Top Stories

Evektor Celebrates 40 Years
Evektor-Aerotechnik Company of the Czech Republic is celebrating its 40th anniversary. More than 1,000 Evektor aircraft fly in over 40 countries worldwide. Evektor's P-220 UL ultralight was first produced in 1996, followed by the EV-97 Eurostar, which found its way into many flight schools and sport flying. In 2003, the Evektor Harmony trainer gained JAR-VLA type certification from the Czech CAA, followed by the EASA TC in 2005. That design evolved into the SportStar, the first S-LSA to be approved under the then-new FAA light-sport category. In 2008, Evektor introduced the EuroStar and SportStar SL, and last year, the company introduced the SportStar Max. Visit www.evektor-aircraft.com.

Green Flight Project Launched
Bye Energy, an integrator of alternative energy and renewable fuel technologies for aircraft, is launching the Green Flight Project to enhance the development of an electric and electric-hybrid propulsion system (EHPS) for commercial application. The objective is to design and integrate an EHPS into a full-scale proof-of-concept airplane. George Bye, CEO of Bye Energy, said, "Intelligent power-management technology, greater lithium-ion energy density and more efficient lightweight engines have now matured to the point where integration of these components becomes extremely compelling. We believe the GA market is at the same point the U.S. auto market was about a decade ago when the first affordable automotive hybrid alternatives became commercially available." Visit www.byeenergy.com and www.thegreenflightproject.aero.

G1000 TBM 850 Down Under
Daher-Socata has delivered its first G1000-equipped TBM 850 to an Australian customer. Receiving the 2010 TBM 850 were Warwick and Katrina Hawksworth of Capstone Financial services. "We selected the TBM 850 after several years of marketing research, which determined that Daher-Socata's very fast turboprop was the best in speed, low operating costs and short-field operations," noted the Hawksworths. The Garmin G1000 became standard on the TBM 850 in 2008. Visit www.daher.com and www.tbm850.com.

Eclipse Selects SimCom
Eclipse Aerospace and SimCom Training Centers are partnering to provide pilot training for EA-500 owners and operators. Eclipse will relocate two EA-500 Level-D simulators to SimCom's training center in Orlando, Fla. Both simulators currently replicate the EA-500 and include the Avio integrated avionics system. Simulator training is scheduled to be available in the third quarter of 2010. Visit www.simulator.com and www.eclipseaerospace.net.

Transport Canada STC Expanded
Aspen Avionics announced an amendment to the Transport Canada STC that grants installation approval of the system in Canada. The amended STC enables all aircraft on Aspen's approved model list of more than 700 aircraft to install the Evolution PFD and MFD product lines. It also recognizes an FAA allowance to remove most mechanical backup flight instruments upon installation of Aspen's Evolution PFD and MFD with DuoSafe capabilities. Visit www.aspenavionics.com.

Loyalty Rewards From RAM Aircraft
RAM Aircraft offers Owner Loyalty Rewards for returning customers with RAM-engine-equipped Cessna 340, 340A, 414, 414A, 421C and Baron 58P/TC aircraft. Owners get a $2,500 discount off one engine order, and $5,000 off two engine orders. Rewards are available on engines shipped to FBOs for local installation or replacement engines installed at RAM in Waco, Texas. The rewards can be used toward upgrading your current RAM series engine package. Visit www.ramaircraft.com.

Seawind Begins Flight-Testing
After completing all the ground testing, the soon-to-be-certified Seawind 300C received its flight permit and took to the sky over Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, in mid-March. Seawind President Richard Silva said, "The pilots reported that the controls in pitch and roll were excellent. The powerplant and aircraft systems all worked as designed and as expected." After the debriefing, the Seawind was flown to Ottawa, where the full flight-testing program will be conducted. Visit www.seawind.net.

8th Grader Solos Glider
Eighth-grade student Cormac Siegfried of Palo Alto, Calif., made his first solo flight in a glider at the Pleasant Valley Airport in Peoria, Ariz., on March 8. For months, he has been studying flight and taking glider instruction from his father, Rand Siegfried. Cormac's grandfather, Bob Siegfried, a retired United Airlines pilot and an avid aviator, began the tradition of soloing on the 14th birthday with his own five children. Cormac is the youngest of Bob's grandchildren and the last to complete this rite of passage. For more, read "The Flying Siegfrieds" in Pilot Journal July/August 2008.

