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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News
Coverage At AVweb's
NewsWire. MICHIGAN
FLY-IN TOLD TO EXPECT BILL FOR ATC
Organizers of a small but
growing fly-in at Alleghan Airport, near Grand Rapids, Mich., say the
FAA intends to charge them $3,200 to set up and staff a temporary tower
for their event in late June. Andy Millin, one of the organizers of the
West Michigan Fly-In, told AVweb this week that, barring a change
of heart from the feds, his group will scrape together the money because
they believe the tower is essential to the safe running of the event.
"We're not willing to take the chance," Millin said. But by writing that
check, Millin said he understands the watershed precedent the group will
be setting. "The tower is clearly a safety measure and is well within
the mandate of the FAA," Millin said. "We would like to refuse the
payment as we feel this is the service the FAA is supposed to be there
for. However, this is a genuine safety consideration and we just can't
roll the dice on this one." More... FAA
COMMITTED TO SAFETY ... AT A REASONABLE COST
Millin said that
local FAA officials tried to cancel the deployment of the temporary
tower last year, citing budgetary concerns. A concerted protest by EAA,
fly-in officials and the controllers themselves prompted the agency to
relent. However, this year, after Millin sent his standard request for
the service, he got a letter from Nancy B. Kort, the FAA's area director
for central terminal operations, saying that free temporary tower
services are a thing of the past. "Due to increased demands on our FAA
facilities to manage resources and account for all expenses, we are
asking you and all sponsors requesting our services to reimburse the FAA
for these costs," she wrote. "We are committed to providing safety
services at a reasonable cost and look forward to working with you in
the future." More... WILL
PAY-PER-SERVICE SPREAD?
Millin said he believes his fly-in is
the thin edge of the wedge and that charging for these types of services
could become the norm throughout the country if the practice isn't
stopped immediately. In fact, he said FAA officials he's spoken with are
predicting that major events, such as EAA AirVenture and Sun 'n Fun,
will be asked to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the FAA for ATC
services starting in 2007. Messages left for FAA spokesmen in the Great
Lakes Region weren't returned but EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said his
organization has heard nothing about being charged for the so-called
"World's Busiest Tower" historically manned by volunteers at AirVenture.
And he said EAA's position on such a notion is clear. "That would be a
user fee and EAA's position is that it opposes user fees," he told
AVweb. More... |
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ETHANOL-MIX
PUSH THREATENS MOGAS USE
It looks like the future of mogas
use in airplanes is limited unless something is done to reduce the
U.S.'s growing preference for ethanol as a fuel additive. Most states
are considering laws requiring up to 10 percent ethanol in all or most
automotive gasoline and the federal government seems poised to make it
easier for oil companies to make the switch by reducing, suspending or
even canceling a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol (which is
generally a lot cheaper than the domestic variety). That's bad news for
aircraft owners who've obtained supplementary type certificates (STCs)
allowing the use of automotive fuel in their engines. Ethanol-blended
fuels are not permitted under the STCs. More... 100LL
NOT SUBJECT TO ETHANOL BLENDING
With ethanol in the news so
much, some aircraft owners are apparently concerned that avgas will also
be getting a shot of alcohol. That isn't going to happen, according to
Woody Cahall, AOPA's vice president of aviation services. "Members are
concerned that ethanol is being added to avgas, which could adversely
affect engine operation. Ethanol is not being added to avgas," Cahall
said in a statement. But he acknowledged that those with mogas STCs,
particularly those with older aircraft designed for the old 80 octane
avgas, may find trouble because they aren't allowed to use alcohol
blends. Although the use of ethanol is becoming more widespread, EAA has
made some headway in easing the impact on aircraft owners.
