TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL PLANS CERTIFIED DIESEL WITHIN TWO YEARS
With the future of 100LL avgas looking ever more iffy, Teledyne Continental's new president, Rhett Ross, says the company is planning to aggressively develop a diesel or heavy fuel engine for certification in late 2009 or early 2010. "We are kicking off a major aerospace engine project this year with some realistically aggressive targets," Ross told AVweb's Paul Bertorelli in a detailed podcast interview last week. Ross says TCM would like to ground demonstrate a prototype later in 2008 or early 2009, probably in the 300-horsepower range, thus making a nice fit with the company's IO-550 series that dominates the high-performance gasoline engine market. More...

NEW GUIDANCE FOR KITBUILT AIRCRAFT ON THE WAY
On Friday, the FAA published the final report (PDF) from the Amateur-Built Aircraft Aviation Rulemaking Committee that outlines plans to keep the "home" in homebuilt. There will be a public comment period, which EAA predicts will be announced in April or May, and the FAA intends to have a final rule by October. The report follows months of work by the FAA and industry representatives in an attempt to curb flagrant violations of the experimental/amateur-built rules, which state that individuals must complete a “major portion” of the aircraft to be eligible for registration in that category. The report acknowledges that some companies provide de facto manufacturing facilities for kitbuilt aircraft in which the builder does little actual work. “In the most extreme cases, other persons fabricate and assemble the major portion of an amateur-built aircraft for the applicant,” according to the report. More...

D-JET TO BE BUILT IN LONDON, ONT.
Diamond Aircraft confirmed on the weekend that its five-passenger D-Jet will be built at its London, Ont., facilities after the Canadian government announced it was giving the company a “$19.6 million strategic, repayable investment.” The money is being provided under a new aerospace business incentive program. “This investment will play a vital role in enabling our company to complete the final development, flight testing and certification of the D-Jet, and to complete our transition to production,” said Peter Maurer, president of Diamond Aircraft Industries. “There is already tremendous demand for this new aircraft.” The Ontario government earlier chipped in $11 million. More...

SUPERSONIC UAV NEARLY READY TO BE SHOT DOWN
Composite Engineering Inc. of Sacramento, Calif., has announced the successful flight of its newest supersonic unmanned aerial target system, the . The aircraft achieved sustained supersonic flight Jan. 31, 2008, at the U.S. Navy Pt. Mugu Test Range. The aircraft is powered by a Microturbo turbojet and equipped with an avionics suite from Microsystems. CEi expects to complete its demonstration contract by the end of the Q1 2008. Sometime after that, the BQM-167X may be ready to be blown out of the sky, regularly -- shot at and shot down as part of weapons and weapons systems projects. The BQM-167A aerial target system is currently used by the U.S. Air Force for all subscale target missions at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. More...

HOUSE PASSES FAA FUNDING EXTENSION
The House of Representatives has arranged for the FAA to remain funded through June 30, including provisions for $2.76 billion in "contract authority" to restart the suspended Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Timing is seen as key to AIP construction projects that can be negatively impacted by weather if those projects are not started early in the year. The Senate must now approve the extension prior to the current funding's expiration -- currently set for Feb. 29. Major industry players are expected to step forward to press governmental powers to see beyond the conflicts and confusion surrounding funding mechanisms (read: the user-fee argument) and secure FAA reauthorization. Many of those major players could become contract winners should this year's reauthorization provide for development of the NextGen satellite-based air traffic control system currently sought by the FAA. More...

HEALTH STUDY: AIRCRAFT NOISE AND BLOOD PRESSURE
"Nighttime aircraft noise can affect your blood pressure instantly and increase the risk of hypertension," according to Dr. Lars Jarup of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College, London. ...And so can sleeping next to someone who snores, according to a study co-authored by Jarup and published in the February issue of the European Heart Journal. Researchers remotely measured the blood pressure of 140 volunteers and analyzed the noise level in each person's bedroom. The sample included people living near London's Heathrow, and airports in Athens, Milan and Stockholm. Noticeable increases in blood pressure were correlated with increases in noise levels reaching more than 35 decibels -- which can be similar to the amount of noise generated by snoring or nearby automobile traffic. The level of noise, according to researchers, was the key factor. The type of noise was not. More...

RAYTHEON BUSINESS JET RESCUED FROM RUNWAY OVERRUN
The Leesburg Executive Airport in Leesburg, Va., (JYO) was closed for nearly two days last week after a Raytheon 390 Premier 1 business jet slid off the end of an ice-slicked runway on Tuesday night. No injuries were reported. While it normally takes just a few hours at the most to tow a disabled aircraft onto a flatbed truck and haul it out of the way, this rescue turned into a major production, hence the two-day headache for local pilots. More...

