PELTON, FULLER TAKE A LOOK AT GAMI'S G100UL
Cessna CEO Jack Pelton and AOPA President Craig Fuller flew into Ada, OK on Wednesday to get a look at a new 100LL replacement proposed by General Aviation Modifications Inc. As we've reported previously, GAMI's G100UL appears to perform similarly to 100LL and the company claims it's producible using conventional refining methods. GAMI invited Pelton and Fuller to Ada to view a detonation test cell run comparing G100UL to other fuels. In an evening e-mail to other GA leaders and the press, Pelton said "We participated in a thorough brief along with a test cell demonstration running three types of fuels, 100LL, min spec 100LL and G100UL. At the conditions we observed, it was very interesting to see the data on the engine characteristics for the three fuels. I would characterize the conditions as worst-case sea-level tests. In general terms, G100UL out-performed min spec 100LL and seemed to be about the same as straight-from-the-FBO 100LL." Pelton said in his view, G100UL "looks to be a fuel that can be refined and distributed within the existing infrastructure we have here in the states. I would guess it could be produced in many other international locations also. More...

SOLAR POWERED AIRCRAFT'S NIGHT FLIGHT
Solar Impulse HB-SIA began its 24-hour flight at 6:51 a.m. local time, Wednesday, seeking to finish it Thursday, after surviving the night over Payerne, Switzerland, on stored solar power and aerodynamic efficiency. The aircraft climbed all day to about 28,500 feet. It began that trip using stored battery power, but as the sun rose the aircraft's 12,000 solar cells kicked in. They overcame the four electric motors' energy drain and fully charged the batteries even while the airplane climbed. As darkness fell, the aircraft transitioned to conservation mode. It spent about four hours and thirty minutes in a slow descent, reaching about 4,500 feet at roughly 11 p.m.. At that height, pilot Andre Borschberg put the juice to the motors to maintain altitude. He would loiter there until about 7:30 a.m. when the sun again rose high enough to build charge in the aircraft's batteries, proving it could complete the cycle. At the time AVweb went to press, the aircraft had flown through the night until dawn and the solar energy it was collecting had just made the aircraft "energy neutral." It appeared the flight would conclude at 8:50 a.m. local time after it turned the corner to show positive total energy gain, marking the flight as a success. More...

NASA SEEKS SUPERSONIC JET OF THE FUTURE
Lockheed Martin and Boeing have both submitted designs to NASA depicting their ideas about the supersonic transport of the future. Boeing's team recommended a fixed-wing configuration with a V-tail and engines above the wing. The airplane could carry 120 passengers and cruise at Mach 1.8 with a range of about 5,000 nautical miles. Boeing's study also found sonic boom noise could be reduced to 65 to 75 decibels, which would make it possible for a supersonic transport to operate at maximum cruise speed even over land. Lockheed's simulation uses an "inverted-V" surface above the wing that would minimize the shockwave by disrupting the airflow behind the aircraft. The designs are meant to show concepts that could be viable within 20 to 25 years. More...

NEW OWNERSHIP AT LANCAIR
Lancair International, of Redmond, Ore., on Tuesday announced new ownership, new leadership, and an infusion of new operating capital for the company. Gene Wolstenholme is now majority owner and chairman, and his son Robert Wolstenholme, who built and flies his own Lancair IVP, was named president and CEO. The company now will focus on the owner-built Evolution turboprop, which Gene Wolstenholme described as "a world-class product." With five of the airplanes flying and 24 orders in hand, "we're off to a great start, and we are going to focus on pushing through this down economy and getting our incredible airplane to market," he said. Joe Bartels, CEO of the company since 2003, resigned his position last month but will remain a minority percentage owner. "Joe did a great job overseeing development of the Evolution aircraft," said Bob Wolstenholme, "and we now need to move ahead and expand the manufacturing infrastructure and training programs to support the Evolution product line." More...

