REPORT: NO SAFETY ADVANTAGE TO GLASS PANELS
The safety records of airplanes with glass panels are about the same as airplanes of the same model with analog cockpits, according to a new study by the Air Safety Institute, a division of the AOPA Foundation. However, "glass-panel aircraft may be more susceptible to accidents during takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds," the study found. The available data were insufficient to conclude what caused that difference. Some factors, according to the study, might include transition training, a tendency to fixate on the glass panels instead of external cues, or difficulty in interpreting airspeed and altitude from the glass-panel readouts compared to interpreting analog displays. The complete study, which provides an exhaustive and complex analysis of the data, is available free online (PDF).

Related Content:

• POLL: How do you feel about the impact of modern panels on GA?

NEWARK CLOSED BRIEFLY BY NOSE GEAR MISHAP
Newark's Liberty Airport was shut down entirely for an hour on Monday and operated with one of three runways closed for the balance of the day after a United Express Embraer E-series regional jet made an emergency landing with nose gear problems. Images show the aircraft resting on sheet metal where the front wheels are supposed to be on the runway. All 71 aboard slid to safety without a scratch. More...

CANADIAN TANKER CATCHES FIRE, CREW SAFE

click for photos

The nine crew members aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules modified as a tanker escaped unharmed after an in-flight fire at NAS Key West last week. Photos obtained by Canadian Aviator magazine suggest the outcome could have been a lot different. The RCAF hasn't said what caused the fire to put a big hole in the tail section of the aircraft. It has commended the crew for getting it on the ground and getting out, however. More...

F-35 COSTS FEED ORDER UNCERTAINTY
Japan Wednesday said it may cancel orders for Lockheed Martin's F-35 if costs or timelines increase, just days after the Pentagon said it was seeking ways to reduce the program's projected $1 trillion cost. The Pentagon's figure is an estimated lifetime cost, which includes maintenance and operation of 2,443 F-35 fighters over the next 50 years. Japan's initial cost has been projected near $122 million per fighter for a first group of just four aircraft, after which an order of 42 could follow. But that deal has not yet been finalized and recent changes could put upward pressure on the cost of the jet.  More...

F-22 PILOTS STILL REPORT HYPOXIA-LIKE SYMPTOMS
There has been a recent spike in reports of hypoxia-like symptoms by pilots of the F-22 Raptor -- an oxygen delivery problem on a Raptor contributed to a fatal crash two years ago. Over the past six months nine pilots have reported hypoxia-like symptoms while flying the roughly $147 million (excluding development costs) per copy jet. Three of those incidents were reported in the last two weeks by pilots at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska -- the same base associated with the fatal crash. More...

OVER THE PHONE, BOB HOOVER HELPS A P-51 IN TROUBLE
When the pilot of a P-51D was unable to extend the landing gear to land on Sunday afternoon, his ground crew found some expert help -- they got former airshow pilot Bob Hoover, now 90 years old, on the phone to offer advice. Pilot Chuck Gardner was preparing to land in Mobile, Ala., after giving a 30-minute ride to a customer, but when he put the gear down, only the right main gear extended. Gardner knew he could probably manage to land and walk away, but not without damaging the $3 million airplane. Hoover suggested to "Yaw it really good," according to EAA, to force air under the gear door, then execute a series of positive- and negative-g maneuvers to unjam the gear, and it worked. More...

FORMER QUARTERBACK BREAKS PAPER AIRPLANE RECORD
The quiet world of competitive paper airplane flying got some unusual attention this weekend when Joe Ayoob, a former quarterback for the University of California at Berkeley, set a new world record for distance, 226 feet and 10 inches, inside a 747 hangar at McClellan Air Force Base, near Sacramento. Ayoob broke the former record by 19.5 feet. "It was a proud moment," said Ayoob. "I used to make a paper airplane every day when I was a kid. I love it." The YouTube video recording the event went viral on sports and news sites in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, and by Wednesday morning, the humble website of John Collins, the designer of the winning glider, known as "the paper airplane guy," was unavailable due to "exceeded bandwidth." Collins and Ayoob have been working together for over a year. More...

