Volume 10, Number 12b -- March 18, 2004

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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's NewsWire.

THE GA TRAFFIC JAM, LOCALIZED...
As air traffic volumes -- both GA and commercial -- rebound, we can't help but wonder if Sunday afternoons at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) are a harbinger of things to come, particularly if the air taxi business takes off the way some predict it will. The FAA now routinely cuts arrivals at PBI by one-third on Sunday afternoons so that weekend visitors to the tourist area can get out. FAA spokesman Christopher White told AVweb that most of those flying into PBI in private aircraft (up to 400 each winter weekend) want to be back at their desks on Monday morning. "The problem is they arrive over a period of one or two days but they all want to leave on Sunday afternoon," White said. Until the new procedures were put in place, delays of up to three hours plagued both commercial and private departures on Sunday afternoons. More...

...OR SYMBOLIC OF A NATIONAL TREND?
The Palm Beach situation could be a microcosm of the double-whammy effect of 9/11 on both commercial and private aircraft operations. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, corporate aviation traffic is up by 25 percent at PBI, largely because of the increased hassle and inconvenience of commercial air travel caused by beefed-up security precautions. At the same time, airline numbers are recovering to pre-9/11 levels and the inevitable result is too many airplanes trying to use the same facilities. White said he's unaware of any other airports imposing arrivals restrictions. In January, the FAA ordered United Air Lines and American Airlines to cut a total of 62 flights to Chicago O'Hare during peak hours to reduce delays. More...

POPULARITY GROWS FOR AVIATION'S LATEST GASEOUS SAC
If safety sells, Mooney may be hoping a new airbag option on its Ovation 2 DX/GX and Bravo DX/GX models will help its customers forget about the parachutes proliferating on at least one worthy competitor. For an extra $6,000, Mooney buyers will now be able to add Amsafe seatbelt/airbag combinations to all four seats. The seatbelts, which are a little thicker than regular webbing, contain the airbag and inflation system that throws a cushion of air between occupant and airframe when sensors detect a 9-G deceleration. "We strongly feel that by offering the inflatable seatbelt we have not only listened to our current customers but have addressed the issue of increasing safety with no need for other uncontrollable devices such as a parachute system," said Mooney VP Nicolas Chabbert. More...

...AIRBUS, AIRLINES SHOW INTEREST...
Airlines are the main marketing target for Amsafe and dozens have already installed the airbags, but usually only on specific seats in the aircraft. If you want the additional safety an airbag might offer, choose a seat in the first row or right behind any mid-cabin bulkheads. However, you may be trading the additional breathing space those seats used to offer for the airbag on your lap. Current regulations require those seats to be at least 41 inches from the wall so that a passenger won't hit his or her head in a crash. Seats in the rest of the plane are usually about 32 inches apart. The installation of the airbag removes that requirement for extra space at the bulkheads, possibly meaning an extra row or two can be stuffed into the plane. Not all applications make the cheap seats even cheaper, however. The airbags help "upper class" customers on Virgin Atlantic get a good night's sleep. More...

...MANUFACTURER CITES STATS
Although it appears the airlines are embracing the inflatable seatbelts to possibly squeeze in more seats or enhance passenger comfort, Amsafe says there are sound safety reasons to equip aircraft with its airbags. It cites an NTSB study that estimates that 77 percent of aircraft accidents are survivable, but unconscious victims die in the post-crash fire. The company claims the airbags help prevent passengers from being knocked out by the initial impact so they can get out of the wreckage. Amsafe spokesman Larry Williams told The Arizona Republic he believes FAA standards will eventually catch up with the technology. "But we feel they eventually will go the way of automobile airbags once people realize they can save lives in crashes," he said. "Airbags in cars have had a huge impact on preventing injuries. These will do the same thing." More...

ALPHABETS PUSH FOR WASHINGTON ACCESS
The National Business Aircraft Association, AOPA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Air Transportation Association gave presentations Tuesday at a congressional hearing to urge the creation of a workable set of security procedures to allow bizjets back into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). "[T]he fact is that our nation's security organizations have not failed to find a workable solution that will bring general aviation back to [DCA] -- it is that they have failed to even try," said GAMA President Ed Bolen. It was also noted that the FAA has failed to provide written justification for the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), as mandated by the FAA reauthorization bill. AOPA President Phil Boyer used the hearing to proclaim, "College Park Airport is our Reagan National, and needs to be set free." More...

