FAA FACES "FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE" ON USER FEES
The FAA has an uphill battle to convince its masters that a user-fee-based system is the best way to tackle the funding challenges of the next decade, according to a report from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). And even if the agency can make the case for user fees (which, because they aren’t taxes, don’t require Congressional oversight) the OIG says that shouldn’t mean unfettered access to that big pot of cash. “We believe that any proposal to give FAA more flexibility and additional funds needs to be accompanied by strong oversight mechanisms to ensure funds are spent efficiently,” says the report, which is entitled "DOT’s Top Management Challenges" (FAA reauthorization ranks second). Notwithstanding its cautious stance, however, the OIG seems to think that user fees offer the best hope of creating the sort of funding base that offers adequate investment for new technology while creating incentives for users to make more efficient use of the system. More...

FAA STAFFING ISSUES A CONCERN
Although no one seems to dispute the FAA’s need to hire 11,000 new air traffic controllers over the next 10 years to cover the retirement bulge that has already begun, the OIG would like the FAA to figure out exactly where the new recruits should be deployed and just how much this hiring push is costing. The report notes that the original hiring plan, released in 2004, didn’t define those issues and, while the agency is working on a location-by-location assessment of staffing requirements, it’s still ignoring the cost issues. In fairness, the agency was missing some key financial information on the cost projections because, until earlier this year when it imposed a contract on air traffic controllers, it didn’t know what salary and benefit costs for new hires would be. Now that those costs have been established, the OIG wants to see real numbers. While much of the limelight has been on controller issues, the OIG is also reminding the FAA that a shortage of safety inspectors is looming. More...

DOT IG WONDERS HOW THE FAA WILL COPE
Air travel is growing, more aircraft are projected to be flying to more places and the OIG wonders how the agency is going to cope with the surge in demand for its services. Making better use of its existing resources will help, but the report says major investments will be needed to accommodate the demand. For now, it says, nothing increases capacity like concrete and asphalt. There are about a dozen major runway projects underway at the moment and the report says the agency has to ensure they get done. Meanwhile, the search for technological answers to growing traffic continues and the OIG seems apprehensive about what it terms the “high risk” proposals currently being discussed for the Next Generation Air Traffic System (NGATS). More...

LAX PROBLEMS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?
The FAA needs to spend up to $100 million, and fast, to make sure the lights, computers and consoles stay on at its most important air traffic control facilities, according to a report by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG was responding to a request from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to investigate a power failure at Los Angeles Center, as well as repeated failures of the ILS and the intentional disabling of the Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) at LAX. In his letter to Boxer, DOT Inspector General Calvin L. Scovell III says the power problems at Los Angeles Center could be repeated at other major ATC facilities and the FAA needs to fix the problems sooner rather than later. More...

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PLAYS A ROLE IN AMASS OUTAGE
DOT Inspector General Scovell is also recommending that the potential impact of construction work on airport systems be considered when new projects are planned. At least part of the problem with LAX’s ILS and AMASS system was traced to the construction activity on one of the airport’s four runways. The ILS suffered five failures in July and August. It was apparently a run of bad luck, compounded by the age of some of the components and corrosion damage from LA’s salty (not to mention polluted) air. Even when the gear was working, however, interference by the construction equipment caused some approaching aircraft to lose the ILS signal. Meanwhile, sometime before July 26, the AMASS gear was shut off because of all the false alerts triggered by the construction machinery. On July 26, there was a near collision on a runway that the AMASS system should have detected had it been turned on. More...

ACCIDENT "CRIMINALIZATION" PROMPTS ACTION
Some high-profile organizations have issued statements condemning the so-called “criminalization” of aircraft accidents and are calling on the world’s aviation authorities to pull the focus of accident investigations back to cause rather than blame. The protracted confinement and threat of criminal charges against two American pilots over the collision between their Legacy 600 business jet and a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 (the 737 crashed, killing all 154 aboard) in Brazil has prompted the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations and a multinational group of aviation industry organizations from the U.S. and Europe to call on governments to leave criminal proceedings out of accident investigations unless there is evidence of “extremely egregious” behavior (like flying drunk or sabotage). They agree that the threat of prosecution stifles the free flow of information that not only helps establish cause, but also could help prevent future accidents. More...

LAWYER URGES RELEASE OF PILOTS
The lawyer for American pilots Joe Lepore and Jan Paladino says a preliminary report into the collision of their Embraer Legacy business jet and a GOL Boeing 737 fails to establish a cause for the accident and it could be 10 months or more before one is established. In news release, Robert Torricella also noted the report clearly shows the pilots held their assigned altitude and did not perform the “stunts” that some Brazilian officials alleged occurred before the collision, which caused the 737 to crash, killing all 154 on board. Torricella also notes that Brazilian Air Force Col. Rufino Antonio Da Silva Ferreira noted that flight plans are not necessarily the final word on determining an aircraft’s flight profile, but he stopped short of explaining that air traffic control guidance supersedes them. The Legacy was assigned 37,000 feet by ATC even though its northwesterly track should have put it at 36,000 feet, which was what the crew had flight planned. It’s still not clear why they were assigned the unusual altitude. More...

