Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s testing of GAMI’s G100UL unleaded fuel looks promising, the school told AVweb last week, and it says it sees no reason why the fuel can’t be a drop-in replacement for 100LL. Embry Riddle wants to stop using leaded aviation fuel at its two campuses as soon as it can. Read More

Redbird’s Skyport in San Marcos, Texas, will be selling avgas for a dollar a gallon throughout the month of October. What’s the catch? There really isn’t one, other than the company will ask fuel buyers to participate in a brief survey probing their views on flying habits and how—or even if—the cost of flying affects those views and, especially, flying behavior. Redbird aims to find out if the high cost of flying really is the reason people do less of it. Read More

Garmin has announced a planned G5000 retrofit for Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP aircraft. The company hopes it will have the STC ready in 2015. Although both designs are out of production, hundreds remain in service and Garmin VP Carl Wolf said the glass cockpit will modernize the legacy bizjet. Read More

The first Embraer Legacy 650 assembled in China has flown and first delivery of the China-built aircraft is on track for the end of this year. Embraer announced last year that had formed a joint venture with Aviation Industry Corporation of China called Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry to build the large-cabin business aircraft. Read More

The North Sea oil industry is scrambling for helicopters after operators voluntarily grounded all variants of Eurocopter Super Puma helicopters last Friday. Super Pumas carry about half the personnel and freight required to service oil rigs in the region. The helicopters were grounded after the crash of a CHC AS332L-2 variant of the twin-engine, single-rotor utility aircraft in the North Sea. Four people died in the crash, which various media report is the fifth fatal crash of the type in four years. Read More

The pilot of an experimental Cessna 182 JT-A with an SMA diesel engine reported that his "engine blew" during a test flight last week, and he landed safely in a field near Wichita, Kan., according to local news reports. "The flight was a part of the normal certification process, which up to date has been running the normal course," Cessna spokesman Andy Woodward told the Wichita Eagle. The pilot was not hurt and the airplane "appears to have not suffered any significant damage," Woodward said, adding that the aircraft inspection was ongoing. At EAA AirVenture, the company said the 182 JT-A is scheduled to start deliveries later this year. The SMA engine, made by Safran, is expected to use up to 40 percent less fuel than a comparable avgas engine. Read More

While old airframes may keep soldiering on, the instruments and radios in the panels usually don't. At AirVenture this year, Electronics International rolled out a new instrument designed to replace older instruments, including tachometers, engines instruments, and other indicators. In this video, EI's Tyler Speed gives us a quick product tour of the new CGR-30P. Read More

As the quest for a replacement for 100LL drags into its third decade, our sister publication Aviation Consumer, is seeking opinions from owners, pilots and aircraft operators on how you think the process is going. The FAA has established a special office devoted to a replacement for 100LL and piston fuel in general. We would like to know if you've followed the process and if so, what you think of it. And how about mogas? We have some questions on that, too. Read More

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