CESSNA STRIKE AVERTED
Production workers at Cessna Aircraft rejected the notion of a strike but they also told the company they don't much like the contract they'll work under for the next seven years. Members of the Machinists Union voted 58 percent to reject the deal but only 49 percent to strike in voting Saturday. The union had recommended a strike but a two-thirds majority was required. The main issue was job security. Cessna has guaranteed final assembly of existing Citation models at the Wichita plant for the life of the contract. "We understand the times we're in today," Machinists District 70 directing business representative Steve Rooney told The Wichita Eagle. "A paycheck is a hard thing to give up." CEO Jack Pelton was disappointed at the rejection of the contract but pleased the strike vote didn't fly. More...

BOMBARDIER'S RUMORED CHALLENGE TO THE G650
At 7,000-nm, Gulfstream's coming G650 will offer unmatched range and at 0.925 Mach it will be the fastest civil aircraft in the world, but a former Bombardier executive expects Bombardier to counter with a design to be unveiled next month at NBAA's trade show in Atlanta. George Tsopeis, a former member of Bombardier's strategy and business development team, told the Montreal Gazette that Bombardier's new secret ultra-long-range business jet is known within the company as the M-170. He says he does not know if the aircraft will be a more costly new clean-sheet design, or a further development of the Global Express XRS. He says costs and timing suggest the latter. (The G650 is expected to reach customers in 2012.) Bombardier has said the rumor is "pure speculation." But if the G650's range, size and speed (plus its 200 orders) create a new market category, Bombardier has offered other reasons to believe it will seek to quickly deliver stronger competition. More...

EXTRA DEAL AT MONTROSE IN JEOPARDY
EXTRA Aircraft had plans to establish a new U.S. headquarters in Montrose, Colo., but county officials now say they can't follow through on financial incentives, and that's thrown the plan into a holding pattern along with up to 200 potential jobs. The manufacturer builds high-performance aerobatic planes and a high-wing, single-engine turboprop. EXTRA had been promised cash incentives by the local Montrose Economic Development Corporation. But the deal apparently violates the state's constitution. Montrose County Manager Jesse Smith recently told local news "we cannot provide cash incentives to any outside for-profit organization." The revelation reportedly came as the result of a "due diligence" study that has so far postponed EXTRA's plans by two months. A conclusion to the drama hasn't yet been reached as local officials scramble to strike a new deal. But residents who had hoped the manufacturer would have already been hiring by now have turned their anger toward their local government. More...

BOEING'S SPACE TAXI
Boeing Wednesday announced an agreement with Space Adventures Ltd. regarding the marketing of "transportation services to destinations in low Earth orbit (LEO) on Boeing commercial crew spacecraft." Boeing plans to use its Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft for missions to the International Space Station and other LEO platforms. Under the agreement, Space Adventures will market excess seating capacity as passenger seats. The spacecraft can carry seven and is expected to be operational by 2015, but is still under development. Seat pricing will be set "when full-scale development is under way." Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures, said, "We are excited about the potential to offer flights on Boeing's spacecraft." According to Boeing, potential customers include "private individuals, companies, non-governmental organizations and U.S. federal agencies other than NASA." And Space Adventures already has experience in the field and hopes to expand its offerings. More...

FRIENDS OF MEIGS: "THE DOOR'S OPEN A CRACK"
Supporters are hopeful that a volatile election year, a down economy and the departure of the mayor who destroyed Meigs Field means their beloved airport may come back to Chicago, but could they possibly be right? Short answer: not likely. But. One candidate for mayor, State Senator Rickey Hendon, said Wednesday that, if elected, he would reopen Meigs Field on his first day in office. And that suggests Meigs may become a topic in the broader race. AVweb Thursday spoke with Steve Whitney, president of Friends of Meigs Field and active public supporter of the now-former airport since the mid-90s. That conversation was not all sunshine and roses for Meigs. But it showed that Hendon's comments weren't the only reason supporters might have to hope. And, for better or worse, they may now have more reason to believe than they've had in years. More...

Related Content:

• Listen to our podcast with Friend of Meigs president Steve Whitney.

SHOW PLANES COLLIDE
One pilot was killed and another was apparently able to land safely after a midair collision between two aircraft at an airshow in Germany on the weekend. Photos of the collision indicate the aircraft, which appear to be high-performance aerobatic types, came together while traveling in the same direction. The wing of one folded under and it crashed vertically, killing the pilot. It was the third fatal airshow crash in as many weeks in Germany. More...

WINDS CANCEL RENO FINAL
Steve Hinton won the big title at the National Championship Air Races in Reno on Sunday but it wasn't the way he wanted to win. "It's more than kind of disappointing," the 23-year-old Hinton told the Reno Gazette-Journal. The final race of the Unlimited Class was cancelled because of high winds (southwest gusts to 30 knots) so Hinton won based on his final qualifying time in Strega, a highly modified P-51 that earned its ninth title with this race. It's the first time in the 47-year history of the event that the marquee race has been cancelled. "It was a safety issue," said Mike Houghton, president and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association. "Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our pilots. More...

Related Content:

• Full results here.

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: 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...

FRIENDS OF MEIGS PRESIDENT STEVE WHITNEY: MEIGS RESURRECTION "UNLIKELY" — BUT POSSIBLE
Mayor Richard Daley has said he'll not seek re-election at the end of his current term — but that doesn't mean Meigs Field is returning to Chicago. Or does it? AVweb's Glenn Pew caught up with Friends of Meigs president Steve Whitney for a reality check. More...

VIDEO: AN ILLUMINATING LOOK AT LED LANDING LIGHTS
Don't look now, but LED landing lights have gotten brighter and better over just the last year. In this video, AVweb takes a look at some of the current offerings and concludes they perform better than the old standby 5509 tractor bulb. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: TRADITION AVIATION (KTRM, THERMAL, CA)

AVweb reader Brian Stirm from Swift Enterprises recently spent some time at our latest "FBO of the Week" — Tradition Aviation at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM) in Thermal, California.

As Brian's quick to point out, "A closed course world speed record was set at the airport by Smokey Young, his Reno race crew using Swift's new 100SF renewable pure hydrocarbon fuel." And the staff at Tradition? During Brian's stay, "Penny, Ann, Lynn, and crew went out of their way to support the effort. ... [Over] a three-day period, I observed many happy customers who received a great value and wonderful services with a smile from every Tradition employee," writes Brian.

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 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)

SHORT FINAL

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

Approach:
"You need to say your altitude is 2999 feet."

Cessna:
"But my altitude is 3000."

[radio silence]

Approach:
"If yon say your altitude is 2999, you won't be in Class B airspace without a clearance. If you say your altitude is 3000, you're in Class B without clearance."

Cessna:
"Ah. My altitude is 2999."

Bruce Edwards
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.

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Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Glenn Pew

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