April 3, 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! NTSB Looks into Dreamliners back to top  NTSB Schedules 787 Hearing The NTSB said on Tuesday it will hold a two-day investigative hearing on April 23-24 in Washington, D.C., to focus on the Jan. 7 battery fire aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston's Logan Airport. The hearing will focus on issues relating to the design, testing and certification of the battery system, the board said. Meanwhile, Boeing cancelled a planned 787 test flight on Saturday that was intended to test newly engineered power panels, according to the Seattle Times. The company did not release any information about the test or its delay, the Times said. However, ground tests were continuing, the Times reported, and a single demonstration flight to certify Boeing's battery fix is expected this week. Meanwhile, Japan's ANA airline, Boeing's largest 787 customer, plans to start refresher training for about 200 pilots later this month so they will be ready to fly the 787 in June, according to Reuters. The airline owns 17 of the jets. Air India, which owns six of the grounded airplanes, is planning to sue Boeing for $37 million to cover its losses, according to Bloomberg News. The NTSB also has scheduled a separate forum, on April 11-12, to focus on lithium battery technology. Pilot's Guide to Avionics Now Available The 2012-13 edition of the Aircraft Electronics Association's Pilot's Guide to Avionics is now available. To request a complimentary copy, visit AEAPilotsGuide.net. This special 10th anniversary edition is a consumer's directory containing buyer's guides, educational articles and timely information about the avionics industry, its products and its people. The publication helps pilots make better buying decisions and locate more than 1,300 AEA member companies, including government-certified repair stations around the world. From the Control Tower to the Courts back to top  More Lawsuits Over Tower Closures Last week, the city of Spokane, Wash., went to court to try to prevent the FAA's shutdown of an airport tower, and this week other cities are trying the same tactic. Lawsuits now have been filed by city officials in Bloomington, Ill., and the operators of three airports in Florida -- Naples, Ormond Beach, and Punta Gorda. The suits have all been combined together into one case, according to The Associated Press. Lawrence Krauter, director of Spokane International Airport, told the AP he expects more airports and possibly trade associations will join the legal challenge. The suits cite federal rules that require a thorough risk analysis prior to ATC changes. Meanwhile, 149 contract towers are scheduled to close April 7 through May 5, and pilots will need to be prepared. PilotWorkshops this week offered its refresher program for non-towered airport operations free online. The program includes three short videos six to 12 minutes long. PilotWorkshops founder Mark Robidoux said, "While all of us are trained in these procedures, it's easy to become rusty if you aren't using a skill." When the towers close, he said, "There will suddenly be thousands of pilots flying into and out of airports that had ATC services one day, and none the next." AOPA's Air Safety Institute has posted a 14-page review of nontowered-airport procedures (PDF). AVweb editorial director Paul Bertorelli also has posted his own refresher and ends with some advice for pilots: "Just take a deep breath, relax and we'll all do fine." 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. Aviation Safety back to top  Bizjet Accidents Increase In 2012 There were more business jet accidents in 2012 than the previous year and American operators were particularly hard hit. Business Jet Investor quotes an annual study by Robert E. Breiling Associates as putting the world-wide total of business jet accidents in 2012 at 28, including seven fatal accidents. That's up from 25 total accidents with four involving fatalities in 2011. Of the seven fatal accidents in 2012, five involved U.S.-registered aircraft, where there were no U.S. planes involved in fatalities the previous year. Two fatal accidents happened in the U.S. while the other U.S. aircraft crashed in Mexico, the Congo and France. The total number of fatalities was also up in 2012. Business jet accidents killed 26 people in 2012 compared to 14 in 2011. The Biggest Aviation Show on the Planet ... Is Back! The award-winning hit TV series The Aviators is back for an all-new third season showcasing everything from the F-22 and DC-3 to LSA and balloons. We take you dogfighting in the Nevada desert, flying with the USAF Thunderbirds, and look on as Mötley Crue frontman Vince Neil learns to fly. Join our 10 million weekly US viewers and countless more worldwide. Watch The Aviators on PBS, iTunes, Amazon, and Hulu. Made in the U.S.A. back to top  First U.S.-Assembled Phenom 300 Delivered Embraer has delivered the first Phenom 300 assembled in the U.S. to an undisclosed customer. The aircraft was put together at Embraer's plant in Melbourne, Fla., and will be used in the U.S. "This is a major milestone for Embraer Executive Jets and proves the maturity of our assembly facilities,"' said Phil Krull, who runs the Melbourne facility. 