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| The Future of Flight, As Seen From Capitol Hill | back to top |  |
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FAA to Congress: FSS Still Needs Work
The FAA says that calls are being routed to specialists with expertise in the calling pilot's area, not just to the next available briefer. Specialists are being offered bonuses if they train and qualify to handle multiple service areas. Still, the FAA is standing by its original target of saving $2.2 billion over the 13-year contract period. Lockheed Martin averaged 650,000 operations a month during the report period, and received a total of 1,724 complaints. Pilots can submit comments and complaints on the AFSS Web site or by calling 888-FLT-SRVC (888-358-7782).
GAO Calls Weather Service Restructure Goals “Overly Ambitious”
"FAA's estimated time frames for providing the revised services may be overly ambitious," Powner said. "Given the importance of accurate and timely weather information in air traffic control, it will be important for NWS to conduct a thorough evaluation before it transitions to a new operational concept in order to ensure that there are no impacts on the continuity of air traffic operations and no degradation of weather service." The FAA is asking the NWS to submit plans for three operational concepts, from which the FAA will choose one in August. The options are to improve services but maintain the existing configuration at the 21 CWSUs, with a 90-day transition period; provide remote services through a reduced number of regional facilities, with a 180-day transition period; or provide remote services through a single centralized facility, with a one-year transition period.
Eugene D. Juba, senior vice president for finance services at the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, also testified before the committee Tuesday. He said the FAA spends over $200 million a year on aviation weather services, with $12 million of that going to support 84 NWS employees located at the 21 centers. "We believe the NWS is committed to providing their best response to these requirements," Juba said. "We believe GAO is on target with its analysis identifying shortcomings and variability in some of the existing CWSU support for FAA," testified NWS Director Jack L. Hayes. He noted that the NWS is actively involved in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) development through its participation on the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) Board and in providing leadership for the JPDO Weather Working Group. |
While pilots across the country continue to gripe about Lockheed Martin's handling of the Automated Flight Service
Station (AFSS) contract, the FAA says it's taking corrective actions to ensure pilots get the information they need, according to a report submitted to Congress. Lost or misfiled flight plans and
lackluster briefer knowledge of a pilot's proposed flying area top the list of grievances, according to the report. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association notes on 
In testimony presented Tuesday on Capitol Hill before the
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| Runway Safety | back to top | |
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Runway Red Lights -- Solution Or Stopgap?
The new lights at LAX should be up and running by early next year. The LAX system will be the first to include installations on high-speed exit taxiways.
Tangier Island Airport Runway Improvements Approved
"We only have 550 residents, and raising that kind of money is not the easiest thing to do," said Airport Manager Renee Tyler. Bids for the project are expected to go out in April, with construction completed later this year. Tyler said the runway will be shortened from its current 2,950 feet to 2,700 feet to provide a greater safety zone between the sea wall and the threshold on the south end. "Being out in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, it's very costly to get a portable mixer out to the island," Wolff said. "The idea was, once the runway could be resurfaced, VDOT could piggyback on that to do the runway at the same time." |
It might seem like a sensible solution, especially at big airports with a complex array of taxiways and runways -- embed red lights
into the runway pavement at the intersections. It's been tried at Dallas-Fort Worth and in San Diego, and reports are positive. But the technology is simply a "a stopgap measure," according to FAA
Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell. "Runway status lights are one way to drive down incursions, but they’re not the best way," 
The Accomack County, Virginia Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday night to approve funding that will literally
pave the way for long-awaited runway and apron improvements at the Tangier Island Airport, located in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Over the years, pilots have developed a love-hate relationship with the
lumpy, bumpy runway at Tangier Island, which is best known throughout the mid-Atlantic region for its
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| Technology Watch | back to top | |
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FAA Says ADS-B Coming To Gulf, AOPA Notes Downside
In the Gulf, however, oil companies and helicopter companies are facilitating the installation of the equipment, flying crews out to the platforms. Because of the lack of radar coverage, controllers have maintained 20 miles of separation (based on position reports) between aircraft. ADS-B will allow much closer separation limits while increasing safety and efficiency, the FAA says. The technology was first deployed in Alaska, where it was credited with contributing to a dramatic improvement in safety.
