CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON FAA CONTINUE
The U.S. House of Representatives aviation subcommittee on Wednesday held another in its recent series of hearings about the FAA and its plans for funding the future airspace system. AOPA President Phil Boyer was there and said the FAA has spent the last two years "manufacturing a funding crisis" to justify a change to user fees. He asked the committee to reject the FAA's funding proposal. "Then we can all get on with the real issues at hand through a productive, meaningful discussion on how to strengthen the nation's airports and modernize ATC," he said. Ed Bolen, CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, also spoke. "This proposal is an effort by the FAA and the airlines to reduce Congressional authority and move toward commercialization," Bolen said. "No one should mistake aviation user fees [for] a modernization plan." More...

NATA: A BROADER LOOK AT FAA REAUTHORIZATION
National Air Transportation Association President Jim Coyne spoke candidly about the FAA's proposed reauthorization bill at a regulatory and legislative panel on Wednesday afternoon at the Aviation Industry Expo in Orlando, Fla. "It would be a misnomer to just call it a user fee-fight," he noted. "The broader context is the FAA reauthorization, which happens every four or five years, and the trust fund reauthorization, which occurs about every 10 years." Both reauthorizations are aligned this year, and Coyne said the White House planned to take advantage of this situation to push forward its user-fee agenda. However, last fall congressional control shifted to the Democrats, "who don't have any interest in doing any favors for the Republicans," according to Coyne. While it appears the White House won't be able to jam through the FAA reauthorization in its current form, "the airlines still want to shift taxes to general aviation's shoulders." More...

DUBAI FIRM EYES U.S. AVIATION COMPANIES
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise has proposed a $1.5 billion deal to buy Landmark Aviation, an FBO network with 35 locations, and Standard Aero, a provider of overhauls and maintenance for turbine engines. The proposed deal has raised some eyebrows in Washington, where the deal is expected to be subjected to scrutiny. A proposal from Dubai interests last year to manage some U.S. ports was derailed amid security concerns. DAE is a fairly new company, established in February 2006, with plans to expand into all sectors of aerospace over the next 10 years -- from training to manufacturing to aircraft leasing and maintenance -- investing $15 billion and employing 30,000 workers. It's owned by the state and chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates airline group. Robert Johnson, formerly the CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, was named CEO last summer. More...

DOT IG TOWER STAFFING REPORT
The FAA needs to communicate its air traffic policies relating to staffing in writing, according to a report from the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG) that was released last week. The report was conducted to consider the staffing issue as it related to the August 2006 crash of a Comair regional jet in Lexington, Ky. According to the report, the FAA had issued verbal guidance in August 2005 reiterating that two controllers should be on duty during midnight shifts at facilities with both radar and tower functions. But the OIG found that the guidance, because it was communicated orally, was misinterpreted and inconsistently applied, with more than 11 percent of midnight shifts not in compliance. Since the Comair accident, FAA has formalized the verbal guidance into a written order More...

NTSB ASKS FOR CESSNA 150/152 RUDDER AD
The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday recommended that the FAA issue an Airworthiness Directive requiring Cessna 150s and 152s owners to comply with Cessna Service Bulletin No. SEB01-1 specifying a one-time inspection of the airplanes' rudder bumpers. If mandated, the check would need to be done at the next 100-hour or annual inspection to verify that the rudder bumpers are correctly installed on the rudder horn assembly. The Safety Board's recommendation stems from an April 11, 2005, crash of a Cessna 152 (N24779) in a field near Williamsburg, Ohio, after the rudder jammed during spin recovery training, killing the flight instructor and student pilot. According to the Safety Board, examination of the wreckage revealed that the rudder was jammed approximately 35 degrees, which is beyond its left travel limit. Further examination revealed that the two rudder bumpers had been installed inverted and that the right rudder bumper had traveled beyond the rudder stop and had locked behind it, the NTSB said. More...

SENATE BILL WOULD REQUIRE TSA PLAN FOR GA SECURITY
The Senate last week passed a bill on aviation security that would require the Transportation Security Administration to develop a "standardized threat and vulnerability assessment program" for general aviation airports within one year. If the bill becomes law, the TSA would also be directed to consider providing grants to GA airports for security upgrades. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said it likes the idea of federal grants for security upgrades, but it worries that the TSA will impose new rules on GA airports without the funding to pay for them. More...

BARRINGTON IRVING'S WORLD FLIGHT ADVENTURE
On Friday morning, Barrington Irving, a 23-year-old college student in Florida, will launch on the first leg of a five-week flight, aiming to become the first African American and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe. Irving hopes his quest will inspire other young people to follow their dreams. Born in Jamaica, Irving grew up in a poor neighborhood in Miami, where he says "there was little incentive for me or my classmates to get off the streets and pursue real careers." His life changed at age 15 when an airline pilot offered him a tour of a 777 cockpit. More...

FIRST FLIGHT FOR SECOND QUEST KODIAK
Quest Aircraft has successfully flown its second Kodiak turboprop single, which is the first fully conforming production prototype. The aircraft launched last Friday from Quest's facility at Sandpoint (Idaho) Municipal Airport and joins the initial Kodiak prototype that is engaged in FAA certification flight tests, the company said Tuesday. "With our second aircraft now flying, we're entering the final flight-testing phase of the Kodiak and its systems under a variety of rigorous conditions," said Quest CEO Paul Schaller. Changes from the first prototype include an environmental control system, oxygen for all seats and a new split cargo door with integrated steps. Several new interior options will also be introduced for production flight testing. More...

