FAA TO ALLOW MILITARY UAVS IN CIVILIAN AIRSPACE
The FAA and the Air Force have reached a preliminary agreement on procedures that would allow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to be deployed in civilian airspace during emergencies, InsideDefense.com reported last week. "If a national disaster is declared, we will be able to use unmanned aerial systems such as Predator and Global Hawk over a disaster area," said Maj. Gen. Scott Mayes. The UAVs would likely be used to provide real-time images and data to first responders and relief efforts. The FAA has softened its stand that UAVs must have "see and avoid" capability before being allowed to share the civilian airspace, according to Inside Defense. More...

IN EUROPE AND CANADA, PLANS ARE UNDERWAY
Last week in Paris, a conference on UAVs worked to hash out plans for integrating the vehicles into civilian airspace by 2008. Four demonstration projects are currently being planned, focusing on affordability, propulsion, logistics and an integrated system demonstration, Flight International reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, Canada's Department of National Defence is working to award a contract by the middle of next year for five systems of between six and 10 UAVs each to be in service by 2008. The systems would comprise four offshore operations: one each located on Canada's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, one in the north and one for training purposes, Flight International reported. More...

IN L.A., THEY'RE ALREADY HERE
The Los Angeles area has some of the busiest airspace in the world, so when reports began to surface that the Sheriff's Department was evaluating a four-pound UAV to use for surveillance, pilots quickly raised an alarm. Staff at AOPA rang the FAA, and the FAA quickly made it clear to the sheriff that as a public operator, a certificate of authorization and an experimental airworthiness certificate would be required to fly a UAV, regardless of size, in the National Airspace System. Those are the same rules that apply to the larger UAVs being flown by the military and Department of Homeland Security. But the case is not closed. More...

INCREASED SAFETY MARGIN REQUIRED FOR SNOWY CONDITIONS
Winter is still a long way off, but jet operators need to think about it now, in light of a new policy published by the FAA last week. The policy mandates that jet operators -- whether operating under Part 91, 123, 125 or 135 -- must have a plan by Sept. 1 to ensure that a full-stop landing -- with at least a 15-percent safety margin beyond the actual landing distance -- can be made on the runway to be used, in the conditions existing at the time of arrival. The policy means that if conditions deteriorate while en route, the crew or dispatcher must refigure the landing minimums, and divert if the conditions can't be met. The policy results from the overrun of a Southwest 737 at Midway last winter, in which a 6-year-old boy was killed when the jet ran off the runway onto a road and hit a car. More...

IMPACT ON BUSINESS JETS: NBAA OPPOSES FAA ACTION
Both the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) have already expressed opposition to the FAA's rule and its method of announcing it. NATA President James Coyne called it "an abusive interpretation of the regulations," and called on the FAA to use the standard rulemaking procedures and solicit comment from industry. NBAA agreed, and also found fault with the nature of the change. "The proposal suggests that only one factor -- runway landing distance -- matters in aircraft landings," spokesman Dan Hubbard told AVweb on Tuesday. "In fact, a whole host of factors are involved, including pilot judgment, aircraft weight and other aspects of landing." More...

A BUST FOR MIDWAY, A BOON FOR VLJS?
Worries already are spreading that older airports in the wintry parts of the country could be hard hit by the changes, though airport operators so far are denying it. More flights could be cancelled or be forced to divert. One side effect of the policy, if it does prove problematic, is that it could make smaller jets more attractive to business flyers. If CEOs are having to divert in their big Gulfstreams and Citations, will they take another look at nimble little Adam, Cessna and Eclipse jets? Aviation expert Joe Schwieterman of DePaul University told CBS2 in Chicago that the new procedures will require tough choices to be made quickly under stressful conditions. More...

"CIRRUS KILLER" TO BE UNVEILED IN NOVEMBER?
One of the U.S.'s leading aviation gear dealers says he's been told the long-awaited next-generation Cessna single will be unveiled at AOPA Expo in Palm Springs next November. Hal Shevers, of Sporty's Pilot Shop, told AVweb that Cessna "announced" the unveiling recently but it's not clear to whom that announcement was made. Messages left with the Cessna communications department were not immediately returned. Shevers made the comment as part of a wide-ranging in-depth podcast interview that you can hear in its entirety on Friday. Shevers, who's never one to pull punches on aviation topics, has plenty to say about the TSA, the FAA, user fees and the fizzle he thinks the very light jet market will be. More...

FAA AND NATCA, FAR FROM THE LAST WORD
We had asked the FAA to comment for our Monday issue on the latest remarks from NATCA President John Carr ("we will fight") regarding the failure of Congress to act on the FAA-controller contract, but when we heard back from spokesman Geoffrey Basye it was after deadline. He told us, "From Day One the FAA has adhered to the legal framework guiding the negotiations process; a framework already established by Congress in 1996. That process has wrapped up and effective Monday, June 5, in accordance with law, the FAA announced that it would move promptly to implement the new contract, which raises current average compensation and benefits for controllers from $165,900 to $187,000. So to close on this point, the FAA did not 'snub' Congress, it followed, in a good-faith manner, the established law set by Congress in 1996," Basye said. More...

CHURCH VS. GA -- WIN ONE, LOSE ONE
While one church in Arkansas is glad to see a neighboring airfield shut down, a congregation in South Dakota goes out its way to invite airplanes in to visit. In Benton, Ark., the congregation at Holland Chapel reluctantly took down its steeple some 20 years ago to accommodate the traffic pattern at the GA airport next door. Last week, the Chapel bought the airfield, putting in a bid for $850,000, and now plans to replace the steeple. A bigger airport is being built nearby. Meanwhile, Dave Klawiter, pastor of a separate (Lutheran) church in Springdale, S.D., closed a road on Sunday to let an assortment of small airplanes and a helicopter land and entertain the flock. More...

