CIRRUS HIRING FOR JET PRODUCTION
The total number of Cirrus employees has grown to about 570, with roughly 50 jobs added over the past six months and, according to the company, it is seeking more workers to reach its goals for a 2015 launch of its SF-50 Vision Jet. "We're hiring, without question," Cirrus spokesman Todd Simmons told sctimes.com, and Cirrus' website backs up the claim. The site lists roughly 65 job openings (some involving multiple positions) at Duluth, Minn., that range from assemblers to engineers and from painters to administrators. The company claims to have 525 orders for its five-plus-seat single-engine jet, which currently lists for $1.96 million. The company says it will announce updated details about its Vision Jet program, soon. More...

BOEING TO MOVE ON 787 BATTERY FIXES
FAA officials and Boeing executives will meet in Washington, D.C, Friday to discuss a proposal that includes short- and long-term solutions to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's apparent lithium-ion battery problem, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The Journal's unnamed sources say proposed fixes for the grounded 787 fleet include things like enhanced checklists, the installation of fireproof containers around the batteries and a battery redesign. The FAA has declined comment. Other reports Wednesday stated Japanese investigators found wiring problems related to the lithium battery that caught fire aboard an ANA 787, but that U.S. investigators found no similar problems with a JAL 787 that also had a battery fire. More...

X-PLANE CREATOR EXPECTS COURT BATTLE
A company called Uniloc is suing X-Plane flight simulation software creator Austin Meyer for patent infringement and Meyer claims the results of the suit -- regardless of who wins -- may curb his creation of new products. The suit centers around a mobile flight simulation app that Meyer created. Meyer says the threat of similar suits will likely deter him from designing new apps for the android market unless changes come to how patent suits are litigated. He hopes that by fighting the suit he might instigate those changes. Meyer, who spoke with AVweb, Wednesday, recently created the Xavion app for iPad. Xavion is designed for use in certified aircraft and is a less capable version of the VP400, a product he helped design for use in experimental aircraft. The VP400 interfaces with onboard systems and delivers pilots synthetic vision and highway in the sky technology. It may also be capable of landing an aircraft equipped with an autopilot. Meyer says auto-land capability is not the VP400's intended use but that the feature could prove useful in certain emergency situations. Our conversation with Meyer includes details about X-Plane; Xavion as well as the VP400; and the lawsuit. More...

PODCAST: X-PLANE INNOVATIONS AND PATENT LAWSUITS
Our conversation with X-Plane creator Austin Meyer ranged from flight simulation to synthetic vision highway-in-the-sky iPad apps, avionics for experimental aircraft that could theoretically land real planes, and patent-trolling lawsuits that cripple innovative, successful companies for the benefit of unscrupulous plaintiffs.

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

FAA MOVES AHEAD ON DRONE TEST SITES
The FAA will move forward with plans to establish six test sites for unmanned aerial systems, Administrator Michael Huerta said on Friday. "We expect to learn how unmanned aircraft systems operate in different environments and how they will impact air traffic operations," he said. "The test sites will also inform the agency as we develop standards for certifying unmanned aircraft and determine necessary air traffic requirements." The site selections are expected by the end of September. Last November, Huerta had delayed the test-site selection, citing privacy concerns. More...

SPY BLIMP AXED?
A new hybrid air vehicle built by Northrop Grumman and Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. for the U.S. Army flew for the first time last August, but the project now has been cancelled, according to a recent report in Wired. The remotely operated airship, which is about 300 feet long, is capable of carrying up to 2,500 pounds of payload, and was intended as a reconnaissance vessel that could be deployed for weeks at a time in advance of ground troops. "Due to technical and performance challenges, and the limitations imposed by constrained resources, the Army has determined to discontinue the LEMV [long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle] development effort," Army spokesman Dov Schwartz told Wired in an email last week. More...

GLOBAL EVENT CELEBRATES WOMEN OF AVIATION
For the fourth year, Women of Aviation Week Worldwide will be held during the week of March 8, which is International Women's Day. From March 4 to 10, aviators around the world will celebrate women who fly and invite women to learn more about aviation and go for a flight. Many airports and aviation museums will host open-house events especially for women and girls, and the organization also holds a photo contest and art contest. This year's event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first spaceflight by a woman, with the theme "Women and space." Listings of events can be found at the group's website. More...