FAA PONDERS CHANGES TO LSA CERTIFICATION
The FAA is considering making some major changes in the way special light sport aircraft are approved, Dan Johnson, chairman of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, said on Wednesday. FAA officials told LAMA that in the future, LSA manufacturers may have to pass a compliance audit conducted by a specially trained cadre of FAA inspectors. The FAA staffers would also inspect the first production airplane for each LSA model produced. "Airworthiness certificates will not be issued until after both the audit and inspection are successfully completed," the FAA said. If the FAA follows through on this plan, it would be a major change from the current practice, which allows manufacturers to certify on their own that consensus standards have been met. More...

FAA, TSA AMEND DC FLIGHT RULES
Several changes to operations in the Special Flight Rules Area that affects Washington, D.C., airspace will become effective Sept. 1, the FAA said recently. The most significant change will affect pilots flying VFR who lose radio contact with controllers after departing from an airport located within the SFRA (which extends in a circle extending 30 nm from Reagan National Airport). Under the current rules, those pilots must squawk 7600 on their transponders and immediately leave the SFRA by the most direct route. The new rule will allow pilots to return to their departure airport if it is closer than the SFRA boundary. The FAA also set a speed limit of 180 knots for VFR aircraft within the SFRA. The FAA also made minor tweaks to several other operating practices (click here for the complete official announcement). Also, EAA says the TSA has revised its rules for sport pilots using the three general aviation airports located within the inner 15-nm circle of the SFRA, known as the Flight Restricted Zone. More...

FBI SUSPECTS NOTORIOUS TEEN IN ANOTHER AIRPLANE THEFT
Colton Harris-Moore, a 19-year-old accused of stealing several airplanes since leaving a group home near Seattle in 2008, is now suspected in the theft of a Cessna Corvalis that went missing from its locked hangar in Indiana and showed up in the Bahamas on Sunday, more than 1,000 miles away. The airplane was ditched in shallow offshore waters around 7 p.m., but when emergency workers arrived, there was nobody inside and no sign of injury. Harris-Moore has become something of a celebrity on Facebook. He never took lessons and apparently taught himself to fly using manuals and flight simulators. He's also suspected of stealing several speedboats and luxury cars, which together with the airplanes total about $3 million in value.

FBI Special Agent Steven Dean said the teenager has "turned from a regional nuisance into an international problem, if that is in fact him," according to The Herald-Times, of Everett, Wash. "We want to get him," Dean said. The FBI on Tuesday offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Harris-Moore's arrest. Bahamian police told the Herald-Times that about 11 hours after the Corvalis was ditched in the waters off the island of Abaco, a house on the island was broken into and a vehicle parked there was stolen. More...

WARBIRD PILOT WANNABES WANTED
Prowler Command is a different kind of flying club that's using a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber and a C-47 Gooney Bird to woo dues-paying members, and the group says it's hoping to add more warbirds to the mix. Membership includes a type rating with "second in command privileges" in either aircraft. The "second in command" satisfies insurance requirements. Qualified members may rent the aircraft at deeply discounted rates and fly it with an insurance-company-mandated safety pilot. Members can expect to pay about $25,000 for one rating, which, according to Prowler, is tens of thousands less than pilots might pay elsewhere. On top of that come annual dues of $10,000, but those are tax deductible because Pacific Prowler Organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Prowler also offers corporate sponsorships that help support the aircraft while bringing attention (and perks) to the supporting businesses and has plans to add at least three more aircraft to the fleet. More...

AEROBATIC PERFORMERS SUPPORT WOUNDED VETERANS

Click for more photos

Airshow season is in full swing, and one new act on the circuit aims not just to entertain but also to raise awareness about injured veterans who are transitioning back into civilian life. Team Vandy-1, based in Maryland, operates a black L-39 aerobatic jet that now is branded with the Wounded Warrior logo on its tail. The Wounded Warrior Project, based in Jacksonville, Fla., began as a group of veterans and friends who would visit wounded soldiers recovering in the hospital. The nonprofit organization now provides support and advocacy for transitioning vets, from providing counseling and mentoring to organizing bicycle tours and rock-climbing treks. The Vandy-1 team will promote the project at airshows around the country, raise money and awareness, and also take veterans up for a flight. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
It's a complicated, scary world, full of challenges that compound one on top of another faster than we can keep up — but then again, we may be better at keeping up than we give ourselves credit. When a technological problem is at its worst, the pressure to innovate often gives rise to surprising solutions — and that thought gives AVweb editor Mary Grady a little hope when it comes to the giant hurdles facing aviation. Click here to read Mary's post on the AVweb Insider blog and leave your comments. More...

