http://www.avweb.com/topnews.html en-us Copyright 2008 AVweb. All rights Reserved. editor@avweb.com webmaster@iproduction.com 1000Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:28 CST 1000Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:28 CST IPS - www.iproduction.com A complete recap of our podcasts, videos, blogs, and news reports from the 2009 AOPA Summit in Tampa, Florida. http://www.avweb.com/news/special_events/AOPASummit2009_Podcast_Video_CompleteCoverageRoundUp_201494-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Click for more photosThe AVweb staff have packed their bags and are on their way home from the first AOPA Summit in Tampa, Florida — and guess what editor Mary Grady found on her digital camera? If you said "a bunch of great photos that AVweb didn't get a chance to share with us during the show," you'd be right. Let's have a look at some of our favorite snaps from the show. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_PhotoGallery_201493-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Leading with: Should it be called that or something else? Big plusses, says Paul Bertorelli in his show-closing installment of the AVweb Insider blog, include the Inescapable Dave Hirschman, Joe Shepherd's Electra, and a lot more going on than you might have expected — not the least of which were the babes in the Dominican Republic booth. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AVwebInsiderBlog_AOPASummit2009_201492-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS In this video, veteran Reno Racer Thom Richard tells what it's like to wail around the pylons at Reno in a Formula 1 race aircraft. It's powered by a 100hp O-200, but Invictus — which was on display at AOPA Summit in Tampa this week — is still capable of nearly 250 MPH. It's hot, high-G work, but it's also six minutes of one of the biggest shots of adrenaline in aviation.This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Bose Corporation http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_ThomRichard_RenoAirRaces_201488-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS So what if new aircraft sales are in the tank? You can still fix up an older airframe to near new standards. Two companies at AOPA Summit were offering such upgrades, and a third, Premier Aircraft, is offering a premium upgrade to new Diamond DA40s that can include air conditioning, plus a second alternator and comfy upgraded leather seats. Nexair Avionics saw an opportunity in Avidyne's sophisticated Release 9 EFIS and is selling legacy Saratogas with this big glass upgrade. Sierra Industries is taking a similar tack, but they're using Garmin's G500 in their Super Centurion upgrade. This video offers a quick glimpse at products from all three companies.This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Ultra Electronics. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_NexairSierraPremier_ModsUpgrades_201487-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Josh Cawthra of Seattle, Washington recently spent some time on assignment in Anchorage. A man after our own heart, Josh spent his days off scouting Lake Hood and other natural wonders for photo opportunities — and came across this Cessna "enjoying the lovely fall morning" in a secluded spot on the lake. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/potw/PictureOfTheWeek_201485-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Aspen is now shipping its new EFD 1000 companion MFD to the popular PFD. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli got a checkout with Aspen's Scott Smith prior to the AOPA Summit.This video is brought to you by Ultra Electronics and Lightspeed Aviation. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_AspenEFD1000_201480-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS "This is what every pilot is dreaming of, when they go to the airport to learn to fly," said John McKenna, as he watched one slide after another of beautiful wilderness views scroll by on the wall of his group's new display at AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa this week. McKenna is one the pilots who helped to launch a new nonprofit group, the Recreational Aviation Foundation, to protect access to backcountry landing strips on public lands. This is their first appearance at the AOPA show, and they went all out, with the constant flow of alluring photos, a tent, and a mock campfire set up under some virtual trees to get visitors thinking about just how much they always wanted to get out and explore. The setting reflects the origins of the group, which began with a bunch of pilots sitting around a campfire, and wondering who was going to protect their backcountry access. "And we realized, if it's not us, who's it going to be?" said McKenna. "And if not now, when?" Already the group has a number of successes under its belt, including an agreement to maintain three public-access landing strips in Death Valley that were in danger of being shut down by the National Park Service, and the construction of a new strip on national forest land in Montana. And the group has some new ideas in the works, too. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_BackcountryAdvocatesTakeTheirMessageToTampa_201474-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Everyone can participate in this week's AOPA Summit in Tampa via the Internet, with a slew of new online features being tried out for the first time. Folks with interests in common can meet up via AOPALive.org, or use the meet-up function to connect with live people at the show. David Allen, webmaster for mytransponder.com, a social media site for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, is working with AOPA to help engage the pilot community. "We've had such a great time, and we're learning stuff," he said on Friday morning. Several people stopped by to meet up with Walter Fricke, who later in the day would be accepting AOPA's Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award for his work providing GA transportation for wounded veterans. "AOPA is trying to bring the show to the virtual audience, and to bring that audience to the show," Allen said. