CPB AIRCRAFT SEARCHES: YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
AOPA has offered guidance to GA pilots if they are met with an intimidating show of force as they're going about their business. In the last few weeks there have been widely circulated reports about law-abiding pilots being confronted by heavily armed local cops and federal Customs and Border Protection agents who appear to act as if they have absolute authority to search and interrogate pilots and passengers. "At least 12 of our members have been stopped and had their plane searched by CBP for absolutely no reason at all," said AOPA spokesman Steve Hedges. "We've asked CBP for documents related to the searches, filing a Freedom of Information Act to get it, but so far they have been unresponsive." As always, it's best to be polite with folks carrying semi-automatic weapons but that doesn't mean anyone has to be a pushover. More...

AOPA TAKES A STAND ON CUSTOMS SEARCHES
They're aware that about 12 of their 400,000 members have been stopped and searched by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and AOPA Wednesday sent a letter to CBP seeking clarification regarding the authority for, and legal limits of, such searches. According to AOPA, none of its pilot members who have been stopped knew of any reason for the searches. The pilot group has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for documents related to those events, "but so far they have been unresponsive," Steve Hodges, AOPA director of media relations, told AVweb Thursday. Meanwhile, AOPA has crafted a kneeboard-sized advisory checklist for pilots, titled "What to do if stopped by law enforcement." CBP has already given AOPA a timeframe within which it can expect a response to its concerns. And through its letter, AOPA has offered a litigious reply. More...

WINGWALKER, PILOT KILLED AT AIRSHOW
Pilot Charlie Schwenker and wingwalker Jane Wicker were killed when they crashed while performing on Saturday. The duo was performing at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton. The rest of the show was cancelled but resumed on Sunday. Spectator videos (graphic and disturbing images) show Wicker hanging upside down from the lower wing of the Stearman at low altitude. As Schwenker attempts to roll inverted the aircraft banks sharply and cartwheels before exploding. More...

FAA: RULES FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE USE DELAYED
The FAA said Friday that recommendations from an advisory panel that could lead to broader approved use of personal electronic devices aboard airliners have been delayed. Originally expected this summer, the FAA is now says it expects to receive the recommendations this September. Cellphone use is reportedly not within the scope of the panel's focus. But the rule change could set the stage for worldwide standards regarding use of other electronic devices on aircraft during operations below 10,000 feet. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday its sources said that would likely happen. However, changes can still be made while a vast potential in-flight entertainment market waits on the sidelines. More...

COMPRESSOR POWERED HELICOPTER
A Belgian company called Sagita earned attention at this year's Paris Air Show with its Sherpa mockup, a two-seat, 575-pound helicopter turning counter-rotating blades driven by a compressor system. The compressor is driven by a 130-hp powerplant. It takes air in at the rear of the fuselage and then splits its output, sending some air back to the engine and the rest through the powerplant's cooling system. After leaving the cooling system, that warmed air is then mixed with the engine's exhaust and sent to two turbines that directly drive each rotor. According to the company, the system is 85 percent efficient. And they've already set targets for production and price. More...

ICON ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION FUNDING
ICON Aircraft announced Thursday that it has completed a final round of equity funding that will bring its amphibious A5 aircraft through demonstrated regulatory compliance and into full-scale production, but questions remain. The company did not make an announcement regarding its effort to seek an exemption from the FAA that would allow the A5 to operate at 250 pounds over the 1430-pound limit for amphibious LSA aircraft. ICON sent the request for exemption in mid-2012 and this year asked the FAA to deliver a response by May 31. As of Thursday, the FAA had not offered a reply and ICON lists the A5's maximum takeoff weight at 1430 pounds. ICON says the final round of investing, completed in May has secured "over $60 million" and "the company's order list has continued to grow." More...

OSHKOSH'S MORTON, DAYJET'S IACOBUCCI DIE
Roscoe Morton, "The Voice" of EAA fly-ins for 50 years, died June 15 in Frostproof, Fla., at the age of 81. EAA reported that Morton started calling the airshow portion of what became AirVenture when it was being held in Rockford, Ill. Over the years he took over as the announcers' manager and retired in that position after AirVenture 2011. He was also the announcers' chairman for Sun 'n Fun and sat on the board. Morton was a life-long career pilot whose experience in a wide variety of aircraft and jobs gave him insight to the aircraft he was calling. He retired as a Delta 747 captain. Meanwhile the founder of DayJet, Ed Iaccobucci, also died last week. More...

