SUPPLIER SUES ECLIPSE, ALLEGING LACK OF PAYMENT
Hampson Aerospace, a U.K.-based company that has been building tail sections in Texas for the Eclipse 500 jet, sued Eclipse Aviation on Tuesday, alleging that required payments have not been made since March, the Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Eclipse told the Journal she couldn't comment on the pending litigation. Email and voicemail messages left for Eclipse by AVweb late Wednesday were not returned by our deadline.According to the suit, Hampson agreed to reduce the payments, but Eclipse then said it could rescind the agreement altogether on the basis of fraud, according to the Journal. The suit did not give details of the basis for the fraud allegation. The value of the contract is estimated at $380 million. Eclipse laid off about 100 workers last month, and has run into repeated production delays. This week, however, the company went to the Dubai Air Show for the first time, and sold 12 Eclipse 500 jets to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Flight Academy (DAEFA). Delivery of these Eclipse 500s will begin next year, the company said in a news release. More...

LINEAR AIR READY TO FLY ITS ECLIPSE 500
Linear Air, of Bedford, Mass., said on Wednesday it is ready to start booking passengers for its Eclipse 500 air-taxi service, making it one of the first companies to operate the very light jet. The company took delivery of the VLJ last summer. "For three years, the entire team at Linear Air has been working hard to bring affordable personal jet transportation to the world," said CEO William Herp. "I'm proud to announce that we have finally accomplished that objective." The company's Eclipse 500 was officially certified on Tuesday by the FAA to offer jet-taxi service. "For up to four travelers, the price and Linear Air experience will be hard to beat," Herp said. Linear Air says it can offer trips of 300 miles in the Eclipse jet for $3,590, which is about the same price as the same trip in its Cessna Caravan, but the Caravan carries eight people and the jet carries four. The jet, however, travels almost twice as fast -- a cruise speed of 345 mph versus 184 mph. More...

RESURFACED P-38 MAY BE WORLD'S OLDEST
Investigators and historians have confirmed that an aircraft wreck that emerged from the sands of a Wales beach over the summer is a P-38 Lightning, not an unmanned drone as first reports indicated. Ric Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), visited the wreck last month and was able to positively identify it from a serial number. He said it may be the oldest P-38 in existence and the oldest surviving 8th Air Force combat aircraft of any type. "In that respect it's a major find, of exceptional interest to British and American aviation historians," he told The Associated Press. The P-38 was built in 1941, reached Britain in early 1942, and flew combat missions along the Dutch-Belgian coast, according to the AP. Second Lt. Robert F. "Fred" Elliott, 24, of Rich Square, N.C., ditched in the shallow water near the beach after running out of fuel. Shifting sands covered the wreck, and its location was forgotten until erosion uncovered it this year. More...

CESSNA, CIRRUS FIND BUYERS IN DUBAI
It's not only heavy iron that gets sold at the Dubai Air Show -- some big sales of piston aircraft also were made this week. Cirrus Design announced a sale to Dubai Aerospace Enterprises Flight Academy to supply their training fleet. Two SR22s were delivered at the show, with the rest to come next year. Cirrus also brought its turbo SR22 to the show for the first time. "At present the Middle East is an untapped market for us," said John Bingham, managing director of international sales for Cirrus. "We envisage the market will grow healthily over the next few years, especially in the private aviation sector, and we expect to be part of that." Cessna brought its new turbo diesel Skyhawk to the show, and announced that Ethiopian Airlines will buy 10 copies. "These aircraft will be used in ab-initio airline training and represent the first fleet of the new Skyhawk TDs ordered by a major airline training school," said Bob Gibbs, Cessna's director of international propeller aircraft sales. More...

EAA INDUCTS NEW HALL OF FAMERS
Eight people who have made varied contributions to aviation were named to the EAA's Halls of Fame at a banquet in Oshkosh, Wis., last Friday. "These inductees represent the best that recreational aviation has to offer and serve as an example for everyone involved in flying," said EAA President Tom Poberezny. "Those of us active in aviation today recognize their commitment and passion for flying. We are honored to welcome them as our newest inductees to the EAA Halls of Fame." The new inductees were Chester L. Peek, noted author and restorer of vintage aircraft; Randy Schlitter, founder of RANS Aircraft; Debby Rihn-Harvey, eight-time women's national aerobatic champion; Michael Markowski, author of numerous books about ultralights; Hal Shevers, founder of Sporty's flight academy and pilot shops; and Wilson Connell "Connie" Edwards, chief stunt pilot for the movie Battle of Britain. Posthumous inductions were William Kershner, author and instructor who taught aerobatics to more than 600 pilots; and Wolfgang Langewiesche, author of the book Stick and Rudder. More...

PILOTS WANT UFOS INVESTIGATED
A group of 19 pilots and government officials met at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Monday, to call on the government to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects -- that's right, UFOs. All of the pilots said they have had an unexplained encounter with something in the sky, and the government seems to be covering up, or dragging its feet, or just trying to ignore the problem. A pilot from Peru's air force said he fired many rounds at a UFO, which was not affected. Another pilot, from Iran's air force, said he tried to fire at a UFO, but his airplane's control panel froze up. Both pilots spoke about their experiences for the first time in public at the Press Club event. Also on the panel were former accident investigators from the FAA and the Department of Defense. Fife Symington, who was formerly an Air Force pilot and governor of Arizona, moderated the event. He has said he saw a UFO in 1997. More...

