Air Power Goes All-Out for "Raving Fans"! Air Power, Inc. — the #1 Factory Engine Distributor — is dedicated to excellence and 100% customer satisfaction and stops at nothing to turn customers into
"raving fans"!
Be Genuine.® Only Lycoming can build you a Genuine Lycoming Engine! Only genuine Lycoming engines: Increase the value of your aircraft, are rebuilt to exacting factory
standards, and provide peace of mind to the owners that fly behind them.
For incredible customer service, the guaranteed lowest price, and zero-down factory engine financing, call Air Power at
(888) 759‑4295 or
visit
FactoryEngines.com today!
General aviation accidents and fatalities both declined in 2010 for the fourth year in a row, AOPA said last week. Based on data from the National Transportation Safety Board, the total of 1,435 GA accidents was the lowest in 20 years. Fatalities for the year totaled 450,
down from 478 in 2009. AOPA's Air Safety Institute is analyzing the data for its annual report. "Complacency remains the enemy of safety," said Bruce Landsberg, president of the AOPA Foundation. "Most
accidents result from causes that have plagued aviation for years. That story, unfortunately, is little changed."
At a symposium for flight instructors last summer, much time was spent discussing the fatal accident rate for GA and what the possible strategies might be to improve on it. AVweb's editorial
director Paul Bertorelli did his own analysis of the data and wrote about his conclusions in this post to the AVweb
Insider blog.
Tempest AA1000 Engine Preservation System Available at Aircraft Spruce
Protect your engine with the Tempest EPS. All engines accumulate moisture when they are not run every day. Moisture will oxidize and create rust in the engine, causing potential damage as
well as faulty oil analysis. AA1000 EPS pumps dry air into the engine oil filler cap and removes the moisture already in the engine. Continuous operation will prevent any additional moisture
from accumulating. Removal of the moisture preserves and protects your engine. Call 1 (877) 4‑SPRUCE or
visit
AircraftSpruce.com.
A Bell 206 helicopter on a flight to retrieve a heart for a transplant patient crashed in the woods early Monday morning in Jacksonville, Fla., killing the pilot and the two medical workers on
board. The crash ignited a fire that burned about 10 acres of forest. The NTSB said there was no distress call from the pilot or any other warning prior to the crash. "It looked like a normal flight,"
said NTSB investigator Jose Obregon. About 90 percent of the aircraft was destroyed in the fire, Obregon said, which will make it difficult for investigators to determine a cause. The pilot, E. Hoke
Smith, 68, was president and founder of SK Jets, of St. Augustine, a charter service operating seven jets and two helicopters.
Smith had been flying since age 16 and served as a combat pilot in Vietnam, according to his company's web site. He routinely flew medical
missions, especially during the holidays when he gave time off to his staff, his son, Derrick Smith, told The Associated Press. The National Weather Service in Jacksonville
reported there was light fog with overcast conditions in the area but no rain when the helicopter went down, according to the AP. The crash occurred before the team reached the donor, and the heart
was not recovered. Also killed in the crash were heart surgeon Luis Bonilla and procurement technician David Hines. Both worked for the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
Experience Trade-A-Plane in a Greater Way!
Our all-new web site is better than ever. Advanced searches, more detailed results, expanded content. Clean, fresh design and easier navigation, too. Exclusive premium benefits for
subscribers! Selling? Affordable, online-only listings are now available in many categories, and it's quick and easy to place one. Try it now to reach aviation's active buyers!
Visit us today at
Trade-A-Plane.com for everything that keeps you flying
or call (800) 337‑5263.
The union representing pilots who fly for UPS already has filed suit over new FAA fatigue rules
that exempt cargo airlines, and now FedEx pilots also have expressed outrage over the rules' "casual dismissal of cargo pilots and their families." The rule "completely ignores the safety of cargo
pilots and instead lets operators choose to ignore the safety improvements that will benefit pilots carrying passengers," said a statement from the FedEx Master Executive Council, which is part of the Air Line Pilots
Association. ALPA welcomed the new rules last week but said it is "disappointed that
cargo operations are being held to a lesser standard." According to the Wall Street Journal, ALPA officials now say they will fight against the regulations. Meanwhile, 2011 is shaping up to be the safest year ever for airline travel.
