PIPERSPORT JUST A NAME: DISTRIBUTOR
Regardless of its name, the soon-to-be-former PiperSport will continue to be a part of the LSA market according to the head of the company that brings them into the U.S. Piper announced earlier this week that it was dropping the PiperSport, citing a difference in business goals with its manufacturer, Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW). Although Piper branded what used to the the SportCruiser, the airplane will continue to be sold without Piper's involvement. In an exclusive podcast interview with AVweb on the eve of the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, FL, U.S. Sport Aircraft CEO Don Ayres said it's "business as usual" despite the parting of ways between Piper and CZAW. "Aircraft will continue to be sold and supported," he said.

Related Content:

• PODCAST: U.S. Sport Aviation's Don Ayres
• POLL: Is LSA fulfilling its promise of bolstering general aviation?

LSA EXPO THIS WEEK, FLORIDA TOUR TO FOLLOW
The sixth annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo runs Thursday through Sunday this week, in Sebring, Fla., offering the year's first big aviation event. The expo features forums and exhibits, but the main attraction is the easy access to sport airplanes and demo flights, along with a first look at the latest new models and accessories. After the event, several of the LSA manufacturers and distributors will stage a "road show," flying their demo aircraft to six airports throughout Florida. "We wanted to create an intimate atmosphere for purchasers to see planes, without the noise of a show," said Bill Canino, of SportairUSA. Other participants in the tour include American Legend Aircraft, Flight Design Southeast, Rans Aircraft, and Sportplanes Florida.

Related Content:

• PHOTO GALLERY: Exhibitors set up at Sebring
• PODCAST: U.S. Sport Aviation's Don Ayres
• POLL: Is LSA fulfilling its promise of bolstering general aviation?

CARTER PAV NOW IN FLIGHT-TEST MODE
Carter Aviation has completed the first phase of flight testing for its Personal Air Vehicle, a four-seat aircraft that combines fixed-wing and rotary components, the company announced this week. The test crew flew the first traffic pattern in the PAV in December, and on Jan. 5, they completed a 36-minute flight. The initial phase of the flight-test regimen is focused on refining the flight-control systems for the PAV's gyro performance capabilities, including vertical takeoff and landing, the company said. In the next phase of testing, Carter will add a 45-foot wing section to the aircraft. Carter, which is based in Wichita Falls, Texas, debuted the aircraft at EAA AirVenture in 2009. More...

UAV FLIGHTS CONCERN OREGON PILOTS
Local pilots are concerned that a proposal to test drones in a central Oregon military operations area will effectively close that airspace to private aircraft, but proponents say the concerns are overblown. The pilots say the MOA falls along a popular route between Bend and points in Idaho, and is also used by AirLink Critical Care Transport air ambulance service. Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), the group supporting the proposal says complexities brought forward during introduction of the proposal may have led some to misinterpret the group's intent. Unmanned aircraft are currently prohibited from flying in the area and similar testing is usually contained within restricted airspace. EDCO says that while it does want use of the airspace, it plans to consider the pilots' concerns. More...

SAFETY CONCERNS PERSIST FOR ELECTRONICS ALOFT
Passengers and airlines have become too complacent about the use of electronic devices on board aircraft, according to an article in Tuesday's New York Times. One report filed by a pilot with NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System told of an incident in which the navigation equipment on a Boeing 737 failed after takeoff, but came back online after a flight attendant told a passenger to turn off a handheld GPS device. However, it wasn't clear how the GPS device might have had an effect, or if it was pure coincidence. The links may be difficult to prove, but engineer Bill Strauss told the Times the growing use of such devices aloft is "worrisome." They may be harmless much of the time, but a combination of rare events -- the kind of "accident chain" that causes many aviation accidents -- could have disastrous results. More...

AVIATION'S 'LIVING LEGENDS' GATHER FRIDAY
On Friday night, Hollywood notables and famous aviators will mingle at the 8th Annual Living Legends of Aviation awards event, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Actors John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks and Kurt Russell are scheduled to participate, as well as aviation legends including Sean D. Tucker, Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger and Bob Hoover. Among those receiving awards for their contributions to aviation are Capt. James Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission; U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, a former U.S. Air Force pilot; Clay Jones, CEO of Rockwell Collins; and Lynn Tilton, CEO of MD Helicopters. The event will be held at the Beverly Hilton. It is produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a nonprofit group that works to inspire young children, ages 5 to 11, to take an interest in aviation and excel academically. More...

BONUS DEPRECIATION MORE GENEROUS
An unusually generous tax break aimed squarely at general aviation aircraft manufacturers and their business customers is now in effect and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association is advising those with aircraft acquisition plans to act within its fairly broad parameters. In a podcast interview, GAMA spokesman Paul Feldman suggested the bonus depreciation measure signed into law by President Barack Obama in December might be a rare tax break that may not be repeated anytime soon. "I would act on it," he said.

