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Taylorcraft Aviation LLC has been repossessed by its previous owners and that has affected an undetermined number of customers who had paid $3,500 for new lift struts but haven’t received them
yet. J. Scot Ruffner, who is managing the repossession of the Brownsville, Texas, company for the former owner, Taylorcraft 2000 LLC, told AVweb he’s trying to contact everyone who paid
for a set of struts before the Feb. 21 repossession date so they can figure out where to go from here. “Anyone out there who has paid for a set of struts and has not been contacted by me should
call me right away (561-547-7931) so we can get an accurate picture [of how many are affected],” Ruffner said. Installation of the new, sealed struts eliminates the inspection requirements of an
airworthiness directive (AD) issued last year to address corrosion issues in the original struts.
Taylorcraft Aviation had taken a number of orders for the struts but hadn’t filled any prior to the repossession. The new/old owners have built 13 sets of struts but they need final FAA
approval before they can be shipped. Ruffner said that once they know how many unfulfilled orders are out there they can determine how to proceed and they’re trying to do the right thing.
“There’s nothing we’d like better than to make good on all those orders,” he said, but he stressed that the viability of the company has to be considered in those discussions.
Meanwhile, the type certificates, drawings, jigs, templates and everything else associated with the design that many consider the first and one of the best popular GA aircraft are for sale again and
the owners are anxious to see it go to a viable home.
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And the winner is ... a work in progress. The National Aeronautic Association held its annual awards luncheon Thursday and, while historically
the winner of the Collier Trophy is a person or an airplane, this year it was largely a concept. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) was the winner of the award generally recognized as
the epitome of aviation innovation and excellence. However, as a functioning tool in the grand aviation scheme, ADS-B is in its infancy and, as the cornerstone of the FAA’s NextGen airspace
management system, the jury is still out on just how its implementation will play out over the next few decades. "Like all of aviation, things are changing. Processes and projects are becoming worthy
of nomination," said NAA President Jonathan Gaffney.
For the record, the Collier Trophy is awarded for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air
or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year,” according to the NAA Web site. Other nominees may have more closely resembled those criteria. The other nominees included the Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X -- "the world's first civil aircraft to be designed in a totally
virtual environment"; Commercial Aviation Safety Team -- "dramatically improving the safety of commercial aviation and saving lives in the US and around the world"; Epic Air Team VLJ -- "delivering
from clean-sheet to flight their vision of a high performance, cutting edge VLJ in six months"; Airbus A380 -- "benchmark improvements in performance, efficiency, safety and environmental impact for
new aircraft design"; and SBIRS/HEO Test and On-Orbit Operations Team -- "extraordinary achievement in space vehicle performance and efficiency."
AOPA says a three-year aircraft "re-registration" requirement proposed by the FAA may replace the current one-time $5 registration
fee with a $130 fee to be paid every three years as a hidden user fee. The FAA's proposal is based on the goal of bringing the U.S. aircraft registry up-to-date and the "re-registration" requirement
would replace the current triennial registration report. The FAA recognizes that the current aircraft registration fee of $5 hasn't been changed since the mid-1960s and no longer aligns with the FAA's
costs to provide services, according to the FAA. The gray area, according to AOPA, lies in determining and applying the costs associated with updating a registry that has deteriorated over time.
"Aircraft re-registration hasn't been required for three decades," writes AOPA, and now "nearly one third of the 343,000 U.S. aircraft registrations are possibly invalid." Re-registration, whatever
the cost, would require aircraft owners to return a renewal notice with updated information (or reply online) within a three-month window.
Early responses would not be allowed and late responses would be penalized by inability to fly the aircraft until it was re-registered. The full proposal is long, but the FAA is seeking comments
through May 28. Find the text online, here. The methods of response are
listed under "Addresses" near the beginning of the text.