VIDEO: NASA'S FLYING 747 OBSERVATORY
How do you cut a hole the size of a two-car garage door into the side of a 747 and fly with it at 0.8 Mach without turning the thing into a 300-ton organ pipe? In this exclusive AVweb video, find out how NASA did exactly this for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (or SOFIA). AVweb recently visited the program at its Palmdale, California headquarters. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: BEHIND THE SCENES -- NASA'S 747 AIRBORNE TELESCOPE PROGRAM
On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli describes his recent visit to NASA's SOFIA project and provides some interesting detail on the kind of engineering it took to install a 17-ton infrared telescope in a modified 747 SP. The result: the world's most advanced and sophisticated airborne observatory. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVMAIL: JUNE 24, 2013

Letter of the Week: Training for the Worst

Regarding your article on flight safety: There is another review of all the possible things that can go wrong. This is very similar to the FAA and NTSB views that have been presented for several years now.

To date, the agencies admit there has been little change in fatality rates the past ten years.

There will always be risk, and there will always be those incidents that happen in spite of all the good planning and consideration.

The accident fatality rate they hope to reduce is not going to be accomplished in this manner.

An incident occurring in flight that requires an emergency landing requires a pilot to be proficient in emergency landing techniques. No matter the cause of an incident, the accident doesn't occur until landing. Historically, more than 75 percent of emergency off-field landings touch down mid-field or beyond in the chosen landing area. Half the fatalities occur from overrunning the field. There is no requirement of proficiency in actual spot-landing touchdown.

Survival technique during an emergency touchdown roll-out is not presented.

Technique for an emergency 180-degree turn when inadvertently entering IMC is not taught well. Few pilots are trained to proficiency in this simple maneuver.

The point being, no matter the risk contemplation and consideration, if something occurs, survival depends on the ability to handle the situation. Until pilots can do this, there will be no reduction of fatalities. Possibly fewer accidents may occur if pilots are frightened enough to not fly at all, but those who do fly will still be subject to the occasional incident that requires proficiency to handle.

Robert Reser

Click here to read the rest of this week's letters.

FBO OF THE WEEK: ADVANCED AVIATION JET CENTER (NEW CENTURY AIRCENTER, KS)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Advanced Aviation Jet Center at New Century AirCenter Airport (KIXD) in Johnson, Kansas (near Olathe/New Century).

AVweb reader John Keller called Advanced Aviation "a great stop south of the Kansas City area that is worth a visit":

A planned flight into Olathe was delayed 12 hours due to severe weather en route. Jonathon had previously made hotel and rental auto reservations for our arrival but was able to cancel the hotel — without a charge. The rental auto was a 24-hour rental so it was planeside when we arrived. Fuel pricing was due to the CAA Program, but their regular prices are very reasonable, also. Anything we needed at the time they were able to answer or provide in a competent and friendly manner. Excellent customer service all around!

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!

VIDEO: MUSIC OF THE MERLINS
An extraordinary assembly of Merlin-powered warbirds took to the skies over Hamilton, Ontario on Father's Day weekend, providing sights and sounds not experienced in decades. The star of the show was Jerry Yagen's recently rebuilt de Havilland Mosquito (the only one of its type flying), and it flew in formation with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Lancaster, alongside two Spitfires and two Hurricanes. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Mosquito pilot Mike Spalding of the Military Aviation Museum. More...

VIDEO: DIAMOND DA40 TUNDRA EDITION
It turns out there's money in Russia, and people want to fly sophisticated airplanes into places where the runways suck or don't exist. Diamond has risen to the challenge with its DA40 Tundra edition. Paul Bertorelli recently had a flight demo in the airplane and prepared this video report. 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...

SHORT FINAL

The company that I was with had a chief pilot who liked to play with ATC (in the '60s):

Bonanza 123:
"Bonanza 123. Give me the word. I want to make like a bird."

Detroit Tower:
"You got the nod. Leave the sod!"

Bud Walker
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.

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Paul Bertorelli

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Avionics Editor
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