UAV INDUSTRY ON ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT
Integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the U.S. national airspace system is scheduled for 2015 and, according to the UAS industry itself, that will create more than 70,000 jobs and have a broader economic impact of more than $13.6 billion by 2019. The numbers are not from an independent study but from a study done by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. It details specific job growth forecasts within the first decade following integration. By 2025, the study predicts more than 100,000 new jobs will be created by the new industry in manufacturing, maintenance, operation, sales and support. More...

GA ADVOCATES FIGHT SEQUESTER IMPACTS
As federal agencies scramble to cope with looming federal budget cuts, GA advocacy groups are pressing to minimize the impact on flight operations. NBAA President Ed Bolen this week asked FAA officials to consider more factors than simply the total number of operations at an airport in deciding which towers will close. For example, Tracon staffers would have to handle IFR traffic into those airports, adding to their workload, Bolen said. The shutdown of 173 control towers (PDF) is expected on April 7, with 16 more to close on Sept. 30. The FAA said it won't take any more industry input on its tower-closure plan after today, and will announce a final decision on Monday, March 18. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: HOW WILL THE SEQUESTER AFFECT YOUR FLYING?
The full impact of the 5% budget cut is becoming known, and GA-oriented airports are bearing a significant portion of the impact. Will the sequester cut your flying?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers if they'd had encounters with drones in the air space; click through to see the breakdown of responses. More...

CIRRUS RESOLVES LOAN ISSUE, NAMES NEW PRESIDENT
Cirrus executives got what they wanted from the city of Grand Forks. N.D., this week -- not only the $950,000 loan they had requested, but also an apology. Last week, city official Doug Christensen raised questions about Cirrus's ability to repay the loan, and William King, vice president for business administration at Cirrus, tried to explain that his concerns arose from a misinterpretation of the company's financial reports. On Monday night, Christensen apologized for how he "conducted the meeting … [and] addressed Mr. King," and the city approved the loan, which will go to buy an autoclave for Cirrus's Grand Forks manufacturing facility. Cirrus also announced this week the appointment of a new president for the company, Patrick Waddick. More...

PODCAST: CIRRUS AIMS FOR THE FUTURE
At Cirrus Aircraft this week, Pat Waddick moved up through the ranks to take on the job of president, while Dale Klapmeier will retain his title as CEO. AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with both of them about their vision for dealing with the challenges and opportunities ahead. More...

FIRST FLIGHT FOR RETRO SAM LS
The Sam LS, a new kit airplane with a retro look, flew for the first time on February 26, near Montreal, Canada, the company announced last week. "Liftoff was perfect, in about 300 feet," said Thierry Zibi, president of Sam Aircraft. The all-metal airplane features tandem seating and a narrow fuselage with a choice of three different wings -- short, for speed; medium, for versatility; or long, for short-field operations. The company is taking orders now for fast-build kits, which they say will take about 250 hours, for $75,000, or standard kits at $39,000 and 900 hours. First deliveries are scheduled for late this summer. Also in the works is a ready-to-fly LSA version for $135,000. More...

AND THE COLLIER GOES TO -- CURIOSITY
The NASA/JPL Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Project Team will receive the 2012 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the National Aeronautic Association announced on Tuesday. In choosing the project from a field of seven nominees, the committee cited the"extraordinary achievements of successfully landing Curiosity on Mars, advancing the nation's technological and engineering capabilities, and significantly improving humanity's understanding of ancient Martian habitable environments." More...

FAA APPROVES TESTING FOR 787 FIX
The FAA has approved flight testing of what Boeing hopes will be a permanent fix for the lithium ion batteries on its 787 airliners. Two test aircraft have been cleared for flight to test a three-part solution to the issue that has grounded the fleet since the middle of January. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the aircraft won't carry a passenger until the fix is proven through a "comprehensive series of tests." "We won't allow the plane to return to service unless we're satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers," LaHood said in a statement. It appears Boeing has opted to fix the existing setup rather than recertify a new system and it involves a reworking of the internal workings of the battery. More...

FCC WANTS TO PHASE OUT 121.5 ELTS
The FCC says it wants to get on with the process of phasing out 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters and anyone with comments or concerns has until April 1 to make them known. On Jan. 7 the commission issued its third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) on the topic, calling for an end to the import, manufacture or sale of 121.5 ELTs a year after the rule becomes effective. In 2009, the FCC amended its rules to ban the ELTs immediately. Since ELTs are required equipment, that would have left hundreds of thousands of aircraft owners with illegal devices on their aircraft. After hearing from the FAA and various groups about the impracticality of such a move, the FCC backed off. The phased approach appears to be causing little concern among the groups or authorities. 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: IS AOPA HOPELESSLY BROKEN?
Not at all, although AVweb's survey last week revealed significant complaints from members about the direction the association has taken in recent years. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli distills those thousands of comments on AOPA and offers his own suggestions on how AOPA might correct its course to the satisfaction of its membership. Read more and join the conversation. More...

VIDEO: TOTAL ECLIPSE FLIGHT DEMO
Eclipse is touring the country with its Total Eclipse, a factory re-do of the original EA500. But the airplane is a good stand-in for new production airplanes, which will be called Eclipse 550s. AVweb recently took a flight demo in a Total Eclipse and prepared this video report. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: ORANGEBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KOGB, SOUTH CAROLINA)

AVweb's latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at Orangeburg Municipal Airport (KOGB) in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

AVweb reader Jeff Grigg described his recent visit to the airport:

We had an appointment with an examiner at this airport. While there, we were offered a nice Ford to go get some lunch. When our appointment was over, the weather had turned real sloppy, and the ceiling at our home airport was only 600 feet. The folks at the Orangeburg Airport offered the use of a hangar for a few days until we could return and pick up our plane. When we returned, she was nice and dry in the hangar. The manager filled the plane and even gave me a little discount on fuel and did not charge me any rental for the hangar due to the weather. With service like this, you bet I'll recommend this airport and the management to anyone flying through! Everyone was very friendly, the facilities were everything I could want in a small town, and these were just plain good folks.

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!

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

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.