FIRST ECLIPSE 500 DELIVERY DAYS AWAY?
On Sept. 30, Eclipse Aviation was awarded full certification for its groundbreaking Eclipse 500 jet, and the first customer delivery was expected within days ... and then it was expected amid fanfare at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando last week ... and now the word (per The New York Times) is, "as early as this week." Eclipse Aviation spokesman Andrew Broom told AVweb yesterday that no delivery date has been committed to as yet, but he expects it to happen within "the next week or two." The first customer copy will go to David Crowe, owner of Magnum Aviation, an FBO in California. More...

VLJ STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
Although the Eclipse 500 is fully certified for day and night, single-pilot, VFR, IFR and RVSM operations, some systems are still evolving. The Avio avionics system will be supplemented by Garmin 496 handheld units to provide operators with GPS functionality until the Avio system can take over that function, Broom said. Early copies will also feature the original small tip tanks; the 500 will be retrofitted with larger tanks when they become available next year, Broom said. Flight into known icing should be approved next year, too, he added. Eclipse was also in the news this week for filing a lawsuit against two former employees who have opened their own avionics company. More...

CESSNA OFFERS ONLINE CARAVAN PROGRAM
A seminar in Caravan safety awareness is now available online, Cessna announced last week, and will soon become mandatory for pilots who fly the Caravan in icing conditions. The Caravan Cold Weather Operations course is a series of five self-paced training modules that should take about two to three hours to complete. Cessna will issue a certificate of completion to pilots who pass the online exams. In addition, Cessna will continue to offer its Safety Awareness live seminar for Caravan operators throughout cities in North America. Both the seminar and online training are free to all participants. More...

CIRRUS GETS A BLACK BOX
Alaka'i Technologies Tuesday announced a comprehensive all-digital flight data monitoring and recording system for Cirrus piston-engine aircraft that records at least 51 flight and engine parameters, consumes less than eight watts of energy and weighs less than four pounds. All data is recorded on a solid-state, physically protected disk that is "always on," providing a record of every flight and "permanent storage" for 10,000 hours. The company says it expects STC approval in February 2007, and it will license one or more Cirrus service facilities to install (in about 12 hours' labor) the $5,000 system. "Passenger-for-hire companies will want to put these on board to protect charter service in the event of an accident and to reduce insurance premiums," Alaka'i President Brian Morrison told the MetroWest Daily News. SATSair may be ready to prove him right. More...

WATCH OUT FOR AIRSPACE CHANGES IN ATLANTA
The Class B airspace over Atlanta has been lowered in some sectors, from 6,000 to 5,000 feet. The changes aren't really a big deal for VFR pilots, says AOPA, but the procedure used by the FAA to implement them has raised some eyebrows. "The FAA failed to follow the standard process of consulting with airspace users before making a change," said Heidi Williams, AOPA's director of air traffic services. "We've been assured that future changes will go through the [public review] process so that users have a chance to participate." More...

GULFSTREAM'S QUIET-SUPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY PASSES FLIGHT TEST
A sonic-boom mitigator mounted on the nose of a NASA F-15B worked as expected during its first airborne test, successfully flying at Mach 1.2 last Friday, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. said this week. The Quiet Spike, which is made of composite materials, extends 24 feet from the nose of the aircraft. It creates three small shock waves that travel in parallel to each other all the way to the ground, producing less noise than typical shock waves that build up at the front of supersonic jets. Gulfstream, in collaboration with the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, has been flight-testing the structural integrity of the retractable spike since mid-July. More...

FAA REPRIMANDS JETBLUE FOR PILOT RESEARCH PROJECT
Some pilots for JetBlue Airways spent extra hours flying -- beyond the FAA limit of eight hours per day -- as part of an experiment to see if pilots could work longer without affecting safety, according to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. The experiments took place on regular trips with paying passengers on board. This week, the FAA reprimanded the company for conducting the experiments without the proper permission. The airline says they got an OK from officials at their regional FAA office, but the FAA says they should have gone to headquarters in Washington. The tests took place on about 50 flights in May 2005 on mostly coast-to-coast trips. Twenty-nine pilots each flew up to 11 hours a day. The passengers were not told about the experiment. More...

A FRESH TWIST ON THE PROBLEM OF FLIGHT
As aeronautics, Dave Clews' attempt to fly in a rubber-band-powered aircraft was a dismal failure. As art, though, Clews achieved precisely his goal. "It was spectacular," he said. "Everything I hoped it would be, apart from actually flying." The airplane, with a 20-foot wingspan and a cockpit for one, was built to resemble the tiny balsa-wood gliders that Clews fondly remembers from his childhood. A 200-foot-long bungee cord provided power, and the wings were built of pine and covered in fabric. Clews said his balsa models could fly over 100 feet, so if you scale that up, his human-size version should have been able to fly over 2,000 feet. Instead, the aircraft moved just six feet along the runway ... backward. Clews was not flagged. "We are taking a step in the right direction just by moving," he said. "I mean, technically it is a step in the wrong direction I suppose, but at least it's a step." More...

SIKORSKY TESTS ADVANCED HOVER CAPABILITY
A new system being tested by Sikorsky Aircraft will make it possible for pilots to lock in and fly point-in-space approaches, hands-off, and hover for rescues, the company said in a news release on Tuesday. "This system does a fully coupled approach, hover and departure. A nighttime, IFR rescue in icing conditions is now possible, military or civilian," said test pilot Ron Doeppner. The tests were completed flying an S-92 helicopter. The system can fly automated approaches to a set position "hooked" by a search radar, flight management system waypoint, thermal imager or digital map. More...

