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If pilots had head-up displays in the cockpit, hundreds of accidents over the last 13 years could have been prevented or at least mitigated, according to a study released on Monday. The Flight Safety Foundation analyzed 983 accidents between 1995 and 2007 involving large multi-engine aircraft (12,500 pounds and up). The study (pdf) found that overall the technology could have affected the outcome in about one-third of the accidents. About 69 percent of take-off and landing accidents likely could have been prevented, the study found. The technology eliminates the need for the pilot to repeatedly transition between the instruments and the forward view, enhancing overall situational awareness. "Head-up guidance systems technology is a great safety tool for the prevention of runway excursions, loss of control, and approach and landing accidents," said Bob Vandel, one of the authors of the study. "This technology provides extremely useful data to the flight deck crew."

The FAA on Monday told airline pilots they should "evaluate their personal practices" regarding the use of devices such as phones and laptops while on duty. Also, the FAA said, operators need to create a "safety culture" that reinforces the importance of controlling cockpit distractions. The FAA released its guidance in an Information for Operators memo (pdf). The memo cited several recent incidents of distracted flying -- the crew that flew past their destination while working on their laptops, a pilot who was texting after pushing back from the gate, and an FAA inspector's report that a crew member's mobile phone started to ring during the takeoff roll. The NTSB has asked the FAA to tackle the distraction problem, and will hold a three-day forum on professionalism among pilots and air traffic controllers next month.

>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $4.76 (up 2¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $4.43 (up 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=5385&AdvertiserID=167&BannerID=2726&SiteID=19&RandomNumber=2079190496/TEXT_ONLY-->Our latest "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to First Flight Corporation at Brown Field Municipal Airport (KSDM) in San Diego, California.AVweb reader Thomas Perkowski has seen their top-notch service in action and taken regular advantage of First Flight's first-rate facilities:I have been renting a Grumman Lynx from First Flight for six months now. I am very happy with the service and the support offered by owner Tom Sarvis and his team. Occasionally, when issues with the plane pop up, Tom comes right out and gets it fixed so I can get my flying done for the day. They have great prices for avgas and fantastic quality for the price for repair services. If you are flying to San Diego, give SDM and First Flight consideration for handling things for you.Duly noted, Thomas!AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday! Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

Approaching my home airport with easterly winds, runway 7 is usually available:Me:"Tower, Cirrus 504PG, 10 miles west. Request 7."Tower:"Cirrus 504PG, report midfield, downwind, 7."Me:"Uhh — Cirrus 504PG is 10 miles west, inbound for 7."Tower (realizing the mistake) :"Let me turn my monitor around. O.K., Cirrus 504PG, report three-mile final for 7."Brian Litchvia e-mail

As details firm up for the huge gathering of DC-3 and C-47 aircraft just before AirVenture, those with a personal attachment to the venerable aircraft are telling their stories. Organizers of the Last Time, a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the aircraft, have opened a diary section on their Web site that encourages the swapping of yarns about the iconic aircraft. From stories about JATO-assisted takeoffs (800 feet) to bush flying to super secret electronic surveillance missions in Vietnam, the site covers the history of the aircraft through the eyes of those who flew it. Although more than 130 such stories have been added to the site, organizers say that's the tip of the iceberg and they're hoping for thousands of entries. Meanwhile preparations continue for the mass formation flight of 40 aircraft from Rock Falls, ILL to Oshkosh for the opening day of AirVenture on July 26 which will include one of the last flying DC-2s in existence.

The homeless man who tried to steal a Super Cub from the Frederick, Md., airport in December will have a roof over his head for nine months, courtesy of the penal system. Calvin Cox, 51, who told authorities he'd lived in the woods by the airport for seven years, was handed the nine-month sentence Thursday in a deal that resulted in his pleading guilty to a single count of second-degree burglary. Cox got the Cub started and taxied to the runway but ran it off into the grass where it upended. As part of the plea deal, Cox will have to pay some restitution to the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association, which used the aircraft as a tow plane. The cost of the engine teardown and new prop was about $12,000.

