U.S. PUBLIC WAKING UP TO BENEFITS OF NEXTGEN ADS-B?
Late last week, The Associated Press wrote in multiple short articles (and at least one long one) that implementation of the FAA's proposed satellite-based NextGen air traffic control system could save aircraft operators (and U.S. airlines in particular) roughly $10 billion per year, and newspapers across the country noticed. From the Chicago Tribune to USA Today, major news outlets spread the articles and their contents that the $35 billion (projected) program (due for completion sometime in the 2020s, at the earliest) would allow savings in time, reduce delays, increase efficiency and save fuel through more direct routing (read: it makes more sense) -- but also that the program has been virtually stalled "for more than a decade." The shorter widely spread articles did not touch on the complications of funding the program, but the longer one cites systemic logistical and political complications. For pilots, FAA reauthorization delays, the potential impact of user fees, or cost to users in equipment upgrades may still ultimately act as motivation to slow the changeover and delay the realization of user costs. More...

RAMPING UP THE UNMANNED AIR FORCE
"Off we go into the wild blue yonder" will take a significant turn as the military plans to grow its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles from about 100 to about 370, and its roster of non-flying pilots from about 450 to 1,100, by 2011. Those figures will make UAV pilots a major stakeholder in the Air Force's campaigns, ahead of the group of C-17 pilots and second only to F-16 drivers. Attracting applicants to ground-based piloting offers its own challenges, as does the required volume of personnel, the proposed three-year window for applicant acquisition and training, the training methodology that will create pilots that meet FAA standards without ever being trained in aircraft, and formal details of the non-flying pilot position itself. The Air Force will open two new training centers next year in hopes of producing 300 qualified drone pilots over a four-month period and is developing all-new channels for the new career path and a new way of waging war. Any of those non-flying pilots might one day attack targets in Afghanistan during the day and eat dinners at home in Nevada each evening. Hopefully, their enemies won't follow them there. More...

COMP AIR ATTRACTS DOLLARS, HEADS FOR CERTIFICATION
Comp Air, the manufacturer known for its sturdy back-country-capable, turbine-powered kit aircraft, has announced that it has been granted $150 million to develop, certify and produce the 310-knot, eight-plus-two, near-standup cabin (with lavatory) Comp Air 12 composite pressurized turboprop single. With this cash infusion from MercMed investment company, Comp Air has set target dates for flight testing and certification as July of 2009 and year end 2010, respectively, and plans to build the aircraft at a new facility in Melbourne, Fla. According to Comp Air CEO Ron Leuck, the production aircraft will be born of the currently flying prototype, which has accumulated 200 hours in the air and will be stretched by 42 inches and gain four more in girth (here, fuselage diameter). The tail will be changed from its current cruciform configuration to a conventional design and the main door may also be enlarged, according to Leuck. Comp Air is now accepting $100,000 deposits on the $2.95 million Honeywell TPE331-14GR-powered airplane, and hopes the aircraft's 5,000-pound useful load, 900-foot takeoff roll and 2,500-nm range will appeal to air taxi and corporate interests, among others. More...

QANTAS PROBES LAPTOP LINK AFTER PAINFUL ALTITUDE DEVIATIONS
The rapid altitude change last Tuesday of an Airbus A330-300 cruising at 37,000 feet with 303 passengers aboard resulted in injuries to at least 74 people, a potential compensation bill for the airline (Qantas) and new concerns about potential conflicts between laptop computers and commercial aircraft systems. In July, manipulation of a wireless mouse was blamed for the course deviation of a Qantas jet, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). This more recent deviation (from altitude) resulted in fractures, lacerations and suspected spinal injuries for passengers who became in-cabin lotto balls while bound for Perth from Singapore. According to the flight's data recorder, the jet dropped 650 feet in about twenty seconds, then dropped another 400 feet in 16 seconds. Those drops reportedly followed a climb of about 300 feet and crew reports that they observed "some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system," according to the ATSB. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Learmouth air force base near Exmouth. Passengers are now being asked if they were using any form of personal electronic device at the time of the incident. The ATSB has said an "irregularity" in one of the aircraft's flight system computers may have caused the altitude change. More...

IN INDY, $200 MILLION FOR HOME OWNERS MAY HAVE HELPED
An investment of nearly $200 million federal and local dollars spent over 20 years has purchased roughly 2,900 acres and 1,200 homes and has, according to one study, made Indianapolis International Airport a friendlier (read: quieter) neighbor. The impact of airplane noise has diminished, according to consultants for the airport authority, but that may have just as much to do with improved jet engine technology as it does with the aforementioned airport-area expenditures. Federal noise studies began at the airport in 1985, soon after FedEx opened a hub there and began sending waves of departures into the night skies. Since then, a series of five-year studies has found that the size of the officially designated noise impact zone continues to shrink. On one side of the airport, the zones have receded nearly two miles closer to the airport. Even some homes no longer in the noise area can qualify for free sound insulation, windows and repairs that are paid by the airport. More...

AOPA ASF LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE SAFETY COURSE
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Friday announced the launch of a free online course called "Do The Right Thing" designed "to help pilots improve their decision-making skills" and reduce accidents by preventing the formation of poor decision strings. Based on its seminar titled "Do The Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots," the online course presents pilots with five scenarios and a succession of decisions, each of which alters the outcome of the adventure. At the end, pilots "experience the consequences" of their decisions graphically through "innovative use of Microsoft Flight Simulator X." Decision trees built into the scenarios allow pilots to clearly see the virtual results of their decisions and how a break in the chain can successfully avert an accident that could otherwise be set in motion. The course takes about an hour to complete, but may be stopped at any point (your progress is saved) and completed at your convenience. Completion of the course, which also involves a separate ten-question quiz, makes you eligible for credit in the FAA Wings proficiency program and potential insurance benefits for pilots who carry insurance through AOPA. More...

