COMPLIANCE DEADLINE NEAR FOR NEW DHS BORDER-CROSSING RULES
The FAA sent out a notice this week reminding pilots that the deadline is May 18 to comply with a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security that requires the pilots of private aircraft on international flights to submit reports with Customs and Border Protection. The rule requires GA pilots to submit crew and passenger manifests at least 60 minutes before departure. The information must be submitted using the CBP's Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) Web site, or through an authorized third-party vendor. Pilots who fail to meet these reporting requirements can be fined $5,000 for the first violation and $10,000 for each subsequent violation. Click here for the full text of the rule, click here for more info about the rules from CBP, and click here for info about how to register at the CBP's eAPIS site. More...

NEW "MISSING AIRCRAFT SEARCH TEAM" HELPS FIND LOST CESSNA 182
A group of volunteers who met while working on the Steve Fossett search in 2007 have formed an ad hoc group called the Missing Aircraft Search Team (MAST), and this week they announced their first recovery -- a Cessna 182 that was lost near Sedona, Ariz., in September 2006, with two souls on board. "Our team is made up of about 14 people from around the country, and we meet online or over the phone," spokesman Lew Toulmin told on Wednesday. "One of our volunteers in California, Chris Killian, was checking fire reports and found a report that had been overlooked, from the day that the airplane disappeared." That clue was the turning point, as the hikers who filed the report were tracked down and they were able to pinpoint the site of the fire. Their curiosity piqued, the hikers returned to the woods the next weekend, and found the wreckage of the airplane. Authorities confirmed that it was the 182 that went missing with pilot Bill Westover and passenger Marcy Randolph. Toulmin said MAST is working to organize as a nonprofit group and take on more projects, and also to develop new search strategies using Google Earth and other tools. Toulmin added that MAST also will examine the way that searches are conducted and lobby for improvements. "The data are so scattered," he said. "We found in both cases [Fossett's disappearance and the 182 case] that there were myriad problems with coordination, funding, insurance, standards, routine destruction of vital search data, search command and control, and lack of 'lessons learned' analysis." [more] Another group, InternetSAR, was formed after the Fossett search to promote the use of Internet resources for aerial searching. Toulmin said MAST also will organize ground searches. Two ground searches had already been planned for Arizona this month. The group is now looking at a couple of other cases and will take on another project soon, Toulmin said. He said about 100 light aircraft have gone missing since 1962. For more information about MAST, click here for the news release. More...

LOPRESTI AVIATION SEALS DEAL FOR NEW FACILITY
While some aviation companies wait anxiously for the economic turnaround, other companies have found ways to benefit, and Lopresti Aviation is one of those. People who don't want to spend the money for a new airplane will spend to improve their current airplanes, chief operating officer R.J. Siegel told TCPalm this week -- and that's good for the company, which sells products that help boost airplane performance. But the company also has been working on a side project, to build Fury airplanes, and now they have found another way the downturn can help them out. The city of Sebastian, Fla., eager to bring in new business, has offered Lopresti a 15-year lease on a hangar at the municipal airport, in the hope that will create 45 jobs in the next 18 months as they ramp up work on the Fury program. The deal has been in the works for a while but now the lease is signed and the company hopes to move in and get to work by mid-June. Development and flight testing of the conforming prototype are first on the agenda. More...

PIPER SOLD FOR PROFIT
In this market it might be assumed that American Capital, the company that owned Piper Aircraft until last Friday, was bailing on a troubled industry. In fact, the company made a healthy $31 million profit on the sale and the premium paid by Imprimis is indicative of the strength of the company. "We are extremely delighted with the impressive results of our sale of Piper. The sale of Piper during such challenging economic times demonstrates that the market is still receptive to the acquisition of strong assets," American Capital spokesman Steve Price said in a news release. "We are excited for Piper as it moves forward with new ownership under Imprimis and expands in new geographic markets, especially Asia, with its comprehensive product line." More...