SURVEY POLLS CREW ON AIR RAGE
An Eastern Michigan University undergrad has launched a survey on a topic that gets plenty of media attention (especially if celebrities are involved) but, as far as he's been able to determine, has never been independently studied. Robert Chapin says the survey is designed to poll flight crew members on the incidence of air rage. "Your participation in this study will help us to better understand the effects of passenger misconduct," Chapin says in his preamble to the survey. More...

DATABASE BRINGS PILOTS, RECRUITERS TOGETHER
ATP Flight School has opened a database aimed at helping pilots find jobs and also to help airlines find pilots. PilotPool.com allows pilots who want to join the airlines to register and keep their qualifications updated so that they may be considered by airline recruiters monitoring their progress and that of others registered on the site. As the pilots reach significant milestones in training and experience, the recruiters are notified. "As a provider of training to over 4,200 pilots every year, we know it is important to help our customers get contact with potential employers," said Vice President Jim Koziarski. "At the same time, we know how important it is for airlines to access data on pilot supply and training pipeline. PilotPool.com brings these two sides together." 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."

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: EVER HAD AN UNRULY PASSENGER?
Robert Chapin, an undergrad student at Eastern Michigan University is polling pilots of all stripes on the incidence of air rage on aircraft they're flying. Has it ever happened to you?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers about airline mergers; click through to see the breakdown of their answers. 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...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: SOMETIMES, MAN SHOULDN'T FLY
Ever have a day when you just can't find your rear end with both hands? Hey, it happens. So why not go flying? That's what resident blogger Paul Bertorelli did last weekend, and, as far as we know, he stayed off the evening news. Read his whole confessional (and join the conversation) on the AVweb Insider blog. More...

VIDEO: AUDIO AUTHORITY'S FLEXIBLE POWER UNIT
More owners and pilots would probably invest in ground power units for starting and running avionics in the hangar if the things were just more flexible. One that is comes from Audio Authority, which, besides being a GPU, also doubles as a battery tender. In this video, Aviation Consumer's Larry Anglisano gives us the lowdown on this versatile unit. More...

VIDEO: YVES ROSSY'S JETMAN SCHOOL (WITHOUT THE JETS)
A video released Feb. 8, 2013, by Jetman Yves Rossy suggests the skydiving innovator may be on the verge of marketing an unpowered version of his strapped-on wing and opening a school to teach people how to fly it. Rossy has piloted another version of the wing with four micro-turbines attached to its underside delivering power. He has flown that version across the English Channel and a section of the Grand Canyon. Rossy describes the unpowered version by saying it can achieve a "glide angle" of 4.5. English is not Rossy's first language and a glide angle of 4.5 would translate to a glide ratio of roughly 13:1 -- substantially better than a Cessna 172. It's possible that Rossy's use of the term instead indicates the wing's glide ratio. Rossy says he's flown his gliding wing in excess of 150 mph, he has demonstrated aerobatics while flying it and believes there is much more potential for his unique brand of flight. Rossy is meticulous in his flight preparations, studying terrain, angles of flight and walking portions of the route when able. It is not yet known if his apparently proposed school will train the same pre-flight planning. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SAUGEEN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CYHS, HANOVER, ON)

Our "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Saugeen Municipal Airport (CYHS) in Hanover, Ontario (Canada).

AVweb reader Philip Englishman's been treated well there and has high praise for the airport FBO:

Saugeen Municipal is a great gateway to Canada with customs available with your Canpass. The superb restaurant is open Thursday to Sunday and is famous for its breakfasts and lunches. The best part about this airport is the inhabitants on site, who will be more than happy to show you what they are constructing and flying. Over 400 pilots visit here for one day annualy to take part in the Rust Remover safety seminars to get ready for the flying season. So come north to enjoy the hospitality, great Bruce Peninsula scenery, and great flying adventures beyond the U.S. border.

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.

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Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Glenn Pew

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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