GROUPS ACT ON POTENTIAL LEADED-FUEL RULEMAKING
A grassroots movement by aircraft type groups is brewing to get the word out about the threat of the EPA's proposed rulemaking that could lead to new regulations regarding the use of leaded aviation fuel. Jonathan Sisk president of the Malibu Mirage Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA) wrote a letter to AVweb (published in today's AVmail), trying to enlist Piper PA-46 owner operators to mount a campaign to raise awareness. According to Sisk, "What is clear is that while lower-performance engines will run fine on 94UL, higher performance engines such as those used in the PA46 Malibu, Matrix, and Mirage will not." Sisk believes that fuels of less than 100 octane affect the PA-46 fleet's performance "instantly and adversely" and "in a dramatic way." He is calling on pilots to spread awareness of "the critical nature of this threat," and encouraging them to write to groups like ASTM, FAA, DOT, EPA and AOPA. Other groups are apparently getting into the fray, too and Tom Turner, executive director of the American Bonanza Society told AVweb there will be more developments in the coming week. Meanwhile alphabet groups are asking for more time to comment on the EPA's rule. More...

SPIRIT PILOTS GO ON STRIKE
Spirit Airlines has cancelled all its flights through Tuesday because of a pilots' strike. The "ultra low-cost carrier" said passengers booked on the cancelled flights can get a credit for the full value of the flight plus a $100 bonus credit. Cash refunds are also available and travel insurance may be available in some cases. Wages appear to be the major issue and, of course, the company and the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents the pilots, have different ways of looking at the events that led to the picket action. More...

JETSTAR PILOT TEXTING WHILE LANDING?
Claims that a Jetstar airlines pilot was texting on his cellphone before aborting what might have become a gear-up landing at Singapore are being investigated by authorities, according to local news sources. SkyNews.com and TheAustralian.com are among the news agencies that Friday reported the unsourced "texting" allegations and unconfirmed gear-up approach. According to the news agencies, a pilot for the airline "is being investigated" over the claims. However, that was not validated by Jetstar or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which declined comment on those specific issues. Investigators Friday said the jet had descended to about 700 feet when the an incorrect configuration warning was triggered, prompting the pilots to abort the landing prior to a subsequent successful attempt. One investigator did offer a few details, but not much. More...

JOBS: BOEING'S 787 SPURS HIRING
Boeing has started to recruit for a new 787 manufacturing facility that will eventually employ about 3,800 people and work toward the goal of producing a record 10 airplanes per month. The facility at Charleston, S.C., is set to open in 2011 with 1,000 workers. Boeing hopes it will help set a production rate of 10 aircraft per month, which the company says would be "the highest twin-aisle production rate in history." The company has won more than 860 orders for the 787 Dreamliner and expects the South Carolina plant to turn out completed jets by early 2012. Jobs at the new facility, which will perform final assembly, will include structural manufacturing, fastener installation and inspections. Positions do have minimum requirements and applications do have due dates coming up soon. More...

MISTRAL PUTS 300HP ROTARY ENGINE ON HOLD
In development for a decade, Mistral Engines said Wednesday that it was on track to win FAA certification by early 2011 for its 300hp, G-300 rotary, but must now put those plans on hold. The company says it needs a cash infusion and until "adequate financing" is secured, the company's board of directors has voted to suspend development, effective immediately. Mistral sees its rotary as an efficient, vibration-free and fuel-flexible liquid-cooled solution that could bridge the current "performance, reliability and cost gap" between current piston and turbine engines. The company says its G-300 can run "on any type of autogas or avgas" and targets a 3,000-hour TBO. Mistral says it is also "well along" in development of a Jet-A1-burning version with more plans in the works. More...

PIPERSPORT NO. 3 A TRAINING PLANE
Deliveries of the PiperSport LSA began officially at this year's Sun 'n Fun and it didn't take long for one to find its way into a training fleet. PiperSport serial no. 3 was delivered to First Landings Aviation at Apopka Airport in Orlando recently and became the first PiperSport to be used for flying lessons. First Landings specializes in sport pilot training and the low-wing PiperSport complements the high-wing Remos G3 already used by the company. First Landings even managed to beat Piper to the punch in putting the PiperSport, which is made in the Czech Republic and was formerly known as a the Sportcruiser, into revenue service. Piper will soon open a flight school in Brunei, whose government is the principal investor in the company. More...