EMBRY-RIDDLE'S TWIN STAR FLEET FAST-TRACKED
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach, Fla., campus already had been planning to add 10 new Diamond DA42 Twin Stars to its fleet, but now their delivery has been fast-tracked to help replace airplanes lost in December's tornado. The diesel-powered, twin-engine Diamonds will start to arrive on campus this summer and all 10 will be in place by the end of this year. "The DA42 Twin Star will give Embry-Riddle a complete glass-cockpit fleet, starting with our single-engine aircraft and culminating with our Canadair regional jet simulator," said Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation. More...

EUROPE'S FIRST FLYING CAR?
If you're eager to invest in the flying car of the future -- which is always just about ready to launch -- you have plenty of options, and a new one was added this week. PAL-V Europe on Tuesday announced its start-up in the Netherlands, showing a concept of a three-wheel fly/drive vehicle that it says is as comfortable and stable as a luxury car with the agility of a motorbike, thanks to its patented "tilting" system (check out the movie of a tilting ride at its Web site). In the air, it switches to gyrocopter mode. The rotor and propeller fold up on the ground. The PAL-V will be fuel-efficient, quiet, and fly or drive at about 125 mph, the company says. A sport-pilot certificate will be required to fly it. PAL-V says it has been researching the design for six years and is ready to start building the prototype now, and investors are welcome. First deliveries are projected for 2009. More...

ON THE FLY
Virgin America has attained tentative approval to fly in the U.S...
Computers on six F-22s failed as they crossed the Intl. Dateline...
Astronaut James Lovell will introduce Apollo 13 at Oshkosh...
Airlines are resisting FAA rules for longer rest periods for pilots...
A WindWagon was hit by a Ford after landing on a Florida freeway...
Bald eagles are causing concern at an airport in Orlando, Fla. 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...

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business newsletter, AVwebBiz? 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. Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/. More...

QUIZ #118: CLEARED ILS APPROACH

Columns|Features|What's New|Calendar|Brainteasers

WELCOME TO THE NEW FACE OF AVWEB
AVweb.com, the world’s best Web site for general aviation news and information, is now even better thanks to a redesigned home page. The revamped home page has more content, easier navigation, a more user-friendly podcast interface and better graphics to complement AVweb's real-time general aviation news, incisive commentary and unparalleled feature reporting. More...

AVWEB AUDIO NEWS

AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new in-depth interview each Friday. In last Friday's podcast, you'll find an interview with Ron Lueck of Comp Air. And AVweb's podcast index includes interviews with Expedition Aircraft's Andrew Hamblin; Eclipse Aviation's Vern Raburn; NBAA's Ed Bolen; Open Air's Michael Klein; Air Excursions' Cable Wells; Stephen Brown; NATCA's Paul Rinaldi; AOPA's Kathleen Vascouselos; Maule Air's Mikel Boorom; Professsional Aviation Maintenance Association president Brian Finnegan; aviation forecaster Richard Aboulafia; Bill Lear, Jr.; and NATA President Jim Coyne. In Monday's news summary, hear about what panelists said at the FAAforecast about general aviation and very light jets, new suppliers forthe HondaJet, Saab's airborne missile defense system, Hartzell'shomegrown prop deicers and more. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK: THE FAA PREDICTS 5,000 VLJS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS; HOW ABOUT YOU?
We've asked for your predictions on the light bizjet boom in the past; this week, we want to know whether you agree with the FAA's predictions. The FAA's forecast predicts 5,000 very light jet deliveries over the next decade. If you'd written the forecast, how many VLJs would you have predicted to be delivered over the next 10 years? Plus: What single factor is the most important to AVweb readers when choosing an FBO? More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: REXBURG AIR SERVICE

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Rexburg Air Service at KRXE in Rexburg, Idaho.

AVweb reader Scott Brooksby says the FBO's owner bent over backwards to accommodate him.

"I landed last weekend for a mother’s weekend at BYU Idaho. I was fueled quickly, and a courtesy car was offered. The next day was so cold that I could not even get the engines started to take friends flying. Craig Frisby, the FBO owner, put the plane in the hangar overnight, serviced the struts and charged the battery, all at no charge. He met us Sunday afternoon and helped get the airplane out and ready to go. We had a brake failure on taxi out, and he came out immediately to service the brakes. He then waited to make sure we were off OK before going home to his family."

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: AVWEB'S FLYING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
Each week, we go through dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of reader-submitted photos and pick the very best to share with you on Thursday mornings. The top photos are featured on AVweb's home page, and one photo that stands above the others is awarded an AVweb baseball cap as our "Picture of the Week." Richard Rice of North Texas Skydiving Center in Garland, Texas pins down our location in ths week's winning photo. Larry Portman sent this one in to our contest on Richard's behalf, telling us Richard isn't quite as caught up in the 'Net as the rest of the world. For making time to send it in, Larry, we're sending you two hats — one for Richard and one for yourself. (Or two for yourself, if Richard really isn't on the web. Just sayin' ... .) More...

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