Related Content:

• PODCAST: GAMA's Paul Feldman
• AVbuys: More ways for pilots to save money

WACO REVIVES GREAT LAKES BIPLANE
Waco Classic, of Battle Creek, Mich., is adding to its product line with the reintroduction of the Great Lakes Model 2T-1A-1/2, a fully aerobatic 180-hp biplane, which has been out of production since 1980. The two-seat airplane is smaller than Waco's YMF-5D biplane, with simpler avionics and systems. Several changes have been made from the 1980 model, the company said this week, such as using aluminum instead of wood for the spar, upgrading the brakes and updating the avionics. Preliminary prices are set at $219,000 for the Touring model, with a Lycoming IO-360-B1F6 engine, and $239,000 for the higher-performance Sport model, with a Lycoming AEIO-360-B1F6 engine. 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."

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: LSA GUT CHECK
The LSA market continues to evolve and go through changes many predicted in concept, if not in detail. With the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring this week, we're asking you if light sport has raised the profile and appeal of general aviation as a whole.

Plus: Last week, we asked if shoulder restraints should be mandatory equipment in aircraft; click through to see how AVweb readers answered. More...

DE-ICING IN THE REAL WORLD: AVIATION CONSUMER WANTS TO HEAR FROM TKS USERS
Aviation Consumer is researching an article on TKS performance in the real world and could really use your help. If you fly an aircraft equipped with a TKS system, please take just a few moments to complete this online survey. Information about how you use the system and how it performs will be kept anonymous, but the general findings will be reported in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. More...

HEARD ANYTHING FUNNY ON THE RADIO?
Heard anything funny, unusual, or downright shocking on the radio lately? If you've been flying any length of time, you're sure to have eavesdropped on a few memorable exchanges. The ones that gave you a chuckle may do the same for your fellow AVweb readers. Share your radio funny with us, and, if we use it in a future "Short Final," we'll send you a sharp-looking AVweb hat to sport around your local airport. No joke. Click here to submit your original, true, and previously unpublished story. 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...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: REMEMBERING THE ANDES CRASH
We've just passed the 38th anniversary of one of the most remembered crashes in aviation history, Uruguayan Flight 571 in the Andes Mountains in 1972. It's an epic story of survival, and a new History Channel program puts a fascinating twist on the telling. It's not the grisly details that captivate Paul Bertorelli in the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog, but the character of the men whose steely resolve led to the party's eventual rescue. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: PIPER EXITS THE LSA MARKET
As Piper exits the LSA field, AVweb Insider blogger Paul Bertorelli finds himself wondering if this is the leading edge of the long-awaited shakeout in an over-supplied industry. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AVIATION BIOFUELS — THE REAL DEAL OR GREENWASH FANTASY?
On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli argues that it's hard to tell at this juncture, but news stories on the topic tend to suggest the equation is more proven out than it actually is. Turbine biofuels work well, and the military is all over them, but until we see the price at the pump, call us skeptical. Read more and join the conversation. More...

BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR PIPERSPORT/SPORTCRUISER
The aircraft formerly known as the PiperSport will continue to delight its existing and future owners, regardless of its nameplate, according to Don Ayres, CEO of U.S. Sport Aircraft, the company that imports and assembles the airplane in the U.S. He spoke with AVweb's Russ Niles on the eve of U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida Wednesday. More...

VIDEO: FIRST FLIGHT OF CHINESE J-20 'STEALTH FIGHTER'
A collection of video clips from Chinese media outlets including: the J-20 fifth-generation "stealth" fighter jet's first flight, taxi and flight control tests, a size and planform comparison with other contemporary aircraft (F-22 and T-50), and brief images that may suggest the aircraft's avionics package. More...

VIDEO: CANOPY COVERS REVIEWED BY 'AVIATION CONSUMER'
If you park your aircraft outside, you need a cover. Jeff Van West shows the pros and cons of Aviation Consumer's top picks. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: RAECO AT BAYTOWN AIRPORT (KHPY, BAYTOWN, TX)

AVweb reader Bud Beaty is a frequent visitor to Baytown Airport (KHPY) in Baytown, Texas — and to hear him tell it, there's no better FBO in America to be our latest "FBO of the Week":

The manager (Charlie) is a corporate pilot (Citation V), and he knows how pilots and passengers should be treated. His lovely wife Kathy and all his great employees treat their customers like royalty. We don't ask for anything — they take care of our every need automatically including an overnight crew-truck for the pilot. Charlie has spared no expense transforming HPY ... into a showcase FBO, completely gutting and rebuilding a new FBO, building new hangars, expanding/renovating the runway, and implementing (through the FAA) two GPS approaches. All the while, he has kept the fuel prices the lowest in the area and among the lowest in the nation. They have one price (and that is for self-service), yet they always provide full service at this price. Charlie has also expanded the airport operating hours and published his personal cell phone number as the after-hours contact number. It is truly a joy to visit HPY.

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!

SEBRING PHOTO GALLERY: U.S. SPORT AVIATION EXPO 2010

click for more photos

The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida hasn't gotten underway yet — but that didn't stop us from prowling the grounds and snapping a few photos of the LSA vendors moving into their booths and setting up displays. 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

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