ASPEN AVIONICS EVOLUTION FLIGHT DISPLAY
Aspen Avionics recently completed its TSO performance tests and final systems integration testing and is ready for final FAA certification test flights for its EFD1000. The digital electronics glass panel LCD cockpit display consolidates primary flight data and is designed vertically (the display is a vertical rectangle) with pairs of instruments -- one on top (an EFIS, for example), and one on the bottom (maybe an HSI). System software versions allow the units to function as primary flight displays (PFD) or multi-function displays (MFD). They are designed to work with whatever is currently in your panel and built to fit into a top instrument hole, replacing both it and the instrument below it simultaneously. Test flights are expected to take place almost immediately. A Cirrus SR22, Cessna 412C and multiple Pipers have been or will soon be used for test installations. At last check, the Cirrus was scheduled to begin testing at Aspen's Albuquerque headquarters on Valentine's Day. Pricing for units is currently just under $6000 not including professional installation. More...

DC-9 RUNS AMOK AT VENEZUELAN AIRPORT
There were apparently no serious injuries but it looks like it might be awhile before an Aserca Airlines DC-9 is back in service after a bizarre accident at Simon Bolivar Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, last week. According to the aviation Web site volarenvenezuela.com,the aircraft apparently left a hangar with both engines running and crossed a runway and a taxiway before coming to rest with at least part of its gear collapsed in the infield. Details are sketchy but the report says whoever was at the controls was unable to turn or brake the aircraft. More...

ON THE FLY ...
US Airways planes clip wings in Washington…Young pilots killed in helicopter/airplane collision…Steve Fossett has been delared dead. More...

AVMAIL: FEB. 18, 2008
Reader mail this week about ATC, ethanol, Adam Aircraft and more. More...

TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTERIOR SHOP
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is preparing a report on interior shops. If you recently had an interior redone, the editors would like to hear from you, whether the experience was good or bad. To take part in the online survey, click here.

The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers

PROBABLE CAUSE #52: BURDEN OF OWNERSHIP
Some airworthiness directives may not seem all that important. Others are critical. More...

LIGHTSPEED ZULU HEADSET REVIEW
Is LightSPEED's new ANR headset good enough -- quiet, cool, comfortable -- to unseat Bose from the top of the class? More...

MAKE ROOM IN THE AERODIESEL MARKET, THIELERT — TCM TELLS AVIATION CONSUMER ABOUT SOME BIG ENGINE PLANS
With Diamond and Cessna onboard, the German-based Thielert Group dominates the aerodiesel market. But Teledyne-Continental would like to change this and has announced its intention to aggressively develop its own heavy fuel or Jet A engine for certification, possibly as early as 2009. In this detailed podcast, TCM's Rhett Ross tells Aviation Consumer editor Paul Bertorelli that the company will ground-demonstrate a diesel later this year or early next. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SANTA YNEZ AIRPORT (KIZA, SANTA YNEZ, CA)

You guys have been doing a lot of flying lately! We received more "FBO of the Week" nominations over the last seven days than we have in months. Despite some outstanding recommendations, we're awarding our "FBO of the Week" ribbon to the FBO at Santa Ynez Airport at KIZA in Santa Ynez, California.

Not only do they have a great webcam on their site (where you can check real-time fuel prices and ground conditions at a glance), but they inspired this heartfelt endorsement from AVweb reader Eric Cobb:

This is the way airports used to be, and I believe [Santa Ynez] is the best small airport in the U.S. Made me feel like a kid 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!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ILYUSHIN IL76 NAIL-BITING RUNWAY TAKE-OFF
A couple of weeks ago, we ran a pretty impressive video of some Alaskan pilots doing short-runway take-offs. This week, we offer up something that can only be described as the opposite — a Russian Ilyushin IL76 freighter making the most of a runway that seems nail-bitingly short in this clip from YouTuber jerrabomb. (Click through to watch.)

"NSFW" Note: This video does contain some objectionable language — you'll see why as you wait for the Ilyushin to take to the air — so keep that in mind when playing it at the office or in the company of others. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AMAZING FEATS OF AVIATION — DHL BAGHDAD
Recounting one of the most impressive feats in recent aviation history, AVweb video editor Glenn Pew recalls the circumstances of the DHL A300 shot by a surface-to-air missile over Baghdad. The crew successfully landed the aircraft without the ability to manipulate any control surfaces. (Note: The aircraft shown in simulation is a Boeing 777, not an Airbus A300.) (Click through to watch.) More...

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

I was on the ILS into Oakland, California one busy dav and was cleared to land behind two other aircraft that were in the pattern. The pilot of the aircraft ahead of me was clearly flustered:

Piper:
"Tower, is Piper One Two Three cleared to land?"

Tower:
"Piper One Two Three, yes, you're cleared to land. Runway 27 Right, number two behind a Cessna just passing over the numbers."

Piper:
"Okay, Piper One Two Three cleared to land behind the Cessna."

[pause]

Piper:
"I don't see him."

[pause]

Piper:
"Tower, is Piper One Two Three number one to land on 27 Right?"

Tower:
"Piper One Two Three, you are soooo number one."

John Ewing
via e-mail

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry. Business AVflash is a must read. Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/. More...

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

Managing Editor
Meredith Saini

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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