IN WAKE OF CRASHES, CIRRUS CEO APPEALS TO PILOTS
In the wake of three fatal crashes involving Cirrus aircraft in the past couple of weeks, Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier is urging pilots to set and follow their own personal limits for flying in marginal weather. And although his message is addressed to Cirrus owners and pilots, it could apply to just about any pilot. In a letter to Cirrus owners, Klapmeier urges them to take stock of their abilities and review all the safety-related material and services the company has created to try and prevent accidents. "Historically, weather has been one of the most significant risk factors affecting general aviation," Klapmeier wrote, noting that the onset of winter magnifies and extends potentially dangerous conditions. "We, as prudent pilots, must adjust our decision making to the new season." More...

PILOTS' GROUP CHIMES IN
Cirrus pilots also heard from the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association on the same topic and President Mike Radomsky was a little more candid in his message. "It is tempting, but very dangerous, to believe that because the airplane is capable of flying in challenging conditions, the pilot can take it there," he wrote. "No technology can replace training, skill, proficiency and judgment." He also noted that, statistically speaking, COPA members appear to be much less likely to be in an accident. "The fact is that over 87% of the [Cirrus] pilots of the fatal accidents to date were among the 30% or so of pilots who do not belong to COPA," he wrote. More...

EIGHT PEOPLE LOST IN TWO WEEKS
The latest crash occurred Friday in Statesville, N.C., in bad weather. Two people were killed and two were injured when the SR22 they were in crashed about 50 feet from the airport in a wooded ravine. NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz told The Charlotte Observer the aircraft was on an instrument approach when it crashed. According to witnesses, the aircraft made a low pass over the length of the runway and then returned to do the same. The witnesses told the Observer the second low pass was apparently aborted and the plane turned and climbed into the clouds before they heard it crash. The survivors were identified as Edward Sasso, the plane's owner, and Cecile Sasso. The deceased were not identified. The North Carolina crash came a day after a crash in northern Arizona killed a family of four from Georgia and about two weeks after New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger died when the SR20 they were in hit an apartment building in Manhattan. More...

PROMISE AND PERIL AWAIT MINI-JET MAKERS
The very light jet (VLJ) market is fueled largely by the salesmanship of its optimistic originators and the potential of a boom in air taxi operations, but a study by a European media consultant company still predicts that 4,154 aircraft will be delivered over the next 10 years by at least five manufacturers. "Some industry observers critical of the manufacturer-supplied growth rate contend that only two, or at best three, manufacturers will make it to market but the authors of this report are slightly more optimistic than this," wrote Phillip Butterworth-Hayes in the study he compiled for England-based PMI Media Group. "We believe, in addition to the five key programs featured in this report there will be other new entrants who succeed in producing aircraft for the personal jet market." The study also strongly suggests that the air taxi business, which makes up the bulk of initial orders for several companies, won't materialize as predicted. PMI shared a copy of the 155-page study with AVweb but is selling online and print versions, so we won't go into fine detail. More...

WHO WILL FLY THEM?
If, as predicted by the study, the air taxi market doesn't materialize as predicted, a lot of the customers for those 4,200-odd jets will be owner pilots and that raises training and insurance issues. A Canadian company is addressing the pilot issues head-on with an "introductory" course for piston pilots who think they might like to fly jets. JetSet Inc., of Burlington, Ontario, held a training session for would-be jet jockeys over the past weekend and plans another for Nov. 24-25. The sessions give students a grounding in what will be expected of them as jet pilots for the relatively modest fee of about $2,250 USD. "This introductory course is for pilots who dream about flying a jet -- a much faster and appealing aircraft -- but who have not had the opportunity before," Edward Furtak, president of JetSet Inc., said in a news release. More...