More... |
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LESS
THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE BIG SHOW
You know spring is here
when the AirVenture NOTAM is published. The bible for those
planning on flying to the world's biggest fly-in (July 24-30) is a
must-read for everyone making the trip by air -- even if they've done it
a dozen times before. Chances are, if you're reading this you'll simply
download the online version but hard-copy pamphlets are available for
free, also. Since channeling thousands of aircraft, ranging from
gyrocopters to airliners, into a single airport in a compressed time
period is an evolving art, there are always a few changes to the
procedures and this year is no exception. More... ATTRACTIONS
GALORE
Last year's event is a tough act to follow
(SpaceShipOne, GlobalFlyer, HondaJet) but aviation is such a diverse
endeavor, and AirVenture such a huge show, that there's never any
shortage of things that you just can't see anywhere else. For instance,
warbird buffs will be pleased to know that one of the largest gatherings
of World War II heavy bombers will be at this year's show. One of two
flying examples of the Lancaster bomber left in the world will be making
the trip from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to join a B-29, a
B-24 and up to five B-17s at AirVenture. And, can you believe the most
popular airplane of all time turns 50 this year? More... |
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Don't Pass Up the Chance to Receive a $50
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entered to win one of ten $50 gift certificates to Sporty's. Click here to access survey.
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AIR
SHOW "EVICTIONS" RECANTED
Organizers of the Monaco Air Duluth Airshow are getting a hard-won
lesson in public relations after their president told the owners of six
homes bordering the airport they'd have to be somewhere else during the
show. Ryan Kern told the six families that since their houses were in
the air show box, they'd have to leave home from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
for each of the three days (July 5-7) of the performance (he did offer
them air show passes), according to the Duluth News Tribune. Well, the
good folks of Lavacque Road in Hermantown, Minn., are reasonable folks
who don't appear to want to spoil anyone's fun but they did kind of balk
at Kern's apparently self-imposed powers of eviction. The local police
also noted that private property rights supersede the air show's
operational challenges. Fortunately, cooler heads (and a little spending
money) prevailed. More... PILOTS
NEEDED: TRAVEL REQUIRED
It may be the ultimate irony that
airline pilots can easily find lucrative jobs -- as long as they're
willing to travel. According to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, American pilots are flying
the coop on cash-starved, morale-depressed, pension-gutting domestic
carriers and landing high-paying jobs in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Former U.S. Airways pilot Brian Murray now works for Emirates Airlines
and says it's like returning to the Golden Age of aviation in the U.S.
He told the Journal that pilots are "treated with respect in this part
of the world. We're driven to work. We're put in four- and five-star
hotels, on the concierge floors. Captains are treated as vice presidents
of the organization." And there's no shortage of work.
More... |
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The Best Aviation Weather Service for Cell
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FLYING
CHEAPER THAN DRIVING?
Vacationers heading for the open road
this summer might want to pick a route to their local airport. With gas
prices topping $3 a gallon, airfare on some routes might be cheaper than
driving or close enough in cost that the speed and convenience will tip
the balance. "With the price of gas, you have to evaluate closely
whether you're saving much by not flying," Stan Gadek, chief financial
officer of AirTran Airways, told Knight Ridder Newspapers. Although fuel
prices have driven up airfares, there's still fierce competition on
well-traveled routes. But checking airfares shouldn't be your only
mathematical exercise. It could be that flying yourself will be
comparable to driving. More... "HERO"
PILOT INDICTED
A former Vietnam helicopter pilot hailed as a
hero for his emergency landing of a DC-3 on a residential street
in Ft. Lauderdale last year is facing 20 charges relating to what
authorities discovered in the plane. The DC-3 was carrying a load of
granite bound for the Bahamas when it went down. Authorities
subsequently discovered there was no customs paperwork with the rock and
they also allege that pilot Charles Riggs doesn't have the FAA's
authorization to fly cargo to the Bahamas, something they claim he'd
done numerous times in the two years prior to the accident. The most
serious charge is the lack of customs declaration but Riggs' lawyer,
Chris Mancini, said Riggs intended to stop at a nearby airport to get
the form. "They'll never prove that he intended to violate the law in
any way," Mancini told The Associated Press. More... |
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Exxon Elite Prevents Piston Engine
WearAircraft owners often ask "How do I know how well my
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one brand -- Exxon Aviation Oil Elite 20W-50 -- is most
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TEENAGE
AIRPLANE THIEF GETS PROBATION
A 16-year-old Tennessee boy who
took a Piper Cherokee on a wild joyride last Feb. 1, possibly to impress
his girlfriend, has been put on a year's probation by a youth court.
