AVWEB'S DAILY COVERAGE OF THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONFERENCE AND EXPO (EBACE) 2008
EBACE 2008 begins Tuesday at PalExpo convention center in Geneva, and coverage in AVwebBiz will include original videos, podcasts and details on the latest announcements daily through Friday. AVweb's Russ Niles ran into our European correspondent, Liz Moscrop, who's reporting for the Flight Evening News daily show publication, and she set the scene for what has become one of Europe's premiere aviation events. Look for daily coverage in our business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz. If you don't already receive Biz (or you're uncertain whether you do or not), you can add it (or check) by logging into your AVweb profile here. (Click through for a video.) More...

CHEROKEE LANDS ON STINSON: ALL OK
A Piper Cherokee with instructor and student aboard, and a Stinson with one pilot aboard, met on the runway at non-towered Northwest Regional Airport near Roanoke, Texas, Thursday afternoon, coming to rest on the runway with the Cherokee perched atop the Stinson. All parties walked away from the crash. The Stinson was departing and the Piper was arriving at the airport, sometime near 2 p.m., but at precisely the same moment. Pilot Jim Austen was waiting in the Stinson (apparently on the runway) to take off when the Cherokee cleared trees on approach and may have spotted the Stinson on the runway, but too late to avoid impact. (Click here for video coverage from Channel 8 WFAA.) It all reminds us of a previous incident back in December of 1999 -- only that time, the contact took place above the runway. See Joe Godfrey's interview with Alan Vangee who was flying a 152 on approach when it was impacted by a Piper Cadet also on approach -- both with about 150 feet left until touchdown. More...

AAIB SPECIAL BULLETIN: BOEING 777 HEATHROW CRASH UPDATE
British investigators are now trying to come up with a combination of "normal" conditions that could have led to the abnormal absence of fuel available to the engines of a British Airways Boeing 777-236 ER on approach to London's Heathrow airport in January. "The evidence to date indicates that both engines had low fuel pressure at the inlet to the (high pressure) pump," according to a special bulletin released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). But why? The 777 fell short of Runway 27L at London's Heathrow airport, Jan. 17, collapsing the gear structure and damaging the aircraft beyond economical repair, but injuring only 13 of the 152 aboard. The report indicates causal suspects as yet unidentified "restrictions in the fuel system" somewhere between the aircraft's fuel tanks and its high-pressure fuel pumps. More...

COMPOSITES EDGED ALUMINUM IN 2007
When composites first arrived on the light aircraft scene many pilots greeted them with skepticism -- but a recent review of General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) records by CompositesWorld.com shows that more than half of 2,675 piston-engine aircraft produced in 2007 (1,376) were built with composite airframes. "A decade ago, less than five percent were," Jens Hennig, vice president for GAMA, told the publication. New manufacturers (with their roots in the kit airplane market) have embraced the technology and employed it in innovative and very popular designs, notably Cirrus, Diamond, Columbia, and Liberty aircraft, which together account for most of that market saturation. Cirrus Design, alone, accounted for 26 percent (710 aircraft) of the total piston deliveries in 2007. Epic Aircraft may add to the tally in the future. The company produces numerous very high-performance composite kit aircraft (some of which are slated for certification), and in 2007 set a record during the Sun 'n Fun airshow by recording the most sales logged ($23 million) by any exhibitor. Said Dieter Koehler, vice president of engineering and certification for Epic, "Composite airplanes are stronger and safer than metal planes because of the worst-case hypothetical test conditions that are imposed by the certifying bodies." More...

AEROSPACE GRADUATES IN HIGH DEMAND
Good news for new aviation engineers and other aerospace graduates -- states are competing for your employment. A nationwide shortage has led to high demand for skilled aviation workers. This shortage of skilled workers is such a concern in Oklahoma that state legislators have drawn up Bill HB 3239 that would attract and retain skilled workers in target industries such as aerospace. One measure of the bill would grant a tax credit of up to $5,000 to out-of-state engineers who are hired by Oklahoma aerospace companies after Jan. 1, 2009. More...