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_FeaturesOnlineLiveVideoAndMeetups_201473-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The SR-71 Blackbird was one of the most distinctive and powerful aircraft ever built, and one of the select group of pilots who flew it visited AOPA Summit in Tampa this week to tell the story of the airplane and its place in history. Brian Shul, a retired Air Force pilot, has written a book about his experiences with the airplane, and came to Tampa to talk about it. "It was a fantastic airplane," he said, between talking to visitors who stopped by his booth to view the special-edition book, illustrated with unique photos from Shul's personal collection, on sale for about $400. The Blackbird was a wonderful airplane to fly, he said. "It would always give you more speed when you needed it," he said. It was purely a spy plane, with no weapons on board. The pilot's defense was speed and altitude. The fastest he ever flew in the jet was over Mach 3, Shul said, once when he was being shot at. The SR-71 could cruise at 85,000 to 90,000 feet. Its entire crew was one pilot and a navigator in the back, both encased in astronaut-style spacesuits. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_SR71PilotVisitsTampa_201472-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Many aviation advocacy groups share a goal to work toward diversifying the pilot population, and in an effort to encourage more women to consider aviation careers, Women in Aviation International teamed up with AOPA this week to create a Women's Wing for the Aviation Summit in Tampa. "We offered seminars and mini-forums about careers, about following your passion, and exploring why would a person want to learn to fly," said Amy Laboda, editor in chief of WAI's Aviation for Women magazine. The group also hosted a breakfast for women pilots and book signings with aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff and Susan Butler, author of East to the Dawn, one of the books that inspired the new Amelia Earhart movie. A Frasca Piper Warrior simulator and a flight instructor were stationed in the Wing to offer a chance to any women who wanted to give it a try. The space also provided a meeting place for women to meet other women in aviation, or to ask questions about careers and flight training. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_WomensWingDebutsAtAOPASummit_201471-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Piper Aircraft has shuffled the front office after the resignation of former president John Becker. Current CEO Kevin Gould will assume the presidency and that, along with some promotions from the ranks, seem to be in line with the new owners' plan. "The expansion of Kevin's responsibilities and the augmentation of his management team directly reflect the strategic investments we're making in Piper's future," said Stephen W. Berger, Piper's Chairman and Managing Partner of Imprimis. "Kevin has an exciting and aggressive vision for the company.... We will deliver the breakthrough Piper Jet to the market and dramatically expand Piper's global market presence, especially in Asia. Kevin's team has the experience and commitment to deliver on this vision and help solidify a durable global leadership position for Piper. We are prepared to support that vision with substantial new capital." http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/PiperNamesNewPresident_201470-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Lockheed 12 owner Joe Shepherd got the rarest of opportunities: His fully restored airplane was used in the film Amelia, now playing in cinemas across the country. Shepherd tells what it was like to play a small but important part in a major film.This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_AmeliaLockheedOwner_JoeShepherd_201469-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The general aviation industry, which each year contributes an average of $150 billion to the economy, lost 19,000 jobs over the past year and among the industry's biggest coming challenges is the implementation of NextGen -- financial incentives may help, says GAMA. The organization Thursday told a House Subcommittee on Aviation that steps necessary for putting NextGen in place "will be imperative in helping realize long-term safety, capacity, economic and environmental benefits," GAMA said. But user confidence is key, meaning, in the words of GAMA vice president of operations Jens Hennig, that "equipage will only take place when users are confident about the potential for benefits." Until then, GAMA supports financial incentives for operators. Meanwhile, the industry is pushing ahead with investments in NextGen avionics like Required Navigation Performance, data communications, and ADS-B. Those pieces of the puzzle not only help develop NextGen, but also stimulate economic growth and employment. There are potential bottlenecks. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/gama_nextgen_operator_incentives_adsb_aviation_201468-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS When the filmmakers at Fox Searchlight needed a Lockheed Electra for their movie about Amelia Earhart, it took only a couple of phone calls to lead them to Joe Shepherd, a retired airline pilot with a beauty of an Electra gleaming in his custom-built hangar in Fayatteville, Ga. "There were 130 of these that were built, and 23 now on the registry," he said on Wednesday, as he rested in the shade beneath a shiny wing at AOPA Summit's flight line, at Peter O. Knight Airport in Tampa. Of those 23, as far he knows, about a dozen are flying, and maybe five have been brought up to prime condition like his. He spent about 20 hours flying it for the Amelia movie, which opened in theaters on Oct. 23. "We worked long hours, dawn till dark," he said. "It was an incredible amount of work, but we had a wonderful time." You can get a close look at Shepherd's handiwork and hear more of his story, coming up soon in an AVweb video. