Volume 11, Number 47b — November 24, 2005

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

COMPENSATION FOR 9/11 REGULATIONS…
The owner of Potomac Airfield says he hopes the airport will be reopened within two weeks after being closed for a month by the Transportation Security Administration. Owner David Wartofsky said the closure resulted from allegations that the required ground security wasn't in place. That prompted a visit from TSA inspectors who decided Potomac's paperwork wasn't in order and closed the field. Wartofsky said he's been in discussions with the TSA ever since and he's hopeful the airport will be reinspected and found in compliance by early December. More...

...GOOD WILL COME OF POTOMAC CLOSURE, SAYS OWNER...
Wartofsky, who has been a vocal and passionate spokesman on the security measures that have been imposed on his facility and the Washington area in general, said the closure of his airport cleared the way for a broader discussion of the security issues in the capital area. Although he said he couldn't discuss specifics, Wartofsky said the closure has illuminated some more rational approaches to making the system work for all interested parties. "Issues have been brought before a broader spectrum of people who should have known about them before," he said. He also said it sometimes takes an incident like the airport closure to get people thinking about alternatives to the status quo. "These kinds of insights only come from stirring the pot," he said. More...

...DC-3 TO (FINALLY) GET CASH
Meanwhile, the president is expected to sign a bill that includes $5 million in compensation for Potomac Airfield, College Park and Washington Executive-Hyde Field and businesses operating at them to help cover losses incurred immediately after 9/11. The airports, which are within the 15-mile Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) around Washington, were closed for about six months after the attacks and were subject to tight security requirements after the ban was lifted. Wartofksy called it a "good-hearted attempt" by the government to help the airports and businesses out. More...

ANTI-TAX CAMPAIGN IN WORKS…
As if proving that tax money deployed in one sector must be clawed away from another, provisions of a Senate version of a funding bill that could soon be passed could have a major impact on business aviation operations, according to the National Business Aviation Association. In a "call to action" to its members that includes a "fill-in-the-blanks" online form letter, NBAA President Ed Bolen says the bill includes provisions to expand the limitations on entertainment use of company aircraft to all employees instead of just senior executives and it also increases taxes on some uses of company planes. More...

...HOUSE UPS ANTE ON TRANSPORTATION SPENDING...
While the White House was trying to cut FAA spending (perhaps the source of much of this year's funding angst at the agency), the House of Representatives is apparently not thinking that way. Last week, the House approved $14.3 billion for the FAA's 2006 budget, $235 million more than last year and a full $1 billion more than the administration has asked for. According to NBAA's assessment of the bill, which will be considered by the Senate next month, about 30 percent of the $8.19 billion set aside for operations will come from general revenue while the balance will be generated through taxes collected under the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. More...

...CONGRESS WANTS QUICKER EQUIPMENT UPDATES
As part of an overall funding bill covering Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Senate/House conference committee that put together the final document urged the FAA to get cracking on replacing outdated air traffic control displays at Chicago, Denver, St. Louis and Minneapolis. According to Government Computer News, the bill contains $20 million for the new gear and the FAA had planned to award the contract in early 2007. The conference committee wants the money spent sooner rather than later. More...

CIRRUS CHUTISTS BACK IN THE AIR
Survivors of a couple of high-profile Cirrus parachute deployments resumed flying shortly after their mishaps and say they'll keep flying Cirruses. Albert Kolk, the Canadian rancher whose SR20 parachuted to safety April 8, 2004, in the rugged Monashee Mountains of south central British Columbia, told AVweb his plane is undergoing repairs and he hopes to have it back by Christmas. According to the Canadian Transportation Safety Board report on the incident, the plane went into a spiral dive while flying on autopilot at about 9,500 feet. Kolk pulled the chute and he and three other occupants stepped out of the aircraft on a rockslide near Edgewood, B.C. Ilan Reich, who blacked out at the controls of his SR22 and decided to pull the chute over Haverstraw, N.Y., has purchased a fractional share in another SR22 and is flying regularly with an instructor while he waits to get his medical back. More...

AIRBUS TAKES DUBAI: BOEING CLAIMS CHINA
The numbers game that seems to take over the big commercial air shows again dominated Dubai's extravaganza this week. Assuming those numbers are solid, you couldn't really call anyone a loser as Boeing and Airbus total up the billions in orders they claim to have sealed at the show. Airbus says it took 82 orders in Dubai and Boeing is saying it sold 68, but that's in addition to the 70 orders it took out of China during the same week. The totals? $17 billion for Boeing and about $10 billion for Airbus. Not a bad business week. According to a tally by Bloomberg News, Boeing has taken 659 orders so far this year and Airbus 494. More...

