The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded,
Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire.
SUMMER
SKIES BRING FLOOD OF FLIGHT EVENTS...
With Memorial Day weekend past, it's officially summer now across the
U.S., and with summer comes a deluge of flying events -- some old,
some new and some in a state of metamorphosis. One unique event that
starts Sunday in Danville, Va., is SATS 2005, a demonstration of the new Small
Aircraft Transportation System technology developed by NASA, the
FAA and the industry over the last five years. On Monday and Tuesday,
technical demonstrations will be held, along with various seminars and
panel discussions. SATS aims to show that on-board computing, advanced
flight controls, "Highway in the Sky" displays, and automated air
traffic separation and sequencing will help people to travel faster
and farther by enabling safe and affordable access to virtually any
runway in the nation in most weather conditions. More...
...AS
AIR RACES COME EAST (AND WEST)...
The first Tunica
(Miss.) Air Races start today with Unlimited, T-6 and Formula One
aircraft racing around pylons to win the Tunica Cup. Aerobatics and
military aircraft will fly between events. Tunica, a 30-minute drive
south of Memphis, Tenn., is a resort area with abundant casinos and
hotels. Meanwhile, the Red Bull Air-Race season is already underway. The
first race for this year was held recently in Abu Dhabi, with the next
leg set for June 12 in Rotterdam. The race makes four more stops in
Europe before finishing up Oct. 8 in San Francisco. No word yet on the
race course, but it seems it ought to include flying under the Golden Gate Bridge. More...
...AND
AIRPLANES CONVERGE AT AOPA HQ AND FLY-INS
For many pilots, their favorite summer events are not the air shows
where they spectate, but the fly-ins where they can actually aviate
... or at least, park and then hang out with other aviators. One
newcomer is an as-yet-unnamed event now in the planning stages for Sept. 23-25
at the Alva (Okla.) Airport. Organizers hope to draw up
to 800 fly-in aircraft and a bill of top-end air show performers. And
for those in the market for something shiny and new, Clow Airport,
in Bolingbrook, Ill., hosts the 6th Cavalcade of New Airplanes this weekend, when
visitors can get an up-close look at the latest Diamonds, Lancairs,
Cirri, and more. And for those on the East Coast, AOPA's annual open
house and fly-in is this Saturday in Frederick, Md. AVweb
will be there to tell you all about it. More...
OHIO
PILOTS GIVE A LIFT TO WORLD WAR II VETS...
When the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated last
year, most veterans were already over 75 years old. Some of them were
patients at the V.A. hospital in Ohio where Earl Morse works as a
physician's assistant, and Morse realized many of the aging vets would
never make it to D.C. to see their monument. Some couldn't afford the
plane ticket to Washington, or were too infirm to make the 10-hour car
ride. So Morse, a retired Air Force captain, came up with a better
idea -- he and his fellow pilots from the Wright-Patterson Aero Club would fly them there,
in a Bonanza, a Mooney, a Cessna 210, or a Piper Aztec. Those aircraft
and four others -- eight pilots and 12 veterans -- made the
two-and-a-half-hour flight from Ohio to Washington and back on May 21,
the first of what Morse hopes will be many similar trips.
More...
...WHILE
DOZENS MORE WAIT THEIR TURN
Morse has christened the effort Honor Flight, and organized support from veterans'
groups and local businesses, who chipped in to provide meals and
ground transportation for the travelers. The pilots paid the Aero Club
rental fees, or flew their own airplanes. "It was the most rewarding
thing I've ever done," pilot Ron Smith told AVweb on Tuesday.
"When we landed back at Springfield that night, there were 200 people
there to greet us, waving flags ... that's when the veterans really
got very emotional." Honor Flight already has more than 150 vets on a
waiting list to make the trip. And "sadly, time is not on our side,"
says the group's Web site. Another trip is planned for June 11.
More...
