| This issue of AVweb's AVflash is
brought to you by ... Oregon Aero
MAKE YOUR TRIP TO OSHKOSH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH OREGON
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|
The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded,
Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire.
OFF
TO THE SHOW WE GO
There's nothing like a Wisconsin summer but the AVweb crew is
spending next week there, anyway. We'll have a full contingent of
alternately sweaty, rain-soaked, windblown and sunburned writers,
editors and other important folks on the ground -- and in the air -- at
EAA AirVenture starting today. We'll be there for the duration doing
what you've come to expect from us in event coverage -- comprehensive,
credible and interesting reports on the big show and who and what makes
it tick. But, you know, we get some of our best ideas from readers and
we'll be making it easy for you to let us know what's on your mind. Stop
by our booth (#1007-1008 in Hangar A) just about anytime during the show
and you'll come face to face with one of the writers or editors who
helps put this publication together twice each week, 52 weeks a year, to
more than 130,000 subscribers, free of charge. And if you're in a
shopping mood, we'll be happy to refer you to the many sponsors that make it all possible. We're
altering our production schedule somewhat to accommodate the huge amount
of material we'll have to cover at the show. Certain to help is the
forecast (cough) of blue skies and highs in the mid-70s throughout most
of the week. Watch for AVflash in your inbox on Wednesday and Friday as
well as next Monday, crammed with everything we can find out for you.
Then, check out the Web site for even more. And pass the sunscreen ...
and the cheese curds. More...
...DIAMOND
BRINGS THE TWINSTAR...
We're always ready for surprises (like the arrival of the AdamJet last
year) but so far, among the most anticipated first appearances expected
at this year's show may be the North American debut of Diamond's
innovative DA42
TwinStar. The little four-place twin, with a 135-horsepower Thielert
diesel on each side, made the 4508-nm trip from the company's German
headquarters to its North American headquarters in London, Ontario, in a
little less than 28 hours, burning 312 gallons of Jet-A. That works out
to an average speed of 161 knots with an average fuel burn of 11.2 gph.
The company says the aircraft fought tough headwinds on the last leg.
There are plenty of other firsts (and exciting aircraft) on tap.
More...
...BOHANNON
CHASES A B-29 RECORD IN AN RV-4...
What does a (modified) RV-4 have in common with a B-29? If Bruce Bohannon has his way,
they'll both have held the record for the highest altitude reached by a
piston-powered aircraft. Bohannon and his Exxon Flyin' Tiger are headed
for 50,000 feet at this year's show, trying to beat the 47,910 feet hit
by U.S. Air Force Maj. Finley F. Ross in the pressurized comfort of a
B-29 in 1946. Bohannon will face the bone-numbing cold and
engine-threatening thin air with a leather jacket, a pair of jeans and
an hour or so of pre-breathing on pure oxygen (to flush the nitrogen
from his body and prevent the bends). He'll leave Wittman Regional
Airport at noon on July 30. More...
...THE
SPORT PILOT BUZZ TURNS LITERAL...
And, of course, get ready for a torrent of information, seminars and
hangar talk about the Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule (which,
incidentally, will be published in the Federal Register on AirVenture's
opening day, July 27, wink, wink). EAA has been the driving force behind
the entirely new class of aircraft and pilot certificate. And, although
it's been nine years of tough slogging to create the rule, in many ways
the real work is just beginning. Integrating the new system into the
tried-and-true will be a years-long process that begins this week.
More...
GARVEY
DEFENDS FAA'S 9/11 PERFORMANCE
The former head of the FAA has defended herself and the agency against
allegations in the 9/11 Commission's final report that she did nothing
to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks despite an increasing amount of
intelligence traffic. The commission said Jane Garvey didn't pay "much
attention" to her agency's intelligence unit in the days and months
leading up to 9/11. "She was unaware of a great amount of hijacking
threat information from her own intelligence unit, which, in turn, was
not deeply involved in the agency's policymaking process," the report
said. But Garvey told The Boston Globe she disagreed with the way the
commission characterized the agency's performance before and after the
attacks and that she was in the loop on intelligence matters.
More...
...OPERATIONAL
MAYHEM
The report also slams the agency for its handling of the crisis itself.
