PIPISTREL'S 100-HP, 147-KNOT, TWO-PLACE EFFICIENCY CHAMP
Pipistrel has announced that its Virus SW -- the winner of the NASA General Aviation Technology Challenge for 2007 and 2008, exhibited higher speed, range and climb rate than other challengers while incorporating lower cabin noise, lower empty weight and shorter takeoff distances -- is now shipping to buyers. The two-place, side-by-side, Kevlar-reinforced composite high-wing is available in several engine and landing-gear configurations and can offer up to 7.5 hours endurance, burn 3.6 gallons per hour at 133 knots or fly at 147 knots behind a 100-hp Rotax 912 and an adjustable propeller. The aircraft offers "the largest flight safety margins in its category," according to Pipistrel, plus a useful load of 551 pounds and a range in excess of 1000 nm. The aircraft has high-aspect-ratio wings spanning just over 35 feet and boasts a 17:1 glide ratio. That has the manufacturer boasting that the aircraft is also "great for thermalling" and slope soaring, if you can manage the 42-knot clean stall speed. More...

PIPER, MOONEY SEE CUTBACKS
Piper will defer about $10 million worth of incentive money that would have required the company to hire additional workers, and a former Mooney employee says his former company last week had another round of layoffs. Piper will not seek money that would have required it to produce the PiperJet and hire 400 new workers by 2012 for that project. The deal would also have required the company to retain 1,417 people through 2015, removing operational flexibility the company may need. Piper has already shortened its workweek and extended its winter holiday closure to nearly three weeks in adapting to a slowing economy. But the company is framing its actions as proactive, not reactive. "While this year has been a good one for Piper," spokesman Mark Miller told Florida Today, "we have taken measures to keep the company healthy and to weather any future adversity." At Mooney, where last month 229 employees were laid off, a new report published on Christmas Day cites a company employee who states that 40 more employees were laid off last week. Seeking confirmation from CFO, Jon Greenwood, reporters were told to contact Mooney CEO Robert Gowens, who is out of town through Jan. 5. More...

LAST EVER BIPLANE EXPO, 2009?
The National Biplane Association board of directors, citing costs, has announced that 2009 will witness the "final aviation event for the organization." Over 23 years, some 2,500 biplanes and 7,000 other aircraft have drawn some 75,000 fans to the Biplane Expo, but times are changing. The events ran annually since 1987 and included exhibits, type club gatherings, forums and seminars, attendee-decided aircraft judging, aviation rides and famous personalities. With admission fees set at $5 and under, the 2008 event saw retired Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger speak. An earlier year included Paul Tibbets of Enola Gay fame. But increasing staffing requirements and costs have conspired with a deteriorating economy to pull the plug. Enthusiasts are now facing what is being billed as the Grande Finale at Bartlesville, Okla., June 4-6. More...

ALASKA AIRLINES INVESTIGATING DE-ICE FUMES INCIDENT
Alaska Airlines confirmed last week that it was fumes from de-icing fluid that caused at least 18 of 143 passengers aboard an Alaska Boeing 737-800 to be treated by paramedics for eye irritation, while seven crew members went to the hospital. The jet was operating as Flight 528 out of Seattle for Burbank and had pulled away from the gate prior to being de-iced. Then, passengers and crew reported fumes. That led the crew to return the aircraft to the gate where 18 passengers were treated with eyewash. At least one passenger told local news that all aboard were subjected to the fumes for 45 minutes before they were able to leave the aircraft. The airport was closed to all traffic after the accident and passengers were evacuated from the aircraft to buses. All of the passengers on the flight elected to continue to Burbank after the airline found a replacement aircraft, but seven crew members (six on duty and one off) were treated at a local emergency room as a matter of procedure. Six were soon released, but one was held for further evaluation. Exactly how the fumes got into the cabin is a matter still under investigation. More...

CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY THEORIES CATCH CONNELL CRASH
Michael Connell, 45, an instrument rated private pilot flying since 2006, was also a Republican media consultant subpoenaed for expert testimony by a lawsuit alleging electronic voting fraud in 2004, and that, along with reported threats against him, has brought additional attention to his death last week in a plane crash. Connell was flying alone in a Piper Cherokee Six Turbo Saratoga on approach to Akron-Canton Airport Friday, Dec. 19, when he crashed two miles short of the runway in the front lawn of a vacant house and was killed. The FAA's preliminary report on the accident includes very little additional information (which is not at all unusual) other than weather, which it lists as "192251Z 30011 9 BKN005 OVC 01/M01 A2978." The report suggests very low clouds, near-freezing temperatures and a tight temperature/dewpoint spread. But, in a world of conspiracy theorists, that's just half of the story. Connell was, according to CBS, the chief IT consultant for Karl Rove and reportedly built a Web site that carried now missing e-mails sought by investigators looking into the firing of U.S. Attorneys. Now, after Connell's fatal accident, CBS affiliate WOIO has reported that "an anonymous close friend" warned Connell "at least twice about flying his plane because his plane might be sabotaged," and that Connell himself had "twice in the past two months" canceled flights "because of suspicious problems with his plane." More...

