CRACKED SPARK PLUGS PROMPT BULLETIN
Tornado Alley Turbo has issued a mandatory service bulletin (PDF) and asked the FAA to issue an airworthiness directive for the owners of up to 950 Cirrus SR22TN aircraft that have Champion RHB32S fine wire spark plugs, and the list of affected aircraft could grow to include other types with those plugs installed. TAT says it has been gathering evidence that indicates those plugs are experiencing an unusually high rate of cracked ceramic insulators. Cracked insulators can cause detonation problems that can result in severe engine damage. TAT says it's aware of at least two forced landings and one non-injury accident that may have been caused by the damaged spark plugs. TAT President George Braly said that while the initial MSB applies only to turbonormalized Cirruses, TAT systems have been installed in other aircraft types and anyone with a TAT system should check their aircraft's plugs. More...

DRIVER'S LICENSE MEDICAL EXPANSION PROPOSED
EAA and AOPA are jointly proposing a plan to the FAA to allow so-called "driver's license medicals" to be used for some pilots who now must maintain a minimum third-class medical. In a joint announcement at AOPA Summit on Saturday, AOPA President Craig Fuller and EAA President Rod Hightower said the proposal will be submitted early next year and will allow pilots flying purely for recreation to use a valid driver's license as proof of medical fitness. The standard, which now applies only to sport pilot certificates, would expand to cover all FAA certificates up to and including ATP. There would be limits, however, on the aircraft that could be flown and on flight conditions. More...

AVGAS DROP-IN REPLACEMENT: CLARIFICATION
In our story last week about the Unleaded Avgas Transition team's deliberations, we reported that the committee increasingly believes a direct drop-in unleaded replacement isn't likely. But one reader wrote to ask about the recently approved 100VLL, which the FAA announced as an approved fuel in SAIB NE-11-55. Isn't this a direct drop-in? Yes, it is, but it's also not an unleaded fuel, but one that contains about 19 percent less lead than 100LL. It still meets exactly the same octane requirements as 100LL and fits right into ASTM D-910, the current industry avgas specification. The 100VLL spec was developed at the request of industry groups as a potential alternative to 100LL for use in areas where airports may represent point sources of lead emissions that exceed emerging national air quality standards. Until the EPA completes its research on lead endangerment, it's unclear if 100VLL will have any role in future fuel supplies. More...

EVEREST SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT DOWN
All 19 people aboard a sightseeing flight returning from Mt. Everest died when the Buddha Air Beech 1900D they were on crashed on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The aircraft clipped a hilltop house in heavy rain and fog about six miles from the airport. There were at least two Americans on board. One person survived the crash but died later in hospital. The crash has prompted comment in some quarters about the safety standards for Nepalese carriers, but according to the airline's website, Buddha Air operates one of the most modern fleets in that part of the world. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: ARC COMMITTEE -- PROGRESS, YES; CLARITY, NO
The FAA's ARC Committee gave a briefing of sorts at AOPA Summit in Hartford, Connecticut last week. It dealt mostly with process and little with substance. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli again argues for a more transparent process. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AIR SHOW CRASHES -- AN OUTSIDER VIEW
In the aviation biz, we like air shows because they promote the industry -- but after a season of bad crashes, have we actually gone backwards in terms of public image? How are non-aviation people impacted by witnessing a crash? We decided to ask. Chloe Barkdoll was present when a T-28 Trojan crashed at Martinsburg Air Show in West Virgina on September 17; she shares her reactions in a guest post to the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. More...

PODCAST: CHINA -- LAND OF GA OPPORTUNITY?
We've been hearing a lot about how China will be the next big thing in general aviation but it's still in its infancy. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spoke with Yinjie Zhang of AOPA China about the realities and the possibilities at AOPA Summit in Hartford. More...

PODCAST: CANADIAN AIR MUSEUM FIGHTS FOR ITS LIFE
Toronto's Canadian Air and Space Museum got an eviction notice from an arm of the Canadian federal government last week and has abruptly closed, calling into question the future of a priceless collection of artifacts and archives, not to mention the building itself, the original de Havilland Canada factory and birthplace of such iconic aircraft as the Beaver, Otter and Twin Otter. The Crown corporation that runs the site has made a deal with a private developer to put up four hockey rinks on the site. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Ian McDougall, the volunteer chairman of the museum (who also loves hockey) about the fight that is about to ensue. More...

VIDEO: BRISTELL LSA MAKES ITS DEBUT
AVweb found a new LSA at AOPA Summit last week. It's called the Bristell, and its main selling point is a super-wide cabin. Here's Mary Grady's video report on the new model. More...

AOPA SUMMIT 2011: COMPLETE COVERAGE ROUND-UP

Click here for all our news stories from the AOPA Summit — both for 2011 and previous years. And our AVwebAudio newsletter has the complete run-down of this year's multimedia coverage:

• Podcasts
• Videos
• Daily E-Mail Coverage

Want to get AVwebAudio in your inbox every Friday? Just log in to AVweb (or create a free account in the upper right corner of this page) and visit AVweb.com/profile. Choose "Update E-mail Subscriptions" in the profile center, and from there, you can add or drop any AVweb newsletters.

FBO OF THE WEEK: ATLANTIC AVIATION (KGPT, GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Atlantic Aviation at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (KGPT) in Gulfport, Mississippi.

AVweb reader John Hunt gave this location a stellar recommendation:

Incredible service! You would think I was pulling up in a G450 the way they treated us. We were met at the line by two extremely professional folks with a rental car, all paperwork filed out. Additionally, when it was time to leave, all my bills were in order, the plane was fueled, and they returned our rental car. I'd fly out of my way to use the services of Atlantic at KGPT!

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!

SURVEY: HOW'S THAT FACTORY ENGINE WORKING FOR YOU?
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, would like to know. We're doing a survey on owner experiences with factory-new, factory-reman and factory-overhauled engines. (No field overhauls this time.) The survey will take about five minutes, and you can take it merely by cliking this link. 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...

SHORT FINAL

Inbound to Kennedy in the early '60s. Canarsie approach. Aircraft lined up on the inbound radial to keep 210 knots.

Controler:
"American 123, what's your speed?"

American 123:
"210."

Controller:
"Scandinavian 456, what's your speed?"

Scandinavian 456:
"210."

Controller:
"Air France 789, what's your speed?"

Air France 789:
"210."

[Silence for a while. Then ...]

Controller:
"One of you is a #*@! liar!"

Björn Ekberg
via e-mail

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...

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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