AIR FORCE CANCELS EMBRAER LIGHT ATTACK CONTRACT
The Air Force Tuesday cancelled its contract for a Light Air Support aircraft with Sierra Nevada Industries and Embraer, will reopen competitive bidding, and has announced an investigation into the way the previous bid was handled. The Air Force raised eyebrows in December when it kicked Hawker Beechcraft's AT6B out of the running for the $1 billion contract. That left only Sierra Nevada's assembled-in-Florida version of the Embraer Super Tucano in the competition and the contract was awarded a few days later. "While we pursue perfection, we sometimes fall short, and when we do we will take corrective action," Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said in a statement. Donley would not say why the contract was overturned, only that senior officials were not satisfied with the documentation supporting the award. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., said a sudden reversal like this is rare and significant. "The Air Force does not do that lightly," Pompeo told The Washington Post. "This is highly unusual, which suggests that there is going to be a very broad re-look of the entire process." More...

FAA PROPOSES CHANGE IN FIRST OFFICER RULES
The FAA said on Monday it wants to substantially raise the qualification requirements for first officers who fly for U.S. passenger and cargo airlines. The proposed rule, which the FAA said complies with a law passed in 2010, would require first officers flying in Part 121 operations to hold an ATP certificate, which requires 1,500 hours of flight time. Currently, first officers are required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours. Also, first officers would need to log at least 1,000 flight hours in air carrier operations before they could serve as pilot in command in those operations. And if first officers are flying an airplane that requires a type rating or a multiengine rating, they must log 50 hours of multiengine flight experience and complete a new FAA-approved ATP Certification Training Program for those ratings, which would include classroom and simulator training. 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: USER FEES -- AERONAV'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY
In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli wonders why, instead of trying to milk $5 million more out of digital chart users, AeroNav doesn't just phase out the part of its operation that does charting. Load the data on a digital access server and let the free market sort it out. If people want paper charts, they'll buy. Otherwise, why bother? Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: USER FEES -- THE USUAL BLATHER FROM BOTH SIDES
The administration's proposal to charge $100 per flight for all but piston aircraft is meeting expected -- and deserved -- opposition from all segments of aviation. On the AVweb Insider, Paul Bertorelli opines that it's less the principle than the practicality. Why is the government coming at us for more money without demonstrating that it's not wasting what we already give it? Read more and join the conversation. More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: HOW HAVE MODERN ELECTRONICS AFFECTED YOUR FLYING?
AOPA's Air Safety Foundation says that, statistically speaking, you're as likely to crash with all the bells and whistles as you are with a six-pack and that your basic pilot skills may not be as sharp as they should be.

Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers how much they're willing to spend at the pump before they considering giving up flying; click through to see the breakdown of answers. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER ENGINE CYLINDER SURVEY
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. 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: DYNON SKYVIEW PRODUCT TOUR
Dynon's SkyView big-screen avionics suite brings sophisticated automation to LSA and experimental aircraft cockpits. Aviation Consumer's Larry Anglisano offers a detailed look at the system's features. More...

VIDEO: HELICOPTER SHAKES SELF APART
Some observers speculate that a bad episode of ground resonance may be to blame for the violent self-destruction of a medevac helicopter as it landed in a field in Para, Brazil. Few details are available about the incident, which reportedly took place Wednesday -- the same day video of the accident began spreading, online. The helicopter appears to be a Eurocopter A-Star AS350BA. Some reports state that there were four aboard -- two pilots, a doctor, and a nurse -- and all escaped serious injury in spite of the helicopter engaging full-flail mode. Several accounts repeat that the aircraft suffered excessive vibration while airborne and that vibration developed into destructive ground resonance after the aircraft landed. Generally, ground resonance will resolve itself if the pilot is able to respond quickly by returning the aircraft to hover. Click through to watch. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: CHANDLER AVIATION (KCNM, CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO)

AVweb's latest "FBO of the Week" is Chandler Aviation at Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM) in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

AVweb reader Jack Feiden told us how Chandler measured up against other FBOs he and his wife have visited in the past:

My wife and I stopped in Carlsbad on a recent trip from Wichita to Tucson to visit the caverns. KCNM is an easy field to use, and the facility and service at Chandler Aviation are outstanding. We have been flying flying for several decades, and this is the first time my wife ever took pictures of the ladies' restroom to show her friends. The folks working there were friendly and helpful.

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: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
This week's winning photo comes from Emmet Welch of Folsom, CA. Click here for the rest of this week's submissions. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

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Paul Bertorelli

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Kevin Lane-Cummings
Jeff Van West

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