NTSB FINDING REASSESSED -- CASE TO REOPEN, DECADES AFTER...
When a Piedmont Airlines 727 and a Cessna 310 collided over North Carolina in July 1967, all 82 people on both aircraft died in the crash, and the pilot of the Cessna was blamed. But Paul Houle, a truck fleet manager whose hobby is historical research, looked into the facts and came to a different conclusion. Now, the NTSB has agreed to take another look at the midair. It's unusual for someone who has no relation to a case to have their petition heard by the safety board, especially after so much time has elapsed. Houle claims it was the 727 crew (which may have been dealing with a fire in an ashtray) and air traffic controllers who made mistakes, not the Cessna pilot (who radioed a heading and apparently held it). Houle also questions the impartiality of the safety board at the time, finding some potential conflicts of interest not immediately defensible to the casual observer. More...

PRO-PILOT COMMUTING NIGHTMARE -- A NICHE FOR VLJS?
For commercial flight crews in the U.S., commuting to work can be a job in itself. With airlines cutting back on flights and more jets flying at capacity, professional pilots and crew who need a ride to work are finding it tough. "Sometimes it takes me two days," Jason Miller, an Airbus 320 captain for JetBlue Airways, told The New York Times. Miller lives in Wichita but is based out of New York. Some crew members spend frequent nights away from home sleeping in the airport and eating in the food court. Commuting is not always by choice -- some workers were transferred after nearby operations closed, or have moved to less expensive areas to save for retirement, not trusting their pension plans. But the droves of very light jets headed for the market could be just what they need. More...

COMMERCIAL CREWS AT THEIR BEST ... AND WORST
The pilots of a South Korean Airbus 321 who managed to land safely last Friday after the jet was badly damaged by two-inch hailstones were honored with commendations for saving the lives of their 200 passengers, including 177 children on a school tour. The nosecone containing the jet's radar was blown off, the autopilot malfunctioned, and the cockpit windscreen became opaque with cracks and impact marks. Although the safety glass remained intact, the pilots were unable to see forward during the landing. The airspeed indicator also was damaged, so the Asiana Airlines crew got airspeed readouts from radar controllers. Meanwhile, over Europe, the crew of a Boeing 777 that flew silently through Eastern European airspace has been accused of napping in the cockpit. More...

FAA, BUILD A PLANE JOIN FORCES FOR STUDENTS
Are you one of the thousands of pilots who owns an unfinished kit project, or an old airplane growing rusty at a tie-down? The FAA has partnered with Build A Plane to help match those assets with high-school students to help them learn about aviation maintenance, math, science and engineering. The owners get a tax deduction, the students and their teachers get a great resource. "This program has the potential to help build the next generation of world-class American aerospace workers," said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. The two organizations will work together to promote teacher workshops, career expositions and conferences, and develop a computer-based aircraft construction and flight-testing program for students. More...

ON THE FLY...
Staggerwing Museum started the next phase of Bonanza-Baron Museum...
NTSB is investigating an uncontained engine failure on a 767 at LAX...
Van Nuys Airport in Calif. hosted its last air show over the weekend...
Two helicopter ditchings in New York had divergent consequences...
Airport managers cope with infectious disease scenarios. More...

PODCASTS
Coming, Friday: Hal Shevers, of Sporty's Pilot Shop is not one to pull punches on aviation topics, and has plenty to say about the TSA, the FAA, user fees and the fizzle he thinks is coming for the very light jet market. But it's the comment he added on Cessna's "Cirrus Killer" that got us buzzing. Check AVweb.com tomorrow for the podcast link at the top of the page. 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, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. Our best stories start with your tips. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
BRAINTEASERS
Quiz #108: Pre-Solo Prep
It's time to leave your Citation, Cirrus or Citabria and forget everything you thought you knew about flight, because you're going aloft, again, for your first solo. Let's begin with the mandatory pre-solo quiz as per FAR 61.87.

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: TAOS AVIATION SERVICES

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

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to TAOS AVIATION SERVICES at KSKX, Taos, NM.

ARNOLD BRONSON told us, "MY HEADSET DIED AS I WAS PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF. THEY LOANED ME A HEADSET AND SUGGESTED THAT NEXT TIME SOMEONE FLIES INTO TAOS THEY COULD RETURN IT. I RETURNED IT VIA UPS. THEY WERE EXTREMELY COURTEOUS AND HELPFUL AND SAVED THE DAY FOR ME."

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
This week, AVweb wants to know what you think of Cessna's "Cirrus Killer." If it's for real and offers similar bang for the buck when compared with Cirrus (or Columbia or Turbo-Mooney aircraft), what's your reaction?
PLUS: Results of last week's question on the most exciting G.A. stories of the year. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK
As summer approaches, the number of submissions to our "Picture of the Week" contest is climbing. We received nearly 150 different photos this week — which made it tougher than usual to pick a winner, but somehow we managed. After several rounds of second-guessing and moving photos around on our "POTW" drive, we finally decided to award this week's top honor to California's Larry Newman. Larry's contribution is yet another entry in the growing category of "Skycrane Pictures" — possibly our favorite yet in this category. Like all first-place winners, Larry will receive a top-quality baseball cap adorned with the AVweb logo. For your chance to win one of these caps — and the opportunity to share your photo with tens of thousands of aviation enthusiasts worldwide — submit your own photos here. Each week, we'll choose a first-place winner and run as many runner-up photos as we can possibly squeeze in! 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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