FAA DEVISING BUDGET CUT MEASURES
FAA senior staff are expected to outline details early this week of the implementation of $600 million in budget cuts mandated by the sequestration measures signed into law by President Obama over the weekend. Last week, a letter to FAA employees from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta outlined the broad strokes of the plan, which will include furloughing most employees for at least a couple of days a month and closing or curtailing operations at 160 towers. An FAA spokesman told AVweb over the weekend that the nitty gritty of implementing the plan, including the timing of the measures, will be communicated to staff this week. It's expected that most of the measures won't be implemented for about a month because of notice requirements for employees. A glimpse of what might be coming was the subject of a Feb. 26 meeting between high-ranking FAA officials and members of the full range of affected aviation organizations. One of the attendees issued a widely circulated memo that might illustrate the mood at 800 Independence Ave. More...

BOEING: WORKFORCE CUTS UNRELATED TO BATTERY
Boeing has announced plans to shed hundreds of contract jobs at its North Charleston, S.C., facility where it builds 787 Dreamliners, but says the cuts are unrelated to current problems with the aircraft. The company said the cuts have already begun and are expected to run through 2013 as part of a cost-reduction initiative that pre-dated the aircraft's ongoing battery issues. At the same time, and over the same period, Boeing says it plans in 2013 to double the pace of production of 787 airliners made at the plant and a facility in Washington state. More...

PODCAST: CRAIG FULLER ON HIS TIME AS AOPA PRESIDENT
AVweb speaks with AOPA's departing president and CEO Craig Fuller about his time at the organization, his greatest challenges and achievements, the responsibility of an AOPA president to the organization's members, and where he'll go from here.

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

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AOPA -- FULLER'S OUT, WHO'S IN?
After just four years on the job, AOPA President Craig Fuller announced that he's leaving the association. That represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the board in finding a replacement. One thing's for sure, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog: We not looking for more business as usual. Read more and join the conversation. More...

SURVEY: WHAT NOW, AOPA?
With the sudden resignation of president Craig Fuller comes the opportunity for some navel gazing and maybe even some chest poking from the membership. Take our survey and tell us what you really think about the job the organization is doing. (It only takes five minutes.) More...

NASA BEGINS BIOFUEL EMISSIONS FLIGHT TESTS
NASA is flying a DC-8 "flying laboratory" out of its Dryden facility to conduct biofuel tests that aim to collect data on emissions, engine performance and contrails with biofuels, the agency announced Friday. The flights began on Feb. 28 and will continue for three weeks. The Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS) research will take the DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet. A NASA Falcon jet will fly in trail collecting data over a range of 300 feet to 10 miles behind the larger jet. The DC-8 will be flown on both JP-8 jet fuel and a 50-50 blend of JP8 and fuel derived from camelina plants. But commercial aircraft flying in the region may also serve as targets of opportunity for the test, according to NASA. More...

SOLAR IMPULSE PREPARES FOR U.S. FLIGHT
The Solar Impulse's HB-SIA solar-powered aircraft has been delivered disassembled to Moffett field, California, and its team has started the process of reassembling it in preparation for a four-stop flight across America. The aircraft's wing spans more than 205 feet and is covered with nearly 12,000 photovoltaic cells that run four 10-horsepower electric motors. The cells also charge the aircraft's lithium-polymer battery packs. In flight, the 3,527-pound plane cruises at less than 50 mph. Test flights will be made prior to the transcontinental journey. Stops, other than Washington, D.C., and New York, have not been precisely identified. The program last summer suffered setbacks. More...

2012 SAFEST EVER FOR AIRLINES
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says 2012 was the safest year ever for airline travel and it continues a trend that has made air travel by far the least hazardous way of moving around, except perhaps in Africa. IATA says there were a total of 75 airliner accidents in 2012, down from 92 in 2011. Of the 75 accidents, 15 involved fatalities, killing a total of 414 people. In 2011, 486 people died in 22 airline accidents. Africa remains the most dangerous place to fly in the world. More...

SKY TRAILS CONCEPT PROMOTED
A California pilot is hoping there will eventually be a series of "Sky Trails" over areas of national importance that pilots can use to view them from the best vantage point. Larry Dighera recently finished putting together an interpretive website that pilots can use as a guide for touring the vast Second World War Desert Training Center devised by Gen. George Patton to get recruits ready for the land war in Europe and Africa. The facility covers 18,000 square miles of high desert from the Mexican border north almost to Las Vegas and was home to as many as 250,000 troops and 5,000 tanks conducting mock battles and undergoing rigorous training for the war. More...