YVES ROSSY'S STRAP-ON FLYING WING
Yves Rossy, 48, again made headlines last Wednesday, jumping from an aircraft over the Alps with yet another set of prototype jet-powered and unfolding wings (roughly seven and one half foot in span), but this time with four jet engines and enough skill to execute a full 360-degree roll. "That was to impress the girls" the now-single pioneer told Australia's Herald Sun. Rossy plans to cross the English Channel later this year, convinced that 10 minutes of fuel and a speed of 185 miles per hour will leave him room to spare. Rossy claims the experience is not physically stressful, but it is clearly challenging. The aircraft is controlled with body movement: "If I turn to the left, I fly left. If I nudge to the right, I go right," he said. And Rossy has lost several prototypes already, with one partially destroyed in 2004 following a near fatal spin at an airshow, a 2005 wreck following "uncontrollable oscillations," and an early 2007 mishap that forced another rebuild -- those, among other challenges along the way. His current carbon-fiber-constructed quadruple-engined aircraft should allow for almost 200 pounds of thrust and a climb rate of 1,000 feet per minute. Those interested in duplicating the adventure currently will need a jump plane, a parachute, a flameproof suit (to avoid leg burns from jet exhaust), the skills associated with flight using your body as flight controls (though there is a throttle) and landing under parachute with wing attached ... and perhaps under-developed adrenal glands. More...

HIGH TECH: JET ENGINE RESEARCH IN OUTER SPACE
Materials like titanium aluminide could present enough of an improvement in performance and economy over conventional alloys currently used for turbine blades that the European Space Agency is going to space to learn how to perfect them. The program is called IMPRESS -- Intermetallic and Material Processing in Relation with Earth and Space Solidification -- and is expected to become part of international space station activities, soon. Intermetallics are similar to alloys but differ in that they are actual chemical compounds -- they are more than just a blend of metals. Titanium aluminide is one such intermetallic and it is substantially lighter than the alloys used to make modern turbine blades, which would translate to higher performance and economy. Unfortunately, when the material is produced while under the effects of gravity, its shortcomings are huge. The intermetallic is subject to oxidation and "embrittlement" at high temperatures, but that problem can be resolved simply by adding tantalum and niobium to the mix. The problem is that those are heavy atoms that, when added on earth, segregate and produce a heterogeneous material that does not adequately solve the problems of oxidation. But there may be a solution. More...

US AVIATION PROMOTES NEW LSA EXPERIENCE, THE SHOWROOM
While not a complete representation of the vast array of available light sport aircraft, US Aviation of Denton, Texas, Thursday announced plans to present potential LSA owners with an automobile dealer-ish and showroom-type experience, complete with an "extensive" inventory of aircraft and maintenance programs. "Nothing makes an automobile consumer happier than to walk into a dealership, pick out a car and drive it home that day," said Justin Shelley, head of US Aviation Sales. The company functions as a dealer for REMOS, Breezer II, Explorer, Skylark, Tecnam's Sierra, Bravo and new Eaglet, and intends to offer a showroom with its selection of inventory and have multiple aircraft in stock, available to buyers immediately. "People have a right to expect that. They should not have to wait for months to take delivery," said Shelley. More...

CEREBRAL PALSY-CHALLENGED PILOT ADELE SCHNEIDEREIT
Adele Schneidereit Wednesday carried her abilities over the hurdle of cerebral palsy (a birth defect that causes paralysis of one or more limbs) to earn her private pilot certificate -- bringing her one step closer to a goal of piloting an aircraft around the world. And making a movie about it (watch the trailer, here). Aside from the physical challenges of flight, it took her 11 months to satisfy the FAA medical/SODA process. She also changed flight schools mid-stream, forcing her to re-fly her fundamentals with a new instructor who could then be confident signing her logbook endorsements. Schneidereit flies without the aid of cockpit modifications, but says she does "do certain things differently" and has become a master of trim -- using trim "as a tool and not merely a labor-saving device." Those skills should serve her well as she advances to her instrument rating and begins to train for her round-the-world jaunt with shorter trips to Mexico and Canada. More...

