Win a Garmina aera 510 handheld GPS as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you'll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year so if you've already entered, you're all set.)And no, we're not going to rent or sell your name, ever. Tell your friends, and invite them to sign up for AVweb so they can qualify for our 15 Grand Giveaways prize drawings, too. (We won't spam them, either but we hope they will sign up for our newsletters.)Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Zulu time March 12, 2010.Click here to read the contest rules and enter.Congratulations to Rod Anson of Camperdown, Victoria (Australia), who won 100,000 Air BP Bravo Rewards Points! (click here to get your own Rewards Points from Air BP)
The Department of Transportation's new rule limiting the time passengers can be held on closed aircraft away from the gate goes into effect April 29, but Delta and JetBlue think construction at JFK may give them good reason to be excused from potential fines. The airlines, which operate a majority of flights at the airport, have petitioned for temporary exemptions from the rule because a four-month-long project at JFK will close the airport's longest of four runways (14,572-foot 13R/31L) as it is widened and repaved in concrete through July. Under normal conditions during peak hours, the FAA estimates the runway's closure may cause delays of about 50 minutes, and those delays will then ripple out to other airports and through affected carriers' schedules. Both Delta and JetBlue have made adjustments to their schedules but fear that may not be enough. Under the new DOT's new rule, an airline could be fined for every passenger held on a closed non-traveling airliner for more than three hours. Translated into dollars, it means that an airline that left passengers on a full Boeing 737 could be subjected to nearly $3.5 million in fines.
By 2030, the general aviation fleet will grow by about 50,000 airplanes and 52,000 active pilots, the FAA forecast this week. The forecast calls for robust growth in the long term and predicts business use of GA aircraft will expand at a faster pace than personal and recreational use. With growth forecast across all sectors -- traffic at the nation's 35 busiest airports is expected to increase by 60 percent -- infrastructure upgrades will need to keep up. "A safe, efficient and vibrant aviation system is vital to our nations economic health," said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "We must find long-term solutions that will keep the U.S. aviation industry competitive and moving forward into the future." Light sport aircraft are expected to increase by about 825 aircraft per year through 2013, then taper off to about 335 per year. Sport pilots, who numbered 3,248 at the end of 2009, will increase to 14,100 by 2030, the FAA estimates. The forecast, which comes after a short-term period of slow growth in aviation activity, underscores the need for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), as well as continued investment in airport infrastructure projects, the FAA said. "This forecast makes a very strong business case for NextGen," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Without NextGen, we wont be able to handle the increased demand for service that this forecast anticipates." Meanwhile, the FAA reauthorization bill, which will provide funding for the agency, continues to be stalled in Congress. Legislators from Tennessee have come under fire this week for trying to de-rail the bill due to a provision that would make it possible for some FedEx workers to unionize.
Statistics that show a high accident rate for homebuilt aircraft may not reveal the complete picture, EAA said this week. The Nall Report, compiled annually by AOPA's Air Safety Foundation, reported last week that in 2008, amateur-built aircraft had an accident rate almost five times the rate of type-certificated aircraft and a fatal accident rate more than seven times higher. "On the surface, the statistics may give one impression of amateur-built accident and fatal-accident rates," said EAA on its Web site. "It takes some digging to get actual totals and comparisons." For example, EAA said, the FAA and NTSB often use different parameters to report the homebuilt aircraft fleet size and the accidents that occur each year. "Our analysis is in part, in response to the Nall Report," EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski told AVweb on Wednesday. "We felt the numbers that were out there could benefit from additional analysis and clarification." EAA posted an analysis by Ron Wanttaja that offers an alternate view of the data.
We're sorry to report that Paul Bertorelli is being treated for ADHS advanced delusional hallucination syndrome. We're not sure if he's making progress, but you can be the judge of it by reading his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog. It has something to do with a Piper J-3C.
More training for pilots on advanced simulators could help prevent crashes and save hundreds of lives, according to an analysis by USA Today. Many pilots today are trained on older simulators that can't effectively re-create the real behavior of aircraft during stalls, severe icing, upsets due to wind shear or wake encounters, and other extreme conditions, says a recent NTSB report. Loss of control was a factor in 73 percent of the 433 airline fatalities in the U.S. since 2000. (Note that the fatalities that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, are not counted in accident statistics, since they resulted from a crime, not an accident.) Newer simulators created with research by the military and NASA are more effective, but there are no federal requirements for pilots to be trained on them.
