FCC PROPOSES BAN ON 121.5 ELTS (UPDATED)
The Federal Communications Commission took the general aviation world by surprise when it said in a recent report it will prohibit the sale or use of 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters and require the use of 406 MHz units, a rule that could take effect as soon as August. Most of the 220,000 or so GA aircraft in the U.S. still use the 121.5 ELTs, which are allowed by the FAA. The FCC rule doesn't take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register, and AOPA says they hope to work things out with the FCC before that publication takes place. Nonetheless, AOPA's Rob Hackman said, "At this time, we caution anyone against purchasing a new ELT until this issue is resolved. There's a lot of misunderstanding at this time as to the status of this rule." On Wednesday, the Aircraft Electronics Association said the FCC has clarified that the rule is targeting legacy TSO C91a ELTs, which operate primarily on 121.5 MHz, not the general use of frequency 121.5 MHz as the rule implies. "Current TSO C126 ELTs are not affected by this ruling," the AEA said. More...

NEW OWNERS ATTEMPT CLEAR REDEMPTION
In 2009, CLEAR, a service that once allowed members fast access through security checkpoints at certain airports, closed without notice (but with its clients' payments); now, new owners are mounting a comeback. The company once provided security screening that expedited transit for its roughly 200,000 patrons by providing them with special kiosks at about 20 major U.S. airports. Those patrons had paid up to $199 per year and more than $500 for three-year memberships. The money and services were lost when the company folded, and questions were raised about the personal security information CLEAR had gathered from its members. The new management says it "will honor prior management's obligation" and reinstate customers' remaining membership terms. More...

AIRVENTURE 2010 PROMISES RARE WARBIRDS, NEW TECHNOLOGY
EAA AirVenture 2010 is just over a month away, so if you're going, now is a good time to be making plans, especially since early-bird discounts on advance tickets expire June 30. This year's big event has plenty of new features, a salute to veterans with lots of rare warbirds, plus of course the usual huge lineup of flight demos, airshow performers, forums, workshops, aviation films, and just about any kind of aviation-related event you can think of. Space is limited for the electric aircraft symposium on Friday, featuring aircraft designers Burt Rutan, Randall Fishman, John Monnett and more, so if you want to be there, register online now. The Goodyear Blimp will make another visit to the site, and a night airshow will light up the sky on Friday night, followed by mass balloon launches on Saturday and Sunday mornings. More...

FAA GRANTS EXTRA WEIGHT TO TERRAFUGIA
Terrafugia Inc. has been granted an exemption from the FAA that allows the company a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds for its Transition roadable aircraft, 110 pounds above the usual limit for LSAs. The extra weight will make it easier for the designers to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards, which require additional components such as airbags, brakes, crumple zones and mirrors. Similar weight allowances have been made for amphibious LSA models. In a statement granting the exemption, the FAA said "the safety of roadable aircraft is better served by allowing for the weight increase for safety features required for use while driving on the road." The company says it has made progress with its production prototype design and will show a computer rendering of the vehicle at a press conference July 26, opening day at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. "People will be very pleasantly surprised with the amount of progress ... what I feel will be a technological tour de force," said CEO Carl Dietrich. More...

PILOTS SOUGHT FOR SURVEY ON ICING
If you're a professional pilot, the folks at Decision Research are hoping you'll take a few minutes to complete their online survey, and help NASA and the FAA to produce better training products about aircraft icing. Those agencies want to create new courses tailored to the needs of pilots who fly Part 135 and Part 91 corporate and fractional operations in piston twin, turboprop, and business jet aircraft. Your participation will help the team to determine what should be in those training modules. The survey is fairly extensive and some of the answers will require some thought. Robert Mauro, the senior research scientist for the project, told AVweb the survey should take about 20 minutes and it's completely anonymous. More...

CREW ERROR SUSPECTED IN AIR INDIA CRASH
The flight crew of an Air India 737 that crashed in southern India last month, killing 158 people, failed to abort a sub-standard approach and then reacted with confusion and hesitation after they touched down and tried to take off again, according to a report in Monday's Wall Street Journal. The airplane ran off the end of the runway, plummeted down a cliff, broke apart and caught fire. Eight people survived. Safety experts from the U.S. and elsewhere have been critical of India's pilot training and operating standards for years, the Journal says. Airlines and regulators are now facing widespread criticism and have indicated that changes are forthcoming soon. An official report on the accident is due next week. More...

