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FIRST FLIGHT FOR GULFSTREAM G650
Gulfstream's newest business jet, the large-cabin, long-range G650, flew for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, in Savannah, Ga. Shortly after takeoff, the crew was alerted to a slight vibration in a landing-gear door, and returned for a landing 12 minutes after launch, as a precautionary measure. During those 12 minutes, the airplane reached an altitude of 6,600 feet and 170 knots, and the company declared the flight a success. "Systems were fully operational. ... Flight controls and characteristics performed as expected," said Pres Henne, Gulfstream's senior vice president for Programs, Engineering and Test. "We consider this flight a success and look forward to pursuing our full flight-test plan." The airplane remains on schedule for type certification by 2011, followed by entry-into-service in 2012, the company said. More...

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'JETMAN' ROSSY DITCHES IN AFRICA-EUROPE ATTEMPT
Yves Rossy, the Swiss pilot who has set numerous records flying a pair of eight-foot-long carbon-fiber wings propelled by four jet-fueled microturbines, ended up in the chilly North Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday while attempting to fly from Morocco to Spain. A helicopter arrived on the scene and within less than 15 minutes Rossy was rescued, unharmed. He later told the press he was foiled by descending air that was pushing him toward the sea, while flying at about 2,500 feet. "Unstable at this height, that's no playing any more," he said. "So I did throw away the wing and opened my parachute." The flight across the Strait of Gibraltar, about 24 miles, was supposed to take about 15 minutes, but the ditching occurred just five minutes after launch. Rossy will probably try again sometime next year, according to news reports. "He is a man of courage," said Stuart Sterzel, one of the sponsors of the attempt. "He will get up and dust himself off." More...

NEXTGEN ADVOCATES CITE JOB CREATION IN PUSH FOR FUNDING
Funding for the next-generation air traffic system would create thousands of jobs for engineers, software developers, and other high-tech workers, advocates said this week, as they lobbied House leaders to act before the December recess. Money invested in NextGen would "benefit Main Street, not just Wall Street," said AOPA President Craig Fuller. AOPA, NBAA, GAMA and 15 other aviation advocacy groups sent a letter (PDF) this week to Congressmen James Oberstar, D-Minn., and John Mica, R-Fla., leaders of the House transportation committee. "Congress should seize this opportunity to expedite NextGen capabilities and to provide a platform for domestic NextGen job creation, thereby ensuring that the civil aviation and travel industries -- which directly and indirectly generate over 10 million jobs and $1.2 trillion in economic activity annually -- can continue to positively contribute to growth in the domestic economy," the letter reads. More...

AIRLINES FINED FOR RAMP DELAY
Passenger rights groups are applauding the Department of Transportation's decision to levy $175,000 in fines after 47 passengers were held onboard a regional jet overnight on the ramp at Rochester, Minn., on Aug. 8. The DOT fined Continental Airlines and ExpressJet, who operated Continental Express Flight 2816 from Houston with an intended destination of Minneapolis-St. Paul. It fined Mesaba Airlines, which provided ground handling services for the Rochester Airport, $75,000 for its role in the incident, which resulted in the passengers being confined to the aircraft from about 12:30 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. "I hope that this sends a signal to the rest of the airline industry that we expect airlines to respect the rights of air travelers," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We will also use what we have learned from this investigation to strengthen protections for airline passengers subjected to long tarmac delays." The plane was diverted to Rochester because of bad weather and that's when a bad night got worse for the pax, according to the DOT. More...

EFFORTS INCREASE TO INTEGRATE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
The U.S. government is seeking ideas for creating "sense and avoid" technologies so unmanned aircraft could safely operate in the National Airspace System. The Office of Naval Research issued a request for proposals last week, noting that it is "increasingly important" that Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) become capable of sharing airspace with commercial and military aircraft. "The UAS must not interfere with manned aircraft operations, and must be relied upon to strictly observe the 'Right of Way Rules' developed for manned aviation platforms," the ONR said. The UAS must be able to sense even aircraft that have no transponders, TCAS, or other collision-avoidance systems, including gliders and balloons. Also last week, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told the Aerospace Industries Association he believes unmanned aircraft systems are "the way of the future." However, as of today, UAS "are not ready for seamless or routine use yet in civilian airspace. ... we can't give you the thumbs up." Babbitt said the number of UAS operations allowed in civilian airspace has tripled since 2007, and in the last year, there were about 20,000 such flights totaling about 2,500 hours. More...

AVIATION LEADER ED STIMPSON DIES
Ed Stimpson, a man a man who played a key role in reviving the general aviation industry, died at his home in Boise, Idaho, Wednesday. Stimpson was the driving force behind the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, a law that resulted in the resumption of manufacturing by some planemakers, notably Cessna. In fact, Cessna put Stimpson's initials on the first 100 piston planes produced after restarting the line. "The aviation world has lost one of the greatest statesmen it has ever known," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "For nearly 40 years, he has been a leader in shaping aviation policy, both in the United States and around the world." More...

FOUR BIDDERS FOR EPIC
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Epic Aircraft continues to wind its way through the courts and the next hearing is set for Dec. 7 in Portland. Spokesman Christopher Sanders told AVweb Tuesday there are four bidders vying to buy the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy including one established aircraft manufacturer. The names of the bidders are confidential for now but Sanders said at least two of them would be well known to those who follow aviation. There are currently 15 incomplete aircraft at the Bend, Oregon plant and Sanders said he's talking with all the owner/builders to try and ensure they can complete their projects. Epic sold a $1.8 million kit that produced a six place turboprop aircraft called the LT and the 15 unfinished aircraft are in varying stages of construction. Sanders said he was hired shortly after the departure of former CEO Rick Schramek and his role is to "maximize the value of the company and to make the company viable again." More...

COURT DENIES INSTRUCTOR INJUNCTION
A California court has denied an injunction application (PDF) by JoAnn and Sandy Hill that would have stopped the National Association of Flight Instructors from using curriculum the Hills say they created. The Hills have filed a lawsuit claiming NAFI is violating their copyright on the instructional material. Rich Stowell, who authored the aerobatics section of the material, has also filed suit. They sought the injunction to stop NAFI from using the material while the suit moves through the courts. In denying the application, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder ruled that the circumstances of the case do not meet the test of whether an injunction is appropriate. "It's what we expected," said NAFI President Jason Blair. JoAnn Hill told AVweb a press release would be forthcoming from their group after it's been discussed among them. More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER

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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."

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: AIRCRAFT DELAYS AND FINES
The Department of Transportation stepped in where Congress has so far feared to tread this week and levied large fines against three airlines involved in keeping a regional jet full of passengers on the small aircraft overnight last August. Is that the way to improve customer service?

Plus: Last week, we asked if the TSA's interest in repair stations as a potential security threat is warranted; click through to read what AVweb readers had to say on the subject. 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: HEY, WOMEN — WHERE ARE YOU?
Women make up only 6 percent of the pilot population in the U.S. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Mary Grady explores the reasons why. Click here to read more and add your own theories. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: IFR CHECKS OUT THE GARMIN G600 FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACHES
IFR Magazine's Jeff Van West flew Garmin's corporate Mooney to see how the G500/600 retrofit glass cockpit performs for instrument approaches. He also looks at how the unit stacks up against fully-integrated systems like the G1000. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: PRODUCT MINUTES — NEW PRODUCTS AT AOPA SUMMIT
Our cup did runneth over AOPA Summit last week, but we managed some time to shoot another brief video on cool products we saw, including a Cirrus engine modification from Next Dimension, Flightline Systems' new AuRACLE Engine Monitor for legacy twins, a nifty flashlight that's really a glove, and a new Cessna 210 inspection guide from the Cessna Pilots Association. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: TAC AIR (KLEX, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY)

AVweb's latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to another TAC Air location, this time the one Lexington, Kentucky.

AVweb reader Melvin Price spent a little more time at KLEX than he intended and got to know the FBO well when his Piper Malibu's battery died just prior to departure:

The line man immediatedly brought the battery cart, but my battery was so low that it could not maintain the alternators online. ... The adjoining maintenance shop was contacted, and they offered to charge my battery for three hours. ... While waiting for the battery to charge, the ladies behind the counter offered me the crew car and directions to a good lunch spot. ... I was very impressed with the entire operation, and the best part was that I did not have to pay for the three different external starts nor for the battery charge, although I offered. ... [E]xcept for losing a few hours of time, my visit to Lexington's TAC Air was exemplary in all ways.

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
It's not often enough that "POTW" contributors end up in front of the camera, but Canoga Park, California's Mujahid Abdulrahim handed the shooting duties over to Connie Saucedo for this photo that would make a few Macy's Parade entrants green with envy. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S. (And a happy Thursday to the rest of our readership.) One thing we're perpetually thankful for around the AVweb offices are our readers — and at no time do we appreciate you guys more than when we hunker down and sort through each week's batch of reader-submitted photos. 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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