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February 20, 2012
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Aircraft Spruce at the WAA Northwest
Aviation Conference & Trade Show
Come join Aircraft Spruce in Puyallup, Washington (booths 115-116) on February 25 from 9:00am to 5:30pm and February 26 from 10:00am to
4:00pm. Take advantage of some of your favorite products on sale, complimentary ground shipping (doesn't apply to hazardous or oversized products), and Aircraft Spruce staff on site to answer all
questions. Call 1 (877) 4‑SPRUCE or
visit
AircraftSpruce.com. 
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The FAA needs to improve its management practices to ensure that the NextGen air traffic system is implemented without further cost overruns and delays, the Government Accountability Office said in
a report released this week. The GAO reviewed 30 major programs involved in NextGen and found that half of them were behind
schedule and costs had increased from initial estimates by a total of $4.2 billion. The delays ranged from two months to more than 14 years behind schedule, and averaged four years. The FAA didn't
comment on whether or not it agreed with the GAO analysis, the GAO said, but the FAA did send a statement to AVweb. "The GAO report includes air traffic programs that are not part of the
NextGen portfolio," FAA Public Affairs wrote in an email. "However, from 2004 - 2011, the FAA was 0.8 percent under budget across all major system acquisitions."
The GAO report cited four ongoing challenges that it says have led to cost increases and schedule delays: (1) additional or unanticipated system requirements, (2) insufficient stakeholder
involvement (such as controllers' input) throughout system development, (3) underestimating the complexity of software development, and (4) unanticipated events including funding shortfalls or work
stoppages. "These challenges, if they persist, will impede the implementation of NextGen," said the GAO. To do a better job estimating the cost and completion dates for major acquisitions, the report
said, the FAA should require cost and schedule risk analysis, independent cost estimates and integrated master schedules. In its statement to AVweb, the FAA said it has already adopted a
majority of the GAO's cost estimation best practices, "and looks forward to reviewing the GAO's recently released scheduling best practices."
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Two Great Ways to Keep Your Engine Up to Speed
Do you have a new engine core that's never been rebuilt or overhauled? Save up to $5,000 on a rebuilt engine. Do you have an original Lycoming factory engine that last left the factory as a
new, rebuilt or overhauled engine? Save up to $1,900 on a new, rebuilt or overhauled engine. For complete details, call (800) 258‑3279 to find an authorized Lycoming
Distributor near you or
visit
Lycoming.com. 
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It's not every day that a light sport aircraft lands in Antarctica, but on Thursday, Matevz Lenarcic touched down there in a Virus SW 914 Turbo, marking the first time a Pipistrel has landed on the
continent. His aircraft has been modified with an Intercooler unit to be able to withstand temperatures as low as minus-60 degrees Fahrenheit, Pipistrel said in a news release. Lenarcic is about
one-third of the way through a round-the-world flight that launched on Jan. 7 from Slovenia. He plans to fly over all
seven continents and take photographs of more than 120 national parks. He'll also fly above some of the planet's tallest mountains, including Mount Everest. Lenarcic also is collecting atmospheric
data for research during his flight.
Lenarcic will return to South America from the Antarctic, and then launch on another challenge -- crossing the Pacific Ocean. "This leg of his flight will include several ocean crossings in excess
of 4,000 km [2,500 miles] without a possibility of landing," Pipistrel said. "Extreme distances and severe weather above the Pacific will be by far the toughest challenge for the pilot and his
Pipistrel aircraft, only weighing a little over 300 kg [662 pounds], but we have no doubt that Matevz's Virus will perform as well in the continuation of his flight as it did up to now," Pipistrel
said.
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A Life Insurance Policy That Returns All of Your Premiums? — YES
The Return of Premium Term policy available through Pilot Insurance Center features fixed premiums and guarantees to return the total of all premiums at the end of the policy. No aviation exclusions.
Call (800) 380‑8376 or
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The Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft has met a spin-resistant standard beyond what is required for its certification, the company said on Thursday. Under the LSA standards, aircraft must be
either "spin recoverable" or "spin resistant." The A5 has met the criteria for "spin resistant," which are spelled out in Part 23, the rules that apply to certified aircraft. "This milestone will make
the A5 the first production aircraft in history to be designed to and completely comply with the FAA's full-envelope Part 23 spin-resistance standards, developed from NASA's work on the topic," the
company said. Icon engineers met the standard by creating a cuffed wing design that uses multiple proprietary airfoils across the span of the wing.