GAMA SAYS EXPORTS HELP GA BOOM
Emerging markets in Europe, Russia, China and India are helping fuel the continuing boom in aircraft sales worldwide, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association's (GAMA's) report on third-quarter results for 2006. Most companies are reporting healthy sales increases both in terms of billings and in the numbers of units sold. And an increasing number of those aircraft are being shipped overseas. "Our manufacturers have seen growth in all airplane segments, part of which we attribute to strengthening sales in Europe, and into Russia, China, and India," GAMA President Pete Bunce said in a news release. "Business people and government officials are recognizing the dynamic role that general aviation plays in building a vibrant economy and, as our manufacturers continue to bring new innovations to market, we expect this trend to continue." More...

FIRST WAAS, NOW LAAS
Work is continuing on development of Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) to further enhance GPS navigation, particularly during precision approaches. The Wide Area Augmentation System has been running for about three years and has opened up hundreds of airports for ILS approaches, to established minimums, using GPS data. The LAAS system is another refinement of GPS that allows even greater precision. "LAAS will offer very precise guidance to aircraft, eventually providing guidance all the way to the runway surface even when visibility is near zero," said Rick Cassell, head of safety systems for Rannoch Corporation. Rannoch recently won an FAA contract to provide engineering support on the project. More...

LAW ENFORCEMENT PILOT BEATS FAA RAP
A law enforcement pilot for the State of Wisconsin has been cleared of all charges that he violated airport procedures at Chetek Airport in Wisconsin. According to the Chetek Alert newspaper, Larry Schasinger was originally found guilty by an FAA administrative judge of flying a right-hand pattern, in his personal aircraft, a Christavia, at Chetek instead of the standard left-hand pattern. He appealed to the National Transportation Safety Board and the charge was dismissed. Schlasinger offered as evidence documents showing he was flying in his law enforcement role for the state on Aug. 6, 2003, the day he's alleged to have fudged the approach to Chetek. He also entered his plane's maintenance log, which showed it was grounded for propeller work at the time of the alleged incident. As you might expect, there's more to this story. More...

ASLEEP AT THE CONSOLE?
The FAA isn't saying whether a controller who allegedly fell asleep while on duty in Charleston, S.C., last month has faced disciplinary action. But spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen did say that he's been cleared medically and has returned to work. A fellow controller arriving for work allegedly found his colleague dozing at the scope about 6 a.m. on Sept. 13. "He allegedly dozed off for a few minutes," Bergen told The Associated Press. "We're looking into the circumstances surrounding the allegations that someone was sleeping on duty." No flights were affected but things were about to get busy with the early morning departures. Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) told The Associated Press he wasn't surprised, since a shortage of staff has resulted in six-day workweeks and a heavy workload for many controllers. Not all controllers agree. More...

DRIVER'S LICENSE MEDICALS REJECTED (AGAIN)
AOPA says it won't give up trying to convince the FAA to accept a state driver's license as proof of medical fitness to fly with a recreational permit. Recreational pilots are restricted to fixed-gear, 180-hp, four-place aircraft flown day VFR only. AOPA argues that the difference in performance and weight between the recreational permit privileges and those allowed under the new sport pilot permit (which allows the driver's license medical) are not enough to continue requiring a third class medical for the recreational certificate. "Too many healthy pilots have lost their medicals, yet they could still fly simple aircraft like Cessna 172s safely," AOPA's VP of government affairs noted in a news release. "We're going to find a way to make that happen." More...

WEATHER GATHERING SERVICE EXPANDS
Next time you get bounced into the headliner on a short-haul flight you can take some comfort that you might be helping other aircraft avoid that weather. After an initial trial of Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) with Mesaba Airlines, AirDat LLC has attached weather sensors to aircraft toiling for regional carriers in all areas of the continental U.S., providing real-time, real-world meteorological data through satellite transmissions. AirDat CEO Jay Ladd said in a news release that the rich stream of data from airliners-turned-weather-stations is improving forecasting accuracy and allowing the airlines to adjust routing and scheduling on the fly to minimize weather delays. More...

