THIELERT SAYS IT WILL RESUME PRODUCTION IMMEDIATELY
Thielert Aircraft Engines has resumed full production of its diesel engines, the company said on Wednesday. Just the day before, Diamond Aircraft had updated customers on its plans for getting by in a post-Thielert world, by certifying its airplanes to fly with Lycoming engines and accelerating the development of its own Austro diesel, already in the works. Now Thielert says it can produce up to 80 engines per month, almost as many as before the insolvency problems began. "We very much regret that losses were incurred because of the company's insolvency," said Bruno M. Kubler, the company's insolvency administrator. "I am pleased that we can now supply Thielert customers with engines and spare parts once again." There is no relief in sight, however, from the high parts prices Thielert posted a month ago. The company is offering a guarantee against defective materials and labor, but so far they have not offered to cover the expense to owners of required inspections of gearboxes. Kubler said a company audit will be completed this week, and then he will select "suitable investors" from more than 50 prospective buyers. More...

DIAMOND TO OFFER LYCOMING ALTERNATIVE TO THIELERT
Diamond Aircraft announced Tuesday that it's accelerating plans to certify its hot-selling DA42 Twin Star with Lycoming engines to replace the troubled Thielert Centurion diesels. And just to give itself and customers more options, Diamond has also asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to give it approval to provide technical support and parts for Thielert engines, which presumably would be the European equivalent of the parts manufacturing authority common in the U.S. More...

GA SEEKS OUT GLOBAL MARKET
Sales of general aviation piston airplanes have been slumping this year in the U.S., but some manufacturers are finding that global demand is taking up the slack, and then some. Air Tractor, of Olney, Texas, is having one of its best years ever, according to company president Leland Snow. The company's utilitarian aircraft are used mainly for agriculture and firefighting. "A combination of economic factors are producing a favorable climate for aircraft sales [globally]," Snow said this week. "High commodity prices and the worldwide boom in agriculture, plus a weak U.S. dollar have made aircraft more affordable for overseas customers." The company expects to produce 94 airplanes this year and 120 in 2009, at an average price of $700,000. Liberty Aerospace, of Melbourne, Fla., also said this week it is seeing a hefty increase in orders from overseas customers for its fuel-efficient XL-2 two-seat airplane. More...

LAYOFFS AND PRODUCTION SLOWDOWN AT MOONEY
Economic uncertainty and high gas prices are hurting sales of general aviation aircraft -- as shown by a 28-percent drop in piston aircraft sales in the first quarter of this year -- and on Monday, Mooney Airplane Company said it is responding to that reality by slowing down production and laying off 80 staffers. "These decisions will not have an adverse effect on the quality or safety of our products, nor will they delay scheduled aircraft deliveries," Mooney CEO Dennis Ferguson said in a statement. "They were made to create corporate resiliency in the present economic conditions. Our plans include positioning Mooney as a strong contender in the international market." The weak dollar has created a strong market for U.S. goods overseas. "We are strengthening our business in Europe, South America and Australia, where Mooney's high performance, efficiency and pricing are especially appealing," Ferguson said. "Our focus is to ensure the long-term viability of the company through prudent management and expansion of our market reach." More...

ABLE FLIGHT PILOTS WILL BARNSTORM TO OSHKOSH
Brad Jones and Sean O'Donnell, winners of Able Flight Scholarships that helped them earn their sport pilot certificates, will take off in Atlanta next month and barnstorm their way to an opening-day arrival ceremony at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. Both pilots use wheelchairs due to spinal-cord injuries suffered in accidents. They'll fly a matched set of specially adapted Sky Arrow 600 LSAs. Along the way, they'll meet with disabled veterans and others to talk about their flying experiences. "Our goal is to bring these special pilots and airplanes to as many people as possible as they travel to Oshkosh," said Charles Stites, of Able Flight. "It is one thing to read about a person with a disability becoming a pilot, and it's quite another to hear from them in person how they have overcome traditional barriers and successfully faced the challenges of learning to fly." To help fund the tour and its general scholarship fund, Able Flight is seeking donations. Go to their Web site for more info or to donate online. More...