Xerion Gets STC For Bonanza Engine Monitors
Last July, Xerion earned an STC for the Bonanza A36, and company vice president Eric Hathaway told AVweb that they’ve submitted an application to get STC approval for the units in all Cessna and Piper single-engine aircraft, except for newer "glass panel" models that already have digital engine instrumentation. "The process of going from a single model certification to an approved model list brings up a lot of discussion about where the display is mounted in the panel," Hathaway said. "Now that we move into Cessna and Piper, we've already worked through the largest issue which is where is it going to be installed in the panel." That spot is right in the middle of the panel, and to date, 45 Bonanzas have been retrofitted with the AuRACLE. Hathaway said installation of the unit takes about 30-45 hours. The equipment is priced at between $5,450 and $6,300 depending on the size of the engine being monitored. |
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) gear will be up and running in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of next year, Acting 
Xerion Avionix of Canandaigua, N.Y., on Monday received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) to install its AuRACLE line of
full-color, digital engine monitors in virtually every model of Beechcraft Bonanza.
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| News Briefs | back to top | |
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N.J. Lighter-Than-Air Company Expanding
The company's blimp hangar is about 1,000 feet long, and once launched Navy "K" airships during World War II. The airships were instrumental in combating enemy submarines that prowled the coastline. TCOM has operated at the Elizabeth City site since 1973.
Oscars Tie Up Organ Transplant Aircraft, Corporate Citation Delivers
Organs must be harvested and then transplanted within hours for them to function successfully. Thanks to the Telus jet, which the company provided for free, the transplant team was able to harvest the organs and have them working in the seven grateful patients in time. Brian Parsons, a 43-year-old firefighter from Vernon, B.C., got the donor’s heart and said he hopes to soon return to the active job and life he enjoyed before his own heart became enlarged. "It was just one of those things where timing was not its best and all the jets not being available. ... I'm so grateful because I know the outcome could have been very different," he said. |
One of the more interesting landmarks to spot while flying in a small airplane is a blimp hangar. There aren't that many of them, they
are huge and unmistakable, and they bring to mind the kind of low and slow treetop flying that many GA pilots find appealing. One of those hangars can be spotted near Elizabeth City, N.C., where TCOM
builds airships and various kinds of lighter-than-air vehicles. And apparently the market for lighter-than-air is growing, because last week the company broke ground for a new 40,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility. The space will be used to build unmanned, tethered balloons, known as aerostats, as part of an Army contract. TCOM also will develop and test an aerostat for an emergency
communications system for use during natural disasters.
As the stars and their entourages headed to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards a real-life melodrama was playing out in British Columbia and a corporate jet flew to the rescue. Officials with the B.C.
Transplant Society told the Globe and Mail that last Thursday when they tried to charter a jet from any of 11 companies that normally provides the service, they were told none was available. "As a
result of the Oscars going on in California, all of the [charter] jets had been spoken for," Bill Barrable, executive director of B.C. Transplant told the newspaper. "We were in a situation where we
could not secure a jet in the tight time frame that we needed to." At stake were seven organs ready for harvest from a man who had died in a rural town several hundred miles from Vancouver, where
seven patients were awaiting life-saving or life-enhancing transplants. So Barrable called his friend and former college mate Robert McFarlane, the CFO of Telus, a large Canadian telecommunications
company, and the firm’s Citation was on the way within an hour.
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| News Briefs | back to top | |
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AVweb Founder Mike Busch Honored By FAA
In retirement (if that's what you could call it) he earned his A&P and inspection authorization. Busch married his mechanical expertise to his well-developed communications skills, and he's been a popular columnist and lecturer on piston aircraft maintenance ever since. In addition to his work with AVweb, Busch writes for American Bonanza Society Magazine, Cessna Pilots Association Magazine, and Cirrus Pilot. He's also a sought-after speaker at most general aviation gatherings and holds weekend Savvy Aviator seminars all over the U.S.
