DREAMLINER BATTERY TESTS COMPLETE
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta says Boeing "has completed all required tests and analysis" of fixes for battery problems suffered by its 787 Dreamliner, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, but no decision had yet been made to clear the jet for flight. Huerta also noted that the FAA has not yet determined whether it will allow the airliner to fly over-water routes beyond three hours' flight time from a suitable landing site. Regulators grounded the jet in mid-January after two of the jets experienced battery fires. The events have levied new scrutiny on the FAA's certification process. More...

FAA DISCUSSES SAFETY ISSUES SURROUNDING TOWER CLOSURES
It appears the FAA is backtracking on an earlier directive that forbade at least some of its FAA Safety Team (FAAST) representatives from talking about pending tower closures. On Wednesday the FAAST Safety Team issued a general note of advice about operating at non-towered airports (the FAAST Team doesn't like the term "uncontrolled") and touched on all the points covered by myriad other sources on the topic since the closures became a real possibility. Closures of 149 towers were supposed to start April 7 but on April 5 the FAA delayed that until at least June 15 citing the spate of legal challenges to the closures. Also on April 5, a regional FAAST assistant manager on the East Coast told his safety team that any discussion of tower closures was off limits. More...

USDA EXTENDS BIOFUELS PROJECT
The USDA is extending for five years a 2010-2012 program that joins the FAA with partners from the commercial aviation segment to develop biofuels for the aviation industry. Participants include the USDA, the FAA, Boeing and a trade group called Airlines for America. The program will focus on evaluating feedstock and supply chains with the goal of creating a viable domestically produced drop-in replacement for Jet-A derived from renewable sources. As for production, the USDA says the coalition hopes to support the annual production of one billion gallons of drop-in aviation biofuel by 2018. The program is not without its critics. More...

SOCATA INTRODUCES 2013 TBM MODEL
Daher-Socata brought the newest model of its popular TBM 850 turboprop to Sun 'n Fun last week. The 2013 Elite version features integrated electronic solid-state standby instruments by L-3 Avionics, the Trilogy ESI-2000, to replace the previous electro-mechanical instrument version. The unit has an internal battery and a 4-by-3-inch active matrix liquid crystal display. Interior enhancements include a new perforated seatback design that improves comfort on hot days, the company said. The company is also offering a special interior upgrade package, and an extended maintenance program good for five years or 1,000 hours. More...

TEENS-N-FLIGHT: HELPING KIDS THROUGH AVIATION
Wounded military veterans -- even those with wounds that aren't visible -- get far less attention than they deserve and their families get even less. Jack Howell, a retired Marine colonel, is actively doing something about that. He's established a non-profit called Teens-N-Flight whose sole goal is to offer cost-free flight training to the children of soldiers killed or wounded in combat. In an interview at Sun 'n Fun last week, Howell told us the country has been slow to recognize that post traumatic stress disorder doesn't affect just the military members themselves, but also the families and especially the children. "I really want to use aviation as a conduit for these kids to help them overcome their PTSD," Howell says. "The wizards in Congress have finally acknowledged that the entire family suffers from PTSD, but there's no funding to do anything. Well, I'm not waiting. I've been doing this five years now," he adds. More...

PODCAST: HELPING KIDS WITH FLYING
Retired Marine Col. Jack Howell didn't wait for the government to look after the needs of the children of war veterans. He talked to AVweb's Paul Bertorelli about how aviation can help them cope with the changes war brings to their lives. More...

PODCAST: FLIGHT DESIGN ADDS DELUXE MODEL
It's been 25 years since Flight Design started delivering airplanes, and they celebrated with a sold-out special edition. AVweb's Mary Grady talked to Flight Design's John Gilmore about the new model based on the limited-edition aircraft. More...

PODCAST: WORLD OF WARPLANES PREVIEW
This is no flight simulator. Fight for your life and work your way from a piston fighter to a jet in the game previewed at Sun 'n Fun. AVweb's Mary Grady found out more about the game's pending release. More...

FAA EASES PROCESS FOR SOME MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS
The FAA has expanded the list of medical conditions that can be evaluated by an aviation medical examiner instead of requiring a special issuance and an FAA review, EAA reported last week. Under a new FAA policy, applicants with arthritis, glaucoma, hypertension, pre-diabetes and several other common conditions are eligible for the simplified process. Further diagnoses are expected to be announced in the coming months, EAA said. Dr. Greg Pinnell of the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council will explain the changes in an online webinar scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central Time. The webinar is free to all; you need not be an EAA member. The video will be archived on EAA's site for later viewing. Meanwhile, the leaders of both EAA and AOPA have said recently that a proposal last year to the FAA that would have eliminated the third-class medical requirement for many private pilots has stalled. More...

U.S. COMPANIES EXPLORE ASIAN MARKETS AT ABACE
The airplane industry is eager to push into emerging markets, and that's evident this week with robust attendance at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, taking place in Shanghai Tuesday through Thursday. Organizers said they had registered a record 6,284 people to attend the event, with more than 180 exhibitors on site and 34 aircraft on static display. "The record numbers signify the excitement surrounding business aviation in the region," said NBAA in a statement. Cessna officials announced at the show on Monday they expect to be ready to start building jets and turboprops in China by the end of this year, though it may take longer for the government to approve the start of operations. More...

CONTINENTAL EXTENDS TBOS, CERTIFIES DIESEL
For years, we've heard that the technology exists to extend engine TBOs beyond the normal 2000-hour recommendation and now Continental has done just that. It recently announced that it will extend the TBOs on many of its popular engines by 200 hours and, for frequently flown engines, by 400 hours. According to the company's Bill Ross, who we interviewed at Sun 'n Fun, this might not immediately mean much to Part 91 operators who aren't required to adhere to published TBOs, but for for-hire operators who are, the cost savings amount to as much as a 20 percent of the overhaul price, a substantial savings. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: SUN 'N FUN 2013 -- DRIFTING
With Sun 'n Fun 2013 now history, what was the mood of the show? To Paul Bertorelli, it reflected the industry in general: drifting along with no particular impressive direction. Show attendees said as much. But that doesn't mean some companies aren't trying -- and suceeding -- in making flying an airplane more accessible. Read more and join the conversation. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: KIMBLE COUNTY AIRPORT (KJCT, JUNCTION, TX)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Kimble County Airport (KJCT) in Junction, Texas.

AVweb reader Sid Tolchin learned the value of a friendly face on his recent stopover at JCT:

During a long flight in a small experimental plane from San Diego to New Orleans, almost any out-of-the-ordinary stop is a pleasure. This one was different. Billy Davis lives on the airport and was outside in gusting winds to help me tie down. He suggested I stay because of the weather and the lateness of the day before proceeding to New Orleans. After being certain that the aircraft was safely parked, he called the motel, recommended a good place to eat, and drove me to the Best Western, where they honored his recommendation with a discount. The short trip was filled with his stories.

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!

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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.

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