IS THAT 747 FEELING CRAMPED? SAUDI SHEIK ORDERS PRIVATE A380
Here's a story that could make you look around in the posh cabin of your Cirrus or Cessna and think, "Hmm, this is pretty shabby." Isn't it time to upgrade to a personal aircraft that has room for a few king-size beds and a hundred or so of your best pals? That is apparently the thinking of Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, a multi-billionaire and one of the world's richest men, who has placed the first-ever order for a private Airbus A380. At $300 million, the airplane comes with 6,460 square feet of empty floor space, which the prince can configure any way he wants. "It’s a huge canvas to work with," Doug McVitie, an aircraft consultant, told The New York Times. The prince could easily spend more on customizing the interior than it cost to buy the airplane, he said. More...

QUEST'S SECOND KODIAK TAKES WING
S/N002 -- that's Quest Aircraft serial number two, the second production KODIAK aircraft and the first customer aircraft -- hasflown and will be delivered in early December. The ten-place G1000-equipped, three-glass-paneled, PT6-powered KODIAK can take off inunder 700 feet at its full gross weight of 6,750 pounds carrying a fulluseful load of 3,450 pounds and drive all that aloft at 1,700 feet perminute. Occupants are accommodated in 21G passenger seats, while pilots strap into 26G crew seats. More...

NO SERIOUS INJURIES IN GLOBAL 5000 CRASH LANDING
Heavy, wet snow and strong winds were present when a Bombardier Global 5000 business jet's landing gear collapsed after the aircraft apparently landed short of the runway at a private airport at a golf resort in Nova Scotia on Sunday. None of the eight passengers and two crew was seriously hurt, although some were checked in to the hospital. Aircraft owner Ron Joyce, who is also the owner of the golf course and a pilot, told the Canadian Press the crash was like a car accident, only more spectacular. "We don't know, I don't know what happened," Joyce said. "... I am just happy to be standing here talking to you. It scared the hell out of me." More...

DIAMOND'S NUMBERS BUCK TREND
Amid an overall decline in piston aircraft sales, Diamond Aircraft isreporting a year-over-year growth in sales of 17 percent, bolsteredby a double-digit rise in deliveries of both DA40 Diamond Star andDA42 Twin Star aircraft. According to numbers last week released bythe General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Diamond'sfigures offer a sharp contrast to the piston market at large, whichGAMA reported to be down by 11 percent over the same period. More...

PILOT BAILS OUT OF DOOMED AIRCRAFT
Eleven-thousand-hour pilot Lochland Jeffries called on the experience of his 1,000 successful jumps as an Air Force Pararescue member to escape without injury after he lost control of his aircraft while practicing aerobatics over Ossippee, N.H., Sunday. The single-seat biplane he was flying (type unknown) crashed in the woods, according to an initial report by The Associated Press. More...

ON THE FLY ...
FAA's Aviation Weather Services AC free online in PDF format ...
A woman hit by the wing of a taxiing Piper Cherokee is recovering ...
An A340 was badly damaged when it skidded off a runway in Quito ...
A Cherokee that crashed in Utah broke up in flight, NTSB says. 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...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: UFOS — TIME TO GET SERIOUS ... OR JUST ANOTHER GOOD LAUGH?
In the past, 44% of AVweb readers reported seeing them — and now a group of pilots and government officials are petitioning the U.S. government to open a serious inquiry into their nature. We're talking about UFOs, of course. Is it time for a serious investigation? Plus: What did AVweb readers say about increased border security for G.A. pilots entering the U.S.? More...

DID YOUR BATTERY DIE? TELL US ABOUT IT
Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, will soon publish an in-depth report on aircraft batteries. As part of that report, the magazine would like to hear about your experiences with aircraft batteries -- good, bad or otherwise. To take part in our online survey, click here. More...

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

A PILOT'S HISTORY: CHAP. 3 -- WAR IN THE ISLANDS
In this third chapter of the career of Carl Moesly, he begins ferrying cargo and wounded throughout the Pacific Theater of WWII. More...

PROBABLE CAUSE #45: OUT OF POSITION
A Skylane pilot crashes during a foggy ILS approach. Is it possible his HSI was showing data from the wrong navigation source? More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: HEARTLAND AVIATION (KEAU, EAU CLAIRE, WI)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Heartland Aviation at KEAU in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

AVweb reader Mark Griffith was preparing to leave Eau Claire when his alternator failed:

Unable to make the one-hour flight back to Rochester and realizing that the FBO had just closed, we resigned ourselves to a cold, dark fall night outside, waiting on our ride home. Hugh, the night janitor at Heartland Aviation, saw our predicament and quickly ushered us inside to the nicely furnished (and comfortably warm) pilot's lounge. Our ride arrived a couple of hours later, and we could thank Hugh enough for being a gracious and warm host. He really turned a cold, depressing evening into a gathering of friends! Thanks for everything, Heartland!

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." Quality vs. quantity — despite the politically-correct preference for "quality," it's dilemma that's vexed philosophers, manufacturers, and content providers for centuries. Fortunately, it's one of those academic questions we don't have to worry about around "Picture of the Week" headquarters, because our submission box is full to overflowing with amazing photos sent in by people just like you — faithful readers of AVweb who had their cameras handy at just the right moment. Case in point: Charlie Owen of Havana, Kansas, who tells us this photo was taken at Hatcher Pass, "outside of the Independence Gold Mine State Park." (And yes, it does look a bit close for comfort ... .) More...

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...

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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