KENTUCKY AIR-TAXI OPERATOR TO LAUNCH THIS SUMMER
This century's air-taxi model has had its ups and downs -- a few new companies are thriving, while others have already come and gone, or never got started. But now another new player is ready to take its chances -- YourJet, based in Louisville, Ky., announced this week that it expects to start booking flights this summer. The company will offer per-seat, on-demand service to airports within 700 miles of Louisville aboard a Diamond DA42 Twin Star, with Diamond D-Jets expected to join the line next year. The company has said it hopes to offer competitive prices flying the single-engine D-Jet with a single pilot, saving on fuel and labor costs. YourJet founder Todd House is a pilot and anesthesiologist who lives in Louisville. "YourJet returns valuable time to travelers who have been bound by airlines' hub-and-spoke systems throughout the country," he said this week. "This is a cost-effective, safe, and highly convenient mode of air travel ... and we lead you right to the plane with no luggage hassles or security checks." More...

FLORIDA RESEARCHER PROPOSES WINGLESS FLIGHT
An engineer at the University of Florida has unveiled a design for a "flying saucer" that can take off vertically, hover, and fly, and it has no wings or propeller -- it doesn't have any moving parts at all. "This is a very novel concept, and if it's successful, it will be revolutionary," said Subrata Roy, the ship's inventor, who applied for a patent on it last week. "If successful, we will have an aircraft, a saucer and a helicopter all in one embodiment." The saucer is propelled by a force called magnetohydrodynamics, which is created when a current or a magnetic field is passed through a fluid. By interacting with the atmosphere, the force is able to create lift and momentum and provides stability against wind gusts. The ship's surface is partially hollow and continuously curved, like an electromagnetic flying bundt pan. Unfortunately, it seems the technique is likely to work better in space, where pesky things like gravity and drag are minimized. More...

ON THE FLY ...
AOPA tells the story of the first U.S. pilot to serve jail time for an aircraft accident...
A Diamond DA-42 stayed aloft for over 13 hours, the company said this week...
EAA offers fuel discounts and other help for cost-conscious pilots bound to Oshkosh....
Janet Dietrich, the first woman to earn an ATP, has died, at age 81. More...

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

ACROSS THE POND #18: REPORT FROM EUROPE
VLJs are sprouting in Europe, as are new pilots and new kit helicopters, while airshow season kicks off in big ways. More...

AROUND THE WORLD IN 70 DAYS, WEEKS 4 & 5: THE MIDDLE EAST
In the last two weeks, Air Journey's group of general-aviation pilots flew up the Nile to Luxor, visited Dubai and Oman, and now prepares to launch for Asia. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: THE GATE TO STUPIDITY
Forget user fees and high gas prices...if GA gets done in, it will be because of the utter stupidity of stuff we voluntarily put up with. And we seem to experience more of it every year. Read this week's AVweb Insider blog by Paul Bertorelli, who's off on a tear about small airport security. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: YOUR IDEAL INSTRUMENT PANEL
Many of you will be shopping for new cockpit instrumentation at AirVenture, and that brings to mind a question put to us by reader Brett Friermood a while back. Brett's not so fond of the glass panel cockpits but has the impression he's in a minority. This week, let's see where Brett's preference ranks in relation to other AVweb readers. Plus: The results of last week's poll, "How long do you think 100LL will be available?" 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: AAR (WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT, KOKC, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to AAR's location at Will Rogers World Airport (KOKC) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

A couple of weeks ago, AVweb reader Mitch Hargrave found himself in the vicinity of Oklahoma City, checking the local weather reports:

I checked the weekend weather, and the chance for thundershowers was quite low for the OKC area. But, wouldn't you know it, three hours after arriving I could see storms brewing out to the west. As the evening wore on, they intensified and were moving toward Will Rogers, where our beloved N33V was sitting out on the ramp. Feeling not a little uneasy, I called AAR. I was told not to worry — 33V was [already] in the big hangar! That, my friends, is service. Needless to say, I slept soundly that 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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Brook Heyel of Apex, North Carolina steals our breath (and the top spot in this week's feature) with an understated but beautifully composed shot snapped "during the Kitty Hawk 99s' Airmarking in Elizabethtown." With the kids out of school and summer storms buffeting "POTW" HQ, we're finally getting used to it being summer. In between the golf, the short pants, and the ever-growing anticipation for our trip to Oshkosh, we can still find time to rifle through each week's bevy of reader-submitted photos and pick out our favorites — so keep 'em coming, O.K.? 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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