FAA REAUTHORIZATION: NEW BILL IN PLAY
With the FAA's proposal to restructure the way it's financed facing a broad array of opposition, Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., have come up with their own solution, The Hill reported on Tuesday. Their bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate later this week. It exempts piston-driven aircraft from user fees and new taxes, but would shift a considerable share of costs off the airlines and onto smaller turbine aircraft. The Alliance for Aviation Across America, a recently formed alliance of groups opposed to user fees, has already expressed "grave concerns" about the new bill. More...

AIR TAXI STARTUP POINT2POINT SUSPENDS OPS
Point2Point, the regional air-taxi service based in North Dakota, has suspended operations, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. The company had shown exponential growth in several quarters last year, and last July, at AirVenture, had placed an order for up to 100 Diamond aircraft, including DA42 Twin Stars and D-Jets. Company founder John Boehle told AVweb in an e-mail on Wednesday that the company's main problem was that revenues fell over the winter due to "the inability of P2P to reliably dispatch aircraft due to inclement winter flying conditions." Boehle said he had hoped that adding DA42 Twin Stars to his Cirrus SR22 fleet would address the airline's winter dispatch deficiencies in the Upper Great Plains. "We recognized early on the need to address the question of winter reliability with an all-weather/low-cost aircraft to supplement the very capable Cirrus SR22," Boehle said. "However, delays in the FAA's certification of the Diamond DA42 for air carrier operations and for flight into known icing conditions combined to impede Point2Point's ability to effectively address winter weather flying constraints on service availability to customers." Boehle said the airline is engaged in a "corporate and capital restructuring process" and is seeking new backers. "Point2Point's commercial air carrier certificate and top-flight operations team offer tremendous value to investors in the market for such an opportunity," he told AVweb. More...

NTSB BLAMES PILOTS IN MANHATTAN CRASH, SUGGESTS VFR LIMITS
The pilots' inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship in performing a 180-degree turn in a limited space was the probable cause of the Cirrus SR20 crash last October that killed Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor, the NTSB said on Tuesday morning. The B oard's final report says it was not possible to determine who was manipulating the controls at the time of the crash. "This accident is a great tragedy in which a pleasure flight went horribly wrong and ultimately cost the lives of two young men," said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. "The pilots placed themselves in a precarious situation that could have been prevented by better judgment and planning." The Board told the FAA that it should permanently prohibit VFR flight for fixed-wing, nonamphibious aircraft in the New York East River Class B exclusion area, where the accident took place, unless those operations are authorized and being controlled by air traffic control. An animation posted online shows the aircraft's flight path. More...

NTSB SAYS TCAS MUST WARN PILOTS WHEN OFFLINE
Traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS) should be designed to ensure that flight crews know when they are not operating, the NTSB said in a safety recommendation issued on Wednesday. The recommendation is based on preliminary findings in the ongoing investigation into the midair collision between an Embraer Legacy bizjet and a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 in Brazil last year, which killed all 154 aboard the airliner. The NTSB said its findings indicate that, for reasons yet to be determined, the collision avoidance system in the Legacy was not functioning at the time of the accident, disabling the system's ability to detect and be detected by conflicting traffic. In addition, data from the cockpit voice recorder indicates that the flight crew was unaware that the collision avoidance system was not functioning until after the accident. "A flight crew's ability to mitigate the risk of collision is significantly degraded if the collision avoidance system becomes inoperative and the failure is not quickly and reliably brought to the crew's attention, as this accident demonstrates," the Safety Board said. More...

SANTA MONICA VOTES TO RESTRICT RUNWAY DESPITE FAA
City commissioners in Santa Monica, Calif., voted last week to cordon off nearly 1,200 feet of a runway at the Santa Monica Airport, despite assertions from FAA officials that such restrictions would not be allowed. The move is the latest effort from the city to restrict jet traffic. The airport has become increasingly popular over the last two decades, much to the dismay of neighbors. A few hundred residents and politicians rallied at the airport recently to protest noise and air pollution. The new resolution would block 600 feet at each end of the 5,000-foot runway as a "safety area." Commission vice-chair Susan Hartley told The Lookout News she voted for the measure because "it will protect Los Angeles and Santa Monica residents." FAA officials have told the commission that any action that would restrict access is "not acceptable." More...

