CIRRUS LAUNCHES BID FOR COLUMBIA
Cirrus Design filed a motion on Thursday to try to buy bankrupt Columbia Aircraft. The company is also alleging that the bidding process gives arch-rival Cessna the inside track, according to The Associated Press. Cirrus representatives appeared to welcome Cessna's proposed acquisition of Columbia two weeks ago. After Columbia declared bankruptcy, Cessna said it had a letter of intent to buy some of the assets and liabilities of the Bend, Ore., planemaker. Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier told AVweb Sunday that making a play for Columbia is a natural move for Cirrus. "Naturally, Cirrus would express interest given some of the similar advanced technologies in the Columbia and how the line could compliment the current Cirrus SR line," he said in an email. "Cirrus has the ability to expand the business and at the same time further enhance the value of our business. Obviously, we also have the capabilities to take great care of the customers." The addition of Cirrus to the mix makes at least four companies interested in Columbia. More...

AOPA ASKS FOR MORE TIME ON CROSS-BORDER FLIGHT RULES
AOPA has asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection to extend the comment period by two months on a proposed rule that would require general aviation pilots to electronically file passenger manifests at least an hour before departure on flights headed to the U.S. from outside the country. As AVweb reported last week, the Baja Bush Pilots, who promote air tourism to Mexico, first raised the issue at last week’s AOPA Expo in Hartford, noting that it’s sometimes difficult to find a phone that works, let alone an Internet connection. Andy Cebula, director of government affairs for AOPA, said in a news release that actually being able to file the manifests is only part of the problem with the new rule. More...

FSS ERROR MAY CLEAR TFR-BUSTING PILOTS
The FAA says it will likely clear the records of 12 pilots who violated a temporary flight restriction (TFR) near Camp David last weekend on their way to an antique fly-in at Hagerstown. According to the Federal Times, a Capitol Hill news magazine, the pilots may not have been told about the TFR when they checked for NOTAMs with flight service before heading to Hagerstown. "Generally, if we determine they were not properly briefed we don't take enforcement action," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown told AVweb on the weekend. The Federal Times quoted Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., the chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, as telling a hearing on the performance of flight service since its takeover by Lockheed Martin that the errant pilots in Maryland weren't told about the TFR because flight service lost their notification of it. "We can and must do better," Costello said. More...

AIRLINES THREATENED WITH SCHEDULING RESTRICTIONS
Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters appears to accept that general aviation is not to blame for flight delays at major airports and says her department will impose scheduling restrictions on airlines, if necessary, improve on-time records. The first target could be JFK in New York. Peters has called a meeting between airline representatives and the FAA for Oct. 23-24 to discuss the problems. “Our first choice is to find market-based incentives to fix delays so we can preserve passenger choice, but we will consider imposing scheduling restrictions as one option to avoid a repeat of this summer’s delays,” Peters said in a news release. As part of their campaign to create a user-fee system for FAA services, the airlines have alleged that general aviation traffic is largely to blame for airline delays but Peters doesn’t mention little airplanes in her release. More...

NEW MATERIAL LIGHTER, STRONGER THAN CARBON FIBER
Next to advances in engine technology, new materials to make the rest of the aircraft are critical to improving performance and durability of aircraft and Dutch scientists say they’ve hit on a winner. The researchers at the Delft University of Technology said in a recent news release that their CentrAl reinforced aluminum, which is a sandwich of aluminum and composite materials, is not only stronger than carbon-fiber composites, it’s 20 percent lighter and virtually impervious to fatigue. The news release says use of the material could save $100 billion in maintenance and fuel costs in the world-wide aviation industry. More...

WEATHER RADARS GET $43 MILLION UPGRADE
Forecasters will be able to see the size, type and intensity of precipitation much more accurately after a system-wide upgrade of NEXRAD radars. Baron Services, an affiliate of WxWorx, and L-3 Communications were awarded the $43 million deal to upgrade 171 weather radars with something called dual-polarization Doppler capability. According to WxWorks, the new capability will allow forecasters to predict snowfall amounts and even events like flash floods with more accuracy. More...

