AVweb Insider Blog: EPA to GA Hey, Just Kidding! We Can't Touch Your Lead
In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli seems dazed and baffled by a world class case of whipsaw. On the one hand, EPA says it has no authority to ban leaded fuels; on the other, FAA Admin Randy Babbitt says oh, yes it does. Who the hell is driving this thing? Click here to read Paul's blog and make your best guesses as to what's going on.
Sikorsky Firely: An Electric Helicopter
It's at nearly gross weight before the pilot steps in and can only fly for 15 minutes, but that's not the point. Sikorsky Innovations sees the Firefly as a testbed for the technologies that may make for a real electric helicopter ... someday.This video is brought to you by Conoco-Phillips and Lightspeed Aviation.
Ford's Wild AirVenture Wind Tunnel
At EAA AirVenture 2010, Ford has a number of attractions, not the least of which is a portable vertical wind tunnel. It'll give you a good taste of what skydiving freefall is all about. AVweb staffers from our show intern Adam Cutler to resident skydiver Paul Bertorelli tried it out and here's the video report.This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather.
No Survivors In Airbus Crash In Pakistan
All 152 souls on board an Airbus A321 were killed on Wednesday when the aircraft crashed into a hill while trying to land at an airport near Islamabad in clouds and rain. Fire and smoke was visible at the scene, the Associated Press reported, and the wreckage was strewn widely across the hillside of broken trees. No distress calls were heard from the pilots, according to the AP. The flight was operated by Airblue, a private service based in Karachi, where the flight had departed from. One witness told the AP the airplane appeared to have "lost balance" in the air, and then went down.
"TransAtlantic" Helicopter Flight to Oshkosh from France
Matthieu de Quillacq flew his lightweight Kompress CH-7 kit helicopter from southern France to Oshkosh, and he hopes to continue right around the world. AVweb's Glenn Pew caught up with him at AirVenture to find out more.This video is brought to you by Conoco-Phillips and Lightspeed Aviation.
A Rare and Beautiful DC-3
Take a tour of a beautiful corporate-owned DC-3. It's never been restored, but you'd be hard pressed to find a nicer one than Esther Mae.This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation and WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather.
AVweb Insider Blog: AirVenture 2010 OSH Mini-Blogs
Gotta hand it to Bose, says Paul Bertorell on the AVweb Insider blog. They've been at this noise-cancelling thing for more than 20 years, and the new A20 shows that experience. After you check out the A20, walk right across the street to Lycoming and sniff around at that company's new technology. They're definitely moving forward. Catch up with Paul's quick thoughts on the show in his latest blog post.
New Bose A20 Headset
Has it been 20 years since Bose pioneered the first aviation noise cancelling headset at Oshkosh? Yes, it has and at this year's EAA AirVenture, they've introduced the latest and greatest, the new A20, a follow-on product to the popular Headset X. Here's AVweb's quick look at the new headset.This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather.
AVweb Insider Blog: AirVenture 2010 The Vision Thing
Long-time EAA President Tom Poberezny is skilled at conveying the passion that drives aviation innovation. Can his successor do the same? AVweb's Mary Grady thinks Rod Hightower may have stumbled a bit when asked to comment on his vision for EAA's future. Click here to read Mary's analysis and share your own thoughts (and visions).
The New President at EAA
EAA president Tom Poberezeny introduced Rod Hightower of St. Louis as EAA's next president at a news conference at Airventure Oshkosh on July 26, 2010.This video is brought to you by Conoco-Phillips and Lightspeed Aviation.
Short Final
PHL Approach:"Air Canada 364, PHL airport. 2 o'clock and four miles. Report the field in sight."Air Canada 364:"Yeah, we have the terminal in sight."PHL Approach:"Don't land on the terminal. Cleared the visual 27R, tower on 118.5."A. Mellovia e-mail
FBO of the Week: St. Clair County Airport (Pell City, Alabama)
>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $4.76 (down 1¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $4.42 (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=5859&AdvertiserID=167&BannerID=2979&SiteID=19&RandomNumber=782381113&Keywords=/TEXT_ONLY-->AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at St. Clair County Airport (KPLR) in Pell City, Alabama.AVweb reader Randy Martin put PLR to the test when he decided to change his go-to airport for trips to Birmingham. Having already spoken with the airport manager (Larry), Randy expected thins to run smoothly when he arrived. What Randy didn't expect was an experience he called "Southern hospitality at its finest."Upon my arrival, a silver van was planeside before the prop stopped spinning, and Heath [a lineman] ask me if I needed a ride to the motel. ... [After finding myself stranded at the motel later on, I reluctantly called Larry and asked for a ride.] Bill arrived at the motel within half hour and happily drove me over, offering several local attractions to visit my next time in, and would not take any money for gas or even a tip. ... A very big thank you for all the guys at KPLR. I will definitely be back.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!
