Klapmeier Lays Out Jet Plans By Russ Niles Well, no one has ever accused Cirrus Aircraft Chairman of the Board Alan Klapmeier of backing down from a challenge and he's taken on a big one. Klapmeier announced last week that he's trying to buy the Vision SF 50 jet program from the company he and his brother Dale founded 25 years ago. The news caused a sensation at last week's gathering of Cirrus owners in Duluth and rippled through the industry. Now that the dust has settled some, Klapmeier says he has a picture of the reaction to the news and he's explaining the rationale behind the blockbuster news. In this podcast, Klapmeier lays out the history, the plan, and what he hopes will be the future of the project.
Spot Landings for Keeps By Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside Aviation Safety magazine editor Jeb Burnside talks power-off landings with Gary Hemphill, executive director of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA), which conducts regional and national spot-landing contests.
EAA AirVenture Update By Mary Grady EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh is coming up in just a few weeks — July 27 to August 2 — and this year's aviation celebration features lots of special visitors and exhibits, as well as extensive new upgrades to the show grounds. AVweb's Mary Grady talks with Dick Knapinski, EAA spokesman, for all the latest on the show, plus some important advice for pilots planning to fly in.
The Future Of Cirrus's Jet By Russ Niles Cirrus Design co-founder and former CEO Alan Klapmeier dropped a bombshell on the annual Cirrus Migration in Duluth by announcing he wants to take over the SF 50 jet program through a separate company. But current CEO Brent Wouters says the company remains committed to seeing the project through, although it's willing to listen to Klapmeier's ideas. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Wouters about the proposal.
IFR Magazine's NEXRAD Audio Primer By Jeff Van West IFR magazine's Jeff Van West talks with Paul Devlin of WSI and Bob Dreisewerd of WxWorx about what makes cockpit NEXRAD different from what you see on an average web site. The datalink weather experts also discuss some of the shortcomings of cockpit weather and some tips for using it more effectively.
GA a "Hypothetical" Security Threat By Russ Niles Richard Skinner, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, has issued a report saying general aviation poses a "limited" and "hypothetical" threat to national security. So what does that mean for GA? AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with AOPA's Chris Dancy.
Spectrum Weighs in with Promising Development on the S.40 Freedom By Glenn Pew Spectrum Aeronautical's S.40 Freedom is one step closer making the leap from on-paper concept jet to lightweight composite reality. Spectrum chairman Linden Blue sat down with us to explain how the company's Fuselage Manufacturing Demonstrator (FMD) proves the concept and sets the stage for a projected 40% weight savings over similar aircraft designs.
Coming Up: Arlington Fly-In By Mary Grady The annual fly-in at Arlington in Washington state is a major event for aviators in the Northwest. AVweb's Mary Grady talks with executive director Barbara Tolbert for some highlights and a sense of what the fly-in is like.
Customs Checks Causing Concerns By Russ Niles While we understand that Customs and Border Protection is tightening security for aircraft coming into the U.S., a pilot in Long Beach, Calif. says he was met by CBP agents with guns drawn when he was leaving on a flight to Mexico. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with David Perry about what he says was an unnecessarily frightening experience for him and his three passengers.
Young Florida CFIs Open LSA Flight School By Mary Grady In these especially challenging economic times, CFI Chris Esposito, 24, has taken the leap and opened First Landings Aviation, a new flight school at the Orlando-Apopka Airport just for Sport Pilot training. With a Remos G-3 on leaseback and a business plan written for a college competition, Chris and his partners are ready to test a new paradigm and see if it will fly.
