TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11, AVIATORS REMEMBER
With the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks coming up this weekend, aviators around the country are looking back on that day and its aftermath, which in many ways is still with us. The FAA commemorated the 9/11 events this week with a video featuring interviews with air traffic controllers who were on duty that day. The pilot of one of the F-15s that scrambled -- knowing he might be asked to shoot down an airliner full of passengers -- recalls the events in an interview with Boston's WGBH radio. GA pilots also were reminded this week by the TSA to be extra-vigilant as the anniversary date approaches. (Click here for the full TSA advisory, in PDF format.) One of the leaders of the general aviation response, Phil Boyer, who at the time was president of AOPA, recalled those days in a podcast interview with AVweb's Mary Grady.

Related Content:

• PODCAST: Former AOPA President Phil Boyer on the Attacks and Their Aftermath
• BLOG: Yes to Commemoration, No to Commiseration
• POLL: How Has the Aftermath of 9/11 Affected Your Flying?

PODCAST: PHIL BOYER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF AOPA
Ten years ago this weekend, general aviation was faced with an unprecedented challenge -- first, how to get back in the air at all and then, how to cope with scores of new regulations as the government struggled to minimize the threat of future attacks. As president of AOPA, Phil Boyer was on the front lines of holding back the restrictions and preserving our freedom to fly. He talks with AVweb's Mary Grady about the events of September 11, 2011 and his assessment of how we're doing 10 years later. More...

AVIATION UNIONS DEMAND ACTION ON FAA FUNDING
The latest short-term FAA funding extension runs out on Sept. 16, and on Wednesday, several aviation union groups held a news conference at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., to demand a long-term reauthorization bill. "We cannot continue to function with this band-aid approach to aviation funding and safety," said Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. "It is time to get serious and put the safety of aviation in the United States ahead of partisan politics." Members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the Association for Flight Attendants, and the Allied Pilots Association also attended the event. Members of Congress are returning to Washington this week after a summer break. More...

COMING SOON: REMOTE CONTROL TOWERS
Two airports in northern Sweden are set to become the first test sites for remotely operated control towers. The system, which is being developed by Saab, will consist of an 82-foot-tall structure topped by a bank of cameras that will beam a 360-degree panoramic high-definition image to a control center located miles away. The array also includes microphones that transmit stereo sound from the airfield, meteorological sensors, and a light-gun signal that can be operated remotely. Center controllers will sit at the center of a 360-degree wraparound screen, and will be able to zoom and pan the images. The system aims to save on costs by consolidating service for smaller airports. The two towers in Sweden are expected to go online next year. More...

A NEW LASER THREAT?
Wicked Lasers claims its new hand-held laser has an 85-mile range, is 8,000 times brighter than the sun, and is the "world's brightest laser you can legally own." In other words, the device may be completely useless outside of a lab, but is apparently being marketed to the public. The cost of the new "S3 Krypton Series" laser is $1,000. According to one review, a previous model was "dangerous" and only useful for "irresponsible, reckless activities." That new one is 20 times brighter and in the words of the same reviewer, is "twenty times as awesome." The reviewer adds, "I'm terrified of it." Video after the jump. More...

CRASHED CESSNA SPARKS CALIFORNIA FIRE
Both men inside a Cessna 210 died when it crashed in a southern California canyon on Sunday, starting a brush fire that burned across almost 15,000 acres by Wednesday morning. Twelve homes and 18 other buildings were destroyed, hundreds of homes were evacuated, and more than 2,000 firefighters and other emergency responders fought the blaze. The Cessna crashed about 11:25 a.m. on Sunday near the Mountain Valley Airport in Tehachapi, about 150 miles north of Los Angeles. The two men on board were Walter Johnson, 72, of Pomona, and John Nuckolls, 55, of Claremont. More...

RUSSIAN YAK CRASH DECIMATES HOCKEY TEAM (VIDEO)

click for video & photos

A Yakovlev-42 crashed on takeoff 150 miles northeast of Moscow Wednesday, killing 43 of 45 aboard, including many members of an international medal-winning Russian Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team. The airliner was flying out of Yaroslavl's Tunoshna Airport for Minsk 4 p.m. local time when it crashed on takeoff, apparently in clear weather. Witnesses report hearing two loud bangs prior to the aircraft's hitting a riverbank on the Volga River and bursting into flames. The jet was carrying 37 passengers and eight crew. Of the two survivors, one was a crew member and the other was ice hockey player Alexander Galimov, who was reportedly burned over 80 percent of his body. Both were reported in critical condition after the crash. Players on the team had connections to ten nations. Video was taken of the crash site soon after the jet went down. More...

