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Is Your Entire Life Savings
Worth 10 Minutes of Your Time?
Life insurance protection for pilots often requires special care to be
certain you have the right policy. Pilot Insurance Center knows
life insurance for pilots. No aviation exclusions. Call PIC at
(800) 380-8376 or
visit PICLife.com. 
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FAA
WANTS MORE INFORMATION ON ICON WEIGHT EXEMPTION
The FAA says
it needs more information before it can decide whether to exempt the
Icon A5 from the upper weight limit restriction for amphibious light
sport aircraft and allow it to weigh 1680 pounds. As AOPA reported last week, the agency wrote a letter
(PDF) to Icon President Kirk Hawkins that due to "the
complexity, extent and precedent-setting aspects" of Icon's request it
needs time and more documentation to process the petition. In the
letter, Earl Lawrence, manager of the FAA's Small Plane Directorate,
said the agency normally tries to process requests in 120 days. Icon filed
the request in July of 2012, saying the 250-pound weight increase is
warranted because it's required to make the aircraft spin-resistant.
More...
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New Terrain: Terrain and
Obstacle Hazard Awareness for iPad
ForeFlight's new Hazard Advisor swiftly and elegantly highlights
hazardous terrain and obstacles, making you more aware of the granite
clouds and threatening obstacles in your path. A worldwide terrain
database keeps you informed wherever you fly, from Aspen to Auckland.
Obstacle data covers North America, the Caribbean, and U.S.
territories.
Upgrade to ForeFlight Pro today
and keep hazards at bay.
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FINAL
X-51A SCRAMJET FLIGHT EXCEEDS 5.0 MACH
An unmanned X-51A
WaveRider aircraft reached 5.1 Mach, Monday, pushed to more than 3,000
miles per hour over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu, Calif., by a
scramjet engine. The Air Force said Wednesday that the WaveRider was
carried aloft from Edwards Air Force Base by a B-52. It was released
over the ocean at about 50,000 feet and accelerated to 4.8 Mach in 26
seconds by way of solid rocket booster. The aircraft, which is designed
to ride its own shockwave, then lit its air-breathing scramjet engine
and accelerated to 5.1 Mach at 60,000 feet, covering 264 miles in just
over six minutes. The effort follows an early program success followed
by two less fruitful attempts. More...
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Our Agents Are
Pilots!
Talk to pilots who value your airplane, even before they insure
it.
Aviation Insurance Resources ( AIR-PROS.COM) will research
your aircraft's market value before you buy, sell, trade, or renew. And
we shop coverage options from all major aviation insurance markets to
save you time and money — or expand coverage — for new owners,
transitioning pilots, renters, FBOs — even flight schools.
Call (877) 247‑7767. Or
click here. 
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SOLAR
IMPULSE, CALIFORNIA FOR PHOENIX
The Solar Impulse team sent
their solar aircraft out from Moffett Airfield near San Jose, Calif.,
Friday at 6:12 a.m. Pacific time, for Phoenix, Ariz., on the first leg
of a transcontinental U.S. flight. The aircraft is powered by four
10-horsepower electric motors that draw energy from 12,000 photovoltaic
cells on its wings and lithium-polymer battery packs that store excess
solar energy for use in darkness. Six hours into the roughly 550-nm
flight, flying at roughly 40 knots in climb, the aircraft had collected
more energy to power its motors than it had stored at takeoff. Even
before that, pilot Bertrand Piccard was chatting with family and taking
calls from reporters, espousing the benefits of solar power -- but not
for practical manned flight. More...
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Experience Aviation and the
World of Sound with
Sennheiser BlueStage
Download Sennheiser's new magazine app for the iPad at no cost
and dive right into a new and interactive way to experience the world of
sound. In the aviation issue, the high art of aerobatics features
alongside the high art of plane building from scrap heaps. Watch Vince
Neil from Mötley Crüe take his first flying lessons and learn
how veteran pilots pass the torch in schools. Also listen to our new
"Live Your Dream" theme song by
Joe.e. 
In May, BlueStage is all about the sonic experience on wings. Download,
swipe, and enjoy!
Learn more.
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SPOKANE
CREW LIKELY ON CRASHED TANKER
It appears the three crew
members lost in the overseas loss of a KC-135 tanker were from Spokane,
Wash., but the aircraft was based in Kansas. Two of the three bodies
have been recovered after the loaded tanker apparently exploded in
flight and crashed in Kyrgyzstan. The aircraft was on its way to support
the mission in Afghanistan but that's about all military authorities are
saying. The aircraft, which was based at McConnell AFB in Wichita, was
deployed to Manas, a U.S. military base leased in Kyrgyzstan.
More...