AVMAIL: MAY 19, 2008
Reader mail this week about ethanol, user fees, Thielert 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

THE PILOT'S LOUNGE #126: THE LESS-THAN-GREAT PLANES
Your favorite airplane may be my nemesis, and vice versa. But some planes have very few supporters, usually for good reasons. More...

SKIP FLIGHT PLANNING
In a world of radar vectors and GPS boxes, your route is either simple or predestined. Why sweat it? More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: OUR HONDA WISH LIST (AN AERODIESEL ENGINE!)
"What's needed here is for Honda to stop screwing around with four-cylinder gasoline engines and to get busy with aerodiesel" — so says AVweb Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli in the latest installment of commentary and criticism on our blog, the AVweb Insider. Read more here. More...

THE INCREDIBLE SECOND LIFE OF BRADLEY BORMUTH'S HURRICANE-DAMAGED FAIRCHILD 24
In September 2004, Hurricane Francis battered the Southeast, causing widespread flooding. In the path of the storm in Morganton, North Carolina, was a rare piece of history — a now-submerged Fairchild 24 owned by Bradley Bormuth's father. By all measure, N2864O should have been lost. But Bradley and some friends set out on a two-year journey to restore her to flying condition. More...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: P-51 MUSTANG EMERGENCY LANDING
We watch a lot of flying videos in the course of a week, but left to our own devices, we would still miss some of the best. Thankfully, AVweb readers like Robert Reid are there to send us links when they find great videos around the web. Here's one Robert recommended to us that shows a top-notch team handling a P-51 emergency landing. The Mustang's landing gear won't drop, and the ground team has scrambled to make sure everything goes off as safely as possible. (Click through to watch.) More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: PATTY WAGSTAFF INTERVIEW AND FLIGHT
Ride along with Patty Wagstaff as she flies her airshow routine at Sun 'n Fun 2008, courtesy of AVweb's Glenn Pew. Or, if you're easily queasy, just close your eyes and listen to our post-flight interview with Patty about how it feels to fly the maneuvers and what it's like to perform. Special thanks to our friends at Bose Corporation and Aircraft Spruce & Supply Co., whose good people stepped up when we needed them and helped make this video happen. And very special thanks to Patty's main sponsor, Cirrus Design, maker of the airplanes that changed the industry. (Click through to watch.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: INDY AERO (KMQJ, MT. COMFORT, IN)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Indy Aero at KMQJ in Mt. Comfort, Indiana.

AVweb reader Penny Litz, a volunteer for the American Military Heritage Foundation, told us how Indy Aero came to her rescue recently:

[T]he AMHF operates a rare Lockheed twin-engine PV2 Harpoon on the air show circuit. We do not have a hanger for our aircraft. Recently Indy Aero cleared out their whole maintenance hanger for a whole weekend so that we could work on replacing an engine in comfort — it is cold in Indiana — at no expense to us. They are very supportive to the community, general aviation and the weekend-warrior as well as the corporate jet set.

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"

While flying practice approaches at Sioux City, Iowa I heard:

Tower:
"Skylane Eight Seven Charlie, cleared for the approach; caution, waterfall in the area."

[a short silence, presumably while the Skylane pilot questioned passengers on the transmission]

Skylane:
"Eight Seven Charlie, say again?"

Tower:
"Skylane Eight Seven Charlie, cleared for the approach; caution, waterfall in the area."

[again, a short silence]

Skylane:
"Ah, cleared for the approach — but what do you mean by the waterfall caution?"

Tower:
"Waterfall. You know, ducks and geese — water fowl."

Larry Gerek
Omaha, Nebraska

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

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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