Volume 11, Number 7a -- February 14, 2005

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

CHANGE FOR GA SECURITY IN DC...
The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) announced on Thursday it will assume responsibility for ground-security requirements and procedures at the three general aviation airports located within the Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted Zone. The TSA issued an interim final rule that allows transient operations at the three airports -- College Park, Potomac Airfield, and Washington Executive Airport/Hyde Field -- commonly referred to as the "DC-3." Since February 2002, the three airports have been operating under Special FAR 94, which expired yesterday, and which essentially closed the airports to aircraft not based there. The GA alphabets responded with positive but muted enthusiasm. More...

...NEW RULE SPELLS OUT PROCEDURES...
Under the new rule, transient pilots must receive prior authorization to use the airports. They will have to be fingerprinted at Reagan National Airport, complete a criminal background check, pass muster with the TSA, check in with the FAA in Washington or Baltimore and present their documents to airport management. The airport operators must keep a list of all pilots and aircraft who have been approved, and ensure security of aircraft on the field. The TSA will designate an Airport Security Coordinator at each of the three airports. The rule also makes permanent the Flight Restricted Zone. The TSA is accepting comments on the new rule, and says it will not hesitate to make changes if it finds better ways to enhance security or reduce costs. More...

...AS AIRPORTS ADAPT (AGAIN)
The new rule really just recognizes procedures that have developed over time since the original SFAR was issued, says David Wartofsky, owner of Potomac Airfield. Over the last several years, he has worked with the TSA and FAA to obtain the approvals of more than 400 area pilots who are allowed to fly in and out of his field, he said. The new TSA rule should help to relieve the public perception that the airport is off-limits. "Basically, the new rule will replace prior confusion with new confusion," he told AVweb on Saturday. But it's less constraining, he said, and "absolutely" a step in the right direction. Stan Fetter, manager of Washington Executive Airport/Hyde Field, agreed. "We're pleased, but not excited," he told AVweb on Saturday. "It's hard to tell what impact it will have. Operators still have to be willing to come here and spend a day or two running around to get the approval." More...

LAWS TO COMPLICATE SPACE TOURISM (WITH SAFETY)...
DOT Secretary Norm Mineta offered a glimpse last week into what the FAA will be looking for in safety guidelines for commercial space tourism. Speaking at the annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Mineta said that passengers who want to travel into space should get a physical and sign consent forms stating they understand the risks. Also, operators of reusable launch vehicles should inform passengers of the safety record of the vehicle and provide safety training before the launch, Mineta said. The draft guidelines "respect that this is uncharted territory," and allow operators to decide the best way to meet the standards, he said. More...

...FAA PLAN NOT SAFE ENOUGH, CONGRESSMAN SAYS...
U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), however, thinks the FAA's approach to space safety is too lax. Last Thursday, Oberstar introduced a bill that would amend last December's space tourism legislation to allow the FAA to take a more "pro-active" stand on passenger safety. Oberstar decried the "tombstone mentality" of the December legislation, which prohibits the FAA from issuing safety regulations for the next eight years unless there is a potentially catastrophic incident. His bill would require that the FAA include, in each license it issues, minimum standards to protect the health and safety of crews and space flight participants. More...

...BUT THERE MAY BE MORE THAN JOYRIDES AT STAKE
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) told the Commercial Space Conference on Thursday that the space industry is about more than tourism. "In 2010 the Shuttle will be retired," he said. "So there is right now a need to move people into space quickly, safely and reliably. I believe that need could be met in large part by the private sector. ... The job of Congress is to pass legislation and exercise its oversight functions in such a way that will enable this industry to succeed," he said. Calvert is the newly selected chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the House Science Committee. More...

CIRRUS BREAKS SALES RECORD
New aircraft orders reached an all-time high of 733 in 2004, Cirrus Design Corp. reported on Saturday. The figure represents an increase of 69 percent, or 301 more aircraft ordered than in 2003. The company also set a new monthly record of 102 new aircraft orders in December. Cirrus attributes the growth to maturity of its domestic sales team and the establishment of a sales network around the world. In 2004, orders from foreign markets doubled over the previous year, with strong showings in Europe and Australia. Cessna said last month that it delivered 654 single-engine piston aircraft in 2004. Cirrus didn't release delivery numbers, but GAMA will tell all in a few hours. More...

