FUEL PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD, BUT SLOWLY

While the EPA continues gathering data on lead emissions toward a 2017 deadline on tighter air pollution standards, development to find a 100LL continues apace, although no clear winner is in sight. Meanwhile, the FAA has initially funded a new fuels program oversight office called AIR-20 whose job is to set up certification and testing standards for candidate fuels. AIR-20's work will be funded by a combination of government funds and contributions from private industry.

AIR-20 is an outgrowth of the FAA Unleaded Avgas Transition rules committee (UAT-ARC) that completed its final report in mid-2012 with a long list of steps and requirements that any potential replacement fuel will have to meet. The UAT-ARC envisioned an 11-year maximum timeline to consider all of the potential fuel candidates, but judging by its budget estimates, most of the fuels work will be done in half that time.

How many candidate fuels are there? At this juncture, three are plainly visible: Swift LLC's Swift Fuel, General Aviation Modification Inc.'s G100UL and an additive-based fuel from ASL, the same company that developed a popular oil additive called CamGuard. Sources in the industry say the major oil companies may be developing their own fuel candidates, but none of these have been made public yet. Chevron was recently granted a patent for an aviation fuel of at least 98 octane based on an aviation alkylate and xylene blend, but that fuel doesn't appear to have entered the approval process and we don't know if Chevron plans to submit it.

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THE JOB MARKET MAY BE BAD; WHAT ABOUT THE APPLICANTS?

The business of matching aviation jobs with qualified applicants can provide a different perspective on the broader health of the aerospace industry. We spoke with one source in that position who is seeing some positive movement with jobs but believes the longterm prognosis isn't good. And, if he's right, the problem might not be something that an upturn in the economy is going to fix.

The internet is making it easier for more job seekers to find job postings, but that -- almost by definition -- isn't making those jobs any easier to get. Worse, it may also be affecting the quality of the applicants, or at least their applications. AVweb recently spoke with Jeff Richards, manager of the online aviation employment resources website JSfirm.com. Richards believes that the economy is bad, but that "the aviation industry is hanging in there." But he also fears that a positive shift in the economy might not be the only thing the aviation industry needs to assure its footing. According to Richards, much bigger systemic forces are causing problems that could outlast any economic downturn, and as an industry we may begin feeling their impact, soon. Below we'll take look at the market and how job applicants can best position themselves. Then we'll address the broader concern.

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VIDEO: PARDO'S PUSH -- MCDONNELL F4 PHANTOM
"Pardo's push" of March 10, 1967 was preceded by a similar event. In 1952, fighter ace Robbie Risner pushed fellow flyer Joe Logan 60 miles. The two men were flying F-86 Sabre jets and successfully cleared hostile territory, but Logan bailed out over water, was tangled in his canopy lines, and drowned. Risner was deemed a hero, but by Pardo's account, pilots were not encouraged to partake in similar activities. More...

PODCAST: A CONFEDERATE HELICOPTER
As part of its commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the National Air and Space Museum has posted drawings from its collection of a Civil War-era helicopter design. AVweb's Mary Grady talks with museum technician Tom Paone for more about the 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:

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Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

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Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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