$5,000 Savings From Lycoming
Lycoming Engines offers up to $5,000 off zero-time factory-rebuilt Lycoming engines, which are built to the same limits as new engines and come with a zero-time logbook and the same two-year warranty as all-new engines. "We recognize that many owners may not have been in a position to take advantage of the discounts on rebuilt engines that ended in December 2009," said Todd Stoner, Lycoming's VP of marketing and sales. The savings depends on the engine type; contact Lycoming for the most accurate quote. The offer requires the return of a Lycoming factory-new engine that has never been overhauled or rebuilt (i.e., a first-run core). Visit www.lycoming.com.

Cessna Milestone
Cessna has delivered the 9,000th Independence, Kans.-produced single-engine piston aircraft. Rob Logozio took delivery of this milestone aircraft, a 2010 182T Skylane, during a small ceremony at the Independence facility. The first Independence-produced single-engine piston came off the line in November 1996, following Cessna's 10-year hiatus from producing single-engine piston aircraft. In total, Cessna has produced more than 154,000 single-engine pistons since the company's founding in 1927. Visit www.cessna.com.

PRODUCT PREVIEWS

Caring For Your Passengers
Every airplane should be equipped with a Sporty's Passenger Care Kit. The kit provides everything you need in the event that a nonfrequent flyer needs relief. It includes Ozium sanitizer, Marezine motion-sickness tablets, Sic-Sacs, Travel Johns and earplugs. Remember, it isn't a question of if you'll need it, it's a question of when you'll need it. Contact: Sporty's, (800) SPORTYS, www.sportys.com.

Tug Up To 10,000 Lbs.
Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Company's new battery-powered, walk-behind Helicopter Tug is designed so that one person can safely and easily maneuver a helicopter in and out of tight spaces. The tug features a quiet electric motor, smooth acceleration and a braking system that eliminates the rough starting/stopping of gas-powered clutching systems. The versatile tugs are ideal for any aircraft or helicopter application up to 10,000 pounds. Contact: Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Company, (888) 631-5011, www.lindbergh.com/aircraft-tug.

Introducing The FX8!
The latest additions to SolidFX's line of portable aviation information managers---the FX8 and FX8-3G---offer crisp 8.1-inch-diagonal displays, instant-on performance and 24-hour battery life. Weighing less than 13 ounces, each of these chart readers runs FXview software (for viewing Jeppesen charts) and is easily mounted. The FX8 is recommended for Part 91 and Part 135 operators and will be tested for high-altitude operation. The FX8-3G adds 3G wireless capability. [See "Tech Talk: SolidFX FX10" in P&P April 2010 and on our website.] Contact: SolidFX, (508) 316-8078, www.solidfx.com.

Breathe Right
Sporty's Single Place Oxygen Systems are a cost-effective backup for built-in systems. The three-pound, 12.5x3.25-inch Large System holds 113 liters of oxygen; it provides oxygen for just under four hours with a cannula and one hour with a mask. The 9.5x2.5-inch Small System holds 42 liters and provides oxygen for under two hours with a cannula and 30 minutes with a mask. Contact: Sporty's, (800) SPORTYS, www.sportys.com.

Keep It Clean
Sporty's Collapsible Trash Can pops up for use and collapses for storage, providing a convenient trash bin when you need it, and removing an eyesore when you don't. Constructed with treated nylon for easy cleaning and spill resistance, the unit measures 13x9.5 inches. Contact: Sporty's, (800) SPORTYS, www.sportys.com.

Regs At Your Fingertips
Reference, study and review have become much more portable and as close as your iPhone. ASA's new FAR/AIM iPhone App has complete, up-to-date information from 14 and 49 CFR pertinent to pilots, flight instructors and flight crew, combined with the AIM and Pilot/Controller Glossary. Also available are free updates, color AIM figures, ASA's combined FAR/AIM index and "Study by Certificate" lists so aviators can hone in on the pertinent rules for their particular area of interest. Contact: ASA, (800) 272-2359, www.asa2fly.com/iphone.

Sitting Pretty
The portable Super Cushion, customized by Oregon Aero for Powder Puff Pilot, is light and easy to carry. It's constructed out of viscoelastic foam with a removable nylon-pack-cloth cover. The 13x13-inch pink cushion offers pain-free seating in an airplane or anywhere else---stadium bleacher, boat, chair or picnic bench. Additionally, the cushion floats! Contact: Powder Puff Pilot, (720) 256-3442, www.powderpuffpilot.com.