A NOTE TO READERS
With this week's edition of AVweb news, we have two staff changes to announce, one a new face and the second the departure of an old friend. Joining the AVweb staff as editor in chief is Chad Trautvetter, a seasoned aviation journalist, CFII and graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Before joining AVweb, Trautvetter was most recently an editor at Aviation International News and before that, he did a stint as an editor at Pro Pilot. He'll join AVweb as part of an ongoing expansion of our Sarasota, Fla., editorial offices. We were unable to pry Glenn Pew loose from California to join us here in Florida, but he'll remain aboard as a contributing news editor. Long time AVweb readers have come to appreciate the entertaining and insightful writing of Michael Maya Charles in his As the Beacon Turns column. But even good things must end and as of this week, Michael will be moving on to other writing pursuits, including growing his own publishing company, Artful Publishing. You can follow Michael's career and order a copy of his book at www.artfulpublishing.com. We wish him the best in both his continuing flying and publishing careers. More...

ON THE FLY...
An ADC Airlines aircraft crashed in Nigeria, Sunday; early reports of 100 dead...
Boeing Field may be traded for a bike path...
Regional jet lined up on closed runway...
Quest Aircraft named Sandpoint's Business of the Year...
Air show legends heading to Hall of Fame. 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 tonewstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: SCOTTSDALE AIRCENTER

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 Scottsdale AirCenter at KSDF in Scottsdale, Ariz.

AVweb reader Alan Tipps praised the friendly service received at Scottsdale.

"The line-staff are totally heads-up, proactive, professional and courteous, and on-the-ball. Just about every time we are into Scottsdale, the line staff anticipates our needs. Their ramp management is progressive and efficient, and I find these folks to be one of the best line crews in the country."

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!

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS

Motor Head #16: Jabiru -- A New Engine That's Not All That New, But Cool Nevertheless
The advent of light sport aircraft has created a resurgence of need for engines that fit in-between the ultralight lawn mower engines and the standard, 160-hp four cylinder. AVweb's Marc Cook found one from an unexpected place. 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...

AUDIO NEWS
AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new in-depth interview each Friday. In Friday's podcast, you'll find exclusive news about rumored changes to the ADIZ. And AVweb's podcast index includes interviews with Adam Aircraft chairman Rick Adam and New Piper CEO Jim Bass, recorded live at the recent NBAA Convention in Orlando. And in Monday's news summary, hear from Cessna's Jack Pelton on his company's LSA, TCM president Bryan Lewis, NATCA president John Carr, New 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. Plus: Listen in to an exclusive interview with Cirrus' Dale Klapmeier about the current state of Cirrus Serial Number 1, courtesty of our sister publication, Aviation Consumer. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: U.S.A. VS. JAPAN IN THE 'OPEN A BEER BOTTLE WITH A HELICOPTER' CONTEST
Each week, we get a handful of e-mails from AVweb readers who've found interesting, funny, or downright strange videos while surfing the web. And since we love a good diversion as much as the next aviation buff, we're doing our part to keep these viral videos alive by sharing one a week with the rest of you. Today's clip features the most expensive bottle opener you're ever liable to see, courtesy of Glumbert.com. Click through to watch! (And remember to tell us about any interesting videos you run across out there!) More...

SHORT FINAL
While returning from a cross country into Ellington Field...

Tower: Warrior 123, enter right downwind for 35L.

Warrior 123: Roger, downwind 35L

Tower: Warrior 123, wind calm, cleared for 22 if you like.

Warrior 123: Roger. Cleared for 22.

[Short pause]

Warrior 123: Tower, am i cleared for 22? Because ther is a truck in the middle of the runway...

Tower: Warrior 123, go around.

Warrior 123: [While applying power and retracting flaps] Could you get him to move over, because I don't think I can get around him.

Tower: GO AROUND! GO AROUND! GO AROUND!

What can I say? Sometimes the little devil on my shoulder wins. 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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