REPORT: NEXTGEN "MAY NOT DELIVER"
The FAA is falling short in developing the NextGen airspace system, according to a report (PDF) released last week by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. Unless the FAA can do a better job of maximizing resources and controlling costs, "NextGen may not deliver the expected long-term benefits and ultimately puts billions of taxpayer dollars at risk," the report says. "FAA has not yet acquired the necessary skill sets and expertise to successfully implement NextGen." The report made five recommendations to the FAA, including a suggestion to set realistic benchmarks for training air traffic controllers and pilots in the use of new avionics and procedures. The FAA proposed appropriate action plans for addressing the recommendations, the report said. More...

FAA APPROVES PREDATOR FOR BORDER PATROL
The FAA Wednesday approved use of an unmanned Predator B aircraft out of Corpus Christi to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico along the 1,200 miles between El Paso and Brownsville, Texas. Flights could begin as early as Sept. 1. The flights add to Texas' aerial drone coverage approved in May that began June 1, over the West Texas and New Mexico border, and to those previously approved for the Arizona-Mexico border. The Predator B UAV has a 20-hour endurance and can provide real-time feeds from sensors, radars and cameras. A May 2008 congressional report noted that UAVs "suffer accident rates up to hundreds of times higher than manned aircraft," but U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sees value in their role. Napolitano doesn't feel the aircraft are useful everywhere, but that they "are part of the right mix of infrastructure, manpower, and technology that can improve border security." Even so, the latest approval appears to have involved some political wrangling that may have delayed an appointment at the FAA. More...

BONUS DEPRECIATION EXTENSION INTRODUCED
A bipartisan bill to extend bonus depreciation on aircraft purchases has been introduced in the Senate and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association is rooting for its passage. The bill was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and ranking member Chuck Grassley. Bonus depreciation allows aircraft buyers to depreciate their purchase 50 percent in the first year instead of spreading the depreciation over five years. It was introduced in 2008 as part of the stimulus package and extended through 2009. "Bonus depreciation is a powerful incentive to purchase a GA aircraft and is proven to increase sales during difficult economic conditions," said GAMA CEO Pete Bunce. "It is the one tax provision we have asked Congress to pass to help offset the decline in sales due to the recession and bring back lost jobs. 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: UPGRADING TO 406 MHZ — ARE YOU?
If the FCC's plans are implemented, you'll need a 406 MHz ELT sooner rather than later to meet their regulations. Are you rushing out to buy one?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers if they're going to AirVenture in Oshkosh; click through to see how many are. 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: CIRRUS HAS A NEW TURBO SR22! THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT?
IFR's Jeff Van West watched the unveiling of Cirrus Aircraft's new turbo model at the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association annual migration last week and was left wondering: Why? This new model leaves some important questions unanswered, especially for buyers thinking they're buying something they might not actually be getting. Click here to look back over the history of the turbo Cirrus with Jeff and share your opinions in the comment thread. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: FCC'S ELT RULE A BAD JOKE?
The FCC says it will outlaw 121.5 ELTs by August. The news reminds AVweb editor-in-chief Russ Niles of the April Fool's edition we used to publish every year — except this is no joke. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Russ wonders how they're going to pull this off. Click here to read more and share your thoughts. More...

CIRRUS SR22T FLIGHT DEMO
Cirrus is out with a new version of the SR22, the SR22T, with a TSIO-550-K groundboosted turbo system. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli took a demo flight in the new airplane with Cirrus's Matt Bergwall. More...

SUPERSONIC FLIGHT & TRANSONIC PHENOMENA
AVweb's Glenn Pew finds some of the web's most popular footage and takes a look behind the visual and auditory phenomena created when machines "break" the speed of sound. More...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A ZAON PCAS XRX

Win a Zaon PCAS XRX 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 Friday, July 16, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

Congratulations to Richard Kemp of Canton, Georgia, who won an AV8OR handheld GPS in our last drawing! (click here to get your own from Bendix/King by Honeywell)

FBO OF THE WEEK: REDTAIL AVIATION (CANYONLANDS FIELD AIRPORT, KCNY, MOAB, UT)

AVweb's latest "FBO of the Week" award goes to Redtail Aviation at Canyonlands Field Airport (KCNY) in Moab, Utah.

AVweb reader Joseph Barber discovered the FBO "near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks" and found the service outstanding. "We had a mechanical while spending the week hiking and were pleasantly surprised to find their mechanics quick and able," writes Joseph — adding that the rates were pretty reasonable, to boot!

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
Nope, it's not the Red Bull World Series in New York — it's the Races' previous stop in Windsor, Ontario, where the always-amazing George Mock snapped this shot of Mike Goulian navigating the pylons. (Be nice, and we'll slip another of George's Windsor race pics into the slideshow on AVweb's home page this week, 'K.?) 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

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

Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.

Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team.

If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.