ANOTHER MIDAIR ENDS FAVORABLY
Two aircraft collided Saturday, Nov. 1, in the air near Plymouth Municipal Airport, N.C., and though "one plane was in a tree and the other was in a river," according to Kathleen Bergen of the FAA, "both pilots survived." The midair collision took place about 9:30 a.m. local time and involved a Piper PA-28 and a Piper PA-32. Separate callers then reported plane crashes: one in the Liverman Heights area and, ten minutes later, another in the Roanoke River, some distance from the Plymouth waterfront. Early reports indicate that one pilot was hospitalized, but the other was not injured. A weather report for Roanoke Shores, Plymouth, N.C., for Nov. 1, showed a temperature/dewpoint spread of about 10 degrees and diverging, light winds and no rainfall. The cause and circumstances of the accident are yet unreported. On Oct. 22, a Cessna 180 and a Cessna 210 collided near Grand Junction in western Colorado. One of the aircraft was operated by a Colorado sheriff and was delivering inmates to a corrections facility. In that case, the two aircraft landed safely (although one ended up inverted) and all six people aboard both aircraft survived. More...

FOSSETT REMAINS "MOST LIKELY" FOUND
One part of the complex mystery of Steve Fossett's disappearance 14 months ago may have been solved with the discovery of bones, a pair of shoes and his driver's license. "We talked to the family and advised them that we possibly, most likely, found the remains of J. Stephen Fossett," Madera County Sheriff John Anderson told a news conference Thursday. More...

NUCLEAR-POWERED PASSENGER PLANES?
Nuclear-powered aircraft will be carrying millions of passengers around the world before the end of this century, according to Ian Poll, head of technology for a U.K. government-funded project to reduce the environmental impact of air travel. Poll, a professor of aerospace engineering at Cranfield university (Bedfordshire, U.K.), offers that experiments performed by both the then Soviet Union and the United States during the 1950s demonstrated that the development of nuclear-powered aircraft is possible. The U.S. has long ago flown a B-36 carrying a nuclear reactor -- and a lead-lined cockpit -- to prove the crew could be protected. It has also tested nuclear-powered jet engines on the ground. In an interview with The Times UK, Poll said the idea "was proved 50 years ago, but I accept it would take about 30 years to persuade the public of the need to fly on them." The big challenge is demonstrated safety. Poll theorizes that reactors should be engineered into the wings along with the engines and that the risk of crash-damaged reactors could be lessened "by jettisoning them before impact and bringing them down with parachutes" ... More...

BEYOND FLY BY WIRE
Even before fly by wire becomes the standard, companies have been exploring the next steps to remove hydraulics from the aircraft control equation. In mid-October, Gulfstream successfully demonstrated primary aircraft flight-surface control using "fly-by-wireless" technology. And, last week, Bombardier announced it had executed a first test flight with an all-electric Meggitt braking system, called EBrake. For the earlier test, Gulfstream outfitted a GV test aircraft with mechanical, fly-by-wire, fly-by-wireless, and fiber-optic fly-by-light systems to control ailerons, outboard spoiler, mid-spoilers and inboard spoilers respectively. Pilots noted consistent handling regardless of the applied control-actuation technology and Gulfstream noted that test results make fly-by-wireless -- and its benefits of reduced complexity and weight -- a potential backup for other flight control systems. Bombardier's test of the EBrake system during normal, emergency and parking-brake functionality showed improved control in normal and emergency modes "resulting in tight centerline control even during maximum brake applications," according to test pilot Gary Bruce. The system couples brake-by-wire control with electric brake actuation and removes relevant hydraulically actuated control systems, with the benefits of increased reliability and (fire) safety, decreased maintenance and associated costs. Both Gulfstream's fly-by-wireless and Bombardier/Meggitt's EBrake systems could reduce system weight on aircraft while removing toxic hydraulic fluids and therefore can claim environmental friendliness as side benefits to improved performance. More...

BOEING MACHINISTS STRIKE SETTLED
Some 27,000 of Boeing's machinists, who walked off the job on Sept. 6 after contract talks failed to adequately address their interests, should be back at work after an agreement was reached on Oct. 27. The contract doesn't just keep, but increases, pension payments, brings wage increases totaling 15 percent and preserves health-care benefits while addressing the key issue of job security, according to MarketWatch.com. It also adds lump-sum payments for each employee totaling $8,000 per worker over four years ... and, by ending the strike, makes the future of some of Boeing's suppliers more certain. Boeing said in a statement that the new agreement "addresses the union's job-security issues while enabling Boeing to retain the flexibility needed to run the business." The company, which during the strike faced losses estimated at $100 million per day along with production delays, has amassed an order backlog worth $349 billion. It expects production to reach pre-strike efficiency within two months. Boeing will soon face talks with 21,000 other workers. More...

