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Aircraft Spruce — A
Proud Sponsor of the Sebring Expo, January 17-20, 2008
Join Aircraft Spruce in Sebring, Florida (Tent D 18-20) on January 17-19 from 7:30-6:00pm and January 20 from 7:30-3:00pm. Sebring
Expo is the place to see, try, buy, and sell Light Sport Aircraft
(LSA). Take advantage of your favorite products on sale, complimentary
ground shipping (does not apply to hazardous or oversize products), and
staff on site to answer all questions. Call Aircraft Spruce at
1 (877) 4-SPRUCE, or
visit online. 
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| Search-And-Rescue's Permanent Home on the 'Net | | back to
top |  | |
NEW
ONLINE SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION LAUNCHED
A group of
committed volunteers who met online while participating in the
Amazon/Google search for Steve Fossett has launched a new Web site, InternetSAR.org, to
facilitate such searches in the future. "We learned a lot during the
three months or so of searching for Steve, and we didn't want that
collective wisdom to get lost," site founder Ken Barbalace told AVweb on
Wednesday. About two dozen people have pitched in to help create the
site, Barbalace said. "Our backgrounds range from pilots, professional
image analysts, a skydiver, a Web site developer, and a few programmers,
to people that just have a good eye for detail and have extra time to
devote to the search." Tutorials and protocols are being developed to
provide all searchers with feedback from senior image analysts,
Barbalace said, so they can constantly improve their reports.
Experienced searchers with proven abilities can weed out false positives
and "white noise" to help make the process more useful to
search-and-rescue teams. Currently, the site is helping in the search
for pilot Ron Boychuk, who disappeared on October 23 while he was flying
alone in a Cessna 172 from Revelstoke, in the Rocky Mountains of British
Columbia, Canada, to Vancouver Island. Volunteers, who must have Google
Earth loaded on their computer and a broadband connection, are invited
to register at the site and participate in the image analysis.
More... |
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PowerLink™ FADEC
Certified on Liberty XL-2; Is It Right for Your
Aircraft?
Liberty Aerospace is the first certified piston-powered aircraft
with PowerLink™ FADEC as standard equipment. PowerLink™
FADEC is now also available for several additional certified and
experimental aircraft, including the A-36 Bonanza and VANS RV series.
Find out how you can bring your aircraft into the state-of-the-art
online. 
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| Sturgell's FAA Admin Nomination in Jeopardy? | | back to
top | | |
CONGRESS
IN CONFLICT OVER CONFIRMING FAA ADMINISTRATOR
The
confirmation of Acting FAA Administrator Robert "Bobby" Sturgell, who
seemed like a shoo-in when President Bush nominated him in October to take on the
administrator job for the next five years, now is encountering political
turbulence. Powerful members of Congress from the Northeast are saying
they will oppose the appointment unless Sturgell agrees to
revisit plans for the ongoing redesign of the region's congested
airspace. The nomination was scheduled for review last week but now has
been postponed until after the Congressional recess. Committee spokesmen
denied any political motive to the postponement, saying they simply ran out of time. Former Administrator Marion Blakey,
now president of the Aerospace Industries Association, expressed concern
over the delay. "It is critical for the continued smooth operation of
our nation's air transportation system to have a person confirmed and
appointed for a five-year term as soon as possible," she said in a statement. More... |
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IN
HILTON HEAD, AIRPORT A PIVOTAL ISSUE
Sometimes an airport is
more than just an airport, and in Hilton Head,
S.C., it has become a symbol of the island town's future -- will
historic buildings and neighborhoods and trees be preserved, or will the
needs of business and growth and tourism prevail? The town, aligning
itself with longtime residents, has voted to restrict any expansion of
the airport without town approval. But the business
community protests that if the runway can't be lengthened, celebrities,
golfers and wealthy homeowners who want to fly bigger airplanes will
simply find somewhere else to go and spend their money.