If the week finishes with no airline accidents, the total for the year will be about one passenger death for every 7.1 million air travelers worldwide, according to the Wall Street Journal. That will best the postwar record of one fatality per 6.4 million
passengers set in 2004, the Journal said. "Safety is improving and it's improving faster than the industry is expanding," said Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend, the London consulting firm that
analyzed the global data. The accident rate for Western-built aircraft, such as Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, and Embraer, is seven times safer than the rate for aircraft built in Russia and elsewhere,
according to Ascend. The accident rate in Africa is about 40 times greater than in North America, but Africa has improved greatly in recent years while North America has remained flat, Ascend's
analysis found.
Reletex, the New Version of the Highly Effective ReliefBand
... is the most effective method to treat nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness and other problems. Worn on the wrist (acupuncture's P-6 meridian), the Reletex produces a small
neuromodulating current which stops peristaltic waves in the stomach, ceasing nausea and vomiting without drugs or side effects. Reletex is available in 60- and 150-hour versions. FAA-O.K. for
pilots doing aerobatic flight as well as everyday passengers.
The Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA) Wednesday took aim at a recent FA study about the risks posed to aircraft by lithium batteries, calling it "scare-mongering" and distracting from
important safety issues. The FAA's Freighter Airplane Cargo Fire Risk Model (PDF) assessed the likely number of U.S.-registered
fire accidents through 2020. The answer, according to the study, is about one every other year. The FAA's findings assumed batteries contributed to two key incidents it used to develop its risk model.
According to the PRBA, "no facts are presented that indicate any involvement of batteries in the incidents." When the batteries do burn, there is little doubt about their destructive potential.
"It's like a fireworks display," an engineer told Bloomberg news. "They explode. They shoot fireballs. They emit smoke. Sometimes they spray flaming liquid," the engineer said. Airline pilot unions
are pushing for the FAA to take seriously that potential threat. Early in December, those unions made their
concerns clear, stating that existing standards are "generally recognized as inadequate." The comments came after news reports that a deal struck as part of negotiations for long-term funding of
the FAA blocked new rules. Manufacturers that include Apple and Panasonic say those new regulations, originally proposed by the Obama administration, could cost them $1.1 billion per year. The PRBA's
current rebuttal of the September
2011 safety study makes clear its position should the topic be revisited during new talks regarding FAA funding. A current funding extension expires in January.
Ace Your FAA Knowledge Test and Checkride Oral Exam with Our Legendary Easy-to-Use Preparation Materials at Checkride.com!
The FAA is updating question banks more often than ever before; our stuff features complimentary lifetime updates and more detailed and illustrated explanations to really help you be confident and
learn the material well. For PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and more.
Try a demo at
Checkride.com, and also check out our award-winning Safelog electronic pilot logbook.
While it might be hard for travelers to sing the praises of the U.S.'s airport security apparatus, that doesn't stop the TSA employees at LAX from belting it out for their customers in what has
become a holiday tradition at one of the country's busiest airports. Uniformed, but smiling, dozens of the people who take your shampoo away and reach for places only your doctor usually examines
charmed the holiday crowd with a pretty creditable rendition of a modern classic. Click
here to view the video on the L.A. Times site.
If the Pipistrel Panthera delivers on its performance numbers it could set a new standard of performance for four-place
piston travel, but it could more certainly deliver 1,000 EUR to whoever submits a winning livery design. The company has opened a competition and is providing three digital images -- a side, top and
bottom view -- for aspiring designers to use as their blank canvas. Pipistrel plans to unveil the Panthera, with the winning livery paint scheme, in 2012. The aircraft aims to cruise 1,000 nm with
four aboard, fly into and out of grass or hard-surface runways, and burn 10 gallons per hour in cruise. Panthera's cruise will drive it at 200 knots behind a Lycoming IO-390. The deadline for
submissions is looming, and there are specific guidelines.