Discover the Thrill
You are here when you discover that the thrill of hanging 10 has nothing on hanging around Cloud 9. In a brand-new Cessna Skyhawk, you too will discover life in a brand-new way, whether you're
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If a brass hex plug is loose on your Precision Airmotive fuel control, don't fly your aircraft until the issue is resolved. Two
incidents relating to RSA-10ED1 fuel-injection servos on Lycoming IO-540-K engines in Piper Saratoga/6X aircraft have led Precision Airmotive to call for immediate action. A brass hex plug has been
found in two cases with damaged threads and hanging from its safety wire, out of its hole. One incident resulted in an off-airport landing that considerably damaged the involved aircraft. In each
case, the servos had between 200 and 300 hours time since new. While the cause of the problem has not yet been confirmed, Precision Airmotive believes immediate action is warranted and is requiring
immediate inspection of all aircraft with RSA-5 or RSA-10 servos "which have had a new, rebuilt, overhauled, or repaired engine and/or servo installed since August 1, 2006 to determine if the brass
regulator plug is loose." A visual inspection isn't good enough.
"The inspection should be accomplished by attempting to turn the plug by hand, while taking care not to damage the safety wire or seal," according to the company. If the plug is loose, contact Precision Airmotive at 360-651-8282 and do not fly the aircraft until the issue is resolved.
Boeing is leaping to the defense of its biggest customer, issuing a statement saying it agreed with Southwest Airlines’ plan to continue flying 46 older 737s that hadn’t been inspected for
specific fatigue cracks. “In Boeing's opinion, the safety of the Southwest fleet was not compromised,” Boeing said in a statement released late Thursday, a day after the FAA proposed fines
of $10.2 million against the airline. $10 million of that fine is to be levied for 1,451 flights conducted on the 46 737-300s after Southwest blew the whistle on itself for not carrying out the
fatigue crack inspections during the previous year. After discovering the lapse in inspections and reporting it to the FAA, the airline reinspected the aircraft and found six with small cracks, which
were repaired. However, the aircraft remained in service during the 10 days it took to inspect them and that’s what the FAA is so cranky about. "The FAA is taking action against Southwest
Airlines for a failing to follow rules that are designed to protect passengers and crew," said Nick Sabatini, the agency's associate administrator for safety. "We expect the airline industry to fully
comply with all FAA directives and take corrective action."
Southwest, perhaps with some justification, is pointing out that it discovered the error itself and moved to fix the problem as soon as it could. Before launching any of the 46 aircraft involved,
it checked with Boeing to see if that posed a potential hazard. “Southwest Airlines contacted Boeing for verification of their technical opinion that the continued operation of their Classic
737s, for up to ten days until the airplanes could be reinspected, did not pose a safety of flight issue,” Boeing said in a statement. “Based on a thorough review of many factors, including
fleet history and test data, as well as other inspections and maintenance previously incorporated, Boeing concluded the 10-day compliance plan was technically valid.”
The first flight of RoboSwift -- a 3-ounce, 8-"feathered" propeller-driven micro-aircraft with morphing wings spanning (at their widest
geometry) 20 inches and a standard tail -- ended in a tree, according to ChinaView.cn. That might be fitting, but the YouTube video of another flight tells a different story. (Beware of the graphic
language spoken in another language and look closely for wing geometry changes.) The first flight took place under windy conditions and lasted about five minutes at Wageningen University in the
Netherlands. RoboSwift sports four "feathers" per wing and its wings can be adjusted by folding those feathers over one another and by sweeping the feathers forward or backward. It is being developed
by a student team that aims to participate in MAV08, a competition of unmanned Micro Aerial Vehicles to be held in India.
RoboSwift's intended purpose is to carry forward-facing onboard cameras to more naturally observe wild birds ... or, as the Dutch National Police Services Agency has announced it will fund the
program, perhaps be used by government and law-enforcement agencies for surveillance (assuming the funding isn't charitable) by incorporating ground-looking cameras.
JA Air Center, Your Garmin GPSMap 496 Source, Is Looking to Purchase Used GPS Units, Avionics, and Aircraft
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Pay your bribes in Thailand, or else. That's the message being broadcast by an Australian who says he witnessed bribes being asked
of his pilot by two Thai individuals. The next day, the Cessna 208 he was aboard was intercepted by two Singaporean F-16 fighters. Presently, the Cessna's pilot (another Australian) is facing a
potential trial in Singapore and a maximum penalty of one year in jail, plus a $3,900 fine. The Australian says his companion purchased the Cessna in Thailand, was asked for bribes and refused to pay.
