And It Supposedly Stays Cool Up To 1,800 (F)!

By ANN Contributor John Schmidt The other night, during an EAA chapter meeting, someone starts the DVD player and says "Watch this." It's a demo DVD from a company called EPM-Avcorp, based in Utah. It shows the quest of a homebuilder who, concerned about the possibility of fire breeching his RV6A firewall, decided to roll up his sleeves and design a better mousetrap.

Agusta Westland Says It Was A Success

Agusta Westland says it successfully completed the maiden flight of the Japanese EH101, the first of four aircraft ordered by Tokyo, after just 44-weeks of was successfully completed at Agusta Westland's Yeovil facility in the UK. The helicopter, designated KHI-01, is the first of 14 aircraft ordered by the Japanese Defense Agency to meet its Transportation, Airborne Anti Mine Counter Measures (AMCM) and Antarctic survey requirements.

Ed Bolen will be the featured speaker at the first general membership meeting of the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association (GWBAA) on Friday, February 25 at the Signature Flight Support facility at Washington Reagan National Airport.

NASA Budget Guts Aeronautic Research To Support Space

NASA is the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration," and ex-director Sean O'Keefe was fond of saying that he wasn't going to forget the first "A". But the new NASA budget strips resources from aeronautics programs in order to fund the two bottomless appetites of the space program: the shuttle's return to flight, and the International Space Station.

Investment Firm Says Even Drop In Capacity Won't Make Things Better

GAMA says the future of general aviation is looking much brighter than it was a year ago. The investment firm Moody's, however, says the same is not true for the airline industry. Nope, it's not a matter of phasing out capacity. Instead, it appears to be a problem with fare structures.

Woman Mouths Off To Screener, Luggage Blown Up

You see the signs every time you pass through the airport security checkpoint: Don't even joke about bombs or guns or knives. The problem was, 46-year old psychiatrist Esha Khoshnu wasn't joking. Not in the least. Apparently more-than-miffed at the long line ahead of her as she made her way through security at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Khoshnu snapped. Police say she told the screener, "if there was an item in my baggage, the security screeners probably couldn't find it."

Forest Service Takes To The Air, Catching Wilderness Scofflaws

From the Tahoe Tribune comes a story of airborne law enforcement. The law in question: the designation of large tracts of land in the Western US as "wilderness areas;" and the lawbreakers: snowmobilers, to whom the law applies just as much as to motorcyclists and off-road truck drivers. Indeed, it even applies to the Forest Service itself: "We're not allowed to ride snowmobiles into wilderness areas, either," Anthony Botello, resource management officer at El Dorado National Forest, told the Trib.

This Photo Just Begs For A Caption Contest! Take Your Best Shot, Folks

Every now and then a photo so twisted, so weird and so unique as to require "special attention" crosses our desk. Such photos literally beg us to include them in a caption contest...

Technically, They Make Northwest's Fleet One Of World's Oldest

Perhaps they had an inkling of the troubled times ahead. Perhaps not. No matter what drove Northwest Airlines to gut and refurbish more than 100 DC-9s ten years ago, the decision proved a good move for the financially struggling airline. Sure, on paper, it looks like NWA's fleet is one of the two oldest in the world. But then again, the company owns the DC-9s, finds them generally more fuel efficient than the competition and in the end, saves a whole lot of money as a result.

Organization Says Training Initiative Would Be Dangerous To GA Pilots

AOPA has voiced its opposition to parts of a New Mexico Training Range Initiative that would expand military airspace in a way that creates safety hazards for general aviation.

Three Modified 747-400s Will Carry 787 Assemblies

Boeing has selected Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation (EGAT) to convert three 747-400 passenger jets into cargo freighters that will be used to transport major assemblies for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Next Progress Mission Will Carry Extra Supplies

When the next Progress supply ship launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan March 2nd, it'll carry an extra big load of food, water, air and gear. The idea is to not only keep the station stocked for its resident crew, but to make ready for a possible emergency when the US space shuttles begin to fly again later this year.

New Damage Detection Sensors Not Ready To Fly

More than two years of careful investigation and painstaking planning may come down to the last minute in NASA's attempt to return its remaining shuttle fleet to service in May. Even though Discovery's launch date has been set, not everything NASA pledged to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board has come to fruition. In this case, the new sensors designed to detect fatal hull breaches may not actually work until the very last minute before launch.

Hundreds Stranded In Melbourne

Australian health officials are investigating Monday's shutdown emergency shutdown of the south terminal at Melbourne Airport, after more than 50 people had to be treated for nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath. The terminal was evacuated and closed down for eight hours. Hundreds of passengers were still stranded early Tuesday morning as the two airlines that operate from that terminal, Virgin Blue and Regional Express, worked feverishly to arrange flights and make accommodations.

Buys 24 Upgraded Aircraft

Bell Helicopter says it's sold 24 Huey II Upgrades to the US Air Force to be delivered over the next four years.

Vance AFB Mechs Converting From T-37 To T-6A

The future is sitting in Hanger 129 at Vance AFB in Enid, OK. In this case, the future comes in the form of two Raytheon T-6A Texan II aircraft. They're not being flown by the USAF student pilots at Vance -- yet. Instead, they've been sent over by Moody AFB in Georgia as training beds for the DynCorp Technical Services contractors who will maintain them.

Rick Milburn New President

The Chicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA) says it's appointed a new board members elected by the group's general membership.

Meanwhile, Global Flyer Still Being Prepped In Kansas

It looks like Steve Fossett's nonstop, solo flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer jet may finally get off the ground at the end of the week. Fossett and Virgin Chairman Richard Branson announced Monday that improved flight conditions may allow for the record flight to launch on Friday, February 25, or Saturday, February 26, subject to ground, weather and jet stream conditions.

"If there was [a bomb] in my baggage, the security screeners probably couldn't find it." Source: Esha Khoshnu, a frustrated 46-year old psychiatrist traveling from Phoenix to San Diego, in a comment reportedly made to a security screener at Sky Harbor Airport. As you might imagine, the TSA doesn't think much of remarks like that, so the good doctor was detained. Her luggage, ironically, made it onto the flight and all the way to Lindbergh Field. There, the America West commuter was directed to a remote part of the airport. Some 35 passengers and crew were taken off the aircraft and bused away while the bomb squad went over the aircraft and the cargo. They found nothing, so they searched Dr. Khoshnu's luggage. Still, they found nothing. So, just to be sure everythi

Cirrus/Avidyne PFD Goes "Pro"

Cirrus Design Corporation has begun delivery of Primary Flight Display (PFD) equipped aircraft with Flight Director. The advanced technology remains true to Cirrus’ commitment to provide pilots with the most comprehensive situational awareness tools for ease-of-operation, performance and safety.