GARMIN'S NEW ADS-B PRODUCTS AND A FRESH TAKE ON DIGITAL RADAR
Heading into the AirVenture product intro season, Garmin appears bullish on GA sales prospects and will show a pair of new ADS-B products along with a new digital radar. In addition, Garmin is also introducing upgrades for its GTN line of panel navigators. More...

AGE 65 RULE AND THE DEMAND FOR PILOTS
The FAA raised the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65 on Dec., 13, 2007, which means affected pilots will be forced into retirement this year, while some forecasters see growing demand just around the corner. Boeing forecasts that the industry will need more than 460,000 new pilots to meet worldwide demand between now and 2031. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to absorb roughly 40 percent of that demand, but Boeing predicts that almost 70,000 new pilots will be needed in North America. And the confluence of an erosion of the active pilot population, the dawn of growing demand, and more stringent pilot training requirements (expected by 2013) has the FAA's director of flight services concerned.  More...

CALIFORNIA AVGAS SUIT FUELS SURCHARGE
Some California FBOs are imposing a nickel-per-gallon surcharge on 100LL fuel sales to fund a legal defense and a counter lawsuit filed against an environmental group that's trying to restrict leaded avgas from the California market. The FBOs, which are part of the California Avgas Coalition, are countersuing the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and the California Attorney General's office. The defense was mounted after CEH filed its own suit seeking damages under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, otherwise known as Proposition 65, which lists lead as a cancer-causing agent. Under Prop 65, plaintiffs are entitled to 25 percent of any damages awarded. More...

THE FAA'S TURN BACK TO BASICS
The FAA's acting administrator, Michael Huerta, Thursday promoted the agency's pursuit of more regulation regarding how pilots are trained. Huerta spoke at a meeting of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and his comments follow the July 5 release of the BEA's final report on the crash of Air France Flight 447. Huerta told ALPA members that the forthcoming rules will be designed "to give pilots more training on how to recognize and recover from stalls and aircraft upsets" and to better deal with the complications added when automation fails. The crash of Flight 447 killed 228 people after the pilots stalled their A330 and rode it from 38,000 feet to impact with the Atlantic -- apparently without ever recognizing the stall. That crash took place in June of 2009 and came just months after another widely publicized fatal stall and crash that took place in February. More...

ZULU BRINGS FLIGHT SIM OFF-AIRPORT
Zulu Flight Training, a new flight school with a unique concept, is opening this week in an urban shopping center in Spanish Fort, Ala., equipped with Redbird flight simulators. The flight school is owned by Continental Motors, which is headquartered in nearby Mobile. "Our training model is an adaptation of the Redbird Skyport, but rather than the customer going to the training, we bring the training to the customer," General Manager Gloria Liu told AVweb. "The storefront is located right off a major highway and is very convenient to the population center." Liu said the company has tried out its system in an in-house program for Continental employees with great success, and is now offering it to the general public at the new site. More...

CROP DUSTER FACING FAA SANCTIONS
The FAA is proposing to levy an $11,000 fine against a Colorado crop dusting company after residents of a new housing development complained one of their aircraft was flying too low over their houses. The agency is also pondering a 120-day certificate suspension for the unidentified pilot of the Grumman Ag Cat that was captured on cellphone video flying directly at the Fossil Creek Ranch development on the outskirts of Fort Collins while spraying a sugar beet field across the street. It's hard to tell from the video how much clearance there was between the big biplane and the nearest houses but it was too close for comfort for those who saw it coming from their second-floor windows. "Had he not been able to pull that plane up … he'd have flown straight through my house," resident Stephanie Feller told The Coloradoan just after the incident last August. "He had no exit if anything happened. He flew down the street with his wings literally below rooftop level." More...

PILOT POSTS SELF-INDUCED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING VIDEO
"Complacency has no place in soaring" are the words Larry Hockensmith uses to open a brief description of a video that ends with him crashing a Schweizer 1-26 into a row of mailboxes and a few trash cans ... and they're also the point. Hockensmith, a student glider pilot and 40-year licensed power pilot, posted the video to YouTube with a simple message. "I was trained better than to have lingered on the lee-side of a ridge over rough terrain," he writes. "The dramatic outlanding was due to my actions exclusively." He says he has shared the video with his instructor, the FAA and the NTSB and those interactions have helped grow his skills. He also says there's more to come and issues a challenge. More...

OLYMPIC FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT
Flight restrictions for the London Olympics went into effect Sunday and while the Bobbies on the street still don't carry guns, those enforcing the no-fly zone will be packing plenty of heat. Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha, the Olympics air security commander, showed reporters some of the equipment that will at first dissuade and then, if necessary, prevent aircraft from violating the closed airspace. It includes fully armed Typhoon fighters and Puma helicopters carrying snipers. "As a last resort, we will have lethal force as an option," said the Air Vice-Marshal. Intercepted aircraft will first get a wing wag and an invitation to turn away from the restricted zone. If that doesn't work, flares and lasers will be fired and if the aircraft keeps going the fighters and helicopters, with help from ground-based missile batteries, will do their thing. More...

