The PFD4000 brings Avidyne’s industry-leading Entegra glass flight deck capability to an expanded list of General Aviation aircraft.
 
PFD4000
The PFD4000 is Avidyne’s new compact big-glass primary flight display system that is designed with the flexibility to be installed in a number of different aircraft types and configurations.
Designed as a “6-pack” replacement, the PFD4000 adds all the enhanced situational awareness and reliability benefits of an all-glass flight deck to virtually any general aviation aircraft.
The PFD4000 fits in virtually any panel space, conveying traditional primary flight instrumentation as well as a pilot-selectable moving map presentation of flight plan data and …read more

Boeing company announs that British Airways is ordering six jetliners, two from Boeing and four others as leased from the third party.
This “long-term relationship” brings the option to BA for four more 777s delivery.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] delivered two new 737-800 airplanes to Turkish Airlines this week that take the airline’s fleet beyond 110 airplanes for the first time. The Next-Generation 737s are part of a 23-airplane order from 2004. There now are 55 737s in the Turkish Airlines fleet. Turkish Airlines has placed two major orders with Boeing in recent years. Initially signing a contract for 26 Boeing 737-800s Oct. 7, 1997, the Istanbul-based carrier ordered an additional 15 firm 737-800s and eight options Sept. 28, 2004 .The carrier exercised those options Aug. 4, 2005, increasing its total Boeing orders to …read more

Diamond Aircraft invites customers and prospects to come to its AirVenture exhibit in Oshkosh to see the D-JET, which will be on static display, along with the D-JET mockup. Diamond’s display will also include its full range of piston aircraft, from the DA20, to the DA40 CS, DA40 XLS, DA50 and DA42. In addition, Diamond will also be displaying an AE 300 Austro Engine, a JET-A, 170 hp turbo-diesel engine which will soon be available on the DA42 Diamond twin. Customers are invited to explore the 53 ft expandable, air-conditioned trailer, where several video and avionics displays provide more information …read more

Bombardier today announced that its Board of Directors has granted approval for the launch of the CSeries family of aircraft, a new game-changing five abreast commercial airliner family, with the economics, performance, environmental and passenger-oriented improvements demanded by airline customers for the next quarter century. Entry into service is scheduled for 2013.
Launch customer, Lufthansa, a leading German airline, has signed a letter of interest (LOI) for up to 60 aircraft, including 30 options. The approximate list price of each aircraft is $46.7 million US. Additionally, discussions with a number of established airlines worldwide are progressing well.
  (Image: Newscom)
“Today is a …read more

I had my handheld radio on today listening to the local traffic at a nearby airfield. This is what I heard.
Airport Unicom, what is your active runway?
For some reason I get all worked up whenever I hear someone ask this. Let’s lay down the situation. This airport has no control tower. There is an ASOS on the field. So why do I hate hearing this so much?
There is no such thing as an “active” runway at an airport without a control tower. You are free to use whatever runway you choose. Normally speaking you should use the runway most closely …read more

Someone forwarded me a link recently to this NPR story where listeners were asked to send in clips of their favorite sounds and talk a bit about why the sound had meaning for me. A reader wrote in talking about the sound of gyros spinning down after a flight. Pretty much everyone here knows that sound well. As the reader points out, the slow winding down coincides greatly with what the brain is doing at the same time.
The clip made me think about all of the other senses that appear in General Aviation and how they greatly add to the …read more

The city of Jacksonville as passed an ordinance banning the construction or restoration of anything that flies. (Paper airplanes too?) Of course EAA is quite upset about the issue:
“We can imagine the outcry from the public if Jacksonville passed a rule saying residents could not work on automobiles, boats or motorcycles at the their own homes,” said Earl Lawrence, EAA’s vice president of industry and regulatory affairs. “It seems quite unfair that an aircraft builder could not quietly fit two parts together while his neighbor might be able to rebuild and engine test a muscle car next door.”
Landed via av …read more

Green headsets are ubiquitous with General Aviation and the makers of all those green cups, David Clark, has released their newest model the David Clark X11. The new headsets should be available for shipment later this month at a cost of about 8 aviation hamburgers. (That is about $800 for non-avition people). Here is what you get:
• Handcrafted carbon-fiber headband for maximum strength and durability
• Super-lightweight, low profile head pad provides long-term comfort
• Dual voice coil ENC technology provides superior active noise cancellation
• Cell phone and aux music input, with three included accessory cords
• Ear cups fold for compact storage
• …read more

Despite the current security climate, the FAA has just taken steps to make crossing borders in and out of the USA easier for GA aircraft. This was announced in a new NOTAM by the FAA. AOPA clarifies the text of the NOTAM:
Simply put, it requires that any U.S.-registered aircraft with a takeoff gross weight of 100,309 pounds or less that crosses a U.S. border be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan, squawk an ATC-assigned transponder code over a Mode C or Mode S transponder, maintain two-way radio contact with U.S. air traffic control, and comply with all U.S. …read more