Contestants need to submit their contributions to Pipistrel at contest@pipistrel.si and beware time-zone considerations when meeting the Jan. 10, 2012,
deadline. The winning design will be chosen by Pipistrel. The designer will have his or her name adorned on the aircraft and win the 1,000 EUR reward. The winner will also relinquish to Pipistrel
applicable copyrights. Contestants are warned to take note of the aircraft's interior colors and composite structure. The winning design will not see sun-facing surfaces painted with dark colors or
colors that clash with the aircraft's interior. Full details for the contest, with guidelines and restrictions, are available here.
Lightspeed Aviation Trade-Up Program
Your old less-than-perfect headset has trade-in value on our new Zulu.2 or Sierra headsets. Just visit us online at LightspeedAviation.com, click on
our Trade-Up Program, and discover how easy it is to own the headset most pilots prefer. Quiet and clarity never felt so comfortable. You get an incredible headset at a great price from a
company that is totally committed to aviation. Headsets for aviation is our only passion.
Embraer's latest business jet, the Legacy 500, saw daylight on Dec. 23 and the Brazilian planemaker is pinning a lot of its future in the business jet market on the clean-sheet Legacy 500 and its
follow-on, the Legacy 450. As we reported from EBACE 2008, the new aircraft fill the gap between its light
and lighter Phenom 300 and 100 models and big-cabin 600 and 650 platforms. The rollout occurred at Embraer's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, where the mid and super-midsize 450 and 500
will be built. First flight of this aircraft, the first of three test articles, is expected by the third quarter of 2012.
No. 1 will undergo ground and static tests before taking flight, and Embraer isn't predicting certification and delivery dates yet (first deliveries were originally planned for 2012), but given the
economic climate the program seems to be on track. The Legacy 500 has a standup cabin for up to 12 people. With four people enjoying the fully flat reclining berths it will scoot along at Mach .82 for
3,000 nm.
An Austin, Texas, software firm says it has taken a lot of the work out of hiring pilots with an algorithm that sorts through the resumes of thousands of pilots to find those suited to specific
jobs being offered. Pilot Credentials is now handling FedEx's and Southwest's candidate screening through a database of
potential pilots that allows hiring managers get the information they need quickly. "It has saved our recruiters countless hours on the phone," Rocky Calkins, Southwest's hiring manager, told the Austin American-Statesman. "Being able to streamline the process has shaved
a lot of time off a very time-consuming process." The company says it will now start marketing the system to other airlines.
Co-founder Richard Trocino said he started the company after doing a contract pilot hiring project for FedEx. He said he quickly came to appreciate the complexities of the process and huge amount
of time spent by recruiters to find the right candidates. "Aircraft pilots are among the most difficult professions to hire for," Trocino said. "There is so much at stake and such strict oversight.
The Pilot Records Improvement Act sets record-keeping guidelines that result in tons of time-consuming paperwork." In his system, the 10,000 registered pilots keep their profiles updated and the
software does the rest for recruiters.
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."
Finally! Professional Maintenance Management For Your Piston Aircraft ... Like Bizjets Get. Don't You Deserve the Best? Mike Busch and his team of world-class maintenance professionals provide the kind of professional maintenance management for hundreds of owner-flown piston singles and twins that used to be
available only for corporate jets. No stress, no hassle, no wasting your time — and you'll save money to boot!
Learn how they do
it.
Have an idea for a new "Question of the Week"?
Send your suggestions to
.
NOTE: This address is only for suggested "QOTW" questions, and not for "QOTW" answers or comments. (Use this form to send "QOTW" comments to our AVmail Editor.)