ECLIPSE CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY ... AGGRESSIVELY
Citing the fall of Enron, Tyco, Pharmalat and Martha Stewart (and with all the competitive zeal of a presidential campaign), Eclipse Aviation Tuesday announced what may be both a timely and popular shift in philosophy. "At Eclipse, we have pondered how to provide increased transparency," wrote President and CEO Vern Raburn, whose company once upon a time withheld from anyone but its investors its production process and order numbers while also seeking orders for its then non-existent jet (a practice not so uncommon in the industry). Tuesday, Eclipse declared, "Let Me Show You Why What I Say Is True," and labeled its competition -- specifically Adam, Avocet and Safire -- as "new companies [in which] transparency has been sorely missing." More...

PILOT SUSPENDED FOR TORNADO-LANDING ATTEMPT
A Northwest Airlines pilot who attempted to land at Sioux Falls Airport last year near a tornado has had his certificate suspended by the FAA for 45 days. But Michael Hughes gets to keep flying while he appeals the suspension. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that the FAA found that Hughes violated regulations by ignoring warnings about severe weather, including an approaching twister. Despite the warnings, Hughes continued his approach and asked for a clearance to go lower. The report says wind shear finally caused the plane to go briefly out of control. The pilot then diverted the DC-9 to Omaha, where it landed safely. More...

NEIGHBORS BATTLE AEROBATICS PRACTICE AREA
The battle for the skies over Iowa County, Wisconsin, has reached the halls of Congress as residents of the rural area step up a campaign to ban low-level aerobatic practice near their homes. "Imagine someone holding a chainsaw next to your head hours on end, day after day," Coleman (he uses one name), a software designer who works out of his home on 46 acres in rural Mineral Point, told the Wisconsin State Journal. Competition aerobatic pilots Jeff Mawhinney and Harvey Tidball received a low-level waiver for a box over the Iowa County Airport a year ago and it's up for renewal this month. Neighbors have contacted their federal representatives to pressure the FAA into not renewing the waiver. The contest is not so unique and pilots at Hanscom field in Massachusetts may be taking note. More...

NEW PIPER ADDS TO STAFF
As layoffs continue at some aircraft manufacturers, New Piper has actually added about 100 employees since being purchased by American Capital Strategies about six months ago. The company now employs about 820 people, about half its full-production complement of 1,600. Spokesman Mark Miller told TCPalm.com that a resumption of engine deliveries from Lycoming (previously affected by a crankshaft debacle) was a major factor in the hiring trend. Production was halted on several Piper models last year when Lycoming recalled 540-series engines to replace their crankshafts. But, as with many other manufacturers, it was a federal tax provision that powered Piper's recovery and the company is going to extraordinary lengths to help ensure it is extended. More...

ONE STATE'S APPROACH TO GA SECURITY
Tennessee continues to funnel money for security measures at GA airports and the initiatives follow a familiar theme. The state's Department of Transportation is distributing $1 million in federal grants to build fences, install gates and add lighting at some of its 69 GA airports. Individual airports are eligible for up to $50,000 each year for the upgrades. Airport operators like the improvements in the physical security of airports but Jon Glass, director of the Tullahoma Airport Authority, said it's the people who use the airports who are the most important safeguard against improper use. "We are in a situation here where everybody still kind of knows each other," Glass told The Tennessean. "If someone sees something suspicious, it's a matter of dealing with it." More...

MORE ENGINES INCLUDED IN CRANKSHAFT BOLT AD
A new Airworthiness Directive (AD) has been issued (for an old Mandatory Service Bulletin) to include 161 engines not included in a rule concerning the replacement of crankshaft retaining bolts on Lycoming 540-series engines. The latest rule takes effect at the end of the month, with no notice period, because of the serious nature of the problem. However, it comes about six months after Lycoming issued a Service Bulletin listing the affected engines. More...

ON THE FLY...
Pilot disorientation is the probable cause of a Cirrus SR-22 crash Jan. 18, 2003...
A student pilot survived five days in the Malaysian jungle, his instructor did not...
The Collings Foundation's B-17, B-24 and B-25 bombers will visit Austin, Texas. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
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COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #3: Whom Can You Trust?
As aviators, we often find ourselves in the position of having to trust other people with our lives, our safety, and our financial well-being. We trust air traffic controllers to keep us from hitting anything, mechanics to keep our aircraft airworthy, engine manufacturers and overhaul shops to build engines that won't quit, salesmen and brokers to help us find an aircraft to buy, insurance agents to help us protect against contingencies, and so forth. But whom can you really trust? Mike Busch offers some thoughts on that subject. More...

BUSINESS AVFLASH
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb’s NO-COST twice monthly Business AVflash? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash also focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the Business of Aviation. Business AVflash is a must read! Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/ More...

AVWEB'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
This week, AVweb wants to know what our readers are paying for hangar and storage costs. Plus, results from last week's poll on the widening gap between technology and training. More...

