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| Top News: Pilot Returns to the Cockpit | back to top |  |
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Pilot Sacked Over Cockpit Gunfire Reinstated
An arbitrator has ruled the US Airways pilot whose government-issue gun accidentally went off in flight can have his job back. Jim Langenhahn was fired after the 2008 incident and his union is welcoming the arbitration decision. "The company overreacted," union spokesman James Ray told CBC news. "Captain Langenhahn has had a distinguished and untarnished record in his time at US Airways." Langenhahn's pistol shot a hole through the aircraft's fuselage, but the Department of Homeland Security helped his case when it faulted the design of the captain's holster. However, the Transportation Security Adminstration, which oversees the Federal Flight Deck Officer program claims, the same holster design has been used by thousands of pilots without incident.
Airline pilots were given the option of undergoing firearms training to carry guns in the cockpit in 2002. Langenhahn, a former Air Force pilot, claimed the gun discharged in the cockpit when he was putting it away before landing a flight out of Denver for Charlotte. No passengers or crew were hurt, and the aircraft landed without further incident. |
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| A Little Late, But Finally Here | back to top | |
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Homebuilding Guidance Released By FAA
After a lengthy wait and more than a bit of hand-wringing on the part of builders and kit manufacturers, the FAA has finally published Advisory Circular 20-27G, which forms the approval basis for experimental/amateur-built aircraft. In the preamble, the FAA says that "This AC is not mandatory and does not constitute a regulation. This AC describes an acceptable means, but not the only means, to comply certification and operation requirements of amateur-built aircraft." However, virtually all Designated Airworthiness Representatives and FAA inspectors look to the AC for guidance.
The good news for builders is that the basic revisions to the AC appear as predicted in the months since Oshkosh, when we were told that some onerous aspects of the proposed new rules—such as the dreaded 20/20/11 rule, requiring 20% fabrication by the builder—have been dropped. In addition, the new AC has a more comprehensive and rational definition of fabrication than the one floated by the FAA in the summer of 2008.
In the AC, the FAA has established criteria by which builders can determine which set of rules applies to them. If the kit itself was evaluated before the rules change (and found to provide the builder 51% or more of the work to do), the kit itself has not changed since the approval, AND the builder has used no commercial assistance, then he can use the previous rules and checklists. If the kit has been changed or the builder used commercial assistance, then the new rules apply.
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| New Home for the Corvalis | back to top | |
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Cessna Resumes Corvalis Production, Not In Bend
Production of the Columbia 350 and 400 at a plant in Bend, Ore., failed to prove profitable for Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Co., and Cessna is now attempting -- beginning last Tuesday -- to profitably build the design as the Corvalis 350 and 400 at plants in Kansas and Mexico. The move, approved in May, will turn to production very slowly, however; it's predicted that a first aircraft to follow the move will take six months to manufacture. The timing will allow the company to properly arrange logistics for the complexities of the move, which includes 30 workers moving from Bend to Independence and the move of composite construction to Mexico. It should also clear Cessna's sitting inventory of a handful of finished unsold Corvalis aircraft. Cessna's short-term plan has workers assembling Corvalis planes inside its Independence paint facility, with a move to a more permanent production line by year-end. That line will be housed in the same facility as the company's Citation Mustang and piston-single lines. Workers in Mexico will build up the aircraft's composite structure, with workers in Independence performing the various installations of avionics, engine, interior and paint that follow, along with the work of flight-test and final delivery. At least one source at Cessna thinks demand may be starting to recover.
Some 24 Corvalis aircraft were delivered in the first half of 2009, which is nearly half the number delivered during the same period in 2008. But according to Cessna vice president of Mustang and single-engine piston products Rob Holter, there are signs the market may be picking up. "We're seeing some movement," Holter told the Bend Bulletin. Cessna hopes to deliver about 400 single-engine aircraft this year -- 333 less than the company delivered in 2008. |
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| Catching a Few Zs | back to top | |
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Pilots, Airlines Push For Nap Time
The practice of catching a nap while serving on the flight deck is not currently approved by the FAA, but citing supporting evidence, pilot unions and airlines say it may be time for the FAA to embrace the idea. British Airways, Qantas and others have for some years allowed one pilot to sleep during the cruise portion of some flights and some studies indicate it makes crew more alert during critical phases of flight. "It may seem counterintuitive to folks in the back of the plane, but it's the right thing to do," Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, told The Wall Street Journal. Besides, pilots do nap en route, according to a recent survey of commuter pilots referenced by the Journal, which also stated simply that "pilots say naps not only make sense, but that they also already take them." And fatigue has long been among the top concerns of aviation safety authorities, having been cited as a contributing factor in more than 250 aviation fatalities since 1990.
The strategies supported by the airlines and unions are referred to as controlled napping, and are seen as fatigue-mitigation strategies. Public perception is cited as the biggest obstacle in implementing those strategies. The balance of safety, profitability and work rules makes the issue complex. The FAA is expected to review crew rest rules, and napping is expected to be part of the conversation if not the final regulations. |
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| Incentives! | back to top | |
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Lycoming Pricing Deal Extended
A deal Lycoming had offered through Aug. 31 has been extended through Dec. 4, 2009, and it means that buyers can purchase a zero-time rebuilt engine for the price of a factory overhaul -- but there is a catch. To take advantage of the deal, buyers must return a Lycoming new or rebuilt engine that has never been overhauled. "We recognize that many owners may be nervous about the economy and so they are putting off new purchases in favor of overhauls," said Lycoming Vice President of Marketing and Sales Todd Stoner. Lycoming says its factory-rebuilt engines are built to the same limits as new engines and come with trimmings like a zero-time logbook and two-year warranty. The company hopes the program will help it retain customers "by upgrading their overhaul service to something much more valuable," said Stoner. Price differences between an overhaul and zero-time rebuild translate to savings of about $3,000 on most engines.
