NewsWire Complete Issue
May 18, 2005
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
|
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SpaceDev Says It Has A Plan
SpaceDev, the California company that built the hybrid rocket motor that drove SpaceShipOne, says it has just about completed its plan for a
safe, affordable launch system -- the SpaceDev Dream Chaser -- that could carry six passengers into low earth orbit. CEO Jim Benson said he believes the company can "quickly develop a safe and
affordable space transportation system based on existing propulsion technologies and vehicle designs." While the initial target is the space tourism market, SpaceDev says its project also could
provide routine, safe and affordable access to the International Space Station for NASA. SpaceDev's plan calls for multiple manned suborbital test flights by 2008, and manned test flights to orbit by
2010. "We believe we can reduce cost, risk and time to market for commercially viable human space transport," Benson said. The launch-system propulsion modules would be scaled-up versions of the motor
used on SpaceShipOne. SpaceDev says it has experience in rapidly and successfully developing innovative space technologies, and it could design and develop a complete human spaceflight system for a
fraction of what the large aerospace companies are expected to charge NASA. SpaceDev first unveiled its preliminary plans for a suborbital Dream Chaser last September.
Meanwhile, the race to get passengers into suborbital flight is heating up. Aera Corp. announced last week that tickets are on sale now for seats aboard its Altairis rocket. The company says it is on track to start launching from Florida's Cape Canaveral
in December 2006. The Altairis rocket launches vertically, lands horizontally and can carry six passengers and one mission commander. Tickets cost $250,000. Also, former X Prize contender Canadian
Arrow announced on Tuesday it is forming a new corporation, PlanetSpace, with a U.S. partner and will be ready to carry passengers within two
years. It will also charge a quarter-million per seat. Space Adventures, anticipating suborbital spaceflights to commence in the 2007-2008
timeframe, last week opened a sales office in Tokyo, selling seats at the bargain price of $102,000. Virgin Galactic plans to start
passenger flights as early as 2008. They've set their ticket price at $200,000. Aera Corp. said it expects 30 Altairis launches in 2007. "We believe that the flights subsequent to 2007 and beyond will
be less expensive than the first flights," said company President Bill Sprague. While you're saving up for that ticket, you can watch the online animated video of an Altairis launch, for free.
Meanwhile, troops of "citizen lobbyists" arrived in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with their congressional representatives in search of support for space exploration. The National Space Society Legislative Conference took place Tuesday and Wednesday, with training sessions followed by visits to the Hill. The
"blitz" precedes the 2005 International Space Development Conference, which begins today, featuring sessions on space exploration, tourism,
science, technology, policy and business. Speakers include Burt Rutan, X Prize founder Peter Diamandis and Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta.
AOPA Reaches Out Via Mass Media
If the wanderings of a Cessna 150 would disrupt the day of thousands of people, and frighten them a bit in the process, could it happen in any worse place than Washington, D.C.? Concerned about the
lingering effects of that scare on all those legislators and regulators, AOPA took out full-page ads in
yesterday's USA Today and in Roll Call, an influential Capitol Hill newspaper, to spread the good word that GA is not a threat. "Last week one pilot made headlines ... The other 588,656 did not," says
AOPA. Chris Dancy, AOPA spokesman, told AVweb, "The ad is intended not to excuse or explain what happened, but to help the non-flying public (and members of Congress) to put the incident into
perspective." The ad copy continues: "Seven days ago, one very small airplane created a very large incident that disrupted lives in Washington, D.C., and made millions of people, already on edge, very
nervous. It also created unnecessary concern and skepticism about 'those little planes.'" The ad also points out what went right during the incident, which ended without harm to anyone, while
explaining that small general aviation airplanes are not a security threat and that most pilots are well-informed. "AOPA will continue our work to educate and inform general aviation pilots and
advocate on their behalf," the ad concludes. "Because keeping general aviation pilots, airplanes, and airports safe are important efforts in maintaining our freedom to fly. And keeping the nation
secure protects the freedom of all." USA Today is the nation's most-circulated newspaper, selling over 2.2 million copies daily.
Meanwhile, the new ground-based Visual Warning System around the D.C. ADIZ is ready to deploy on Saturday. The system signals pilots who intrude into the no-fly zone with low-level laser beams in an
alternating red-red-green light sequence. Any pilots who receive the warning must immediately turn away from the signal and contact Air Traffic Control. The lasers are eye-safe and non-hazardous at
all ranges, according to NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command), which developed the system. Civil
Air Patrol (CAP) volunteers flying low-and-slow single-engine Cessnas have been working with NORAD in test flights. "This week we saw exactly what can happen when a pilot flies into an
unauthorized zone in the D.C. area," said CAP Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless. "This new Visual Warning System will give pilots immediate feedback when they are straying into a no-fly zone, and will be a
valuable new tool in our country's homeland defense program." AOPA's Andy Cebula is in favor of the system. "The VWS is a way to quickly notify pilots who inadvertently stray into restricted airspace
that won't cause panic in the cockpit or on the ground," he said. "The system minimizes the need for airborne intercepts, which is safer for everyone." AOPA also has posted a brief video of the system in action.
