GA NEEDS A VOICE IN SECURITY PLANS, ALPHABETS SAY
Both the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and AOPA said this week that current proposals now in play in Washington are good news for general aviation. One bill introduced in the House would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to create a rulemaking committee including GA industry stakeholders, which would have input into new security measures that affect the industry. "This legislation shows that Congress understands that we can accomplish more good if we work together rather than separately," said NBAA President Ed Bolen. The committee would address proposals such as the TSA's Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP), which has been widely opposed by GA operators and pilots. After receiving more than 7,000 comments on its proposed LASP rule, most of them in opposition, the TSA has said it will issue a new NPRM before issuing a final rule. AOPA also noted that a House funding bill that passed last week addresses several issues of interest to GA. The bill urges the TSA to work with GA stakeholders before issuing security mandates and provides $275,000 to train GA pilots regarding security measures. More...

SAFETY RULES INCREASING SOME ACCIDENTS: STUDY
A 28-year study of helicopter sightseeing accidents in Hawaii suggests that rules enacted in 1994 to reduce accidents did reduce the overall number by 47 percent. However, the rules did nothing to address the main cause of accidents (mechanical failure) and may have inadvertently led to an increase in the deadliest type of accidents (weather-related CFIT). In fact, researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy recommend the FAA rescind the section of the rule that sets minimum altitude for sightseeing operations at 1,500 feet AGL because it can force pilots to fly in clouds that they could easily and safely duck under. The Hawaii Helicopter Operators Association identified the potential risk and actually took the FAA to court to try and reverse the rule but lost, according to a report in Science Daily. Before the rules were enacted, only 5 percent of accidents were weather-related but in the 14 years since they've jumped to 32 percent of mishaps. More...

PARTS FRAUD CASE REVEALED
Jerry Comeaux, 69, the proprietor of Quality Aircraft Support in Greenville, S.C., pleaded no contest to fraudulently repairing aircraft parts without FAA credentials and is being forced to pay $403,000 to customers who paid more than $2.5 million for them. Before Comeaux copped the plea, prosecutors told a U.S. District Court in Greenville that some of the parts weren't airworthy. Other charges against Comeaux and his wife Vicky, which included money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud, were dropped in exchange for the no-contest plea. Customers included firms that repaired commercial and military aircraft and centered on Comeaux's lack of credentials to certify the airworthiness of the repaired parts. More...

ALTERNATIVE FUELS MOVE CLOSER, AS AVIATION ESCAPES EMISSIONS CONTROL
The FAA said last week it has reached a "major milestone" in its efforts to help the aviation industry develop sustainable alternative fuels, and this week, the U.S. House exempted aircraft from a major bill that will impose greenhouse-gas emissions standards. The House bill, which was passed last Friday, still must be approved in the Senate and signed by the president before it becomes law. The Senate, however, is not expected to push for limits on aviation emissions, according to Helicopter Association International. Meanwhile, the FAA said an international panel of experts is working to create new guidelines that will allow for the approval of alternative commercial jet fuels. A number of new alternative fuels could be approved within the next few years, according to FAA's Nancy LoBueand, acting assistant administrator for the environment. She said the approval of new fuels will help lower aviation's carbon footprint. More...

TEEN SURVIVES YEMENIA CRASH
Officials searching for an Yemenia Airways A310 that crashed near the archipelago of Comoros early Tuesday have found a 14-year-old girl who survived the accident. She was swimming amidst debris and bodies and is believed to be the only survivor. She is reported to be conscious and stable in hospital. The aircraft was carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew and reportedly went down after an aborted landing attempt at Moroni Airport. Two French military aircraft and a ship departed the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte and Reunion early Tuesday to assist in search and recovery. Weather in the area at the time of the crash was stormy, with high seas. The aircraft was enroute from Sana'a in Yemen to the Comoros Islands, off the coast of Tanzania. Comoros is about halfway between Madagascar and Africa. More...

BECKER JOINS FIRST AVIATION

Millie Becker

Millie Becker is the new vice president for business development at First Aviation Services at Teterboro Airport. She was formerly a marketing executive for First Aviation Services.
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PAYNE AT WILSON AIRCRAFT

Mike Payne

Mike Payne has joined Wilson Aircraft of Aurora, Ontario as vice president of aircraft sales. Payne has 30 years of experience in aircraft sales in Canada and was most recently the Canadian rep for Embraer Executive Aircraft.
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WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

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AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: AIR SHOWS AND THE $6 HOT DOG
As every business struggles in the current economy — especially aviation businesses — it can no longer be business as usual at the big air shows. In the latest installmment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli argues that the place to start is giving show goers a little break on the price of lunch at these shows. A little consideration could go a long way. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: YUNEEC E430 ELECTRIC AIRPLANE MAKES ITS FIRST FLIGHT
The Yuneec E430, a 54hp two-seat Chinese electric airplane, gets put through its paces and undergoes its first flight. More...

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