NEW COMPANY OFFERS RIDE-SHARES FOR JETS
Maybe those auto execs would have suffered less of a thrashing if they had shared a ride to Washington in one jet instead of three -- that's part of the idea behind Greenjets, a new Florida-based company that aims to fill empty seats on private jets, to save money and reduce the environmental impact of the flight. The company said this week it already has 40 jets signed up in its network and plans to start service this summer. Travelers can book a seat online or over the phone, or buy a jetcard that offers discounts and freebies. "The Greenjetcard provides the most cost-effective private jet travel solution available today," the company said in a news release. Special-offer membership starts as low as $1,400 for a year and trip prices from New York to Florida can be as low as $1,800 per person. The company plans to start with service between New York and Florida, and later this year will add service for Chicago, Boston, Washington, and Atlanta. Over the next two years, another 27 markets will be added across the U.S. "Greenjets comes at a time when companies and individuals are looking to save money while maintaining productivity through flying private," the company said. More...

CANADA BACKS OFF 406 ELTS
Canada's Minister of Transport, John Baird, has overruled his bureaucracy and suspended implementation of a controversial rule that would have required almost all aircraft to have certified 406 Mhz emergency locator transmitters installed by February of 2011 in order to fly legally in Canada. The rule would have applied to aircraft trying to enter Canada from other countries. In an interview with AVweb at Canadian Aviation Expo in Hamilton, Ontario, earlier this week, Kevin Psutka, president of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), said the minister refused to sign the rule as presented by Transport Canada because it didn't include any viable alternatives to 406 ELTs, even though it included language that indicated an alternative method of compliance was possible. "There is no technology that exists today that could meet those (alternative) requirements," Psutka said. He said the minister has ordered his staff to draft a rule that gives new technology a fighting chance for acceptance. More...

GA DELIVERIES DECLINE 41 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER
Shipments of general aviation aircraft fell by 41 percent in the first three months of 2009, compared to the same period a year ago, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association said on Tuesday. "This is an extremely difficult time for our industry," said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. "We are dealing first and foremost with the severe negative effects of a worldwide economic downturn, but also with unwarranted criticism focused on the industry. The result has been the cancellation of orders for new airplanes and the loss of more than 15,000 high-paying jobs for American workers over the last several months." The piston segment was down 55 percent in the first quarter, with 179 airplanes delivered, compared to 399 in the first three months of 2008. Business jet shipments fell 36 percent, with 191 deliveries, compared to 297 in the first quarter of 2008. The turboprop segment was the only bright spot, showing a 3 percent increase, with 92 units delivered, up from 89 a year ago. A total of 462 GA airplanes were delivered, and industry billings totaled $4.34 billion, down 18 percent. But while the numbers may seem grim, the industry has always been somewhat volatile, and a look back in the GAMA records shows the last time total deliveries sank this low was not that long ago -- in the first quarter of 2004. Growth trended upward each year from 2004 to 2007. More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER

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AVIATION SUMMIT FOCUSES ON FUNDING, NEXTGEN
About 200 industry leaders met in Washington, D.C., last week for the 8th Annual Aviation Summit. The summit, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, brings together experts from government agencies, airlines and aviation advocacy groups. NextGen was a hot topic on the agenda, as was the future of aviation funding and the impact of economic uncertainty. NBAA President Ed Bolen was among those advocating for quicker progress on NextGen. "The general aviation community has been a tireless advocate for modernization of the aviation system," he said. "Accelerating the transition to NextGen will advance important national objectives like expanding system capacity and reducing congestion, reducing long-term costs to the FAA, enhancing safety and even reducing the industry's environmental footprint. We come together recognizing that a unified industry presents a great opportunity to make that a reality." AOPA President Craig Fuller led the summit's panel discussion on NextGen. He said system modernization is crucial, and he added that under the Obama administration's budget plan the general-fund contribution to the FAA would be reduced and about $7 billion a year in user fees would be added. More...