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Masimo Introduces a Pulse
Oximeter for
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
From the leader in hospital pulse oximetry comes the world's first pulse
oximeter for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that measures during movement
and low blood flow to the finger. The iSpO2 allows you to noninvasively
track and trend blood oxygenation (SpO2), pulse rate, and perfusion
index – for sports and aviation use.*
Click here for more information.
* Not
intended for medical use.
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HARVARD
LAUNCHES ROBO-FLY
 Harvard University researchers
have demonstrated a fly-sized UAV that actually mimics insect flight.
The researchers spent 12 years developing the robo-fly, which uses
piezoelectric devices that contract and release when power is switched
on and off, allowing it to beat its tiny wings. "We get it to contract
and relax, like biological muscle," Dr. Kevin Ma, one of the scientists,
said in a news release. The researchers released a video of the device
in a controlled hover and envision it being used for search and rescue,
where it could fly through the tiny spaces of a debris pile to locate
survivors. It might even take on jobs normally done by insects, like
pollination of crops. More...
AIRVENTURE
LANDS JETMAN
Jetman Yves Rossy, the man who flies strapped to
a small wing powered by four small turbines, has been scheduled for
flight displays at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013. Rossy previously flew in
the U.S. back in 2011 when he made a successful flight over a section of
the Grand Canyon (video),
but the flight was not made available to public viewing. For that flight
and his AirVenture appearance EAA worked with Rossy to acquire an
experimental exhibition special airworthiness certificate. "I am excited
to share my project with fellow enthusiasts," he said, "and be a part of
aviation's biggest gathering in the world." AirVenture isn't Rossy's
only planned U.S. public appearance in 2013. More...
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Over 21,000 Happy
GAMIjectors® Customers Can't Be
Wrong!
GAMIjectors® have given
these aircraft owners reduced cylinder head temperatures, reduced fuel
consumption, and smoother engine operation. GAMIjectors® alter the fuel/air ratio in each
cylinder so that each cylinder operates with a much more uniform
fuel/air ratio than occurs with any other factory set of injectors. To
speak to a GAMI engineer, call (888) FLY‑GAMI,
or
go online for complete engineering
details. 
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| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | | back to
top |  | |
AVMAIL:
MAY 6, 2013
Letter of the Week: Dangers of Rearward C of
GRegarding the speculation
that shifting cargo caused the crash of Boeing 747 in Afghanistan, I
have some experience with flying an aircraft with rearward center of
gravity. Years ago, I was flying a C-47, and the urinal in the
head froze up. The co-pilot and several other people were trying to thaw
it out with cigarette lighters. The head on the C-47 is in the tail end
of the aircraft. In all of my years of flying, this really scared
me. I asked them all to slowly back out of the area one at a time, and
to leave only one person in the head. We would always load the aircraft
with as far aft CG as we could. In doing so, we could get another 10 to
15 knots of cruise speed out of the C-47. The controls on a DC-3
are rather heavy. In this case, with all of them stacked in the tail end
of the aircraft, all I had to do was touch the yoke, and the aircraft
went into wild gyrations, nose up and down. The aircraft was no longer
statically stable. I knew if we should hit turbulent air we would
be toast and the accident investigation board would want to know why so
many people were in the toilet. I can just imagine the different
theories on that one. Vern Childers Click
here to read the rest of this week's letters. More...
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Risk-Engineered Insurance for
Owners, Flight Schools,
FBOs, Renters, Clubs, Refurbished,
Experimental,
Ag, Rotor, and Antique Aircraft
Starr Aviation understands how to insure airplanes — and
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operation — Starr is the solution. Through our national network of
aircraft insurance brokers, Starr's financial strength and fast-pay
claims service is hard to beat. For details,
click here to visit
StarrCompanies.com. 
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FBO
OF THE WEEK: HONAKER AVIATION (KJVY, SELLERSBURG,
IN)
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Honaker
Aviation at Clark Regional Airport (KJVY) in Sellersburg,
Indiana. AVweb reader Charles Black recommended the
FBO: Kevin Happel and crew
proactively removed a bird nest from the engine compartment. It could
have led to an in-flight engine fire. I never suspected it was there.
Profuse thanks for noticing the bird activity. 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! More...
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Traditional Tactics Need a
Fresh Approach
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition
of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with
AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders directly to
your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing
options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns.
Click now for details.
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SHORT
FINAL
I had a buyer from Argentina for my unfinished home
built aircraft. For tax purposes, the Argentine government required the
aircraft not be registered by the FAA. I sent a letter to the FAA
requesting a letter stating that the aircraft had not been
registered. The FAA's reply: "Your request for the FAA to
notify Argentina cannot be accomplished as the aircraft has never been
registered."
via
e-mail More...
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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. More...
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If a control tower closes in
the wilderness, does it make a sound? Politicians may diddle FAA budgets
until the skies are porcine black, but we'll fly ... provided we keep
our priorities upright by sequestering this quiz.