NEW MODELS ON TAP FOR CESSNA
Cessna and Bell Helicopters will introduce new models and upgrades of existing aircraft as early as 2012 as parent company Textron boosts investment in the two companies to coincide with an expected industry turnaround next year. In an interview with Bloomberg, Textron CEO Scott Donnelly said work is already under way on the recovery plans. "The programs are there, the teams are working, so we're going full-speed ahead," Donnelly told Bloomberg. "You will see some refreshes, some block changes to some aircraft, and we also have a couple things in there that will be brand-new aircraft." His comments are sure to fuel speculation that the Columbus large-cabin business jet shelved 18 months ago will be among the first to be revived. More...

CONSULTANT SEES BIZJET CONSOLIDATION
Business consulting firm AlixPartners predicts consolidation in the corporate aircraft sector as prolonged slow growth becomes the "new normal" in the aerospace sector in general and the bizjet market in particular. The firm released a study on the industry's outlook on Tuesday and says the future looks especially hard for business aircraft makers. "Business jets face an even tougher environment, while also still trying to shake the 'politically incorrect' stigma of a year ago," spokesman Phil Toy said in a news release. In an interview with Dow Jones Newswire, Eric Bernardini, managing director of the firm, said there are too many bizjet companies fighting over too few orders. 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.

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK: LIGHT SPORT AND THE FAA
The era of self-policing for light sport aircraft manufacturers may be coming to a close as the FAA is hinting it wants a say in how the industry is run. Should there be more government oversight in the LSA sector?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers ; 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...

LYCOMING'S IE2 PROJECT TECH REVIEW
If Lycoming's electronically controlled IE2 engine seemed like it was over the horizon, it is in fact just around the corner. Lycoming and Lancair are in full-swing flight test in the launch aircraft, the Lancair Evolution, and certified versions are expected by the end of this year or a little later. In this video, Lycoming's Jim Morris provides an update on the project. More...

MYSKY MSONE LSA
There are a handful of high-wing LSAs offering tandem seating but only a couple of low-wing designs offering the same feature, giving that fighter-like view from the cockpit for both pilot and passenger. The MySky MSOne is one of those, and in this brief video, AVweb gets a look at the MSOne. 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: MILLION AIR (KMFR, MEDFORD, OREGON)

AVweb reader Robin Herrman discovered our latest "FBO of the Week" — the Medford, Oregon location of Million Air, at Rogue Valley International - Medford Airport:

I was planning a trip ... and called the different available FBOs for details on their services. I selected Million Air due to their 24-hour availablilty. I fly a C-182, nothing fancy, but I was treated like a millionaire (pardon the pun) with excellent ramp service and a wonderful pilot lounge with friendly staff during both my arrival and departure three days later. The little details were appreciated, like meeting us on the ramp upon arrival, tying down the aircraft, helping us with our bags, cleaning our windscreen before depature, and making sure we had bottled water. ... How nice to have customer service exceed your expectations for once!

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
Once again, the quality and sheer number of submissions have made the job of choosing a single "Picture of the Week" tough — but, hey, in the grand scheme of things, that's a pretty good problem to have. We love a touch of dynamism in our photos, and this one from Thomas Auerbach of Ponca City, Oklahoma scans beautifully from left to right: Your eyes start at the empty turret, then move to pilot Tim Hahn in the cockpit, cross the outstretched arms of marshaller Robert Winkler, and then glide past the spinnning prop and into the smoke. 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
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Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West
Mariano Rosales

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