100LL: FAA'S BABBITT CONTRADICTS EPA STATEMENT
FAA administrator Randy Babbitt appeared to contradict Tuesday's statement by the EPA that it doesn't have the authority to regulate or control the use of tetraethyl lead in avgas. In answering a question at a press conference at EAA AirVenture on Wednesday, Babbitt said, in part, "We have some pretty good studies undergoing ... ATSM process is developing the standards for new unleaded fuel and we've had some pretty good discussions with the EPA. They've been cooperative and helpful. The EPA of course has the ability and they have the statutory authority, in fact, to say there will be no more lead in fuel. We have asked them to please don't get ahead of us. Let us develop the standards so that we will have an easily deliverable safe efficient fuel that performs just like 100 leaded fuel does today and let us get that in place and, the time track that we're both on, I'm very comfortable that we will have a suitable deliverable alternative fuel long before the EPA says no more." The EPA earlier this week offered a different understanding of its role. More...

Related Content:

• Paul Bertorelli reacts to the mixed messages on our AVweb Insider blog.

100 OCTANE COALITION: NO EXCUSE FOR SLOW MOVING FUEL PROGRESS
A recently formed grassroots coalition to press the FAA and industry groups forward met with high-level FAA officials Monday and delivered an unambiguous message: Any new fuel under consideration to replace avgas should be of at least the equivalent of 100 octane and to make that happen, the FAA needs to clarify the fuel certification rules and level the playing field. Jon Sisk, who's president of the Malibu/Mirage Owners Association and also a principal in the Clean 100-Octane coalition, described the meeting with agency officials as positive and encouraging. But he urged the FAA to assume its rightful role in clarifying the fuel certification process and he explained that the coalition's position is that while the alphabets and the industry's FAST fuels group have an appropriate role, developing fuels and setting the certification rules for them to be approved isn't one of them. More...

Related Content:

• For a complete report on the Clean 100-Octane Coalition's views, see this podcast.

BABBITT SAYS HOMEBUILT SAFETY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said at EAA AirVenture on Wednesday that the homebuilt community needs to do a better job of preventing accidents. "Last year, amateur-built aircraft accounted for 25 percent of all general aviation accidents," he said. "But the troubling number here is that they represent only 10 percent of GA aircraft. We're trying to change that trend." Many accidents seem to happen in the transition time after a new owner buys an aircraft from the original builder, Babbitt said, and he would like to see an effort to ensure that new owners get thoroughly trained in the performance and characteristics of the aircraft. He also said the GA numbers overall are not where they should be, with 120 fatal accidents already this year. More...

LSA SAFETY ALERT ARCHIVE IN THE WORKS
The members of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association will work with EAA to produce a new website where safety alerts -- the LSA equivalent of airworthiness directives -- will be posted to ensure that all owners, mechanics and pilots have timely access to the information, LAMA announced at EAA AirVenture on Wednesday. The site will also provide an archive for the data to ensure it remains available for aircraft owners even if the manufacturer is no longer in business, LAMA chairman Dan Johnson told AVweb. "The FAA was extremely keen on that," Johnson said. The information mainly is already available online at manufacturers' websites if you know where to look, Johnson said, but having a central site should be useful to shoppers, mechanics and others. He said the site should be up and running by September. More...

PUBLIC BENEFIT FLYING GROUPS, NTSB MEET AT OSHKOSH
On Tuesday morning, about 20 representatives of various public benefit flying groups met with representatives of the NTSB at EAA AirVenture to talk about how they plan to address the concerns expressed by the safety board in a letter issued last month. Rol Murrow, chairman of the Air Care Alliance, told AVweb the meeting was productive, and the NTSB was responsive to the group's suggestions. "They are not recommending new regulations," Murrow said. "They believe the solution lies in working with the groups." Murrow said three main areas were addressed at the meeting, and response from NTSB representative Timothy Burtch was positive. More...

YUNEEC: ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT ARE HERE, NOW
As regulatory authorities in the U.S. decide how to handle commercially manufactured non-ultralight electric-powered aircraft, Yuneec International is growing and improving its stable of electric-powered aircraft. The company's two-place high-wing E430 debuted at AirVenture Oshkosh in 2009 and Wednesday, AVweb spoke with Clive Coote, Yuneec International's managing director, about improvements to the design, the company's progress and its coming offerings for an exclusive podcast. More...