"Other production aircraft have attempted to achieve spin resistance to the Part 23 standard, but no conventional production aircraft without canards has ever completely succeeded, due to the sheer
complexity of this problem," said Matthew Gionta, Icon Aircraft VP of engineering. "Although there are other aircraft that have incorporated some spin-resistance characteristics, such as the
Ercoupe, Jetcruzer, Cirrus SR20/22, and Cessna Corvalis, the A5 will be unique for being the only production aircraft in history to be designed to and completely comply with the full-envelope Part 23
spin-resistance standard." The Part 23 criteria for spin resistance can be found here, under "(2) At the applicant's option, the airplane may be
demonstrated to be spin resistant by the following ...". Details of Icon's spin-resistance testing can be found here.
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Starting an Airline in the Middle East? What You Need to Know
Following the success of the start-up seminars in Washington and London, this event will take place in the Middle East for the first time, and it is hosted by GCAS in Abu Dhabi. Themes include:
Introduction to the Airline Industry, Generic vs. Airline Business Plan, Common Business Plan Mistakes, Non-Disclosure Agreement, Elements of the Airline Business Plan, Implementation Plan, Management
and Support Team, Risk Factors, Capitalization Plan, Certification, and Success Strategies.
Click here to learn
more and register.
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A Cessna 182 that violated a presidential TFR in southern California on Thursday morning posed no threat to President Obama, officials said, but the pilot faces prosecution because authorities
discovered 40 pounds of marijuana inside the airplane. Two Air Force F-16s scrambled to intercept the Cessna after it strayed into a eight-mile-wide TFR where Marine One was carrying the president.
The 182 landed at Long Beach Airport, where the pilot was questioned by Homeland Security and Secret Service investigators. They determined that he intended no harm to the president, and turned him
over to local police. Investigators declined to say how close the 182 was to the Marine One helicopter.
The Air Force was notified by air traffic controllers, who had tried to contact the pilot but got no response. The jets were deployed from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County. According to
the Los Angeles Times, the airplane was manufactured in 1961, and is registered to a student pilot who lives in southern California. President Obama was on his way to Los Angeles International Airport
after attending a fundraising event in Orange County.
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FAST-Flight: The Cure for Annual Anxiety and Painful ADs
Ever miss 100-hour, medical, BFR or annual due? FAST-Flight Aircraft Services tracking software automatically flags ADs and SBs from the FAA — and custom logs your parts inventory, IRS
trip logs, warranties, receipts, POs, oil changes, and discrepancies for one airplane or a small fleet — all for about the cost of a single tank of fuel. Keep current, stay legal with
FAST-Flight.
Click here for more
information.
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Air Racers 3D, a 40-minute-long IMAX film about the Reno National Championship Air Races, will be coming to U.S. theaters in April, the filmmakers said recently. It's the first film about
the races ever shot completely in 3D, and "unprecedented access" to the course was granted, according to the filmmakers. The film will be shown at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Ga., and
the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., starting April 5, with other theaters to follow. The Reno footage was shot in 2009 and 2010, and has been in production for two years. The film also
features many airshow performers, including Canada's Snowbirds, the late Greg Poe flying his MX2, and Kent Pietsch, known for landing his Cub on top of a moving truck (Click here for an exclusive AVweb video of this stunt.)
The filmmakers used new stereoscopic technologies, including a helicopter-mounted gyro-stabilized aerial 3D camera rig, a custom wing-mounted camera and 3D cameras placed inside the cockpit.
All six classes of racing aircraft -- Biplane, Formula One, Sport, T-6, Jet Class and Unlimited -- are featured in the film, which cost about $5 million to produce. Appearing in the film are Bill
Destefani's 1944 North American P-51D Mustang, "Strega" (pilot: Steve Hinton Jr.); Rod Lewis's Grumman Tigercat F7F-3, "Here Kitty Kitty" (pilot: Stewart Dawson); "Rare Bear," a Grumman F8F Bearcat
(pilot: John Penney); Raju Mann's 1969 Aerovodochody L-29 Delfin, "Raju Grace" (pilot: Heather Penney); Marilyn Dash's 1974 Aerotek Pitts Special S-1S, "Ruby" (pilot: Marilyn Dash); and many
others.
