GA RESPONDS TO NEW FAA FEES
News reported by AVweb on Monday that the FAA plans to start charging for digital aeronautical data that is now available free brought quick reaction this week from the GA community. The board of the IMC Club, based in Norwood, Mass., posted an online petition at the White House website expressing opposition to the change. EAA said on Wednesday the news has "pilots everywhere up in arms." AOPA said the news has "sparked concern" throughout the industry. "We are anxious to see the FAA's proposal and will work to mitigate any impact on our members," said Heidi Williams, AOPA senior director of airspace and modernization. Representatives from the industry and the FAA will meet on December 13 in Maryland to discuss the policy. Changes are not scheduled to take effect until April 5 of next year. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: THAT GREAT BLACK HOLE IN THE PANEL
Having spent multiple thousands for new glass, some owners are shocked at how the database costs add up. And with the FAA poised to start charging for its heretofore free digital flight data, the needle may be going in the wrong direction. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli opines that this could eventually become a drag on sales and ownership, if it isn't already. Read more and join the conversation. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: DO YOU USE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS FOR FLIGHT DATA?
We're trying to gauge the impact of the FAA's decision to start charging for online flight data downloads. How will that affect you?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers about in-flight run-ins with wildlife; click through to see how they answered. More...

FIRST FINE FOR RAMP DELAY
American Eagle has been fined $900,000 for holding passengers on the ramp for more than three hours, the Department of Transportation said on Monday. This is the first time a fine has been assessed since the "tarmac-delay rule" went into effect in April 2010. American Eagle, a regional carrier affiliated with American Airlines, kept 608 passengers on board 15 flights for delays of up to 3 hours and 45 minutes at O'Hare International Airport on May 29. "We wanted to make sure the penalty was sufficient enough to send a message to other airlines that our first enforcement sets a precedent, and that these are serious matters," DOT Secretary Ray LaHood told The New York Times. It could have been worse -- under the law, the airline could have been fined $27,500 for each passenger, totaling $16.7 million for the violation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: RAMP DELAYS — EDUCATE US
The DOT decided to get the airlines' attention by fining American Eagle $900,000 for ramp delays longer than three hours. It sure succeeded, but now the airlines may be canceling more flights as a result. If you're a passenger, you live in the Village of the Damned — and in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli asks though in the know to explain why the airlines are having such a hard time hitting the target on this new requirement. Read more and join the conversation. More...

FAA SEEKS "ACCOUNTABILITY" FROM LSA INDUSTRY
An FAA official expressed concern at a recent industry meeting that light sport aircraft manufacturers need to do a better job of documenting their compliance with ASTM standards, EAA said last week. Earl Lawrence, the manager of the FAA Small Airplane Directorate, said it's important to get these basic tasks done right if the category is to be expanded, as some in the industry have proposed. The FAA is not interested in replacing the ASTM process with FAA certification, Lawrence said, but wants to see a successful, industry-led compliance and audit system in place. Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, told AVweb that LAMA has proposed mandatory third-party audits to address these issues. More...

UNITED PILOTS CITE SAFETY CONCERNS
United Airlines pilots Tuesday released a 105-page report that blames lapses in flight safety on new procedures and poor training, according to The Associated Press. The report came from the pilots' union, the Air Line Pilots Association. The union is currently working through contract negotiations with United. In September, the union sought a judge's ruling to block the new training procedures. At that time, the union said the FAA was not properly monitoring safety. According to the new report, new procedures are so distracting that three separate flight crews almost landed gear up while trying to negotiate checklists. United management has a different opinion. More...

NETJETS SUBSIDIARIES SUE IRS
Four subsidiaries of NetJets are suing the IRS for a total of $643 million, saying that the agency wrongly applied ticket tax to the private flight operations they manage. According to the subsidiary companies, they do not act to transport the people that own the aircraft they manage but act as agents to assist owners in transporting themselves. The ticket tax, say the companies, should not apply to private owners or fees paid to operate and maintain privately owned aircraft. And by that argument, the IRS owes them. More...

TAKEOVER SECURES D-JET
The CEO of Diamond Aircraft's Canadian operations in London, Ontario, says the takeover of the company is good news for the workers and will ensure the D-JET gets to market. It was announced Monday that a majority interest in Diamond was acquired by Medrar Financial Group, of Dubai, for an undisclosed sum. In an interview with the London Free Press on Tuesday, Peter Maurer said the company will benefit in several ways from the purchase. "This gives us the financial strength to complete the (D-JET) program," Maurer said. "We're getting expertise in business and the financial side." Diamond has 220 workers at the London plant and Maurer said another 200 could be added if the D-JET sells well. The deal also includes the piston products made by the company. More...

INDIAN AIRLINES IN CRISIS
Depressing financial results from India's second largest airline Tuesday intensified debate about the future of the industry and the level of government involvement. Kingfisher Airlines, owned by liquor mogul Vijay Mallya, who 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."

CORRECTION: QANTAS UPSET WAS OLD NEWS
A story that appeared in Monday's edition of AVwebFlash concerning the upset of a Qantas aircraft appeared in error. That incident happened in 2008 and should not have been reported as current news. Our thanks go to the sharp-eyed readers who alerted us to the gremlin and enabled us to quickly remove the erroneous story from circulation. For those of you who saw it anyway, we apologize for the error.

Russ Niles
Editor-in-Chief

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...

VIDEO: PREMIER EDITION DIAMOND DA40 FLIGHT TRIAL
Diamond's DA40 Star is a popular entry-level and midspeed cruiser, but it lacks air conditioning and other options. Fort Lauderdale's Premier Aircraft added a rich options list to the airplane, and in this report, Aviation Consumer's Paul Bertorelli took a trial flight. More...

VIDEO: JEPPESEN'S MOBILE FLITEDECK (PART 1)
Last summer, Jeppesen rolled out its iPad-based Mobile FliteDeck, a complete chart manager system for owners who already subscribe to Jeppesen's electronic charting products. In this video, AVweb launches the first of three Product Minutes to review the new app. More...

VIDEO: JEPPESEN'S MOBILE FLITEDECK (PART 2)
Jeppesen's new Mobile FliteDeck is a route-based app that compiles approach plates and procedures from Jeppesen's charting materials. In this video, part two of three, Paul Bertorelli takes a look at how its route functions work. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: YELVINGTON JET AVIATION, INC. (DAYTONA BEACH, FL)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Yelvington Jet Aviation Inc. at Daytona Beach International Airport (KDAB) in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVweb reader Dave Gillespie nominated the FBO and shared his outstanding experience if memory of the FBO's manager, Mike Fuller:

We landed our helicopter and were met by a beautiful young lady marshaller, then picked up by FBO manager Mike Fuller and delivered to the front door to a waiting Suburban, whereupon we were given an escort around the airport to the entry gate by two Daytona Beach motorcycle policmen! We were even given a cell to call for our return trip. Mike's courteous and exceptional service was the best I've ever seen in over 35 years flying. He will be missed. He was unfortunatly killed last weekend in a T-34 accident. The FBO community and aviation as a whole has lost one of the best. Godspeed, Mike.

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!

A DOUBLE DOSE OF "PICTURE OF THE WEEK"
We're playing catch-up this week and have a two-fer of reader-submitted pictures. Two winners! Almost fifty new photos! An extra-long lapse in productivity at our readers' offices! Click on each of the thumbnails below to view the galleries. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Our latest winning photo comes from Don Parsons of St. Peters, MO. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Our latest winning photo comes from Jeremy Wheeler of Wichita, KS. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. 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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