DC ADIZ LIKELY TO BE MADE PERMANENT, AOPA SAYS
A lot of things will be happening in Washington, D.C., over the next two months, and AOPA said this week that one of those things will probably be a final rule making the D.C. Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) a permanent fixture. The Bush administration is set on pushing the rule through before they leave office in January, AOPA's Andy Cebula, executive vice president of government affairs, said this week. "We're going to fight this until the very end," he added. Cebula and others met with officials from the Office of Management Budget on Monday and proposed two alternatives to the permanent ADIZ -- one, to allow an ADIZ to be established by NOTAM as needed, or two, to shrink the ADIZ from its current 30-nm radius to 20 nm. "Either action would improve general aviation health in the region," Cebula told OMB officials. GA pilots now regularly avoid the D.C. metro area, he said, and many aircraft owners who were based inside the ADIZ have relocated their airplanes or stopped flying. "We also reminded OMB officials that the government has never presented a specific, intelligence-based threat assessment to justify the ADIZ," Cebula said. More...

TSA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR GA SECURITY PLAN COMMENTS
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Monday it will extend the time period for public comment on its proposed Large Aircraft Security Program for general aviation by an additional 60 days, a change that was lobbied for by GA advocacy groups. The new deadline for public comment is Feb. 27, 2009. The proposed rules would require criminal history records checks of GA flight crews, watch-list matching of passenger manifests, audits of each aircraft operator, and new airport security requirements. "Granting our request will provide much needed time for analysis, community education and feedback," said Ed Bolen, CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). EAA had asked for 90-day extension, but said in a news release it is pleased the TSA responded promptly. "This proposal would be an unprecedented restriction on the freedom of movement for private U.S. citizens," said Doug Macnair, EAA vice president of government relations. "It would also, for the first time, require governmental review and authority before a person could operate his/her own personal transportation conveyance." AOPA agreed. "This proposal is an unprecedented move by the TSA into general aviation," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. AOPA's news release also noted that "serious questions" remain about why GA is being considered for these onerous requirements. For more information about the TSA proposal and how you can submit comments to the government's public docket, visit the NBAA web site. More...

CRISIS FOR SOME, OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS
While many general aviation manufacturers are cutting back and laying off to cope with the economic downturn, China's Aviation Industry Corp (AVIC) said recently it is in the market to buy up a foreign GA manufacturer, to boost its own technological capabilities. The deal is already in the discussion phase and is expected to close by the end of this year, according to China Daily. No information was released regarding what manufacturer might be acquired, or in what country that company is based. And meanwhile, in Wichita, Kan., workers who have been laid off from their jobs in the aviation industry will soon have a shot at moving to sunny Florida. Piper Aircraft, based in Vero Beach, announced this week it will hold a job fair at the Wichita Airport Hilton next Thursday, Nov. 20, to hire workers for its PiperJet program and other projects. Piper seeks engineers to start immediately in airframe/structural design, stress analysis, electrical and avionics design, powerplant design, mechanical systems, liaison, industrial and manufacturing. Anyone seeking an interview should e-mail a resume to jobs@piper.com or call 772-299-2080 by next Wednesday, Nov. 19. For more information, visit the "Careers" link at Piper.com. More...

GARMIN SALES MANAGER KILLED IN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT
Jerry Smith, regional sales manager for the Garmin's aviation division in the south and central U.S., died on Tuesday in an accident, while piloting his personal airplane on business. Smith was flying his Cessna Cardinal 177 when he crashed near Rich Mountain, in Mena, Ark. He was a commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine and instructor (CFII and MEI) ratings, and over 20,000 hours of flight time. He was well-known in the industry, with over 40 years of experience. He had been with Garmin since 1994, where he was one of the first aviation sales managers hired by the company. Previously, he worked at BF Goodrich Aerospace, where he did research flying for Stormscope, as well as TCAS, King Radio, and others. "Beyond his professional contributions, even more sorely missed will be his zest for life and sense of humor, which everyone will remember," Garmin said in a news release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jerry's family, friends, co-workers and customers as their lives have been changed forever by this tragic event." The cause is still unknown, Garmin said on Wednesday, but the NTSB and FAA are investigating and Garmin has offered its full support. More...

HOUSTON'S B-17 NEEDS A NEW HOME
Airworthy B-17 bombers are rare birds indeed, and one of the few that remain is now in danger of becoming homeless. Texas Raiders, a B-17 owned by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Gulf Coast Wing at Houston Hobby Airport, lives in a hangar whose owner has decided not to renew the lease when it expires at the end of this month. Since the airplane is still in restoration mode and not able to fly, a nearby space is needed to continue the work, which CAF says is only nine months away from completion. Otherwise, the airplane will have to be dismantled and shipped to the CAF HQ in Midland, Texas, "nullifying the six years of hard work and diligence completed by the group of volunteers," the CAF says. A better solution would be to find a hangar space in Houston so work can proceed uninterrupted on the vintage bomber. The CAF wing is holding a news conference on Thursday to publicize the airplane's plight and hope that someone will come forward with a facility where the restoration work can continue. "We are desperately seeking assistance from an individual or corporation which will allow this restoration to be completed in a protected environment," said CAF President Stephan Brown. "The CAF Gulf Coast Wing volunteers have spent thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars to return this historic hero of World War II to the skies above Houston. We are hopeful that someone will step forward to help us realize this dream. All we need is the space; we'll do the rest." More...