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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.
Click here to learn
more and to find a dealer near you.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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Cylinders are the big ticket item during an engine overhaul, and the market has changed substantially during the last five years. Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is surveying
owner experiences on engine cylinders.
If you'd like to participate, click here to take the survey.
The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click
here.
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.
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Introducing Avidyne's IFD540 Touchscreen FMS/GPS/NAV/COM
As a slide-in replacement for existing 530 Series navigators, the new IFD540 sets a new standard for user interface simplicity. Leveraging the award-winning interface of our Entegra Release 9
system along with a highly intuitive touchscreen control, the IFD540 makes it much easier to access the information you want when you want it. Now you have a choice. And the choice is easy.
Avidyne.
Learn more at
IFD540.com.
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For 23 years, the Collings Foundation has been touring with its bombers and fighters, giving vets and their relatives a rare glimpse of the aircraft that won World War II. The tour hit Venice,
Florida, where AVweb Insider blogger Paul Bertorelli helped with the details.
Click through for his observations and thoughts.
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
There's only one P-51C Mustang in the world with dual controls, although a couple of D-models have the spare stick, too. In this video, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli takes a hop in
the back seat of the Collings Foundation's Betty Jane, and pilot Mark Murphy gives us an in-depth cockpit tour.
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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.
Click for the
resource page.
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File Size 9.6 MB / Running Time 10:24
Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS
Every year since 1910, the National Aeronautics Association has awarded the Collier Trophy for the "greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America." This year's nominees were
recently announced, and AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with Jonathan Gaffney, the president of NAA, about the choices and the selection process.
This podcast is brought to you by Bose
Corporation.
Click here to listen. (9.6 MB, 10:24)
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Australian-based Gippsland has sold its GA8 Airvan all over the world, and now it's got a follow-on model, the GA8TC, with a turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540. AVweb got a crack at
trialing the airplane recently, and here's our video report on the model.
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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.
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Assigned to a like-new KC-97 Stratotanker at MacDill AFB in 1956, Dick Taylor learned much about the plane just from flying it in front of thirsty B-47s: from the trivial (it never
spent much time in its namesake, the stratosphere) to the essential (take lots of engine oil on a long trip).
Click here to read the 10th chapter.
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Peter Drucker Says,
"The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create It"
It's easy for your company to be more proactive, flexible, and entrepreneurial with AVweb's cost-effective marketing programs. Discover the benefits of instant response, quick copy
changes, monthly tracking reports, and interactive programs. To find out how simple it is to reach 255,000 qualified pilots, owners, and decision-makers weekly,
click now for
details. 
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Nominate an FBO
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Baxley Air at Baxley Municipal Airport (KBHC) in (you guessed it)
Baxley, Georgia.
AVweb reader Krista Miller recommended the FBO after making an unscheduled stop last month:
These guys are lifesavers! My friend John talked me into a 400-nm January ultralight trip from South Carolina to Florida. By mid-Georgia, my feet were frozen! [The staff at Baxley] recognized a
damsel in distress and went to work with plastic bags and gorilla tape to cover my sneakers. Thanks to them, the rest of the flight was in comfort! Friendly, helpful, excellent!
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!
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Overheard while listening to an area radar center in England during the early '80s. Two United States Air Force Europe fast jets climbing out of a low flying area were trying to
locate each other to join formation.
"Ratch 13":
"Ratch 12, where are you?"
"Ratch 12":
"Ratch 13, one mile south of Chester."
"Ratch 13":
"Ratch 12, say again."
"Ratch 12":
"Chester! Chester!"
An undentified voice, in a strong Western Drawl:
"I'm a-comin', Marshall Dillon!"
Readers of a certain age will remember "Gunsmoke"!
Gary Brindle
via e-mail
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.
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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
Tom Bliss
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
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