Volume 11, Number 42a — October 17, 2005

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

DETAILS EMERGE ON STOLEN CITATION...
After allegedly taking an unlocked $7 million Citation VII from St. Augustine, Fla., where he'd landed earlier as the co-pilot on a charter flight, police say 22-year-old Daniel Andrew Wolcott, a commercial pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings, flew to Briscoe Field, near Gwinnett, Ga.. There he got on the phone to his friends and five of them arrived for the next part of the journey. Wolcott flew them to Winder, about 15 miles away, did a touch and go and returned to Briscoe, landing with about 500 pounds of fuel on board, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The next morning, Wolcott took a commercial flight to Jacksonville, hopped a cab to the St. Augustine Airport and assumed the right seat for the return trip of the charter. More...

...MORE AND MORE CHARGES...
Wolcott was originally charged in Georgia with felony theft by receiving and the endangerment of the five passengers but authorities aren't yet done with him. Next in line was the state of Florida, which chipped in with grand theft charges. Federal charges are also likely and we'd wager he might soon expect a letter from the FAA. "I imagine the FAA will be looking hard at his pilot's license [sic]," FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmett told the Journal-Constitution. Wolcott has come to authorities' attention at least twice before. More...

...SECURITY ISSUES RAISED
No one in officialdom seems to be too worried about the security implications of the alleged theft ... even as (some) general aviation readies to return to Washington National airport, Sept. 18 (many, many aircraft will still be excluded under extensive regulations). "I would just encourage increased vigilance at the various airports and the companies that have these aircraft to ensure better security," Emmett told the Journal-Constitution. "I don't think it requires any systems changes." The various alphabet groups are offering similar advice. "This is a good reminder for all pilots to follow the Airport Watch precepts, especially securing unattended aircraft, and report any suspicious activity," said Andy Cebula, AOPA senior vice president of government and technical affairs. "If as a community we can prevent thefts like this, we'll reduce the chance of more security regulation." More...

FAA AND ATC NEGOTIATING SAFETY…
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has launched an impressive PR campaign on air traffic safety in correlation with its contract negotiations with the FAA. In the midst, the rest of us are getting an unprecedented look (both in terms of volume and detail) at the complex interplay between the agency, the employees and the traveling public. Equipment failures are nothing new in the U.S. or any other air traffic system and unless they tie up flights or cause accidents, the public rarely hears (or cares) about them. But in the context of FAA cutbacks and ATC/FAA contract negotiations the controllers union appears to be making a case that all the problems are rooted in an inflexible bureaucracy that refuses to listen to (the union's) reason. More...

...FAA SAYS IT'S DOING ITS BEST...
The FAA says it's now fixed a problem with an antenna at Boston's Logan International that forced controllers to use a backup system requiring increased spacing between airliners, thus reducing capacity by about half for a couple of days. Furious local officials demanded an investigation into what they said was a slow federal response to the problems but the FAA's Laura Brown said everything that could be done, was done. "Our technicians were out working on this in bad weather 'round the clock," she told The Boston Globe. An antenna that had earlier tested fine was replaced with one scavenged from Bangor, Maine, and all the ghost returns that were cluttering screens disappeared. More...

...AS CONCERNS SPREAD WEST
Meanwhile, in Washington, the problem has been returns dropping off the screens and it's proving a little harder to pin down. Since the middle of September, controllers have occasionally had radar returns briefly disappear, while the information tag remains. Brown told The Washington Post that it's believed that overlapping radars are the cause and upgrades are being done. And while Washington, Boston, New York, Chicago and other massive facilities are often cited as problem areas, rapidly growing airports like Denver are also getting their share of attention. More...

YOUNG EAGLES KILLED IN SEATTLE CRASH
A pilot and two teenage girls died in the crash of a Young Eagles flight on Saturday near Seattle. EAA officials said it was the first fatal crash in more than 500,000 Young Eagles flights, carrying a total of more than 1.2 million kids. "We are deeply saddened by the news of this tragic accident. Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the three individuals whose lives were lost," said Tom Poberezny, EAA president. The plane had just taken off from Paine Field, in Everett, when it failed to gain altitude and crashed on a vacant lot in a residential area. "He flew just over the trees and started to turn to his left and lost altitude, then disappeared behind the trees," witness Keirstin Smith told The Seattle Times. More...