On the Fly ...You can now buy advance tickets online for EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, coming up in July...
A 43-year-old pilot for GB Airways, a British airline, died while working on an A320 flight between Manchester and Cyprus. The flight diverted to Istanbul and landed safely. The pilot died of natural causes, apparently a heart attack, officials said...
A United Air Lines A320 slid off a runway into the snow at Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming on Monday; nobody was hurt...
An Embraer 170 jet and a United A319 clipped wings Sunday evening while taxiing at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. Nobody was hurt, and crews checked both aircraft for damage.
AVweb's Newstips Address ...
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AVweb founder and now our popular "Savvy Aviator" columnist Mike Busch has been named the FAA's AMT of the Year in the National GA Awards. Other winners included Timothy Daniel "Tim"
Adkison of Benton, Kentucky - Avionics Technician of the Year; Max Trescott of Mountain View, California - Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year, and John Anthony Teipen of University City,
Missouri - FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Mike Busch founded AVweb in 1995 after retiring as a software developer, and at the same time he started getting serious about learning
how to maintain and fix his own airplane.
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
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| New on AVweb | back to top | |
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Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers
Across the Pond #14: Report from Europe
AVweb's Liz Moscrop has the latest Euro-aviation news, including changes in pilot ratings, expansion of Mustang and Diamond sales, and more.
Click here for the full story.
IMC Rating Gets a Possible ReprieveI wrote about the loss of the IMC rating last month, and the issue is not going anywhere for a while. However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon for U.K. IMC-rating holders. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has indicated that it could be in favor of preserving the IMC. Opinion is divided across Europe on the safety of the license, with many states believing that in order to fly in IMC conditions, pilots should have a full instrument rating (IR). Speaking at a briefing in London at the end of last month, Eric Sivel, deputy head of flight standards at EASA, said that the U.K. CAA had fought hard to keep the IMC rating during negotiations with EASA's governing committee, which is made up of representatives from all 27 states of the European Union. From February, EASA is due to cover Flight Crew Licensing, which had previously been under the jurisdiction of individual national authorities. There will then be a four-year limit to change to new pan-European licensing rules, which will come into effect in March 2012. U.K. accident statistics support the notion that the IMC rating saves lives, rather than persuading its holders to fly in dangerous conditions. Many British pilots feel that the present European IR for private pilots is onerous, requiring some 300 hours of ground school and aimed at those wishing to pursue careers as commercial pilots. At GBP12,000 (approx $24,000), it is also much more expensive than the equivalent U.S. IR, which comes in at around GBP5,000 (approx $10,000). The current IMC is priced at around GBP2,250 (approx $5,500). Suggestions to resolve the issue include a simpler Euro IR for PPLs, or possibly a new European IMC rating. Eric Sivel is urging private pilots to get involved in the discussions.
Britain's AOPA Invokes Human Rights Law to Save BCPLAOPA U.K. is calling on human-rights legislation to save the restricted Basic Commercial Pilots License (BCPL), the ticket that allows British flying instructors to earn money for their skill. The BCPL is under threat because of the new EASA legislation outlined above. The license is due to disappear, along with all other national licenses, and be amalgamated into new pan-European ratings. However, AOPA argues that because the 400 to 500 instructors flying on the license in the U.K. will automatically lose their jobs, the new regime will contravene European human-rights laws, which state that every citizen has the right to work and that employment cannot arbitrarily be taken away. Writing in British AOPA's GA Magazine, CEO Martin Robinson said, "The Treaty of Rome, the Treaty of Amsterdam, every European major treaty enshrines this principle. You are protected by law from being forced out of work, and if EASA persists with this course, it will be acting contrary to European law." Situations like this provide just one of the many reasons why it's worth joining AOPA, to give a united voice to GA pilots throughout Euroland.