DC-3s Gather in Rock Falls for "The Last Time"
More than 30 DC-3s were on the ramp at Whiteside County Airport in Rock Falls, Ill. from July 24-26 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the aircraft that some say changed the way aviation was used and perceived. Organizer Dan Gryder gave AVweb a unique perspective on the event and the people involved.
The Cobalt 50
The Cobalt 50 is a pusher-prop design that the company hopes will carry five people at 220 knots. AVweb's Jeff Van West spoke with Cobalt founder and CEO David Loury to find out more.This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather.
Sonex Onex
Sonex Aircraft's Jeremy Monnett explains the development of the Onex single-seat kitbuilt on the day of the aircraft's rollout.This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Conoco-Phillips.
Sploshkosh Arrivals
Although it looked ugly Saturday night, Wittman Field is rapidly drying out for the start of EAA AirVenture 2010 at Oshkosh. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli walked the North 40 on Sunday and found it more dry than wet. EAA's Dick Knapinksi said Sunday that the field may be dry enough for normal operations by Monday.This video is brought to you by Lightspeed Aviation and Conoco-Phillips.
Boeing Eco-Incubator Will Promote Green Technologies
Boeing said last week it will launch an ecoDemonstrator program to help develop new green aviation technologies and get them to market more quickly. The project will focus on fuel efficiency, noise reduction and operational efficiency. "Commercial aviation is in rapid pursuit of its goal of carbon-neutral growth by 2020, primarily driven by technology advancements," said Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The ecoDemonstrator program can help accelerate industry efforts by providing a platform that integrates innovation and technologies in a way that ensures as they mature, they are market-ready. The program also will enable emerging technologies to be tested for further research consideration." The FAA recently awarded Boeing $25 million in matching funds to support the project.
Aviation Consumer Shows You How to Upgrade Your Headset to ANR
How hard is it to upgrade your old headset to become noise-canceling? Aviation Consumer's Jeff Van West tried it out. And he only burned himself with the soldering iron once.
AVweb Insider Blog: AirVenture 2010 The Avgas Agenda
Avgas and the lack of a replacement for it will be a hot agenda item at AirVenture 2010 and that's A-O.K. with Paul Bertorelli. In his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul explains why he's hopeful that the year's biggest aviation gathering will energize the quest for 100LL replacement. Click here to read Paul's guideposts for a productive fuel discussion at the show.
CF-18 Airshow Demo Aircraft Crashes
Click for photos & videoA Canadian Forces airshow demonstration pilot is in the hospital with undisclosed but non-life-threatening injuries after his CF-18 Hornet fighter crashed during preparation for an airshow in Alberta on Friday. Capt. Brian Bews, 36, ejected from the aircraft just before it dove into the ground at Lethbridge, Alberta. In advance of the weekend airshow, Bews was practicing a maneuver called the High Alpha Path when witnesses say they saw sparks coming from one of the engines and heard loud "popping noises." The High Alpha Path is a maximum angle of attack/minimum speed maneuver that relies on engine power to keep the aircraft stable. "I noticed it start to bank a little bit off to one side, which I kind of thought was unusual and I saw a couple of pops and all of a sudden this plane just banked and slowly dropped into the ground into this huge orange ball of fire," said Lethbridge Herald photographer Ian Martens, who took these jaw-dropping images.
Plane Driven's "Roadable" Glasair
The PD-1 combines a modified Glasair Sportsman with a road-worthy trike undercarriage driven by a separate engine; it has flown and is expected to arrive this week at AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, according to its developers. The design combines the Sportsman GS-2 with a kit that incorporates an auxiliary external drive pod below the aircraft, between two large wheels and behind an oversized nosewheel. Plane Driven says the drive's location maintains the aircraft's original center of gravity. A streamlined pod helps minimize the aerodynamic impact of carrying one inert engine in flight. That engine is an 80-horsepower, 4-cycle, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled powerplant fueled by a separate gas tank. It's attached to an automatic transmission with a reverse gear. The weight of the kit is yet to be announced and it's not clear if the prototype vehicle is currently street-legal. The vehicle's developers say that, as of July 21, the Plane Driven prototype has flown, and they've offered proof.
IFR Magazine's Tips for GPS VNAV
Going vertical? Get more from your GPS. VNAV is a great feature that goes unused or underutilized on many a GPS. See how a GNS 430's VNAV can do more than just tell you when to start down for the airport.