Nathan Frost, of Rockvale, has also been ordered not to apply for a
pilot certificate until he's 18. The boy pleaded guilty to reckless
endangerment, theft of a truck, attempted burglary and vandalizing a
mailbox in the spectacular example of teenage drama that culminated with
a pre-dawn buzzing of a neighborhood. Among the witnesses were amazed
sheriff's deputies who said it was like watching an air show and
described the boy as a "good pilot." More... FAA
INVESTIGATES LANDING AT CLOSED AIRPORT
A Boise, Idaho, pilot
can expect a call from the FAA (if he hasn't already had one) after
authorities in Sun Valley reported that an aircraft landed on a runway,
littered with heavy equipment, that had been closed for some extension
work. But, according to SunValleyonline, what particularly annoyed the
folks at Friedman Field was that the pilot declared a fuel emergency to
justify his April 27 landing and then took off again, from the same
closed runway, without taking on any fuel. The airport operations
manager told the news service the pilot took off "without clearance,
without approval and in defiance of the airport manager's directive." In
the meantime, he'd dropped off a passenger (believed to be his sister)
who grabbed a cab and left the airport. More... |
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Doc Blue's Emergency Medical Kit -- Don't
Leave Home Without It!Do you carry a first-aid kit in
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kits are packed with mostly useless stuff. Dr. Blue has assembled a
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traveler, pilot, outdoorsman, and dad. It would cost more than $500 to
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ON
THE FLY...
Vietnam-era carrier will be sunk as
reef...
Seawind says it took nine orders at Sun 'n
Fun...
Diamandis to get Lindbergh Award. More... PODCASTS
Online
Now: Take today's news with you via AVweb's downloadable
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AVweb's Podcast index, is available online -- pick and
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player. You'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.
More... |
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FBO
OF THE WEEK: AIRFLITE
Nominate an FBO |Rules
| Tips | Questions
| Winning
FBOs AVweb's "FBO of
the Week" ribbon goes to AIRFLITE at KLGB, Long Beach,
Calif. TED MONCURE wrote in to say, "AIRFLITE HAS THE
HIGHEST STANDARDS OF CUSOTOMER SERVICE. THEY LITERALLY ROLL OUT THE RED
CARPET WHEN YOU ARRIVE, WHETHER YOU ARE IN A GV OR A 172. THEIR FACILITY
IS TOP NOTCH, AND EVERYONE HAS A SMILE ON THEIR FACE." Keep those nominations
coming. Click
here to nominate your favorite FBO and here for complete contest
rules 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... |
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DA40 Diamond Star a Fleet
FavoriteAirline Transport Professionals, Beijing PanAm,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University CAPT, Empire Aviation, Middle
Tennessee State University, and Utah Valley State College -- all
have selected the G1000-equipped DA40 Diamond Star. For value,
efficiency, and safety, the DA40 is the fleet favorite. For more
information, click here.
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NEW
ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
CEO of the
Cockpit #57: Mentors
Don't let experienced pilots convince you
they got where they are solely through their own efforts. All good
pilots had folks who helped them out along the way, including AVweb's
CEO of the Cockpit. 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,
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Business AVflash is a must read. Watch for a Business AVflash regular
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More... |
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AVWEB APPRECIATES YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
OF OUR SPONSORS,
WHO BRING YOU TODAY'S NEWS AND FEATURES AT NO COST
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SHORT
FINAL...
While working as a controller at Ellsworth Approach
Control in the 80's, I heard this exchange. ATC: Western
474, Ellsworth Approach Control is utilizing a certain phase of the
radar called circular polarization, which allows us to depict only the
most severe areas of weather on the radar display. [Long
Pause...] Western 474: Approach, say again,
please. [Without error, ATC repeated the alert, (which I had never
heard before!)] [Second Long Pause...] Western 474:
Approach, we don't know what's going on down there, but the co-pilot
seems to think that somebody just circumsized a polar bear.
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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Freedom, independence, responsibility.
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