EMBRAER'S PHENOMENAL FIRST FLIGHT
Officials from Embraer's executive jet division were all smiles at AirVenture when they received word that the Phenom 100 very light jet made a one hour 36 minute first flight in Brazil. Aircraft S/N 99801 became airborne on Thursday at 10:55 a.m. local time, piloted by Embraer test pilot Antonio Bragança Silva and Eduardo Alves Menini. "This is a key milestone for Embraer," Embraer President and CEO Frederico Fleury Curado said. "When we unveiled the Phenom jets a little more than two years ago, we asserted to the business aviation community our commitment to be a long term player in the executive aviation market. The first flight of the Phenom 100 confirms this commitment." The flight crew, accompanied by flight test engineer Marcelo Toledo Basile, checked out the aircraft’s flight characteristics and systems operations. According to Embraer executive jets vice president Luis Carlos Affonso, during the flight the Phenom 100 reached 15,000 feet and the gear remained extended, which is not at all uncommon on a maiden jaunt. More...

TWO KILLED, FOUR HURT AT SCALED COMPOSITES EXPLOSION
Two people were killed and four others critically hurt in an explosion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, Calif., on Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press reports. Burt Rutan, president of the company, was reached by the AP and said he had no information about the incident but was on his way to the scene. Local TV news showed the blast scene in a remote corner of the airport, with wrecked vehicles and equipment strewn over the site. The accident involved nitrous oxide, a local fire official told KABC-TV reporters, which is used as a fuel in rocket motors. SpaceShipOne was built by Scaled, and a second generation of ships is currently being built for Virgin Galactic. More...

NTSB: PILOTS AT FAULT IN COMAIR CRASH
The flight crew of the Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Ky., in August 2006 failed to keep track of the airplane's location on the airport during taxi and then didn't check that they were on the right runway before takeoff, the NTSB said in its final report on Thursday. "This accident was caused by poor human performance," NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said in a statement. "Forty-nine lives could have been saved if the flight crew had been concentrating on the important task of operating the airplane in a safe manner." Contributing factors in the accident were the crew's nonpertinent conversation and the FAA's failure to require that all runway crossings must be authorized by specific air traffic control clearances, the Board said. The actions of the air traffic controller on duty were not cited as a contributing factor. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said the Lexington controller did nothing wrong. More...

BLAKEY GIVES LAST PITCH FOR USER FEES
Outgoing FAA Administrator Marion Blakey gave one last pitch for the implementation of general aviation user fees at EAA AirVenture on Thursday. And a gracious capacity crowd attending the annual "Meet The Boss" session let her have her say. During her introduction, EAA President Tom Poberezny noted that the FAA reauthorization bill is before Congress and that means the debate at the grass roots level is over. But Blakey, who could have let the issue go, instead suggested that Congress's failure to implement a "cost-based" system of revenue generation could result in blocks of airspace being closed to general aviation. "There's a very real possibility you won't be able to fly where you want, when you want," she said. "We believe a cost-based system will keep you flying rather than keep you from flying." She also stressed that under the proposal her adminstration made, the majority of general aviation operators would not be affected. More...

FAA SIMPLIFIES, SHRINKS ADIZ
The FAA will reduce the size and simplify the geography of the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone, cutting 1,800 square miles from the zone and removing 33 airports. The new zone gets rid of the so-called "Mickey Mouse ears" that described the complex shape of the old ADIZ and creates an almost perfect circle with a 30-nm radius, centered on Washington. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey made the announcement at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh today. The new ADIZ takes effect on Aug. 30. Blakey said the new ADIZ was shaped based on consultation with aviation groups and the 20,000 comments received from the public when the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was issued two years ago. "Score one for GA," she told a happy crowd that loudly applauded the decision. More...

