PILOTS SUE FAA OVER AGE-60 RULE
The FAA is dragging its feet on changing the Age-60 rule, say three airline pilots who are about to see their careers come to what they believe is a premature end. But the trio is doing more than just griping about the situation – they filed a lawsuit against the FAA in a federal court late last week to fight the age rule. The three pilots -- Lewis Tetlow of Bedford, N.H.; Richard Morgan of Charlottesville, Va.; and Joseph LoVecchio of Lancaster, Pa. -- are backed by the newly formed Senior Pilots Coalition, a group about 300 strong that is seeking a change to the Age-60 rule. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said early this year that the rule likely will change to harmonize with new international rules that allow airline pilots to fly until age 65, but that process could take up to two years. During this period, the pilot group says U.S. airlines will lose about 5,000 experienced pilots thanks to the rule. More...

BOSTON AIR TAXI SERVICE EXPANDS TO D.C.
Linear Air, which has been operating an air-taxi service from Bedford, Mass., since 2004 with a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans while it awaits delivery of its Eclipse very light jets, is now expanding to Manassas (Va.) Regional Airport just outside of Washington, D.C., the company said this week. Linear Air has ordered 30 Eclipse 500 VLJs and expects to begin taking delivery of them this summer. "With our base at Manassas, we now offer contiguous service from New England all the way down to the Southeast," said Linear Air President and CEO William Herp. "We've seen tremendous demand among business travelers for day trips, as well as leisure travel to second homes and out-of-the-way resorts." More...

REPORT DEBUNKS TUSKEGEE LEGEND
The legend that says the escorts flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II never lost a bomber to enemy aircraft fire is just that -- a legend, according to a report by an historian at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. The preliminary findings of the research became known last year, but the final report was coincidentally released last week, just as the Airmen were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. Historian Daniel Haulman's research was based on reports filed by the bomber units and fighter groups, as well as air-crew records and reports from eyewitnesses. He documented 25 aircraft that were lost on five days. More...

CHAOS CONTINUES IN BRAZIL'S ATC SYSTEM
Talks between air traffic controllers and the Brazilian government broke down Tuesday when the controllers refused to say they wouldn't strike, Reuters reports. The controllers had walked off the job over the weekend, and thousands of passengers were stranded when the government closed down the airports. They were back at work the next day, after the government finally agreed to negotiate. The civilian controllers, who are employed by the air force, have complained that they are underpaid and their jobs should be under civilian control. Brazil's president was expected to sign an order this week to create a new civil aviation agency to oversee the country's airspace, which would have addressed one of the controllers' main concerns. That change now is uncertain. More...

MORE BRAZIL MIDAIR LAWSUITS FILED
At least 16 lawsuits filed Friday in federal court are seeking financial compensation for the loss of 154 people killed when a Gol airlines 737 made airborne contact with an ExcelAire Legacy business jet over the Amazon rain forest last September 29. The suits filed in Miami name New York-based charter provider ExcelAire and the U.S. pilots of the Legacy -- Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino -- who were previously detained for more than 70 days in Brazil following the accident. It claims the pilots did not maintain proper altitude, failed to properly maintain communication with air traffic control and didn't operate the aircraft properly. Defects in the air traffic control system, which was developed and maintained by Honeywell, Lockheed Martin and two other companies, also factor into the crash and the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press. More...

SOCATA TRIES HAND AT COMPOSITES
EADS Socata hopes to revolutionize its manufacturing processes through the use of new advanced composites manufacturing techniques that could provide it lighter parts, for less money, built in less time. In partnership with other private-sector entities it would provide 32 percent toward a EU$9.3 million FUSCOMP, short for fuselage composite, program for the manufacture of a composite fuselage demonstrator based on the turboprop-single TBM 850 fuselage design but developed through vacuum infusion. The research-and-design-focused program is based on using vacuum pressure to inject liquid resin into dry fiber in a closed mold -- as opposed to working with pre-impregnated fiber materials cured in an autoclave. The new manufacturing method will allow for use of new materials and reduced production cycles, materials and manufacturing costs. More...

FAA, NATCA DEBATE SOCAL ATC STAFFING
The airspace in Southern California is busy and complex, and according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), a staffing crisis is eroding the margin of safety to "dangerously low levels." A shortage of qualified staff is forcing many controllers to work overtime and six-day weeks, while more controllers are retiring and new hires are not being trained quickly enough, NATCA said on Tuesday. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor disputed NATCA's claims, telling NBC4.tv that the agency is actively training new recruits and planning for retirements. He acknowledged, however, that Long Beach controllers are working overtime. He said the FAA will bring five new hires on board in the next year. More...

