AIRVENTURE 2010 LAUNCHES TODAY
With the logistical challenges of sopping rains and soaked campgrounds giving way to bright blue skies and easy-to-bear temperatures in the 80s, EAA AirVenture 2010 kicks off on Monday with an overflowing slate of events. While brand-new airplanes continue to be scarce as the economy struggles to recover, a few new designs are expected to make appearances this week, along with plenty of new products. Lots of aviation's superstars and heroes, both aircraft and human, will visit the show. EAA is saluting veterans and those who serve all week long, with warbird fly-bys scheduled for every day this week. Celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the DC-3 and the B-17 will also take place throughout the week. More...

WITTMAN FIELD RAPIDLY DRYING OUT
Although Wittman Field looked like a soupy mess for the start of EAA AirVenture 2010, warm temperatures and low humidity are rapidly drying the field for the start of the Monday rush. AVweb toured the North 40 Sunday and found more dry spots than wet, despite days of torrential rains leading up the event. EAA's Dick Knapinksi told us Sunday evening that the North 40 will likely open to arrivals sometime on Monday. However, EAA cautions that pilots concerned about conditions on the field can spend a day or two in Fond du Lac or Appleton until the North 40 firms up. More...

LESSONS FROM FARNBOROUGH
The Farnborough International Airshow ended Thursday after seeing roughly 820 passenger aircraft sold but relatively little movement of high-profile aircraft like Boeing's 787 and Airbus' A350 widebody, and none for the A380. Orders for Airbus and Boeing aircraft appear to have topped out somewhere near $28 billion as measured by non-discounted list prices, and accounting for about 237 jetliners. That triples sales seen at the Paris Airshow, last year, according to Bloomberg news. Narrow-body aircraft accounted for nearly all the aircraft sold and that made Embraer a relative winner, selling about 44 Embraer 190 jetliners. The big two, Airbus and Boeing, saw most demand for their 737-800 and A320 narrow-body jetliners, respectively. Boeing's 787 Dreamliner made its international debut at the show and the manufacturer may have been surprised by buyers' reaction. More...

CF-18 AIRSHOW DEMO AIRCRAFT CRASHES

Click for photos & video

A Canadian Forces airshow demonstration pilot is in the hospital with undisclosed but non-life-threatening injuries after his CF-18 Hornet fighter crashed during preparation for an airshow in Alberta on Friday. Capt. Brian Bews, 36, ejected from the aircraft just before it dove into the ground at Lethbridge, Alberta. In advance of the weekend airshow, Bews was practicing a maneuver called the High Alpha Path when witnesses say they saw sparks coming from one of the engines and heard loud "popping noises." The High Alpha Path is a maximum angle of attack/minimum speed maneuver that relies on engine power to keep the aircraft stable. "I noticed it start to bank a little bit off to one side, which I kind of thought was unusual and I saw a couple of pops and all of a sudden this plane just banked and slowly dropped into the ground into this huge orange ball of fire," said Lethbridge Herald photographer Ian Martens, who took these jaw-dropping images. More...

KLAPMEIER'S NEXT PROJECT: THE KESTREL
It was considered inevitable among most aviation industry observers that former Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier would get back in the airplane business, and it was announced in Maine Friday that he will head up the company that will certify and bring to market the Kestrel turboprop single. In an announcement at Brunswick Landing (soon to be the former Naval Air Station Brunswick), Maine Gov. John Baldacci announced that Klapmeier's new venture, the Kestrel Aircraft Company, has taken an option to lease a 170,000-sq. ft. hangar built for the Navy in 2004. Baldacci said Kestrel is pouring $100 million into the development of the mostly composite aircraft and about 300 people will be hired initially. More...

Related Content:

• We spoke with Klapmeier about the challenges facing Kestrel. (audio)
• AVweb took a close look at the Kestrel during this year's Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. (video)

CIRRUS ADDS HYPOXIA RECOGNITION
Cirrus Aircraft announced that a pilot might "never fly single pilot again" with two new features for Perspective-equipped aircraft where the autopilot system can act of its own accord. The Hypoxia Recognition and Recovery system listens to the com radio whenever the pilot is above 15,000 feet. A long period without you talking on the radio will trigger an alert. If you don't respond, the plane will descend on its own to 14,000 feet while continuing to try and alert the pilot. If the pilot still doesn't cancel the alert the plane can The autopilot can also step in if you're flying too slow or potentially losing control of the aircraft. More...

PLANE DRIVEN'S "ROADABLE" GLASAIR
The PD-1 combines a modified Glasair Sportsman with a road-worthy trike undercarriage driven by a separate engine; it has flown and is expected to arrive this week at AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, according to its developers. The design combines the Sportsman GS-2 with a kit that incorporates an auxiliary external drive pod below the aircraft, between two large wheels and behind an oversized nosewheel. Plane Driven says the drive's location maintains the aircraft's original center of gravity. A streamlined pod helps minimize the aerodynamic impact of carrying one inert engine in flight. That engine is an 80-horsepower, 4-cycle, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled powerplant fueled by a separate gas tank. It's attached to an automatic transmission with a reverse gear. The weight of the kit is yet to be announced and it's not clear if the prototype vehicle is currently street-legal. The vehicle's developers say that, as of July 21, the Plane Driven prototype has flown, and they've offered proof. More...

