DEADLINE SET FOR COMMENTS ON FAA MEDICAL CHANGES
The FAA has set a deadline of July 2 to receive comments on the exemption to pilot medical requirements proposed by AOPA and EAA in April. The advocacy groups asked the FAA to allow pilots to fly some GA aircraft without a third-class medical certificate if they take an online course and hold a driver's license. "The short comment period makes it more urgent that people submit their comments now," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety. "Make your voice heard." More than 1,800 comments already have been submitted, and the groups have set a target to reach 3,000 comments by the deadline. More...

EASA OKAYS LSA CERTIFICATION
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified light sport aircraft for the first time, in a newly created certification category. Three airplanes have been certified as European Light Aircraft (ELA): Czech Sport Aircraft's PS-28 Cruiser, the Flight Design CTLS-ELA, and the Evektor SportStar RTC, EASA said. The new category certifies aircraft with no more than two seats and a weight of less than 600 kg (1,320 pounds). EASA said it has been working to address feedback from industry and operators that its regulatory framework for recreational aircraft is too burdensome. Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturing Association, told AVweb this week EASA's procedures are too expensive for most LSA manufacturers. More...

NAVY UAV CRASHES IN MARYLAND
An unmanned aircraft being tested by the U.S. Navy crashed Monday about noon on Maryland's eastern shore, about 22 miles east of the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River. The Global Hawk, about 44 feet long with a wingspan of 116 feet, was one of five UAVs being used to test maritime surveillance capabilities. "No one was injured and no property was damaged at the unpopulated swampy crash site," Navy officials said. Aerial video from WBOC-TV showed piles of burnt debris at the crash site, with scattered flames and lots of black smoke. The site is being cleaned up and Navy officials are investigating the cause of the crash. More...

IN PURSUIT OF THE LESS INTELLIGENT DRONE
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology are working on an autonomous flying vehicle that is not as good at avoiding crashes as it is at surviving them, for a reason. The idea is simple. An autonomous aircraft that must carry multiple onboard sensors and computer systems to avoid accidents will lose payload and endurance to those systems. It will also be bigger and cost more than a vehicle that doesn't carry those systems. As an alternate approach, the Swiss researchers are working to create a simple vehicle that is more efficient and more resilient. The design they have isn't just designed to survive crashes, it's designed to pick itself up and set off, again, after the crash. More...

FLYNANO GOES ELECTRIC, STARTS "AIRBORNE TEST FLIGHTS"
The creators of the FlyNano sport aircraft launched from a lake in southern Finland, near Helsinki, on Monday, and posted a video at their website showing several short hops above the surface. Over the winter, the prototype was re-fitted with an all-new electric motor, which the company says is "substantially stronger" than the earlier gasoline powerplant. "Now we will continue to work on further development," the company posted at its website. "Many thanks for your support and patience. We'll be back with more flights as soon as possible." The company said it has already taken orders for 35 airplanes and hopes to start deliveries by the end of next year. More...

AN F-22 G-SUIT PROBLEM
As part of its investigation into the cause of hypoxia-like symptoms affecting a few F-22 Raptor pilots, Air Combat Command this week released new conditions regarding what pilots can wear while flying the aircraft. Testing has apparently found problems with the pressure vests worn by F-22 pilots as the upper portion of their G-suits. Air Combat Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sholtis told Bloomberg News that the vest is "like a tight-fitting garment" and that it was not properly fitted for pilots, possibly restricting their ability to breathe. But finding a fix for the vest is not expected to resolve the hypoxia-symptom issue. More...

NETJETS ORDERS 425 JETS, "LARGEST ORDER IN HISTORY"
NetJets on Monday said it has ordered up to 425 midsize business jets from Cessna and Bombardier, a deal worth up to $9.6 billion, which the company said is the "largest private aviation order in history." The deal includes firm orders for 100 jets from Bombardier -- 75 of the Challenger 300 model and 25 Challenger 605 jets -- and 25 Citation Latitudes from Cessna. NetJets also optioned another 125 each of the Challenger 300 and Latitude jets, plus 50 options for the Challenger 605. The order expands NetJets' own "Signature Series" line of aircraft, which the company helped to design. More...

NEW TWIN OTTERS FIND READY MARKET
In an industry that's a little short of success stories at the moment, there's a rare exception to that playing out in some unlikely locations in Canada. Viking Air's plants in Sidney, British Columbia, a suburb of the provincial capital of Victoria, and Calgary, Alberta, are straining under the weight of a four-year backlog for their new-build Twin Otters, the 400 Series. Since reintroducing the venerable twin turboprop STOL utility hauler, Viking has racked up more than 70 orders for the $6 million aircraft and word is just now getting out that they're available. Viking, which acquired the Twin Otter type certificate, along with six other de Havilland Canada designs from Bombardier a few years ago, had never manufactured airplanes before although it was a recognized rebuilder and modifier of the various types, which include the Beaver, Otter, Caribou and Buffalo. Viking tapped Dan Tharp, a Wichita native with long experience in aircraft production, to get its facilities in shape to meet the demand. More...

VIDEO: VIKING AIR TWIN OTTER FACTORY
Viking Air is quickly ramping up production of its new build Twin Otter 400 series. AVweb's Russ Niles toured the Victoria, British Columbia factory with VP of Operations Dan Tharp, a Wichita aircraft production veteran recently hired by Viking to boost production. More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER

Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?

Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.

Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: WOULD YOU SURVIVE A CRASH?
Who can say? It so often depends on variables that no one can predict or prepare for. But sometimes, Paul Bertorelli notes on the AVweb Insider blog, even the most cursory preparation can probably make the difference. If you've had egress training, you might have a real edge. Read more and join the conversation. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: OSHKOSH COUNTDOWN
It's a matter of mere weeks until the year's biggest aviation show, so we have a question this week for those of you who are going: How are you getting there?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers if the U.S. is overspending on fighters; click through to see the breakdown of answers. 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: THE CASE FOR COMMERCIALIZED SPACE
Last month, upstart rocket company SpaceX did what, heretofore, only sovereign nations have done: They launched a spacecraft into orbit, docked it with the space station and recovered it. So why are both the first man and the last man to stand on the moon opposed to this? On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli gives you a chance to tell us why. Read more and join the conversation. More...

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS IN AVIATION: A MEMOIR; CHAPTER 14: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT
Richard Taylor's first full year at The Ohio State University included teaching aviation classes, flying 19 different kinds of airplanes (including a jet), and starting a flying club with a tail-dragger. Click here to read the 14th chapter. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: DESERT SKIES EXECUTIVE AIR TERMINAL (KHII, LAKE HAVASU, AZ)

Our latest "FBO of the Week" is one we spotlighted a couple of years ago — Desert Skies Executive Air Terminal at Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII) in Arizona. AVweb reader Scott Brooksby told us about the usual low prices and great services but noted that little "something special" that makes Desert Skies a must-revisit destination:

Desert Skies not only has great prices for fuel, some of the lowest in the region, but they also have Waldo's BBQ. The restaurant closes at 8:00 pm but has awesome food, and for dessert, you can have a small apple crisp or sweet potato pie among other choices for only 99 cents. The fueling is quick, and the manager was there helping to park the plane and make sure all was O.K.

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Our latest winning photo comes from Rob Farland of Rio Vista, CA. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. 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

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

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Glenn Pew

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings
Jeff Van West

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Karen Lund

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