OPENAIRPLANE: MORE FLYING, LESS HASSLE
Aviation entrepreneur Rod Rakic's idea for OpenAirplane has earned the support of some big names in the aviation industry who believe it could simplify access to aircraft, improve pilot safety, increase profits for flight schools and FBOs, and generally boost the aviation industry -- all by changing how we rent airplanes. OpenAirplane is nearing its public rollout, expected before year-end. If the concept catches on, Rakic believes it won't just put more pilots in the air more often, it will also lower accident rates for a segment of the industry that is notoriously worse than average. And it might just make him rich. Maybe. But Rakic's idea isn't revolutionary or even all that new. His approach might be. And, so far, that's made all the difference. Click here to read the full article. More...

FOREFLIGHT: IPAD MINI WILL IGNITE PILOT SALES
With this week's news that Apple we release the iPad Mini on Nov. 2, aviation app providers are almost certain to see increased sales as a result. "After every new Apple device release, we've always seen a wave of new pilots and new customers. There's always a group of pilots waiting to see what new technology brings," said Tyson Weihs of ForeFlight, a leading aviation app. AVweb spoke to Weihs at Redbird Flight Simulations' industry training conference on Wednesday. Although the iPad has achieved impressive penetration in the GA market as an all-purpose navigator, plate reader, E6B and pre-planner, many users have complained that it's just a bit too large for the cockpit. The Mini measures 7.9 by 5.3 inches and is barely a quarter inch thick. It weighs .68 pounds, according to Apple. Base price is $329. By comparison, the iPad2 measures 9.5 by 7.3 inches, with a base price of $399. More...

PODCAST: NEW APPS FOR PILOTS
The iPad Mini starts to ship on November 2, providing a new option for pilots to access apps and information in the cockpit. AVweb editorial director Paul Bertorelli talks with Foreflight's Tyson Weihs about the impact of the new tablet and other new products and innovations in the works for pilots.

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

PELTON: EAA WILL KEEP ON COURSE
The departure of Rod Hightower on Monday from the helm of EAA doesn't signal any major change in the direction of the organization, chairman of the board Jack Pelton told AVweb on Wednesday. "This all happened kind of quickly and unexpectedly," Pelton said. "We're still focused on our core mission, which is supporting our EAA membership, volunteers, and employees." He said he will be overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization, and no timeline has been set for finding Hightower's replacement. "Transitions are never easy," he said. "My real goal here is to keep everybody on the track that we've been on … and get the day-to-day stuff done while we focus on getting to an airshow in July." More...

PODCAST: EAA MOVES ON AFTER HIGHTOWER
As of Monday, Rod Hightower is no longer president of EAA. Jack Pelton, who is leading the search for his successor, speaks with AVweb's Mary Grady about what happens now.

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

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: HIGHTOWER'S EAA DEPARTURE -- WHAT'S NEXT?
In a surprising move that wasn't all that surprising, EAA's board dismissed Rod Hightower as the association's president. The good news? Jack Pelton will chair the board to get the association back on track. Paul Bertorelli runs down the plusses in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: ADVICE FOR PELTON?
Not that he likely needs any, but Rod Hightower's sudden departure may open opportunities to make EAA better. What would you tell Pelton to do?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers how they feel about aviation movies; click through to see a breakdown of their answers. 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

Ad Coordinator
Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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