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AVweb users can now offer their aircraft, parts, and accessories for sale on General Aviation's most popular web site --
with our new and improved Classified Ads section. To better qualify sellers and limit the number of non-aviation products on AVweb, we've instituted a nominal fee for each listing. Discover
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Aviation is not only an important part of the U.S. economy, it's critical to the growth of the economy as whole, according to a new report released last week by the FAA's Management Advisory Council. "Part of the productivity of virtually every sector of the U.S. economy depends on the productivity of
aviation," the report says. The report calls on the White House and Congress for more funding, no new aviation taxes, faster hiring of new air traffic controllers and more investment in ATC
modernization. As for the FAA, it needs to streamline -- cutting its current nine administrative regions down to three, contracting out all of its VFR control towers, and consolidating TRACONs, the
report says. Under the FAA's current 10-year plan, congestion and delays will continue to worsen, the report says, adversely affecting the productivity of virtually every U.S. company. The nine-member
Management Advisory Council is made up of industry representatives and advises the FAA on policy, budget and regulations. Council members are appointed by Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta. They
serve in a volunteer capacity for three years, and retain their private sector positions. The council was created by the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996, and meets quarterly.
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With budget cuts, the threat of looming mass retirements and an ever-growing air traffic system, attention is drawn to how the skills of an air traffic controller measure up when it comes to safety in
the skies. Multiple court cases highlight the critical nature of controller/pilot communications, and at least one has saddled controllers with partial blame in an accident (and saddled the FAA with the bill). But controllers also
save lives, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association's new "Medal of Safety" award. Monday in
Washington, D.C., 12 controllers who helped pilots (and passengers) avert disaster were honored for their work. Ken Hopf
helped a distraught passenger land a Piper Malibu safely in Laconia, N.H., after the pilot became incapacitated. Scott
Dittamo was working the tower in Newark when he spotted a 747 on short final with its gear up. His warning assured a safe landing. Transcripts and audiotapes of the pilot-controller exchanges are available online. NATCA also has created
a "Sentinel of Safety" Award for non-NATCA members who have worked to advance aviation safety. The first one was given to Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) on Monday night. Oberstar has championed efforts
to prevent ATC privatization, NATCA said. About 300 NATCA members are in Washington, D.C., this week for their annual legislative conference and Hill visits, lobbying for more funding and more staffing for ATC.
Sometimes the rules are there for a reason ... as the crew of a Citation CJ2 discovered when they flew to Atlantic City's Bader Field on Sunday afternoon, made one aborted approach, circled around to
try for the longer runway, then ran off the runway's end and plunged into the (luckily) shallow waters that (practically) surround the downtown field. The small airport, where the longest runway is
2,900 feet, is off-limits to jet traffic. The four people on board escaped with minor injuries and were fished from the water by boaters. The jet and its four occupants are from Denmark, and were
returning to Atlantic City from a trip to Burlington, Vt. It was unclear if they were actually headed for Atlantic City International Airport, about nine miles inland from Bader Field, where the
runways are up to 10,000 feet long. The captain told the FAA that he was making a "routine touchdown" when the brakes failed, Newsday reported. At least one witness said he saw
the tires smoking as the jet went off the runway. "He slammed the brakes on real hard -- they were smoking. He hit the dirt, bounced over it and went into the drink," George Mullin who lives near the
airport told the Star-Ledger. The jet was later towed to shore, where a crane lifted it from the water. The NTSB is investigating.
The 1999 crash of an American Airlines MD-82 in Little Rock, Ark., in which 11 people died (including the flight's captain) is under debate in federal court this week. A lawsuit by the captain's widow
alleges that the airport was negligent, because the approach light system that the jet ran into was too close to the runway and too rigid, and the overrun was less than half of the 1,000 feet it
should have been. The airport's defense is that the pilot's actions caused the crash. The NTSB found the
probable cause of the accident to be the flight crew's failure to discontinue the approach when severe thunderstorms had moved into the airport area, and the crew's failure to ensure that the spoilers
had extended after touchdown. Contributing to the accident, the NTSB said, were the flight crew's impaired performance resulting from fatigue and the situational stress associated with the intent to
land under the circumstances, continuation of the approach to a landing when the company's maximum crosswind component was exceeded, and the use of reverse thrust greater than 1.3 engine pressure
ratio after landing. The trial is expected to last a couple of weeks.