More... |
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How Fast Can Aircraft Insurance Brokers Get You
an Answer ...
if they have to get it from someone else? That's a good question. At
Avemco, with one simple phone call, you're talking directly with
the aviation underwriter. Plus, Avemco offers consistent rates
and coverage, as well as short, easy-to-understand policies. So if
you're looking for direct answers to your aviation insurance needs, call
Avemco directly at (888) 241-7891 or
ask for a quote by visiting Avemco
online. 
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EAA
SEEKS FAA EXTENSION FOR ULTRALIGHT E-LSA CONVERSIONS
EAA has
asked the FAA to extend its January 31 deadline to allow owners of
ultralights more time to convert them to Experimental Light Sport
Aircraft status. The FAA has stated repeatedly that the final deadline
would not be elastic, but EAA says that given the backlog of applications
awaiting processing, an extension is necessary and justified. "We were
hoping that the backlog would start to shrink as we got into the fall,
but that has not been the case," said EAA's Joe Norris. "An exemption
would provide more time for FAA inspectors and Designated Airworthiness
Representatives to deal with the volume." More... |
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Bennett Avionics: Used Avionics Guidance You
Can Trust
Used avionics is Bennett Avionics' only business! Bennett
Avionics has served general aviation worldwide with reliable and
quality used avionics for over 30 years. Bennett Avionics can
help you meet your avionics needs, improve the capability of your
aircraft, and maintain your budget. Call Bennett Avionics at
(860) 653-7295, or
go online for a complete list of
available products. 
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FLORIDA
HANGAR USED AS MARIJUANA FARM
In rural Sarasota County,
Florida, police have been on the lookout for "grow houses," secluded
properties where barns and even homes are used as factories to grow
large amounts of marijuana. This week, their investigations led to an
airplane hangar at an 11-acre property in a neighborhood with a private
airstrip. The home and a hangar had been sold to new owners in February.
More... AUSTRALIA'S
NEW PRIME MINISTER OPPOSES AIRPORT NOISE
When Kevin Rudd was
sworn in as Australia's new prime minister earlier this month, among the
items on his agenda was airport noise. Rudd has worked in the past to
oppose expansion of the Brisbane Airport, and now is looking into
imposing a curfew, the Courier-Mail reported this week. The curfew could
ban aircraft operations between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., a move that
opponents say would discourage international flights and devestate the
tourism industry. During the campaign, Rudd promised hundreds of
suburbanites who live below the flightpaths that he would pursue the
curfew. Now his opponents say that he needs to put the national interest
above the needs of just a few supporters. More... |
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Join NAA and Help Shape the Next Century of
Flight
It's a great time to join the National Aeronautic Association
( NAA), the nation's oldest aviation organization. At $39 a year,
NAA membership is a terrific value for any aviation enthusiast! Members
receive the Smithsonian's Air & Space and NAA's Aero
magazines, plus access to aviation records, product discounts, and much
more. Call (703) 527-0226 to become an NAA member, or
sign up online. 
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MOTHER
AND SON SOLO ON SAME DAY
That first solo flight is special
for all pilots, but for a mother and son in Texas, it was even better
sharing the experience. AOPA reports that Steve Poteet, 43, watched as
his mother Sylvia, 64, soloed recently at Seymour Municipal Airport in
Seymour, Texas. “Then we hugged, high-fived, and I got in and did
mine,” Steve said. More... ON
THE FLY ...
A 12-year-old girl survived a 172 crash that
killed three others ...
FAA updates and clarifies Hartzell prop
Airworthiness Directive ...
FAA's Commercial Aviation Safety Team
launched a new web site. More... |
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Make Plans Now to Attend a 2008 Savvy Aviator
Seminar
Mike Busch has completed his very successful Savvy Owner Seminars
for 2007. In 2008, he'll be conducting four more in Austin, Chicago, Las
Vegas, and Norfolk. Sign up for one of these classes and learn how to
save thousands of dollars on maintenance costs, year after year. Do it
before your next annual inspection! For complete details (and to reserve
your space),
click here. 