ICE PILOTS SPINOFF IN PRODUCTION
Fans of Ice Pilots NWT can look forward to a sequel of sorts. A dramatic spinoff of Ice Pilots, called Arctic Air, is now in production in Vancouver by OMNI Film and will air on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation starting in January. Ice Pilots NWT, which is airing on the National Geographic Channel in the U.S. and was shown on the History Channel in Canada, followed the real-life exploits of Buffalo Joe MacBryan and his Yellowknife-based Buffalo Airways. The airline operates the last scheduled passenger service with a DC-3 and also flies C-46 Commandos and DC-4s. Arctic Air will mirror the reality show and the star of the program is a former Canadian registered DC-3 that flew for Whitehorse-based Air North before being retired 17 years ago. Getting the plane ready for prime time was an adventure in itself and DC-3 buff Dan Gryder played a starring role. More...

CHINA'S FIRST GA FLY-IN POSTPONED
The first-ever general aviation fly-in in China, which was set for later this month, has been postponed indefinitely, according to AOPA. The event was scheduled for Sept. 22 to 24, with about 20 privately owned helicopters from around the country expected to gather at an airport outside Beijing. However, a helicopter operated by the Beijing Police Department crashed last month into a reservoir near the fly-in site, killing four of the five people on board. AOPA China said the crash drew "attention and safety concerns from the public and the authorities," and the ongoing investigation has raised questions about whether the airspace will continue to be accessible. The first-ever AOPA Summit in China, which is scheduled to take place the same weekend in Beijing, will go on as scheduled. More...

BOEING'S NEWEST FREIGHTER READY TO FLY
Boeing will deliver the first 747-8 Freighter to launch customer Cargolux on Sept. 19, the company said on Friday. Cargolux will fly the airplane away from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., that morning and put the airplane into revenue service. The second freighter out of the hangar also will go to Cargolux, with delivery set for Sept. 21. The carrier has a total of 13 of the new airplanes on order. The 747-8 is 250 feet, 2 inches long, which is 18 feet and 4 inches longer than the 747-400 freighter, with the capability to carry an additional 22 tons and adding more than 4,000 cubic feet of volume. Cargolux also took delivery of the first 747-400 freighter, in 1993. More...

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK: GA AND SEPTEMBER 11 -- TEN YEARS LATER
It's been a decade since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We'd like to know if 9/11 and its aftermath have affected your flying.

Plus: Last week, we asked if airline pilots are becoming too reliant on automation and "forgetting how to 'fly the airplane'"; click through to see how AVweb readers responded. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 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: PREZ NIXES EPA ON OZONE; HOW ABOUT LEAD?
President Obama shocked the environmental community by telling the EPA to shelve proposed new regulation that would tighten ozone emissions. The ostensible reason was economics and jobs, but the underlying motivation was political. So, we have to ask, if he can do that for ozone, how about lead? A permanent waiver for leaded avgas could reduce the headwinds GA is currently trying to weather. Yes, it's a fantasy, admits Paul Bertorelli in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, But we have entertain ourselves somehow. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: 9/11 WEEK -- YES TO COMMEMORATION, NO TO COMMISERATION
As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, it was inevitable that the media would be filled with retrospectives and reports. We are right to remember the victims who died in the attacks and the servicemen and women who have died since. But we owe it to ourselves not to wallow in the past and to put the risk of terrorism where it belongs -- a worry, yes, but not one that threatens the Republic and far, far down the list of hazards we all face every day. It's time to move on, says Paul Bertorelli in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. More...

VIDEO: AEROTREK'S BARGAIN LSAS
The way Rob Rollison figures it, most LSAs are overpriced, which is why he's marketing his nicely made Aerotrek airplanes at a base price under $70,000. Although most invoice for more than that, they still sell for less than $100,000. In this brief video, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli flies the Aerotrek 220 taildragger version and finds that it has great visibility, excellent climb performance and features you might not expect to find in a bargain airplane. More...

VIDEO: ELECTROAIR'S ELECTRONIC IGNITION
Electronic ignition for certified airplanes has been somewhat of a hard sell, primarily because owners don't always see clear benefits in either fuel economy or reliability. Electroair would like to change that with its new certified system for four-cylinder Lycomings. Here's a quick video tour of how the system works. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: HAMMOND AIR CENTER (KHDC, HAMMOND, LA)

AVweb reader William Lahners recommended our latest "FBO of the Week": Hammond Air Center at Hammond Northshore Regional Airport (KHDC) in Hammond, Louisiana. He writes:

We had such a great experience at Hammond Air, we had to nominate them! Erin Pierce, the owner, is one of the nicest and most professional people I have met. Erin is always on-site and truly runs the FBO like a family business. When the rental car company didn't come through, he loaned us his Escalade to use. Since they are brand-new (grand opening is in October) signage is not good yet, but they are on the west side of the field. KHDC, if you are not familiar, has an ILS and 6,500-foot runways and is jet-friendly.

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
This week's winning photo comes from Stacey Greenhill of Wheeling, IL. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. More...

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