It describes the FAA's communications as being in disarray as the planes
started crashing into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It also
suggests that a fourth aircraft, Flight 93, would have reached its
intended target of either the White House or Capitol building had it not
been for passengers battling to seize control of the plane from the
hijackers. The plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. FAA
spokesperson Laura Brown told the Globe that some of the problems were
linked to failures by other agencies and that many of the contributing
circumstances have now been addressed. More...
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RIGHT
TFR, WRONG PILOT
... And we're betting a Kentucky
governor would agree that fortunately, they're not shooting ... yet.
Police detained (upon landing) Arlington, Texas, pilot Del Hinton, his
wife, daughter and a friend for more than an hour on Saturday before
Hinton finally convinced them (with a call to Flight Services) his plane
couldn't have been the one that violated the TFR over President Bush's
Crawford ranch. Authorities swooped down on the family, which was
returning from a trip to a Shreveport casino (not that it's anybody's
business), as Hinton taxied into his hangar. While they questioned the
bewildered (and, we speculate, increasingly unimpressed) Hinton party,
the "real" suspect (apparently of similar threat level) drove away.
More...
WRONG
TFR OR ... ?
Boston is off-limits to most GA aircraft starting today for the
Democratic National Convention but if you're headed that way, anyway, it
might pay to give the 30-nm TFR more than "a few" miles berth. A writer
to AVweb says the graphic depiction and written narrative of the
TFR don't line up and there's a 1.5-mile discrepancy between them. We
couldn't reach anyone at the FAA to confirm our reader's analysis but it
seems like a good precaution to not tempt fate (or NORAD) on this one.
Think it might be easier to just drive? Think again. Of course, no one's
saying you won't be detained for an hour of questioning regardless of
route, method of transportation, or merit badges. More...
|
STEP RIGHT UP FOR CESSNA'S OSHKOSH
SPECTACULAR
This year at AirVenture, come see Cessna's
Greatest Show Off Earth, featuring the entire line of Cessna aircraft
with new features that will simply astound you. You'll even have the
chance to win a WxWorx receiver with an XM WX Satellite Weather
subscription, or a Delphi XM Roady™2 satellite radio receiver. Make
sure you don't miss any of the excitement under the Cessna big
top, AirVenture Booth #143-56. For more
information, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/cse/avflash. |
GROUND-EFFECT
VEHICLE GOING COMMERCIAL
Travelers between Juneau, Skagway and Haines, Alaska, will soon have the
option of "flying" without ever leaving the ground (effect). Pacific
Seaflight is planning to launch its eight-passenger "wing in ground
effect" vehicle in time to take passengers next summer. The
Australian-designed Flightship FS8 Dragon Commuter (scroll down for
English) is now being built in Florida and is preparing for some serious
culture shock. The craft will whisk patrons at 85 knots skimming eight
feet above the frigid Pacific. It'll cover the distance between Juneau
and Haines in 55 minutes for a one-way fare of about $60, said company
president Linus Romey. More...
ATC
TRAINING OVER A (PORK) BARREL?
Colleges hoping for a slice of $7 million allocated for air traffic
controller training in the proposed FAA budget are concerned about a
stipulation that will exclude them and could end up closing their
programs, while putting a bottleneck in the controller training and
replacement process. The extra money, aimed at forestalling (or at least
muting public pressure about) a looming controller shortage can only be
used by the FAA's controller academy in Oklahoma City. The fact that the
provision was presented by Rep. Ernest Istock (R-Okla.), who represents
Oklahoma City, was not lost on officials of the University of North
Dakota and 13 other institutions that offer basic controller training.
More...
COMPLIMENTARY STUFF & NEW PRODUCTS AT LIGHTSPEED'S
AIRVENTURE BOOTH
Get out your show map and put a big dot on
Booth #2023 in Hangar B to remind yourself to
stop by LightSPEED's booth for your complimentary promotional
gift. Sure, you'll have to demo a headset first, but do you really need
another excuse to sit in our egg-ceptional listening booth? How about
this?: All LightSPEED headsets are now equipped with
cell/satellite phone jacks! That should do it. See you at the show! The
new cell/satellite jack feature is also available online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/litspeed/avflash. |
A
DIFFERENT TAKE ON TAWS
With the opening of AirVenture tomorrow, expect new electronics goodies
to pad your panel, including some interesting variations on GPS. For
instance, recently formed Aspen Avionics has come out with a panel-mounted
(experimental only) terrain-awareness display that fits in the hole
vacated by your VSI. The AT300 plugs into your GPS, shows aircraft
position and "offers a high-resolution color LCD moving map display that
includes both top-view and side-view terrain presentations" -- plus
vertical speed information supplied by the aircraft's air-pressure line
to the old VSI. Aspen Avionics is marketing the product to the general
aviation experimental driver as a cost-effective alternative to a full
TAWS system. More...