The next day, while flying the aircraft on a test flight in Thailand, he says the aircraft developed a landing gear problem. The Cessna's pilot (currently being held in Singapore) then requested a
flight plan to an alternate airport in Singapore, according to his travel companion. Granted permission by radio, the information apparently was not transferred to Singaporean authorities who instead
heard the aircraft was stolen, not registered, and had left Thai airspace under suspicious circumstances, according to the pilot's companion. The Cessna was then escorted to land at Changi Airport,
Singapore, where commercial airspace was closed for 50 minutes as the drama played out.
The Cessna's pilot has been charged with flying an aircraft without a certificate of airworthiness. His potential jail time and fine are yet to be determined.
For the first time, the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) has been awarded to a woman, Flight
Lieutenant and helicopter pilot Michelle Goodman, 31, of the Royal Air Force. Flight Lieutenant Goodman earned the medal by last June flying her Merlin helicopter through heavy fire and mortar rounds
into the center of Basra, Iraq, at night to rescue a seriously injured soldier. She flew at 160 mph at very low level across a hostile city using night vision goggles; her aircraft was hit with enemy
fire and she executed an approach and landing at an unfamiliar landing site that was taking mortar fire and shrouded in swirling dust. Goodman kept the aircraft on the ground for a full five minutes
as her crew retrieved the injured rifleman. She then flew her aircraft, which detected a missile threat and automatically launched countermeasure flares, through a path covered very closely with
friendly artillery fire to distract enemy forces. Flight Lieutenant Goodman could have elected not to take on the mission at all, determining that it required too much risk, "But if it was me lying
down there," she told The Daily Mail, "I'd like to think there was someone prepared to come and get me."
The aircraft touched down at a British Field Hospital 14 minutes after launch. Before the flight, Goodman had asked her crew if they were up to the task and they agreed. Without Goodman's
leadership, and her Incident Reaction Team, the wounded man would have died within 15 minutes. Goodman has completed three tours in Iraq. The DFC is one of the highest military decorations offered,
below only the Victoria Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
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James Polehinke, first officer, pilot flying and sole survivor of the August 2006 Comair CRJ-100 crash that killed the other 49
aboard at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, is "determined to fly again," according to a report by The Associated Press. The accident took place after the crew of Flight 5191 was cleared for a 6 a.m.
pre-sunup departure from the 7,000-foot lit Runway 22, but taxied past it and attempted departure from the 3,500-foot unlit Runway 26. The aircraft hit the airport fence, a berm and trees before
crashing 1,000 feet beyond the runway. Polehinke, then 44, was pulled from the wreckage by police officer Bryan Jared and airport officers John Sallee and James Maupin. Polehinke suffered multiple
injuries that resulted in loss of his left leg and brain damage -- he reportedly has no memory of the crash or the incidents leading up to it. He is on medical leave with Comair and is being sued by
relatives of some of the crash victims.
It’s hard to imagine a less romantic place than an airport security screening line-up but it set the stage for an impromptu (and ultimately successful) marriage proposal by a young Canadian man.
Aaron Tkachuk, 24, of Prince George, British Columbia, planned to pop the question to his high school sweetheart Jennifer Rubadeau on a moonlit beach in the Caribbean while the couple enjoyed a
respite from a particularly miserable winter in their central B.C. home. However, the engagement ring he tucked in a sock in his carry-on bag appeared unusual on the X-ray and the security screener at
the Prince George airport wanted a closer look. “The guy pulled out the ring and he was like: 'Oh, no.' He felt terrible," Tkachuk told The Vancouver Province. "That was it -- the cat was out of the bag. We were
all stunned, so I just opened up the case and said: 'Will you?' and she said: 'Yes.'"
