FAA REAUTHORIZATION COMPROMISED REACHED (?)
A compromise on an arcane bit of labor law will likely result in a long-term reauthorization bill approval in the next month or so. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) have struck a deal that will require a public hearing if the National Mediation Board wants to make changes to the Railway Act to make it easier for airline employees to unionize. The Washington Post's explanation is here. More...

SEBRING BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORDS

click for photos

Sport Aviation Expo officials say this year's show has set attendance records. Although no figures were released, sunshine and warm temperatures in Sebring drew significant crowds. At least one exhibitor reported brisk sales. Renegade Aircraft said it sold at least three aircraft at the show. The weather also boosted fly-in traffic and the normally sleepy central Florida airport was among the nation's busiest for a couple of hours on Saturday. More...

LSA WEIGHT INCREASES FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT?
Weight increases for light sport aircraft may be intended to allow for the installation of safety equipment, like ballistic parachutes, without affecting payload. Whether the weight increase will open legacy trainers like the Cessna 150 and 152 to be included in the category, as many people have suggested since the category was created in 2008, is not clear. In a podcast interview at Light Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Fla., Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA), told AVweb the weight increase proposal, which is at the earliest stage of internal discussions at the FAA, may be compensation for a joint proposal by EAA and AOPA to the FAA to relax medical requirements for pilots of certified aircraft with no more than 180 horsepower. Many in the light sport sector were surprised and angered by the proposal when it was announced last fall, particularly because there was a lack of consultation, Johnson said. The weight increase idea could be a sign that respect for light sport is growing, Johnson said. More...

HIGHTOWER ON WEIGHT INCREASE, NEW PILOTS
The FAA has opened "a dialogue" about increasing the maximum weight for light sport aircraft as a safety measure, Rod Hightower, the president of EAA, said Thursday. In answer to a question following a speech at the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, Hightower stressed the preliminary nature of the FAA's consideration of the idea but he did acknowledge the idea is being floated internally at the FAA. In a later podcast interview, he called it an "interesting" opportunity to possibly enhance flight safety but he also said it hadn't reached the "discussion" stage. In the speech he told about 200 LAMA members that EAA is refocusing to concentrate on its core mandates, including renewed energy at the chapter level and encouraging new pilot starts. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: LSA WEIGHT LIMITS — IS HIGHER BETTER?
Raising the 1,320-pound light sport aircraft weight limit is again being discussed. It's far from any action stage, but it's not clear exactly what the benefit is, other than to include in the LSA umbrella some additional legacy airplanes. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli examines the pros and cons. Read more and join the conversation. More...

MEDICAL PROPOSAL LIKELY DELAYED: FULLER
A joint initiative by EAA and AOPA to convince the FAA to offer medical certificate exemptions for certain limited GA operations will likely be delayed while the agency looks for a new administrator. In a town-hall meeting speech at Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring on Friday, AOPA President Craig Fuller said former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt's resignation after a drunk-driving charge means the medical proposal will likely be shelved for a few months until a new administrator has been named and is up to speed. The joint proposal would exempt pilots flying day VFR in aircraft with not more than 180 horsepower from the third-class medical requirement. In a podcast interview, Fuller said he would support an increase in the maximum weight for light sport aircraft that is in the very earliest stages of consideration by the FAA. EAA President Rod Hightower, in response to a question from the floor, discussed the potential of a weight increase, for safety purposes, during his speech to the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) dinner on Thursday. Fuller also dropped some hints about the direction AOPA will be headed to improve student pilot retention. More...

PODCAST: MEDICAL WAIVER PROPOSAL DELAYED
The sudden departure of FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has thrown a wrench into EAA and AOPA's proposal for a waiver of medical requirements for those who fly certain aircraft day VFR. AOPA President Craig Fuller spoke with AVweb's Russ Niles at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. More...

