172 HITS TRUCK: THREE KILLED
Three people aboard a Cessna 172 were killed after the aircraft hit a pickup truck on the runway of Knox County Regional Airport near Rockland, Maine, Friday. Airport Manager Jeffrey Northgraves told Bangor Daily News the 172 was taking off just before 5 p.m. when it hit the front of the truck, which was crossing the runway. The aircraft crashed in bush about 300 yards beyond the runway and caught fire. Bystanders reached the crash site and tried to pull occupants from the aircraft but the fire was too intense. The aircraft was consumed and the registration marks destroyed, complicating identification of the occupants. It was not a local aircraft, Northgraves said. More...

POLICE HELICOPTERS COLLIDE
Six people were hurt after two police helicopters collided at the Pasadena Police Department's heliport in Altadena, Calif., on Saturday. The injuries were thought to be minor and the cause is under investigation. CBS News reported the blades of the OH-58 Kiowa helicopters touched. It's not clear whether one or both of the aircraft were in the air at the time. News photos showed extensive damage to both, with one of the helicopter's tailboom severed. More...

HANXING: GLASAIR ACQUISITION COMPLETE
Zhuhai Hanxing General Aviation Co. Ltd. of China has completed its 100 percent takeover of Washington-based Glasair Aviation LLC, and now plans to introduce some of Glasair's technology to its operations in China, ChinaDaily reported Thursday. The company made the announcements at the 9th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition earlier this month. Details of how Glasair's technology would be applied to Hanxing's aircraft manufacturing operations in China remain unclear. Glasair's production line includes the popular Sportsman, a design the Chinese group has previously said it would certify and that could serve well in China as a trainer or personal aircraft. The successful expansion of private aviation in China may be dependent on economic conditions there and further changes to how China manages access to the its airspace. More...

AIRSHIP VENTURES GROUNDED
Mountain View, Calif.-based Airship Ventures has grounded its zeppelin and will most likely dismantle it and send it back to Germany where it was built. Since 2007 the company, based at historic airship base Moffett Field, has offered trips, rides, promotions and anything else it could think of to keep the aircraft, named Eureka, afloat but it always lacked the one thing that would guarantee survival, particularly in turbulent economic times: consistent corporate sponsorship. "I've looked at the numbers, and for the price of a one-minute Super Bowl ad, a Fortune 500 company could sponsor the airship for a year," CEO Brian Hall told the San Jose Mercury News He pegged the cost at $5 million to $6 million. "You'd think that would be a slam dunk, right?" More...

TBM OWNERS MEETING BIGGEST EVER
Jet A was in the air at Amelia Island, Fla., in late October as the annual TBM Owners and Pilots Association met for the ninth time. A total of 95 TBM 700 and 850 very fast turboprops landed at Fernandina Beach Airport for the event, held Oct. 24-27. More than 275 registrants took part in educational and entertainment events based at the Amelia Island Ritz Carlton. "To say this year's Annual TBMOPA Convention was a success is an understatement," said Larry Glazer, the TBMOPA's incoming president. "All participants agreed that it was our best event ever, and we anticipate attracting an even wider audience in the coming years." More...

CAR DRIVEN ONTO RUNWAY AT SKY HARBOR
A 21-year-old woman has been arrested after ramming her 1997 Saturn through an airport gate and reportedly driving with her 2-month-old son onboard onto an active runway at Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport Thursday at about 10 p.m. The event caused an interruption to operations at the airport, but no flight delays were reported. Early reports state that Phoenix Police responded within minutes, stopped the car and took the driver into custody. Authorities say that when asked, the driver stated she did not know she was on an airport or that her son was in the car. She was booked on aggravated DUI and other charges. Sky Harbor has spent $10 million on perimeter security after suffering similar incidents in the past. More...