CABOT AWARD SHARED BY TWO MEN WHO HELPED BRING APOLLO 13 HOME

Click for more photos

Last Friday, the Aero Club New England bestowed its Godfrey L. Cabot award to Joe Gavin and Gene Kranz. Gavin was the Director of the Lunar Module Program for Grumman, and Kranz was the Flight Director for the Apollo missions. (He was the guy in the vest played by Ed Harris in the film Apollo 13.) Gavin spoke briefly, making some good quips about developing "a flying machine we couldn't flight test" and how working to get the crew of Apollo 13 back alive was "the longest time without sleeping I've ever faced." But it was Kranz's presentation that stole the show. More...

AVMAIL: JUNE 14, 2010

Letter of the Week: The No-Lead Threat

Finding a viable replacement fuel for leaded avgas looms as a catastrophic threat to high-performance piston aircraft owners, and PA-46 aircraft in particular.

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While lower-performance engines will run fine on 94UL, higher performance engines such as those used in the PA46 Malibu, Matrix, and Mirage will not.

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Of greatest concern is that we run the risk of this decision being primarily influenced by the engine manufacturers with limited input from current avgas users — that is, us, owners of high performance piston aircraft. Unfortunately, individual aircraft owners seem unaware of the threat this issue represents and, to this point, have been mostly silent.

...

What can you do? Look for opportunities to awaken general aviation pilots to the critical nature of this threat. Write your own letters. Express your concerns to those groups with political access and influence, such as AOPA and EAA. This is not just a PA46 issue.

Jonathan Sisk
President, MMOPA Board of Directors

Click through to read the entirety of Mr. Sisk's letter — and more from AVweb's readers.

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: SELF-DELUSION SAVES LIVES
Pride goeth before a fall. We're told that lying to ourselves and overestimating our abilities is a surefire path to failure — but listening to Failure Is Not an Option author Gene Kranz talk about the Apollo 13 mission, Jeff Van West has come to realize the opposite is sometimes true: Our self-delusions can pave the way to success. Read more at the AVweb Insider blog — and then add your own comments. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: TULSA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM — A BORING AIR SHOW
How can an air show be boring? It's not enough to bring top acts into town like Kyle Franklin and the Rocket Racing League. On the AVweb Insider, guest blogger Greg Wustrack explains that pacing, parking, and a place to pee are top considerations, too. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: LIVE STREAMING ON THE INTERNET — YOUR AIRCRAFT WRECK!
That must be the way the pilot of that Strearman that pranged on the runway at Reagan National on Tuesday felt. You can hardly open a car door (or untie an airplane) without a camera catching you in the act. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli reminds us all to wear our best flight jackets and the underwear with no holes: We're gonna be on TV! Click here to read the blog and join the conversation. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: CATTARAUGUS COUNTY-OLEAN AIRPORT (KOLE, OLEAN, NY)

Our latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the crew at Cattaraugus County-Olean Airport (KOLE) in Olean, New York.

AVweb reader Hella Comat told us why she'll be returning:

We attended an event at Olean this past weekend, and I can't say enough about the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff and volunteers at KOLE. The airport is a beautiful spot on a hill above town, and we were offered rides into town and back the next morning. Getting gas was a breeze, and the attendants were most helpful. If I'm in the area, I'd land here for sure, if only to say thanks again for the hospitality!

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!

AVIATION CONSUMER REVIEWS THE IPAD — WARTS AND ALL
Could it really be? Is the iPad the ultimate cockpit EFB (electronic flight bag) that we've all been waiting for? Find out in this review by AVweb and Aviation Consumer's Paul Bertorelli. It has potential — so much potential ... . More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AN AV8OR HANDHELD GPS

Win an AV8OR handheld GPS (from Bendix/King by Honeywell) 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 June 18, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

Congratulations to William R. Smith of Madison, Connecticut, who won a King Schools Get-It-All Pilot Training Kit in our last drawing! (click here to get your own from King Schools)

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

As Denny Cunningham can tell you, Chicago area controllers have a rep for irreverent humor on the air. This latest installment of the Top Twenty Actual Transmissions Heard in the O'Hare Tracon comes courtesy of IntentionallyLeftBlank, the newsletter of O'Hare's National Air Traffic Controllers Association:

Approach:
"American Two Twenty: eneey, meeny, miney, mo, how do you hear my radio?"

Courtesy of the Top Twenty Actual Transmissions Heard in the O'Hare Tracon, from IntentionallyLeftBlank, the newsletter of O'Hare's National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

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

Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)

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