MILITARY, FAA DISAGREE ON AIRSPACE FOR UAVS
The U.S. Air Force said this week it has unmanned aerial vehicles ready to deploy in North Dakota, but is being held back by the FAA's reluctance to open airspace access for the aircraft. The military has asked for an area 35 miles wide by 45 miles long to be designated for UAV training. "We have six ... Predators in the state right now in boxes, waiting to be opened up and put into the sky," Brigadier General Leon Rice said at a hearing on Monday, according to Minnesota Public Radio. "Our limiting factor now is the training airspace for the crews." Hank Krakowski, chief operating officer for the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, said the airspace accommodation must be done "deliberatively." The agency is concerned about allowing the unmanned aircraft to use the same airspace as civilian aircraft, he said. "These are unusual vehicles to enter in to the national airspace system; they were designed for typically the war theater," Krakowski said. More...

Related Content:

• AVweb Insider Blog: Paul Bertorelli says its vital for everyone that people and robots learn to share the air.
• Question of the Week: What do you think?

NTSB: SEE-AND-AVOID CONCEPT AT FAULT IN FATAL MIDAIR
The "see-and-avoid" technique in force for pilots above the Hudson River revealed its "inherent limitations" in the August 2009 midair crash that killed nine people, the NTSB said on Tuesday. "This collision could have been prevented," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said.  "While traffic alerts go a long way in helping pilots 'see and avoid' other aircraft, these technologies are not, in and of themselves, enough to keep us safe. Strong operating procedures, professionalism, and commitment to the task at hand -- these are all essential to safety." The safety board cited both the "see-and-avoid" concept and a Teterboro Airport air traffic controller's "nonpertinent telephone conversation" at the time of the collision as the probable cause of the accident. A synopsis of the board's report, including recommendations to the FAA, is now available online; a full report will be posted at the NTSB website in a few weeks. More...

WTO: BOEING RECEIVED UNFAIR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already set judgement on Airbus and Wednesday offered Boeing similar condemnations. Confidential sources told the Wall Street Journal that the confidentially released report says Boeing received billions in funding from various state and federal agencies. In June, the WTO found that Airbus had received billions in illegal aid. Prior to seeing the WTO's conclusion Boeing issued a statement that said its activities didn't "even approach the sheer scale of European subsidy practices." Some numbers we've seen suggest otherwise, but the parsing the numbers (some funding is legal while other funding is not) is another matter. After the ruling's release, Boeing held the line that it clearly partook in less wrongdoing. Meanwhile, European officials said the WTO's findings could force Boeing to forgo or repay billions in subsidies. (That may also be true for Airbus.) How the ruling is ultimately enforced will effect how new planes are funded through development in coming years. More...

BELL HELICOPTER'S SYSTEM ENHANCES ENGINE MONITORING
Fixed wing pilots can invest in engine monitors for careful observation of critical engine parameters, but another Bell Helicopter model now has a certified system that goes one step further and also monitors vibration. Aeronautical Accessories, Inc., (AAI) a Bell affiliate announced Wednesday STC certification of its Bell Helicopter Vibration Monitoring System (BHVM) for the 212 (Twin Huey) Bell Helicopter. The system "provides drive train health and engine monitoring" to detect defects early. It helps diagnose faults in the main rotor, tail rotor drive system, engine accessory gearbox and combining gearbox, according to AAI. The company says it will help 212 operators avoid larger problems and reduce costs associated with operational interruptions as it has already for Bell's "most rugged and reliable" medium twin helicopter, the 412. More...

NATA "SHOCKED" AT FAA'S HINT OF NEW PART 135 FATIGUE RULES
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is "deeply concerned" about language in the FAA's proposed rules addressing pilot hours-of-service that suggest changes could be pending for Part 135 operations, the group said on Wednesday. The FAA's proposal is aimed at fighting crew fatigue in Part 121 airline operations, but in its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FAA states that "part 135 operations are very similar to those conducted under part 121..." and that the Part 135 operator should "expect to see an NPRM addressing its operations that looks very similar to, if not exactly like, the final rule the agency anticipates issuing as part of this rulemaking initiative." For the FAA to compare operations under Part 121 and 135 as "similar" is "ridiculous," according to NATA President James Coyne. More...

RARE WWII BOMBER TO BE RECOVERED
A twin-engine Dornier 17 that was shot down and crashed in the English Channel 70 years ago will be recovered, the Royal Air Force Museum said recently. The bomber was part of a large formation that was intercepted by RAF aircraft in August 1940. The Dornier pilot successfully landed wheels-up on the sandbank, but the airplane sank. It began to emerge from the sand about two years ago, and appears to be largely intact. "The discovery of the Dornier is of national and international importance," said Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, director general of the RAF Museum. "The aircraft is a unique and unprecedented survivor from the Battle of Britain. It is particularly significant because, as a bomber, it formed the heart of the Luftwaffe assault and the subsequent Blitz." More...

SPEED RECORD FALLS AT RENO
The National Championship Air Races are under way this week in Reno, Nev., and before the official races even started on Wednesday, a major speed record was broken. Curt Brown flew his L-29 jet around the pylons on Tuesday at a rate of 543.568 mph, the fastest speed ever recorded at the races since they started, 47 years ago. Brown broke his own record from last year by more than 5 mph. "I don't think I can ever go any faster than that, not in that airplane," Brown, a former space-shuttle pilot, told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "It was a heck of a ride. That was a bucking bronco." The races officially begin on Thursday and continue through the weekend, with six classes of competition from biplanes to jets, plus airshow performances by Michael Goulian, Greg Poe, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, and more. More...

