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02.09.2010 2:00

"Big Boy Toys" Showcases BizAv

Although business aviation in much of the world has been downplaying the luxury aspect and emphasizing efficiency and productivity, a major exhibition in Abu Dhabi next February embraces the undeniable comforts that come with private air travel. Most of the major business aviation companies are expected to take part in Big Boy Toys, which runs from Feb. 2-5, 2011, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. Although an exhibitors' list isn't available on the website, Al Bawaba, a Middle Eastern news agency, says the show is "expected to attract top aviation customers across the globe." In addition to kicking the tires on the latest that aviation has to offer, attendees can shop for high-end marine, automotive and electronics products and maybe even book their favorite superstar for a private concert. Meanwhile, the publication says the market for business aircraft looks rosy in the region and that bodes well for the show. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

Kings To Help Develop Police Aviation Training

John and Martha King will help the Santa Barbara Police develop training for members of the department to help them more effectively deal with incidents involving aircraft. The Kings were detained at gunpoint, handcuffed and held at the Santa Barbara Airport last Saturday after a case of mistaken identity over the N-number on their leased Cessna 172. Martha King told AVweb the chief of police, Camerino Sanchez, called her husband to apologize "clearly and profusely" for the aggressive manner in which they were detained. "He said that the police don't have any training for aircraft stops, and used the only procedure they knew – a 'hot stop' on a stolen vehicle," she said. The Kings will be providing the department with ideas on how to develop training for officers to intercept aircraft properly. John King also suggested the training could be developed into a national set of standard operating procedures for all police departments. Martha King said the conversation with the police chief was "very cordial." Meanwhile, AOPA is reporting that the FAA has removed the N-number from the list of stolen aircraft and the National Business Aviation Association is calling for further action that would likely have prevented Saturday's incident. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

Industry Execs Look To Future

The recent past hasn't been all that pleasant for the business and commercial aircraft sectors, so a group of leading industry execs is looking to the future. Representatives of manufacturers, brokers and operators will debate the topic "Preparing For The Future" at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Long Beach, Calif., Sept. 14-16. Among the topics to be discussed are whether the recent uptick in orders signals an end to the downturn. There's also the interesting question of whether the absence of consolidation of manufacturers during the downturn was a good thing or a bad thing. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

McEwen to Piper

Drew McEwenDrew McEwen is the new Director of Sales, Americas for Piper Aircraft. McEwen had a 28-year career in sales at Hawker Beechcraft before joining Piper. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

Mayer Back at Socata

Stephane MayerStephane Mayer, who was CEO of EADS Socata before it was sold to DAHER, has now been hired in his old role by the new company. He spent the interim as CEO of ATR, a turboprop regional airliner manufacturer. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

AVweb Insider Blog: Up Against the Fence, Martha

The Santa Barbara police chief had the decency and class to apologize to John and Martha King after holding them at gunpoint over the weekend following an erroneous stolen aircraft report. Unfortunately, as Paul Bertorelli reports on the AVweb Insider blog, pilots are uniquely vulnerable to this sort of thing — and we wonder how many agencies would bother with the apology, much less the extra mile to avoid these things in the first place. Read more and join the conversation. [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

Teen Completes Cross-Country Flight

Nate Foster, a 17-year-old from Maryland who took off in August to fly across the U.S. in a Piper Cub, has made it safely to Monterey, Calif., according to the Baltimore Sun. Foster received his private pilot certificate just a few days before launch, but he had logged about 150 hours at the controls since the age of 14. He completed the trip in just six days, staying mostly on schedule except for one day waiting out thunderstorms in a small Nevada town. He flew across the Rockies via a 12,000-foot pass, and told the Sun the scariest part of the trip was flying across the wide, empty spaces along the border of Wyoming and Nebraska. "It was like flying over the moon," he said. "I felt this horrible loneliness. I just had to get out of there." [Read more]

02.09.2010 2:00

NASA Offers Aeronautics Scholarships

NASA is often perceived as being all about space, but this week the agency said it will offer scholarships to encourage students to pursue careers in aeronautics research to develop vehicles that fly in the atmosphere as well as in space. Twenty grants of up to $15,000 per year for two years will be awarded to undergraduates, and graduate students can receive up to $35,000 per year for up to three years. All the students can also apply for summer research internships at NASA, which pay a $10,000 stipend. "We want more students to pursue careers in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By offering these scholarships, we are extending to students not just an opportunity to become familiar with NASA's research, but also an extra dose of inspiration. Scholarships are an excellent way for us to attract talented young innovators to our work force." [Read more]