IMC CLUB AT AIRVENTURE
The IMC Club will continue its program of outreach to instrument-rated pilots at AirVenture Oshkosh this year. The club, which promotes the creation of local chapters of IFR pilots who meet to discuss topics and share information relative to instrument flying, will be discussing its aims and goals at forums July 23, 25 and 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the AirVenture Welcome Center. More...

SLEEK HIGH-END AKOYA LSA HOPEFUL FLIES
The LISA Airplanes team announced Friday that its "multi-access" AKOYA amphibious (and snow-capable) aircraft, an LSA hopeful, has flown its first passenger and will be coming to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this year. The AKOYA is a carbon composite airframe powered by a tail-mounted Rotax 912 engine and boasts a glass cockpit "with EFIS, EMS, GPS," according to LISA. Its fuselage buoys the aircraft during water operations and, unlike many amphibious planes, AKOYA incorporates two sets of small hydrofoils on an otherwise clean, step-less fuselage design. The aircraft also has "assisted folding wings," adjustable ruder pedals, backrests and headrests and a whole-plane parachute. LISA, a French manufacturer, is listing the aircraft for more than $350,000. That buys more than the aircraft itself. More...

CLUSTER BALLOON ATTEMPT ABANDONED
Landing in a thunderstorm is no fun for any pilot but when the aircraft is a couple of lawn chairs suspended under 300 party balloons, the term hard landing takes on a slightly different context. Cluster balloon pilot Kent Couch and his copilot Fareed Lafta, self-described Iraqi adventurer, aborted their bid to fly from Bend, Ore., to Montana just 30 miles from their starting point Saturday after a thunderstorm at 10,000 feet pelted them with hail, snow and turbulence. "They came down hard," said flight organizer Mark Knowles. The duo was unhurt and jumped clear of the contraption, which promptly took off without them. It's not clear where the contrivance ended up. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: ASH SCATTERING — A DELICATE TASK DONE RIGHT
Many of us in the aviation business have probably been approached about scattering the cremated remains of a friend or relative from an airplane. Glider pilot Marc Arnold has come up with an innovative way to do this from a Stemme motorglider, and on the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli discusses how it all works. Read more and join the conversation. More...

PODCAST: MARC ARNOLD OF ASCENSION SCATTERING
If you've ever been asked to and have tried to scatter cremated remains from an airplane, you probably realize it's not as easy as it sounds. Marc Arnold's Ascension Scattering, done from a glider, adds respectful method to the process. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: JORDAN GETS HIS WINGS
On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli talks with his student, Jordan Nations, whose Private Pilot Certificate is less than 24 hours old. Jordan had the rare opportunity to learn flying in both a vintage Piper J-3 Cub and a Cessna 150. Paul and Jordan took a victory lap around the Florida beaches savoring the unique satisfaction that only students and instructors share -- and we share it with readers in this special vlog. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVMAIL: JULY 16, 2012

Letter of the Week: Pants on Fire

When non-disqualifying conditions requiring additional documentation reached the point that I found myself making six medical clinic visits to get all the reports that I needed, I decided not to play this game anymore. I looked at the stack of paperwork I had accumulated and knew two things: If I submitted it, I would get a medical certificate after referral to the FAA, and I am not willing to face this hassle and invasion of privacy every two years to get my government's permission to pursue a hobby.

So I canceled the physical and, when LSA aircraft are available to rent in my area, will take up flying again. The path of lying to my doctors would eventually lead to poor medical care. Now I don't have to worry about admitting that I snore or whatever and am perfectly free to accept or reject proposed work-ups based on my personal judgment after discussions with my doctor rather than the doctors in Oklahoma City.

Name withheld

Click here to read the rest of this week's letters.

SURVEY: HAVE YOU HAD YOUR AIRCRAFT INTERIOR REFURBISHED?
Have you had your aircraft interior redone in the past five years? If so, our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, wants to hear about it. Please take a moment to answer this completely confidential survey and help your fellow aircraft owners find the best shop to replace their 1970s Royalite-and-velour with something less embarrassing. 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...

FBO OF THE WEEK: FLIGHTLEVEL NORWOOD (KOWD, NORWOOD, MA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Flightlevel at Norwood Memorial Airport (KOWD) in Norwood, Massachusetts.

AVweb reader Edwin L. Nass recommended the FBO:

The gentleman on duty was extremely helpful and efficient in getting us parked and checked in. It was apparent that he appreciated our business and was there to do a great job. We give him an A+ in customer service. Upon arriving for departure, everything was ready to go. This is a great place for Boston-bound travelers who do not want to land at Logan. (AVIS is right there as well.)

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!

VIDEO: 'AVIATION CONSUMER' TAKES THE SHOW ON THE ROAD WITH FIVE FOLDING BICYCLE REVIEWS

The July issue of our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, features a blow-by-blow comparison of some of the best folding bikes for pilots we could find. See them in action in these five video reviews by Consumer's Jeff Van West.

SHORT FINAL

This didn't happen on the radio but was a texting classic. The weather was tough, and we needed just a bit of Jet A. And we always take prist. Apparently, autocorrect saw the gravity of the situation. As I texted the other pilot, it came out as:

"We need 200 gals. Jet A with priest."

Curt Brown
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:

Publisher
Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings
Jeff Van West

Ad Coordinator
Karen Lund

Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481].

Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)

Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.

If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.