AIRSPACE PROPOSALS GATHERING STEAM IN D.C.
The overwhelming sentiment of more than 20,000 written comments and dozens of personal presentations at two public meetings is that the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) surrounding Washington, D.C., is an operational, legal, safety and economic boondoggle that does almost nothing to enhance security and therefore should be scrapped. Well, that isn't going to happen. But there are some (vaguely) encouraging signs that voices opposed to a permanent ADIZ may have permeated the inner rings of the nation's security apparatus. It's even possible that some common-sense revisions may be in the works. Sources privy to some of the details spoke to AVweb on condition of anonymity, but what they tell us is that the frustration of operating in the restricted airspace may be reduced. More...

A NEW SHAPE FOR THE ADIZ (THINK ROUND)
The permanent zone that will likely result from all this is almost certain to be round, or close to it. The current "Mickey Mouse ears" shape of the ADIZ invites navigational error and also makes it tough on those monitoring the airspace. Just how big the circle should be is another matter. GA proponents say 20 miles should be plenty. The security folks (who are really running this show) say bigger is better. And while a big donut hole should be a lot easier for pilots to avoid, smoothing out the shape of the zone may mean capturing some airports that now lie free between Mickey's ears. Those likely will not go down without a fight. Another proposal frequently floated during the hearings involved GA corridors -- another proposal that probably won't happen. More...

MAKING IT WORK -- THE POLITICS OF SECURE AIRSPACE
If anything positive (for GA) results from this process, it will be that all the stakeholders will better understand each other's realities and goals and that should lead to some streamlining of the operational aspects of the new zone. That may mean adding capacity to the Potomac TRACON to deal specifically with the extra workload (which might be a touchy subject between the FAA and controllers at the moment). And with permanence comes familiarity. With the zone as a fixture, there should come a time when pilots simply cope with it as they would any of a hundred things that might require their attention on a cross-country flight ... sort of like how a dog gets used to an invisible electrified fence, maybe. But there's been talk of technological solutions, too. More...

FIRST CUSTOMER ECLIPSE 500 ON THE LINE
The very first customer who will fly away an Eclipse (no, it's not Bill Gates) took a personal interest in the creation of his airplane in a ceremony at the company's Albuquerque headquarters late last week. David Crowe, described only as a pilot and businessman, started the friction stir welding machine as it began work on his jet. The company's current certification projections target June 30 for FAA certification and Sept. 29 for completion of natural icing flight tests. Crowe, who put down his deposit in May of 2000, praised the dedication of the company and its employees for seeing the creation of the airplane to this point. "Folks who work here are not just punching timecards -- I can feel that every time I visit," he said. Eclipse line workers, and hundreds more who will join them, are now rolling up their sleeves to get 130 of the airplanes built by the end of the year, according to The Associated Press. More...

VLJ MARKET SHAPING UP
Eclipse spokesman Andrew Broom told reporters that by 2008 the company should be stir-welding about 1,000 of the six-place twinjets each year (the order book is now 2,400 strong) to fill a demand that could see 15,000 very light jets (VLJs) in the air by the end of the decade. "It depends on what the market bears," Broom told The Associated Press. Aviation consultant Michael Boyd said he predicts there will be a "stampede" of customers for the very light jets that are soon coming to the market. Cessna hopes to have ready for customers its Mustang (and Adam its A700) by year-end. All this while one new contender (currently flying its research prototype, the Spectrum 33) already has plans to vault the revolutionary field to the next level of performance economy and comfort. More...

THOUSANDS OF LITTLE JETS AND THE AIRSPACE SYSTEM
As David Crowe's Eclipse 500 was beginning life, there were some furrowed brows in Washington wondering what his future flying activity, and that of thousands of others in the very light jet (VLJ) fraternity, will do to (or for) the aviation industry. "We're on the cusp of a new business model," FAA planner Nana Shellaberger told hundreds of aviation industry leaders at the agency's annual Forecast Conference last Tuesday. "We think this growth is more than somebody's pipe dream," added Sharon L. Pinkerton, another FAA planner who said the agency predicts about 1,650 mini jets will be sharing the flight levels by the end of the decade (others say it could be double that). As long as they generally steer clear of the big hubs (as the VLJ industry fully intends to do) it shouldn't be much of a problem. More...

PAYING FOR CONGESTED AIRSPACE
As AVweb reported on Thursday, the nation's airlines have agreed to a user-fee formula that they'll be using to lobby the FAA and Congress in a bid to reduce their own costs. And if the FAA (and the White House) are already leaning in the user-fee direction, that leaves GA as a voice in the wilderness. "When the FAA and all the airlines are in total agreement about something, it's not usually good for general aviation," opines AOPA in its assessment of the Forecast Conference. What it may lack in lobbying power at FAA headquarters AOPA makes up for in political clout, and this battle is destined for the floor of Congress, where there have already been some spirited skirmishes. More...

RUNWAY HOLDS BANNED?
Taxi-into-position-and-hold (TIPH) (scroll down to 3-9-4) clearances can speed up operations but they can also put aircraft in direct conflict if things go awry and recent stirrings suggest the FAA may be moving toward a nationwide ban on the practice. According to numerous e-mails received by AVweb, the practice will officially end March 20, but FAA sources weren't able to confirm that for AVweb prior to this publication. Already commenting, however, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association says the ban will have something opposite of the desired effect on safety. NATCA spokesman Doug Fralick said eliminating TIPH will make it much more difficult for controllers to judge how much time is needed to ensure the runway is clear for the next aircraft on approach, ultimately decreasing an airport's flights-per-hour capacity while adding more variables to a controller's equation. More...