LOOK
TO THE PIEDMONT HAWTHORNE AIRCRAFT SALES TEAM
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AERIAL
FIREFIGHTERS OK'D TO FLY
With wildfire season upon us, the Forest Service has decided that its
fleet of large firefighting aircraft is fit for service, despite a fatal accident during a training run in April. The
Forest Service has contracted for nine P2V tankers and seven P-3 Orion
turboprops, as well as a DC-7 that will be used to gather data on
wildfires. The aging aircraft have come under scrutiny in recent years
after several fatal crashes caused by structural failure. "Aerial
firefighting is an inherently high-risk business," Agriculture
Undersecretary Mark Rey said last week in a news conference. "Our job
is to minimize that risk." Rey said the aircraft would be periodically
inspected for signs of fatigue. More...
INNODYN
READY TO SHOW TWINPACK TURBINE DESIGN
While observers wait on 10 current "production" models to be tested at
the factory, shipped and flown on customer aircraft, Innodyn has
completed its preliminary design work on a new product called the TwinPack turbine. The TwinPack bundles two of the
company's small lightweight turbines together into a package that fits
easily into most engine spaces, dialing-down the extent of
firewall-forward reconstruction needed for a turbine refit. The two
Innodyn turbines are geared through a common gear box with a total
output of up to 500 shp while weighing in closer to 350 pounds ...
somewhat similar to a Lycoming 360-series engine (in weight). The
engine will be on static display at AirVenture Oshkosh next month, Innodyn says.
More...
EXTENDED HOURS AND ONLINE SERVICES KEEP AVEMCO
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FIRST
OWNER-BUILT SUPERIOR XP-360 COMPLETED
In other engine news, the first owner-built XP-360-plus Superior
Air Parts engine was completed last week by Adam Silverstein at the
factory build school in Coppell, Texas. Silverstein is building an
RV-8 at home in New Jersey. The plus version has roller cams and
roller lifters, which were designed and developed by Thielert Aircraft
Engines in Germany. "Our roller lifter design relies on a different
lubrication strategy than the sliding interface of a conventional flat
tappet," said Keith Blockus, senior engineer for Superior. "This
results in the engine being more tolerant to surface degradation than
the conventional lifter in low-lubrication conditions such as engine
startup, eliminating cam and lifter spalling." More...
HOLES
FOUND IN SYDNEY AIRPORT SECURITY
Gangs of corrupt baggage handlers at Sydney Airport, the largest airport in Australia,
are involved in activities that range from stealing valuables out of
suitcases to using passengers' bags to smuggle drugs and stolen goods,
The Australian reported Monday. A classified
government report also says some Asian-recruited Qantas flight crew
are "high-risk" and may be involved in the importation of narcotics
but are not kept track of adequately by Customs officials, according
to The Australian. The report also said 39 security screeners had
serious criminal convictions, and 14 were suspected illegal
immigrants. More...
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THE BEST HEADSET IS THE ONE YOU ALREADY
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You can easily install the upgrade kit yourself in any headset. Find
out how Oregon Aero can make the headset you already own painless and
quieter. Visit Oregon Aero online to order at http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/oregon/headsetkit/avflash. |
GA
GOES TO INDIA
IndUS, a U.S.-based aviation company, opened an
aircraft showroom in downtown Bangalore this week, the first of its
kind in India. The company aims to fill what it sees as an unmet
demand for personal aircraft. The showroom has new airplanes on
display and sells books, model airplanes, T-shirts and other
aviation-related items. Dr. Ram Pattisapu, of Texas, founder of IndUS,
said the showroom will work to enhance the public's understanding of
GA. "There is a common misconception that private aircraft are unsafe
and too expensive," he said at the grand opening on Tuesday. "In the
long run, we want to promote general aviation as a viable transport
for government and business agencies. But first, we want to increase
public awareness." More...
RUNWAY
STOP LIGHTS PROVE USEFUL AT DFW
It seems like a simple enough idea ... place lights at runway
intersections that glow red when it's unsafe to cross. And it seems to
be working, in an experimental installation at Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. In a three-month study concluding this week,
there was only one minor incursion, compared to three incursions in
the previous five months. "But as long as we're still having one
[incursion], we need to focus on improving the system," FAA spokesman
Paul Erway told The Dallas Morning News. The Runway Status Lights are embedded into the
pavement along the centerline on 14 taxiways. The system works by
illuminating the five red lights when the runway is unsafe to cross.
