FORMER FAA CHIEF JANE GARVEY NEXT TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY?
Jane Garvey, who served as FAA administrator from 1997 to 2002, will accept a position on the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama, it was announced on Wednesday. She will leave her current post as a board member for Bombardier, where she has served for about a year. "I would like to thank Jane Garvey for her sound advice and guidance during her tenure," said Bombardier Chairman Laurent Beaudoin. "We wish her great success." Garvey will take charge of reviewing transportation agencies' decisions and policies for the Obama transition team, according to the Montreal Gazette. She is also widely considered to be a top candidate for Secretary of Transportation in the new administration, which takes office in January. When she was appointed by President Bill Clinton, Garvey was the first woman to head the FAA and the first to serve a five-year term. More...

FAA INVITES COMMENT ON CHANGES IN HEMS RULES
The FAA has revised its rules that govern the operation of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), and has invited comment on the changes. The changes were made because the FAA determined "that safety in air commerce and the public interest requires additional hazard mitigation for HEMS operations," according to the FAA notice published on Friday. The revisions specify that HEMS pilots must determine a minimum safe cruise altitude during pre-flight planning by identifying and documenting obstructions and terrain along the planned flight path. HEMS pilots must also determine in pre-flight planning the minimum ceiling and visibility required to conduct the flight. The revised rules allow HEMS operations under IFR at landing areas without weather reporting only if an approved weather reporting source is located within 15 nm of the landing area or if an area forecast is available. The full text of the changes can be viewed in PDF files: Click here for Operations Specifications A021 and click here for A050. Comments must be received by Dec. 15. For more details, click here for the full text of the FAA notice. More...

NTSB ISSUES UPDATE ON NEAR-COLLISION ON PENNSYLVANIA RUNWAY
The NTSB on Wednesday issued an update into its investigation of a September incident when a Canadair CRJ-700 regional jet taking off with 56 passengers had to swerve to avoid a Cessna 172 that was on the runway. Nobody was hurt, but the jet crew said they cleared the Cessna by only 10 feet, and their flight was cancelled so the jet could be checked for damage. It was about 7:30 at night when the incident took place, and according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, both controllers in the Lehigh International Airport, in Allentown, Pa., at the time were trainees. The NTSB's factual report says the Cessna pilot contacted the tower while about 8 miles east of the airport, and was cleared to land on Runway 6. The Mesa jet was then cleared to hold short of Runway 6. The Cessna landed, and the Mesa crew was told to taxi into position and hold. The Cessna pilot was told to exit the runway at taxiway A4, and the Mesa crew was then cleared to take off. However, the Cessna pilot missed the turn, and called the controller asking to exit at another taxiway; the controller responded "...no delay, turn immediately," which the Cessna pilot acknowledged. Mesa Air then radioed the tower controller: "We got it, tower - we're going to need to go back to the gate." Following the incident, both aircraft taxied to a parking area. The tire marks created by the Mesa Air regional jet as it veered around the Cessna can be seen on the left side of the centerline in this image, released by the NTSB. More...

GA MANUFACTURERS CUT PRICES TO ATTRACT BUYERS
With many buyers putting their plans on hold in an uncertain economy, manufacturers are offering deals to tempt them into taking the plunge. "Turbulent markets may make today seem like the wrong time to buy an airplane -- [but] there has never been a better time to buy," said Diamond Aircraft in a news release this week. Any new owner of a new DA40 who takes delivery by Dec. 31 will get maintenance, insurance, fuel and flight training all free for a year, a $13,250 value. U.S. buyers also can qualify for a special bonus-depreciation tax incentive that allows buyers to write off up to $300,000 of the purchase price. Also this week, the U.S. distributor for the Euro-Fox light sport aircraft lowered its base price by $10,000, to $58,950. The company said the price cut is possible "due to the recent improvement in the dollar-to-Euro exchange rate." The two-seat EuroFox burns just 4 gph, the company said, making it an economical choice for the private pilot or sport flyer, and the wings fold back for easy trailering and storage. More...

PRESIDENT BUSH ORDERS PRIORITY ACTION ON ATC MODERNIZATION
President Bush on Tuesday signed an Executive Order to mandate that modernizing our national airspace system remains a leading priority for federal agencies. "At an age when teenage drivers use GPS systems in their cars, air traffic controllers still use World War II-era radar to guide modern jumbo jets," Mr. Bush said. "That doesn't seem to make any sense to me ... Modernizing our aviation system is an urgent challenge." He also called on Congress to "help make our transportation system worthy of the 21st century," by providing incentives for the private sector to develop new technologies and investing in infrastructure upgrades. According to a White House fact sheet, the Executive Order will "help transform the national air transportation system and effectively implement the NextGen Initiative (Next Generation Air Transportation System) that utilizes satellite-based guidance technology, which is safer, more secure, affordable, and environmentally friendly." The action aims to strengthen the DOT's coordination with other federal agencies. But according to Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, "[The executive order] certainly appears like yet another new red bow on the same old box, which remains empty. Is the administration now saying modernizing our aviation system was NOT a leading priority up until today?" More...