CHECK YOUR CESSNA'S ALTERNATE STATIC PORT
A new airworthiness directive from the FAA applies to certain Cessna 172, 175, 177, 180, 182, 185, 188, 206, 207, 208, 210, 303, 336, and 337 series airplanes. The AD requires operators to check the alternate static air source selector valve to assure that the alternate static air source selector valve port is not obstructed by a part number identification placard. The FAA has been notified that several aircraft have been found with blocked ports as the result of "improper installation of the part number identification placard on the alternate static air source selector valve." The agency hopes to identify affected ports and prevent the condition from providing pilots with incorrect flight information that could lead to loss of control. The agency is asking operators to check the port, determine whether a placard-induced obstruction exists and removing the placard if it does. Those finding an obstruction are asked to report it to the FAA. This AD is a direct-to-final rule action that goes into effect Jan. 5, while it is accepting comments through Feb. 23. More...

OIL COMPANY JET ENCOURAGES BIRD MIGRATION
It wasn't long after an oil company's private jet arrived at landlocked Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, last week after flying from St. John's on the east coast, to Saskatoon, to Calgary, that its crew discovered a disoriented and strange-looking bird wandering around near the cargo hold. It was scooped up and taken to Calgary's Medicine River Wildlife Center (not far from the airport it had apparently visited, earlier), and naturalists unfamiliar with the bird sent out pictures to experts for identification. The universal reply was that the naturalists were keeping company with a black guillemot ... a native fish-eater of the east coast that was now about 1,000 miles away. It seems the pigeon-sized east coast seabird had stowed away from the rocky shores of St. John's, Newfoundland, to reach the prairies of central Canada. And, all told, it was not much worse for the wear ... except that it was now somewhat malnourished and perhaps more than a little confused. More...

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

AIR SHOW BENEFITS ALAN HENLEY
The air show community was saddened last July when Alan Henley, lead pilot for Team AeroShell, was severely injured in an accident at his home. The best performers in the business have rallied to organize a benefit show at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla. next April 18 and 19. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with air show director Bobbi Thompson. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: PATTY WAGSTAFF, BOOZE AND FLYING
Patty Wagstaff's official statement on the embarrassing incident at an Oshkosh runway this past summer has sparked a lot of reaction among our readers. AVweb Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles has been reading the mail, and while your comments are harsh, they're mostly fair. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Russ doubts that Patty Wagstaff will ever make such a faux pas again. More...

ATTENTION, POWER FLOW CUSTOMERS: AVIATION CONSUMER WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Have you installed a Power Flow Exhaust on your airplane? Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer magazine, is conducting a survey on Power Flow exhausts and would like to learn about your experiences with their products.

Send a note to aviation_safety@hotmail.com to share your experiences. We're particularly interested in your opinions on the exhaust system's price and performance, its ease of installation, before and after performance measurements, fuel flow, whether you'd purchase the system again and any other comments you'd care to share. Please include information on your airplane (make/model/year) and its engine (e.g., Lycoming O-360).

(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.)

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...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL AT COMPTON ABBAS
A favorite plane of ours (and pretty much everyone else) is the P-51 Mustang Big Beautiful Doll, and this week she touches down for a gorgeous landing on a small grass field runway at Compton Abbas in Dorset, U.K. AVweb reader Charles Davis had just hangared his Cub when he heard a Mustang was coming in for a landing and show this clip of Rob Davies landing the Doll on the fly. "I like it so much I put in on YouTube," Charles writes; "I hope you like it, too." No worries there, Charles. We enjoyed it quite a bit, and now the rest of AVweb can start the week with it, too. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AVIDYNE ENTEGRA INTEGRATED FLIGHT DECK (RELEASE 9)
Avidyne has upgraded its Entegra Flight Deck. Join us as we have a look, courtesy of Paul Bertorelli and Glenn Pew. (Click through to watch.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: EPPS AVIATION (KPDK, ATLANTA, GA)

Santa makes one final delivery for the holiday season, awarding AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon to Epps Aviation at KPDK in Atlanta, Georgia.

AVweb reader Steve Shrum has the story of how Epps saved his Christmas:

I was delivering some very special cargo to Peachtree on Christmas. The cargo included a mother, father, son, and daughter who otherwise would not have made it back home to visit with their family over the holiday. We had to wait out a long line of severe thunderstorms that stretched from Canada to Mexico. After the delay, we arrived in Atlanta just shortly after midnight. Little did we know that our batteries had made their last start. The kind folks at Epps Aviation were incredibly helpful — most specifically, Lymen Fisher. He didn't seem to mind when getting a call at 2 in the morning. He made the one-hour drive to the airport to help us with a battery change at 4 in the morning. The time for us went extremely fast as he kept us laughing with flying and mechanic stories that he had accumulated over the years. Needless to say, he is the sole reason I made it back to northern Arkansas with five minutes to spare to save my Christmas morning. In my opinion, this is yet another Christmas miracle. Thanks, Lymen!

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!

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...

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

Overheard on Baltimore approach frequency:

Approach:
"Cessna 1234B, what code are you squawking?"

Cessna:
"We're squawking [CODE]. Is everything O.K.?"

Approach:
"Cessna 34B, you're inside Class B air space, you don't have a clearance to enter Class B, and you're squawking the wrong code. Other than that, everything is just fine."

Alexei Tsekoun
Princeton, New Jersey

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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