FISHING
FOR A MYSTERY
He was hoping to spot dinner but fisherman Cory Fladeboe instead may
have served up the solution to a 46-year-old mystery. Fladeboe was
fishing for walleye on Green Lake in Minnesota when he got frustrated
with his poor luck. He stuck his underwater camera over the side, hoping
to see where he should be casting his line. Instead, the wreck of a
high-wing airplane filled the screen. Officials believe it might be an
Army Cessna L-19 Birddog that went down in the lake on Oct. 15, 1958.
More...
ON
THE FLY...
Air Force spent $2.6 billion on planes that can't be used in
combat...
FAA withdrew costly Cessna wing spar AD...
What every cockpit needs -- a guitar...
ANA pilot, flight attendants, reprimanded for passenger cockpit
visits...
Cessna projected increase in jet sales...
Mysterious lights thought to be from thunderstorm discharges.
More...
AVWEB'S
NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Drop us a line. Heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to
know about? If it caught your eye, it will probably interest someone
else, too. Submit news tips via email tonewstips@avweb.com.
More...
NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
_______
CAREERS
Aviation
Scholarships -- Get Paid To Learn
Frustrated by the high cost of flight education? Behaved poorly to your
cranky great uncle and he left you out of his will? Have we got a deal
for you: Free money! Well, it'll cost you some time and effort, but
there are ways to get others to help pay your way into the profession.
_______
COLUMNS
As the Beacon
Turns #79: Connecting The Dots
When things on your airplane break - especially those annoying computers
- it can be very distracting and disruptive to your normal flow. AVweb's
Michael Maya Charles had a very long morning recently in his MD-10 when
the ship's many computers conspired to prevent an on-time takeoff. See
how Capt. Charles and his first officer handled the confusion.
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. Watch for
a Business AVflash regular feature, TSA WATCH: GA IN THE
"SPOTLIGHT". Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/
More...
|
DA42 TWIN STAR CERTIFICATION: LOTS OF
FIRSTS
Diamond's DA42 Twin Star marks some significant
milestones: First Aircraft Type Certification by the European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA); first piston aircraft to incorporate new
propulsion, avionics, and airframe technology; first modern
jet-fuel/diesel-powered twin-engine aircraft; and first certified
application of the fully integrated Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. See for
yourself — visit Diamond during AirVenture at
Combo L or online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/diamond/avflash. |
READER
FEEDBACK ON AVWEB'S NEWS COVERAGE AND FEATURE ARTICLES:
http://www.avweb.com/avmail/ Reader
mail this week about Sport Pilot and AVweb's coverage of it, skydiving
photos, potential closure of the Hudson River VFR corridor and much
more. More...
SHORT
FINAL...
Recently while flying over central Missouri, I overheard a controller
responding to a request for VFR Flight Following...
Controller: ...And your type aircraft?
Pilot: Beech Dutchess, Low wing, twin-engine, white and
blue.
Controller: You're all a quarter-inch long and green to
me... More...
| Sponsor News and
Special Offers Access to AVweb and
AVflash is provided by the support of our fine sponsors. We appreciate
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| SHOPPING DEALS |
HEADING TO OSHKOSH? Don't Forget to:
|
THE
NEW ASA AIRCRAFT FLIGHT LOG IS EASY AND COMPLETE
The
NEW ASA Aircraft Flight Log provides the operators of
individual aircraft an easy-to-use method of keeping track of detailed
items pertaining to the care and use of their airplanes. Inspections,
VOR/ELT checks, oil changes, and simple squawks are all easy to find
without digging through a stack of maintenance logs. Instantly know the
disposition of the aircraft you are about to fly, simply by checking
your ASA Aircraft Flight Log. Available now at ASA's AirVenture Booth #2075-77 or online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/asadirect/avflash. |
SUBSCRIBE TO FLIGHT EXPLORER AVWEB EDITION 4.02 FOR JUST
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IT'S
SLICK ... INFORMATIVE ... AND COMPLIMENTARY
Stop by
Pilot Getaways magazine's AirVenture
Booth #3118 and pick up your complimentary copy of the summer
issue. From Santa Barbara to Ocala, Florida — with stops along the
way in Wisconsin and Colorado — Pilot Getaways is
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YOU WORKED HARD FOR THAT IFR TICKET; NOW PROTECT
IT!