Continental deserves credit for launching an electronic engine initiative years ago, but it was probably way ahead of its time. Lycoming's new IE2 project is emerging just as it looks like leaded avgas may finally be phased out. In the latest installment of our AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli argues that the timing may favor Lycoming. Read more and chime in with your own thoughts.

The NTSB is investigating the "near collision" of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 and a Cessna 172 near the intersection of Runways 8 and 15 at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport in Southern California. The April 23, 2010, incident involved Southwest's Flight 649, which was inbound from Oakland with 119 aboard and landing on Runway 8. At the same time, the Cessna was in the departure phase of a touch and go on the intersecting Runway 15. The Cessna overflew the landing 737, passing "within 200 feet vertically and 10 feet laterally" of the airliner as each crossed the runway intersection. The NTSB reported weather at the time of the incident was clear with visibility of 10 miles. There were no injuries associated with the incident.

The International Air Transport Association estimates that aircraft grounded due to volcanic ash affected 1.2 million passengers per day for six days and resulted in total lost revenue of more than $1.7 billion. For the three-day period that covers April 17-19, when the disruptions were most widespread, losses totaled roughly $400 million per day for airlines. On April 18, the number of flights fell by as much as 79 percent from the same day the previous week (from 24,965 to 5,204), according to EUROCONTROL. A commercial aviation consulting analyst for Frost & Sullivan said the event "has affected up to 8 percent of global trade." He added that "it may take up to three years for the industry to recover fully" (a sentiment echoed by the IATA) and weaker carriers "may not make it without government help." In the shadow of that financial possibility, the safety actions have stirred controversy.

April 21, the Transportation Department Inspector General, Calvin Scovel, spoke before a House panel regarding the cost and progress of key NextGen technologies and what he had to say wasn't all good. According to Scovel, the En Route Automation Modernization system (ERAM), set to be a major part of the FAA's NextGen system, is experiencing trouble at its Salt Lake City launch site. ERAM is costing the FAA $14 million per month in bug fixes and other deployments, and is likely to be deployed behind schedule. Also, according to Scovel, the FAA's telecommunications infrastructure program may not work well with NextGen programs. That system suffered a failure last November that delayed more than 800 flights. The two projects together account for a $4.6 billion stake in NextGen's estimated $40 billion cost. The failings, according to Scovel, can in part be blamed on failure of the FAA to effectively oversee contractors and may result in significant cascading delays.

The United States Air Force's X-37B unmanned space plane has been billed as being a generation beyond the Space Shuttle and, though it was set for launch, Thursday, details of its purpose remain sparse. Intended to be a reusable unmanned payload-capable spacecraft, the Cape Canaveral launch, from atop an Atlas V rocket stack, will help determine the vehicle's real-world economics when it comes to turnaround time and cost. The rest of the vehicle's mission -- what it will be doing while it's in low orbit -- remains less clear. The military's Rapid Capabilities Office says the first mission will consist of checkout and performance characteristics of the spacecraft's systems. The vehicle measures about 29 feet long with a wingspan of more than 14 feet and a weight of almost 11,000 pounds. It has the capacity to hold one or two small satellites and is equipped to fly itself back to earth and land on a runway, unmanned.

Daniel Valovich of Hot Springs, Arkansas knows we have a weakness for big weather events and aircraft — and he uses that knowledge to great effect this week, topping our list of favorite photos (by a hair's breadth!) in a very competitive week. Click through for more photos.

With the failure of one of two satellites providing WAAS service, how's the government's decision to shut down Loran-C looking to you? Do you think it should be revived, perhaps as a back-up?Plus: Back before our Sun 'n Fun polling hiatus, we asked readers for their opinion on the FAA's decision to allow more tolerance in active pilots' use of antidepressants under "special issuance" certificates; click through to see how your fellow readers answered.