CESSNA MUSTANG UPDATE
The wing was mated to the fuselage of the prototype Cessna Mustang very light jet earlier this month, Cessna said. Five airframes are in various stages of assembly at Cessna's Pawnee facility in Wichita, Kan. Once completed, three airframes will be used for flight testing and two airframes will be used for structural testing. Cessna has already begun testing on the Mustang engine, avionics and autopilot, landing gear, environmental system, and flight controls. The airplane will be certified as an FAR Part 23 aircraft, with a cruise speed of 340 knots, and maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet. Cessna says it has received over 200 orders for the Mustang and will be taking a mock-up on tour starting today -- in Meigs-less (we're sure it's going to be a very nice park) Chicago. More...

BILL MAY ENCOURAGE MORE SMALL-AIRPORT SERVICE
A bill that would allow on-demand air-charter operators to conduct limited scheduled service has been introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.). The legislation (H.R. 488) would permit on-demand Part 135 operators to conduct public charter flights, provided the service consists of fewer than five round trips per week. The purpose of the legislation is to provide supplemental air service to small communities that lack sufficient scheduled air service. "NATA is supportive of Congressman Pearce's efforts," James Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), said Thursday in a news release. More...

GA PILOTS TAKE ON MILITARY IN N.M.
New Mexico has some wide-open skies, but apparently there is not enough room there for all the military and civilian pilots who want to fly. The U.S. Air Force wants to add 700 square miles to the 2,600 square miles now used by the F-16 Falcons based at Cannon Air Force Base. The airspace expansion would mean rerouting about 40 civilian flights per day, and intrude onto GA routes between Albuquerque and Roswell. "They've grabbed up so much airspace, it's going to be dangerous for small, civilian aircraft," U.S. Pilots Association President Steve Uslan told The Albuquerque Journal. "And that's a long way around, and that means a lot of fuel and a lot of time wasted." More...

FAA CRITIQUED IN 9/11 REPORT
The FAA's response to pre-9/11 warnings of terrorist threats against aviation got slammed last week, as a newly declassified staff report by the 9/11 Commission was released. The report adds more details about exactly what information was available to FAA officials and when. Despite dozens of warnings that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden posed a threat, and information that hijackers could be planning suicide missions, aviation officials were "lulled into a false sense of security" and didn't respond adequately, the report says. In response to the new report, FAA spokeswoman Laura J. Brown told The New York Times, "We didn't have specific information about means or methods that would have enabled us to tailor any countermeasures." More...

SPORT PILOT HOPEFULS, HELP IS ON THE WAY
For those of you eager to take off into the Sport Pilot era, some new information sources are available. The FAA has posted online its list of Light Sport Aircraft Examiners by category, to make it easy to find the right person to give you the checkride. So far there are only a dozen listings in the five categories, but 11 more examiner courses are on the FAA's schedule for this year, with each class turning out as many as eight new examiners. Current examiners also can qualify as Sport Pilot examiners, so more are expected soon. Also, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sport Flying" hit the bookshelves on Feb. 1, EAA says, but as of Saturday, we couldn't find anyplace selling it online. EAA says it will be selling the books soon through its own online store. More...

ON THE FLY...
FAA to hold a public meeting this week on the grounded T-34 fleet...
Garmin had record growth in 2004, certified G1000 in six GA aircraft...
Helmet for fighter pilots coordinates line of sight with weapons...
And for GA pilots, a heads-up display of our very own, only $9,340...
International Air Rally, Canada-U.S., set for Aug. 12-21...
Review winter-flying procedures online, at Air Safety Foundation...
Need a backyard shed? Beech Starship, sans engines, for sale on eBay. 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 to newstips@avweb.com. More...

READER FEEDBACK ON AVWEB'S NEWS COVERAGE AND FEATURE ARTICLES:
http://www.avweb.com/avmail/

Reader mail this week about the FSS contract, the GA anthrax scare and more. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
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AEROMEDICAL
FAA Streamlines "Special" Medicals
The FAA recently expanded its special issuance program for pilots with medical problems; now the program includes First- and Second-Class medical certificates as well as Third-Class medicals. The change promises to streamline the FAA's approval process for pilots who require the higher certificates. Senior FAA Aviation Medical Examiner Brent Blue, M.D., explains all.

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USED AIRCRAFT
Searching For The Right Airplane
There are pilots, even student pilots, so enamored with their new hobby or budding career that they rush out to buy a plane and get on the fast upgrade track. Easy to make a mistake that way. More...

AVWEB'S 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...

SHORT FINAL...
Just another day around the patch...

Tower: Experimental N123, we'll try to squeeze you in. Number one, cleared to land, runway 26 left. Be advised, traffic close behind you.

Experimental: Number one for 26 left, N123.

(pause)

Tower: Experimental N123, turn your base now, please, and keep your speed up. Traffic, a Hawker jet 10 miles out, number two behind you.

Experimental: Uh ... roger ... be advised, we're already pedaling as fast as we can. More...

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 Mary Grady:
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