AOPA says it will file its formal response Monday to a $66 million patent infringement suit launched by SD Holdings LLC, the company that owns FlightPrep, a Washington company that produces electronic flight bags, navigation hardware and software and offers an online flight planning tool by subscription. As we reported extensively in 2010 and 2011, FlightPrep was awarded two patents for its online systems, one for "generating travel plans on the Internet" and another for "generating computer flight plans on the Internet. Read More

Furlough of FAA aviation safety inspectors and NTSB accident investigators may put the country in default of its obligations under an aviation treaty that sets standards for safety for ICAO, former FAA lawyer Loretta Alkalay told Forbes magazine this week. The U.S. failure to approve a federal budget and subsequent partial government shutdown has furloughed some 3,000 FAA safety inspectors and stalled NTSB investigations. Alkalay told Forbes that the inspectors perform oversight and surveillance required under the Chicago Convention treaty. And it's possible that could have repercussions for U.S. carriers. Read More

Aircraft sales can't be completed during the government's partial shutdown because the FAA's registry office is not considered an essential function and has been closed, the Wichita Eagle reported Friday. The Eagle says the General Aircraft Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has polled its members and deliveries of 12 new airplanes scheduled for the first two days of the shutdown have not occurred. GAMA also says ten times that number of aircraft are scheduled for delivery over the next few weeks. But new aircraft sales aren't the only ones affected -- used aircraft sales are affected, too. And there are several other side effects. Read More

Compared to two years ago, aircraft owners and operators say they’re more confident in future supplies of 100-octane gasoline of some kind—no thanks to the FAA-- and fewer owners are delaying purchases or upgrades due to worries about fuel supplies. Owners are also casting a more favorable eye on mogas, even though it's available at only about 115 U.S. airports. Read More

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has agreed by consensus to address the contribution aviation makes to climate change by 2016. However, the somewhat nebulous resolution, adopted in the closing hours of the ICAO's once-every-three-years general assembly in Montreal last week, apparently doesn't guarantee that any concrete measures will result, nor does it satisfy the concerns of environmental groups who largely viewed the measure as a delaying tactic. Read More

Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) are safe for use in all phases of flight on almost all aircraft, according to information soon to be released by an FAA advisory committee and made available to The Wall Street Journal. The committee's conclusions reportedly include scores of recommendations that include lifting current restrictions on WiFi use below 10,000 feet. The recommendations refer specifically to devices used to access onboard WiFi services. The findings are expected to add weight to arguments that support gate-to-gate use of personal electronics in the passenger cabin of commercial aircraft. Cellular access has not been approved. And for many commercial flights the recommendations may not usher in substantial changes. Read More

Dynon has introduced the D2, a small portable MEMS-based AHRS true artificial horizon with WiFi suitable for use by all pilots but not certified for aircraft flown outside of the experimental and light sport categories. The WiFi connectivity can be used to transmit real-time attitude, GPS ground speed, G's, track, and altitude to an aviation application (WingX Pro7, AOPA FlyQ, BendixKing myWingMan and specific others) for display on an iPad or other smart device. Compared to the D1, the D2 also adds an extra screen with a G-meter. The new product does not replace the old one but adds to Dynon's product line and alters pricing. Read More

Two companies, Linear Air and Hopscotch Air, are hoping to spread awareness of, assess demand for, and then build on their new air taxi service launched Oct. 1, that operates the Cirrus SR-22 between White Plains, New York and Boston. Both companies are involved in other sustaining ventures, so neither depends directly on the success of the new venture for their survival. Linear Air COO Peter Schmidt told AVweb this week he expects demand to develop slowly. "You can't stimulate demand for transportation by offering it to people. People travel when they need to travel. And people need to hear the message multiple times before they start to take the message seriously." And Linear Air has a plan in place to address that. Read More

Linear Air and Hopscotch Air have teamed up to offer new a air taxi service, flying the Cirrus SR-22 between White Plains, NY and Boston. But there may be something unique about their approach -- they're starting slow. Linear Air COO Peter Schmidt explains the service and why he thinks his company's business model is positioned for long-term success where others have tried and failed. Read More

Doug Stewart writes: "AVweb's September 22 article titled 'SAFE Wants Pilot Experience Data Collected' misstates the recommendation made by the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) at the GA and Part 135 Survey stakeholders meeting. The assertion that SAFE believes "the FAA should be looking in pilots' logbooks to help it curtail the GA accident rate" is inaccurate. Moreover, the misrepresentation of our recommendation has fostered confusion and angst among pilots about the true intent of our suggested changes." ... Click through to read the rest of this letter and other mail from AVweb readers. Read More

Periodically, we run a sampling of the letters received to our editorial inbox. One letter that's particularly relevant, informative, or otherwise compelling will headline this section as our "Letter of the Week," and we'll send the author an official AVweb baseball cap as a "thank you" for interacting with us (and the rest of our readership).

Send us your comments and questions using this form. Please include your mailing address in your e-mail (just in case your letter is our "Letter of the Week"); by the same token, please let us know if your message is not intended for publication.

Read More

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, while taxiing to show parking for this years Reno Air Races, we overheard another aircraft's communication with Reno Ground that went something like this: ... Learjet: "Reno Ground, Lear 12345. Request taxi to Atlantic's main office ramp." ... Ground: "Lear 12345, are you here for the races?" ... Learjet: "Affirmative." ... Ground: "Then you will have to go to show parking." ... Learjet: "I have specific instructions to go to the main ramp at Atlantic." ... Ground: "I'm sorry, sir, but you have to go to show parking." ... Learjet: "I have a VIP on board, and I need to go to Atlantic's ramp." ... Ground: "You cannot go to Atlantic's ramp. You have to go to air show parking." ... Learjet: "I have Bob Hoover on board, and I am instructed to deliver him to Atlantic's main office on their ramp." ... Ground: "You cannot go to Atlantic's ramp. You have to go to air show parking." ... Learjet: "Do you know who Bob Hoover is?" ... Ground: "No, I don't." ... Learjet: "Then get me somebody that does." ... At this point, we needed to shut down our aircraft, so we did not hear the remainder of the communication. But, rest assured, Bob Hoover was in fact at the Reno Air Races. -- Mike Hanson (via e-mail) Read More

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.

Read More

AVweb is the world's premier independent aviation news resource, online since 1995. Our reporting, features, and newsletters are brought to you by:

Publisher
Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings
Paul Berge

Ad Coordinator
Karen Lund

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.

Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb web site 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 at (480) 525-7481

Read More