Now, Tkachuk thought he’d left nothing to chance in plotting the proposal. Not only did he spend six months designing the perfect ring, he thought he’d covered all the bases in ensuring
it was properly presented to his future bride. He even phoned the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) in advance for advice on sneaking the ring aboard the flight without violating any
rules. It was a CATSA employee who advised him to hide the ring in a sock in the carry-on where it would be spotted for what it was on the X-ray. “It was supposed to be a classic romantic moment,
but ended up more like a romantic comedy,” Tkachuk said. “At least it's a story we can tell our kids one day." Rubadeau said she was stunned when she saw the ring. "I was shocked that it all
happened so fast," said the 23-year-old events coordinator. "It was pretty amazing and a strange place for it to happen. I had no idea it was coming, but it was pretty cool." The couple is now back
from their holiday and making plans for an Aug.3 wedding.
A British Airways CityFlyer captain and a ground employee have been fired after the pilot allowed the groundworker’s father to fly for free in the cockpit from London to
Milan. The pilot was fired for breaching security rules, the groundworker for fraud ...
The FAA may resume “courtesy inspections” of new homebuilt designs after the Congressman representing the district that is home to Lancair and Epic Aircraft complained that the
freeze on inspections could harm the companies. The FAA halted the inspections as part of a review of homebuilt rules ...
The Air Force will officially retire its fleet of F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters by late April. At least two celebrations are planned to mark the career of the radar-deflecting aircraft,
which are being replaced by equally stealthy but much more versatile F-22 Raptors.
Sensenich: Right on the Nose ... Again!
For more than 75 years, Sensenich has been the industry's fixed-pitch prop leader. No surprise Sensenich leads the way again with new composite propellers for light sport and homebuilt
aircraft. Proven on 5,000 airboats over the last eight years, plus Rotax- and Jabiru-powered planes, the new lightweight, precision composite props are now available for Continental- and
Lycoming-powered planes. Call (717) 569-0435, or
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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. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part.
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Be 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, editor Russ Niles
scratches his head in confusion over the NAA's decision to award the prestigious Robert J. Collier Award to an untested, mostly hypothetical technology.
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. For safety, you
want the whole picture. TAS600 is now certified for the Cirrus SR20 and SR22! For details, call Avidyne at (800) 284-3963 or
go online.
In conjunction with this year's 35th Anniversary of the Beechcraft Heritage Museum at the Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) in Tennessee, one of America's premier warbirds, the T-34 Mentor, will
come home. AVweb's Mike Blakeney spoke with Brad Hood of the T-34 Association about this first major gathering of legendary Beechcraft
T-34 Mentors in many years, scheduled for October 15-19, 2008.
This week's video (from LiveLeak.com) puts you at the controls of the P-51 Mustang Crazy Horse, complete with CFI walking you through the landing procedure. A big thanks to AVweb
reader Robert Reid, who brought this to our attention.
Don't see a video screen?
Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page.
If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly.
Don't forget to send us links to any interesting videos you find out there. If you're impressed by it,
there's a good chance other AVweb readers will be too. And if we use a video you recommend on AVweb, we'll send out an official AVweb baseball cap as a "thank you."
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 takes us inside the Falcon 7X.
Don't see a video screen?
Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page.
If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly.
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 magazine, plus access to aviation records, product discounts, and much more. Call (703) 527-0226 to become an NAA member,
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AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Tropical Aviation Corp. at Isla Grande's Fernando Rivas Dominicci Airport
(TJIG) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
AVweb reader Robin Fraser made a compelling case, insisting that Tropical "was the best FBO we used in an entire month of cross-country flying" from Saskatchewan to BVI. "They easily
deserve to be recognized as the 'FBO of the Week,'" writes Robin, and based on his account of the trip, we tend to agree:
The service at Tropicana Aviation was nothing less than excellent. From fueling at customs the moment we arrived and excellent pricing to the assistance in parking, everything was top-notch. The
front desk staff arranged transportation and accomodations on a moment's notice and were exceptional with their service. The General Manager was there to meet us and offer his assistance and also
introduced us to the owner of the business. Facilites were excellent and the staff took care of flightplans and the very low airport fees (less than 7.00 for the night!).
