FAA FUEL COMMITTEE: 11-YEAR TIMELINE FOR AVGAS REPLACEMENT
Although it hasn't released the final report to the public, the FAA's unleaded avgas transition rulemaking committee (UAT-ARC), will recommend a fuel approvals process stretching out as long as 11 years and will be asking Congress for at least $60 million to fund the project, plus as much as $13 million from the industry. The report is now being reviewed by the Department of Transportation and sources told AVweb that it could be released "within a few weeks." Because the FAA insisted on keeping a tight lid on the process, none of the sources AVweb spoke to regarding the report agreed to be quoted. However, those we did speak to expressed satisfaction that the ARC's recommendations, if adopted in some form, will ignite meaningful progress in finding a replacement fuel for leaded avgas. "The snowball is starting to turn down the hill. There's some momentum here that's never been there before and I think it's a big positive," said Lycoming general manager Michael Kraft in this podcast recorded at Aero in Friedrichshafen. "What it does is to give anyone coming to market with a fuel a risk management plan. Nobody's willing to make the investment if they can't see the return," he added. More...

NEW PILOT DEVIATION RULES SURPRISE PILOTS
The Airline Pilots Association is advising members (PDF) to voluntarily report to the FAA Aviation Safety Action Program even the most minor deviation from ATC instructions, regardless of their origin (ie equipment failure or even weather deviations) or risk being written up for a pilot deviation (PD). Although airline pilots are more likely to run afoul of a new FAA internal reporting policy for deviations, it applies to all aircraft under active control and the consequences can include FAA enforcement and a note on a pilot's permanent record. While the intent of the policy shift appears to be to encourage pilots to self report deviations (doing so triggers enforcement "incentives" that reduce the consequences) ALPA says pilots who have been assured by controllers that the transgression is a minor one not worthy of FAA attention have found out later that they've been written up. AVweb received this information over the weekend and neither the FAA nor the National Air Traffic Controllers Association was able to offer comment in time for the story to appear in this issue of AVwebFlash. We hope to follow up later this week. More...

FAA "ERRORS" ON FATIGUE RULES EXEMPTION
Justice Department attorneys representing the FAA Thursday said the agency made "errors" in enacting pilot fatigue rules that exempt cargo carriers and the issue would be revisited. FAA officials originally estimated that including cargo carriers in new pilot rest rules would cost the industry $214 million over ten years. Based at least in part on that cost estimate, the FAA exempted cargo pilots from the rules. Attorneys representing the FAA now say errors in the cost calculation are "sufficient" to review those calculations. The decision to revisit the issue is concurrent with a lawsuit brought against the FAA by the UPS pilots union. And the FAA's attorneys have made a request regarding that action. More...

AVPRO, ASIAN SKY TEAM UP IN ASIA
Avpro, one of the world's largest business jet brokerages, has teamed with Asian Sky Group, one of the most experienced Asian aviation consultant groups, to allow both companies to better serve the expanding Asian market. The announcement was made at EBACE in Geneva. Avpro handles about 90 aircraft transactions a year for a diverse clientele and the partnership with Asian Sky will leverage that broad experience to better serve Asian clientele. "Given the rapidly diversifying demand for business aviation aircraft and services throughout China and across the Asia-Pacific region, this strategic partnership with Asian Sky Group allows Avpro to significantly increase its presence in these critical markets at this exciting time," said Chris Ellis, Managing Partner of Avpro, Inc. Asian Sky Managing Director Jay Shaw said Avpro will open opportunities for Asian Sky's existing and future clients. "With Avpro as a partner Asian Sky Group will be able to provide them with the best possible opportunities in the marketplace," Shaw said. More...

PODCAST: CHINA CAN BE A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS
Seacor Holdings, a large U.S. multi-national company, has several aviation business investments in China, and one of them just made a strategic partnership with Avpro, a large business jet broker, to better serve its customer base. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Seacor's chairman of the board, Charles Fabrikant, about the opportunities in the Chinese aviation business.

This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation. More...

