Tecnam reports that it had a blinder of a time at last week’s AERO 2011 General Aviation tradeshow in Friedrichshafen, Germany, with the Italian manufacturer selling 42 new aircraft. This buying bonanza was fuelled by Tecnam’s unveiling of three new aircraft – the 11-seat P2012 Traveller, the four-seat P2010 (or ‘P Twenty-Ten’, as it’s now being called), and the P92 Eaglet G5-LY – on day one of the event. 30 of those 42 aircraft sold were the P Twenty-Ten; you can read more about Tecnam’s new models in the July/August print issue of Australian Flying.
And staying on AERO 2011, there were a whole bunch of interesting, sexy, weird, wonderful flash and unusual aircraft on show at the event. The US-based Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has compiled a list of the best on show Aero 2011, which is Europe’s largest GA event, and there’s plenty of eye-candy to check out. Part one of the list can be found here, while part two is here.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that 16-year-old Buderim teenager Morgan Vidler has set an unofficial record this week by becoming Australia’s youngest ever solo helicopter pilot. Apparently, as a toddler Vidler and his old man would stand for hours peering through the Sunshine Coast Airport fence as planes and helicopters came and went (doesn’t that sound familiar?). While CASA, the FAI and the Australian Sport Aviation Confederation don’t hold age accomplishment records, we reckon Vidler should be proud of his achievements.
Flight Global reports that Honda has selected GKN Aerospace to supply the entire composite fuselage for its Hondajet biz-jet. The fuselage, built in two parts and bonded together, is being made in Alabama, but GKN Aerospace CEO Marcus Bryson says an all-new facility in the Carolinas is under consideration, given it’d be closer to the Hondajet assembly plant. First customer Hondajet deliveries are set for third quarter 2012.
Avweb reports that Rockwell Collins has unveiled what it says is the first head-up guidance system (HGS) designed for small and medium-sized business jets. The HGS-3500 will run off a Collins Pro-Line Fusion panel and display enhanced and synthetic vision images. The HUD itself is an all-in-one hardware package that is designed to fit in smaller cockpits, bringing increased safety benefits. Rockwell Collins has installed 3500 HUDs in larger aircraft in the last 20 years.
It’s not GA, but this one’s worth a mention nonetheless. Earlier this week NSW Police charged a Bardwell Park (southern suburb of Sydney) man in relation to the alleged pointing of a laser at an aircraft. Between 1830 and 1900 on Monday evening a commercial pilot reported that a laser light had been pointed at his aircraft following take-off from Sydney Airport. Five men were spoken to and a laser pointer was seized by police; the device was later tested and deemed to be a prohibited weapon. The man was later charged with using a prohibited weapon and committing an act to threaten the safety of an aircraft, which are state and commonwealth offences, respectively. To read of a similar incident involving a GA pilot, have a look at the My Story account in our recent March/April print issue.
An article in The Cairns Post this week reports that Hawker Pacific’s MRO facility at Cairns Airport had its busiest month in three years in March just gone. Hawker Pacific’s Jason Burzacott said the rebounding global economy had bolstered the aviation industry in Cairns, with most operators at capacity.
CASA's executive manager Operations, Greg Hood, has been appointed to the Safeskies board. The not-for-profit Safeskies is gearing up for its biennial international conference, which will be held in Canberra from October 25-27 this year.