Product Placement Worth its Salt

Of all the high-end executive transports to choose from -- Gulfstream, Lear, Cessna Citation, Beech Super King Air, Sikorsky, Eurocopter -- Sony opted for the Piaggio Avanti for its summer blockbuster, "Salt," starring Angelina Jolie as a battering ram.

The catfish-shaped turboprop makes a cameo appearance, much to the delight of Avantair, the exclusive fractional-ownership provider for the Avanti that owns N188SL. At the last second, Sony changed the tail number to N182SL, which belongs to a 1972 Cessna 182. I have no idea why, but then nobody ever checks with me on these decisions. "Stay for the end credits that give Special Thanks to Avantair," the company Twittered just before the film opened on July 23.