AVWEB'S PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
Breath-taking images continue to roll into AVweb headquarters by the dozen! It's getting harder and harder to pick a winner, but these nifty AVweb ball caps aren't going to give themselves away — so it's nose to the grindstone, looking at our readers' stunning photo submissions week after week. After much deliberation, we've awarded this week's "POTW" title (and a complimentary baseball cap) to Gary Dikkers of Madison, Wisconsin. His winning T-38 cockpit photo was taken 30 years ago in the skies over Pueblo, Colorado. Dikkers was an Air Force instructor pilot at the time and worked hard to line the sun flare up with the IP's usual position in the backseat. "I wanted it to look as though the IP of the other airplane was all-powerful," writes Dikkers. More...

SHOPPING DEALS

CESSNA PILOTS ASSOCIATION (CPA) HAS OPENINGS IN MARCH 27-28 SEMINAR!
There are a few openings left for CPA's "182R & Earlier Systems & Procedures" seminar scheduled for March 27-28 in Santa Maria, CA. Member or non-member, nowhere else can you find all the answers to any questions about Cessna aircraft's systems and procedures. You've invested a lot of time and money in your aircraft — with CPA's help, you can have a working relationship with it. Call (800) 343-6416 or (805) 922-2580 and mention this AVflash, or go online for more information on courses, seminars, and the benefits of CPA membership at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/cpa/avflash.

HASSLE-FREE AUTO BUYING FOR THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
You read right! CrewCar and Consumer Guides have teamed up to offer hassle-free auto buying to the aviation industry! Next to the purchase of your home and airplane, a vehicle is the most important item you will purchase. Don't go blindly into a dealership; look to CrewCar. CrewCar is a car-buying service formed by aviation professionals. Teamed with Consumer Guide's Personal Auto Advisors (PAA), CrewCar provides shoppers with a complimentary integrated phone and electronic concierge-level buying service that offers outstanding service and value no matter the geography. The service is provided gratis and meets all the Consumer Guide dealership network quality and service standards. For more information, visit CrewCar at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/crewcar/avflash.

GLEIM OFFERS MARCH SPECIALS, PLUS DISCOUNTS TO AVWEB SUBSCRIBERS ON FIRC!
During the month of March, Gleim Publications is offering a 10% discount on their Flight Maneuvers books and 15% on their new Flight Bag. Plus, don't miss the best Flight Instructor Refresher Course on the planet, with a special discount to AVweb subscribers. All at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/gleim.

KEEP YOUR FLIGHT LEVEL DESKTOP DATA FILES SECURE WITH A SPECIAL OFFER
Safekeeping your files is essential. Losing data can be disastrous. As an alternate safety measure, Flight Level is offering a unique service to verify and store your back-up file once each month on their secure server for only $25 a year. You trust Flight Level's program to record and store your logbook; now ensure ALL your files. More details at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/fltlevel/avflash.

SPONSOR NEWS

THE MAY ISSUE OF KITPLANES MAGAZINE STARTS THE SUMMER OFF IN THE WATER
Kitplanes Magazine's May issue highlights: "A Flying Catamaran," the Aerocat amphibian; "Getting Your Feet Wet," an introduction for pilots considering the possibility of mounting straight or amphibious floats; "Building a SeaRey," a dream realized building this flying boat; "Engine Monitors for Experimentals, Part 2," continuing review of the latest engine monitoring tools for today's homebuilt cockpits; "Building Together," team building is a team effort; "Flying the Mosquito," a helicopter on a budget; "Old Dog, New Tricks," transitioning from fixed-wing to trikes; and "Corn on the Taube, Part 2," carving propellers at Culver Propellers. Planning, building, or dreaming, Kitplanes Magazine is a must-read for homebuilders and wannabes. Order your subscription online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/belvoir/kitplanes/avflash.

ROD MACHADO RECEIVES THE NICEST LETTERS. HERE ARE JUST A COUPLE:
"At 15, I started private training and ordered a training manual. It was confusing, and I became frustrated. I needed something a bit easier to understand. I ordered Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook and was amazed at how subjects that used to confuse me became so easy to understand! Thank you. Without your book, I would have probably given up." (Scott Avery) "The only way to consistently meet the demands for better, smarter, and safer pilots is to ask more of yourself as an Instructor and demand more of every training aid that you use. I use Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook for every level of pilot I work with, and [I've] incorporated the Workbook, too. I get credit for a lot of work that is done by these books." (Jim Trusty, CFII) Find out why Rod Machado's books and videos are so highly regarded at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/machado/avflash.

FIRST-TIME PILOTS ARE USUALLY SPEECHLESS. THEN THEY CAN'T STOP TALKING
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AVflash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest aviation news, articles, products, features and events featured on AVweb, the Internet's Aviation Magazine and News Service. http://www.avweb.com

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Today's issue written by News Writer Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
AVweb's editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.

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