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_JoeShepherd_LockheedElectra_AmeliaFilm_201467-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The first owner of a Cessna Skycatcher won't have far to turn if she has a complaint. Cessna announced at AOPA Summit that Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton will get the first 162. "When I first saw the Skycatcher mockup at Oshkosh in 2007, I knew that was the aircraft I wanted to learn to fly in," Pelton said. "I couldn't be more excited to own the first Skycatcher." Mrs. Pelton will get her Skycatcher later this year and although the aircraft is an LSA, she'll be going after her private pilot certificate. The aircraft received ASTM certification earlier this year and production has begun at the contractor's factory in China but the Skycatcher has had a more difficult development than many Cessna designs and two aircraft crashed during spin testing. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_Cessna_CEO_Skycatcher_201466-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The folks with the Lindbergh Foundation have been working for a few years now to provide support to the pilots of the Kenya Wildlife Service, who fly under extreme conditions in their effort to protect wild animals from poachers, and on Thursday at AOPA Summit, Foundation chairman Larry Williams announced the group will donate a brand-new Aviat Husky to the effort. The Foundation has been working with Patty Wagstaff and John and Martha King to provide training to the pilots. "They have a fleet of about seven airplanes and a couple of helicopters, and each of them has crashed at least three times," said Williams. The pilots have minimal training. They are often shot at and operate from rough runways with no lighting. "It's very challenging conditions," Williams said. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_Kenya_Wildlife_Service_Gets_Husky_201465-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Two Northwest Airlines pilots have had their certificates revoked after they say they forgot to land in Minneapolis because they were using their laptops. Now Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) wants a federal law against laptops and "other personal electronic devices" in the cockpit. Is that really necessary?Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers if the Northwest pilots deserved to have their tickets revoked; click through to see what our audience had to say on the matter. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/qotw/QuestionOfTheWeek_CockpitLaptopBan_201464-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The LSA sector may still be young and wet behind the ears compared to the industry stalwarts, but on Thursday at AOPA Aviation Summit, AOPA got on board with the LSA movement, choosing an LSA as their annual Sweepstakes airplane for the first time ever. The shiny new Remos GX LSA is a carbon-fiber airplane with a 100-hp Rotax engine and wings that fold back for trailering. For the next year, AOPA will fly it around to local events to promote their own membership drive and to celebrate light sport aviation. "We plan to get out and have fun with it," said AOPA President Craig Fuller at the unveiling in the exhibit hall, complete with drum roll and a dramatic opening of the curtain. At next year's Summit, in Long Beach, the winner of the airplane will be announced. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_AOPA_Prize_Plane_Remos_201463-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Undertaking the development of a light jet is a project "not for the faint of heart," Cirrus CEO Brent Wouters said at AOPA's Aviation Summit on Thursday, but he assured the press who had gathered for his update that Cirrus is up to the task. "We are making progress," he said. The team working on the Vision Jet is smaller than it was, and progress is less dramatic now that they are out of the flight-test phase and focused on detailed internal and structural design. He said the project is "capital constrained," and unless new investment is found soon, it's "highly unlikely" that a timeline for deliveries in 2012 will be possible, and he declined to project a new date. "Progress will depend entirely on access to capital," he said. "We're working hard to find that capital, but it's just not available today." Wouter also announced that Avidyne's Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck system is now available as a factory-installed option on selected new SR20 and SR22 aircraft. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_CirrusJetCapitalCrunch_201462-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Avidyne Corp. announced a new EX600 Multi-Function Display for GA airplanes and helicopters, at AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa on Thursday. The new model features a larger display and the addition of Map Planning, a highly-requested feature, according to Avidyne, which makes it more user-friendly. The MFD can be used in aircraft that have never had an MFD or as an upgrade to an early-generation MFD. "We continue to refine our display technology and incorporate the features and functions that pilots care about most, and with the EX600 we have made the very best radar-replacement MFD even better." Pricing starts at $9,990. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_Avidyne_Announces_New_Products_201461-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Please bear with us; our regularly scheduled "POTW" feature will be a day or two late this week as we bring you daily coverage of the AOPA Summit in Tampa, Florida. In the meantime, feel free to send us your photos. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/potw/PictureOfTheWeek_201459-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Cessna moves ever closer to opening the spigot on LSA production. The company arrived at AOPA Summit with a confirming version of the 162 Skycatcher, and AVweb took a spin.This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Ultra Electronics. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_CessnaSkycatcher_201458-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS It burns 10 gallons an hour of auto gas and can do 150 knots. But is there a market for a Rotax-powered twin in the U.S.? AVweb's Jeff Van West takes a closer look at Tecnam's unique piston twin.This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Bose Corporation http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/AOPASummit2009_ExclusiveVideo_TecnamRotaxTwin_201457-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS AOPA launches its new version of the former AOPA Expo in Tampa this week, and despite the stubbornly down economy, organizers expect a full exhibit hall and attendance close to what it was for the last Tampa event, four years ago. "The AOPA Aviation Summit will still have the wide variety of exhibitors and aircraft displays, educational opportunities and social events that have become hallmarks of our annual convention and trade show," said AOPA President Craig Fuller. "But we are dramatically increasing the participation of government and industry leaders, making it easier to really delve into the issues that face us and give members and others the opportunity to get first-hand answers to the questions that concern them." The summit aims to bring together leaders from the industry, advocacy groups, and government in support of GA's future. AVweb will be on site all week to bring all the news, video, and podcasts straight to you from Tampa. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_AOPASummitOpensInTampa_201454-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS When Adam Leon, 31, took off from an Ontario flight school in a stolen Cessna 172 last April and flew across the border into the U.S., it was an act of desperation -- he was suicidal and hoping that he would be shot down, his lawyer said. But this week, a federal court in St. Louis sentenced Leon to two years in prison. "This is very serious," U.S. District Judge Charles Shaw said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Under the guidelines, this is treated like a stolen car.... I think this is an extraordinary situation in terms of cost and the hours involved." After Leon crossed the border without permission, the airplane was pursued by two F-16s as well as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection airplane. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/WaywardPilotSentencedToTwoYearsForAirplaneTheft_201453-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS While the FAA continues to work on long-awaited new rules to cope with pilot fatigue, the Air Line Pilots Association this week announced its own new policy, which it says is based on the latest science and three years of work. "With the FAA's commitment to issue a new proposed flight- and duty-time rule by the end of the year, ALPA seized the opportunity to improve the safety and quality of work life for airline pilots by forging the strongest policy possible," ALPA President John Prater said on Tuesday. ALPA's policy takes into consideration seven different aspects of fatigue: rest, duty, extension of duty, cumulative fatigue, augmentation, reserve, and fatigue risk management systems. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/ALPAAdoptsNewPilotFatiguePolicy_201452-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS With more than 1,000 orders for its Skycatcher LSA booked, Cessna is moving apace to bring the airplane into series production, and it showed up at AOPA Summit in Tampa with a conforming airplane. Cessna's Kirby Ortega told AVweb the airplane in display was built in Wichita, although the wings — which we inspected carefully — were manufactured in China. Detailing looks good throughout the aircraft, and gone is the purple paint of the proof of concept version. Ortega showed us changes in the wing — it's a little thicker to improve lift — and changes to the tail to increase spin resistance. Oretega said Cessna plans to deliver at least one Skycatcher before year's end and to ramp up production to 300 to 400 a year going forward. http://www.avweb.com/news/aopa/AOPASummit2009_CessnaSkycatcher_ProductionModel_201451-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Aviation Consumer would like to know. We're most interested in hearing about successful long-term aircraft partnerships. What works for you? How have you sustained group ownership? And what effect has the current economic downturn had? Contact the editorial staff directly at avconsumer@comcast.net and we'll respond with our questions. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AviationConsumer_AircraftPartnershipSurvey_201411-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The FAA has tightened up its treatment of pilots convicted of alcohol-related driving offenses. In the latest issue (PDF) of the Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin, AMEs are advised that first-time DUI and DWI offenders don't necessarily escape the agency's scrutiny as they have in the past. As noted by Aero Legal ServicesUnder the new rules, anyone whose blood-alcohol content was measured at higher than .15 percent or who refused to provide a sample will automatically have their case referred by the AME to FAA headquarters. The FAA medics will then insist that the pilot applicant undergo a substance abuse assessment. Previously, on first offenses, AMEs had to review court records and make the call on whether the applicant had a problem. It's been suggested the tougher rules might tempt offenders to lie about it on their medical but that will likely make things worse. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAA_Tightens_DUI_Rules_201448-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS