FIRST LEARN TO FLY DAY DRAWS THOUSANDS
The first-ever Learn To Fly Day inspired 450 events around the country last Saturday, introducing an estimated 40,000 people to general aviation, EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said this week. "Chapter 845 in Redlands, Calif., signed up 90 for introductory flights but was unable to give them all rides on Saturday," Knapinski said. "So they're holding International Learn To Fly Day Part 2 this weekend." At AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Md., the local EAA chapter set a new record for Young Eagle flights, said AOPA spokesman Chris Dancy. "Turnout was steady all morning and through mid-afternoon," he told AVweb. "Women in Aviation hosted an event here for Girl Scouts, and local flight schools signed up several people for intro flights." The event attracted local press around the country, with the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun reporting 50 people taking first flights at a local airport, and about 400 showed up at the field in Fitchburg, Mass., where they also got to see the Terrafugia Transition "flying car" on display. Jeff Skiles, first officer on the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight, hosted an event in Wisconsin that made the local TV news. More...

LEARN TO FLY DAY: THE EPILOGUE
Pilot Journey's Gary Bradshaw speaks with Glenn Pew about the stunning successes (and a few unexpected failures) of Learn to Fly Day. More...

Related Content:

• The Epilogue: Podcast Interview with Gary Bradshaw
• Question of the Week: How Was Your Learn to Fly Day?

VIRGIN GALACTIC NAMES FIRST CEO
To find its first chief executive, Virgin Galactic went straight to that other space agency -- the one known as NASA -- to find George Whitesides, who was working there as chief of staff. Will Whitehorn, Virgin Galactic's longtime president, said Whitesides will guide the company as it transitions from a work-in-progress to a fully fledged operating business. "George brings with him a wealth of experience in space business, policy and regulation. He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company," said Whitehorn. "Test flying of the first SpaceShipTwo (VSS Enterprise) has commenced and our future home at Spaceport America in New Mexico is at an advanced stage of construction." Virgin Galactic has developed the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo air-launched space system over the past six years, using technology created by Scaled Composites based on the Burt Rutan-designed spacecraft that won the X Prize in 2004. More...

THIRD NOMINEE NAMED TO HEAD TSA
President Barack Obama has nominated John Pistole to take over as the next head of the Transportation Security Administration, his third effort to fill the long-vacant position. Two other recent nominees failed to win confirmation. Pistole, deputy director at the FBI, has been described as "bullteproof." In announcing his choice, President Obama said: "The talent and knowledge John has acquired in more than two decades of service with the FBI will make him a valuable asset to our administration's efforts to strengthen the security and screening measures at our airports." Pistole helped to lead the investigation of the Egypt Air Flight 990 crash in 1990, and recently was involved with the pursuit of the Times Square bombing suspect. Pistole is expected to attract bipartisan support, according to The New York Times. More...

FEDEX ISSUE STALLS FAA BILL
When the Senate OK'd an FAA funding bill back in March, it looked like the agency would finally see an end to a long series of short-term extensions dating back to 2007, but now the bill remains stalled due to a dispute over union rules. The House version of the bill includes a provision that would change the status of some FedEx workers who are now regulated under the Railway Labor Act, which also covers airlines. The House bill would place those workers instead under the National Labor Relations Act, the same rules that govern UPS workers. The Senate version of the bill doesn't include this provision, and the two sides have been unable to reconcile their differences, resulting in a delay in completing the bill so it can go to the White House. The current FAA funding has now been extended to July 3 in the hope that the two sides can work things out by then. More...

HOW WE MAY GET KOREAN-MADE GA AIRCRAFT
The KC-100, a four-place "240 KTAS" (maximum, not cruise speed) aircraft being developed in Korea and seeking FAA certification, may be the first complete aircraft to benefit from a pact initiated in early 2008 by South Korea and the U.S. The side-stick controlled KC-100 is powered by a 315-hp, turbo-FADEC Continental, targets a range of more than 1,300 nm, and is due to complete development in June of 2013. A first flight is expected this year. The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) is a contract between South Korea and the U.S. that covers comprehensive cooperation in aviation safety, and will allow South Korean aviation manufacturers -- that pass FAA inspections -- to freely export aviation goods that meet FAA technical standards. Airworthiness inspections of the KC-100, South Korea's first commercial aircraft, from Korea's only aircraft developer, began in 2009, according to The Korea Times. Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd (KAI) has already produced a supersonic jet trainer. The KC-100 may just be Korea's first complete design ready for commercial FAA-approved export ... with more to come. More...

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT FLYING AWARDS
If you know of a volunteer or an organization that is doing outstanding work to promote humanitarian causes through aviation, the National Aeronautic Association wants to hear from you. The NAA, in collaboration with the Air Care Alliance, presents the National Public Benefit Flying Awards once a year, in five categories, and the nomination deadline is approaching -- Monday, May 31. Anyone can send in a nomination, the process is fairly simple, and complete details are provided online at the NAA Web site. The categories cover both groups and individuals, a teamwork award, and an award for those who help to support the efforts of such groups. The winners are honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., held in September. More...

UNITED 757 LANDS WITH SERIOUS COCKPIT FIRE
A United 757 en route from New York to Los Angeles Monday made an emergency landing at Dulles following a cockpit fire that may have been more serious than initially reported. Passengers told the Associated Press Monday afternoon that shortly after take off, they smelled smoke and a flight crew member opened the cockpit door requesting a fire extinguisher. The passenger told the AP that open flames were visible and at least one windshield was cracked. More...

FAA OKS DRONES FOR TEXAS BORDER
The FAA has approved a Certification of Authorization (COA) for an unmanned aerial vehicle to patrol a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border extending from Arizona to the El Paso region of Texas effective June 1. This is one of two COAs that have been submitted to the FAA seeking approval for UAV flights along the Texas-Mexico border. "This is very good news for Texas, as we seek to provide additional security measures along the Rio Grande in light of escalated border violence," said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, of Texas, who lobbied for the approval. "However, more needs to be done. I will continue to push for the second pending COA when I meet with FAA Administrator [Randy Babbitt] on May 20." The second approval would allow UAV flights along the rest of the Texas border, from El Paso to Corpus Christi. According to Cuellar, the FAA expressed concern about mixing the drones with heavy aircraft traffic, both private and commercial, in the Texas border region. More...

AIR FRANCE LAUNCHES A380 SHUTTLE
Airbus likely didn't envision its super-long-range flagship A380 being used as a shuttle but Air France apparently thinks it can make money hopping across the English Channel with the giant airliner. The airline will begin summer weekend A380 service between London's Heathrow and Paris's Charles de Gaulle airports June 12. There will be one flight a day each way from Saturday to Monday for most of the summer and Friday flights will be added for July. Air France is launching the service with a seat sale and one-way tickets are about $275 on the reservations Web site. More...

BUSINESS UP AT GULFSTREAM
Gulfstream says business is up and it's predicting continued slow recovery through the coming year. In a conference call to discuss its first quarter results of parent company General Dynamics, CEO Jay Johnson said Gulfstream, buoyed by 200 orders for its new G650 ultra-fast and ultra-long-range business jet, is in a solid position. "First quarter revenues are up 15 percent over the last quarter of 2009, and the G650 order book remains strong," he was quoted as saying by the Savannah Morning News. "Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul demand is good." Johnson said the company expects to build 77 large and 14 midsized jets in 2010 against an order backlog of $18.5 billion. More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER

Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?

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: HOW WAS YOUR LEARN TO FLY DAY?
It was International Learn to Fly Day last Saturday. We'd like to know if you participated.

Plus: Last week, TCM accounced their plans for a diesel engine and we asked AVweb readers if they'd consider a diesel engine in their airplanes; click through to see how they answered. 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...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: ALTERNATE FUELS — GIVE US YOUR VIEWS
Have you taken Aviation Consumer's survey on alternative fuels yet? Consumer Editor-in-Chief Paul Bertorelli hopes you will. He's already learned quite a bit from those who have taken a moment to share their opinions — and he shares some of that knowledge in the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Click here to read more. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER: TELL US ABOUT YOUR OPINIONS ON DIESEL ENGINES AND ALTERNATE FUELS
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting research on attitudes toward replacement strategies for 100LL. To take the survey, click this link and let us know what you think.
(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) More...

AVIATION CONSUMER'S LSA DURABILITY SURVEY
Do you have an LSA at a flight school? Do you rent one? Aviation Consumer needs to hear from you. Aviation Consumer is looking at the long-term durability of these aircraft when subjected to the rigors of flight training, as well as their cost and ease of repair. Whether you run a flight school with LSAs, own an LSA that you lease back, or just rent them for your flight training, you voice matters. Click here to participate in our quick LSA durability survey.
(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.) More...

WOOPY-FLY INFLATABLE WING ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT
The Woopy-Fly, a sort of paraglider/trike/ultralight hybrid shown on the world stage at AERO Friedrichshafen this April 2010 in Germany, has a wing that folds for storage like a paraglider — because it's inflatable. Currently, it appears the wing itself is only available from distributors in Switzerland, Russia, and Japan. Those wishing to buy the trike (plus wing) can expect a complete kit cost to run about 13,780 Swiss Francs, which currently is about US$12,400 — plus the legal disclaimer that releases the manufacturer of liability. More...

TCM'S NEW DIESEL PROJECT
TCM said more than a year ago that it wanted to get an aerodiesel into its product line, and now it has one. The company bought diesel technology already developed from a European source and is forging ahead with its own program. More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A KING SCHOOLS GET-IT-ALL TRAINING KIT

Win a Get-It-All Training Kit from King Schools as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year — so if you've already entered, you're all set.)

And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either — but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)

Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time May 21, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

Congratulations to David Schieman of Lawrenceville, Georgia, who won Scheyden Dual RX frames and a Scheyden flight gear package in our last drawing! (click here to get your own from Scheyden)

FBO OF THE WEEK: JA AIR CENTER (KARR, AURORA, ILLINOIS)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to our old friends at JA Air Center at Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR) in Aurora, Illinois.

Recently, AVweb reader Mike Hayles visited JA's Aurora, Illinois location (Aurora Municipal Airport, KARR) and was impressed with the top-notch service:

I have based my survey aircraft at JA Air Center for the last week. Every day the service has been prompt, efficient, and cheerful — and the very competitve fuel prices take it to the top of my list of favorite FBOs.

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
Sometimes it's the aircraft or the photo composition that pushes a shot into the week's top spot. But on other occasions, it's the sheer uniqueness of what's in the photo that makes our collective jaw drop. Ladies and gentlemen, a helicopter wrangling oxen above the Arctic Circle ("outside of Kotzebue, Alaska") — courtesy of Nome, Alaska's Terence Day. Tell us you've seen something cooler than that this week. (Better still: If you actually have seen something cooler than that, send us the pictures!) 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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