'We have quickened the manufacturing pace and will be able to accommodate a more demanding schedule." Embraer opened the Melbourne facility two years ago and has been producing Phenom 100s since the middle of 2011. The first 300 was delivered with a few hours on it. Before it went to the customer it set some records for transcontinental flights for light jets on a flight from Melbourne to El Paso and on to Long Beach. It will be used as a demonstrator for an unspecified period of time. The U.S. plant will feed a ready market, according to VP of Sales Bob Knebel. "We have found the Phenom 300 to be particularly well received by owner-operators, corporate flight departments and leading fractional providers," he said. Track Up with Garmin Pilot™ With new dynamic navigation maps in Garmin Pilot, you can now choose Track Up map orientation to see what lies ahead. You can also configure maps by turning on or off different airspaces, airports, and other features. Garmin SafeTaxi® airport diagrams are integrated right into the map, as well. Plus, you can now annotate procedures to highlight approach minimums, jot down frequencies, and more. Click here for more information. AVweb Audio — Are You Listening? back to top  Corrected: Podcast -- Pilots as 'Professionals'? File Size 7.7 MB / Running Time 8:25 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS The College of Professional Pilots of Canada has more than 1,000 members in its push to have piloting recognized as a true profession like medicine, law, and engineering. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with College President Tom Machum about the rationale for the movement. Click here to listen. (7.7 MB, 8:25) 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: AEA -- Invasion of the Tiny Boxes At the Aircraft Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, we saw major new products — but if you want ADS-B for every purpose, the market has it. The biggest challenge is keeping all the products sorted out. Read more and join the conversation. Brainteasers Quiz #182: Be a Class Act New Jersey's favorite son, Frank Sinatra, taught us, "Anyone who asks for the meaning of 'class' hasn't got any." You'll display true class by identifying it, plus a few other illusive concepts, in this quiz. (Includes results of last month's "Brainteasers" survey!) Take the quiz. More Brainteasers Parts Break; Weather Builds — Are You Ready? With Aviation Safety, you're prepared for anything — and we mean anything — that can happen in the air. Click here and save 60% now. 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. 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. AVweb Video: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn back to top  Video: Aspen's New ADS-B Products Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Demand for ADS-B products continues to trickle upward, and everyone who is anyone in the avionics business is developing or already selling ADS-B gadgets. Aspen rolled out its first products at the Aircraft Electronics Association show in Las Vegas, with an eye toward a range of solutions that rely on the company's innovative Connected Panel system, an in-cockpit wireless network that links up with tablet computers. In this video from the show, Aspen's George Pariza gives AVweb a tour of the new products. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to watch on YouTube Video: Garmin Team X -- Passion-Driven Products Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Although they're not the centerpiece of Garmin's booth at the Aircraft Electronics Association show in Las Vegas this week, Garmin has made quite a ripple with its announcement of seven new avionics products for the experimental and light sport markets. In this video, Garmin's Jim Alpiser explains why the company is so bullish on the experimental segment and why Garmin carved out a segregated engineering team to develop uncertified avionics, with more products on the way. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to watch on YouTube Video: Sandia Aerospace's New Compact Transponder Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos As avonics manufacturerers are spinning out new ADS-B products by the week, they're also creating some new sub-niches. One of those is for a simple, compact Mode-C transponder since some kind of transponder will be needed once the ADS-B mandate is in place. Sandia Aerospace recently added just such a product to its well-respected line of avionics fans, integration boxes, and encoders. At the Aircraft Electronics Association show in Las Vegas, Sandia's Dennis Smith gave AVweb a video tour of the company's new STX 165 compact transponder. Don't see a video screen? Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page. If that doesn't work, click here to watch on YouTube 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.