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Question of the Week: Is 2009 the Year You Buy a Light Airplane?
Tough times for the U.S. economy have slowed predictions of breakout growth in general aviation but they haven't stalled it. Tell us if this is the year you plan to buy a light airplane.Plus: Last week, we asked which breaking news story of 2008 deserved the title "Story of the Year"; click through to read what AVweb readers had to say on the subject.
Garmin and XM Talking Again
Users of Garmin's portable datalink receiversthe GPSmap 396, 496 and 696got their weatherlink back in service by mid-morning on Wednesday, Garmin told AVweb. An undetermined number of users lost access to weather data after New Year's due to technical issues, which Garmin and XM declined to explain in detail.
FAA Certifies Embraer's Lineage 1000 Jet
Embraer announced on Wednesday that it has received the type certificate from the FAA for its ultra-large Lineage 1000 executive jet. The aircraft, aimed at the high-end luxury business jet segment, is based on the Embraer 190 commercial jet, which was certified in 2005. It can carry up to 19 passengers in a roomy interior with lots of baggage space, for up to 4,500 nm. The layout features five distinct privacy zones and two lavatories, with a third lavatory and a stand-up shower unit available as options. The cockpit is equipped with a five-screen integrated Honeywell Primus Epic avionics suite. The airplane sells for $43 million and first deliveries are expected early this year. To date, over 20 of the jets have been sold worldwide, according to Embraer. "We are pleased to announce the certification of the Lineage 1000 by the FAA," said Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer Executive Vice President, Executive Jets. "One of the great achievements of this project regards the maximum range of the aircraft, which was extended to 4,500 nautical miles, giving operators new possibilities for routes and destinations."
On the Fly ...
Flight restrictions have been posted for D.C. on Inauguration Day...A helicopter crashed on its way to an oil rig, killing eight...Continental flew a 737 on a second-generation biofuel blend....Seven airlines sued the FAA to block rules aimed at curbing pilot fatigue.
Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography Showcase
The arrival of this student pilot and his instructor (photographed by Victor Pallotto of Passaic, New Jersey) signals the beginning of our weekly photo survey! Grab your specs, and let's spend a little time gawking, shall we?
Thielert Recovering From Insolvency, Company Says
Despite last year's insolvency and a subsequent drop in production, Thielert Aircraft Engines is now in the black and working to capacity, according to Bruno M. Kubler, the company's insolvency administrator. Kubler also said in a news release on Wednesday that all employees still have their jobs. "The fact that TAE was able to make it back into the profit zone again without any staff cuts is especially gratifying, particularly in these financially difficult times," Kubler said. He added that he is negotiating with new potential investors, including two defense contractors, and he is hopeful that by developing new military applications for the diesel engines and quickly obtaining certifications, the company can ensure its sustainable future. However, Superior Air Parts, a former Thielert subsidiary that got into financial straits following the bankruptcy of its mother company, has not fared so well. Superior filed for bankruptcy last week and laid off much of its staff. Owners of Diamond Twin Stars also are not unscathed, facing several alternatives for dealing with the Thielert problem, none of which will be entirely satisfactory. (Click here for a recent analysis of the Twin Star situation by AVweb Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli.)
President Bush Selects New Acting Administrator For FAA
As his administration prepares to leave office, President George W. Bush on Tuesday announced that he intends to designate Lynne A. Osmus, of Virginia, to be acting administrator of the FAA, effective Jan. 16. The choice was revealed without fanfare near the end of a long list of new designees and appointments to a range of councils and boards. Osmus will replace Robert Sturgell, who has been acting administrator since September 2007. Efforts to confirm Sturgell's appointment languished in the Senate last year, and Sturgell said he would step down before the Obama administration took office. The appointment of Osmus essentially "keeps the seat warm," AOPA spokesman Chris Dancy told AVweb. "It ensures that there is someone accountable at the top of the organization. President-elect Obama is still expected to name a new administrator, and that person, assuming Senate confirmation, will be appointed to the full five-year term." Osmus has been with the FAA since 1979, and is currently the assistant administrator for security.
Pilots Needed For Flight-Training Study
Plenty of student pilots and instructors have spent hours of ground time amusing themselves with flight simulator software, but the programs are not generally used as actual training aids. But some researchers at Middle Tennessee State University are working on a study to evaluate the effectiveness of Microsoft Flight Simulator in private pilot training. One of the researchers on that project, Wendy Beckman, began to wonder if the software might also have an effect on students working toward their instrument rating. So she designed an online survey, with just 12 questions, and is inviting instrument-rated pilots to log on and participate. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, and your input will help Beckman to complete her analysis. "The point of the whole exercise is just to determine if there is some usefulness to the software for pilots," she told AVweb. There are lots of opinions about that, she said, "but it would be nice to have some data." Pilots can participate whether or not they have ever used the program, or if they used it during their training or later to maintain proficiency. Participants are anonymous, and no identifying information is collected.
Pilots Help Transport Dogs In Need
General aviation got some positive press last Friday when the NBC Nightly News aired a segment about Pilots-N-Paws, an outfit based in South Carolina that helps transport dogs from overcrowded shelters to places where they can be cared for in temporary housing or placed in new homes. The year-old organization doesn't actually arrange the flights, but provides a Web site and discussion forum, a sort of ride board, where those in need and GA pilots who are willing to help can find one another. "Every time I take off, that's a couple more dogs that aren't going to be euthanized," volunteer pilot and co-founder of the organization, John Wehrenberg, told NBC. In an interview last year with USA Today, he said: "Pilots love to fly. I believed that if we created a means for them to discover situations where they could fly and also save animals, many would do it." In just over a year, the Web site has helped to arrange flights for over 200 shelter dogs, flown by about 115 volunteer pilots. Without the pilots' help, dogs that need to be transported to new homes hundreds of miles away are taken by volunteer driver relays, which are difficult to coordinate and can require the animals to be transferred from car to car as often as 12 times in a day.
Privatization Plan For California Airport Faces Obstacles
Although a new commercial airport due to open soon in Branson, Mo., will be privately run, and hundreds of small GA airfields are operated by private owners, efforts to convert existing government-run airports in the U.S. to private management have met resistance. Since 1997, only six airport operators have applied to an FAA program to privatize airports, and five terminated or withdrew their requests, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. Only a plan to privatize Midway Airport, near Chicago, remains in play. Now, local officials in Long Beach, Calif., are discussing a plan to privatize their municipal airport, but the plan is controversial. "I don't see this as a very attractive target for a takeover by private companies," Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga told the Times. "The airport is close to residential areas, and there's a grandfathered noise ordinance that would be of concern ... I don't know how the airport will be profitable unless there is expansion." And expansion is problematic, since the field is surrounded by densely settled, affluent neighborhoods. Privatization is common in Canada, Europe and Asia, the Times reports. More than 50 airports worldwide have privatized their operations, management or ownership since 1987.
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