I'm a CFI who was flying into Vero Beach, Fla., and it's widely known that one of the tower controllers often flies to work. The winds were favoring the single runway, so the parallel runways
were not in use, and the tower was busier than usual. While flying the pattern with a student, I heard the following:
Cessna:
"Vero Beach Tower, Cessna XXXX inbound for landing, full stop."
Tower (with what sounded like a straight face, though it couldn't have been):
"Cessna XXXX, remain clear class Delta, expect one hour delay."
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/.
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
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.
Taylorcraft Aviation LLC has been repossessed by its previous owners and that has affected an undetermined number of customers who had paid $3,500 for new lift struts but haven’t received them
yet. J. Scot Ruffner, who is managing the repossession of the Brownsville, Texas, company for the former owner, Taylorcraft 2000 LLC, told AVweb he’s trying to contact everyone who paid
for a set of struts before the Feb. 21 repossession date so they can figure out where to go from here. “Anyone out there who has paid for a set of struts and has not been contacted by me should
call me right away (561-547-7931) so we can get an accurate picture [of how many are affected],” Ruffner said. Installation of the new, sealed struts eliminates the inspection requirements of an
And the winner is ... a work in progress. The National Aeronautic Association held its 
AOPA says a three-year aircraft "re-registration" requirement proposed by the FAA may replace the current one-time $5 registration
fee with a $130 fee to be paid every three years as a hidden user fee. The FAA's proposal is based on the goal of bringing the U.S. aircraft registry up-to-date and the "re-registration" requirement
would replace the current triennial registration report. The FAA recognizes that the current aircraft registration fee of $5 hasn't been changed since the mid-1960s and no longer aligns with the FAA's
costs to provide services, according to the FAA. The gray area, according to AOPA, lies in determining and applying the costs associated with updating a registry that has deteriorated over time.
"Aircraft re-registration hasn't been required for three decades," writes AOPA, and now "nearly one third of the 343,000 U.S. aircraft registrations are possibly invalid." Re-registration, whatever
the cost, would require aircraft owners to return a renewal notice with updated information (or reply online) within a three-month window.
If a brass hex plug is loose on your Precision Airmotive fuel control, don't fly your aircraft until the issue is resolved. Two
incidents relating to RSA-10ED1 fuel-injection servos on Lycoming IO-540-K engines in Piper Saratoga/6X aircraft have led Precision Airmotive to call for immediate action. A brass hex plug has been
found in two cases with damaged threads and hanging from its safety wire, out of its hole. One incident resulted in an off-airport landing that considerably damaged the involved aircraft. In each
case, the servos had between 200 and 300 hours time since new. While the cause of the problem has not yet been confirmed, Precision Airmotive believes immediate action is warranted and is requiring
immediate inspection of all aircraft with RSA-5 or RSA-10 servos "which have had a new, rebuilt, overhauled, or repaired engine and/or servo installed since August 1, 2006 to determine if the brass
regulator plug is loose." A visual inspection isn't good enough.
Boeing is leaping to the defense of its biggest customer, issuing a statement saying it agreed with Southwest Airlines’ plan to continue flying 46 older 737s that hadn’t been inspected for
specific fatigue cracks. “In Boeing's opinion, the safety of the Southwest fleet was not compromised,” Boeing said in a statement released late Thursday, a day after the FAA proposed fines
of $10.2 million against the airline. $10 million of that fine is to be levied for 1,451 flights conducted on the 46 737-300s after Southwest blew the whistle on itself for not carrying out the
fatigue crack inspections during the previous year. After discovering the lapse in inspections and reporting it to the FAA, the airline reinspected the aircraft and found six with small cracks, which
were repaired. However, the aircraft remained in service during the 10 days it took to inspect them and that’s what the FAA is so cranky about. "The FAA is taking action against Southwest
Airlines for a failing to follow rules that are designed to protect passengers and crew," said Nick Sabatini, the agency's associate administrator for safety. "We expect the airline industry to fully
comply with all FAA directives and take corrective action."