FAA REVOKES DAVE RIGGS' CERTIFICATE
A California pilot who has run afoul of various authorities before has had his pilot certificate revoked by the FAA. Dave Riggs, 50, who is perhaps best known for buzzing the Santa Monica pier in an L-39 in 2008 (resulting in a one-year suspension), had his ticket pulled for his involvement in an illegal fly-for-hire operation in Nevada earlier this year. Riggs was in formation with another L-39 flown by Doug Gilliss when Gilliss' aircraft crashed, killing him and passenger Richard Winslow. The FAA says Winslow and others paid for flights in the L-39s in violation of FARs that don't allow commercial flights in experimental-registered aircraft like the jets used for the flights. Riggs is fighting the revocation. More...

NEW PRODUCT: HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR RADIO WORK
A new online course from a new AVweb sponsor promises to be "the greatest radio communication course you've ever taken" or its creator says he will give you your money back, plus $25. The online training program, Sound Like An Airline Pilot, was developed by Cody Bias, a young CFI and T-38 instructor pilot with the Air Force. Bias believes that efficient, concise and correct radio communication technique creates the foundation for effective information management and positive control in the modern cockpit. His course is based on developing fundamental understanding, not memorization, and his program targets a wide range of pilots. And his unique marketing approach puts him at the mercy of his clients' integrity and his own ability to deliver. More...

PODCAST: SPEAKING OF TALKING ON THE RADIO
Cody Bias is a young CFI and T-38 instructor pilot with the Air Force who is not afraid to put his money where your mouth is. Bias has developed an online radio communication course for pilots, Sound Like an Airline Pilot -- and if you're not impressed, he says he'll give you your money back, plus $25. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: TAXING AIRPLANES FOR CARBON EMISSIONS
The European Union has the dubious distinction of being a leader in this harebrained idea. Last week, it momentarily suspended a plan to penalize airplanes flying into Europe for carbon emissions, but don't expect the decision to hold. Certainly there must be a better way? On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli suggests there is: Minimize carbon emissions from airplane as much as practical, but otherwise just get yourself ready for life in a warmer world. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVMAIL: NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Letter of the Week: Pilot Shortage Is Real

Regardless of Sully's opinion, I have felt for over a year that the approaching age 65 deadline and the 1,500-hour requirement were going to create the perfect storm for pilot recruitment.

The cost to get to 1,500 hours for a new hire is far beyond the reach of the average wannabe. It would seem that now that the FAA has seen five years of data on those older than 60 flying that the fastest cure would be to lift the age restriction entirely and let physical condition serve as the limiting factor.

Another cure is to evaluate new hires by the type of flying that they can prove, not by a number based on towing banners up and down the beach in day VFR in SEL equipment. The Eagle guy is correct. If the regulations are not modified, there will undoubtedly be loss of service to marginal markets.

Fred Yarbrough

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

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: STERLING AVIATION (KCCR, CONCORD, CA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Sterling Aviation at Buchanan Field (KCCR) in Concord, California.

AVweb reader Sid Tolchin had a great visit at Sterling recently:

After landing and checking in at the FBO, we noted our rental car (from a major agency) had not been delivered. No questions asked, Justin had the crew van available immediately at no cost, helped us get another rental when we asked, and made certain we were settled and comfortable. After all of this, no tie-down fee and nothing but friendship from all there — especially noteworthy on a holiday weekend. Previously, their service department had serviced a brake hydraulic leak on one of our aircraft — again, at no charge. Just their smiles made it all worthwhile. The only glitch was a thoughtless CAP who started up his engine full-throttle and blew away all of our covers and hats. He was chastised by the horrified FBO attendants and learned a lesson!

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: PIPER'S 75TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
On Saturday, November 10, Piper Aircraft celebrated its 75th anniversary as an aircraft company. AVweb was there and got a look at some terrific vintage aircraft as well as Piper's latest line of M-class airplanes. More...

SHORT FINAL

A friend of mine is a helicopter instructor in Arizona, and a student of his is approaching the cross-country flight portion of flight training. My instructor friend received this text from his student a few days ago:

Hey, you've got me down for a cross-country to TBD. Where is it? I can't find it anywhere!

Kate
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.

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Paul Bertorelli

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Avionics Editor
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