AVERAGE PILOT AGE INCREASING -- ACCIDENTS, TOO
Statistics compiled by The Associated Press suggest that the older you are, the harder you'll fall. The news gathering organization pored over FAA and NTSB records and determined that pilots older than 50 have a significantly greater chance of crashing than younger pilots. The stats perhaps take on even greater significance considering the fact that the average age of pilots is now 47. The AP report also found that the accident rate went up with age, and that those in their 60s were at a roughly proportional greater risk of crashing. Older pilots were also in more fatal accidents. More...

CRASH STATISTICS, FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
According to the AP's research, pilots older than 50 were involved in 55.8 percent of accidents over a five-year period even though they constitute only 36.8 percent of certificated pilots. And, apparently, the older a pilot gets, the greater the risk. Pilots between the ages of 50 and 59 had 26.4 percent of accidents, marginally higher than their percentage of the pilot population, which is about 22.1 percent, but those 60 and older had 23.6 percent of accidents even though they make up only 14.7 percent of certificated pilots. The research also determined that those under 50 consistently had proportionately fewer accidents throughout the five-year sample period. More...

REGS AND AGE PUT SPOTLIGHT ON SPORT PILOT
The report pays more than passing attention to the recently-introduced sport pilot certificate, noting it allows pilots of "low and slow" light sport aircraft (LSA) to skip the biannual trip to an aviation medical examiner and use a driver's license as proof of medical fitness. The report says the new certificate "made it easier for graying pilots to obtain and keep licenses to fly certain smaller planes." However, AOPA President Phil Boyer pointed out that all pilots, regardless of age or certificate level, are responsible for self-certifying their medical fitness before every flight. The report noted that a valid medical may not always be proof of flight fitness and cited reports of pilots and doctors who had falsified medical records. Meanwhile, the FAA's top doctor says medical incapacity continues to be a minor factor in accidents. More...

ACCIDENTS -- END OF THE DOWNWARD TREND?
Accident statistics in 2005 bucked a hopeful trend that developed over the past few years but there are still some bright spots in the totals. In its preliminary report for 2005, the NTSB reported last week that the total number of aircraft accidents went up in 2005 over the previous year but the number of fatalities was significantly less. "The increase in accidents is disappointing," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker, "but the decrease in total fatalities is a hopeful sign. Overall, it is clear that we need to maintain a strong focus on safety in all segments of the aviation community." Fatalities dropped from 636 to 600. More...

GA CRASH STATS RISE SIGNIFICANTLY FOR 2005
AOPA's Air Safety Foundation (ASF) does an exhaustive assessment of aircraft accidents each year called the Nall Report but it's a year behind. That's because it tries to include as many NTSB final reports as possible and it usually takes the NTSB six months to a year to complete a file. For 2004, 82 percent of the reports used in the Nall stats were from final reports and the ASF says that's enough to give an accurate picture of what it was like in 2004. It's difficult to compare the two sources, however, because the ASF apparently has different criteria for what constitutes a GA accident. It gave the total number of GA accidents in 2004 as 1413 with 290 of them fatal. More...

TIGER AWAITING FURTHER INVESTMENT
The Catch-22 that often afflicts capital-intensive businesses like aircraft manufacturers has apparently affected production at Tiger Aircraft. The Martinsburg Journal reported last week that the company needs more money from its investors to ramp up production and meet demand for the sporty touring aircraft first made by Grumman in the 1970s. The West Virginia plant has been making airplanes since 2002 but in December of 2005 it laid off eight of 28 employees despite a fat order book. "Right now I have the biggest backlog (of customers) in the company's history," President Gene Criss said. But without another cash infusion, Tiger can't boost production to meet the demand. "It takes money to make money," Criss said. He said he expects things to turn around in the next few months. More...

TRANSPORT CANADA PROBES AIR TAXI SAFETY
Transport Canada has announced it intends to carry out a "full review" of air taxi operators in the West Coast province of British Columbia after six accidents killed 14 people in a 13-month span. Merlin Preuss, director general for civil aviation, told the Vancouver Sun that he's already ordered his staff to look into the string of accidents, which some in the industry say may just be an anomaly. "When you get that number, we start asking ourselves some questions," Preuss said. "We're sitting here fat, dumb and happy, if you like and then all of a sudden we get this spate of stuff going on on the Pacific Coast. We have no conclusions yet." B.C.'s coast is bordered by rugged mountains with numerous inlets and islands, and weather can be horrific, but Preuss indicated that cultural factors within the industry will also be probed. He told The Sun that air taxi operations often employ pilots "fresh out of training school." More...