PILOTS SUE THEIR UNION AND EMPLOYER
About 230 MidAtlantic Airways pilots are suing three airlines and their union for $400 million claiming they were duped into believing that MidAtlantic was its own (lower-paying) entity when it was, in fact, part of (higher-paying) US Airways. In fact, MidAtlantic hired some of the 1,800 pilots that had been laid off by US Airways. "As it turns out, there was no MidAtlantic," Michael Haber, the New York lawyer representing the pilots, told the Allegheny Times. "It was never anything except a name. These people were tricked into believing they worked for an entity that never existed." The suit claims MidAtlantic was operated under the same government certificate as US Airways. It also claims the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) was complicit in the scam. More...

AIRBUS WHISTLE-BLOWER JAILED?
An American aerospace engineer who made headlines last year when he blew the whistle on alleged deficiencies in the electronics controlling the pressurization valves on the Airbus A380 could wind up in jail just as the European Aviation Safety Agency has begun admitting there might be something to his claims. Joseph Mangan, who worked for the Austrian firm TTTech, told EASA in 2004 that flaws in the valve controls could cause a rapid decompression in the 800-seat airliner. His claims found little support and an Austrian court ordered him to stop talking about the issue. Mangan defied the court order and was fined $150,000, which he can't pay. Meanwhile, an unnamed EASA source was "able to confirm certain statements by Mr. Mangan," according to the London Daily Telegraph. For his part, Mangan could end up in jail for a year if he doesn't soon come up with money to pay his fine. More...

RECORD-SETTING RV-4 PILOT WINS HONORS
An Australian pilot who was criticized for recklessness two years ago has won one of aviation's highest honors. Jon Johanson, 49, was awarded the Federation Aeronautique Internationale gold medal for attaining 48 FAI world records, flying an RV-4 he built himself. "Jon's hard work, meticulous planning, initiative and commitment when building his own small aircraft were supremely demonstrated when he flew it over distances and terrains that would have challenged the most intrepid and skilful aviators in much larger, industrially produced aircraft," FAI secretary general Max Bishop said. However, officials at the joint U.S.-New Zealand McMurdo Base in Antarctica were less than enthusiastic when Johanson made an unscheduled visit there in 2003. More...

SJ30-2 LIVES UP TO CLAIMS, SAYS COMPANY
Sino Swearingen says its SJ30-2 light bizjet will meet or exceed all advertised performance claims when the FAA grants its type certificate, scheduled for sometime in the next couple of months. The company claims that at 486 knots it's the fastest "light" bizjet and says that with a range of more than 2,500 nm, it's got the longest legs. Sino Swearingen is also hyping the pressurization system, which can maintain sea-level conditions to 41,000 feet. "It is good to know that our extensive flight test program has resulted in validation of our design goals," said John Siemens, the senior engineering test pilot on the project. More...

JEPPESEN WORKING ON 3-D SYNTHETIC VISION
The world's largest supplier of navigational information is getting ready to step into the market of synthetic vision. Jeppesen has announced it will begin selling a worldwide terrain database with a 90-meter resolution that meets aviation requirements by the end of the year. But the future promises even better systems, including 3-D displays using more detailed databases, and Jeppesen Chief Operating Officer Mark Van Tine said the company will be there. "High precision terrain data will soon find its way to the flight deck, and one day, [synthetic vision system] displays will be commonplace. Jeppesen is committed to developing and providing the databases that make these systems possible," Van Tine said in a company press release. More...

ON THE FLY...
A C172L and a Lancair 235 collided Friday over Ohio, killing four...
Boeing Field will be spared Southwest and Alaska Airlines...
Langley accepts the first operational deployment of F-22 Raptors...
Twenty whooping cranes, led by ultralights, are on their way to Florida. 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 ... often, the best part. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
AIRMANSHIP
Father's Day TFR
To avoid those ubiquitous Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), it should be sufficient to get a briefing from Flight Service and ask for all the pertinent TFRs for your route. How wrong you would be ...

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WHAT'S NEW
What's New For October
This month AVweb's survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings you a ground security lock, flight crew safety training, books, DVDs, artwork 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 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...
(Be careful what you say, someone might be listening.)

Several months ago, whilst assigned to the Tracon, an incident occurred which still causes great laughter throughout our community.

It was a busy arrival session, the controller was working four VHF frequencies -- including approaches into a satellite airport and two UHF frequencies.

After sending numerous transmissions of, “Blocked!” (by some unknown aircraft chiming in at the wrong time) the controller finally screamed, "Darn it! Every time I key up, some idiot starts talking!”

The entire room busted out laughing and, surprisingly, the controller did not get the humor (which only made it that much more funny for the rest of us)! 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 Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
AVweb's editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.

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