CRASH PILOT WAS ON CELLPHONE
The pilot of a Cessna 182 that was flying between 120 and 140 mph, at night, and low, over an interstate highway, was talking on his cellphone when the plane's wing was sheared off by electrical wires, according to the NTSB's preliminary report. Benjamin R. Hicklin, of Spottswood, Va., was talking with his partner in the airplane, a truck driver who was driving his tractor trailer on I-81 near Weyers Cave, Va., when the plane, which was maneuvering nearby, hit the wires and crashed into another truck hauling cars on the same highway. Hicklin, 30, was an ATP with more than 4,000 hours. He died in the crash, which occurred about 11:15 p.m. on Feb. 23. More...

SCRAP-HEAP HELICOPTERS RESOLD?
A Kansas company has been charged with fixing a helicopter (that had crashed and been submerged in the ocean) with parts from another helicopter (that had also crashed) and then selling the chopper to a Niagara Falls sightseeing company, which used it to carry passengers. A federal grand jury indicted Robert A. Schlotzhauer, 66, owner of Lee's Summit-based Falcon Helicopter Inc. (not to be confused with a Colorado company with a similar name) for, among other things, not following FAA regs and using non-certificated mechanics to assemble wrecked helicopters into saleable, but not necessarily airworthy, condition. Schlotzhauer "unduly placed at risk prospective pilots and passengers of two helicopters as a result of the fraud scheme," reads a written statement from U.S. Attorney Todd Graves quoted in the Kansas City Star. More...

SUNKEN B-29 "OPEN" TO PUBLIC
A B-29 that has kept its Cold War secrets 200 feet below the surface of the Overton arm of Nevada's Lake Mead for almost 60 years will soon be open to the public -- members of the public that are qualified to use rebreathing equipment for those depths. Although the wreck was found five years ago, the National Park Service, which "owns" the bomber, had declared it off limits to even those few visitors who might be able to venture near it. The ban is expected to be lifted soon. The B-29 was conducting "atmospheric tests" that required it to alternate between minimum altitude and 30,000 feet when, according to an Air Force accident report, a faulty altimeter may have contributed to the pilot's taking the minimum altitude a little too low. The plane was skimming the glassy surface of the lake at 230 mph when it touched the surface, ripping off three engines. More...

JAVELIN TEST FLIGHTS CONTINUE
The only VLJ with optional ejection seats (standard if you buy the military version) continues to successfully perform in the early stages of its flight test program. The fighter-like ATG Javelin recently cycled its gear in flight for the first time. Speeds ranged between 130 and 180 knots and a series of 30-degree bank turns were done to assess stability. It was the first flight in several months for the prototype, which was being upgraded to include a (handy to have) manual gear extension and new (more slippery) canopy. The company also claims that its "market share" is up 37 percent and that development continues apace. More...

RUSSIAN PILOTS BATTLE SHOOT-FIRST LAW
You can bet Russian airline pilots are extra careful with their transponder settings these days after the government passed a law allowing hijacked aircraft to be shot down in the name of security. Perhaps putting the law in context with Russian military action exhibited in recent bouts with terrorists, pilots have written President Vladimir Putin asking that the law be reconsidered. According to The Jurist, a publication of the University of Pittsburgh's law school, the pilots believe they'd be under quite enough stress from the hijacking without having to worry about the good guys coming after them, too. "The pilots fear such a policy will reduce flight safety as pilots' 'physiological and emotional state' would be drastically impaired," the Jurist writes. More...

ON THE FLY...
Locked up C-182 stolen in Arizona...
New air routes spark opposition in Jersey...
Heathrow spending $800 million in A380 improvements...
New Mexico approved $110 million for spaceport. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
What have you heard? There might be something to it. If you've heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to know about, don't be shy. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. Our best stories start with you. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
Probable Cause #1: Breakup In Flight
AVweb introduces a twice-monthly column investigating accidents and presenting lessons learned from them. This week in Probable Cause, we look at whether a faulty switch brought down a twin-turboprop. Quick recognition and a thorough scan could possibly have saved the day. This report first appeared in AVweb's sister publication, IFR Refresher.

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WHAT'S NEW
What's New -- Products and Services for March 2006
This month AVweb's survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings you a Swiss army knife with altimeter, windscreen treatment, classic aircraft skill training, tools, TAWs and more.

More...

READER FEEDBACK ON AVWEB'S NEWS COVERAGE AND FEATURE ARTICLES ...
Reader feedback on AVweb's news coverage and feature articles:
http://www.avweb.com/avmail/

Reader mail this week about ATC, D.C. airspace, round-engine nostalgia and more.

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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...

SHORT FINAL...
Overheard late last Friday night at my local non-towered airport...

C-G1234: Unicom, request Airport Advisory.

Unicom: Sorry, say again your sign?

C-G1234: I'm a Gemini. I like candle-light dinners and long walks on the beach ... but I don't see what that has to do with anything, right now. More...

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

Today's issue was written by news writer Russ Niles (bio).

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