January 9, 2013

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Peerless Electronics E-Commerce Store Now Open! Peerless Electronics Inc. has been supplying switches, circuit breakers, relays, splices, shrink tubing and connectors to many of the world's largest aerospace manufacturers since 1945! We are an authorized stocking distributor for Sensata Klixon™, Honeywell S&C (including Hobbs & MicroSwitch™), Eaton, OTTO, Leach, TE Connectivity (including AMP™ and Raychem™) and more! Our e-commerce store features spec sheets, photos, movies and one-stop shopping for your aerospace electrical component needs. To shop now, click here. AVflash! Eclipses for Uncle Sam? back to top  Eclipse Hopes To Build USAF Trainers The U.S. Air Force may be looking for a fleet of new very-light jets to replace its current fleet of basic training aircraft, and Eclipse Aerospace said this week it wants to build them. The jets would be used by about 700 students per year in the USAF Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Multi-place Training Track. "Our solution would save the Air Force over a billion dollars over the next 10 years, in fuel, maintenance and training costs," Eclipse CEO Mason Holland told AVweb on Monday. Holland said he has met with senior Air Force leaders and the company's proposal is "fully responsive to the Air Force's request." The USAF said its request for information is for "research purposes only … No decision to pursue an acquisition … has been made." Holland says if the Air Force moves quickly from the RFI to a request for proposals, a contract decision could be made within about 12 to 18 months. Eclipse could produce about 100 jets that would replace the 178 older Beechjets now used for training, he said, because the new jets would require less maintenance downtime. The RFI says the Air Force is only interested in "FAA Part 25 certified commercial off-the-shelf" aircraft, which must be able to fly at least 300 knots at 500 feet above the ground and cruise at FL410. Holland said if the Air Force does choose to switch to Eclipse jets, the company's existing facilities could be quickly ramped up to meet the demand. U.S. Sport Aviation Expo January 17-20, 2013 Sebring, Florida will hold its 9th annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo this January 17-20, 2013 — the largest sport aircraft-dedicated event in the world. Additions for 2013: a twilight air show featuring Patty Wagstaff demonstrating LSA aerobatic aircraft and Team AeroDynamix; Wings of Freedom Tour; a contest that will crown sport aviation's most efficient aircraft/pilot duo; educational forums; and more. Four days in Sebring, Florida to "See, Try, Fly and Buy" ... everything in the world of sport aviation. Visit Sport-Aviation-Expo.com for details. Tax Win for Bizjet Buyers in Fiscal Cliff Bill back to top  'Bonus' Depreciation Back For 2013 The "fiscal cliff" act that was signed into law last week will extend 50-percent bonus depreciation through the end of this year for buyers of new business aircraft, the National Business Aviation Association said. "Accelerated depreciation has consistently proven to stimulate sales in difficult economic conditions," said NBAA President Ed Bolen. "Given the current marketing environment, we view the continuation of accelerated depreciation as an effective sales incentive." The provision doesn't provide any extra depreciation for aircraft owners, but allows them to capitalize on the tax benefits more quickly by writing off 50 percent of the cost of the airplane in the first year of ownership. Under the provisions of the new law, formally known as the 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act, certain aircraft that are contracted for but not delivered by the end of this year still may qualify for the 50 percent bonus in 2013, as long as the aircraft is placed into service during 2014. As recently as 2011, the law allowed for 100 percent depreciation in the first year of ownership, but that option was not extended into 2012. 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. HBC Addressing Pensioner Fallout back to top  Hawker Beech Reaches Pension Agreement Hawker Beechcraft has reached an agreement with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to take over two underfunded pension plans covering existing non-union and already-retired employees. Under the deal, the company, which hopes to exit bankruptcy protection in the next few months, will continue to fund the pension plan for its current and former unionized employees. As part of the deal, the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers agreed to allow the company to freeze the pension plan but details of the freeze were not immediately released. The deal will have to be approved by the bankruptcy court and is scheduled to be considered Jan. 17. The pension hurdle was considered a major part of the company's bankruptcy exit plan. The group of hedge funds that will take control of the planemaker had originally demanded that Hawker Beechcraft dump all of its pension plans but agreed to compromise on the deal for the core workforce. The hedge funds are essentially buying Hawker Beechcraft's almost $1 billion in debt in exchange for control of the reorganized and much less burdened company. As part of the reorganization, Hawker Beechcraft is dropping its entire line of business jets to focus on its military and turboprop business. It is also considering launching new designs, including a turboprop single. Bendix/King myWingMan Navigator App There's no easier way to fly informed. Ease-of-use is on just about every pilot's checklist. Which makes the new myWingMan Navigator app worth checking out. With full-screen or two- and three-way split-screen views, myWingMan lets you easily modify the screen to provide the information you want. Swap windows with just two fingers: drag and drop. It's completely intuitive. There's no easier way to fly informed. Just touch. And go. Visit PreviewMyWingman.com. Dreamliners' Slow Boat to China back to top  Chinese 787s Delayed China has still not certified the Boeing 787 and it's