Klapmeier's Next Project: The Kestrel
It was considered inevitable among most aviation industry observers that former Cirrus CEO Alan Klapmeier would get back in the airplane business, and it was announced in Maine Friday that he will head up the company that will certify and bring to market the Kestrel turboprop single. In an announcement at Brunswick Landing (soon to be the former Naval Air Station Brunswick), Maine Gov. John Baldacci announced that Klapmeier's new venture, the Kestrel Aircraft Company, has taken an option to lease a 170,000-sq. ft. hangar built for the Navy in 2004. Baldacci said Kestrel is pouring $100 million into the development of the mostly composite aircraft and about 300 people will be hired initially.
Russia And China Partner On Huge Helicopter
An agreement between Russian Helicopters Holding and Avicopter of China may produce an Mi-26-type helicopter weighing in between 30 and 35 tons, if details are ironed out. The two partners hope to arrive at technical decisions regarding the new aircraft this fall, according to The Voice of Russia. The Mi-26, which is similar in empty weight, has a maximum takeoff weight near 120,000 pounds. It has been called the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world and can carry up to 150 tightly packed people (90 is more common). It flies under an eight-blade rotor spanning 105 feet, driven by two turboshaft engines that can propel the aircraft at 180 mph. The Mi-26 won respect from the Chinese government for its participation in rescue efforts following a 2008 earthquake in China.
Lessons From Farnborough
The Farnborough International Airshow ended Thursday after seeing roughly 820 passenger aircraft sold but relatively little movement of high-profile aircraft like Boeing's 787 and Airbus' A350 widebody, and none for the A380. Orders for Airbus and Boeing aircraft appear to have topped out somewhere near $28 billion as measured by non-discounted list prices, and accounting for about 237 jetliners. That triples sales seen at the Paris Airshow, last year, according to Bloomberg news. Narrow-body aircraft accounted for nearly all the aircraft sold and that made Embraer a relative winner, selling about 44 Embraer 190 jetliners. The big two, Airbus and Boeing, saw most demand for their 737-800 and A320 narrow-body jetliners, respectively. Boeing's 787 Dreamliner made its international debut at the show and the manufacturer may have been surprised by buyers' reaction.
Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography Showcase
When the American Barnstormers made a stop in Watertown, South Dakota, Heather Kallhoff seized the opportunity to capture a few scenes that may well have come from another time. We look forward to seeing more photos from Heather, but for the moment, we're content to soak in the nostalgia brought on by this one, our "Picture of the Week."
Question of the Week: Is the U.S. Ready for an 'Owner-Maintained' Category of Small Aircraft
Reader Brinley Peck is wondering if there is any appetite for an "owner maintenance" category of small, simple aircraft in the U.S. as there is in Canada. We'd like to know what you think.Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers what kind of impact the recession had on their flying; click through to see how they answered.
Photos: Team Oracle's Challenger III Gears Up for Oshkosh
Click for more photosNext week at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Sean Tucker and Team Oracle will wow the crowds and show off their brand-new Challenger III. Team Oracle's Brian Norris shared some of the biplane's unique aerodynamic features with AVweb's Mary Grady, who brought home a few photos. Click through for the photos and click here to listen to the podcast.
Reauthorization Moves: First Officers Will Need 1,500 Hours
It seems first officers on commercial flights will need 1,500 flight hours before they're considered for the job. The 1,500-hour limit is a victory for the families of passengers lost when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, N.Y., killing all aboard and one on the ground. The limit, which now appears resolved, had been one of a few sticking points between Senate and House versions of the bill, which must be fully reconciled before the bill is passed. Meanwhile, the Buffalo News reported Wednesday that the final bill "is likely to include" a provision to set up "a pilot hiring database so that airlines will know the experience of the pilots they are employing," but details are limited.
Hawker Beechcraft May Move Operations, Cut Workers
Hawker Beechcraft's CEO Bill Boisture says demand for his company's products has dramatically decreased, that the drop is not temporary, and his company may cut workers and move some of its operations to remain profitable, according to the Wichita Eagle. Earlier this year, Hawker Beechcraft closed its Salina, Kan., plant and sent some of that work to Mexico. Now, the company says it may move more work, this time from Wichita to Mississippi or Louisiana, or somewhere outside the United States. The company currently employs about 6,000 people in Wichita, but told its workers union last week that it may consider laying off up to 75 percent of the company's hourly workers to help maintain profitability. Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer doesn't want the company to leave, but may have limited influence.