ADS-B ROLLOUT IS ON THE WAY
FAA officials showed a handful of aviation journalists a glimpse of the Next Generation Air Transportation System at EAA AirVenture on Thursday afternoon. Accompanied by FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and Associate Administrator for Safety Nicholas Sabatini, AVweb, along with three other aviation news organizations was given a demonstration aboard the $25 million Bombardier Global 5000 long-range business jet the agency uses as a flying testbed for new technology. In 10 to 15 years' time, all aircraft that do any kind of meaningful cross-country flights will need the gear onboard gear that makes ADS-B work, but the FAA is selling that aspect as a plus for safety and operational convenience. Wilson Felder, director of the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City that is evaluating the system, told reporters that ADS-B is something all pilots should want in their panels. He's flown with it personally for about 60 hours in his Cessna 172 and seen its value firsthand. "It's saved my life at least three times," he said. He noted that ADS-B will be implemented in the GA community first and data gathered on its integration will be used when the agency eventually starts using it as a critical element of the air traffic control system. More...

LANCAIR INTRODUCES TURBINE ROCKET
After a couple years of development, Lancair unveiled its most technologically advanced kitplane at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. The Evolution is a 338-knot, four-place pressurized aircraft that employs virtually all the latest avionics, safety and performance innovations. Despite its blinding speed, the Evolution was designed with the average pilot and builder in mind. "We tried to make the safest airplane possible," said Lancair spokesman Tim Ong. The Evolution is equipped with a BRS parachute recovery system and Amsafe airbag seatbelts. It's also designed to Part 23 standards so it stalls at 61 knots. Ong said the kit is designed with as many systems as possible integrated into the composite structures to make building easier and faster. Cost is $250,000 for the kit, minus engine. More...

PIPERJET SPECS NARROWED DOWN
The PiperJet very light jet single will cruise the airways at more than 300 knots and glide almost as well as some gliders. At a news conference at EAA AirVenture, Piper Vice President of Sales Bob Kromer said that a one-fifth scale model of the jet recently completed wind-tunnel evaluation and the results not only validated the basic design but revealed a surprise. The high aspect ratio of the wing appears to give the jet a 17:1 glide ratio, something Kromer said adds to the overall safety of the aircraft. He said Piper has settled on a 6.45-psi pressure differential for the cabin and said the aircraft is well suited to cruise between 25,000 and 31,000 feet. At 35,000 feet, Kromer said the jet single will cruise at 360 knots and have a 1,300-nm range. Certification is set for mid-2010 and first deliveries by the end of 2010. The wind tunnel tests also mandated design changes including a new wing root fairing and a 30-degree sweep on the horizontal stabilizer. More...

AVIATION CONSUMER: MUSTANG IS TOP PRODUCT
In its annual review of the best products and services, our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, has named the Cessna Mustang its Product of the Year. "It's not so much the airplane itself — although it's impressive — but the achievement of producing it on time, on budget and on the numbers," the magazine said. The Mustang was reviewed by Aviation Consumer in its May 2007 issue. More...

ORIGINAL VIDEO: TOURING THE QUEST KODIAK AT EAA AIRVENTURE 2007
At EAA AirVenture 2007, Paul Schaller, President and CEO of Quest Aircraft, takes us on a tour of the Kodiak, one of the biggest little planes in off-airport operation. (Click through to watch.) More...

ORIGINAL VIDEO: OUR ADS-B PREVIEW FLIGHT WITH FAA ADMINISTRATOR MARION BLAKEY
AVweb flies with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey at EAA AirVenture 2007 and learns about the push for ADS-B and user fees. (Click through to watch.) More...

AVWEB'S AIRVENTURE PODCAST #5: CIRRUS ENTERS LSA — BUT ON ITS OWN TERMS
Cirrus surprised most of us at EAA AirVenture this week with the announcement that it will enter the Light Sport Aircraft market. Rather than design an aircraft, it's adapting the German-built Fk14 microlight to the LSA market. AVweb's Russ Niles met up with Cirrus co-founder Dale Klapmeier to discuss the philosophy and direction of the company in joining this new market sector.

Click here to listen.

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