GLOBAL EXPRESSES, G550 IN COLLAPSED HANGAR

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The bill to general aviation from last weekend's massive snowstorm on the east coast could hit tens of millions of dollars and most of that could come from the partial collapse of one building at Dulles International Airport. As we reported Saturday, part of the roof of Dulles Jet Center came down under the weight of the snow. At the time, all that was known was that there were aircraft inside but photos provided to AVweb by a reader show a scene that is enough to make any insurance executive shiver. Two Bombardier Global Express jets and a Gulfstream 550 appear to be in takeoff attitude inside the hangar, their tails pushed to the floor under the weight of the crushed structure of the building. It's not immediately known whether they can be repaired and it might be tricky getting them out from under the twisted steel. More...

BOEING 747-8 FIRST FLIGHT
Boeing's latest airliner took off for the first time Monday at 12:39 p.m. The Boeing 747-8 was scheduled for a four-hour flight around the Pacific Northwest after a smooth liftoff from Paine Field. It landed at 4:18 p.m. after an uneventful flight to check basic handling and engine performance. The aircraft is the longest ever built by Boeing and the first test article is a cargo version. The passenger version will follow in about a year and will carry up to 467 people in three classes. The cockpit is virtually identical to that of the 787 Dreamliner and passenger amenities will be similar.

Related Content:
Boeing's video and air-to-air photos of the flight

FAA CALLS FOR COMMENT ON PILOT CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
As part of the FAA's effort to improve airline safety following last year's Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, N.Y., the agency on Monday issued an "advance notice of proposed rulemaking" seeking input about what kind of training and certification should be required for pilots flying in Part 121 airline jobs. The FAA seeks comments on several points, such as, should all airline first officers be ATP rated, should academic credit count toward ratings, and should commercial pilots be required to meet a higher flight-hour minimum or acquire an added endorsement to fly in a Part 121 crew. "We must build on the current pilot certification system and make it even stronger," said Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation. "Our nation's airlines should have the best-trained and best-prepared pilots in the cockpit." FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said he is looking for new ways to measure pilot competence other than merely counting flight hours. "Experience is not measured by flight time alone," said Babbitt. "Pilots need to have quality training and experience appropriate to the mission to be ready to handle any situation they encounter." The public has 60 days to send comments to the FAA. Those comments will be incorporated into an NPRM which will also be open to public comment. More...

EMBRY-RIDDLE: INDUSTRY TO REBOUND IN 2010, BUT ...
Manufacturing in aerospace "may help lead the U.S. economy out of recession" in 2010, according to a study by Embry-Riddle's Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership. While the Center's study (the Aerospace Economic Report and Outlook for 2010) suggests that the rate of recovery could be relatively quick, as compared to other sectors of the economy, it also shows what Embry-Riddle calls an "ominous trend." The study cites a strong shift toward "the importation of aerospace components and parts." While the U.S. continues to lead in the exportation of aircraft, "a growing percentage of the components that go into the assembled aircraft are being produced overseas," says the study. That may lead to other economic and national security concerns, according to the school. Those concerns, and the full results of the study, will be discussed at Embry-Riddle's first Aviation and Aerospace Manufacturing Summit, to be held Feb. 22-24, in Orlando, Fla. More...

CESSNA ROLLS OUT 300TH CITATION MUSTANG
Cessna Thursday announced that it has completed its 300th Citation Mustang, to be "delivered later this year to a retail customer in Australia." The mark follows delivery of the first Mustang (April, 2007) by a span of less than three years. Announced first at the 2002 National Business Aviation Association convention, Cessna had the first Mustang flying by April of 2005. Thought to see competition from the Eclipse 500, an early inspiration to the entire very light jet market, the Citation Mustang went on to become the first fully certified "entry-level business jet" and currently sells for just over $3 million loaded with Garmin avionics and powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines. More...

DELTA AIMS TO PREVENT CREW OVERFLIGHTS
Dispatchers at Delta Air Lines will soon be able to contact flight crews with special sound alerts, rather than text messages only, to avoid an incident like the one last October when two distracted pilots overflew their destination by more than an hour, the airline has told the NTSB. In a document filed with the safety board, the airline said it is changing its software so dispatchers will be able to send aural alerts to Airbus A320 and A319 cockpits, in addition to text messages. The two pilots, who at the time were operating as a Northwest Airlines flight, told investigators they were at a loss to explain how they flew so far off course without noticing. The Air Line Pilots Association told the NTSB it would also be a good idea to consider installing "crew alertness monitors" on A320s that automatically sound an alert and trigger red flashing lights if the crew goes quiet for too long. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association agreed in its statement to the NTSB that an aural alert system would be a good idea. More...

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AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE BAD SECURITY LINES WORSE?
Because they're human, that's why, and they don't realize their own bumbling makes things worse for everyone. But Paul Bertorelli blogs that he tries not to be one of them in the latest installment of the AVweb Insider. Read more and add your comments. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AVWEB'S G100UL FLIGHT TEST
For nearly three decades, general aviation has been struggling to find an unleaded replacement for 100LL avgas. General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) in Ada, Oklahoma says they've found it. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli recently took a test flight to see how the new fuel works. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: HOW THE AMATEUR CHALLENGER EXPLOSION VIDEO WENT PUBLIC
Twenty-four years after the event, what may be the only amateur video shot of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion has gone public. A Presidential commission resolved the accident took place on a day that was 15° colder than any previous launch ... and that the 36° launch-time temperature was a contributing factor. More...

LANCAIR REORGANIZES SALES
Lancair has added Doug Walker to its sales staff. He'll cover the eastern U.S. and Canada. Neal Longwill has moved from Redmond to Texas to handle the south/central area, and Chelsea Welch remains in Redmond to take care of the western U.S. and Canada.
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...

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...

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.)

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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.

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