More...
RUTAN
MISQUOTE
In the May 30 edition of AVweb a quote concerning NASA's
involvement in manned space exploration was incorrectly attributed to
Burt Rutan. At a recent conference on commercial space development,
Rutan was critical of NASA's record in space projects but did not use
the words that we attributed to him. "My critiques of NASA have been
focused on what decisions should have been made in the 70s and what we
should do now, but I am not accusing them of killing people," Rutan
told AVweb. More...
ON
THE FLY...
Airbus A380 super-jumbo delayed...
NBAA seeks mechanics or CFIs who
deserve an award...
T-6 owners: FAA wants your input about pending
regulations...
NTSB found CJ2's brakes OK; it ran off runway at
Atlantic City...
FAA proposes to give "safety approvals" to space
operators...
Airlines need to cope better with under-performing
crew, NTSB said...
Four Winds Aircraft will offer AmSafe's
inflatable restraints. 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. You're a part
of our team. More...
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NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
CEO of the Cockpit #45: Dead
Dinosaurs
We're all flying with dead dinosaurs -- well, all of
us powered pilots anyway. Airlines love to blame their bankruptcies on
the price of fuel, but they won't raise fares to cover it. So AVweb's
CEO of the Cockpit and some other pilots discuss other ways to use
less go-juice.
_________
WHAT'S NEW
What's New -- Products and
Services -- June 2005
This month AVweb's survey of the latest
products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings
you vortex generators, a flight simulator, leading edge protection and
more. 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
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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...
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SEE CLEARLY METHOD IMPROVES & STRENGTHENS VISION
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The See Clearly Method does this without
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Call (800) 881-7934 for a no-cost informational video, or visit http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/seeclear/avflash. |
AVWEB'S
QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
This week, AVweb asks the perennial puzzler: "Build or buy?" The
experimentals of yesterday are today's top-of-the-line certified
designs. So what do you think of today's homebuilt aircraft? Would you
build one yourself? Fly someone else's? PLUS: Results of last week's
question on autolandings and push-button flying. More...
AVIDYNE'S CMAX™ APPROACH CHARTS TAKE SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
CMax™ Approach
Charts, which can be displayed on Avidyne's FlightMax EX500 or
Entegra/EX5000 MFDs, provide geo-referenced approach charts and
airport diagrams. CMax™ reduces the amount of paper in your
cockpit, and allows you to access critical chart data more quickly and
easily. CMax™ overlays your flight plan and aircraft position for
optimum orientation. CMax™ even shows runway incursion hotspots
and improves taxiway awareness, reducing the need for "progressives"
at unfamiliar airports. With CMax™, you’ll know exactly
where you are on the approach or on the field. http://www.avweb.com/sponsors/avidyne/avflash. |
AVWEB'S
PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
Welcome back to AVweb's "Picture of the Week," where we share the most
colorful, exciting, and breath-taking amateur aviation photos we've
received this week with the rest of the world. Tyson Rininger
headlines this week's batch of photos, with an image that may induce
some déjà vu. As his reward, Tyson will soon be the proud
owner of an Official AVweb Baseball Cap. More...
| Sponsor News and
Special Offers
Access to AVweb and AVflash is provided by
the support of our fine sponsors. We appreciate your
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| SHOPPING DEALS |
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LAKE AIRCRAFT IS
LOOKING FOR A NEW OWNER DURING AIRVENTURE!
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SEE WHAT ATC SEES AND THEN SEE WHAT THEY DO WITH THE
INFORMATION
The AVweb Edition of Flight Explorer is
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IFR MAGAZINE IS FOR THE ACCOMPLISHED PILOT;
SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE!
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CARBON MONOXIDE KILLS! GIVE THE GIFT OF SAFETY FROM CO
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THE SHORT STACK HAS ARRIVED AT POWER
FLOW!
Power Flow Systems, manufacturers of tuned
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| SPONSOR NEWS |
ATTENTION, CESSNA OWNERS AND PILOTS
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PILOTS COMMENT AFTER READING IFR: A STRUCTURED
APPROACH:
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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. | |
_____________________________________
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