Subscribe to the monthly magazine dedicated to keeping
IFR-rated pilots ready for anything! IFR Refresher
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POWER
FLOW DEBUTS C-172N WEIGHT INCREASE STC & AN EXHAUST SHINE KIT
at AirVenture. Cessna 172N owners, you can now increase the
gross weight of your aircraft by 100 pounds with this new STC. To meet
the STC's requirements, your aircraft must have complied with Cessna's
oil cooler relocation from the firewall to the engine baffle and the
installation of a cowl cooling lip, and flaps have to be limited to a
maximum of 30 degrees. Best of all, the introductory STC cost is only
$300.00. (This gross weight STC does not require the installation of the
Power Flow Exhaust.) For more information, go see the Power Flow
experts at AirVenture Booth #1050 or online
at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/power/avflash. |
AIRSPORT ALTITUDE ALERTERS OFFERS A $100 DISCOUNT —
PLUS
complimentary shipping. AirSport Avionics is the
only manufacturer of Altitude Alerters that work by listening to
everything your transponder and encoder are reporting to ATC, both Mode
A (squawk code) and Mode C (altitude) — a double benefit!
AirSport Alerters are completely portable and don't require
permanent installation. OSHKOSH SPECIAL: $100 discount on all
models, with complimentary ground shipping. Offer ends August 10th.
Order online at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/airsport/avflash. |
HASSLE-FREE AUTO BUYING FOR THE AVIATION
INDUSTRY
CrewCar and Consumer Guides have teamed up to offer
hassle-free auto buying to the aviation industry! Next to 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 providing shoppers
with a complimentary integrated phone and electronic concierge-level
buying service offering value no matter the geography. The service is
provided gratis and meets the Consumer Guide dealership network
standards. For more information, visit CrewCar at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/crewcar/avflash. |
GREG
BROWN INTRODUCES NEW BOOK, YOU CAN FLY, DURING
AIRVENTURE
For those who have always dreamed of becoming a
pilot, Greg Brown has written the perfect book for achieving the
dream of flight. You Can Fly wings over lakes, canyons,
and crowded freeways, through the skies to show how anyone, at any age,
can take control. To order your autographed copy, go to http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/paperjet/avflash. |
| SPONSOR
NEWS |
KITPLANES MAGAZINE SHOWS YOU CAN BUILD PLANES AND
HELICOPTERS TOO!
Kitplanes magazine showcases
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comprehensive guide on everything a prospective kit helicopter buyer
should consider before making a purchase. This issue also highlights the
top 20 most influential homebuilt movers and shakers (part 1) and a few
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building and dreaming. Order your subscription at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/kitplanes/avflash. |
BETTER THAN AN IFR REFRESHER — REAL WORLD FLYING
INFORMATION
that you can immediately put to use. Learn about:
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skills, managing cockpit resources, planning for those unanticipated
changes when flying IFR learn, and a three-step instrument scan used by
experienced pilots. You'll also learn about unique IFR charting secrets
and obtain essential insights into flying GPS approaches. Pilots claim,
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also learn techniques for avoiding thunderstorms, handling icing
conditions, and much more. Rod Machado's Instrument Pilots
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AVWEB IS GEARING UP
FOR AIRVENTURE 2004 IN OSHKOSH!
-
If you plan to attend AirVenture, stop by
AVweb's booth #1007-08 and meet our editors. ou'll find a complete
schedule online at http://www.avweb.com/news/osh2004/187681-1.html.
-
Also, many of our advertisers will be
exhibiting. Print out our list to stop by and say "thanks" for bringing
AVweb and AVflash to you at no-cost. You can find our guide to AVweb
advertiser booths at Oshkosh here: http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/oshkosh.
| |
_____________________________________
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AVflash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest aviation news,
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Today's issue written by News Writer Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
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