THIELERT'S NEW 230 HP DIESEL AIRCRAFT ENGINE
Monday, Thielert Aircraft Engines announced at the Berlin Air Show intent to produce a new liquid-cooled turbocharged diesel-burning, FADEC-controlled single-lever-power 230 bhp engine, the Centurion 3.2. The engine is targeted for air-time in late 2007. Frank Thielert, CEO and founder of Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, said his goal was to offer a complete piston engine product line with, "New engines and engine integrations [that] will enable us in [the] future to cover the entire spectrum of piston aircraft engine technology." Those products -- the 150 bhp Centurion 1.7 (powering many Diamond DA42 Twin Star aircraft and burning 5.6 gph in economy cruise), the coming 230 bhp Centurion 3.2, and a 350 bhp Centurion 4.0 -- are supported by 111 service centers currently spanning 97 countries. The addition of more service centers is a company priority, as is Thielert's intent to make its 350 hp 4.0 available for multiple Cessnas. More...

SPACE TOURISM: SPACEPORT PROPOSALS PROLIFERATE
Although a passenger-carrying commercial spaceship has yet to fly, four serious proposals to develop spaceports for the tourist trade in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas are under review by the FAA, The Associated Press reported on Sunday. New Mexico already has a deal with Virgin Galactic to build a spaceport, expected to open in 2009. Texas has submitted two proposals -- Blue Origin, a space-tourism company, plans to develop a 165,000-acre site near El Paso and begin flight tests around 2012. A second Texas port would be on the Gulf Coast. The Oklahoma proposal, also pending FAA approval, would be sited at a former Air Force base that already has a 13,500-foot runway. More...

DOLLARS FOR DEVELOPMENT
States have plenty of economic incentive to push for the ports, according to the AP. Most are sited in desolate regions with little competition for development and a desperate need for jobs. A study commissioned by New Mexico predicted that its proposed port could bring in $750 million and create up to 5,800 jobs by 2020. Besides the launch infrastructure, the ports will require training facilities, luxury hotels and other services for passengers. The spaceports also can be designed to attract tourists beyond the few well-heeled flyers, generating even more jobs and revenue. In an effort to compete, the Mojave, Calif., airport recently asked the state for an $11 million loan to help build a hangar complex and terminal for space tourism -- a proposal that met with some resistance. More...

AIRSPACE COMPLICATIONS FOR PRIVATE SPACE LAUNCH
Although most of the proposed spaceports are in remote areas, AOPA has expressed concerns about airspace being closed down for frequent launches, especially at the Oklahoma site, which is currently used as a municipal airport. "For three hours during each launch ... 16 Victor airways could be closed. When combined with the two nearby military operations areas, a launch could severely limit the options for GA aircraft transiting across the entire state of Oklahoma," said Heidi Williams, AOPA director of air traffic services. The New Mexico site is also a concern, AOPA said. More...

EXCEL-JET -- A SPORT-JET'S FIRST FLIGHT
Excel-Jet, of Colorado Springs, Colo., flew its single-engine Sport-Jet for the first time last weekend, logging almost four hours in the air. "The Sport-Jet is proving to be very stable, quiet, and with excellent control harmony and feel," according to test pilot Ron McElroy. Takeoff rolls were less than 1,800 feet from the 6,000-foot-elevation airfield, designer Bob Bornhofen said. "Rotations are smooth at 65 knots, and Sport-Jet literally flies off the runway around 70 knots. Climb rates are almost 2,000 fpm," Bornhofen said. The tests were flown at less than full power, "so the real performance is still to come," he added. The company took delivery on the FJ-33 Williams engine less than two weeks before the first flight. More...

NEW LIFE, NEW JOB FOR PARIS JETS
Every so often we're reminded that there's nothing new under the sun -- or in the sky. A four-seat jet was developed by the French back in the 1950s. Refurbished models of the MS760x Paris Jet, complete with glass Chelton cockpits, now are being offered on the fractional market in Canada. JetSet Fractions, based in Burlington, Ontario, has 20 of them on order, and is selling shares at $60,000 for 25 hours per year -- monthly fees and hourly operating costs, of course, are extra. The twin-engine jets will cruise at 400 mph at 25,000 feet, JetSet says. A few of these jets have been trickling into the U.S. market in recent years, sometimes marketed as time-builders for VLJ owners who can't wait to take delivery on their new jets. More...

BERLIN AIR SHOW SHOWCASES GA
The Berlin Air Show opened Tuesday at Schoenefeld airfield, featuring what has become Europe's biggest exhibition of GA aircraft. General Aviation Avenue continues to expand its space for corporate, personal, and sport planes, and this year over 1,000 exhibitors from 40-plus countries will show 300 airplanes. The show also attracts commercial and military exhibitors, as well as rotorcraft. Just prior to the air show, an international conference was held on the situation of GA in Europe. Topics included navigation and air traffic control, new technologies, and the economic impact of the GA sector. More...

AVIATION FUEL: IN ALASKA, GAS PRICES HURT PILOTS
People who live in Alaska are accustomed to paying more for lots of things, but the price of avgas has been rising so steeply that it's having an impact on operations. Some fuel prices at Anchorage have almost doubled already this year, the Kenai Peninsula Clarion reported this week. "This is going to change the landscape of who is flying and who is not," Tim LaPorte, of Iliamna Air Service, told the newspaper. Prices of 100LL vary widely across the state, with some remote areas actually selling at some of the lowest prices. In isolated Homer, for example, fuel arrives on a barge just once a year, so 100LL was selling there recently at $3.93 while Anchorage was charging $4.49. Other airports, where fuel arrives weekly, have seen price hikes up to 20 cents per week. More...

