WOLF AVIATION FUND SEEKS GREAT IDEAS
If you have a great idea for an innovative project that would promote or support general aviation, the folks at Wolf Aviation Fund want to hear from you by Dec. 15. The fund supported 30 projects this year, including regional teachers' workshops to spread aviation education across Alaska, an aviation careers classroom designed by Catavia Kids for the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum in New Jersey, a seed grant promoting the Swift Sustainable Aviation Fuel project, and development of an innovative lightweight gondola for high-altitude balloon research. More than 275 projects have been funded to date, many of which have led to the existence of new organizations or have supported projects that continue today, according to the organization. More...

BAHAMAS FLY-IN WELCOMES LSAS
Flying outside of the U.S.A. can be a challenge for sport pilots, but not if they want to visit the Bahamas. The island country is the first foreign nation to allow sport pilots to fly there in light sport aircraft, even if they don't have an FAA medical certificate (click here for the full details). To celebrate, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation has organized the first International Bahamas LSA Fly-In, coming up Dec. 10 to 12. General aviation aircraft of all sorts are welcome to join the event, which takes place on Grand Bahama Island. Participants are eligible for special rates at a local Radisson resort. More...

CORSAIR RECOVERED FROM LAKE
The wreck of an F4U-1 Corsair that sank in Lake Michigan in June 1943 has been recovered by a crew working with the National Naval Aviation Museum, based in Pensacola, Fla. "It's a very significant airplane, because it represents an era in American history when we were training pilots for overseas duty," said Chuck Greenhill, a military aircraft collector who helped to finance the recovery mission. Greenhill told the Chicago Sun-Times the airplane is a rare find in the lake, which contains dozens of warbird wrecks from thousands of training missions that originated at nearby Glenview Naval Air Station during the World War II era. This airplane features a framed cockpit canopy, the mark of the earliest F4U-1s, which gave them the nickname "Birdcage" Corsairs. More...

MISSING F-22 PILOT DECLARED DEAD
When the wreckage of a lost F-22 Raptor was found last week 100 miles north of Anchorage, U.S. Air Force officials at first could not account for the whereabouts of the pilot, and said "finding the missing pilot is our top priority." The jet hit the ground in a marshy area, and the impact created a large crater that swallowed up much of the wreckage, Col. Jack McMullen told the press. On Friday, the Air Force said they had found "conclusive evidence" that the pilot did not eject prior to impact. Part of the ejection seat was found as well as part of the missing pilot's flight gear, which officials said confirmed that he could not have survived. The missing pilot was identified as Capt. Jeffrey Haney, from Clarklake, Mich., who was assigned to the 3rd Wing's 525th Fighter Squadron. More...

AVWEB'S AOPA REVIEW: IN THE WINGS
As promised, AVweb's comprehensive review of AOPA's finances, operations and mission is in progress, with a planned publication date as soon as we complete our research. Readers may recall that AOPA challenged our story earlier this month when we reported AOPA compensation figures filed with the IRS, citing our misinterpretation of recently changed IRS rules. AVweb questioned some AOPA salaries and payouts, even asmost companies in the industry are laying off workers and rolling back wages. To prove its point, AOPA agreed to give AVweb additional information and to answer detailed questions about expenditures, its business development strategy and how it uses its considerable assets. We have provided the association with an exhaustive list of questions. AOPA has provided us with equally exhaustive responses, and our dialog is continuing. We received an overwhelming volume of e-mail on the subject and if you have comments or questions on the story, contact us at editor@avweb.com. More...

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS EXEMPTED FROM SCANNERS
Flight attendants have also been exempted from random full-body scanner checks, the TSA announced Tuesday. Last week, the TSA said pilots didn't need to pass through the scanners unless they set off the metal detector. Exemption from the routine scanner Flight attendants have also been exempted from random full-body scanner checks, the TSA announced Tuesday. Last week, the TSA said pilots didn't need to pass through the scanners unless they set off the metal detector. Exemption from the routine scanner examinations also means flight attendants and pilots will not undergo the controversial pat-down procedures introduced earlier this month. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has asked the TSA if it can modify its security procedures to dampen passenger backlash to the new rules and TSA Administrator John Pistole says they'll look at it, but not in time for the busy Thanksgiving rush. Pistole has released a video offering tips to passengers to get through security expeditiously. The threat of so-called "opt-out" protests by those refusing to submit to the scanners fizzled Wednesday and weather was a bigger concern. More...

LOOSE TOOL CAUSED 787 FIRE: REPORT
Boeing and its relevant subcontractors are not commenting on a report from France that a tool left in an electrical cabinet led to a fire onboard a 787 test aircraft two weeks ago. The fire, which forced an emergency landing and halted the test program, occurred on a test flight in Texas. On Monday, La Tribune reported that an unspecified tool had been left in the cabinet by mistake and caused a short circuit, which sparked the fire. If confirmed, the scenario is potentially less damaging to the program than if the fire was the result of a design fault, but La Tribune said the incident still raises issues about the aircraft. More...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER

Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?

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.

Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: PLENTY FOR PILOTS TO BE THANKFUL FOR
Maybe we're just a bunch of softies at heart — but with Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. this week, we can't help thinking we're lucky to share a common passion for the sky. AVweb editor Mary Grady raises a toast to flying and passes the cornbread stuffing in the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Read more and tell us what you're thankful for in the blog comments. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: GIVING BACK
'Tis the season to be thankful and maybe a little more generous. What have you done lately to further the cause of keeping GA healthy?

Plus: Last week, we asked about the TSA's full-body scans and pat-downs. Click through to see what AVweb readers made of the hullabaloo. 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...

15 YEARS AND NOW 15 GRAND GIVEAWAYS ... IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AN IFLY 700 GPS FROM ADVENTURE PILOT

Win an iFly 700 GPS from Adventure Pilot 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 Sunday, November 28, 2010. (That's a couple of days later than our usual Friday deadline, because of the Thanksgiving holiday.)

Click here to read the contest rules and enter.

VIDEO: LEARNING TO FLY WITH FLYVIE & JEPPESEN
Jeppesen and Flyvie may revolutionize the way student pilots learn to fly (and the way flight instructors approach flight training) by making actual flight lessons recordable, portable, and reviewable on the ground at the flight school, at home, and almost anywhere. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SPACE COAST AVIATION (KCOI, MERRITT ISLAND, FL)

AVweb reader Eve Cascella calls Space Coast Aviation at Merritt Island Airport (KCOI) in Merritt Island, Florida "the kind of FBO that I want to return to":

A friend and I recently flew my Cessna 172 to KCOI the day after their air show had ended and two days before the shuttle Discovery was scheduled to launch, so it was a busy time. I had an issue with one of my cockpit instruments, and the Space Coast maintenance department bent over backwards to get my problem fixed in a day. Ron and Don were friendly, courteous, and professional, and I was able to relax because I had confidence that they would take care of my plane. Vashti, who worked the front desk, made us feel welcome, and she was very helpful with car rentals and restaurant suggestions. Thank you, Space Coast Aviation!

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
Lee Hogan of Addison, Illinois was in the "right place, right time" for what he calls a "lucky shot." We're calling it our "Picture of the Week."

One of the happy coincidences of our publication schedule is that Thanksgiving in the U.S. always falls on Thursday — and nothing makes us more thankful for AVweb readers than sharing your photos with the world on a Thursday morning. Thanks for sending us your aviation shots this year, and please send us more in the coming weeks! 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
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West
Mariano Rosales

Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)

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