NEW CEO AT LIBERTY AEROSPACE
Melbourne, Fla.-based Liberty Aerospace promoted Keith Markley to the president and CEO position. Markley formerly was the airplane manufacturer's chief operating officer. "Liberty Aerospace has grown significantly over the last two years, moving to a full production Part 23 aircraft manufacturer," said former CEO Anthony Tiarks, who founded the company in 2000. "This appointment, which has been planned for some time, will now allow me to strategically focus on Liberty's growing presence in international markets, an area the company sees as high growth." Tiarks will remain on the company's board of directors. Liberty sells the two-seat XL2. More...

EXPEDITION WILL SEEK RESOLUTION OF EARHART MYSTERY
A diary that was kept by a journalist who was covering Amelia Earhart's round-the-world flight when she disappeared has recently resurfaced and is fueling new speculation about her fate. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished over the South Pacific 70 years ago in July 1937. The diary raises questions about the early hours of the search and what transmissions were sent from the aircraft. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) is planning an expedition this summer to return to Nikumaroro, a tiny island where they believe Earhart and Noonan may have landed when their Lockheed Electra ran out of fuel. [more] The investigators will search for artifacts, and they also hope to find human remains that could be used for DNA testing. More...

AMERICAN LEGEND EXPANDS INTO RESTORATION SERVICES
American Legend Aircraft Company of Sulphur Springs, Texas, manufactures and sells the popular Legend Cub Light Sport Aircraft. Now the company has formed a new subsidiary, American Legend Aircraft Services, that will restore vintage tube-and-fabric airplanes. The new company will offer repair, overhaul, upgrades, annual inspections and showroom-quality complete restorations. Aircraft that can be worked on at ALAS include the Piper J-3, PA-11 and Super Cubs; Aeronca Champ, Chief and Citabria; Luscombe Monocoupe through 8 series; Taylorcraft; Waco; Stearman; and more. More...

FAA IMPROVES POLAR OCEANIC ROUTES
Aircraft crossing the Arctic Ocean can now fly more direct routes, save fuel and achieve better on-time performance, the FAA said this week. The Alaska Air Route Traffic Control Center has completed the installation of Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP). The technology enables controllers to safely separate aircraft in areas outside radar coverage or direct radio communication. The system has already been deployed at FAA centers in New York and California to provide enhanced air traffic service over the Atlantic and Pacific. "As we move toward the Next Generation Air Transportation System, we will continue to introduce procedures and technologies that help system users better serve their customers while maintaining the highest levels of safety," said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. More...

CANADA TARGETS AEROSPACE FOR GROWTH
The Canadian government will invest about $800 million in aerospace and defense research and development over the next five years, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier announced on Monday. Companies based in Canada that are expected to benefit from the project include Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada and training provider CAE Inc. The government will require companies to invest three to four dollars of their own capital for every federal dollar received. "Aerospace is a major contributor to wealth and job creation," said Don Campbell, chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada. "Government partnerships with industry serve a valuable purpose in stimulating technology development which would not otherwise occur." More...

ON THE FLY
DA40 fuel selectors must be modified, per proposed AD...
A new four-stroke engine is ready to fly, says AirScooter Corp...
Some Columbia aircraft must be inspected to prevent jams, per AD...
FlightSafety now has Mustang simulator training in Wichita...
Former FAA employee fined for lying on his medical application. More...

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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...

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

PELICAN'S PERCH #84: DON'T SET MIXTURE WITH CHT
Some pilots think the ''new wave'' in engine management is not to use EGT to set the mixture but instead to keep the CHTs under some generic maximum. Their engines won't last very long. More...

PROBABLE CAUSE #29: FREEZING UP ON APPROACH
Ice claims another victim as a twin Commander crashes miles short of the runway. But could the accident have been avoided? More...

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 Jim Schuster at Raytheon Aircraft. And AVweb's podcast index includes interviews with Avfuel's Craig Sincock; Comp Air's Ron Lueck; 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; and Bill Lear, Jr. In Monday's special podcast, Jeff Simon talks with AVweb about synthetic vision systems for general aviation airplanes. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK: NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE ECLIPSE (OR A FEW OF THEM), WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?
Now that Eclipse has delivered five Eclipse 500s and released preliminary performance data for the final configuration of the $1.55 million very light twinjet, how would you classify the airplane overall? AVweb wants to hear whether your amazed, underwhelmed, or somewhere in between. Plus: Find out how many of last week's poll participants admitted to knowing someone who withheld information on their medical. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: PHAZAR FLIGHT SUPPORT

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Phazar Flight Support at KFTW in Fort Worth, Texas.

AVweb reader James Knox says the facility staff are attuned to customer's every need.

"Phazar is a relatively new FBO, and they are just puppy-dog eager to please. (Or else it's a plot to make you feel guilty about asking for anything.) They parked my little plane under the wing of the biggest Gulfstream and gave me the same treatment they gave them. Everything is done quickly and on time."

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." Ready for a fresh desktop wallpaper image? Try this week's winning photo, courtesy of Aerochutes SW's Steve Rambo in Chehalis, Washington. We can only hope an AVweb hat will look as good on Steve as his image does on our monitors. More...

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