EPA RECOGNIZES ECLIPSE'S PHOSTREX
Eclipse Aviation on Tuesday said the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the company with a 2007 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award for the development of its PhostrEx fire-suppression system. “PhostrEx will transform how our industry protects against engine fires while simultaneously guarding against the depletion of the ozone,” said Eclipse President and CEO Vern Raburn. PhostrEx was patented by Eclipse and is the first new commercially viable aircraft engine fire-suppression system in 50 years, the company said. Aircraft fire-suppression systems are currently exempt from the Montreal Protocol and are allowed to use Halon, an ozone-depleting substance, until a workable substitute is found. PhostrEx could very well be that substitute, but the EPA has yet to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking t o ban Halon for aviation applications. More...

BLIND PILOT COMPLETES U.K.-TO-SYDNEY FLIGHT
Miles Hilton-Barber, 58, a British pilot who has been blind for 25 years, landed his microlight aircraft at Bankstown airport in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, after flying more than halfway around the world. His 59-day trip through 21 countries raised money for a charity that works to prevent blindness in poor countries. "It's the fulfillment of an amazing dream," Hilton-Barber told reporters. "I've wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid. Now I'm totally blind and I've had the privilege of flying more than halfway around the world." Hilton-Barber controls the aircraft with the help of talking instruments and computerized sensors. He flew with a sighted copilot. More...

FAA OKS TUTIMA ACADEMY TO OFFER COLUMBIA 400 UPSET TRAINING
Pilots now can train to recognize and recover from unusual attitudes in a Columbia 400 at Sean D. Tucker's Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety in King City, Calif. The school's Columbia 400 is a stock factory model, but has been reclassified as an experimental by the FAA to allow it to be used for aerobatic flight in the Executive Pilot Awareness Training program. "All the instructors here are approved to offer that training," Tutima instructor Ben Freelove told AVweb on Tuesday. "So, this is the only place you can get it." Air show pilot Sean D. Tucker will fly aerobatic maneuvers in the 400 at several events this summer (including EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis.) to demonstrate the airplane's capabilities. More...

NEW AOPA PUBLICATION OUTLINES RULES FOR SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS
If you conduct sightseeing flights, whether for charity or for profit, new FAA rules affect you. AOPA has updated its "Charity Flying Safety Brief," posted free online, to reflect those changes. For example, flight schools that give sightseeing rides under the Part 91 25-mile exception must now apply for a "Letter of Authorization" from the FAA and show proof that they have an FAA-approved anti-drug and alcohol program. Private pilots who conduct sightseeing flights to raise funds for charity now must have a minimum total flight time of 500 hours, up from 200. However, the rule changes don't affect all forms of charitable flying. Volunteer private pilots still may transport a sick or injured person and take a charitable tax deduction for their expenses, says the Air Care Alliance. More...

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLAN FOR EAA AIRVENTURE
Yes, it's three months away, but the official FAA NOTAM is now available, and if you are planning to fly in to EAA AirVenture this summer, it's not too soon to start studying up on the event's unique arrival and departure procedures. The NOTAM provides details for the many types of aircraft that fly to Wittman Field in Oshkosh, as well as to nearby airports. You can print out all 28 pages of the PDF booklet online right now or call EAA at 800-564-6322 and they will mail you a free copy. Changes this year include that the fly-in procedures start a day earlier than usual, taking effect Friday, July 20. The FAA will also use a new, higher-powered frequency for the Arrival ATIS this year, 118.75, so pilots can start to listen in from farther out. Additionally, a new landing area has been established for helicopters, and flight hours in the North and South Flight Service Briefing Annexes have been expanded. More...