That gadget you bolted to the yoke can do a lot more than show pretty moving maps. Come along with IFR magazine editor Jeff Van West to see how correct use of track (and several other features) on your portable GPS can improve all aspects of your IFR flying.

What if airfoils spun to produce lift? What if a gas that makes your voice sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks lifted an aircraft? And what if someone wrote a quiz about it? You'd ace it, right?Take the quiz.

Ten years ago, a NASA DC-8 unintentionally flew through a diffuse ash cloud generated by Hekla, a volcano in Iceland, and upon first inspection showed no damage -- key words "unintentionally" and "upon first inspection." What the event showed is that the most up-to-date information on ash cloud location could be misinterpreted and significant damage could be incurred in spite of a vigilant, well-briefed flight crew. What's more, that damage can be very expensive and hard to detect. Then NASA propulsion engineer Tom Grindle worked the case and co-authored a paper on his findings. AVweb's Glenn Pew caught up with Grindle in this week's podcast for a better understanding of the threat, the potential for hidden consequences, and what's changed since February 2000. Click through for links to both.

DARPA is seeking "innovative solutions" and is offering financial rewards for work that would by 2015 lead to a roadable/flyable VTOL vehicle prototype capable of carrying up to four persons and their gear. Dubbed the "Transformer (TX)" program, the end result may not lead to production of such a vehicle, but DARPA intends to "at a minimum" create the technologies necessary to build the prototype. Multiple awards are anticipated, with $9 million set to support Phase 1 development. The vehicle is intended for military use, to provide combatants with "terrain-independent mobility" that better avoids improvised explosive devices and ambushes, while offering operators more options for approaching targets. Key ingredients include easy operation by a non-certified pilot, a combat range of at least 250 nm, a maximum payload of about 1,000 pounds, and flight capability to 10,000 feet MSL.

Industry efforts to find a replacement for 100LL are expected to intensify now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its advance notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the need to eliminate lead from fuel. The ANPRM does not set a date for eliminating the fuel, but invites interested parties to send comments on the issue for the next 60 days. "Converting in-use aircraft/engines to operate on unleaded aviation gasoline would be a significant logistical challenge, and in some cases a technical challenge as well," the EPA said. The EPA also acknowledged that a joint effort with the FAA will be critical in case engine modifications will need to be developed and certified, AOPA said. "Given the potentially large number of affected aircraft and the potential complexities involved," the EPA said, "a program affecting in-use aircraft engines would need careful consideration by both EPA and FAA, and the two agencies would need to work together in considering any potential program affecting the in-use fleet."

For the first time, visitors to Sun 'n Fun last week had a chance to bid on airplanes for sale at a live auction, and the organizer of the event told AVweb on Wednesday that he and his partners will be back next year. Wes Lutz, the president of Flight Level Auctions, said the event was his company's first try at organizing an aircraft auction. "We had a great time, and we learned a lot," he said. He said the company also plans to hold a two-day auction in Fond du Lac, Wisc., this summer, during the week of AirVenture. The auction is not affiliated with EAA's event, he said, but he hopes that aviators who are going to Oshkosh will consider a visit if they are shopping for a used airplane. "We sold nine aircraft at Sun 'n Fun," he said, "ranging from $30,000 to $100,000." About 45 airplanes were offered for sale, he said, mostly single-engine pistons and a few light twins.

Quest Aircraft has gotten the OK from the FAA to increase the maximum takeoff weight of its Kodiak aircraft from 6,750 pounds to 7,255 pounds, the company said this week. "The Kodiak was designed with and for mission and humanitarian aviation organizations to perform under extremely rigorous conditions in the most remote regions of the world," said Quest CEO Paul Schaller. "The gross weight increase will enable them to carry more cargo and/or passengers so they can execute their operations even more effectively." At the new max weight, the Kodiak can take off in under 1,000 feet and climb at over 1,300 fpm. The Kodiak, a single-engine turboprop utility airplane, comes with a three-panel G1000 avionics suite as standard equipment. It can operate off of floats and land on unimproved surfaces.