TSA ISSUES GA SECURITY NPRM
First impressions of a massive proposed rule aimed at beefing up general aviation security are that parts of it will put an outsized burden on GA operators compared to the security benefit of those measures. "...our initial read of the NPRM concerns us in that some very burdensome requirements may not provide commensurate security benefits to an already safe and secure industry," General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Pete Bunce said in a statement. National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen said his group also has concerns. "Based on an initial review, we expect to file substantial comments on the proposal," said Bolen. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is also reviewing the document as is AOPA. More...

BOEING AND MACHINISTS TO RESUME TALKS
The month-long strike has already further delayed the 787 Dreamliner, is starting to affect airlines' expansion plans, is disrupting the business of metal makers around the world and may (according to some analysts) last through December, but both the company and the Machinists Union have agreed to resume talks. The two sides continue to be at odds over pay, benefits and the use of outside suppliers. No firm dates have been set, but the two sides have agreed to "pursue talks through the federal mediator," according to a statement on the company's Web site. The union's Web site added that "we are working out the details of the return to the table." Boeing is expected to lose about $100 million per day in revenue while its production facilities remain closed. The company's last firm offer, a three-year contract, was rejected followed by a worker walk-out (that consists of 27,000 employees) Sept. 6. Boeing's third quarter deliveries of 84 aircraft were down 23 percent from 2007, well below the pre-strike forecast of 119 aircraft. The associated drop in revenue for Boeing's commercial plane unit is likely also close to 23 percent. On the demand side of the equation, airlines will feel the effects of the 21 aircraft Boeing is no longer building every two weeks. More...

GRAND OPENING OF TUSKEGEE AIRMEN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008, marked the grand opening and recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field, Tuskegee, Ala., now officially a national landmark. The site serves as testament to the all-black 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group of World War II whose combat performance and civilian struggles have earned them legendary status. The weekend's ceremonies were free and open to the public and saw the attendance of thousands, including a few of the surviving airmen. The event recognized the first phase of the site's overall development -- phase two is due next April when the full site, including an iMax theater in a restored second hangar, is scheduled to open to the public. The progress is the result of legislation passed by Congress in 1998 and signed by the president, appropriating $29.1 million for phase one development. From 1941 through 1946, more than 990 pilots graduated from the flight training program at Tuskegee, with 450 going on to serve their country overseas. The men were the nation's first black military pilots and flew more than 700 bomber escort missions, never losing a bomber to enemy fighters. More...

AVMAIL: OCT. 13, 2008
Reader mail this week about hangar fees, FSS, FusionMan 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 #131: SPIN TRAINING
Student pilots don't have to prove they can recover from a spin, but Rick Durden knows the training advantages that come from near-spins. More...

PROBABLE CAUSE #65: BAD CONDITIONS, POOR PLANNING
It's hard to imagine an instrument-rated pilot flying into a Midwestern winter without checking the destination weather. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: WHY FALLING OIL PRICES AREN'T GOOD NEWS
In the current economic gloom, oil prices are in retreat. That's a good thing, right?

No, it's not. And here's why: Higher gas prices may be the only way out of our distastrous dependence on imported oil. Read more in our latest AVweb Insider blog. More...

RAIM PREDICTION: YOU'LL NEED IT NEXT YEAR, AND JEPPESEN HAS IT
Beginning next year, operators using GPS as primary navigation and flying RNAV will need a RAIM prediction as part of their flight planning. Jeppesen can provide it under their JetPlan planning service. Jeppesen's Mike Cetinich explains how it works. More...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: RADIO-CONTROLLED F-18 CAM
Here at AVweb's video-watching department, we see plenty of radio-controlled aircraft, in addition to the full-size ones. Our latest "Video of the Week" is something we don't see every day, however — an RC F-18 with carrying a tiny camera on its journey. (Click through to watch.) More...

AVWEB'S NBAA CONVENTION 2008 VIDEO ROUND-UP
In case you missed any of our videos from the 2008 NBAA Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, you can watch all eight of them (plus two shorts you may find interesting) right here. (Click through to watch.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SHOWALTER FLYING SERVICE (KORL, ORLANDO, FL)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Showalter Flying Service at KORL in Orlando, Florida.

AVweb reader Jim Thomas recommended the FBO for exceptional performance "amid the hubbub of NBAA":

Despite nearly 500 aircraft on static display, the great crew at Showalter are still delivering high-quality service with a smile. All fees are waived with a minimum fuel purchase, even as little as a gallon! Showalter has hosted EAA Chapter 74 since the new terminal was built and also provides facilities for the Orlando Youth Aviation Center's "Introduction to Aviation" class series for kids 10-16. I've always found them to go above and beyond on any request. Bob & Kim Showalter run a class act.

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

On Friday, October 10, Qantas's first Airbus A380 visited Auckland, marking the first visit of the type to New Zealand. It did a press junket promotional flight across the city and environs, filmed by a news helicopter, ZK-HST. This was heard on Auckland control 124.3:

ZK-HST:
"Auckland Control, Hotel Sierra Tango. We've filmed the takeoff, and we'd like to track to the city to film the flyover."

Auckland Control:
"Hotel Sierra Tango, do you have the A380 visual?"

ZK-HST:
"Affirm, Boeing in sight!"

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
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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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