AIRSHOW LEGEND SEAN TUCKER MAKES "PRECAUTIONARY LANDING" ON CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY
Aerobatic pilot Sean Tucker has issued a statement concerning his off-airport landing Sunday evening. Tucker was flying a photo shoot near his King City, Calif., home base around 7 p.m. when his engine hiccuped and he realized that if it quit altogether, he couldn't stretch a glide back to the airport. With a long empty stretch of Highway 101 nearby, he decided to get the airplane on the ground and check it out. "We did not put a scratch on the airplane and did not jeopardize any vehicles," Tucker said in a statement on Wednesday. "It was a precautionary landing because of a malfunction in the fuel computer." Tucker's crew came and checked out the airplane, and the highway police stopped traffic so he could take off and fly home. Earlier reports by a California television station quoted Tucker as telling California Highway Patrol officers that he had run out of fuel and that fuel was added to the aircraft before taking off. Tucker did not respond to AVweb's request for clarification of the television report. More...

ON THE FLY ...
EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh FAA Notam now online...
FAA is reviewing the hours flown by Colgan Air flight crews...
Viperjet's new LXR kit offers a bigger cockpit and new P&W turbine...
Airports in Mesa, Ariz., and Alexandria, La., will benefit from funding, FAA said...
Socata now offers an onboard potty option for the TBM 850. More...

SHARE YOUR EBACE NEWS
Europe's biggest business aviation show, the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), is almost here, and AVweb is inviting companies attending to submit their news releases to us for possible publication in our show coverage. Send your news to editor@avweb.com. 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

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: "IS SUN 'N FUN, LIKE, OVER?"
In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli takes the question of whether Sun 'n Fun faces a dire future. In a nutshell, his answer is yes — but if you've turned on the TV lately, you know times are tough all around. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: 406 MHZ ELTS — WILL YOU UPGRADE?
In February, satellite monitoring for 121.5 ELTs ended, and the military, Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol are strongly recommending installation of 406 ELTs, which are monitored. Canada has backed off on mandatory equipage. This week, AVweb wants to know how you feel about installing the new gear.

Plus: Everyone's watching the budget these days, including many AVweb readers who are foregoing new airplane purchases and instead choosing to spruce up their existing planes. Last week, we asked what you'd be buying for your airplane this year. Click through to see how your fellow readers answered. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER'S ASPEN AVIONICS SURVEY
Have you installed an Aspen Avionics PFD/MFD? Our sister magazine, Aviation Consumer, wants to talk to you about the experience and your satisfaction with the system. Please take a moment to fill out this survey and share your experience with other potential buyers.(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AVIATION CONSUMER REVIEWS JEPPESEN'S VISUAL CHARTS
Does the world need an alternative to the government's section charts? Jeppesen thinks so, and Aviation Consumer's Jeff Van West finds that these new products from Jeppesen are well-designed and well-executed, with a just a couple of small shortcomings. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: JET AIR SYSTEMS (GILLESPIE FIELD, KSEE, EL CAJON/SAN DIEGO, CA)

"It's easy to look good when things go smoothly," writes AVweb reader Jim Wholey, "but Jet Air [at KSEE in El Cajon/San Diego] still looks good when problems arise." Jim explains the stellar service that makes Jet Air our "FBO of the Week":

I arrived [at Gillespie Field] early in the evening but after rental car agencies were closed. Due to a mix-up on dates, I did not have a car waiting. The staff at Jet Air patiently investigated various options and were able to arrange a temporary loaner car. But more significant, they proved their high level of customer service to me! (Thanks, Missy.)

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
Submissions dropped off just a bit in this week (perhaps in the wake of our oddball Sun 'n Fun schedule), but thankfully the quality of reader photos is as high as ever — which you can see from this week's top photo, from Rene Benzonana of Grand-Lancy, Geneva (Switzerland). We realize we say this a lot, but it bears repeating: You really are missing some terrific photos if you don't visit AVweb's home page and check out all the bonus photos that don't fit here. (And for those who may not have realized it: You can see large-size versions of all the pics in the slideshow by clicking on them.) 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
Mariano Rosales

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