The first flight of RoboSwift -- a 3-ounce, 8-"feathered" propeller-driven micro-aircraft with morphing wings spanning (at their widest
geometry) 20 inches and a standard tail -- ended in a tree, according to ChinaView.cn. That might be fitting, but the YouTube video of another flight tells a different story. (Beware of the graphic
language spoken in another language and look closely for wing geometry changes.) The first flight took place under windy conditions and lasted about five minutes at Wageningen University in the
Netherlands. RoboSwift sports four "feathers" per wing and its wings can be adjusted by folding those feathers over one another and by sweeping the feathers forward or backward. It is being developed
by a student team that aims to participate in MAV08, a competition of unmanned Micro Aerial Vehicles to be held in India.
Pay your bribes in Thailand, or else. That's the message being broadcast by an Australian who says he witnessed bribes being asked
of his pilot by two Thai individuals. The next day, the Cessna 208 he was aboard was intercepted by two Singaporean F-16 fighters. Presently, the Cessna's pilot (another Australian) is facing a
potential trial in Singapore and a maximum penalty of one year in jail, plus a $3,900 fine. The Australian says his companion purchased the Cessna in Thailand, was asked for bribes and refused to pay.
The next day, while flying the aircraft on a test flight in Thailand, he says the aircraft developed a landing gear problem. The Cessna's pilot (currently being held in Singapore) then requested a
flight plan to an alternate airport in Singapore, according to his travel companion. Granted permission by radio, the information apparently was not transferred to Singaporean authorities who instead
heard the aircraft was stolen, not registered, and had left Thai airspace under suspicious circumstances, according to the pilot's companion. The Cessna was then escorted to land at Changi Airport,
Singapore, where commercial airspace was closed for 50 minutes as the drama played out.
For the first time, the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) has been awarded to a woman, Flight
Lieutenant and helicopter pilot Michelle Goodman, 31, of the Royal Air Force. Flight Lieutenant Goodman earned the medal by last June flying her Merlin helicopter through heavy fire and mortar rounds
into the center of Basra, Iraq, at night to rescue a seriously injured soldier. She flew at 160 mph at very low level across a hostile city using night vision goggles; her aircraft was hit with enemy
fire and she executed an approach and landing at an unfamiliar landing site that was taking mortar fire and shrouded in swirling dust. Goodman kept the aircraft on the ground for a full five minutes
as her crew retrieved the injured rifleman. She then flew her aircraft, which detected a missile threat and automatically launched countermeasure flares, through a path covered very closely with
friendly artillery fire to distract enemy forces. Flight Lieutenant Goodman could have elected not to take on the mission at all, determining that it required too much risk, "But if it was me lying
down there," she told The Daily Mail, "I'd like to think there was someone prepared to come and get me."
James Polehinke, first officer, pilot flying and sole survivor of the August 2006 Comair CRJ-100 crash that killed the other 49
aboard at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, is "determined to fly again," according to a report by The Associated Press. The accident took place after the crew of Flight 5191 was cleared for a 6 a.m.
pre-sunup departure from the 7,000-foot lit Runway 22, but taxied past it and attempted departure from the 3,500-foot unlit Runway 26. The aircraft hit the airport fence, a berm and trees before
crashing 1,000 feet beyond the runway. Polehinke, then 44, was pulled from the wreckage by police officer Bryan Jared and airport officers John Sallee and James Maupin. Polehinke suffered multiple
injuries that resulted in loss of his left leg and brain damage -- he reportedly has no memory of the crash or the incidents leading up to it. He is on medical leave with Comair and is being sued by
relatives of some of the crash victims.
It’s hard to imagine a less romantic place than an airport security screening line-up but it set the stage for an impromptu (and ultimately successful) marriage proposal by a young Canadian man.
Aaron Tkachuk, 24, of Prince George, British Columbia, planned to pop the question to his high school sweetheart Jennifer Rubadeau on a moonlit beach in the Caribbean while the couple enjoyed a
respite from a particularly miserable winter in their central B.C. home. However, the engagement ring he tucked in a sock in his carry-on bag appeared unusual on the X-ray and the security screener at
the Prince George airport wanted a closer look. “The guy pulled out the ring and he was like: 'Oh, no.' He felt terrible," Tkachuk told 
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 
takes us inside the Falcon 7X.
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 
