CESSNA FLIES PRODUCTION TTX
The first flight of a production Cessna Corvalis TTx -- the plane Cessna bills as "the world's fastest fixed-gear, single-engine piston aircraft in production" -- took place on Saturday, March 2, at Independence, Kan., the company announced Wednesday. The Cessna turbocharged TTx evolved from the Corvalis (previously Columbia) line. Cessna says the plane is the first to fly with Garmin G2000 14 avionics. The power plant for the four-seater is a 310-hp Continental TSIO-550-C engine that the company says will pull the plane to a maximum cruise speed of 235 KTAS. Saturday's flight took the aircraft to 17,000 feet and "a speed of 213 kts," according to the company. More...

GRAND FORKS ASKS CIRRUS FOR MORE
A decision on whether or not the city of Grand Forks, N.D., will provide Cirrus Aircraft with a $950,000 loan will be delayed for at least a few days until the company answers questions about its financial standing, the Grand Forks Herald reported Tuesday. Cirrus wants to use the loan to expand its Grand Forks production facility and hire workers for jobs that are currently outsourced. But city officials noted in a meeting, Tuesday, negative financial reports about the company and the fact that the new loan would add more than 28 percent to monthly payments Cirrus was already making to the city. Cirrus' William King objected to city's interpretation of the company's financial position. More...

LAST OF FAA PAPER CERTIFICATES TO EXPIRE SOON
Pilots have been required to carry plastic certificates since 2010, but the deadline for replacing other paper FAA certificates, such as mechanic, repairman, flight engineer, or ground instructor, is coming up March 31. You still have time to meet the deadline, as long as you apply online, which takes about 7 to 10 days for processing. Mail requests will take 4 to 6 weeks to fulfill. Each certificate replacement costs just $2. If you'd like to keep your old paper certificate, you can, but it will no longer have any official authority. More...

BIOFUEL POWERS 182 FLIGHT
Aviation biofuel experiments took another step forward this weekend when a crew from the New Jersey-based Paramus Flying Club flew their Cessna 182 with an SMA diesel engine from Smithfield, R.I., to Kitty Hawk, N.C., on a blend of 50 percent biofuel and 50 percent Jet A. The biofuel, made by SkyNRG in the Netherlands, is refined from recycled cooking oil. "This was the first time this fuel has been used in a general aviation diesel engine," Ross McCurdy, one of the pilots, told AVweb. Before taking off, McCurdy and Chris Howitt, president of the flying club, filled up the 182 on the ramp, and took it for a long run-up and a fast taxi. "If anything, the engine seemed to run better on the biofuel blend," McCurdy said.

Howitt and McCurdy, along with flying club member Jochen Spengler and McCurdy's nine-year-old son Aidan, made the 500-mile trip on Saturday and returned the next day. McCurdy said the engine ran just fine on the biofuel blend. McCurdy, who teaches high-school science in Rhode Island, hopes to take the biofuel airplane on a coast-to-coast flight, perhaps as soon as this summer. His students helped with research and planning of the weekend's flight, he told AVweb, and will also be involved in the next phase. For more of Mary Grady's conversation with McCurdy, click here to listen to the podcast. AVweb Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli flew this diesel 182 in 2010, click here for his video pilot report. For more info and updates about McCurdy's project, go to bioplane.us. More...

PODCAST: FLYING ON RECYCLED FUEL
Ross McCurdy, a science teacher and private pilot in Rhode Island, worked with members of the Paramus Flying Club in New Jersey to test a 50/50 biofuel blend in their diesel 182. After returning from a 1,000-mile test flight, he talked with AVweb's Mary Grady about how it went, why they did it, and what he hopes to do next. More...

SPIDERTRACKS ADDS REAL-TIME FEATURES
Consumer technologies that use GPS to track aircraft in flight are adding features all the time, and this week one of the more popular vendors, Spidertracks, of New Zealand, announced new capabilities in its latest device, the Spider S5. The new unit retains the small footprint of the earlier models, but adds integrated Bluetooth communications to enable two-way messaging, SOS alerting, and real-time flight tracking, the company said on Wednesday. The S5 is portable, and no installation is required. Using a free app called Spidertxt, users can connect their smartphones to the S5 unit via Bluetooth, and send and receive text messages to any mobile phone on the ground. More...

DRONE REPORTED IN NYC AIRSPACE
A small hovering drone was reported by an Alitalia pilot near New York's John F. Kennedy Airport about 1 p.m. on Monday, officials said on Tuesday. "The FAA is investigating a report ... [the pilot] saw a small, unmanned or remote-controlled aircraft while on final approach to Runway 31 Right," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown told CNN. The drone came within about 200 feet of the Alitalia airplane, according to the FBI. It was described as black in color with four propellers, and about three feet wide. The sighting was about four to five miles west of the airport at an altitude of about 1,500 feet, the FAA said. That location would put the drone somewhere over Brooklyn, according to CNN. The Alitalia pilot took no evasive action and the aircraft landed safely. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: EVER SEEN A DRONE?
An Alitalia pilot did on final to JFK. This week, we'd like to know if you've ever had an encounter with a pilotless aircraft while piloting yours.

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers if the absence of jet teams at air shows would affect their attendance; click through for a breakdown of their responses. More...

HEAVY CROSSWIND CITED IN CRASH
The weekend manager of a New Mexico airport questioned a Texas pilot's intention to take off in a heavy crosswind that may have contributed to his Mooney crashing and killing all four occupants, including his 13-year-old niece. "'Are you really going to try to fly in this weather?'" Angel Fire Airport manager Harvey Wright quoted his weekend manager as asking the pilot. "And his answer was, 'Yeah.' I guess he felt confident in his abilities in his skills, and in the plane." Wright made the comment to the San Antonio Express News. Pilot John Phillip Verhalen III, 33, of San Antonio, was killed along with his sister Sara Verhalen, 41, and niece Chloe Marie Jameson, 13, both from the Dallas area; and girlfriend Jennifer Woodward, 26 of San Antonio. Weather records indicate the crosswind far exceeded the demonstrated crosswind component in the POH. More...

ELECTRIC TILTROTOR UNVEILED
AgustaWestland has unveiled an unmanned electric tiltrotor technology demonstrator at Heli-Expo, which runs until Thursday in Las Vegas. The aircraft, which features twin rotors powered by independent electric motors, was built in less than six months and has flown a few times, tethered and untethered. The aircraft is entirely electric with no hydraulic system. Although it's a drone, it has what appears to be a handy place for a cockpit up front, but the lack of redundancy in the powerplants (there is no transmission linking the two rotors in case one of the motors fails) likely ensures this aircraft will remain pilotless. Although limited by the battery power they can store, electric aircraft have some advantages over their petroleum-powered counterparts, say AgustaWestland officials. 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 INSIDER BLOG: DOW SOARS, AIRPLANES DON'T
While the Dow Jones tears off to new highs in early 2013, aircraft sales remain in the dumps. The two used to be joined at the hip, but not anymore. Or at least not yet. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli runs through the data but is even more clueless than usual about what's going on. Read more and join the conversation. 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...

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...

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...

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Our latest winning photo comes from Alan Wirth of Lexington Park, MD. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. 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...

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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