U.S. 787 FLEET GROUNDED BY FAA
The FAA took action Wednesday to ground the U.S.-registered Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, which the agency certified just 17 months ago, stating that a "corrective action plan" is needed to address "a potential battery fire risk" before flights are allowed to resume. Europe, Japan and India joined the flight ban late in the day. An emergency airworthiness directive is expected. The only carrier affected is United Airlines, currently the sole U.S. operator of the Dreamliner, and follows a fire event aboard an All Nippon Airways jet earlier Wednesday in Japan. That event led to an emergency landing. Inspection of the aircraft later found burn marks and damage related to a leak from the aircraft's main lithium-ion battery, which is mounted below and behind the cockpit. Boeing will now work together with the FAA to develop the plan to return the aircraft to the air -- timeframe unknown. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: RISK TOLERANCE AND THE 787
Grounding any aircraft is rare, and halting the flights of an airliner extremely so. Is keeping Dreamliners out of the air necessary?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers about their personal flight training experiences; click through to see the breakdown of their responses. More...

FIERY HELICOPTER CRASH IN LONDON KILLS TWO
Early reports say the pilot and one person on the ground were killed when a helicopter hit a construction crane on top of a 50-story building during rush hour in central London Wednesday morning. The AgustaWestland 109 helicopter fell straight to the ground and exploded, and the fire spread to nearby cars in the busy traffic. Thirteen people were hurt. Witnesses said they thought it was a bomb going off, especially since it was so close to the Parliament building. Reportedly there was fog in the area. Pilots had been warned about the crane, but a witness told The Associated Press that fog and mist were covering the building, and he didn't see any lights on the crane. More...

ELECTRONIC GADGETS FOR PASSENGERS, NOT PILOTS?
The FAA Tuesday published a proposed rule that would ban flight crews from using personal electronic devices in the cockpit (job-related tools excepted), but the same day a press release from industry representatives pushed for approval of use of the devices in the cabin. The panel, hosted by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), met at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10.  On the whole, the group "largely favored the looser restrictions that exist in other regions in the world," according to a press release from APEX and CEA. They offered an opinion poll conducted by Amazon.com in support of their position. And noted that their interests also economically based. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: A BAN DOOMED TO FAIL?
It seems odd that based on one incident -- those two pilots who flew right past their destination while absorbed in a discussion and looking at their laptops -- the FAA wants to ban all airline pilots from ever using personal electronic devices while in the cockpit -- ever. On the AVweb Insider blog, Mary Grady wonders if there's any way such a ban could work. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AEROS PROTOTYPE STARTS 'FLOAT' TESTING
A new variety of rigid airship is under construction in Tustin, Calif., and this week the prototype successfully completed its first float tests. A series of maneuvers was conducted inside the ship's immense engineering hangar. The Aeroscraft vehicle will be able to take off and land vertically without a ground crew or runway, the company says. It also has a system that will enable it to carry cargo and offload without having to take on ballast, simplifying ground operations. The project has attracted financing from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Defense and NASA. More...

AIRPORT OPERATOR FINDS A USE FOR SNOW
The Steamboat Springs Airport in Colorado has been getting plenty of snow this year, and the airport operators say they've successfully tested a new method for dealing with snow that's safer and more economical than just plowing it out of the way. Crews have instead been compacting the snow and using it as part of an arresting system that slows and supports airplanes that overshoot the landing strip. The new process also eliminates the abrupt snowbanks, up to 20 inches high, that in the past could flip airplanes that ran off course. More...

GARMIN ROLLS OUT NEW NAVCOMMS
With glass everything the rule rather than exception, the lowly navcomm hasn't seen much market push lately, but Garmin changed that this week with a series of new VHF navcomms. The GTR and GNC series will replace the aging but still popular SL 30 and SL 40 radios, which were developed more than a decade ago by the then UPSAT. Garmin bought that company and its product line in 2003. Although the SL series had digital and frequency storage and monitoring features that buyers liked, the GTR and GNC products offer features not seen thus far in navcomms. The GNC is the follow-on for the SL 30 navcomm while the GTR is a comm-only radio, addressing the same market space as the SL 40. More...

VIDEO: GARMIN'S NEW GNC255A NAVCOMM RADIO
There's still plenty of demand for traditional navcomm radios. The new Garmin GNC and GTR line of navcomm radios bring smart features and advanced interfacing. Larry Anglisano from Aviation Consumer magazine gives a product tour of the new radio on the test bench at EXXEL Avionics in Connecticut. More...

ENSTROM HELICOPTERS SOLD TO CHINESE FIRM
Enstrom Helicopters, a small but growing company based in Michigan, has been sold to Chongqing Helicopter Investment Co. "This is a major step in moving Enstrom to a new level," said company president Jerry Mullins. "This strong ownership will allow further growth of our business in Menominee, Michigan, to meet the demands of the increasing markets around the world, especially Asia." Enstrom has increased its workforce by 50 percent over the last 18 months, and plans to expand its facilities in Michigan to support higher production rates. 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'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: WALNUT RIDGE REGIONAL AIRPORT (KARG, ARKANSAS)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at Walnut Ridge Regional Airport (KARG) in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.

AVweb reader Harry Shannon recommended told us how the fuel prices caught his attention but the service brought him back to Walnut Ridge a second time:

Moving a Caravan amphib from Florida to Washington state, good fuel prices prompted a stop at Walnut Ridge. The service was great, leading to a planned stop on the return trip to Florida. As often happens, our plans lag a bit, and we found ourselves heading for Walnut Ridge arriving near midnight. A call ahead had arranged for an open FBO. [We were] personally met by the airport manager, who also transported us to local lodging, picked us up the next morning, and gave us an extra discount on fuel because it was our second stop.

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!

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

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.