TAYLORCRAFT REPOSSESSED: STRUT CUSTOMERS CONTACTED
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. More...

ADS-B WINS COLLIER TROPHY
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. More...

AOPA: FAA AIRCRAFT "RE-REGISTRATION" EQUALS USER FEE?
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. More...

PRECISION AIRMOTIVE TACKLES FUEL-INJECTION SERVO PROBLEM
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. More...

BOEING DEFENDS SOUTHWEST
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." More...

ROBOSWIFT UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE FLIES
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. (Click through for the RoboSwift video.) More...

PASSENGER SAYS CESSNA'S F-16 INTERCEPT LAUNCHED BY "LIES"
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. More...

MICHELLE GOODMAN'S HISTORIC DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
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." More...

COMAIR CRASH SOLE-SURVIVOR POLEHINKE LOOKS SKYWARD
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. More...

SECURITY SCREENING PROPOSAL
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.'" More...

ON THE FLY ...
British Airways CityFlyer captain fired for flying groundworker’s father in cockpit ...
FAA may resume homebuilt inspections after plea from Congressman ...
F-117 Nighthawks will be officially retired by the end of April. More...

AVMAIL: MAR. 10, 2008
Reader mail this week about ADS-B, AFSS, ATC and more. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
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. What have you heard? More...

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

CEO OF THE COCKPIT #80: THE URGE TO MERGE
Another airline merger ... maybe. This time it's close to home for AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit, so he's sucking on oxygen. More...

POST-CRASH CARE
You've just crashed in a remote area. You and your passengers are injured. Will you have the equipment and knowledge to survive until you're rescued? More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: COLLIER IRRELEVANCE?
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. More...

T-34 MENTOR HOMECOMING
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. More...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: P-51 MUSTANG LANDING
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. (Click through to watch.) More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: DASSAULT FALCON 7X FLY-BY-WIRE BUSINESS JET
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. (Click through to watch.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: TROPICAL AVIATION CORP. (TJIG, ISLA GRANDE, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO)

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!).

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!

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

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."[We weren't that busy, so I was shocked.]

Cessna:
"Um, but I'm your replacement!"

Tower (now laughing):
"Oh! Cessna XXXX, report left base, runway 4!"

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
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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.

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Timothy Cole

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