SOLDIER FACING AIRPORT EXPLOSIVES CHARGE
A member of the U.S. military, stationed at Fort Bragg, has been charged with trying to bring explosives onto an airplane. Various news sources have identified Trey Scott Atwater, 30, as the person arrested at the airport in Midland, Texas, after a security screener spotted something in his carry-on bag. An unidentified type of military grade explosive was removed from the bag and taken by authorities. Atwater's rank and branch of the military were not immediately released. More...

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE "B.S."
Public backlash this week followed an FAA action on iPads and the widely reported ejection of a passenger for refusing to turn off his a personal electronic device (PED), but regulatory solutions remain elusive. The FAA recently OK'd the use of iPads for American Airlines pilots and actor Alec Baldwin was ejected from a flight for refusing to turn off his cellphone. That seeming contradiction fueled multiple articles this week claiming that specific gadgets are safe and the FAA's ban is excessive. The recent arguments, some of which call electronic bans "complete B.S.," may overlook the difficulty of regulating in the environment of rapid evolution that is modern electronics (today's Kindle is not tomorrow's), and the potential for device failures. In June, AVweb discussed the issue with Dave Carson (click for podcast), who co-chaired a federal advisory committee on portable electronic devices in aviation, and little has changed since then. More...

AMPUTEE WANTS TO BE AIR FORCE PILOT
An Ohio ROTC student hopes to become the first high-leg amputee to be accepted for flight training in the Air Force. Matt Pirrello lost his leg in a parachute training accident 18 months ago but he remains determined to achieve his goal of becoming a military pilot, his dream since he was old enough to run around the house making airplane noises. Pirrello has overcome a lot of challenges since his accident and has rejoined his ROTC unit, taking part in all the physically demanding activities that entails. The ultra-conservative nature of the pilot selection process presents a fresh set of obstacles, however. More...

EU'S CARBON PLAN FOR AIRLINES BEGINS JAN. 1
The new year will bring with it a requirement that carriers flying into and out of European Union airports participate in a system meant to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that critics say may result in higher airfares. Cost of compliance with the EU's plan, which is generally described as a cap-and-trade program for carriers, is expected to range anywhere from $2 billion to $4 billion over roughly the next decade and translate to no more than $16 per seat for a trans-Atlantic flight. Under the rules, the entire flight's emissions -- not just that flown in EU airspace -- will be added to a total. If emissions standards are exceeded, carriers must pay a penalty. The Obama administration and at least three major airlines have fought to stop implementation of the program, which critics say could stimulate trade tensions and exert downward pressure on already weak economies. More...

EUROPE'S HYPERSONIC AIRLINER
A project insider for a planned European hypersonic airliner is confident his program could in 2013 demonstrate that technological barriers can be overcome, but current economic conditions may stall the project. The European Space Agency's Lapcat program is working on the A2 aircraft, which aims to carry passengers beyond Mach 5 in long-range flight. Johan Steelant, the program's coordinator, told the BBC that while different systems and subsystems still need to be proven, "critical technology is not longer a blocking point." The blocking point now, it appears, may be the current atmosphere of economic austerity prevalent across Europe. But a large amount of funding has already been allocated. More...

KESTREL MOVING TO WISCONSIN?
Media in Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., are reporting that a deal is close to site the new factory for Kestrel Aircraft in Superior, which is a few miles from Kestrel President Alan Klapmeier's home town of Duluth and just across the Wisconsin border. Klapmeier, who co-founded Cirrus in Duluth, took over Kestrel 18 months ago with plans to manufacture the turboprop single in Brunswick, Maine. It's not clear what happened with the widely publicized plans to build the aircraft at a decommissioned naval air station in Brunswick. More...

AIRLINE, MANUFACTURERS STILL PAYING FOR 2008 INCIDENT
Almost 150 passengers have been paid up to $400,000 each for their experience aboard QF72, a Qantas Airbus A330 that suffered altitude deviations during a 2008 flight, and more lawsuits are in the works. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found in a final report released last week that the faulty air data information resulted in a dive that included a 150-foot drop in two seconds. Sixty passengers, plus standing crew, were thrown into the ceiling. Some suffered lacerations and bone injuries. One suffered a brain injury. Two minutes later, the aircraft dropped again. Sixteen passengers now appear prepared to launch a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Airbus and Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer of the plane's Air Data Inertial Reference Unit. More...

BRAINTEASERS QUIZ #167: STAND BY
Operating out of the same airports leads to familiarity, which can breed complacency. That's when you're likely to encounter something that's a little off your grid. Help us find our way back by acing this quiz.

Take the quiz. More...

AVMAIL: JANUARY 2, 2012

Letter of the Week: It's the Little Things ...

I am totally amazed!! I watched the trailer for Red Tails, and, to my surprise, there he was!

I had a neighbor when I lived in New Hampshire who flew with the Tuskegee Airmen. It was quite difficult to get Ed to talk of the war and the happenings, but once in a while he relented and told me of a German fighter pilot who would come at the B-17s in a line abreast formation. This particular pilot would roll inverted and manage to wound at least one B-17 on each pass. He was very difficult to shoot down because when he completed his pass he'd be able to split S away and reposition for another pass. In your trailer, there he was, just as Ed told me!

This is a great portrayal of these heroes.

Pete Chestnut

Click through to read the rest of this week's letters.

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: DOES ANYBODY WANT TO BE AN AIRLINE PILOT ANYMORE?
Evidently not so much. In a revealing guest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Captain X, a trainer for a regional, reports that the few who do show up for interviews are sometimes barely skilled enough to make it through the sim ride. What's going on here? No one's entirely sure, but it's going to be a big problem five years from now if it continues. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: 2011 YEAR IN REVIEW
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. Read more and join the conversation. More...

VIDEO: GOT AN OILY HANGAR FLOOR? THIS STUFF CAN SPRUCE IT UP
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. More...

VIDEO: F-106 CORN FIELD BOMBER, CONVAIR DELTA DART
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. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: WALKER AVIATION (HENRY TIFT MYERS AIRPORT, TIFTON, GA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Walker Aviation at Henry Tift Myers Airport (TMA) in Tifton, Georgia.

AVweb reader Cres Wise wrote in to explain who the FBO's owner went far above and beyond to help a traveling stranger:

My student and I were on a night cross-country (on a Friday night). On our third taxi back, we had a flat nose tire. The FBO was closed for the day, but there were phone numbers. Within a short time, Mr. Walker came and got our airplane back to the ramp. But then he opened up the facility and took care of us like family. He was over and above friendly and gracious. The next morning, his staff assisted our mechanic. The cost: zero dollars. The service: Priceless!! I'll be back to buy gas on future trips (during normal business hours).

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!

SHORT FINAL

While working approach control at Columbus, Georgia several years ago I had this exchange with a pilot:

Cessna 123:
"Columbus Approach, Cessna 123."

Me:
"Cessna 123, Columbus Approach."

Cessna 123:
"Columbus Approach, how far is it from here to where I'm at?"

Just try to answer that with a straight face!

Bruce Hargis
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 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

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