ALTERNATIVES TO 100LL
So, you've heard diesel engines can run on cooking oil. It may still be a while yet before you can fill your tank with recycled cooking grease and take off smelling of french fries -- but maybe not as long as you think. Rising gas prices have reignited interest in alternative fuels, and increased research could in the future mean more choices for pilots. This week in Texas, country star Willie Nelson opened a new biodiesel production plant, the 66th in the nation. Another 49 are in the works. Biofuels, which are generally a mix of diesel and plant-derived oils, work fine in car engines, but they tend to congeal in the cold -- not a good thing for aircraft engines that run at high altitudes. Researchers in North Dakota said earlier this year they are making progress toward solving the cold-temperature problems. More...

SOMETHING FISHY IN YOUR TANK -- WITH A WINE CHASER
It's not just soybeans and corn that can be turned into fuel additives. Agifish, an aquaculture company based in Vietnam, can turn catfish fat into diesel fuel, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Agifish has been using the fuel, made from fat left over from processed fish, to run pumps at its fish ponds, Deputy Director Nguyen Dinh Huan told Reuters. "The fuel is as good as diesel oil," Huan said. The firm plans to build a factory in 2007 and process 10,000 tons of fish per year to produce fuel for local markets. Meanwhile, in Australia, farmers are experimenting with turning their wine grapes into ethanol fuel. Investors apparently are lining up to finance these experiments. "We need to be cautious that this doesn't become like the dot-com bubble,'' venture capitalist Vinod Khosla told Bloomberg News. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves.'' More...

CENTRAL FLORIDA WORRIES ABOUT GA OVERLOAD
Florida is the second-busiest aviation state in the U.S., according to the Orlando Business Journal, and while that's generally seen as a good thing for industry and tourism, the article raises concerns about overcrowding and safety. Central Florida has seen a lot of recent growth, with both people and aircraft moving in at a steady rate. The Journal also reports an increase in accidents, but it's not clear if that's simply an artifact of the increased flight activity. Nonetheless, while the report cites "troubling signs" that the crowded skies perhaps need to be more regulated, it notes that aviators in the state don't seem to think so. "Personally, I think the system is working fine," says Richard Null, the state's administrator of aviation operations. More...

MORE AIRCRAFT AND PILOTS TO COME
The state's Transportation Department, however, notes that Florida's aviation growth has exceeded the national average and fears too much of a good thing could cause problems. "Florida stands at the threshold of an exciting new era in aviation, an era full of promise but also with many potential pitfalls," the DOT says in a recent overview of projected growth through 2025. There are already 860 air facilities in the state, including heliports, glider ports and seaplane bases. The state is home to more than 14,000 aircraft, or 6 percent of the national GA fleet, and hosts 20 percent of the world's flight training. Population growth is expected to continue, especially among older migrants, and GA will grow as well. "A capacity crunch is imminent," the report warns. More...

CESSNA JOINS LAMA
It wasn't long ago that it seemed unlikely to many that Cessna would take a serious interest in the sport aircraft market, with their popular business jets and a full line of GA aircraft to keep them busy. But now Cessna has followed up on its recent announcement that it will bring a Light Sport concept aircraft to AirVenture by officially joining up with the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA). "We are very pleased to welcome Cessna to membership in LAMA," said Tom Gunnarson, president of the organization, in a news release on Tuesday. "We have all the important producers in the emerging light sport aviation industry, so as Cessna studies the opportunities, we believe aligning with LAMA was the right thing to do." More...

D-JET EXPANDS THE ENVELOPE
Diamond Aircraft has flight-tested its D-Jet up to the design limit of 25,000 feet altitude and has flown as fast as 280 knots, the company said on Tuesday. "We are very pleased to have expanded the envelope in such a short time. The aircraft is a joy to fly, smooth, very stable and with all systems functioning perfectly," said CEO Christian Dries, who is also on the test-pilot team. "The aircraft is doing everything we are expecting of it." In a series of flight tests last week, the speed and altitude envelope was progressively expanded from the previously flown 170 knots and 12,000 feet. See it at AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. More...

CANADA WILL EVALUATE HUMAN-RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS OF AGE-60 RULE
Pilots in the U.S. have been protesting for years that the FAA's mandatory age-60 retirement rule is age discrimination, but in Canada, pilots are taking the issue before a human-rights tribunal. A group called the Fly Past 60 Coalition says the contract between Air Canada and the pilots' union "forces healthy, competent and motivated airline pilots to retire from Air Canada at age 60, notwithstanding the fact that Canadian law allows individuals to continue to be licensed and to operate as airline pilots until age 65." Air Canada maintains that its retirement policy doesn't contravene the Canadian Human Rights Act. More...

