Breaking News

08.06.2010 2:00

Short Final

Overheard on April 28th, 2009 near PBI:Palm Beach Center:"United 12345, climb and maintain 3,000."Spirit 12345:"Spirit 12345. Climb and maintain 3,000."[pause]"And thanks for the compliment!"Adam Greenvia e-mail [Read more]

08.06.2010 2:00

Got a Turbonormalized Cirrus? Aviation Consumer Wants You

Actually, Aviation Consumer wants a little bit of your engine data for a research product we're doing. If you don't mind sending us a sample data file, contact Paul Bertorelli at avconsumer@comcast.net.Contact us before sending anything. Thanks. [Read more]

08.06.2010 2:00

FBO of the Week: Windward Aviation (KLNA, Lantana/West Palm Beach, FL)

>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $4.76 (down 2¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $4.40 (down 2¢ 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=5858&AdvertiserID=167&BannerID=2978&SiteID=19&RandomNumber=1234980461&Keywords=/TEXT_ONLY-->Maybe it's the summer vacation effect, but AVweb's "FBO of the Week" nominations basket is filling up with stories of great FBOs from the panhandle down through central Florida and all the way south to Palm Beach, where AVweb reader Wally Moran recently experienced "the best service I have ever had at an FBO." Here's the story of Wally's visit to Lantana, Florida's Windward Aviation at Palm Beach County Park Airport (KLNA):This is a maintenance facility next to the FBO. I arrived in the late afternoon with a gear indication problem, and when Mr. James Leach, the owner, met me at the front desk, I explained that I needed to leave ASAP but felt the gear indication needed attention. He quickly moved another aircraft out of the hangar, moved mine in, assigned two A&Ps to the job, and jacked and checked the gear. Thanks to his fine service, I was able to depart on time and at a very resonable cost.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! [Read more]

08.06.2010 2:00

AVweb Insider Blog: For Lycoming, 100 Is the Magic Number

Continental is championing the idea of replacing 100LL with 94UL, but Lycoming's Mike Kraft says that's a sure ticket to shrink the industry and that new fuel needs to be at least 100 octane. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli wades into the arguments and speculates on how there can be so much uncertainty over the future of aviation fuels. Click here to read Paul's blog, the feel free to add your own thoughts to the conversation. [Read more]

08.06.2010 2:00

AVmail: June 7, 2010

Letter of the Week: Getting Real With ADS-BThe way I've always understood the implementation of ADS-B is that the promise to GA was the benefit of ADS-B in at the cost of ADS-B out. The understanding was that the cost of both a GPS and a UAT were what we as GA pilots paid to obtain that benefit. When I upgraded my panel, I did everything but purchase a UAT because it really wasn't available and nothing talked to it. What happened to that dream?...Perhaps this is an opportunity for economic growth? Let's get some of those "stimulus" dollars working by stimulating our avionics industries to produce the gear we need and hire techs to install them into all those aircraft which would benefit from a basic GNS-430W/GTX-330ES upgrade (or a newer, lower-cost replacement for that combination). Perhaps the FAA will get the spirit and help the manufacturers by searching for ways to meaningfully reduce the overhead costs to certify the new equipment; maybe something like what the LSA people are doing?...If the FAA wants to mandate new technology, good; it's about time. If they really want to see that technology deployed, then get busy and find ways to help the manufacturers deliver quality products for a price that makes sense on the benefit/value side of things.Jim McDuffieClick through to read the full text of Jim's letter and other missives from AVweb readers — mostly on ADS-B ... . [Read more]

08.06.2010 2:00

Electric Aircraft Symposium Set For Oshkosh

Advances in electric flight have attracted lots of attention in recent years, and next month at EAA AirVenture the growing field will convene a World Symposium. The event will comprise a full week of activities related to electric-powered flight, with daily forums, displays, and showcase flights. A daylong symposium on Friday, July 30, will feature an open discussion about the future of electric flight with industry leaders including Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, Electric Aircraft Corporation founder Randall Fishman, Yuneec founder Tian Yu, Sonex Aircraft founder John Monnett, and Earthstar Aircraft founder Mark Beierle, who displayed his eGull ultralight aircraft at AirVenture 2009. Erik Lindbergh, who earlier this year launched an Electric Aircraft Prize to encourage innovation in the field, will also participate. [Read more]

07.06.2010 2:00

Commuter Flight Lands On Highway

Highway landings happen all the time but not usually with paying passengers, as happened in central Manitoba, Canada, on Friday. The pilot of a Gillam Air Services Britten Norman Islander set down on a straight stretch of highway near Thompson, about 500 miles north of Winnipeg, after an apparent engine failure. There were five pax on the nine-passenger twin. The pilot told authorities he couldn't maintain altitude on one engine so he put down on the highway and taxied to a picnic area so as not to disrupt the normal occupants of the asphalt. There was no damage and no injuries. [Read more]

05.06.2010 2:00

Investigators: Polish Crew Ignored Warnings

Newly released transcripts from the cockpit recorder of the Polish government aircraft that crashed in Russia in April show the crew ignored system warnings and offer no direct proof that the crew's actions were influenced by political officials onboard (but may suggest that). According to reports, the 41-page transcript released Tuesday shows the crew was aware of the weather at Smolensk's Severny airport, which was worse than minimums, but proceeded with the approach even as system warnings began to sound in the cockpit. The crash killed all aboard, including the Polish president. Investigators now say the crew apparently ignored a total of 16 aircraft system warnings before the Tu-154 began impacting trees. But prior to that, the transcript also shows the captain said, "We don't know if we will be able to land," followed by a foreign ministry official stating, "Well, we have a problem." [Read more]