Lycoming encourages interested customers to check the company Web site to make sure they qualify. The company also offers a table comparing new and factory rebuilt prices.
Eclipse Offers Upgrades
Eclipse Aerospace has announced it will soon begin modifying existing EA500 very light jets. The company is offering FIKI and AvioNG 1.5 upgrades (performed only together, not separately) at a cost to owners of $149,000. The new company has also invited former Eclipse suppliers to attend an Oct. 27 meeting at Eclipse's Albuquerque headquarters to help Eclipse begin to sort out a workable supply chain for parts. Eclipse Aerospace does not yet have plans to resume manufacturing operations in Albuquerque, and won't make a decision on starting up production for at least six months. The company does have commitments to service centers at Albuquerque's Sunport International and Chicago's Executive Airport (formerly Palwaukee). Upgrade work is so far being performed in Chicago, but in a memo obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, Eclipse says it is "committed to the ABQ community and the city of ABQ."
The existing fleet of Eclipse 500 jets is composed of about 259 aircraft, all of which are currently approved for a lifetime of 10,000 hours. Only those equipped with the appropriate de-icing boots and AvioNG avionics packages are eligible for the combined upgrade program. |
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| News Briefs | back to top | |
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On the Fly ...Lancair's Evolution turboprop kit prototype is on a tour of California and Arizona with stops in Hayward, Santa Monica, Copperstate Fly-In and San Diego. Demo flights will be available at all locations...
Michael Moore's latest movie Capitalism: A Love Story devotes a significant amount of time, including an interview with Flight 1549 Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, on the plight of airline pilots. Moore has also blogged about the issue...
Photos of two Cessna 150s falling out of control after colliding near Pineville, La, were featured in the local newspaper. Two of the four people on board the aircraft died.
Aviation Consumer's Flight-Planning Software Survey
Do you use software for flight planning? Aviation Consumer magazine wants to know what computer tool you prefer, be it a package you paid for, downloaded for free, or just use on the web. Even if you just glance at the METARs on ADDS and figure you'll stop for gas somewhere on the way, we'd appreciate you taking a couple of minutes to answer at least some of these questions. Hey, you might even discover flight-planning options in the survey questions you never knew existed. Click here to participate.
(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.)
AVweb's Newstips Address ...
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Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips
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| New on AVweb | back to top | |
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Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers
Above and BeyondFile Size 8.0 MB / Running Time 8:45
FBOs are in the service business, but what Pacific States Aviation (of Concord, Calif.) did for Shannon Biggs and Bryan Liang in September was pretty special. AVweb's Russ Niles speaks with everyone involved in a terrible situation that had a big bright spot.
Related Content:
AVweb Insider Blog: More Thoughts on VLJ Price Fantasies
With its 600-series small turbofan, Pratt & Whitney probably made the technological breakthrough on cost that it said it would. So why didn't it break open the market? In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli argues that it's probably because the airframes themselves remain complex and expensive to certify. Cheap engines don't equate to cheap airplanes.
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| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Laugh and Learn | back to top | |
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Exclusive Video: Garmin's New Traffic ProductsOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos At Oshkosh this year, Garmin announced the new GT-series traffic awareness and collision avoidance products. These devices are priced according to capability and aircraft mission. In this video, we take a quick look at all three systems.
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| Your Favorite FBOs | back to top | |
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FBO of the Week: AirFlyte, Inc. (KBAF, Westfield, Massachusetts)
Nominate an FBO | Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to AirFlyte, Inc. at Westfield-Barnes Airport (KBAF) in Westfield, Massachusetts.
AVweb reader James Labrie recommended brought AirFlyte to our attention with this tale of stellar service:
AirFlyte's lineman professionally guided us to parking and literally provided us with a red carpet treatment, a genuine smile, and a giant umbrella to shield us from the light rain. We were quite impressed with the beautiful FBO in the brand new terminal building. ... Our children immediately entertained themselves with the Wii and giant flat screen TV. ... I was most impressed with the courteous and prompt service I received, in a spotless new facility. The rental car agency and excellent dining experience all in one building added to my satisfaction. I would definitely recommend AirFlyte to all pilots. They treat a C-172 pilot as importantly as an executive jet pilot. I absolutely will return to AirFlyte.
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! |
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| The Lighter Side of Flight | back to top | |
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Short Final
My VIP passenger showed up late for a two-hour flight. At 4,000 feet, we were halfway to the destination when he announced his bowels needed immediate attention and landing right now was not an option.
Me:
ATC:
Me:
ATC (after a long pause) :
Ed Emanuel |
| More AVweb for Your Inbox | back to top | |
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AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.
Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions." |
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?| Names Behind the News | back to top | |
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Meet the AVwebFlash TeamAVwebFlash 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:
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