FEDERAL BUDGET FREE OF AVIATION USER FEES
The budget plan released by the White House this week drops last year's proposal to impose aviation user fees, and instead retains the traditional FAA funding formula of taxes on tickets and fuel plus a general-fund contribution. "We have waged a 12-month campaign since the moment we learned of a planned $9.6 billion fee," AOPA President Craig Fuller said on Monday. "General aviation organizations worked together to prevent the realization of a policy that could have crippled GA." Other advocacy groups expressed similar relief, while noting that the budget addresses the issue only for the next fiscal year. "The industry must remain vigilant to ensure that any future user fee proposals are unsuccessful," said James Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association. Ed Bolen, president of NBAA, also advised caution. "Whether or not this is an indication of a permanent policy shift on user fees, or a one-time development remains to be determined," he said. "Our industry must continue to make its voice heard on this and other issues." More...

NTSB CONCLUDES PILOT'S ACTIONS CAUSED COLGAN CRASH
The probable cause of the Colgan Air crash that killed 50 people near Buffalo, N.Y., a year ago was the captain's inappropriate response, characterized as "startle and confusion," after the stick shaker was activated, pulling back when he should have pushed forward, the NTSB reported in a hearing on Tuesday. Contributing factors included the crew's failure to monitor airspeed and their violation of the sterile-cockpit rule. In the daylong hearing, which ran past 7 p.m., the board split over the issue of whether or not fatigue was a contributing factor in the accident. Board chairman Deborah Hersman argued that several factors, including the crew's sleep deficits and the time of day the accident took place, indicated that fatigue was present, and should be counted as a contributing factor to the crew's performance. But the view of board member Robert Sumwalt prevailed -- he said just because the crew was fatigued, that doesn't mean it was a factor in their performance. More...

LAHOOD RAPS USA TODAY'S MAINTENANCE INVESTIGATION
Department of Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood came out swinging Tuesday against a USA Today report that alleged that 65,000 airline flights over the last six years occurred in aircraft that were not properly maintained. The newspaper said the findings surfaced after a six-month investigation into maintenance practices by the airlines and oversight by the FAA found both lacking. On his blog, Lahood said FAA inspectors are constantly monitoring maintenance and the recent airline safety record is evidence of that. "Contrary to the assertion in USA Today, we are not allowing flights to leave the ground in 'unsafe condition,'" Lahood wrote. He noted the FAA's proposal to fine American Eagle Airlines $2.5 million for faulty weight-and-balance calculations on 154 flights is proof that the FAA is serious about safety. More...

CONCORDE CRASH TRIAL BEGINS
Five people, including two Continental Airlines employees, face up to five years in prison if a French court finds them responsible for the crash of an Air France Concorde supersonic airliner near Paris almost 10 years ago. A four-month trial has begun into the July 25, 2000, crash that killed all 109 people on the airplane and four employees of the hotel the airliner, trailing a tongue of flame, hit when it crashed. The five, along with Continental itself, are charged with involuntary manslaughter. The case centers around investigators' findings that a piece of metal fell from a Continental DC-10 that departed Charles de Gaulle Airport immediately before the Concorde started its roll. The investigation says the metal, which was traced to the DC-10, shredded a tire on the Concorde and debris pierced the brim-full fuel tanks causing the fire that brought the aircraft down. Continental will argue that maintenance and design faults led to the disaster and that the aircraft involved should not have been flying that day. More...

OPTIMISM AT SINGAPORE AIR SHOW
One of Asia's biggest aviation events, the Singapore Air Show, opened today and while there are not expected to be any monumental announcements, there is a theme of conservative optimism about the show and there is some money being made. Cessna opened the show with the statement that Asia has been a rock in the otherwise turbulent aviation market. "This region has been one of the strongest for Cessna during the most recent downturn. It has been least affected by the economic climate and financing issues facing the rest of the world," said Cessna VP Roger Whyte. Cessna didn't make any order announcements but did issue reminders of a deal for five Mustangs to the Singapore Flying College and 30 Grand Caravans to Susi Air in Indonesia. Embraer has its usual major presence at the show. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: DO STUNTS HELP OR HURT?
In the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli recounts a conversation he recently had over Matt and Chet Pipkin's upcoming shot at the world flight endurance record. The record attempt is unquestionably a stunt — but is that a bad thing? Read Paul's thoughts and add your own at the AVweb Insider. More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 100,000 AIR BP BRAVO REWARD POINTS

Now's your chance to win 100,000 Air BP Bravo Rewards Points as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year. If you've already entered for the previous Bose Headset drawing, you're all set — no need to register again.)

And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)

Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time February 19, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

Congratulations to Ron Goin of Idaho Falls, ID, who won the Bose Aviation Headset X! (click here to get your own from Bose Corporation)

HAD AN ENGINE OVERHAUL? AVIATION CONSUMER WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE
Aviation Consumer is conducting a survey to hear your experiences with engine overhaul shops. Whether the experience was propulsion bliss or aggravation of a new order, please take a couple minutes to let others know how it went. Your response will help inform an article on engine shops for Aviation Consumer magazine. Click here to participate. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: ROTAX ENGINE ESSENTIALS
What's special about preflighting the Rotax engines found on most LSAs? Tim Brooks, Director of Maintenance for Heart of Virginia Aviation, takes you on a just-the-facts tour explaining what you're looking for and why it's important. More...

MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

The AVwebBiz team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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