NTSB FINDS PILOTS AT FAULT IN CITATION CRASH
The NTSB met on Wednesday to discuss the results of its investigation into the crash of a Cessna Citation 550 in June 2007 and laid the blame squarely in the lap of the pilots. The jet had just taken off from Milwaukee, carrying a medical team with a human organ for transplant. Shortly after takeoff, the captain had trouble controlling the airplane, and the crew was trying to return to the airport when the jet crashed into Lake Michigan, killing all six on board. The safety board investigators said they didn't have enough information to say for sure what happened -- it might have been a runaway trim or the inadvertent engagement of the autopilot, rather than the yaw damper, at takeoff -- but in either case, the crew's failure to respond adequately was the cause of the accident. "Regardless of the initiating event, if the pilots had simply maintained a reduced airspeed while they responded to the situation, the aerodynamic forces on the airplane would not have increased significantly; at reduced airspeeds, the pilots should have been able to maintain control of the airplane long enough to either successfully troubleshoot and resolve the problem or return safely to the airport," the board said in its synopsis. The NTSB released an animation of the crash sequence. More...

CHINA HOSTS GA CONVENTION THIS WEEK
For manufacturers of GA aircraft that have been eagerly awaiting the opening-up of Asian markets, this weekend's China International General Aviation Convention, in the northwestern city of Xi'an, is a good sign. More than 80,000 visitors from around the world are expected, according to China Daily. The convention will feature several airshows, a static exhibit with more than 100 aircraft, talks and forums. To promote the event, a new series of postage stamps has been released that features images of GA aircraft built by Cirrus, Diamond, Cessna, and Flight Design. "When Chinese citizens can buy Mercedes automobiles in large numbers, they demonstrate they can also afford light aircraft," said Matthias Betsch, CEO of Flight Design. "We are very honored to be included with these famous brands [in the stamp series] as China opens its doors to general aviation." In other news from China, Yuneec Intl. announced recently that it flew its electric-powered trike for one hour 16 minutes near its facility in Shanghai, and hopes to stretch that to an hour and half by the end of this month. More...

MICHAEL MOORE, NY TIMES ADDRESS PILOT PAY
In the first post of a new blog on his Web site, filmmaker Michael Moore this week addressed the issue of pilot pay, and The New York Times also explored the topic in a lengthy Page One story on Wednesday. "I have a whole section in my new movie [Capitalism: A Love Story] about how pilots are treated," Moore writes. "In the movie I interview a pilot for a major airline who made $17,000 last year. For four months he was eligible [for] -- and received -- food stamps. Another pilot in the film has a second job as a dog walker." The Times story focuses on Bryan Lawlor, a pilot for ExpressJet who was one of 130 captains downgraded to first officer in a cost-cutting measure. He took a 50-percent pay cut, to $34,000 per year. Click here for the full NYT story, or here for an audio slideshow. Moore's movie features interviews with several pilots and excerpts from Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's testimony before Congress in February, when he talked about the pay cuts and pension reductions taken by pilots. Click here for an audio podcast of Sullenberger's testimony. More...

AERION REPORTS PROGRESS IN PARTNERSHIP TALKS
Aerion remains determined to be first to market with a supersonic business jet, company chairman Robert Bass said in a news release this week. Armed with an order book worth $4 billion, Bass has been shopping around for an OEM partner to take on the project. "I said at EBACE earlier this year that I am committed to the Aerion program as long as we see progress in our discussions with OEMs," said Bass. "We are seeing progress. In fact, we are quite encouraged by our discussions. There is no question that the economic impact on the industry has slowed their decision-making progress, but it has not lessened interest in this program." He said the Aerion design is practical, because no regulatory changes are required for the jet to operate efficiently, and the supersonic natural laminar flow wing design is well proven. "There are no barriers to success," said Aerion Senior Advisor John Holding. "Technical risks are low, and the development of the jet is well within the capability of several manufacturers." More...

LAS VEGAS LAUNCHES LIGHTER-THAN-AIR TOURIST ATTRACTION
Las Vegas visitors now can fly in a tethered helium balloon to enjoy a view 500 feet above the Strip. The new business, called Cloud Nine, launched last Thursday, and claims to operate the largest balloon of its kind in the world. The 70-foot-tall balloon can carry up to 30 passengers at a time, at about $25 each for a 10-minute flight. The Las Vegas Sun, in its report on the new venture, noted that the company has some tough competition -- an observation deck at the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas is 460 feet high and charges just $10, and the Stratosphere hotel has a deck at 1,149 feet for just a $16 admission. A blimp operator that offered tours around the city about 10 years ago was unable to make a go of it, according to the Sun. But Cloud Nine CEO Kevin Michaels seems confident. "We've got 40 million people that come here on an annual basis. I thought it was a great opportunity for the visitors and the 2 million locals, alike," he told the Sun. More...

CAN WICHITA WEATHER THE STORM?
Wichita, Kan., has been the hub of the U.S. aircraft manufacturing industry since the 1920s, when the companies that would become Hawker Beechcraft, Cessna, and Boeing all had their roots there. But the current downturn has hit the city hard, with about a quarter of the aviation workforce laid off. According to a story in Monday's Wall Street Journal, the city may never recover those jobs. Many manufacturers had started work on new production facilities in China, Mexico, and elsewhere to increase capacity during the boom times, and when orders do start to pick up again, the work might go there, rather than back to Kansas. Company officials told the WSJ it's unlikely that they would expand their Wichita operations beyond today's level. Any future growth would probably happen abroad. "We're going out and trying to recruit new businesses here to diversify what we have," Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer told the WSJ. But some of those new businesses might still be in the aviation sector, he added. More...

STRATOS FINDS FIRST CUSTOMER, WILL BRING CABIN MOCK-UP TO NBAA
Stratos Aircraft, of Bend, Ore., announced this week it has received the first deposit for a Stratos 714 Very Light Personal Jet. The company also said it will display its full-scale cabin mock-up at next week's NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, Fla., for the first time at that event. "The need for speed, performance and value drew me to Stratos," said Verson Pandian, the first buyer to take advantage of the Stratos fully refundable deposit program. Pandian is the owner of Cascade Air Charter, in Bend, and plans to use the jet in his business. "Knowing that I am not at risk with my deposit made me feel like the Stratos team really understands my perspective," he said. The Stratos single-engine jet will fly 1,500 nm at 400 knots carrying four people plus baggage, the company says. "We are excited to bring the 714 mock-up to this year's NBAA convention, especially since there is a focus on the light business aircraft owner," said Stratos Chairman Michael Lemaire. "We look forward to a great show." More...

AVWEBBIZ BRINGS YOU DAILY UPDATES FROM NBAA 2009
October 20-22 is the annual NBAA Convention, and we'll bring you news and announcements every day from the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. To follow our daily coverage, take a moment to make sure you're signed up for our no-cost AVwebBiz e-newsletter. Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions." More...

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. 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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: IS FLYING STILL FUN FOR YOU?
Between rising costs, onerous security, and more regulation, sometimes it seems like the fun is going out of aviation. Do you agree?

Plus: Last week, we asked what AVweb readers thought of the possibility that teen-aged alleged serial airplane thief Colton Harris Moore learned to fly from the internet; click through to see what they had to say on the subject. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: FLYING THE ZEPPELIN NT WITH AIRSHIP VENTURES
Pilots who signed up for sightseeing flights over San Francisco in the new Zeppelin NT kept asking the crew if they could take a turn in the front seat. Tired of having to say no, the company created a special day-long program just for pilots. AVweb's Mary Grady tried it out during a session in Long Beach last month, and here is her report. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: GARMIN'S NEW TRAFFIC PRODUCTS
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. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: AIRFLYTE, INC. (KBAF, WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS)

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Keith White of Los Angeles, California had a bang-up afternoon on the 1945 Victory Ship S.S. Victory Lane last month. "Eight T-6 Texans, some with Luftwaffe and some with AA markings, put on a fine show ... off Catalina Island," writes Keith. Of course, the recreation of an air attack was a good bit safer than the real thing, but Keith reports that "the good guys won" and he came home with a stunning photo that beat out stiff competition to become AVweb's "Picture of the Week." 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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