delaying delivery of aircraft to Chinese airlines. According to Reuters the Chinese government says the approval process is going "smoothly" but at least one airline has had its delivery date pushed back. China Southern Airlines was supposed to get the first of 10 Dreamliners in 2012 and Hainan Airlines was expecting five planes last year. Chinese airlines have ordered a total of 35 Dreamliners and there's a tentative deal for another six. Reuters says China has become increasingly aggressive in asserting its own certification standards on foreign aircraft in recent years. The 787 has been certified in most of the rest of the world for more than a year. Boeing said it's working with the Chinese to get the certification done and Chinese officials say they're getting it done. "The timing of the issue of the certificate will very much depend on the degree of cooperation of Boeing and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently the process is progressing smoothly," a Civil Aviation Administration of China spokesman wrote in an email to Reuters. The 787 has had a few hiccups in the early days of its entry into service, including a battery fire aboard a Japan Airlines aircraft in Boston this week. Trade Up to Clarity, Quiet, Comfort, and Value There's no better time to gain peak performance with Lightspeed Aviation headsets. Trade up your old headset and receive a generous credit towards the purchase of the model that best suits your needs. Start enhancing your flying today with Lightspeed performance and innovation. Click here for details. Aviation Safety back to top  787 Fire Traced To APU Battery A smoky fire in a Boeing 787 parked at Logan Airport in Boston Monday morning started with a battery in the almost-new aircraft's auxiliary power unit, local fire officials said. The Japan Airlines 787 had been in service less than a month. Passengers disembarked after the nonstop flight from Tokyo arrived at about 10 a.m., and a mechanic reported smoke in the cabin about 15 minutes later. When airport fire crews arrived they found heavy smoke in the cabin and flames in the battery compartment. The fire was extinguished and nobody was hurt. The FAA said it will "look into" the event, and the NTSB has dispatched an investigator to the site. The 787 fleet has experienced a number of electrical-system issues recently, according to Reuters. On Dec. 4, a United Airlines flight from Houston to Newark made an emergency landing after it appeared that a power generator had failed; on Dec. 13, a Qatar Airways 787 had the same problem; and on Dec. 17, United said a second 787 also had electrical issues. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney has said the 787 has had no more problems than are usual for a new airplane. Eclipse Offers 2012 Production Aircraft for Sale Now Eclipse Aerospace is excited to offer factory-new Total Eclipse Jets, available for delivery now! These new Total Eclipse Jets include the Avio IFMS avionics suite, two P&WC 610F zero-time engines, an extended two-year factory warranty, an anti-lock brake option, and much more. CLICK HERE for more information. Who's Where back to top  Nichols Promoted at Aerion Doug Nichols Doug Nichols has been named CEO and board member of Aerion Corporation. He was previously the COO and before that worked for Boeing in a variety of senior management positions. Klaber Hired at Aero Charter Chris Klaber Chris Klaber has been taken on as a pilot at Aero Charter in St. Louis. He's captain on their Beech Baron and TBM aircraft and first officer on King Airs and Citations. Thrash Takes Over Air Zoo Troy Thrash Air Zoo, the aviation museum at Kalamazoo, Michigan, has hired Troy Thrash as president and CEO. He replaces long-time CEO Bob Ellis, who is retiring after 35 years. Thrash is now the executive director of the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 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. 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. New on AVweb.com back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: Should We Have Published the Dornier Skydive Video? At AVweb, we publish all kinds of videos and stories about aviation events that might be outside the norm. Sometimes way outside the norm. Says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog, the one of the hair-on-fire descent in the skydiving Dornier twin deserved reproach, not awe. But that doesn't mean AVweb viewers shouldn't see it. Read more and join the conversation. Brainteasers Quiz #179: A Little This, A Little That FAROS, RWSL, RAIM, GNSS, NOTAM -- these words are not in Hobbit language or some weird FAA anagram that, when unscrambled, portends the end of over-priced avgas. Instead, they are samplings of what well-traveled pilots encounter daily and what -- now -- you must identify. (Includes results of last month's reader survey about the dumbest things in aviation.) Take the quiz. More Brainteasers Love to Fly? We do! And we want only the best in gear and equipment for our money. We test all of it — and give you the benefit of our experience! Subscribe now and save money on your next aviation purchase! 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. AVweb Video: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Video: Meet Mid-Continent's SAM Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos As much as we love them, iron gyros are on their way to the scrap heap of history. They're even losing their value as backup instruments to glass panels now that glass itself has become more reliable and affordable enough to replace even analog backup devices. In this new video from AVweb, Aviation Consumer's Larry Anglisano examines a new product from Mid-Continent Instruments and Avonics called the SAM. It fits into a small space on the panel and can be backed up with its own lithium-ion battery. Installation considerations are mimimal, but here's a close look at how the instrument looks and performs. 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. 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. 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