ANOTHER ONLINE FLIGHT-PLANNING TOOL
Since we wrote about ChartGeek in this week's AVwebBiz, we've heard from an AVweb reader who uses a site called RunwayFinder.com, also based on Google Maps. This site doesn't have the cool 3-D graphics that ChartGeek has developed, but it's free to all comers. Pilots can zoom in to an airport and check out the runway layouts (as they appeared at the last Google satellite update, which can be several years old). Airspace boundaries and other info from the latest sectional and terminal area charts are laid out seamlessly in their proper locations on the map surface. Each airport also displays recent weather reports. Multiple disclaimers note that the site is not for navigation, but it can still be a useful flight-planning tool. Users can choose to view the area in chart form, as a satellite image, or in terrain mode. In addition, routes and range circles can be plotted. More...

ON THE FLY ...
Len Johnson flew coast-to-coast in a homebuilt biodiesel-powered Cozy MKIV...
Students at U Mich set a record: the longest fuel-cell-powered flight of a radio-controlled airplane...
Last call to sign up for Conklin & de Decker's Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar in Scottsdale...
FAA wants to ensure that pilots of Boeing 737s heed warnings about low cabin pressure. More...

NTSB PLANS PUBLIC HEARING ON HELICOPTER EMS
The NTSB will hear from the full spectrum of personnel involved in emergency medical services using helicopters at a three-day public hearing planned for its headquarters in Washington Feb. 3-5, 2009. In 2006, the NTSB issued a special investigation report that found that more than half of all EMS accidents (41 helicopter and 14 airplane) in the previous three years could have been prevented if the recommendations in the report had been followed. There have been nine fatal accidents involving EMS helicopters in the past 11 months and 35 people have died. "This is a drastic increase in accidents since the Special Investigation Report and therefore has prompted the Safety Board to examine this issue in greater detail by holding this hearing," the board said in a statement. 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...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: POST-ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR GENERAL AVIATION
The U.S. elections are finally over, and the incoming Democratic administration is gearing up to take office. This week, we want to know where you think GA's priorities should lie. Plus: What future did AVweb readers predict for Eclipse and AAI? 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...

AVWEB'S AOPA EXPO 2008 VIDEO ROUND-UP
At the 2008 AOPA Expo, our video team brought you exclusive interviews with outgoing AOPA president Phil Boyer and the incoming president, Craig Fuller — plus a demo flight with Cirrus Design's new EVS system and an in-depth profile of Garmin's hot GPSMap 696. If you missed any of those, you can watch all eight of our show videos right here. (Click through to watch.) More...

AVWEB'S AOPA EXPO 2008 PODCAST ROUND-UP
As our on-site audio teams packs their bags to leave San Jose, California, we bring you a collection of nine audio podcasts recorded at (or, in some cases, just before) the show. Once again, our johnnies-on-the-spot have captured some of the most interesting voices in aviation, from CEOs and service providers to innovative thinkers, technical experts, and salesfolk. In case you missed any of our nine exclusive podcasts from the show, we're re-presenting them here.

AVweb's audio coverage of AOPA Expo has been brought to you by Bose Corporation's Aviation Headset X™; WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather, the premier weather provider for pilots; and Lightspeed Aviation, makers of the Zulu ANR headset. If you've enjoyed our coverage, please click on the links and check out their products. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: VOLO AVIATION (KEFD, HOUSTON, TX)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Volo Aviation at KEFD in Houston, Texas.

AVweb reader Brian Hunnell recommended the FBO for making an Angel Flight go as smoothly as possible:

I called the folks at Volo Aviation [during preflight, and] ... they informed me that 100LL would be $3.75 (normally $3.95) and if we needed "anything" they would accommodate us to the best of their ability. Landing 10 minutes after closing time, we met Buddy Roberts, the mid-day and night manager. He gave us a ride to the hotel, where the patient could relax. This was the patient's first experience with General Aviation (along with his slightly nervous wife!). Thank you to all who helped and made this a success.

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
Had you a little worried, didn't we? When we skipped last week's regularly-scheduled installment of "POTW," submissions surged from a lighter-than-usual trickle to a massive torrent. Our latest winner, Ron Babuka of Groton, New York, found himself inspired by Donald Neuberg's "Pilot with Great 'Skull'" last week: "I thought of an image a friend sent me of him taxiing his E-2 to the catapult — notice the fuzzy dice!" (Funny enough, we barely even noticed the dice!) 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

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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