JURY SIDES WITH CESSNA IN CARAVAN ICING SUIT
An Alaska jury has determined that Cessna Caravans do not have a design flaw that led to the deaths of 10 people in a crash near Dillingham, Alaska, in 2001. The verdict came within hours of the crash of a similar aircraft near Moscow, attributed by Russian media to icing that killed eight people. In early October, a Caravan went down in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and ice was also cited as a possible contributing factor. The pilot of that aircraft was also killed. In the Alaska case, the crash victims' families tried to convince the jury that the plane has design flaws that make it more susceptible to ice accretion. More...

"FIRST" THREE-INCH HAZARD DISPLAY CERTIFIED
Complex things come in small packages these days and Aspen Avionics has earned an FAA Type Standard Order (TSO) for a moving-map terrain-and-obstacle-awareness display that fits where your steam-driven vertical speed indicator now resides in your panel. Oh, the new instrument has an electronic VSI, too. The AT300 Hazard Awareness Display has many of the features of big flat-panel Electronic Flight Information Systems (EFIS) and Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicators (EHSI) but it fits in a three-inch instrument hole. More...

ROCKET RETROSPECTIVE -- AN ERCOUPE LED THE WAY
Our story in Monday's edition of AVweb about the planned flight of XCOR's rocket-powered Long-EZ reminded one of our readers of an obscure historical event -- the first American manned flight of an aircraft propelled by rocket thrust alone -- which was flown in California on Aug. 23, 1941, in a humble Ercoupe. The propeller of the Ercoupe was removed and 12 rockets installed. The Ercoupe was pulled by a truck to a speed of about 25 mph. Capt. Homer Boushey released the tether, fired the rockets, and climbed to about 10 or 20 feet, then landed straight ahead on the runway. More...

NAA TO CELEBRATE AVIATION RECORD-MAKERS
The National Aeronautic Association will hold an awards extravaganza, "A Spectrum of Achievement," on Dec. 5, in Arlington, Va. -- and you're invited. The NAA promises hundreds of aviation luminaries and dozens of award-winners and record-setters for this event, the final celebration of the group's 100th anniversary. Awards recognize accomplishments such as Steve Fossett's record-breaking flight around the world and Scaled Composites' achievement of private space flight. Others to be recognized for their achievements include aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff, flight instructor Martha King, balloonists Carol Rymer Davis and Richard Abruzzo, and helicopter crews who served in Iraq. More...

PASSENGER WANTED TO STEP OUTSIDE FOR A SMOKE
A French tourist has been given a stern warning by an Australian judge to "behave yourself" on airplanes after she apparently tried to open a door in flight to have a cigarette. Sadrine Helene Sellies, 34, was also ordered to post a $1,000 AUD bond that she'll get back as long as she doesn't try something like that again in the next year. Through an interpreter, Sellies told the court she's terrified of flying and consumed alcohol and sleeping pills before walking to the exit, cigarette in hand, and trying to move the handle. She was spotted by a flight attendant and put back in her seat. Sellies said she doesn't remember anything about the flight. More...

ON THE FLY...
NASA looked at noise-reducing wheel pants for airliners…
Helicopter pilot killed in speedway midair…
Pilot, passenger couldn’t parachute in time…
Narco turned 60 this month…
Travolta offered to fly Australian soccer team to World Cup. 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
COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #25: Buying The Right Airplane
You're in the market to buy a used airplane. You look in Trade-A-Plane and find a lot from which to choose. AVweb's Mike Busch has some thoughts about which to consider, and which to pass by.

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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...

AVWEB'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
This week, AVweb wants to know if you prefer Visual Flight Rules or Instrument Flight Rules. PLUS: Results of last week's question on your konwledge of lightgun signals. More...

AVWEB'S PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
As most of our readership knows, today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. — a national holiday of appreciation and thankfulness. In that spirit, we'd like to take a quick moment to say "thank you" to all our readers for participating in the "Picture of the Week" contest. If we could budget for enough hats, we'd send one to everyone who's ever submitted a photo — or commented on this feature — or just took a moment to let us know how much they enjoy it every week. It's a bit of work at times, but it remains one of our favorite features, due to the amazing submissions of readers like you. So before we get started: Thanks for giving us so many cool photos to look at this year. Now, on to the weekly photo fun! Jay Honeck of Iowa City takes the top spot this week and will be receiving an official AVweb baseball cap sometime next week for his efforts. Remember: To qualify for a shot at the cap (or a feature spot right here on our "POTW" page), all you have to do is submit your aviation photos. 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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