HELICOPTER RESCUES DEER ON ICE
The concern of a retired wildlife service officer and the deft hands (and feet) of a wildlife service pilot led to the happy reunion of a mother deer and fawn beside a frozen Canadian bay in early February. Former biologist Ian Waugh was at his home on Antigonish Harbour in Nova Scotia when he spotted the deer on the glassy ice. The mother had fallen and was unable to get up as her nervous offspring appeared to be trying to help. Waugh knew the ice was too thin for a personal rescue attempt so he called his former employer, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, and grabbed his video camera. Helicopter pilot David Farrell was dispatched and knew from a previous rescue he could use rotor wash to push the deer to safety. Waugh, who kept his camera rolling, was surprised. "I was waiting for a dart gun to come out, a tranquilizer gun to come out," Waugh told CTV News. More...

AVMAIL: MARCH 4, 2013

Letter of the Week: Crossing the Line?

I just read the "Short Final" section of the Feb. 25 issue of AVweb. I get the joke, but I wonder if you folks understand the impact this kind of joke has on current and potential women aviators?

By way of full disclosure: I am a middle-age white guy. I teach at a small state-run aviation university, I am an 11-year Air Force veteran, and I am old enough that I should be the primary demographic focus of this joke, but I do not find it humorous at all.

After watching first-hand all the crap that the first group of women had to endure when they were allowed to fly aboard the E-3 Sentry and continuing to listen to the stories of our recent women graduates about all the crap they continue to have to put up with, I would ask you to reconsider the publication of similar jokes in the future.

I am pretty sure that none of you had any malicious intent when publishing this joke. I am also pretty sure that none of you intended this "Short Final" to scare women away from aviation. But as aviators I think we all have a duty to recognize, especially when we are in positions of power or influence, that what we say and do can have a very powerful influence over our younger charges. I have become especially aware of this since becoming a teacher.

So the favor that I ask is simply that you become a bit more introspective and think about the impact of the material you publish.

I doubt you would publish a "Short Final" where the punchline related to a pilot doing something dangerous or illegal. That would send the wrong message. I ask that you take the same precautions when contemplating publication of material that could send the message that women are not welcome here.

Stan Alluisi

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...

BRAINTEASERS QUIZ #181: ABOVE THE ORDINARY
Think about the last time you made a truly beautiful landing. Remember how the passengers cheered and the local FSDO inspector paused, in the middle of a ramp-check, to shake your hand? You'll feel even prouder when you ace this quiz. (Plus we ask, "If you were the Secretary of Transportation or FAA Administrator, what would be your top priority, and who would you nominate as your successor?")

Take the quiz. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

The edition of "POTW" that ran on Thursday was missing some images from the slideshow, which stopped short of displaying all of the runners-up. Take a second look and enjoy bonus pics you may not have seen on Thursday.

Our latest winning photo comes from Dave Oberg of Anchorage, AK. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions.

VIDEO: OIL FILTERS COMPARED
An oil filter is an oil filter, right? Generally, yes — but there are some subtle differences between the two aviation oil filters on the market, Champion's line and the newer Tempest product. Aviation Consumer's Larry Anglisano recently compared the two brands, and this video summarizes his findings. More...

VIDEO: HISTORIC FLIGHT FOUNDATION DC-3
Everett, Washington's Historic Flight Foundation recently flew home its newly restored DC-3 from Sealand Aviation in Campbell River, British Columbia. The museum's founder, John Sessions, talks about the aircraft's rich history and its future at the Foundation. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (KIWS)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to West Houston Airport (KIWS) in Houston, Texas.

AVweb reader Trevor Fenimore recommended the FBO:

I spent three months working out of West Houston Airport doing Aerial Survey, and this FBO was the best I have used during my eight months on the road. They were always very professional and courteous. Breakfast is catered free for customers every morning. There are massage chairs with big-screen TVs, a 3-D cinema, and an excellent flight planning room with multiple computers. The line staff is very efficient and will have you back in the air in no time with a clean windshield and full tanks. Reduced fuel prices on the weekends. Truly a first-rate FBO!

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!

SHORT FINAL

Jacksonville Center asked a military flight over norther Florida a question:

Jacksonville Center:
"Dixie 22, confirm you are a flight of two."

Dixie 22:
"Dixie22. That is correct. We are a flight of two."

Jacksonville Center:
"Well, sir, I show you 17 miles in trail. That is a pretty loose formation, don't you think?"

Dixie 22:
"Dixie 22. Roger."

Hans Intgroen
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.

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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