The FAA is never quick to hand out Type Certificates, but there seem to be a lot of them coming along lately. Newest on the list of good-to-go GA aircraft is the two-seater Symphony 160, built by Symphony Aircraft Industries (SAI) of Three Rivers, Quebec. "Receiving the Symphony 160's FAA type certificate is a significant milestone,"
said SAI President Paul Costanzo. "The U.S. market is of great importance for Symphony Aircraft Industries. With the FAA Type Certificate in hand there are no more obstacles, and American pilots can
start taking delivery of their new U.S.-registered SA 160." The 160 got its Canadian type and production certificates in mid-March and is also certified in Europe. The FAA TC will facilitate the
delivery of these aircraft through American Symphony's dealer network. The 160 will sell for around $150,000 IFR-equipped with steam gauges (and a Garmin radio package). In the opinion of one
AVweb staffer who flew it, the 160 is basically a wider, much better-looking Cessna 172 that doesn't pretend it has four seats.
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There's been plenty of talk about outsourcing maintenance work on airliners, with concerns raised about quality control and oversight. And recently there was a roundup of maintenance workers in North Carolina with illegal immigration status, some of them from countries
considered possible sources of terrorism. But what about outsourcing the maintenance work overseas? America West and JetBlue have some of their maintenance done in El Salvador, according to a report
in last week's ABC11-Eyewitness News in Durham, N.C. Also, Continental and Northwest send some of their
planes to Hong Kong or Singapore for maintenance work. Northwest told Eyewitness News the Singapore facility is on a military base surrounded by armed guards, and all work is monitored by Northwest
staff. American Airlines says it keeps about 80 percent of its maintenance in-house. "We go through the extra steps required to make sure this is the safest place there is," American Airlines
executive Otis Deboard told ABC11. "It's better to have it in house, so you know what's going on with your fleets. So you know what's being put on those airplanes, as far as parts and those things."
The NTSB blamed the crash landing of a FedEx MD-10 on poor technique by the first officer and inadequate oversight by
the captain...
Some United flight attendants are protesting pension cuts with the (semi) naked truth in a calendar called "Stewardesses Stripped (Of
Their Pension?) "...
The National Aeronautic Association has launched a redesigned and upgraded Web site.
Drop us a line. If it caught your attention, it will probably interest someone else, too. Submit news tips via email to
newstips@avweb.com.
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COLUMNS
From The CFI #7: Scenario-Based Training
With new, technically advanced aircraft becoming more common in the air and at FBOs near you, many in the industry have been asking if we need to take a new look at how we train new pilots. AVweb's
Linda Pendleton has certianly been asking, and she discusses the kinds of scenarios that work and don't work in this month's From The CFI column.
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
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*** PREVIOUS RESULTS ***
Last week, in response to the DC incursion, AVweb
asked if the ADIZ is doing its job or just overreacting.
The majority of respondents (62% of you) answered
with an emphatic NO. Overreactions are
costing us time, money, effort, and business according
to most AVweb readers.
24% of you were a bit shaken by the incursion,
answering that the ADIZ could do a lot better if a Cessna is
allowed to get within three miles of the White House.
10% were more sympathetic to the ADIZ, pointing out that
increased TFRs and monitoring have reduced traffic over
the capital and made it easier to watch for terrorist
threats.
Only 4% of our respondents, however, thought that the
ADIZ was doing a bang-up job of identifying potential
threats.
*** THIS WEEK'S QUESTION ***
This week, AVweb wants to know who you hold
responsible for last week's DC incursion. Between
the pilot and the government, who should get the lion's
share of blame for this incident?
Click here to answer
Have an idea for a new QOTW? Send your suggestions to
qotw@avweb.com.
NOTE:
This address is
only for suggested QOTW questions, and not for QOTW answers or
comments.
Use
this form to send QOTW comments to our AVmail Editor.
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Submit a Photo |
Rules |
Tips |
Questions
Current POTW Winner |
Past POTW Winners
Wha—? Where are all the pictures this week?
Is everyone O.K. out there?
Not that we're complaining, but this has been the slowest
week for "POTW" submissions in well over a year. (If
you don't count Christmas, AirVenture, and Sun 'n Fun, when
submissions typically slack off.) Quite frankly, we're
a little worried about our photographer friends.
Send
us some pictures and check in!
Thankfully, those who did submit pics this week turned in
some gorgeous photos — like our winning FJ-4B Fury pic from
Rich Sugden of Wyoming. Naturally, Rich will be
covering his head this summer with an official AVweb
baseball hat for his efforts. Our other winners will
have to settle for the fleeting fame of being "POTW"
contenders — along with the oohs and ahhs of a
few hundred thousand aviation buffs who read AVweb.
Due to privacy issues, AVweb does not publish e-mail addresses of
readers who submit photos.