NEIGHBORS: IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM ... BUY 'EM
The FAA might not have money to hire inspectors or examiners these days, but it's spending $59 million to buy 122 houses and soundproof 1,000 more near Mississippi's Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Another 1,300 homeowners will be paid $3,000 for right-of-flyover privileges, a strategy that's meant to ward off potential lawsuits, the Sun-Herald reported on Monday. The FAA will not fund noise-mitigation measures for houses built after 1998. After that, municipalities were expected to use compatible zoning and land-use rules to prevent noise conflicts. Still, airports around the country continue to spend millions to buy up or soundproof nearby older homes. More...

PILOT LANDS ON ROAD, IS KILLED TRYING TO TAKE OFF
The pilot of a Cessna 180 landed on a residential street in Oklahoma on Sunday, then tried to take off, but clipped power lines and crashed nose-first into a suburban front yard. The pilot was killed and his 11-year-old grandson was critically hurt, The Associated Press reported. The airplane had taken off from a private airport just a few minutes earlier. The pilot may have intended to land at a nearby residential airpark, where the runway is bordered by hangars and homes, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told the AP. That airport is less than a mile from the road where the pilot landed. More...

FIRST SPACE LAUNCH FROM NEW MEXICO SET FOR AUGUST
New Mexico's Spaceport has scheduled its first launch of a spacecraft for Aug. 14. The 20-foot-tall, 800-pound rocket will be fired by UP Aerospace, a Colorado company that designed the craft to carry light payloads into space at low cost. The rocket will carry over 50 payloads and experiments, mostly from high-school and college students. The SpaceLoft XL solid-fuel rocket will accelerate to Mach 5 in 13.5 seconds, reach the edge of space at 62 miles in a minute and a half, and achieve a flight apogee of about 70 miles shortly thereafter, according to Jerry Larson, president of UP Aerospace. The 30-minute flight will be tracked by radar at White Sands Missile Range, providing data that will help the Spaceport get licensed by the FAA. More...

ON THE FLY...
Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert resigned on Sunday...
Forward Vision reduced its GA night-vision price to just under $10K...
Michael Fanfalone, 57, PASS founder, died June 27 in Baltimore...
Comp Air introduced its latest aircraft, the Comp Air 9...
Malaysia is experiencing a boom in business aviation growth...
A Bonanza hit a tractor-trailer in Colorado on Monday, two dead...
American Airlines jet had to evade skydivers' airplane on Sunday. 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...

PODCASTS
Friday: Check AVweb.com tomorrow for the latest in-depth interview.

Visit AVweb's Podcast index, or subscribe free to receive them automatically. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #33: Hangnails and Hand Transplants
Your engine is not too far from TBO when it develops a cylinder-related problem. Your mechanic suggests you might as well "bite the bullet" and overhaul the engine now, rather than pour any more money into it. Is he giving you sound advice?

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: BOLIVAR AVIATION

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

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to BOLIVAR AVIATION at M17, Bolivar, MO.

Offering up Bolivar, BRENT HUMPHREYS told us, "GREAT FBO, FRIENDLY PEOPLE, BEST GAS PRICES."

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 how prepared you are for an emergency landing — especially in terms of where to land. What's your level of preparedness? Have you ever landed on anything other than a paved runway? PLUS: Results of last week's question on the possible benefits of privatized ATC. More...

PICTURE OF THE WEEK
After a busy weekend of researching stories, gearing up for AirVenture, and testing the features of the all-new, all-different AVweb site (coming your way in a matter of days, folks!), Team AVweb was grateful for a chance to eat hot dogs, watch fireworks, and gawk at airplanes on the Independence Day holiday. Now that it's back to work, what better way to ease back into the routine than with a few dozen photos submitted by AVweb readers over the last week? Mike Hanson takes home the top honor this week — and you may recognize his bird from a special appearance he made a couple of weeks ago in "POTW." Mike was a mystery pilot then — we didn't have his name and contact information — but after submitting one of his own photos, he's found himself in the AVweb spotlight. As this week's top winner, he'll be getting one of our official AVweb baseball caps to warm his ears at high altitudes. Remember to submit your own photos if you'd like a shot at one of these hats. Each week, we'll award one to a lucky winner — and even if you don't win a hat, we'd love to see your photos. (Why else do you think we run so many of them in this feature?) 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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