Winter is typically a cool time for general aviation aircraft sales. However, upon closing the February book of business, Cirrus revealed that aircraft sales for the month established yet another company record for single month performance. For the first time in company history, Cirrus surpassed 70 new aircraft sales in one month to set an all time company record of 74. “Frankly we don’t pay too much attention to projections and historical data,” states John M. Bingham, executive vice president sales and marketing.

AOPA, CPA Meet With FAA

After months of pressure from AOPA and the Cessna Pilots Association (CPA), the FAA finally presented its evidence for pursuing two proposed twin Cessna airworthiness directives during a two-day meeting between the agency and those affected by the ADs. Prior to the meetings, the FAA had refused to release the data, forcing AOPA to pursue a Freedom of Information Act request to get it. The proposed ADs require inspection of wing-spar caps for fatigue cracks, repair or replacement of any cracked wing spars, and installation of a Cessna-manufactured spar strap modification kit on each wing spar. The meeting also demonstrated the FAA's growing concern about the aging general aviation fleet and hinted at the broader future use of engineering models to pinpoi

Learn How To Power Your Integrated-Datalink MFD

On Thursday, Avidyne announced they are offering PC-based interactive training software for the FlightMax EX500 multi-function display. This new and EX500 trainer emulates the EX500 MFD’s operation right on the PC desktop, allowing the user to “fly” user-defined flight plans and retrieve datalinked graphical weather and TFRs along the route. The EX500 training software is downloadable free of charge from the Avidyne website.

ADIZ, TFR Education Efforts Noted

AOPA was honored on Wednesday for its significant efforts to educate and alert pilots of flight restrictions across the country. Representatives from the Baltimore Flight Standards District Office, which handles violations of the Baltimore-Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and Prohibited Area P-40 over Camp David, came to AOPA headquarters to present the staff with the "Good Friend" Award. As the FSDO citation noted, AOPA sent out more than two million individual e-mails in 2003, alerting pilots to temporary flight restrictions likely to have significant impacts on flight operations. In addition, a scrolling banner at the top of the AOPA Online home page lists TFRs issued under FAR 91.141 for Presidential, Vice Presidential, or

AFL-CIO Condemns FAA's "Draconian" Approach To Bargaining

The AFL-CIO condemned the FAA on Thursday for what it called "misguided attempts to unilaterally impose the terms and conditions of a contract with its employees represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)". The union called this bargaining approach "draconian." NATCA filed a lawsuit Jan. 30, asking a federal court to order the Federal Service Impasses Panel to resolve the impasses affecting employees in 11 of NATCA's non-controller bargaining units. The lawsuit asks the court to rule the FSIP does indeed have the jurisdiction and authority to resolve the impasses. However, shortly after the suit was filed, the FAA, in NATCA's view, circumvented the law and the collective bargaining prog