TAYLORCRAFT AVIATION FACES EVICTION, CHAPTER 11
In the last couple of years, Taylorcraft Aviation moved to Brownsville, Texas, and earned Special Light Sport Aircraft approval to manufacture its Taylor Sport airplane. But now the company is being evicted from its manufacturing facility at the airport and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company listed 23 creditors that are seeking a combined $847,400, The Brownsville Herald reported last week. Taylorcraft President Harry Ingram said he hopes to work things out and stay at the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport, which is operated by the city. More...

EPIC PLANS LASTING DYNASTY
With the lawsuit between it and Farnborough Aircraft resolved by mediation in July, Epic Aircraft is now fully focused on developing the Dynasty turboprop single on its own, as well as a derivative Elite Jet with Republic of Georgia-based Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing. The two aircraft will be completely certified at the Canadian Center for Aircraft Certification in Calgary, with approvals for the $1.9 million turboprop and $2.235 million twinjet expected in the first and third quarters of 2008, respectively. Epic CEO Rick Schrameck told AVweb that the turboprop fleet has logged more than 1,100 hours, while the Elite Jet is scheduled to make its first flight early next year. More...

PAINT US A PICTURE...
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting a survey of aircraft paint shops. If you've had your airplane painted recently, we would like to know how the job turned out. To take the survey, visit www.aviationconsumer.com and click on the surveys button on the left side of the screen. We'll take care of the rest. More...

ON THE FLY
The CVR from the B737 that crashed in Brazil last month is found...
PartsBase will run live auctions on eBay to sell aircraft parts...
The FAA is allowing a 30-story tower to be built close to PHX...
Boeing has added a swing-open tail to its 747 Large Cargo Freighter...
Moller Skycar received 95 bids on second try at eBay auction...
Fractional provider Avantair ordered 20 Phenom 100 jets from Embraer...
Learjet workers in Wichita are back on the job after a 22-day strike...
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...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS...
Our best stories start with you. 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. What have you heard? More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: USER FEES, MID-TERM ELECTIONS, AND YOUR VOTE
Mid-term elections are coming up in just a few days. With this in mind, AVweb would like to hear how much weight our U.S. readers are putting on their respective candidates' stance on aviation user fees. To what extent will aviation user fees affect your vote on November 7? Tell us!

Plus: Results of last week's Question regarding the VFR Corridor in New York City. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS

The Savvy Aviator #37: Scope That Jug!
Pulling a cylinder without first borescoping it is a lot like performing major surgery without first getting a CT or MRI. If your A&P doesn't have a borescope or doesn't know how to use one, you'd be wise to educate him ... or find another mechanic.

WHAT'S NEW
This month AVweb's survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings you an aircraft engine calendar, a weight & balance visualizer, a cargo/pilot bag and more. More...

AUDIO NEWS
AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new in-depth interview each Friday. Check AVweb's audio news index to hear the news straight from the horse's mouth.

Find exclusive interviews featuring Adam Aircraft chairman Rick Adam, Cessna's Jack Pelton on his company's LSA, TCM president Bryan Lewis, NATCA president John Carr, New Piper CEO Jim Bass, Hal Shevers for Sporty's Pilot Shop, Light Sport guru Dan Johnson, Excel Jet's Bob Bornhofen, Adam Aircraft's Joe Walker, FAA administrator Marion Blakey, Cirrus Design's Alan and Dale Klapmeier and more. AVweb's Podcast index, is online, now. You'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.

FBO OF THE WEEK: CUTTER AVIATION

For local prices, enter your U.S. ZIP Code or Airport Identifier: Fuel prices provided weekly by AirNav, based on prices from the past 2 weeks. Changes are relative to last week.

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Cutter Aviation at KPHX in Phoenix, Ariz.

AVweb readers Dale Morgan and Greg Ostro praised the friendly service they've received at the Phoenix Sky Harbor facility.

"They are the nicest group of people," Morgan writes. Apparently Ostro agrees: "They distinguish themselves with professionalism and courtesy."

Keep those nominations coming.For complete contest rules, click here.

AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK
Autumn is settling upon us here in the States, but that doesn't mean we're slowing down as the weather gets cooler. If anything, we're gearing up for a lively winter! We're not the only ones, either — "Picture of the Week" contributors have come alive in the last few weeks, flooding our submission box with their photos. From a wide array of heart-stopping, eye-popping reader-submitted photos, we've once again chosen the best of the best to share with our readers. Topping our list is Gary Emch of Lakemoor, Illinois, who snapped this photo (at just the right moment!) during the 2005 Lake in the Hills Air Show at Crystal Lake, Illinois. "It made me proud to take such a fine picture of an aircraft that meant a lot to my father," writes Gary, whose dad flew a T-28 in the U.S. Navy.

As submitter of this week's top photo, Gary should start watching his mailbox. We'll be sending him an official AVweb baseball hat later in the week, along with a word of congratulations (and thanks) for sharing his photo with us. If you'd like to see your photo here (and maybe win one of those spiffy hats!), send it in! We'd love to see it. 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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