen interface. Now you have a Choice. And the Choice is Easy. Click here to receive introductory pricing information. Podcast: Building the New Beechcraft File Size 1.3 MB / Running Time 10:53 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS What does Beechcraft Corporation's post-bankruptcy restructuring mean for out-of-production airplanes, particularly Hawker's popular line of jets? AVweb's Russ Niles sat down with Beechcraft executive vice president Shawn Vick at the NBAA Convention in Orlando to find out. This podcast is brought to you by ForeFlight and Sennheiser. Click here to listen. (1.3 MB, 10:53) Helicopter Speech Recognition hands-free vectoring to any latitude/longitude hands-free entry of Nav/Comm frequencies The HELO101 uses VoiceFlight's field-proven speech recognition technology to address the inherent conflicts between safe rotocraft flight operations and the distractions of data entry on modern avionics. See a demonstration on our web site, VoiceFlight.com. Quality Time with Cessna's Citation at NBAA back to top  Cessna Updates Citation Sovereign Cessna brought the new version of its Citation Sovereign business jet to NBAA in Orlando this week, with a Garmin G5000 avionics suite and new Pratt & Whitney PW306D engines. Like other newer Citation models, the New Sovereign will have winglets. The upgrades will boost the range by 150 nm, for a total range of 3,000 nm, and Cessna says short-runway performance is also improved. Production has already begun on the new model, Cessna said, with first deliveries expected in the third quarter of next year. New design features also have been added to the cabin, with a new integrated cabin management system, airborne internet connectivity, and improved seat design. The New Sovereign will also be available with a utility configuration, with options to carry payload, people, or both, depending on the mission requirements. 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. Video: Citation Longitude Program Update Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos At NBAA, Cessna showed a reworked mock-up of its new Longitude jet, with a larger walk-in baggage bay. Russ Niles filed this video report from Orlando. 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. This video is brought to you by ForeFlight and Sennheiser. ForeFlight: Intelligent Apps for Pilots™ Best-in-class design, best-in-class pre-flight and in-flight weather, Touch Planning™, auto-routing, geo-referenced approach and enroute charts, aviation documents, and our Fanatical Pilot Support™ make ForeFlight Mobile for iPad aviation's most popular app. Learn more about ForeFlight — including our new documents and pubs solution for flight departments — on the web at ForeFlight.com. Video: Tamarack's CitationJet Active Winglets Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Two weeks ago, AVweb reported on Tamarack Aerospace's unique active winglet technology that substantially reduces drag, dramatically increasing climb rate and reducing fuel burn in cruise. At NBAA in Orlando, Florida, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli flew with the system in a CitationJet. Here's his report. 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. This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather AND Avidyne. 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. Gulfstream Aims Bigger, Better, Faster back to top  Gulfstream: More Range For G650 Gulfstream said at NBAA's Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando on Monday that its ultra-large-cabin G650, which was FAA certified last month, will have longer range at high speeds and shorter takeoff distances than formerly announced. The aircraft's range at its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90 is now 6,000 nautical miles, the company said. The original target was 5,000 nm. The change means a 6,000-nm mission flown by the G650 at Mach 0.90 would be 40 minutes faster than the same mission flown by a G550, said Pres Henne, senior vice president for engineering at Gulfstream. The company also said the aircraft's takeoff balanced field length is 5,858 feet at maximum takeoff weight, exceeding the original target of 6,000 feet. Gulfstream also noted that the G650's maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.925 makes it the fastest certified civilian aircraft in production, a place it wrested from Cessna's Citation X. Cessna however said this summer that it plans to re-take that title with the upgraded Citation X, which will max out at Mach 0.935. The G650 is expected to start deliveries later this year; Cessna's upgrade of the X won't be ready until the middle of next year. Kestrel Aircraft Company Kestrel Aircraft is a new aviation company led by general aviation entrepreneur Alan Klapmeier. Based on the original work done by Farnborough Aircraft, the Kestrel airplane will be a six- to eight-seat, all-composite, single-engine turboprop, boasting a broad performance envelope and the newest technologies available in personal and business aircraft. Headquartered in Superior, Wisconsin, currently over 80 engineers and support staff work at Kestrel, focusing on aircraft design and certification. Go to Kestrel.aero for more information. Good Times Ahead for Big Spenders back to top  Bigger Is Better: Honeywell Forecast The business jet market will grow over the next few years but most of that growth will continue to be at the high end of the market, according to a news release on the Honeywell Business Aircraft Outlook released on the eve of NBAA 2012 in Orlando. Honeywell says about 10,000 new bizjets worth a total of about $250 billion over the next 10 years. Honeywell says globalization is driving the market for longer range aircraft and physics dictate that the farther a plane has to fly, the bigger it has to be. "The trend toward larger cabin aircraft with ever-increasing range expectations and advanced avionics continues to be reflected in this year's survey," said Rob Wilson, president, Honeywell Business and General Aviation. The report says that the market in North America will continue to decline and even the booming Asian market is slowing down. Honeywell says the decline there isn't anything to worry about because it's still outpacing the rest of the world. "It is critical to understand that demand from this part of the world remains well above the world average, and we do not believe the 2012 results represent in any way a change in the region's fundamental underlying growth drivers or commitment to business aviation," Wilson said. 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. Unusual Attitude Training in a Mustang back to top  Podcast: Stallion 51 Announces New Upset Recovery Training File Size 1.3 MB / Running Time 7:15 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS Stallion 51 is well known for its P-51 Mustang program using the dual-equipped Crazy Horse. But now it's branching out into upset recovery training using both the Mustang and an L-39 jet trainer. At the NBAA Convention press day on Monday, well-known aerobatic performer Lee Lauderback explained that the program will be aimed at corporate and professional pilots and is available in several levels, including just a ground school or a ground school combined with IFR and VFR recovery methods training. Lauderback said Stallion 51's training is unique for being conducted in a jet aircraft and using a covered cockpit for full-IFR recoveries using Garmin G600 glass panels. This podcast is brought to you by ForeFlight and Sennheiser. Click here to listen. (1.3 MB, 7:15) 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. 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. Traditional Tactics Need a Fresh Approach Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders directly to your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns. 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 Ad Coordinator Karen Lund Avionics Editor Larry Anglisano 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.