AIRSHIP FLIGHT WILL MEASURE ARCTIC ICE
A French explorer says the best way to measure the effects of global warming on the Arctic environment is from the comfort of an airship. Jean-Louis Etienne intends to fly an airship more than 6,000 miles from Spitzberg, Norway, over the North Pole, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska from April to May of next year. He told a news conference that the airship can cover a lot more area than surface ships but are much more stable platforms for scientific equipment than other types of aircraft. "The airship will allow us to fly over vast areas and it will give our measuring equipment the stability that a helicopter cannot give," he said. The airship is being built in Russia and is about 175 feet long and 50 feet in diameter. More...

SIGHTSEEING HELICOPTER PILOT CHARGED WITH DRUNK FLYING
A Naples, Fla. helicopter pilot is being held without bail in Virginia after police allege he was giving rides to families while under the influence of alcohol. Police were called to the Suffolk Peanut Festival after a family that had taken a ride with the 50-year-old pilot complained that he flew erratically and that they could smell alcohol on his breath. The family also said he muttered curses when he landed the Bell 206 L1 helicopter. More...

AIRLINE PILOT SUSPENDED FOR LONG-DISTANCE JOKE?
The "victim" in this bizarre tale says there's more to the story than meets the eye … and there would probably have to be. A 30-year-veteran Singapore Airlines pilot is alleged to have essentially thrown it all away for the teenage prank of fraudulently ordering fast food for a fellow pilot who lives near Vancouver. At least four times over a two-day period last November, Looi Kang San is alleged to have had pizza, burgers and fried chicken delivered to Steven Gillis, who lives in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey. The Vancouver Province newspaper contacted Gillis, who didn't want to comment, but the paper did say he suggested there was something else going on. Regardless of what may have sparked the intercontinental prank, Singapore authorities don't seem to think it's funny. More...

ON THE FLY ...
Seventeen whooping cranes on their way to Florida ...
Gen. David Lee "Tex" Hill died at 92 ...
A passenger died after being hit with a taser at Vancouver Airport. More...

AVMAIL: OCT. 15, 2007
Reader mail this week about AFSS, ADS-B, LEDs, TFRs, QOTW and much more. 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...

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

LEADING EDGE #10: FLY IT AGAIN?
We don't know how many people shoot multiple instrument approaches at an airport with bad weather, but we do know how many people die trying. More...

WHAT'S NEW FOR OCTOBER 2007
This month AVweb's survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners brings you Skyhawks with diesel engines, voltage regulators, GPS screen protectors, gift cards and much more. More...

AVWEB'S MONDAY PODCAST: SPORTY'S HEAD HAL SHEVES DEBRIEFS AFTER NBAA AND AOPA
At any convention, a lot of the real business is done in the hallways, the reception rooms, and the quiet corners that movers and shakers find when they need to talk turkey. The National Business Aviation Association meeting in Atlanta and AOPA's annual get-together in Hartford provided plenty of opportunities for the kind of informal discussions that often lay the groundwork for future projects. Someone who seems to be everywhere at these events is Hal Shevers, president of Sporty's Pilot Shop. AVweb's Russ Niles talked with Hal about what was seen and heard at these two major events. More...

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BOB HOOVER'S SHOW-STOPPING AEROBATICS
This week's viral video clip comes to us from AVweb reader Brady Zaiser, who found this clip of the incredible Bob Hoover demonstrating a few aerobatic tricks on Snotr. (Brady, we'll be sending you an AVweb hat for tracking this down — and we'll do the same for anyone else who recommends a video that becomes a future "Video of the Week," so be sure to let us know when you find cool flying videos around the web.) (Click through to watch.) More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: AVIATION FACILITIES, INC. (AFI) (KFUL, FULLERTON, CA)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Aviation Facilities, Inc. (AFI) at KFUL in Fullerton, California — a family-run FBO that celebrated its 40th anniversary at KFUL last week.

AVweb reader Ray Stratton gave us a little history:

Starting with a C-150 and using the airport motel lobby as an office, [AFI] ... has grown to a fleet of eleven aircraft and over seven instructors. Still owned and operated by the same family, it has accomplished over 250,000 hours of flight instruction.

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!

AVWEBBIZ: AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVIATION NEWSLETTER
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry. Business AVflash is a must read. Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/. More...

SHORT FINAL

August 30, 2007

Piper Arrow pilot was on a 1/4-mile final, making a late-night emergency landing at MSP due to a faulty nosegear indicator, with fire trucks and emergency vehicles lining both sides of the runway.

Overheard:
Wow, not even [U.S. President] Bush gets this kind of treatment when he lands!

(The nose wheel held up O.K.)

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

The AVwebFlash team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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