STING LSA PICKS UP STRAIGHT & LEVEL BUTTON
Recently made famous in general aviation through the Cirrus' Perspective avionics package (AVweb video), a similar little blue button has been introduced on the Sting S3 LSA's instrument panel and it aims to provide pilots with similar results -- wings-level, fixed-heading and fixed-altitude flight -- at the touch of a button. The Sting S3 light sport aircraft already offers multiple safety features, like AmSafe inflatable safety harnesses, Zaon collision avoidance (Aviation Consumer video), and a full plane parachute. The Straight/Level system is intended to add to that score. Employed by a blue button on the avionics panel labeled S/L, the system commands the autopilot to level the wings, lock the heading and altitude, and allows the pilot time to reassess matters in the event he or she recognizes signs of spatial disorientation or experiences some other duress. Of course, should the pilot be somehow incapacitated, the S/L button also lowers the demands on a passenger who needs to become a quick study. Bill Canino, president of SportairUSA (which distributes the S3), says his company provides the system "at no additional cost on all of our TruTrak EFIS/autopilot equipped Stings." Those aircraft are priced close to $125,000, according to the company's Web site. According to Canino, his company's goal is to provide an aircraft that "is fun, safe, and responsive" and "with backup systems that are easy to deploy." More...

EUROPE'S AERIAL FIREFIGHTING CONFERENCE
The first European Aerial Firefighting Conference was held Oct. 21 and 22 in Athens, Greece, and it collected operators and suppliers from 22 nations running in association with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Primarily formed to address technologies and techniques to improve the efficacy and safety of aerial firefighting, the conference has been hailed as highly successful and marks the first in a series of such meetings to be held at other locations around the world. Panel sessions hosted in Athens by the EU Civil Protection Directorate's Chris Allen, at the Aerial Firefighting Conference, debated whether Europe should finance a cross-border aerial firefighting squadron. The conference's many interagency meetings covered topics from aerial firefighting management to shared knowledge systems and was dominated by safety management and technologies and an exhibition of some of the world's leading operators. Here in the U.S., the California Department of Forestry this year has made use of Canadian-owned Bombardier 415 "Super Scooper" aircraft that have already flown to combat this season's southern California wildfires. Upcoming events announced in Athens include another conference to be held in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 19 and 20, 2009, and another to be held in mid-June in Sydney, Australia. More...

THE BALLAD OF FLIGHT SERVICE
Probably one of the most surveyed subjects in general aviation in the U.S. is the effect of competitive outsourcing of the Flight Service Station system. Some said it was long overdue but it seems like there is a constant buzz of discontent from all corners on how the system delivers services. Lockheed Martin, which now runs the system, politicians, aviation groups, the media and pilots have all had their say in various forums, including AVweb. The only voices that haven't been heard are those of the diminished ranks of flight service specialists, who aren't allowed to comment publicly under their contracts. However, they do chat amongst themselves and one or more of them have come up with a song that the specialist who shared it with us says sums up their feelings. More...

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
If today's issue of AVwebFlash seems a little later than usual, that's because it is. We experienced some problems with the server overnight, but everything is back to normal now. More...

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

LEADING EDGE #23: STABILIZED APPROACHES IN LIGHT AIRPLANES
Stabilized approaches aren't just for the Jet-A club. AVweb's Thomas P. Turner suggests ways to make them work for piston-pounders. More...

AVWEB'S AOPA EXPO 2008 VIDEO #1: MEET THE GARMIN 696
Meet Garmin's 696 portable GPS, making its debut at the AOPA Expo in San Jose this week. AVweb and Aviation Consumer's Paul Bertorelli walks you through the basic functionality of the unit and helps you get acquainted with it. (Click through to watch.)

This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

TIME FOR A PRIVATE SPACE RACE?
Governments have done their job in man's initial forays into space, and now it's time for the private sector to take over, according to the latest space tourist, Richard Garriott. Garriott, who helped found Space Adventures and whose father was a NASA astronaut, spoke with AVweb's Russ Niles about the promise and the wonder of space exploration. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: WINNEMUCCA FLYING SERVICE (KWMC, WINNEMUCCA, NV)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Winnemucca Flying Service at KWMC in Winnemucca, Nevada.

AVweb reader Mick Collins told us about the FBO last week:

We had a group flight (eight planes) land at KWMC ... for an overnight. Buster and his crew performed flawlessly in supporting all our various needs and wants, even loaning us his personal car to run folks into town. (We had already commandeered the courtesy van!) I highly recommend anyone looking for top-notch service and the chance to meet some good folks stop in at Winnemucca Flying Service!

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!

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...

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

Heard on the Detroit approach frequency while flying just north of Detroit City Airport one Sunday evening:

Approach:
"Airliner XXXX, turn left heading 350. Direct Flint when able."

Airliner XXXX:
"Left three-fifty, direct Flint."

Approach:
"Airliner YYYY, proceed direct Salem when able."

Airliner YYYY:
"Direct Salem."

Airliner XXXX:
"Airliner YYYY — hey, Dave, is that vou? How's it going?"

Airliner YYYY:
"Yeah. That you, Bud? Just fine ..." (and other pleasantries)

Approach:
"How about I go and work another frequency and let you guys chat?"

Airliner XXXX:
"That'll work."

Andrew C. Taylor
Ann Arbor, Michigan

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.

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

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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