G1000 Training Now that it's begun making deliveries of its Garmin G1000-equipped Skylanes, Cessna has rolled out its G1000 orientation program. The program, which initially will be conducted at Cessna's Independence, Kansas, single-engine airplane factory, meets the FAA-Industry Training Standards (FITS) and is designed to help customers transition from steam gauges to the new flat panel display-based system. Cessna instructors will guide customers through the transition with a combination of classroom instruction, use of a computer-based Garmin 1000 simulation program, and actual flying time. Later this year, Cessna says, the company will expand the program to its Cessna Pilot Centers and sales locations.
A New Kind of Air RacingAirshow performer and aerobatic champion Kirby Chambliss took first place in the United Kingdom's first Red Bull Air Race, in Gloucestershire. Sponsored by energy drink maker Red Bull, this new kind of race pits racers against each other, as they, in turn, navigate an obstacle course of inflated pylons at low level, while flying required maneuvers, including loops and rolls, at various points along the course. A final score is based primarily on speed, though the contestants are penalized for any missed maneuvers. The U.K. competition was tight; Chambliss won the race by three-one-hundredths of a second. The three-race series concludes with a contest this fall in Reno.
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