http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/index.html en-us Copyright 2008 AVweb. All rights Reserved. editor@avweb.com webmaster@iproduction.com 1000Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:03:02 CST 1000Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:03:02 CST IPS - www.iproduction.com Win an XM WX Satellite Weather receiver from WxWorx as we continue the celebration of AVweb's 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year — so if you've already entered, you're all set.)And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time April 9, 2010.Click here to read the contest rules and enter.Congratulations to Colleen Keller of San Diego, California, who won a Garmin 510 aera handheld GPS in our last drawing! (click here to get your own Garmin aera) http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AVweb15GrandGiveaways_04_WxWorxReceiver_202160-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS An auction in Manhattan on April 13 will feature an annotated checklist used to power down damaged parts of Apollo 13, other space memorabilia and a complete 93-year-old Curtiss MF flying boat. The auction by Bonhams will be held on the 40th anniversary of the oxygen tank explosion that nearly killed three astronauts while they were halfway to the moon and includes notes made by the crew just after the tank blew up, heavily damaging the service module of the spacecraft. The checklist is expected to fetch up to $30,000. The flying boat, a demilitarized version of the F model used by the U.S. Navy, will be on public display starting April 3 at Sculpture Garden Atrium at 590 Madison Ave. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Apollo13ChecklistOnAuction_202205-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Cirrus Aircraft has gone to court to stop a former supplier from allegedly telling other suppliers that Cirrus is headed for bankruptcy. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Cirrus filed suit Thursday against Grand Rapids, Mich.-based L-3 Communications and also claims L-3 has been encouraging other suppliers to stop doing business with Cirrus. Cirrus wants the court to stop L-3 from contacting suppliers and is also seeking unspecified damages. Cirrus claims that if suppliers act on the alleged advice from L-3, it would be forced out of business and that the bankruptcy allegations could scare off potential customers. L-3 was closed on the weekend and officials could not be reached for comment. The suit is the latest wrinkle in legal wrangling between the two companies that began last May. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Cirrus_L3_Lawsuit_202204-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS FAA chief Randy Babbitt was in Washington Thursday to explain why the FAA wants $1.14 billion for fiscal 2011. The administrator defended the request to the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development subcommittee, explaining that the move to NextGen involves a "complex series of programs" and inter-related initiatives. If granted, the funding would be a 32-percent increase from fiscal 2010, and only part of the $20 billion that full NextGen implementation is expected to require. The NextGen project is already behind schedule and Committee Chairman John Olver, D-Mass., suggested some of the blame rests with leadership. "Early implementation efforts have been hampered by unclear roles," he said, asking if that had yet been addressed. But there will be other future complications, not the least of which involves how aircraft will come to be equipped and who will pay for it. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/faa_money_nextgen_reauthorization_202203-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has updated its guide explaining the required electronic Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) used by pilots flying into the U.S., with consideration given to suggestions from EAA. The new guide clarifies certain requirements first published in 2008 and adds instruction designed to help pilots deal with real-world complications they may encounter. Added sections include details on what to do if weather or other issues prevent a pilot from arriving at their planned border crossing location, or cause them to miss their planned crossing time. It clarifies what to do when departing from an airport not designated by the CBP as an airport of entry. And it also adds direction for pilots who encounter APIS system problems or, for other reasons, can not provide complete information through the system. Previously, the guide indicated those problems were the sole responsibility of the pilot, regardless of whether the APIS system itself (through an interface or other problem) was at fault. A link to the guide follows after the jump. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/apis_update_pilot_file_border_crossing_202200-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS We know you're busy scanning the internet for vital aviation information, but surely you can take a five-minute break to ooh and ahh over our top five reader-submitted photos, starting with this beauty from Bay City, Michigan's Suzy Kryzanowicz. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/potw/PictureOfTheWeek_202183-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS ADS-B is available over the Gulf of Mexico and was just switched on around Philadelphia. What are your plans to equip?Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers what they thought of the FAA's rosy forecast for 2030; click through to see how they answered. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/qotw/QuestionOfTheWeek_ADSB_Equipment_202199-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Test pilot Graham Tomlinson on March 10, 2010 flies the first F-35B Joint Strike fighter (or JSF), BF-1, at 40 knots on its 40th flight, employing the jet's forward shaft-driven vertical lift fan — look behind the nosegear — and the aft-vectored thrust nozzle. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/ExclusiveVideo_F35BJointStrikeFighter_202198-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The on-again, off-again, on-again, four-plus-one place Seawind 300C has received its flight permit, flown over Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, and is heading for certification, according to company chief, Richard Silva. The aircraft is marketed by Seawind as both "the world's most versatile land plane" and "the world's fastest seaplane." Flight testing will be performed by the National Research Center, Canada, over three months finishing in June, Silva told AVweb. Silva says that, after successful testing, his priorities will shift to production of the first five customer aircraft, and flight tests and certification work with the autopilot. Silva says he has secured funding through certification and is working to set up the next phase for production. He forecasts demand in excess of 120 aircraft per year, looking at amphib pilots alone, but Silva adds that most of his early orders came from non-amphib pilots. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/seawind_300c_certification_silva_202197-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Two F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test jets flew six times on Wednesday, March 10, above Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., clearing the way for the program's vertical landing tests. One aircraft, flown by test pilot Graham Tomlinson, was a Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin design. It flew multiple hops in close pattern work, with each trip flown at a lower airspeed than the one prior, and with "hot pit refueling" (without shutting down the engine) performed between each flight. For this test, each landing was performed at a higher speed than its associated pattern work and culminated in a 40-knot fly-by followed by a 75-knot landing. The test program of the shaft-driven vertical lift fan and aft vectored thrust system will now move on to vertical landings. While the March 10 flights were uneventful, the politics surrounding the aircraft -- the most expensive acquisition in U.S. military history, according to Aerospace & Defense News -- continued on March 11 to be more dramatic. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/f35b_test_flight_patuxent_vertical_landing_202196-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS New Zealand's Martin Aircraft Company says it has signed a $12 million joint venture with an "international aircraft company" that aims to make the Martin Jetpack a commercially available product, but details remain unresolved. The partner is yet unnamed, but would be licensed to manufacture Martin Jetpacks only in its native country (also yet unnamed). Final details of the deal, like the location of the production facility, intellectual property and branding matters, also must still be finalized. But under the deal, a new company would be formed, and Martin's unnamed partner would hold a 51-percent stake. Martin would become a supplier, selling parts to the joint-venture company. Lauder and Jetpack inventor Glenn Martin would serve as directors of that company. Martin will retain the international patent and is still looking for other international partners. The joint company's near-term goal would be for the sale of 500 units, bringing in $100 million, within three years. Says Lauder, Martin's portion of that (as a supplier) would "give us a lifeline, but it doesn't give us the sort of venture capital we need." http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/martin_jetpack_production_venture_202194-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Copilots for commercial flights carrying passengers would be required to have at least 800 hours of flight time under a measure passed by the Senate Tuesday. Current rules require only 250 hours. The 800 hours must include experience working in multiple-pilot environments and training in handling adverse weather and icing conditions. If the legislation becomes law, the FAA would have until the end of 2011 to issue new rules. The measure is just one part of the FAA reauthorization bill, which has been laden with dozens of controversial amendments, some of which have little or nothing to do with aviation, on its way through Congress. It's expected that the FAA will be given another 90-day funding extension on Thursday, moving the deadline back to June 30 for the reauthorization bill to pass. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/SenateMovesToChangeFlightRules_202193-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS It's now easier for U.S. pilots to fly their light sport aircraft into Canada, EAA said this week. Transport Canada now will treat LSAs the same as experimental aircraft. Previously, TC required U.S. pilots of LSAs to call ahead and receive authorization to fly in Canada, obtain a validation form to keep in the aircraft, and pay a $100 fee. "Now LSA owners simply have to download the Standardised Validation form, follow customs requirements, and fly," said Randy Hansen, EAA government relations director. "The $100 fee has been eliminated." TC still requires pilots to have a private pilot certificate with a valid medical -- sport pilots without an FAA medical certificate are not allowed. "But we're working on that, too," Hansen said. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CanadaEasesEntryRulesForLSAPilots_202191-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew off course for over an hour last October while working on their laptops have lost all their FAA certificates, but now they have a chance to get them back. Capt. Timothy Cheney and First Officer Richard Cole reached an agreement with the FAA on Monday that will allow them to apply for new certificates as soon as Aug. 29. Under the deal, they agreed to drop their appeals of the FAA's revocation "in the interest of avoiding further publicity." The agreement requires the pilots to re-take all of their knowledge and practical tests, and allows them to begin immediately logging time toward their ratings. The pilots did not admit to any wrongdoing. Officials at Delta Air Lines, which has taken over Northwest, said the two pilots remain suspended with pay until the airline completes its own investigation. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/WanderingCrewMayFlyAgain_202184-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The pilot of a Lancair that was spewing oil made an emergency landing on a beach in Hilton Head, S.C., about 6 p.m. on Monday and a 38-year-old man who was jogging along the shore was struck from behind and killed. The pilot of the Lancair IV-P, an experimental airplane, was en route from Orlando, Fla., to Norfolk, Va., with one passenger on board at about 13,000 feet, when the engine began to leak oil, obscuring the windshield. At some point the propeller was lost -- some reports said it came off in flight, others said during the landing. The two men on board the airplane, who were not identified, were not harmed. News photos show the intact Lancair in the water up to its belly. The jogger, who was listening to an iPod, was identified by the Associated Press as Robert Jones of Woodstock, Ga. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/BeachJoggerKilledInLancairEmergencyLanding_202182-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Bills are now under consideration in both the House and Senate to amend a recent FAA policy that restricts airport access. The "Community Airport Access and Protection Act of 2010" addresses the FAA's decision to prohibit "through the fence" access at most public airports. Such access has long been enjoyed by owners of hangar homes and other neighbors who use airports on a regular basis. "Please contact your senators and representatives to support these bills," Brent Blue wrote to AVweb this week. Blue founded a group called Through The Fence to organize opposition to the policy. "No data, studies, or non-FAA-personnel's opinion went into the new order," which was issued last September without any input from the public or advocacy groups, says Blue. Through The Fence is encouraging all pilots and others interested in general aviation airports to contact their senators and representatives to support this legislation. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CongressAimsToChangeFAAAirportAccessPolicy_202179-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Two major aviation awards programs have announced their winners for 2010. The Lindbergh Award, which honors efforts to achieve a balance of nature and technology, went to FedEx and to Jack Pelton, CEO of Cessna. "Jack Pelton has led the charge to see that the aviation industry focuses appropriate efforts in reducing its environmental impact," said Larry Williams, chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation. FedEx will receive the Corporate Award for Balance, which recognizes business practices that reflect concern for the environment and quality of life. The FAA's General Aviation Awards go to aviation professionals for contributions in flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety. Recipients of this year's national awards are Jeff Moss of Los Angeles, CFI of the Year; Tom Turner of Rose Hill, Kan., FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year; Neil Nederfield of Lafayette, N.J., Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year; and Kirk Peterson of Larimore, N.D., Avionics Technician of the Year. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AwardsRecognizeContributionsToAviation_202178-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"During my IFR training at Duluth (Minnesota) International Airport, I'd just declared a missed approach. Here's the exchange I had with ATC:Tower:"Cessna One Two Three Four Alpha: Fly heading of zero niner zero. Climb and maintain 3,200."Me:"Zero niner zero, climb and maintain 2,200."Tower:"Make that 3,000."Me:"Climb and maintain 3,000."Tower:"That should be 3,200. We'll get it right eventually."Me:"But will I? Climb and maintain 3,200."Woody MinarDresser, Wisconsin http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/shortfinal/ShortFinal_AviationHumor_202170-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS >>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $4.66 (up 3¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $4.33 (up 4¢ from last week)Fuel prices provided weekly by AirNav, based on prices from the past 2 weeks. Changes are relative to last week's prices. /TEXT_ONLY-->http://media.avweb.com/banmanavweb/a.aspx?Task=Click&ZoneID=0&CampaignID=5385&AdvertiserID=167&BannerID=2726&SiteID=19&RandomNumber=2079190496/TEXT_ONLY-->AVweb's latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Atlantic Aviation at Republic Airport (KFRG) in Farmingdale, New York.AVweb readers Jeffrey and Lisa Chipetine recently pulled some long hours flying rescued dogs to their new homes for Pilots N Paws — and the staff at Atlantic were more than happy to help in their journey. Click through to read their full story.Keep those nominations coming. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/fbo/FBOOfTheWeek_AtlanticAviation_RepublicAirport_Farmingdale_202169-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Teachers who inject a little aviation into their lessons are invited to apply for an award that can put them in touch with some of the biggest names in the industry. Nominations close May 1 for the A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award. Crossfield, who died in 2006, started the award in 1986 in recognition of the fact that it was an airplane-savvy teacher who pointed him on his career path. Crossfield's daughter Sally Crossfield Farley kept the award going and explained in a podcast interview that it's now handed out as part of the start-studded National Aviation Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held each July. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CrossfieldTeacherAwardNomineesSought_202172-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS A Santa Rosa, Calif. woman, with about five hours of dual instruction, has been arrested after allegedly stealing a Piper Cherokee, running it out of gas and landing, at night, in a hay field in northern California. Authorities believe Susan Alexandria, 28, took off from Charles M. Schulz/Sonoma County Airport sometime last Tuesday and flew north until the tanks were empty. That apparently happened near an ideal spot for an off-airport landing, a dormant alfalfa field in the appropriately named Surprise Valley, near Cedarville in the northeast corner of the state. She then walked three-quarters of a mile to the town of 800 and checked into the local hotel, telling the owners she was lost but apparently omitting the airplane part. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ChargesInCherokeeTheft_202171-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS American Legend has made a name for itself in the LSA market with well-made Cub clones. At U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring in January, it showed a new amphib LSA that attracted lots of eyeballs. Last week, AVweb flew the amphib, and here's our video report on this new product. It's not just fun to fly; it's insanely fun to fly. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/ExclusiveVideo_AmericanLegendCub_Amphibian_FlightTrial_202168-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Washington State legislators estimate they can raise $8.4 million a year on an excise tax increase on general aviation aircraft. As we reported in January, a citizens' committee recommended a 1 percent annual tax on the value of an airplane (as opposed to the current $65 a year flat tax), calling it a "revenue opportunity." Washington pilots immediately rallied to oppose the tax and the State Senate dropped the proposal while the House still includes a modified version in its tax package. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/WashingtonAirplaneTaxStillAlive_202166-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Cessna announced on Saturday that its new CJ4 received type certification by the FAA. That paves the way for deliveries to begin later this year. The aircraft is the largest in the CJ line and seats eight passengers in standard configuration with an aft lav. It will cost about $9 million. Of course, it comes with the latest in electronics and flight management goodies, including a four-screen Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite with electronic charts and graphical weather, TCAS II, EGPWS Class A TAWS, Dual Mode S Diversity transponders with ADS-B out capability, Multi-Scan weather radar, Emergency Descent Mode, and an essential electrical bus. It's powered by Williams FJ-44A FADEC engines that were certified Feb. 2.As expected, the aircraft's performance numbers came in better than the design targets. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CessnaCJ4Certified_202165-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS So glass cockpits don't necessarily improve safety? No surprise there, says Paul Bertorelli in the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Maybe we should be grateful the NTSB study didn't connect EFIS to an uptick in accident rates. Click here to read Paul's comments and add your own. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AVwebInsiderBlog_NTSB_EFISSafetyStudy_202176-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Court documents obtained by AVweb show Harlow Aerostructures is seeking to acquire the assets of Epic Air, by March 30, for one-tenth of Epic's estimated value. Under the purchase agreement, Harlow has agreed to purchase substantially all of Epic's assets for $2 million, payable in cash on closing. According to the filing, "the Debtor's bankruptcy schedules value the assets at approximately $20,295,000." An auction is scheduled for March 26, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time that may preclude the sale to Harlow, but Harlow is seeking approval of the sale if a "higher and better bidder" does not step forward. Epic's fast prototype-to-production process saw its Epic LT 6-place jetprop arrive at AirVenture Oshkosh in 2004, less than one year after it was announced. The company's subsequent unveilings quickly created a range of high-profile, high-performance, single- and multi-engine, turbine- and turbofan-powered experimental aircraft. But that course came to an end when, on Oct. 23, 2009, Epic filed under Chapter 7 (liquidation) in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/harlow_epic_auction_bankruptcy_court_purchase_202164-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The Army expects to top 1,000,000 total hours in unmanned aviation by April, and sees a need for over 3,000 UAV operators by 2018. The Army plans to recognize the hours-flown milestone in late May with displays in Washington at the Pentagon and the Smithsonian Museum. Meanwhile, fiscal year 2010 should see the addition of about 800 trained operators (UAV pilots). Aside from vastly reducing the risk to military personnel, the Army's UAV program has pushed human error accident and incident rates close to the single-digit mark, according to the military. The military attributes that, at least in part, to the adoption of automated methods employed for takeoff and landing. Currently, roughly 90 percent of the hours flown by unmanned aircraft are done in support of combat, according to Col. Christopher Carlile, director of the U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence. He added that the Army is ready to both expand use of unmanned systems and broaden the unmanned aerial system mission set. As for personnel, a joint training installation operated by the Army at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., trains soldiers, sailors and Marines. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/uav_milestone_hours_million_army_202163-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS John L. Baker, former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and second AOPA president, passed away March 11. Baker once served as assistant administrator in the FAA's office of general aviation affairs and headed AOPA from 1977 through 1990. At AOPA, he worked for fair distribution of a then $4 billion surplus in the Aviation Trust Fund, eventually influencing how money was distributed to some 3,000 general aviation airports. Baker's time at AOPA saw challenges that arose from the 1978 fatal midair of a Boeing 727 and a Cessna 172 near San Diego, GA issues surrounding the then newly established Terminal Control Area, and advancement of the first bills regarding changes to product liability law. In the words of his successor, Phil Boyer, "He was a highly qualified leader who transformed AOPA from a large flying club to one of the world's most successful membership organizations." http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/john_baker_passes_aopa_president_202162-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS If you're a pilot, do you know what the rudder is for? In this short video, Aviation Safety editor-in-chief Jeb Burnside shows the most basic of flying skills: How to keep a turn coordinated. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/ExclusiveVideo_AviationSafety_SlipSkidLesson_Turns_202167-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The Environmental Protection Agency continues to go through administrative motions suggesting it's serious about removing lead from avgas. Earlier this month, the agency sent a draft endangerment finding to the White House as part of its proposed action to address a petition from Friends of the Earth claiming that lead in avgas represents a public health risk. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/EnvironmentalProtectionAgency_EPA_Avgas_SeriousAboutLeadInFuel_202161-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS