ECLIPSE'S VERN RABURN EMCEES LAUNCH OF ICON AMPHIB LSA
In an unveiling at ICON Aircraft's company headquarters in Los Angeles—in fact, directly across Jefferson Avenue from the defunct Hughes Airport—the A5 Light Sport amphibian was introduced to a crowd of 500-plus trendy Angelenos, investors, powersport stars, and designers packed cheek-to-diesel. After a short speech from Eclipse Aviation CEO Vern Raburn, who's also on ICON's board of advisors, and introductions by ICON Aircraft's founder Kirk Hawkins (to include powersports design impresario Troy Lee and former Red Bull director of sports marketing, Paul Crandall) and the company's chief of engineering, none other than Matthew Gionta, ex of Scaled Composites, the drape was lifted on the A5. More...

AOPA: LOCKHEED FLIGHT SERVICE SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
The local-area knowledge of Flight Service Station briefers is still not as good as it should be, says Andy Cebula, AOPA's executive vice president for government affairs. But the system is working much better than it was last summer, when pilots frequently were having problems with lost flight plans and long hold times. Since then, Lockheed has upgraded its systems and pilots have learned how to cope with their procedures. Increased oversight by Congress has also had an impact, Cebula added, and weekly meetings with AOPA since February have helped as well. More...

FEDERAL REPORT CRITIQUES ATC TRAINING, CONGRESS INVESTIGATES
The FAA's procedures for training new air traffic controllers are falling short, according to a report from the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General issued late last week. On Wednesday afternoon, the topic got a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. In its report, the OIG said the FAA's program for training new hires on the job is "extremely decentralized" and the efficiency and quality of the training varies widely from one location to another. The same problems were found in 2004, the OIG said, and FAA has made little progress in addressing them. At Wednesday's hearing, Pat Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said a third party -- perhaps the National Academy of Sciences -- should be brought in to help establish "scientifically based" staffing standards for every FAA ATC facility. He also said the FAA needs to back off on the work rules it imposed when negotiations reached an impasse, and try to encourage veteran controllers to stay. More...

ONE WING, NO PILOT, NO PROBLEM
A recent flight test showed that an unmanned, autonomous F/A-18 jet aircraft may be able to land safely even after losing almost 60 percent of a wing, Rockwell Collins said this week. Athena Technologies, a division of the company, conducted the test this spring flying a scale-model airplane. The control systems automatically adapted to the loss of control surface, the company said, and then landed safely, using internal Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System reference only. Rockwell Collins says the capability could be applicable to all commercial, business and general aviation aircraft for full flight automation and backup, as well as for military aircraft in combat. "This powerful capability can save the military the expense of lost UAVs," said David Vos, senior director of Control Technologies at Rockwell Collins. "But more importantly, the solution can save lives." More...

NEXTGEN COMES TO FLORIDA VIA DAYJET
DayJet, which operates an on-demand charter fleet of Eclipse VLJs, said on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to work with the FAA and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to deploy NextGen technologies throughout the state of Florida over the next five years. The project will serve as a proving ground for the technology, to develop procedures and wring out any problems, and it will help smooth the way for nationwide deployment over the next 15 years. The FAA's Hank Krakowski, the head of the Air Traffic Organization, said at AOPA's fly-in last weekend that as a pilot himself, he will keep the needs of GA pilots in mind as the NextGen system evolves. NextGen will create more access to airspace, more options for pilots, and increased efficiency, he said: "That's the promise of the new technologies." More...

AUGUST FAA CHARTS TO INCLUDE MOA FREQUENCIES
Starting with aviation charts to be released in August, the FAA will print contact information that will make it easier for pilots to decide whether it is OK to fly through a Military Operating Area (MOA) or if it's better to go around. With more pilots trying to improve their route efficiency to save on fuel, the change is a timely one -- if long overdue. "For more than a decade, AOPA has been advocating that the military and FAA work together to chart these frequencies," said Pete Lehmann, AOPA manager of air traffic services. "This is a move in the right direction to allow all pilots to access real-time data regarding the status of special-use airspace." The new FAA charts will provide contact frequencies for an FAA center controller, military air traffic controller, or range control officer for each MOA and restricted area, AOPA said, so pilots can check to see if the airspace is active, and if it is, at what altitudes. More...

LANCAIR EVOLUTION WILL FLY AT OSHKOSH
The Lancair Evolution, a four-seat, pressurized turboprop kit aircraft that flies at 335 knots behind a Pratt & Whitney PT6, will make its first appearance at EAA AirVenture next month, the company said this week. The airplane first debuted in April at Sun 'n Fun, but at Oshkosh it will fly daily exhibition flights, and the company also will offer demo flights to prospective buyers and the media. The company says the airplane has undergone independent evaluations that found its flight characteristics meet FAA Part 23 standards. Production of kits has started and the first delivery is scheduled for July. The Evolution fast-build kit sells for $250,000, with the completed airplane costing up to $1 million. Click here for an exclusive AVweb video tour of the Evolution, inside and out, from the Sun 'n Fun debut. More...

VIRGIN GALACTIC PRESENCE PROMISED FOR OSHKOSH
When the gigantic WhiteKnightTwo spaceship-hauling airplane rolls out of the hangar in Mojave on July 28 -- the opening day of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. -- the event will have "real-time ties... back to Oshkosh," EAA President Tom Poberezny promised this week. "We've been in regular communications with our friends at Virgin Galactic and its partner organization, Scaled Composites, to coordinate." The next day, July 29, designer Burt Rutan will arrive at AirVenture along with Virgin Group owner Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehorn, where they will host a forum and interact with visitors. While WhiteKnightTwo would seem the perfect vehicle for them to arrive in, Whitehorn told Space.com the ship won't start flight tests before September. No public glimpse of SpaceShipTwo is expected before early 2009, he said. More...

SJ30 MAKING A COMEBACK
The surprise appearance of one of two production Sino Swearingen SJ30 aircraft at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition last month prompted plenty of speculation on the future of the speedy bizjet, and the plans to resume production were confirmed earlier this week. Sino Swearingen announced on Monday that it now has a deal with Dubai-based Emirates Investment and Development PSC to buy 80 percent of the company and get the plane back in production. More...

CAUSE UNCLEAR IN AIRBUS A320 CRASH IN SUDAN
A Sudan Airways Airbus A310 ran off the runway and burst into flames after landing at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan on Tuesday night. At least 29 people died and 171 escaped, with 14 still unaccounted for, according to The Associated Press. On Wednesday, investigators were on the scene but it was unclear what had caused the crash. Some reports cited thunderstorms, gusty winds and a sandstorm in the area at the time of the landing. One official said the airplane had landed safely when "technical problems" caused an engine to explode. Another report said the jet ran off the runway and hit some navigation-light structures with its right wing, sparking the fire. Experts from Airbus and France's aviation-safety agency will assist in the investigation. Click here for a Reuters video of the inferno. More...

ON THE FLY ...
FAA needs to deal with pilot fatigue issues, says the NTSB...
Two Colorado companies to develop hybrid powerplants for GA...
FAA whistleblowers allege safety issues in airline inspections continue...
A man jumped from a C182 and fell 10,000 feet, an apparent suicide. More...

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

BRAINTEASERS QUIZ #134: GIVE YOURSELF WINGS
Time to blow off a little steam -- FAASTeam. That's shorthand for FAA Safety Team, a relatively new program promoting aviation safety. Test your knowledge of the program and some of its hotter topics.

Take the quiz.

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: WILL APPLE KILL GARMIN?
Apple's iPhone will soon have GPS capabilities, and Garmin's poised to counter with their own NuviPhone. Which device will win the hearts and minds of users — the phone with GPS or the GPS device that can make calls? AVweb's Paul Bertorelli has some ideas of his own, and he shares them in the latest installment of AVweb Insider. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: THE FUTURE OF 100LL
With avgas prices rising and technology moving forward, we're starting to hear a lot of doom-and-gloom predictions for the future of 100 low-lead. This week, we want to know your opinion on the matter: How long do you think 100LL will be available? Plus: Find out which boogeyman AVweb readers rated the most threatening in last week's Question, fuel prices or user fees. 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...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: B-2 SPIRIT STEALTH BOMBER CRASH TECHNICAL REPORT
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber, February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report issued Thursday. Specifically, moisture in three port transducer units "distorted data introduced by a B-2 Spirit's air data system" which led to flawed information entering the bomber's flight control computers. The aircraft was reacting to inaccurate airspeed and a "perceived" negative angle of attack. This resulted in an "uncommanded 30 degree nose-high pitch-up on takeoff," according to the Air Force. (Click through to watch our video crash report.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: VEE NEAL AVIATION (ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL, LATROBE, PA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Vee Neal Aviation at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (KLBE) in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

AVweb reader Josh Allen put their FBO on our radar, writing that he "always look[s] forward to being to fly to Vee Neal":

Their attitude toward planes should be followed by all FBOs. Together, being friendly and fast and having the cheapest services around, they are an all-around wonderful FBO. I find myself with tons of time to kill because they are so quick with their service! Can't wait to come back!

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
As the temperatures continue to rise at "POTW" headquarters, so does the quality of our submissions. That's good news for you, too (assuming you enjoy a good break from work to ogle airplanes as much as we do). This week's top photo comes from Donald Reid of Bumpass, Virginia, who shot this amazing photo for Ward in North Carolina last month. Gary tells the shot was taken using nothing more than a Canon with 200mm zoom and extender. If you've got some photos to share, please — contribute to the fun! We look forward to seeing your images. More...

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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