Clean Sky Launch for Europe as AgustaWestland Pledges Greener Helis
Brussels launched its "Clean Sky Program" on Feb. 5. The new research program, based on applying joint technology-initiatives within the European Union, aims to create sustainable air travel by encouraging the aeronautical industry to develop and produce cleaner, greener and quieter aircraft. One of the founding members of the working group, Italy's AgustaWestland, has announced that it has committed to investing in technologies and processes that reduce the impact on the environment in all phases of the life-cycle of rotorcraft, from manufacturing, through operation, and up to disposal. There are no further details yet, but watch this space.
New Euro ATC System Development Starts in EarnestIn news that is going to reshape air traffic control in Europe forever, NATS, the U.K.'s air traffic services provider, has awarded a contract worth GBP47 million (approx. $94 million) to Spanish IT business Indra to build the next generation of flight data-processing equipment. In what is a major step towards creating Europe's new air traffic control system, NATS and Indra engineers will work together on this complex and technically demanding project. Other European countries are also analyzing the new system, called iTEC-eFDP (interoperability Through European Collaboration -- european Flight Data Processing). The project is designed to operate within the overall iTEC-eFDP framework being developed jointly by NATS and Indra with the Spanish air navigation service provider, AENA, and its German counterpart, DFS. The system can also slot into the SESAR project, which is aimed at harmonizing air traffic management across Europe by 2020. The European Commission and Eurocontrol, the co-coordinating body for air traffic in Europe, drive SESAR. NATS' Supply Chain Director Chris Odam said, "We have a strong business collaboration with Indra that is highly valued by both organisations. It is this breadth of activity and the already strong personal relationships between key players in our organisations that will make our working together a success." NATS manages some of the most complex and busiest airspace in the world and handled almost 2.5 million flights last year. It provides air traffic services at 15 airports in the U.K., including Heathrow and Gatwick. Indra is one of Spain's leading IT companies with 22,000 employees and customers in more than 80 countries across Europe and Latin America.
Mustang Sallies into U.K.
Cessna's new Citation 510 -- a.k.a., Mustang -- moseyed into the U.K. in style at the end of January. London Executive Aviation, Britain's largest private jet operator, took delivery of the first of its order of 10 Mustangs, which it will offer for charter in the U.K. The new aircraft will enter in mid-February, meaning that LEA will become Europe's first Mustang fleet-operator. The Mustang will make its presence felt elsewhere over the next few months. Farnborough based start-up Blink is Europe's largest Mustang customer, having taken 30 of the type. The air taxi operator is due to get its first aircraft this May.
VLJ Integration Platform
On the VLJ theme (although Cessna denies that the Mustang is a VLJ, referring to it rather as an "entry-level" jet), the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), along with several manufacturers, has become involved in European VLJs Integration Platform (VIP), launched at the beginning of the month. With business aviation one of the fastest growing sectors in Europe at around 10 percent per annum, the introduction of VLJs is a welcome addition to this healthy growth. Eurocontrol's studies show that there are about 440 VLJs currently on order for operation in Europe. Of these, at least 230 are expected for delivery by the end of 2010. The majority of the aircraft are expected to be used for air-taxi type work. Eric Mandemaker, CEO of the EBAA said, "The EBAA feels that a forum such as VIP is a positive development for business aviation in Europe. We are convinced that the services that these additional air-taxi operators provide will only enhance the business travel industry in the region and the travel options open to customers."
Diamond Just Keeps on GrowingIn product news this month, Diamond Aircraft Industries has announced that it has expanded to South America, where it will start to sell its single-engine DA20 and DA40 aircraft, as well as its popular twin, the DA42, and its Airborne Sensing portfolio range. Globe Connect International will distribute the products in Brazil, whilst Aviaservice International will take care of business in Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba Bonaire and Curacao. Diamond now has a presence on every continent.