AVWEB'S LOOK AT SIKORSKY'S ALL-ELECTRIC HELICOPTER
A company that does gas-electric auto conversions in California, a technology integration company, and Sikorsky have teamed up to prove the manned electric helicopter by way of Project Firefly. The Firefly is actually an S300C two-seat bare-bones helicopter. Sikorsky has had the S300C's original Lycoming HIO 360 engine swapped out for a permanent magnet electric motor from U.S. Hybrids -- a company that will gladly convert your automobile, too. Systems integrated by Eagle Technologies, LLC, help the Firefly's motor deliver about 10 hp more than the Lycoming's 190 hp but has the helicopter carry 1,000 pounds worth of lithium ion batteries to do it. The batteries put the Firefly within about 150 pounds of the S300C's 2150-pound max gross weight and offer about 15 minutes worth of flying time in return. But that's not the point. We spoke to Jonathan Hartman of Sikorsky's innovations division to further explain. More...

ICON NIXES FLAPS, NAMES MANUFACTURING PARTNERS
Icon Aircraft has announced that structural composite assemblies for the folding-wing amphib LSA will be provided by Liberty Aerospace of Melbourne, Fla., and Flytech, a Hungarian company. Icon plans to outsource the major composite work then assemble the airplanes and install all the systems at their facilities in southern California. The company also announced some significant design changes. More...

NO SURVIVORS IN AIRBUS CRASH IN PAKISTAN
All 152 souls on board an Airbus A321 were killed on Wednesday when the aircraft crashed into a hill while trying to land at an airport near Islamabad in clouds and rain. Fire and smoke was visible at the scene, the Associated Press reported, and the wreckage was strewn widely across the hillside of broken trees. No distress calls were heard from the pilots, according to the AP. The flight was operated by Airblue, a private service based in Karachi, where the flight had departed from. One witness told the AP the airplane appeared to have "lost balance" in the air, and then went down. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: EPA TO GA — HEY, JUST KIDDING! WE CAN'T TOUCH YOUR LEAD
In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli seems dazed and baffled by a world class case of whipsaw. On the one hand, EPA says it has no authority to ban leaded fuels; on the other, FAA Admin Randy Babbitt says oh, yes it does. Who the hell is driving this thing? Click here to read Paul's blog and make your best guesses as to what's going on. More...

PHOTOS FROM EAA AIRVENTURE 2010: WARBIRDS!

Click for more photos

We doubt you'll ever get three quarters of a million pilots to agree on anything outside of coming together at Oshkosh during the summer — but when it comes to finding common ground, the warbirds display area is a good place to start. Everyone makes their way here at some point during the show. Some are attracted by history, others by engineering, and still others by the comic books and TV shows that drew them to magnificent aircraft as kids. More...

100 OCTANE IS THE BOTTOM LINE
They've heard from the alphabets and the FAA administrator, and that hasn't changed the message from the 100 Octane Coalition. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spoke with Jon Sisk, of the Coalition.

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

AVWEB INTERVIEWS YUNEEC INTERNATIONAL'S CLIVE COOTE
Electric airplanes: The U.S. may not have a regulatory structure to guide them, but Yuneec International is moving forward with its E430 two-seat electric aircraft. AVweb speaks with managing director Clive Coote about the company's progress and its coming offerings.

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

WANT A NEW PAINT JOB FOR YOUR CIRRUS ON THE CHEAP?
Well, it's not really a paint job but a new decorative scheme consisting of precision-cut vinyl appliques available in a dozen different designs and a range of colors. Scheme Designers' Craig Barnett fills AVweb in on the details.

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

SIKORSKY FIRELY: AN ELECTRIC HELICOPTER
It's at nearly gross weight before the pilot steps in and can only fly for 15 minutes, but that's not the point. Sikorsky Innovations sees the Firefly as a testbed for the technologies that may make for a real electric helicopter ... someday.

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

FORD'S WILD AIRVENTURE WIND TUNNEL
At EAA AirVenture 2010, Ford has a number of attractions, not the least of which is a portable vertical wind tunnel. It'll give you a good taste of what skydiving freefall is all about. AVweb staffers from our show intern Adam Cutler to resident skydiver Paul Bertorelli tried it out — and here's the video report.

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

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.

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!

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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