PODCAST: HIGHTOWER AT SEBRING
EAA President Rod Hightower keynoted the Sport Aviation Expo opening dinner Thursday and touched on EAA's strategic realignment, new pilot promotion initiatives, and the FAA's internal dialogue about a possible weight gain for light sport aircraft. He spoke with AVweb's Russ Niles. More...

PODCAST: LSA EARNING RESPECT
The Light Sport sector has been around for seven years and is earning a respected place in the general aviation industry according to Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA). He spoke with AVweb's Russ Niles at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. More...

PODCAST: HAIM AVIATION'S RETRO LSA
The LSA market doesn't lack for choice, and walking the line at Sebring, one show-goer told us they sort of all look alike. With a few exceptions, that's probably true. But one that definitely doesn't look like the rest is The Sam from Haim Aviation. It's a fast-build E-LSA kit powered by a Rotax that has a funky 1930s retro look, complete with a greenhouse canopy and art deco wheel pants. In this podcast, Haim's Thierry Zibi gave us the rundown on this new project. More...

AIR CONDITIONING FOR LSAS
A Charlotte company has developed a lightweight air conditioning system that could find applications in a broad range of light aircraft. Corbi Air President Ron Corbi said that when he started flying the Alto Light Sport aircraft his company represents, he immediately recognized the need. "I wanted air conditioning and I was told it wasn't available so I decided to find it myself," he told AVweb. The answer came from a Colorado company that put together a 22-pound system that will fit most light sport and experimental aircraft. More...

VIDEO: CORBI AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM
The common wisdom in aviation is that air conditioning is heavy. Corbi Aviation has proven that effective air conditioning can come in a package that's light enough (22-35 pounds, depending on application) to use in light sport aircraft. The system was on display at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. More...

VIDEO: VANS RV-12
One of the most popular kitbuilt light sport aircraft is the Vans RV-12. Ken Scott took AVweb through the airplane at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. More...

VIDEO: ALLEGRO COMES TO THE U.S.
Most light sport aircraft are made in Eastern Europe, but there's a slight trend to bring these airplanes to the U.S. for manufacture. One of the companies at the fore of that trend is Allegro. At the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, AVweb talked to the company about its plans. More...

VIDEO: THE FK12 COMET BIPLANE
One thing the light sport aircraft industry doesn't have much of is biplanes and aerobats. But the F12 Comet is both. At the Sport Aivation Expo in Sebring, AVweb talked to Mike Hansen of Hansen Air Group about this German-designed East European import. Besides being the rare aerobatic LSA, it will soon be getting Lycoming's new AEIO-233, a fully aerobatic powerplant. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: RED TAILS -- NOT AWFUL, BUT NOT GREAT, EITHER
George Lucas intended Red Tails to feel like a movie shot during the 1940s. He got the hokey dialog part right, but at the expense of really telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Still, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog, it's worth a trip to the theater to see. Read more and join the conversation. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: BIGHORN AIRWAYS (KSHR, SHERIDAN, WYOMING)

Our latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Bighorn Airways at Sheridan County Airport (KSHR) in Sheridan, Wyoming.

AVweb reader Nick Tarasiuk recommended the FBO:

We arrived here on January 14, a cold windy night, [and] were guided in and greeted and tied down by Isaiah Bothamley. He pointed out an electrical outlet that we could use to keep our engine warm, then called a shuttle out to pick us up and take us to a nearby Holiday Inn hotel. He let us know that this particular hotel had special rates for Bighorn and got us an incredible rate. In the morning, when we arrived at the FBO, our aircraft had been serviced and was ready to go. All this was done with friendly smiles from everyone. Great job!

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!

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...

SHORT FINAL

Whitted Ground:
"N12345, clear of the active, taxi to the Hangar Restaurant."

N12345:
"345 cleared to the restaurant via 'Bravo.'"

Whitted Ground:
"They're featuring five dollar hamburgers today."

N12345:
"Five dollars? I thought it was a hundred-dollar hamburger!"

Whitted Ground:
"For you, it's a hundred dollars. For me, it's five dollars."

Michael J. McCarthy
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

Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481].

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.

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 or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.