Future King's First Solo
And finally, proving he's no different from any other pilot, Prince William was snapped sporting a huge grin after his first solo. On Jan. 17, eight days into his intensive RAF course, the prince did his first solo circuit at RAF Cranwell in a Grob 115E Tutor. He said afterwards, "God knows how somebody trusted me with an aircraft and my own life. It was an amazing feeling, I couldn't believe it." In a scenario that will be familiar to many, he explained how it happened. "I was doing a few circuits going 'round and 'round, then Roger my instructor basically turned round and said, 'Right, I'm going to jump out now' and I said, 'What, where are you going?' He said 'You're going on your own,' and I said, 'There's no way I'm going to do that,' but he said I was ready for it and jumped out. The next thing I knew I was taxiing down the runway and I was sitting there saying, 'Oh my God, this is a bit odd ... there's no one in here.' Going solo is one of those things. If you had a list of the top 50 things to do before you die, it would be in there." His instructor, Squadron Leader Bousfield, said, "To get William to go solo is fantastic. He's worked very hard and has coped marvelously to pick it all up and that's been backed up with some natural talent in the air. He's got good handling skills and learns lessons really quickly and keeps hold of those lessons, which makes it easier for the next time we're in the air." Prince William is actually in the British Army, ranked as a Second Lieutenant with the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals. However, he is on attachment to the RAF, where he is known as Flying Officer William Wales -- equivalent to his Army rank. His father, The Prince of Wales, earned his wings more than 35 years ago.
For more aviation news and information from Europe, read the rest of Liz Moscrop's columns. // -->
AVweb Insider Blog: The Bio-Fuel DelusionBe sure to visit our new blog, AVweb Insider, for personal insights and commentary on the aviation industry from our staff of writers and editors. Today, Aviation Group director Paul Bertorelli wonders aloud if bio-fuels are really going to save G.A. as we know it.
Question of the Week: The State of AFSSThis Week's Question | Previous Week's Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked whether the FAA should regulate builder assistance when it comes to homebuilt airplanes. In a handy statistical coincidence, 51% of readers who answered our Question thought that as long as 51% of the work is done by the owner-builder, anyone else should be able to do the other 49%. For the complete breakdown of reader answers, click here. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION *** The FAA says it's working to correct problems with the flight service station system that was contracted out to Lockheed Martin two years ago. It's submitted a report to Congress on what it plans to do, so we thought it timely to get an update from readers on how Lockheed Martin is doing.
Have an idea for a new "Question of the Week"? Send your suggestions to . NOTE: |
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| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn | back to top | |
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Exclusive Video: Dassault Falcon 7X Fly-by-Wire Business JetOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Dassault has introduced a jet that changes the playing field for business jet manufacturers, operators and pilots. That jet is the $40 million Falcon 7X. In this exclusive video, AVweb
video editor Glenn Pew
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takes us inside the Falcon 7X.
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| Your Favorite FBOs | back to top | |
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FBO of the Week: Signature Flight Support (KSNA, Santa Ana, CA)
Nominate an FBO | Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Signature Flight Support at KSNA in Santa Ana, California.
AVweb reader Robert Parker recommended the FBO with one of the finest lines we've read in a while:
[W]hen a family in a Bonanza drops in for a weekend visit to Disneyland and gets treated like a Gulfstream full of celebrities, you know that you've found a good place.
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! |
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| Reader-Submitted Photos | back to top | |
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Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography ShowcaseSubmit a Photo | Rules | Tips | Questions | Past Winners 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." Want to see your photo on AVweb.com? Click here to submit it to our weekly contest. *** THIS WEEK'S WINNERS *** Spring is just around the corner! Do you know how we can tell? It has nothing to do with Punxsutawney Phil, blooming plants, or cool updates from the team organizing Sun 'n Fun. Nope — it's the uptick in "Picture of the Week" submissions that always heralds the thaw for us. And this week's crop is promising indeed, so let's dive in. (Those with a ravenous appetite for reader-submitted photos should look for even more of 'em in the slideshow on AVweb's home page.)
There's More! (Get a piece of the action, kids — send us some of your own photos!) — A quick note for submitters: If you've got several photos that you feel are "POTW" material, your best bet is to submit them one-a-week! That gives your photos a greater chance of seeing print on AVweb, and it makes the selection process a little easier on us, too. ;)
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| More AVweb for Your Inbox | back to top | |
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AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
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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
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| Names Behind the News | back to top | |
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Meet the AVwebFlash TeamAVwebFlash 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:
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.
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