BOEING ECO-INCUBATOR WILL PROMOTE GREEN TECHNOLOGIES
Boeing said last week it will launch an ecoDemonstrator program to help develop new green technologies and get them to market more quickly. The project will focus on fuel efficiency, noise reduction and operational efficiency. "Commercial aviation is in rapid pursuit of its goal of carbon-neutral growth by 2020, primarily driven by technology advancements," said Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The ecoDemonstrator program can help accelerate industry efforts by providing a platform that integrates innovation and technologies in a way that ensures as they mature, they are market-ready. The program also will enable emerging technologies to be tested for further research consideration." The FAA recently awarded Boeing $25 million in matching funds to support the project. More...

RUSSIA AND CHINA PARTNER ON HUGE HELICOPTER
An agreement between Russian Helicopters Holding and Avicopter of China may produce an Mi-26-type helicopter weighing in between 30 and 35 tons, if details are ironed out. The two partners hope to arrive at technical decisions regarding the new aircraft this fall, according to The Voice of Russia. The Mi-26, which is similar in empty weight, has a maximum takeoff weight near 120,000 pounds. It has been called the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world and can carry up to 150 tightly packed people (90 is more common). It flies under an eight-blade rotor spanning 105 feet, driven by two turboshaft engines that can propel the aircraft at 180 mph. The Mi-26 won respect from the Chinese government for its participation in rescue efforts following a 2008 earthquake in China. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AIRVENTURE 2010 — THE AVGAS AGENDA
Avgas and the lack of a replacement for it will be a hot agenda item at AirVenture 2010 — and that's A-O.K. with Paul Bertorelli. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul explains why he's hopeful that the year's biggest aviation gathering will energize the quest for 100LL replacement. Click here to read Paul's guideposts for a productive fuel discussion at the show. 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...

SPLOSHKOSH ARRIVALS
Although it looked ugly Saturday night, Wittman Field is rapidly drying out for the start of EAA AirVenture 2010 at Oshkosh. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli walked the North 40 on Sunday and found it more dry than wet. EAA's Dick Knapinksi said Sunday that the field may be dry enough for normal operations by Monday.

This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Conoco-Phillips. More...

DC-3S GATHER IN ROCK FALLS FOR "THE LAST TIME"
More than 30 DC-3s were on the ramp at Whiteside County Airport in Rock Falls, Ill. from July 24-26 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the aircraft that some say changed the way aviation was used and perceived. Organizer Dan Gryder gave AVweb a unique perspective on the event and the people involved. More...

THE COBALT 50
The Cobalt 50 is a pusher-prop design that the company hopes will carry five people at 220 knots. AVweb's Jeff Van West spoke with Cobalt founder and CEO David Loury to find out more.

This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

SONEX ONEX
Sonex Aircraft's Jeremy Monnett explains the development of the Onex single-seat kitbuilt on the day of the aircraft's rollout.

This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Conoco-Phillips. More...

ALAN KLAPMEIER: KESTREL HAS TO PROVE THE VALUE OF ITS SIZE
As the newly appointed CEO of Kestrel Aircraft, former Cirrus visionary Alan Klapmeier says the big turboprop is a complex, expensive airplane that will need to prove its worth against stiff competition from small jets. So what's the niche? In this podcast, Klapmeier told AVweb that the Kestrel — and others of its ilk — do something little jets can't. They carry a lot of stuff over long distances into and out of short runways. The airplane also has a large, comfortable pressurized cabin rather than the tighter confines of entry-level jets it might compete against. The Kestrel prototype is on display at AirVenture.

This podcast is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Conoco-Phillips. More...

A WORLD VIEW OF THE INDUSTRY
Piaggio America CEO John Bingham has been racking up the airmiles in the past year trying to find new markets to replace traditional aircraft buyers who are holding off on committing to new planes. He told AVweb's Russ Niles the current recession has likely changed the market forever.

This podcast is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: ST. CLAIR COUNTY AIRPORT (PELL CITY, ALABAMA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at St. Clair County Airport (KPLR) in Pell City, Alabama.

AVweb reader Randy Martin put PLR to the test when he decided to change his go-to airport for trips to Birmingham. Having already spoken with the airport manager (Larry), Randy expected thins to run smoothly when he arrived. What Randy didn't expect was an experience he called "Southern hospitality at its finest."

Upon my arrival, a silver van was planeside before the prop stopped spinning, and Heath [a lineman] ask me if I needed a ride to the motel. ... [After finding myself stranded at the motel later on, I reluctantly called Larry and asked for a ride.] Bill arrived at the motel within half hour and happily drove me over, offering several local attractions to visit my next time in, and would not take any money for gas — or even a tip. ... A very big thank you for all the guys at KPLR. I will definitely be back.

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!

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SPIDERTRACKS AVIATOR

Win a Spidertracks Aviator 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, August 6, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

SHORT FINAL

PHL Approach:
"Air Canada 364, PHL airport. 2 o'clock and four miles. Report the field in sight."

Air Canada 364:
"Yeah, we have the terminal in sight."

PHL Approach:
"Don't land on the terminal. Cleared the visual 27R, tower on 118.5."

A. Mello
via e-mail

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:

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Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Glenn Pew

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