CANADA LAUNCHES ITS OWN EAA FLY-IN
The first annual convention and fly-in for EAA members in Canada launches this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Ottawa/Gatineau Airport. The event has generated high anticipation, according to EAA, and offers a wide range of activities, including food and social events, and a visit to Canada's National Museum of Air & Space, with a Battle of Britain fly-by featuring a Lancaster, Spitfires, Hurricanes, and more. On Saturday, the Vintage Wings of Canada will present their popular annual airshow at the field. Admission, parking and camping is free to all EAA members. The event website offers a detailed schedule as well as information for those planning to fly in and those looking for campsites or hotels. More...

CHARLES HUSICK, BELVOIR MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR, DIES AT 77
Charles "Chuck" Husick, a contributor to the aviation and marine publications at AVweb's parent, Belvoir Media Group, and a former executive vice president at Cessna Aircraft, died Sept. 13 at his home in St. Petersburg, Fla. An electrical engineer, pilot, and flight instructor, Husick had logged more than 6,000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft. "In his retirement, Chuck wrote voluminously, and well, on a variety of aviation and nautical subjects, illuminating tough technical subjects for end users," said Tim Cole, executive vice president of Belvoir Media Group. "He was tough and smart (and funny) and he was one industry titan who clearly appreciated the hard work of ferreting out the truth. His mentoring meant a lot to us." More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: TALK TO THE DRONE
As UAVs carve their way into the airspace system, the services are always trying to grab up and restrict more airspace. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli says they need to get over this and figure out a better way to play nice with the world of civil aviation. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: THE DISASTER THAT IS LASP
This security program is supposed to apply to large aircraft, but its impact could be widespread enough to affect even the smallest airports. Guest blogger John Hyle joins the AVweb Insider to argue that we need to be paying closer attention to encroaching (and entirely unnecessary) government security procedures. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: INSPIRATION IS WHERE YOU FIND IT
Over on the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli confesses he doesn't need a motivational speech to take the Cub out for a hop — but it's sure nice to have an enthusiastic mechanic, nonetheless. While he's at it, he has some less-than-maudlin comments on the 9/11 anniversary. Read more and join the conversation. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: CAN MILITARY UAVS MIX WITH OTHER TRAFFIC?
We've asked questions about military UAVs and the rest of us before, but now the Air Force has specific ideas on how that airspace should be shared. In its proposal for a 1,200-square mile training box in North Dakota. Do you think military UAVs should be sharing the air with civilian aircraft?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers whether satellite tracking could or should replace emergency locator beacons; click through to see how everyone answered. 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...

VIDEO: NO, THE LITTLE ONE PULLS THE BIG ONE
This video comes from an airport security camera, believed to be at New York's JFK, where a 747 got momentarily loose from the crew and pushed a tug across the ramp. Yeah, we know — it's supposed to work the other way around. More...

VIDEO: TURBOCHARGED SPORTSMAN TC
Glasair Aviation's Mikael Via introduces the new turbocharged, carbon-fiber-bodied Sportsman TC to Kitplanes editor-in-chief Mar Cook at EAA AirVenture 2010. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: PORT MEADVILLE AIRPORT (KGKJ, MEADVILLE, PA)

AVweb reader Roger Vaughn discovered our latest "FBO of the Week" at Port Meadville Airport (KGKJ) in Pennsylvania:

Two weeks prior to Labor Day, I called Pennsylvania airports looking for parking and a rental car. No guarantees were made ... [until] I spoke to Mark at Port Meadville. He took my name and N-number and said, "I'll take care of everything; have a safe flight." [On arrival at KGKJ] a voice came over the radio saying, "Follow me; I'm in a blue Blazer by the taxiway. ... When I got out of my plane and met the voice on the radio, it was Mark, [who helped push our Cessna into] a brand-new hangar. He then gave us a ride to the FBO where he handed me the keys to a rental car ... [and let us drive] right up to the hangar to unload and depart for a relaxing vacation in a cabin by the lake.

I can't say enough about how attentive Mark was to our needs and the extra steps he took to make our visit an extremely pleasant one. Foul weather was looming for the first two days and then some strong winds blew through prior to our day of departure. We never had to give our plane a second thought, knowing it was safe from the elements.

Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PMA6000B AUDIO PANEL FROM PS ENGINEERING

You could win a PMA6000B audio panel from PS Engineering! 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, September 24, 2010.

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

Congratulations to David Durnan of Somerville, Massachusetts, who won our last prize, a Bose Aviation Headset X! (click here to get your own from Bose)

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Picking a top photo was especially tough this week (as you'll appreciate when you click through and see the competition), but how could we resist this quiet moment from Anthony Nasr of Chico, California? The Watsonville (CA) Fly-In and Air Show was "the first fly-in-and-camp-out experience for us," writes Anthony — and if Anthony will forgive the pun, it looks as if at least one evening was picture-perfect. 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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Contributors
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Mariano Rosales

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