AD PROCESS STREAMLINED ON FOREIGN NOTIFICATIONS
The FAA says it’s streamlining the process of turning around airworthiness directives from other countries on aircraft that are flying in the U.S. Last week, the agency issued two ADs on TBM 700 aircraft that relate to problems found in France one and two years ago, respectively. France issued an AD in 2005 regarding loose rivets in the tail assembly and, a year earlier, French authorities ordered inspections of a tail attachment fitting after corrosion was found on an aircraft in service. Chances are that the work on U.S.-registered aircraft has already been done because manufacturer EADS Socata issued mandatory service bulletins for both problems, but the catch-up AD from the FAA formalizes the actions prescribed by those MSBs. More...

NEW FBO FOR TALLAHASSEE?
A Tallahassee firm hopes to become the city airport’s second FBO but, as there always seems to be, there are a few wrinkles to iron out. Eagle Aircraft Group has applied to open fueling and maintenance facilities to compete with Flightline Group, which has operated Tallahassee Regional Airport’s only FBO for decades. However, it appears that before Eagle Aircraft can open its doors, it will need concessions from the company it intends to compete with. Both companies have their eyes on an old FedEx hangar and it will be up to council to decide how the property is used. More...

FAA CHIMES IN ON ETHANOL IN FUEL
The FAA has issued a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) explaining the hazards posed to aircraft operation with automotive fuels that contain alcohol. EAA and other aviation groups have been warning about the increased use of ethanol in fuels. The alcohol is a substitute for chemical oxygenates MTBE and ETBE that have been linked to environmental concerns. But while ethanol may be safer for the environment, it’s toxic to airplane engines and the FAA says that if you can’t find alcohol-free mogas for your STC’d aircraft engine, you’ll have to switch back to 100LL. More...

CESSNA OFFERS ONLINE ICE TRAINING
Cessna Caravan operators and pilots who want to beat the rush can register now for an online training package that will likely be mandated by the FAA for those who operate in known icing. The curriculum was developed by Cessna with help from the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association in response to a series of Caravan accidents where icing may have been a factor. Hundreds of Caravans are in use by cargo companies and are exposed to icing conditions almost every day during the icing season. More...

ON THE FLY
Video of Pentagon 9/11 crash may be released…
Piper offers jet incentives…
WSI Hubcast offers timely terminal forecasts…
737, 747 missed by 35 feet…
Video footage of Red Bull Air Race winners is now online. 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...

FBO OF THE WEEK: NORTH ALABAMA 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 North Alabama Aviation at KDCU in Decatur, Ala.

AVweb reader Stan Poelstra was literally floored by the FBO’s low fuel price and high level of service.

"We stopped here twice. The first time, on the way to Florida, the FBO owner lowered the price of fuel of the self serve while I was fueling to $3.25. He said he just got the new quote so he would give it to me. On the way back two weeks later, the price was the same but it was so windy one could hardly stand up, so my wife and I stayed over night. They gave us the use of the courtesy car that afternoon and overnight. No charge, just lots of smiles and thank you’s for stopping. Wow!”

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

CEO of the Cockpit #64: Proceedings of the 17th Yearly Meeting of the SOHOP
AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit has found still more ways to save the airlines money, save our military from getting involved in wars over oil, bring about world peace and ... no, it's really all about rockets. 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 AUDIO NEWS
AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new in-depth interview each Friday. In Friday's podcast, you'll find an interview with Cirrus Design cofounder and CEO Alan Klapmeier, who addresses the rash of fatal accidents in October involving Cirrus pistons. And AVweb's podcast index includes interviews with Cessna chairman, president and CEO Jack Pelton, Spectrum Aeronautical chairman Linden Blue, Adam Aircraft chairman Rick Adam and New Piper CEO Jim Bass. In today's news summary, hear about how the DOT Inspector General supports aviation user fees, the looming air traffic controller shortage, a call condemning "criminalization" of aviation accidents, Eagle Aircraft bids to open a second FBO at Tallahassee Airport and more. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you won't find anywhere else. More...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: CV-22 OSPREY
AVweb's Russ Niles was on hand at Aviation Nation last week and brought back a terrific clip of the Osprey CV-22 making its public debut. We thought everyone would like to see it, so we're sharing it here as AVweb's "Video of the Week." (Click through to watch.) More...

SHORT FINAL
Returning to Princeton, N.J., in a Seminole, I was proudly clipping along at 140 knots and can only assume that my deep voice and professional-sounding tone led to us appearing to be more than we were:

Seminole: "New York approach, Seminole Two Two Eight, 5,000."

Approach: "Seminole Two Two Eight, Morristown altimeter 30.08. Proceed direct Solberg, maintain 5,000. Were you given any speed restrictions? If so, you can resume normal speed.

Seminole: "Direct Solberg, 5,000, Two Two Eight. And we're a Seminole. This is normal speed." 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 Contributing Editor Russ Niles (bio).

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