NEW EXECUTIVES AT MOONEY
Mooney Airplane Co. of Kerrville, Texas, has named two new executives to its staff, with the appointment of Jon Greenwood to the position of vice president and chief financial officer and John McCoury as vice president of engineering. Greenwood previously worked for M7 Aerospace. McCoury has worked with Aviation Technology Group (ATG) and Eclipse Aviation. "Jon Greenwood brings outstanding credentials to his new role at Mooney," said CEO Dennis Ferguson. McCoury's experience in new product development will be valuable as Mooney considers future projects, Ferguson said. More...

ON THE FLY
Penton's Aircraft Bluebook has launched a new Web site...
Aviation in Vietnam is stymied by lack of clear regulations...
Vero Beach will pitch to be home to the PiperJet plant...
The Navy's new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye made its public debut...
Columbia Air Services' trademark lawsuit against Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. heads to trial…
AOPA annual Fly-In Set for June 2 in Frederick, Md. 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...

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

PROBABLE CAUSE #31: TEST PILOT
A pilot picking up an airplane from maintenance discovers a problem after takeoff. Could better planning and weather have changed the outcome? More...

LOSING IT
Your only engine, that is. Here are three pilots with happy-ending engine-failure tales. Their advice: Plan for it, train for it and fly the airplane. 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 part one of an interview with Rich Schrameck at Epic Aircraft. And AVweb's podcast index includes interviews with Cessna's Jack Pelton; Embraer's Ernest Edwards; LAMA's Dan Johnson; Piper's Jim Bass; DayJet's Ed Iacobucci; AOPA's Andrew Cebula; Hawker Beechcraft's Jim Schuster; Avfuel's Craig Sincock; Comp Air's Ron Lueck; and VistaNav's Jeff Simon. In Monday's special podcast, hear Pat Foley of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on controller hiring. Remember: In AVweb's podcasts, you'll hear things you won't find anywhere else.

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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: OUR RIDE-ALONG WITH AEROBATIC PILOTS MICHAEL MANCUSO AND MATT CHAPMAN AT SUN 'N FUN 2007
AVweb (and you) ride along with Michael Mancuso as he flies his precision formation routine with Matt Chapman. The video includes narration by Mancuso, who briefed us after the show. (Click through to watch.) More...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK REDUX: IS AFSS CONSOLIDATION AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF YOUR WEATHER BRIEFINGS?
Last week, we asked AVweb readers if they've seen any noticeable change in the quality of weather briefings since AFSS consolidation has gotten underway.  Unfortunately, a last-minute typo in the AVwebFlash newsletter meant that many readers never got a chance to participate in last week's poll — so we're keeping it open another week, to hear what everyone has to say. We're very interested in your local AFSS experiences, and if you'd like to tell us more than you can in a simple poll, please feel free to e-mail us with more detail. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: ATLAS AVIATION

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Atlas Aviation at KTPF in Tampa, Fla.

AVweb reader Armand Bendersky says the FBO went above and beyond.

"I contacted them before flying to Sun 'n Fun, and they were friendly on the phone and went above and beyond in obtaining hotel reservations, printed directions and the right rental car. Their facility is clean and the staff is friendly and helpful to a fault. I highly recommend this small, but very convenient operation for anyone going into the Tampa area. Fuel prices are probably less than others in the area, and they treat you like they appreciate your business."

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
Too many pictures — it's a good problem to have! Last week, we did our best to go through the deluge of photos that arrived in our submission box while we were traipsing around the show grounds at Sun 'n Fun, but we still couldn't narrow it down to fewer than 25 pictures we wanted to share. (And the slideshow on our home page was only built to hold 25 — "more than we'd ever really need," right?) This week, photo submissions dropped off a good bit, with only 78 new pictures coming across the 'net, but we still had a good 40 held in reserve from last week. What this means is another jam-packed week, headlined by "POTW" winner Steve Gladwin of Pflugerville, Texas. Take it away, Steve! More...

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