JAMES POLEHINKE, SOLE SURVIVOR
On August 27, 2006, Comair Flight 5191 crashed during an attempted takeoff from the wrong runway at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, killing all 49 aboard save the co-pilot, James Polehinke, who has now become the subject of a documentary. A Chicago filmmaker will feature Polehinke in the movie "Sole Survivor," which creates accounts of the lives of people who became sole survivors of commuter aircraft crashes. It will be released this fall. Polehinke was at the controls of Comair's CRJ-100 as it sped into the grass off the end of the airport's shorter, narrower Runway 26. It had been cleared for the twice-as-wide and twice-as-long Runway 22. Polehinke awoke from a coma after the crash to learn he had facial fractures, a complex fracture of the pelvis, two fractures of the spine, and broken bones in his left leg, right foot and right hand. The film may show that wasn't the worst of it. More...

AIRVENTURE CUP RACE IS A GO
The EAA does not want its name associated with the event that has in the past been publicized as the EAA AirVenture Cup Race, but organizers Friday announced the race will go on. Organizers say they understand that EAA's present position is that all references to EAA be removed from all materials associated with the race. However, EAA will "continue providing support to race volunteers," according to organizers. And the race, which organizers say was founded by EAA and with direct support by Tom Poberezny, will now continue as scheduled with help from another organization. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AIRLINE FOLLIES
Sometimes the airlines are nothing if not entertaining. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli examines Spirit Airlines' suit against the DOT, Delta getting into the refinery business, and cell phones on long-haul flights. Read more and join the conversation. More...

VIDEO: RED BULL'S LATEST AERIAL BALLET
Red Bull Wednesday shared video of one of its latest sponsored adventures -- five wingsuit skydivers joining up with and maintaining formation with two sailplanes in a dive over Austria. The team flew two aerobatic LET L-13 Blanik sailplanes and just to complicate things, the lead flew inverted and one skydiver formed up in between the inverted and upright glider. The skydivers and gliders came together in formation at roughly 12,000 feet. The sailplanes wore wingtip-mounted smoke canisters and one skydiver wore one on an ankle. The trick of the task was mating airspeed and descent rates and this time all members performed flawlessly. Check the video after the jump. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: WALKER AVIATION (KTMA, TIFTON, GA)

AVweb reader Ralph Hoover had a longer delay than he'd planned at Tifton, Georgia's Henry Tift Myers Airport (KTMA) recently -- but what could have been a major delay served as opportunity to discover the helpful, efficient staff at our latest "FBO of the Week," Walker Aviation. Ralph tells the tale of our latest blue ribbon FBO:

My wife landed at Tifton on our trip from Florida. While taxiing back to the ramp, the nose wheel tire on our RV-7 went flat. While my wife was arranging a rental car and hotel, Robbie Fender improvised a dolly and towed us back to the hangar. He then made tools available so I was able to disassemble and find the hole in the tube. The Western Auto in town was locked when we arrived but reopened to sell us a $2.00 patch kit. The next morning, with the assistance of Josh Hulett, we reassembled the nose wheel and were on our way. Both employees of Mr. Clark Walker were polite, friendly, and very helpful to us. We highly recommend Walker Aviation.

Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!

SHORT FINAL

Overheard flying into Chicago (ORD):

ORD Approach:
"British Airways, can you be down to 4,000 feet by XXXXX?"

[pause]

British Airways 12345:
"I suppose so -- but I don't think I can bring the aircraft with me."

John Finley
via e-mail

HEARD ANYTHING FUNNY ON THE RADIO?
Heard anything funny, unusual, or downright shocking on the radio lately? If you've been flying any length of time, you're sure to have eavesdropped on a few memorable exchanges. The ones that gave you a chuckle may do the same for your fellow AVweb readers. Share your radio funny with us, and, if we use it in a future "Short Final," we'll send you a sharp-looking AVweb hat to sport around your local airport. No joke. Click here to submit your original, true, and previously unpublished story. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The AVwebFlash team is:

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Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Scott Simmons

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Glenn Pew

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Kevin Lane-Cummings
Jeff Van West

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Karen Lund

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