An NTSB study shows glass cockpit technology has not significantly improved the safety of small light planes, the NTSB said Tuesday, and the board recommended changes, from training to maintenance reporting, to improve the statistics. While data collected between 2002 and 2008 showed fewer total accidents for those aircraft equipped with glass panels, that total came with a higher fatal accident rate and higher total fatal accidents. For the period from 2002-2008, conventionally equipped aircraft suffered 141 total accidents with 23 having a fatal outcome. Glass-equipped aircraft suffered 125 total accidents with 39 having a fatal outcome. But the board's study also found the mission profile for each type of equipment package and the characteristics of the pilot were different between the two platforms. Generally speaking, higher-time pilots were flying longer flights with glass. That said, the NTSB was able to use the data to offer six recommendations voiced at the meeting. Five of those were related to equipment-specific training and one applied directly to testing requirements.Related Content NTSB Reports:NTSB Overview Report (PDF)Findings & Recommendations (PDF)Closing Comments (PDF)// -->
A 23-year-old man who stole a Cirrus SR22 in San Diego last month has pleaded guilty to a felony. Skye Turner was charged with using an airplane without the owner's permission. The court referred him to a new treatment program for mentally ill offenders that provides supervision and custody, the San Diego News Network reported this week. However, if he is not accepted into the program he could be sentenced to 120 days in jail instead. Turner, who is not a pilot but has had some training, stole the keys to the airplane on Feb. 18, just a few hours after a pilot in Austin, Texas, flew his Piper Dakota into a government building. Turner reportedly had been in a dispute with his girlfriend and threatened to crash the SR22 into the ocean, according to SDNN.
The next-generation military tanker will almost certainly be a Boeing. Northrop Grumman announced Monday it would not be submitting a bid in the $35 billion sweepstakes to introduce a replacement for the KC-135 and KC-10 fleet. Boeing's bid is riding on a modified 767 platform while Northrop Grumman would use an A330 modified in the U.S. Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush effectively threw in the towel on the protracted battle. He said the company "will not protest" the outcome of the competition, which now appears to be down to one. Bush did suggest the odds were stacked in favor of Boeing, however. "We reached this conclusion based on the structure of the source selection methodology defined in the RFP, which clearly favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker and does not provide adequate value recognition of the added capability of a larger tanker, precluding us from any competitive opportunity," Bush said.
In a surprise move last week, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger announced his retirement from U.S. Airways and flew his final flight. Sullenberger, 59, has been the most famous pilot in the U.S. since he safely landed an A320 dead-stick on the Hudson River just over a year ago. In a statement, Sullenberger said though he is retiring after 30 years on the flight line, he plans to continue to advocate for aviation safety and for the profession of airline pilots. "I will work to remind the entire industry -- and those who manage and regulate it -- that we have a sacred duty to our passengers to do the very best that we know how to do," he said. Retirement is sure to keep him busy -- on Sunday, Sullenberger was photographed at a Vanity Fair Oscar party in Hollywood alongside Tom Hanks, who looks like he could easily step into Sully's shoes to play him in a movie.
Both the U.S. House and the Senate formed General Aviation Caucuses last year, and their ranks are growing. Now NBAA is encouraging pilots to contact those representatives to let them know that you value GA. Pilots whose representatives are not yet members of the caucus can ask them to join. The House GA Caucus now numbers more than 100 members and the Senate group is 25 strong. The NBAA Web site lists members of each caucus by state. The House Web site makes it easy to e-mail your representative simply by entering your zip code. At the Senate Web site, it's also easy to choose your state and immediately get e-mail links for both senators. AOPA also offers online guidance on how to communicate with your elected representatives about GA.
Does military intelligence translate to transportations security? AVweb Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles isn't sure, but he speculates on some of the challenges Robert Harding will face as TSA chairman in the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog. Read his thoughts and share your own here.
