OPERATION MIGRATION GROUNDED OVER PAID PILOTS
The ultralight aircraft-led annual pilgrimage of whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida has voluntarily suspended operations after a pilot raised concerns that the flights may run afoul of federal regulations. The problem is that ultralight pilots are not allowed to be compensated for their work and Operation Migration pilots, who fly ultralights, are compensated for theirs. The group's annual efforts use an ultralight aircraft to guide locally bred whooping cranes across the country to the birds' traditional winter migration destination. Once there, the birds mix with more experienced birds that guide the return. An attorney for the group -- which has operated for more than a decade -- says its pilots don't want to knowingly violate FAA regulations and are seeking a resolution. More...

RENO 2012 "EVENT" WILL FOLLOW 2011 FATAL CRASH
The Reno Air Racing Association announced Wednesday that it is enlisting safety experts and will formulate new procedures to guide an event this Sept. 12-16 that is yet to be called an air race. The group is still waiting for various approvals and permits from the FAA and Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority following the fatal crash of a modified P-51 Mustang, Galloping Ghost, at the Air Races, on Sept. 16 last year. Without racing permits, the association still plans to hold an event but, according to association president Mike Houghton, if racing is not allowed, the 2012 event will be the last. The need for permits is not unusual, but they aren't the only hurdle. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: SHOULD THE RACES GO ON?
The group that runs the National Championship Air Races in Reno says there will be at least one more gathering at Reno-Stead Airport, but it's up to the powers that be to decide the form it will take. If you were pulling the strings, what would it look like?

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers ; click through to read what AVweb readers had to say on the subject. More...

BOEING WILL CLOSE WICHITA PLANT
Boeing will close its facility in Wichita, Kans., by the end of next year, the company said on Wednesday, putting 2,160 employees out of work. "The decision to close our Wichita facility was difficult," said Mark Bass, a Boeing spokesman. "We recognize how this will affect the lives of the highly skilled men and women who work here." Over the last five years, programs in Wichita have come to a close or are winding down, the company said, and now defense budgets are declining and there is no new business on the horizon to justify future investments. The plant is the base for the company's B-52 and 767 international tanker programs and also provides support for flight mission planning and logistics. More...

RARE WWII WRECK FOUND OFF FLORIDA COAST
A group of divers accidentally found the mostly intact wreckage of a World War II-era aircraft lying upside down on the sandy sea bottom off Jupiter, Fla., late last month. The airplane has been tentatively identified as a relatively rare Curtiss Helldiver SB2C. "There is only one left in the world that flies," said Randy Jordan, the dive-boat operator who found the wreck, which appears on video to be in nearly intact condition. "Nobody knew it was there, we just stumbled upon it," he told the local CBS12 news. "It's like finding a treasure." More...

BONEYARD AIRPLANES BECOME ART IN TUCSON
Six retired military airplanes have been transformed into "monumental works of art" for the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz., the museum announced this week. The "Round Trip" exhibit, set to open on Jan. 28, will feature former Air Force aircraft that had been stored for years in desert "boneyards." Aircraft used as canvases include four DC-3s, a Beechcraft C-45 (a military version of the Beech 18), and a Lockheed VC 140 Jetstar (a 1960s-era twin jet used for military transport). The cockpit from a Boeing C-97 also was used as a canvas for the show. More than 30 artists from around the world took part in the project. More...

CADETS' DESIGN A FINALIST FOR UAV PROGRAM
The U.S. Air Force is down to two designs for its next drone project -- one from a military contractor, and one from a class of seniors at the Air Force Academy, the Air Force Times reported this week. The 2008 design by the cadets is still in the running because it's so simple and should be cheaper to produce, said Steve Brandt, a professor of aeronautics at the academy. "The cadet design has survived a lot of subsequent development and is still pretty much in its original form," he said. The design is "stable and sleek," according to the Times, with a 24-foot wingspan and two T-38 engines. Cadets are still involved with the project, managing the wind-tunnel tests for the design. More...

NAFI, AVEMCO OFFER CFI INSURANCE PLAN
The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and Avemco have teamed up for an insurance program that targets the specific needs of instructors. The program will offer CFIs greater flexibility in designing a policy that meets their specific needs in terms of limits and even specific aircraft coverage. "We have been working hard over the last year to find improvements in non-owned aircraft insurance, including professional liability coverage, for our members. We believe that as of today, the new NAFI CFI Insurance Program, available exclusively to NAFI members, is a much improved plan," said Jason Blair, Executive Director of NAFI. More...

FLORIDA LOBBY CELEBRATES EMBRAER CONTRACT
A report from Florida suggests Hawker Beechcraft was out-politicked in its failed bid for a $1 billion contract to supply the Air Force with light attack aircraft. Sunshineslate.com says an aggressive effort by Florida Gov. Rick Scott along with other state, federal and municipal leaders resulted in the selection of Embraer's Super Tucano over Hawker Beech's Texan II. Embraer will assemble the Super Tucanos in Jacksonville, creating about 50 jobs. Meanwhile, Hawker Beechcraft has attracted some after-the-fact attention from a Kansas congressman who wants the Air Force to explain the decision. 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."

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: MYSTERY SURROUNDS AIR FORCE DECISION, BUT IT'S HAPPENED BEFORE
The Air force is acting strangely about its decision to go with the Super Tucano for a light attack aircraft, but it's not the first time this type of airplane has caused controversy. In a tag team blog post to the AVweb Insider, Russ Niles and Paul Bertorelli speculate on the USAF's rationale. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: WOULD YOU MAKE THIS FLIGHT?
That's the subject of Paul Bertorelli's latest post to the AVweb Insider blog. It's a night flight over the Sierras in IMC above the freezing level. Tell us what you think, and in a couple of days, we'll expand the discussion. (There's no right or wrong answer here; just opinions.) Read more and join the conversation. 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...

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...

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...

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK DOUBLE-SHOT
Taking up the slack from our holiday week, "POTW" storms into 2012 with a one-two punch of reader-submitted photos! More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
This week's winning photo comes from Dave Leedom of Escondido, CA. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
This week's winning photo comes from Terry Gleason of Albany, OR. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. More...

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