ICE LIMITATIONS IRK CARAVAN OPERATORS
An Airworthiness Directive (AD) affecting operations in ice by Cessna Caravan operators is getting a cold reception from some. An industry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AVweb Friday that a section of the AD requiring pilots to exit icing conditions if they observe a build-up of greater than a quarter of an inch on the wing strut will be challenged by operators. "That seems to be very conservative," the source said. He noted that a quarter of an inch of ice on a strut wouldn't necessarily translate to a similar amount on lifting surfaces on the plane, which has pneumatic boots and is certified for flight into known icing. The FAA issued its latest AD on Caravan icing last Thursday, a month after the NTSB issued safety recommendations on the subject. More...

ADIZ PROMPTS AIRPORT EXPANSION
It's a general rule that if there are losers there must be winners and Cambridge-Dorchester County Airport in Maryland is planning to take full advantage of the challenges faced by its neighbors. The airport is just outside the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and traffic counts have been up considerably since the imposition of the complication-inducing restrictions at other airports. Operations increased by about 15 percent last year, largely due to an influx of recreational pilots skirting the zone. Now the local county council is hoping to attract charter operations by lengthening the runway. More...

AEROBATICS AREA PRESERVED, RULE'S INTERPRETATION REFINED
EAA says the FAA has backed off on its interpretation of an airspace designation that would have closed an aerobatic area near Minneapolis. In fact, as a private individual, Robert Hucker, of Lakeville, Minn., had better luck convincing the agency of the error of its ways than EAA, whose similar arguments were rejected by the FAA seven years ago. FAA practice had been to ban aerobatics anywhere "within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of a Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E designated for an airport." It got Hucker's attention because the agency recently expanded Class B airspace around Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from 20 nm to 30 nm, encompassing a well-used aerobatic area 25 nm southwest of MSP. But Hucker successfully argued that because the aerobatic areas was under the floor elevation of the Class B, the ban shouldn't apply because the airspace doesn't actually contact the "surface" of the earth. More...

BUSINESS AVIATION SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED
While the airlines have seen their share of tumult in recent years, corporate and business aviation has seen steady growth. Now, Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) is hoping to steer more young pilots and support personnel in their direction through sponsorship of several scholarships. The scholarships are open to men and women. "Applicants should be actively working toward their goal and show financial need," says a news release issued by the group. The scholarships will be awarded at the National Business Aviation Association's convention in Orlando next October. Deadline for applications is June 30. More...

CLARIFICATION
A story in the March 16 edition concerning John Cox's report on the dangers posed by electrical fires on aircraft may have left the incorrect impression with readers that the report indicates a greater risk associated with modern fly-by-wire aircraft. The report did not compare fly-by-wire and conventional aircraft in-flight fire risk, Cox told AVweb. More...

ON THE FLY...
Steve Fossett last week flew GlobalFlyer 25,000 miles in about 74 hours...
RV-6 pilot set to begin cancer research fund raising circumnavigation...
Concorde fans hope to restore one of the aircraft to flight status. 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...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SHELBYVILLE
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" contest is sponsored by Aviation Safety magazine, the monthly journal of risk management and accident prevention.

Thanks to all the pilots and AVweb readers who took time to nominate their favorite FBOs in our "FBO of the Week" contest. From nearly 50 nominations, today's ribbon finds its target in Tennessee.

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Shelbyville Municipal Airport at KSYI in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

Marc Meuller wrote us to say, "Shelbyville is run by a pilot who knows how to make pilots feel welcome" ... "tie down is free" ... and "fuel prices are the lowest in the area." Keep those nominations coming. AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBO's in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday! More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
Motor Head #12: Troubleshooting 101 -- Never Give Up, Never Surrender
It takes patience and tenacity to build an airplane. And a bit of luck and a lot of skill (and help) to do it in less than three weeks. But if you try to rush the troubleshooting when finishing, you may take longer and cost more, as AVweb's Marc Cook explains in this month's Motor Head column.

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COLUMNS
Probable Cause #2: Rusty Skills
The FAA mandates a minimum amount of flight time in various conditions to remain "current," but good pilots know those minimums are just that: the minimum. In this week's Probable Cause column we look at an accident where the pilot was both inexperienced and not current. This report first appeared in AVweb's sister publication, Aviation Safety.

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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 user fees, POTW quiz, TSA secrets 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...

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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