*** THIS WEEK'S WINNERS ***
|
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Used with permission
of Rich Sugden |
"Fury over NAS Lemoore"
Rich Sugden of Jackson,
Wyoming takes home top
honors this week for this dynamic image of his FJ-4B Fury
over the Naval Air Station in California. According to
Rich, this
is the only Fury left flying in the world — and it appears
to be
flying pretty well, based on the company it's keeping.
Click
here to view a large version of this image
Click here for a
medium-sized version
AVweb continues to receive a large number of excellent images for our
POTW contest. Here are some of the runners-up. Click on the links below to view
larger versions.
 |
|
Used with permission
of Erez Boym |
"Going High-Tech"
We can always count on Erez Boym
of Shimshit, Israel to deliver stunning
landscapes
in his aviation photos, and this week's entry from
Erez is no exception. "We had to make a short
landing on an amazing peak," he writes, "and
these guys came to say 'hello.'" Without the
explanation, we thought these two might
be shepherds who were upgrading
their sheep dogs.
Medium
Large
 |
|
Used with permission
of Paul R. Rachels |
"Al Asad Morning"
Paul Rachels spent four
months in Iraq
as a civilian tech rep working with VMA-311
Tomcats, during which time he snapped this
photo of the Marine control tower at Al Asad.
This one is well on its way to being our favorite
ATC photo, Paul — thanks for sharing!
Medium
Large
Bonus Pictures
All right, you guys were slacking off a
bit this week
in the submissions department — but because
we're big-hearted, generous folks here at AVweb
(and because the few pictures we did get were all
so darned good), we'll reward you with some
bonus pictures, anyway. Feel free to express your
undying gratitude by bombarding us
with photos next week, okay?
 |
|
Used
with permission of Billy Walker |
"Puff and Friends"
Here's one of several great photos from
Billy & Cheryl Walker of Phoenix, Arizona.
This one was taken at Robert H. Barger Day
at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. According to Billy,
Capt. Barger (UAL Ret.) is a WWII-era Army Air Corps
instructor and father of JetBlue President Dave Barger
and former Top Gun Mike Barger (VP of Training at JetBlue).
A stroke victim and triplegic, Capt. Barger rode with Billy
in the T-6 during the ceremonies. Pilots in this photo
include:
Billy Walker and Dick Delafield in the AC-47 gunship
Puff the Magic Dragon; Dale Churchill in the T-6;
Billy Friedland; Brian Churchill; and the late Russ Allen.
Medium
Large
|
 |
|
Used
with permission of John Heilman |
"Blue Angels Snapshot"
John Heilman
of Lake St. Louis, Missouri
caught this young lady taking snaps at the
St. Louis Fair and Air Show in 2004. Our
only question is, "Why didn't she send
this in to 'Picture of the Week'?"
Medium
Large
|
 |
|
Used
with permission of Peter Anderer |
"Ooops!"
We didn't give this image a second thought, either —
until we realized that wasn't snow on the ground!
Peter Anderer
of Ayer, Massachusetts
provided only this by way of explanation:
"Working on the foam system when
something went wrong."
Medium
Large
|
 |
|
Used
with permission of Jane E. Carpenter |
"A Great Day to Fly"
All right, so it's four people in a cockpit —
but it's four really happy people in a cockpit, and
if
that isn't in the spirit of "POTW," we don't know what is.
Thanks to Jane Carpenter
of Ft. Collins, Colorado
and the rest of her crew for winging us out this week.
Medium
Large
Remember: This was a light week for "POTW"
entries. If you want to keep seeing all these great
bonus pictures, you've gotta
send
us pictures, man! Now go forth and click 'til your
fingers hurt!
To enter next week's contest,
click here.
A Reminder About Copyrights: Please take a moment to consider the
source of your image before submitting to our "Picture of the Week" contest.
If you did not take the photo yourself, ask yourself if you are indeed
authorized to release publication rights to AVweb. If you're uncertain,
consult the
POTW
Rules or
send us an e-mail.
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AVWEB IS EXPANDING ITS READER SURVEY PANEL
If you're willing to answer (very) brief
questionnaires about aviation products and services once or twice a month, please consider joining our exclusive panel of reader advisors. We're currently seeking pilots at all levels of
experience in many different FAA regions. To apply, visit http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/readerpanel/avflash. | |
_____________________________________
We Welcome Your Feedback!
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
Letters to the editor intended for publication in AVmail should be
sent to mailto:editor@avweb.com.com. Have a comment or question? Send
it to mailto:newsteam@avweb.com.
Today's issue written by News Writer Mary Grady:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#mgrady
AVweb's editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on
marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team: mailto:sales@avweb.com.
Fly it till every part stops.
AVflash is now available in optional easier-to-read graphic format, which includes some photos and illustrations. If you prefer, you can continue to receive AVflash in text-only format. Simply follow
these instructions and AVflash will continue to arrive as it always has, in text format.