DHS FINALIZES GA BORDER-CROSSING RULE
A final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security this week is not as bad as it might have been for GA pilots, but it still will have an impact on all across-the-border operations. That's the bottom line from AOPA's analysis of the rule published Tuesday by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, which is part of the DHS. As initially proposed last year, the rule would have required pilots to file passenger manifests and other information via the Internet an hour before the flight, a problem for pilots who operate from remote and undeveloped airports where Internet access is not available. More than 2,900 comments were filed. "Thanks to pilot input, the CBP better understands the nature of GA operations and the remote areas that pilots often travel," Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs, said on Tuesday. The final rule offers various options for pilots to file the required information. "Pilots didn't get everything they wanted," Cebula said. Concerns remain over the type of information required and possible delays in approving flights. But, Cebula said, the revisions in the final rule are "proof of how influential general aviation pilots can be when they unite." More...

ECLIPSE EMPLOYEES PAID, BACK AT WORK
Eclipse Aviation employees who have contacted AVweb b this week are back at work and say they've been paid for the first half of the month. There has been the inevitable speculation about what will happen on the next payday, but Eclipse's usual spokesperson has not responded to repeated e-mail and phone requests for comment on the current situation. Last week the company told employees that it would not meet its biweekly payroll but it did arrange funding in time to pay workers on Tuesday. Meanwhile an increasing number of disgruntled customers are filing lawsuits to get refunds of deposits. 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...

FINALLY, A SENSIBLE FLYING CAR ... MAYBE
In our years in aviation, we've seen countless variations on the "flying car" theme, from rickety jalopies with wooden wings bolted on to high-tech dream machines with folding wings and James Bond-level slickness. But a recent report from the fringe strikes us as something so simple that it might actually work. The Parajet Skycar is a variation on the powered parachute. Beneath the canopy flies a small two-seat, dune-buggy-style off-road car with a powered fan on the back. After landing, the pilot can simply pack up the chute and drive away three minutes later. A lightweight design, advanced aerodynamics and a Yamaha motorcycle engine (which runs on biofuel) make it work, says the company. The Skycar is easy to fly, impossible to stall, and features an emergency ballistic parachute system. The aircraft can launch in less than 700 feet, fly at about 70 mph, and has a range of about 200 miles. In "road mode" it can travel 250 miles at speeds over 100 mph. The company plans to prove the Skycar's capability by traveling from London, above the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar, and across the Sahara Desert to Timbuktu, a journey of almost 4,000 miles, in January 2009. More...

ON THE FLY ...
FAA extended the required repacking interval for certain types of parachutes...
An FAA Airworthiness Directive mandates wire-secured bolts for Diamond DA4s...
A flight student in California died after being struck by the prop of a Cessna 152...
Cessna's Citation Mustang is now certified in Canada and Japan.
More...

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

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: NEED HELP FINDING AN AIRPLANE PARTNER? APA WANTS TO HELP
We're not sure how many airplanes are in partnerships, but anyone who has tried to form one will tell you that the hard part is finding like-minded people to set things up. A new organization called the Airplane Partnership Association aims to use the power of the Web to do just that. APA launched its first efforts last spring and is soon to roll out a full-featured Web site that will collect some basic data about airplane wants and needs from would-be partners and connect them with compatible candidates. APA's Dave Kruger told AVweb at AOPA Expo last year that partnerships knock down — or at least greatly reduce — the major barrier to aircraft ownership: purchase cost. For a podcast on this topic, hear Dave Kruger here and read Paul Bertorelli's views of this idea in today's AVweb Insider blog. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: RECESSIONARY PARADOX — GA INNOVATES AS IT SHRINKS
People who think GA's piston segment is dying are the same ones who think there's growth to be found in what's a long downward slide. According to AVweb's Paul Bertorelli, arguing that GA is dying is like saying a fat man on a diet is committing suicide. The game isn't over, but first we have to accept some basic facts. Paul takes a hard look at those facts in the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: THE NEXT FAA ADMINISTRATOR
With the new administration preparing to take office in the U.S., appointments and high-profile positions are on everyone's mind. This week, we'd like to hear what you think of aviation's top office. Who should be the next FAA Administrator? Plus: See what AVweb readers identified as the top GA priority for Obama's administration. 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...

FBO OF THE WEEK: TRIANGLE AVIATION (LEESBURG, FLORIDA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Triangle Aviation at KLEE in Leesburg, Florida.

AVweb reader Dave Wilson had a top-notch experience there recently and wrote to share the details:

[Owner] Neil Fisher was on the ramp to assist in parking my Bonanza; his friendly and courteous attitude was a welcome change for some of the FBOs, where, if you are not a turbine-powered aircraft, you are treated with indifference. The lineman, D. J. Alexander displayed the same courteous, helpful attitude in helping with a courteousy car and local telephone business numbers, along with topping off the fuel tanks with 100LL; the price of the fuel was the lowest I have seen in the Southeast U.S. at $2.95 (for both full service and self-service) with an additional discount for Angel Flight pilots. Receptionist Bristy Jones, while being very busy, was also extremely efficient and courteous; her being there assisted in making this stop a very enjoyable experience.

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
Another week has come and gone, it's time for another installment of our weekly photo contest. Let's dive in and get started! Brian Thorpe of St. Augustine, Florida takes home this week's top honors, in a photo submitted to our weekly contest by his subjects, Carl Pascarell and Missy Fohl. (Not to worry — we'll be sending hats for both of you guys!) 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

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Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
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Glenn Pew

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Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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