Overheard near Sacramento, California, where NorCal approach and departure is training a large number of new controllers:Cessna 12345:"NorCal approach, student pilot, Cessna 12345. Heading 024. 1500 feet, climbing to 5500."NorCal Approach:"Cessna 54661, student controller. Roger radar contact."Michael Fedorykvia e-mail
>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $4.62 (up 2’ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $4.31 (down 1’ from last week)Fuel prices provided weekly by AirNav, based on prices from the past 2 weeks. Changes are relative to last week's prices. /TEXT_ONLY-->http://media.avweb.com/banmanavweb/a.aspx?Task=Click&ZoneID=0&CampaignID=5385&AdvertiserID=167&BannerID=2726&SiteID=19&RandomNumber=2079190496/TEXT_ONLY-->AVweb readers continued to travel the length and breadth of North America this week, sending us notes about the best FBOs they discovered along the way. Our latest "FBO of the Week" award goes to Above View at St. George Municipal Airport (SGU) in St. George, Utah.AVweb reader Jaime Votaw tells us how Above View stepped up to the plate when her husband made an unscheduled stopover:My husband flew in tonight after needing to land aftet battling weather all day. This was an unexpected stop in a trip to Salt Lake City. I called in at about 8pm and someone answered the phone. It was obviously after hours, and the person who answered offered to run up the airport and get my husband a crew car so he could get to a local hotel. Up until Justin answered the phone, I had no idea what to tell my husnad to do. They are always friendly there, but this was way above and beyond for them to do. Thank you, Above View you guys are great!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!
President Obama's next pick for chairman of the Transportations Security Administration is widely reported to be retired Maj. Gen. Robert Harding, a lifelong intelligence specialist whose bio (PDF) reads like a character in a Robert Ludlum novel. Various sources are reporting Harding, the former second in command of U.S. Army Intelligence and director of operations for the Defense Intelligence Agency before that, will be nominated Monday. He retired from the Army in 2001 and owned his own security consultant firm specializing in homeland security assignments. Since much of his work, if he's approved by Congress, will center on aviation, AVweb searched the FAA Airmen Registry to see if he's a pilot and what ratings he might have. We found a Robert A. Harding and a Robert Harding, but that's all we found
Last week's kid controller story kicked off world-class frothing about the sensationalizing mainstream media, probably deserved. But on the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli argues that there's a risk assessment lesson in there that we can all benefit from. Read Paul's thoughts and share your own here.
The FAA has banned tower visits, and airline pilots using New York's JFK Airport are showing support for tower controller Glenn Duffy and his supervisors after Duffy allowed his kids to issue instructions over the tower frequency in mid-February. The pilots are signing off their transmissions with "Adios," the salutation Duffy's nine-year-old son delivered in two of his transmissions Feb. 16. His twin sister took the mic a day later. According to the New York Daily News, some are amplifying their discontent with the fate that might await the controllers. "Thoughts going out to your co-worker there," the newspaper reported a Delta pilot departing Kennedy Airport was recorded on LiveATC as saying. "I think it's BS what he's going through."
IFR magazine's Jeff Van West shows how a portable GPS can be used to evaluate what altitudes will be safe for flying up valleys (without actually changing altitudes) and how to use the GPS while in those valleys to enhance safety and situational awareness.
After seeing the illusion for themselves, authorities who launched a large-scale search last weekend to find a plane stuck in trees near Darwin Airport, Australia, said witnesses were right to report it. Multiple witnesses who contacted authorities last Sunday just after 6 p.m. local time claimed to have seen the plane through light rain as it sat stuck in mangroves. The "aircraft" is actually the meeting of two roof lines visible from a distance at a particular angle. Unfortunately, the misunderstanding was not resolved before a land-based search effort involved police and an aerial search involved a CareFlight helicopter. In the full light of day, authorities who traveled to the point from which the reports were made said witnesses did the right thing by alerting authorities. "I've actually seen it, myself" Duty Superintendent Mike Murphy told ABC news. "It's remarkable how it looks like a light aircraft pointing out into the ocean." (Images after the jump.)
Two British men who were found with a scanner, laptop, binoculars and cameras, and who admitted to "illegally monitoring aircraft" near Indira Gandhi International Airport, India, have been fined by an Indian court, but were released Friday without jail time. Stephen Hampton, 46, and Steven Ayres, 56, had faced up to 10 years under spying charges, but pled to a lesser offense that could have led to three years in jail. The two were arrested in India, Feb. 15, two days after a bomb blast in the Indian city of Pune initiated a security crackdown in the country. In the UK, authorities have approached plane-spotters differently. In 2004, a UK plan sought to recruit them to report suspicious potentially terrorist-related activities near airports. That program does not exist in India. There the men were arrested for recording the conversation between pilots and air traffic control, which (as performed) was against sections of India's Telegraph Act. The men pled guilty to a breach under the act.