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QUESTION
OF THE WEEK: THE TOP AVIATION STORY OF 2007
It's time to cast
an eye backward over the past year and ask, What was the biggest
aviation story of 2007? (If your nominee isn't listed, don't worry:
We've set up a temporary address at 2007@avweb.com where you can tell us your
contenders.) Plus: What did AVweb readers choose as the
next frontier for aviation? More... |
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Dual Antenna Traffic Systems Simply Perform
Better
Avidyne's dual-antenna TAS600 Systems detect other aircraft
sooner and more accurately, avoiding the shadowing effects inherent with
single-antenna systems. TAS600s actively interrogate other aircraft,
providing timely alerts and precise locations of conflicting traffic.
Starting at just $9,990, the dual-antenna TAS600 provides full-time
protection and higher performance. When it comes to safety, you want to
see the whole picture.
Go online for details. 
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FBO
OF THE WEEK: EMERALD COAST AVIATION (54J, DEFUNIAK SPRINGS,
FL)
 AVweb's
"FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Emerald
Coast Aviation at 54J in Defuniak Springs,
Florida. Emerald Coast brought a little holiday cheer to
AVweb reader Travis Turner, who stopped at the FBO "to
pick up my mother for the holidays": She had not flown
in a small plane before, and the owner Johnathan helped to reassure my
mom that flying was a safe and fun way to travel. Aside from helping to
calm her nerves, Emerald Coast has a clean facility, good prices and a
new surface on their runway. I certainly will visit
again! 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!
More... |
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The AVweb Bookstore, The Most Complete
Aviation Bookstore Anywhere
Over 400 titles representing 52 publishers are in stock and ready for
immediate delivery — as books, videos, or CDs. 100+ titles
available instantly as fully searchable e-Book downloads. Whether you
are a pilot, an A&P technician, or a kit airplane builder, if it's
worth reading, it's available from the AVweb Bookstore.
Click here to visit online. 
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PICTURE
OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
 It's our last installment of "POTW" for
2007, and AVweb readers didn't let us down this week. It seems
some of you are using the holidays to sort through your airplane photos
and submit a few to good old AVweb. (Talk about holiday cheer!)
Gary L. Jones of Clovis, New Mexico
is a frequent contributor to our weekly contests, but (until now) his
name had never shown up in our top spot. Funny enough, the photo earning
Gary a long-overdue AVweb cap is one he shot over 20 years ago,
"during a takeoff from RAF Mildenhall" in the U.K. Thanks for digging
through the album, Gary!
Each week, we go through dozens
(and sometimes hundreds) of reader-submitted photos and pick the very
best to share with you on Thursday mornings. The top photos are featured
on AVweb's home page, and one photo that stands above the others is
awarded an AVweb baseball cap as our "Picture of the Week."
More... |
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Choose the Flight Explorer Edition Right for
You
Flight Explorer is an information system tracking commercial and
general aviation flights. With the Flight Explorer Personal
Edition, view air traffic for the U.S., Canada, or New Zealand and
monitor and display real-time delay information, TFRs, SUAs, and more.
With the Flight Explorer Pilot Edition, view weather along a
route, receive alerts with your preliminary flight plan, and have an
e-mail sent to someone on departure or arrival.
Click here for more information and to
subscribe. 
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MEET
THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM
AVwebFlash is a weekly
summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events
featured on AVweb, the
internet's aviation magazine and news service. The
AVwebFlash 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
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? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's
sales team. If you're having
trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd
prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device),
there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete
instructions on making the switch, click
here. Aviate.
Navigate. Communicate. More... |
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Some things old, some things
new and a few things out of the blue make up the way we navigate. Answer
the following questions correctly, and you're cleared
direct-to-anywhere-in-the-world with your GPS.