UND FLYERS FIRST IN COLLEGE COMPETITION
Twenty-nine teams competed last week in the National Collegiate Flying Association's annual Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, hosted at Ohio State University. More than 400 students and 100 single-engine airplanes converged in Columbus to test their skills with short-field and power-off landings, message drops, E6B calculations and more. First-place honors went to the University of North Dakota. Embry-Riddle Prescott placed second and Western Michigan University finished third. The competition consists of 11 events -- four flying and seven on the ground -- that test a variety of piloting skills, with a special emphasis on safety. More...

POLITICS AND AIRPLANE CRASHES
The list of famous musicians killed in airplanes is a familiar one -- from Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper to John Denver -- but it seems politicians also have an unlucky record with GA flying. "It's push, push, push. We think we're so important and this admiring throng is waiting for us, we fly through thunderstorms and fog and whatever, thinking we can get there," former Sen. Lauch Faircloth, of North Carolina, a crash survivor, told The Twin Cities Pioneer Press. The list of politicians who have survived small-airplane crashes includes Senators Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Ted Stevens of Alaska. Among those who died are Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania, in 1991, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan in 2000, and Sen. Paul Wellstone, of Minnesota, in 2002. More...

CONTRACT DEADLINE LOOMING, NATCA EXPANDS PUBLIC OUTREACH
The clock is ticking for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), which is facing a June 5 deadline for Congress to take action, or else the FAA's contract will be unilaterally imposed on air traffic controllers. The union already has taken its case to the public via TV ads, but last week the union started a face-to-face campaign. At airports around the country, controllers handed out leaflets to the flying public, asking them to lobby their congressional representatives to support bills that would help NATCA's cause. The union told flyers that if Congress doesn't act, one in four controllers -- nearly 4,000 total -- could retire next year upon reaching their eligibility date, leading to staffing shortages and flight delays. More...

FLIGHT EXPLORER ADDS IFR ROUTES
Flight Explorer, the popular flight-tracking software company, announced an upgrade in capabilities this week with the release of Professional Edition 6.1. The new version offers extended route analysis and display capabilities and additional weather information, the company said in a news release. Beyond flight tracking, the system incorporates multiple data feeds, dynamic weather overlays, situational alerts and predictive weather and air traffic tools. For IFR flight planning, Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) can be displayed. Decoded Terminal Forecasts are now available. More...

ON THE FLY...
Cessna pilot caused a scare in Florida with transponder hijack code...
FAA revoked the operating certificate of American Air Network...
Month-old fire-bomber crashed in Saskatchewan, killing its pilot...
"Frankenstein" jet saves taxpayers $30 million...
Boeing denies it will take part in Japan's SST project...
Deadline near for nominations for NAA Public Benefit Flying Awards.
More...

PODCASTS
Coming, Friday: Check AVweb.com tomorrow and every Friday for feature interviews with the names making news in general aviation.
Online Now: Find exclusive interviews featuring Cirrus Design's Alan Klapmeier, FAA administrator Marion Blakey, and more. AVweb's Podcast index, is available online -- pick and choose your particular interets, or subscribe free to AVweb's podcasts and receive them automatically for listening on your computer, iPod, or while traveling with any MP3 player. You'll hear things you won't find anywhere else. 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
BRAINTEASERS
Quiz #107: SIGMET/AIRMET Savvy
Slam into a developing thunderstorm that shakes your dentures loose and you'll appreciate the significance of a good weather briefing. Or you can circumnavigate that learning step and test your severe weather planning skills here.

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...

FBO OF THE WEEK: MARTINSVILLE AIRPORT AUTHORITY

Nominate an FBO |Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to MARTINSVILLE AIRPORT AUTHORITY at KMTV, Martinsville, VA.

TED GULLIA wrote in to say, "FOR THE LAST 3-4 YEARS, I PLAN MY N-S TRIPS WITH A STOP AT MTV. ALTHOUGH I STOP 4-6 TIMES A YEAR (2-3 TRIPS, ONCE EACH WAY) I AM GREETED AS IF I WAS THEIR BEST CUSTOMER. I FLY A CHEROKEE ARROW SO MY FUEL PURCHASES HARDLY COMPARE WITH THE HEAVY IRON."

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!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Engines: With the rising cost of fuel, fears (founded or not) that 100LL may one day dry up, and production problems hitting long-established manufacturers, how do you feel about diesel piston-engines? PLUS: Results of last week's question on the U.K. report on UFOs. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK
One of our favorite mathematical principles is starting to kick in this week:  As time approaches summer in the U.S., the number of submissions to our "Picture of the Week" contest increases dramatically.  The number tipped back over 100 this week — with the most variety we've seen in "POTW" entries all year long.  In fact, there were surprisingly few sunset photos or air show photos (our two most popular types of entries) this week.  And that explains why we couldn't resist naming Frank Santoro of Missouri this week's top winner. Frank's clever captioning would've made him a contender on any week, but in this batch of light-hearted and widely-varied photos, his "portable autopilot" seemed to sum up the fun-filled spring fever that's making the rounds on many airstrips and here in our own offices.  Congratulations, Frank — we'll be sending you an official AVweb baseball cap in the next couple of days.  (Your autopilot will have to get his own.) 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 Mary Grady (bio).

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