The NTSB announced Thursday that it will hold a public (and online) meeting March 9 to discuss a study on whether glass cockpits have improved the safety record of small light general aviation aircraft. The meeting will be held Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET at the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C., but will also be broadcast and archived online. The study was initiated to track the effects of recent, relatively swift and major changes in cockpit technology. Ten years ago, analog was the standard for new single-engine aircraft avionics, says the Board, but now "almost all new light planes come equipped with digital flight display avionic systems." Those digital systems "enhanced function and information capabilities" and also represent "a significant change and potential improvement" in how GA pilots acquire and monitor the information they need to control their aircraft. Click through for specific links and more details.
New Zealander Rudy Heeman has, over 11 years, transformed his hovercraft into a wing-in ground effect vehicle, and now it's for sale.
A 41-year-old Swedish man who was about to pilot a Boeing 737 with 101 passengers aboard was arrested this week at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport for falsifying papers that had allowed him to fly for 13 years without valid certification. He had been flying for Corendon Airlines (Turkey) for two years, but said his career had spanned airlines in Belgium, Britain and Italy, and had allowed him to log more than 10,000 flight hours, by using falsified documents. Few details are yet available, but the man was reportedly in place, in the cockpit, and ready to fly the jet from Amsterdam to Ankara, Turkey, when arrested. Authorities say that he reacted by pulling his pilot stripes from his shoulders and expressing relief that he'd at long last been caught.
Everyone has an opinion on the controller who took his son to work and gave him a little time on the radio. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli doesn't think it's a security crisis, but he does have some advice to offer on the AVweb Insider blog: "You might wanna run this by some adults before you try it again." Read more and add your own comments here.
Making headlines this week is a controller who brought his son to work in the ATC tower. Reactions run the gamut, but we'd like to hear yours. What was your take on the "kid in the control tower" story?Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers what stance GA should take toward the future of lead in avgas and got a pretty clear answer. Click through to find out how your fellow readers answered.
Ice, sleet, snow, and more ice have been standard issue for the last couple of weeks across most of the U.S. and in our "POTW" submission box. AndrewWall of Ankeny, Iowa asks, "Will this winter weather ever end? These F-16s have been waiting for a chance to fly for a long time and certainly won't be doing it today."
This year's Collier Trophy has been awarded to the international team behind the International Space Station. The National Aeronautic Association announced the award on Wednesday. The association says it selected the station "for the design, development, and assembly of the of the world's largest spacecraft, an orbiting laboratory that promises new discoveries for mankind and sets new standards for international cooperation in space." NASA Administrator Charles Golden said the award "is a testament to the dedication and hard work of thousands of people around the world."
Organizers of a mass arrival of DC-3s and C-47s at AirVenture Oshkosh this year now expect 40 aircraft to take part. The original goal was 25 aircraft making an hour-long flight from Rock Falls, Ill., to Wittman Regional Airport for a formation flyby at 1,000 feet to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the iconic aircraft. Organizers were deluged with requests to participate in the flight, which will be the largest formation of Douglases since the Second World War. The current record is 27, set in South Africa in 1985. There are 12 aircraft on standby to fill any slots that open up before the flight. Once in Oshkosh, the aircraft will be the centerpiece of festivities throughout the week including a one-of-a-kind heritage flight.
Eurocopter announced the week of February 25 new "Blue Edge" and "Blue Pulse" technology that significantly reduces the noise generated by a helicopter blade. Tested on an EC155 helicopter, the Blue Edge blade itself created a three to four decibel drop in noise and then Eurocopter added more technology. For the blade, itself, Eurocopter dramatically redesigned the shape, creating what might best be described as a seagull-wing shaped bend at the blade's tip. It then layered active "Blue Pulse" technology on top of the Blue Edge design. Blue Pulse adjusts three trailing edge flap modules 15 to 40 times per second via piezoelectric motors. The flaps move to reduce the effect of blade/vortex interaction. That interaction occurs as a trailing blade encounters the vortex of the preceding blade, causing an audible "slap." And adjusting the interaction dramatically reduces the slap. For disbelievers, the company has supplied audio. Find it after the jump.
New Zealander (he's half Australian) Rudy Heeman has, over 11 years, transformed his hovercraft into a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle, and now it's for sale. Heeman says he's found the ideal flight altitude under the vehicle's 7-meter wingspan to be about 1.5 meters, over flat water or land, where he reached a top speed of about 60 mph in a test. It will hop small bushes or short trees and, yes, Heeman has hit shrubbery with it (and continued to a safe landing). Theoretically, the pilot plus one vehicle can cruise at about 55 mph for roughly 140 miles. The project includes parts from six different cars, including what was originally a 1.8-liter Subaru engine, and a gas bottle from an old barbeque. Its wings consist of what appear to be a front and rear aluminum tube spar, foam/fiberglass ribs (four per side, plus an end rib) and zip-to-close fitted fabric covering -- all of which separate for storage/transport. The vehicle is controlled by rudder and elevator, actuated by a control wheel (no rudder pedals). The cockpit includes a GPS and engine gauges, but Heeman has included other creative refinements.
Awards Will Be Presented In Oshkosh By Administrator Babbitt For the past 47 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the FAA have recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety.
FAA Endorsed RA Tool Removes Subjectivity And Streamlines The Process The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) launched a tool which effectively combines safety management system-required risk assessment with convenience at the Air Charter Safety Foundation's 2010 Air Charter Safety Symposium on March 3.
Cessna's Stangarone: Industry Needs To Constantly Communicate Its Value And Benefits Robert Stangarone, vice president of Corporate Communications for Cessna, said Tuesday at the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) Annual Conference that the industry needs to keep communicating the value and benefits of business aviation.
About 90 Percent Of The Army's Unmanned Flying Hours Are In Support Of Combat The Army is fast approaching one million hours of unmanned flight with its unmanned aerial systems. "Right now it looks like we'll hit probably 1 million total hours sometime next month," said Col. Christopher Carlile, director, U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence.
Aircraft Customized For Law Enforcement Role The Devon & Cornwall Police took delivery of a new EC145 helicopter last Friday. The helo, ordered in September 2007, replaces another Eurocopter helicopter, a BK117 which has seen service for over 12 years.
Looked At The Effects Of Volcanic Ash On Air Traffic During a summer internship program at NASA's Langley Research Center, Alex Matus got more than just work experience -- he got an award.
Aspen's Scott Smith Explains Some of the EFD1000 Pro's Newest Functions At the 2010 Heli-Expo, Aspen Avionics announced the STC certification authorizing installation of its EFD1000 flight display system in Bell 206 and 407 panels. Aspen developed the newly designated EFD1000H, featuring helicopter-specific software, in conjunction with Keystone Helicopter, calling the EFD1000H "the lowest priced certified EFIS in the helicopter market."
The ARC Racing Series Adds Thrilling Addition to Air Show Circuit In 2009, the International Federation of Aerobatic Racing developed a new revolution in aerobatic performance. Imagining as an entirely unique addition to the air show circuit, the Federation started the Aerobatic Racing Challenge Series. The Aerobatic Racing Challenge Series (ARC Series) consists of high-performance aerobatic duals, featuring pilots competing against one another in a jaw-dropping race to the finish.
Students Overcame Technical, Cultural, And Language Challenges 27 Afghan Aircrew are being trained in Wiltshire as part of a two year program run by the UK Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), supported throughout by QinetiQ. Training of the Afghan Pilots and flight engineers began in February 2008 at Boscombe Down under 'Project Curium'.
Boeing Is Developing An Unmanned, Liquid-Hydrogen Powered, HALE Demonstrator Aircraft Boeing has begun to build Phantom Eye -- its first unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high altitude long endurance (HALE) demonstrator aircraft.
Venture Capital Available For Businesses With Ideas For New Uses For Space Technology The EASA says it will strengthen long-standing technology initiatives by supporting new businesses using space innovations through a dedicated venture capital fund.
Smaller, Lighter Chart Reader, Notepad, And Organizer SolidFX introduced the FX8 and FX8-3G, the newest additions to the FX Series of Aviation Information Managers on Tuesday. Using the SolidFX FXView application, the FX8 and FX8-3G Aviation Information Managers serves as a chart reader, notepad, cockpit organizer, electronic briefcase and library.
Promises Inflight Mobile Phone Services ASiQ Limited announced the release of the world's first aircraft Bluetooth Access Point Tuesday.
Cooperation To Address Electronic Terrain Obstacle Data Mandate Intermap Technologies and Skyguide announced the formation of a formal cooperation Tuesday to deploy an advanced terrain and obstacle solution in support of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) Electronic Terrain and Obstacle Data (eTOD) mandated initiative.
Aircraft Will Be Based At NAS Whiting Field In Florida Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) this week announced the delivery of the 500th Beechcraft T-6 military trainer to the United States Government. The milestone aircraft, a T-6B, went to the U.S. Navy.