If you really want to know what happened in the world of aviation, you could ask Kevin Garrison. Even though he slept through most of it, he had enough waking moments to write today's
year-in-review post for the AVweb Insider blog.
Fly More for Less
Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives, bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view
current offers instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details.
Sure you do, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog. He comments on a minor little incident in Kansas City last week that shows how people will screw themselves just to keep from
helping the airline with an on-time departure. All because the airlines unbundle everything now, making customers feel like bait-and-switch victims.
Colton Harris-Moore is an airplane thief and con artist. Is he the inspiration for a new generation of pilots? In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Russ Niles explains how a
big-budget Hollywood treatment of Harris-Moore's story could (sadly) overshadow AOPA's initiatives, the EAA's Eagles programs, the Sport Pilot Rule, and third-class medical reform when it comes to
boosting pilot outreach.
Like to Save Money?
With Aviation Consumer, you get only the facts — and none of the fiction. We buy products — just like you — and test, test, test. You get the results — right when
you need them.
"At an altitude of nearly 6,000, feet the service of this county-run facility is always friendly and very price-competitive," writes AVweb reader Andrew Heller.
AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!
Traditional Tactics Need a Fresh Approach
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders
directly to your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns.
Click now for
details.
Many of us dream of a gleaming gray expoxy-coated hangar floor illuminated by the glare of bright lights. But most of us actually have oil-stained concrete, dingy from years of abuse.
If your floor is stained badly, a product called ReKrete can help improve it. Aviation Consumer's Paul Bertorelli demonstrates the product in this brief video.
Don't see a video screen?
Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page.
If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly.
This is an unusual story. The jet you're looking at is an F-106 Delta Dart. A storied interceptor in its day, it was built to exceed an Air Force requirement for 1.9 mach and
continuous flight at 57,000 feet. It did both. And in December 1959, it set a speed record, of 1,525 mph, or about 2.3 mach, while flying at 40,000 feet. Its pilot at the time, Major Joseph Rogers,
claimed the record might not be accurate. He was still accelerating, he said, at the time.
But this particular jet is famous for a different reason.
As the story goes, the aircraft you see here on February 2, 1970 flew itself into the ground -- a snowy field in Montana, where its engine continued to run for another hour and 45 minutes.
Grounded, pilotless and still under power, with its radar still sweeping, the jet sometimes crept forward foot by foot through the snow as a small collection of onlookers watched. Its pilot, 1st
Lieutenant Gary Foust, had ejected roughly two hours before that show was over. Foust's trip was just as interesting. He'd lost control of the jet while flying a mock engagement that led his and two
other jets into harsh maneuvers in the thin, unforgiving air at 38,000 feet. Attempting to match a high-g reversal by another pilot, Foust's jet bucked. He entered a flat spin, and the jet fell,
spinning slowly like a model on a turntable. The flight's two other pilots came to his aid, calling out recovery procedures. But by 15,000 feet the result seemed certain, and an instructor in one of
the other jets ordered Foust to eject. Foust obeyed.
But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and it could be it's that law that saved the jet. As Foust shot up, the jet's condition changed -- just enough for it to recover on
its own and head off for the horizon. Legend has it that one of the observing pilots said on frequency, "Gary, you better get back in."
In the end, the jet was recovered, rebuilt and put back to work as tail number 80787. But it was forever known as the Corn Field bomber. Delta Darts were phased out in the 1980s.
Don't see a video screen?
Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page.
If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly.
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. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part.
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.
AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.
The AVwebFlash team is:
Publisher Timothy Cole
Editorial Director, Aviation Publications Paul Bertorelli
Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles
Contributing Editors Mary Grady Glenn Pew
Webmaster Scott Simmons
Contributors Kevin Lane-Cummings Jeff Van West
Advertising Director, Associate Publisher Tom Bliss
Click here to send a letter to the
editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)
Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team.
If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone, PDA, or handheld device), there's also a
text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
or call (800) 337‑5263.
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?
