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The FAA is conducting a review of the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet.

Investigators pressed Thursday to discover what caused a Spanish airliner to crash on takeoff from Madrid, killing 153 people.

A debate in Canada is raging about mandatory equipage with 406 ELTs, and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association says it's not only expensive, it's outdated technology that doesn't work much of the time. We know where COPA stands, but what do you think? Plus: What did AVweb readers make of the TSA's new security initiatives in response to last week's Question?

Two helicopter pilots set a new around-the-world speed record...Reid-Hillview Airport in California won't close...Some pilot testing centers have lost their certification under new FAA rules...A 172 pilot who reportedly planned to commit suicide in the airplane was talked down.

An MD-82 operated by Spanair crashed on takeoff in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon. The aircraft broke apart and a fire ensued, the NTSB said. Early reports said 44 were dead and 45 injured, but the death toll climbed through the day. The flight was headed for the Canary Islands, a popular vacation spot off the West Coast of Africa. Spanair is a low-cost carrier owned by SAS, the Scandinavian Airlines System, and has been losing money. SAS had recently tried to sell it off, but couldn't find a buyer, and on Wednesday, before word of the crash, the pilots had threatened to go on strike. Weather at the time of the crash was reported as clear.

Many manuals, regs, training texts and other reference materials now can bought in a convenient e-book format via the online AVweb Bookstore, the company said this week. McGraw-Hill, Jeppesen, AeroEd, and the Aircraft Technical Book Company all have authorized the bookstore to distribute their publications online. The texts can be downloaded immediately, avoiding shipping costs and waiting time, and can be read with free Adobe Reader software on a variety of platforms, including Macs, PCs, handheld devices, and the popular Kindle wireless reading device. All of the illustrations and formatting of the printed book are preserved, and the texts are fully searchable. Hyperlinks make it easy to navigate through the text, and electronic storage makes it simple to keep your references handy at home, while traveling, or in the cockpit. And if you're not sure that e-books are right for you, you can try one for free. [more] You can also find plenty of traditional books, DVDs, magazines, software, and more at the AVweb Bookstore site. The bookstore features over 500 titles from 56 publishers. About 60 percent of the catalog is now available in either printed or e-book format; that number is expected to rise to 90 percent by the end of this year, the company said. For e-book FAQs, click here.

If so, Aviation Consumer would like to hear your story for an article the magazine is compiling for choices in cataract treatment. Contact us at avconsumer@comcast.net. (The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.)

We were pretty happy to see photos and video of the PiperJet's first flight in Vero Beach during AirVenture week — but seeing this "behind the scenes" shot from Dennis Olcott (of Vero Beach, Florida, natch) just whets our appetite for more. Fortunately, Dennis has promised to send some photos of his ride in the chase plane, so we'll keep our eyes peeled. In the meantime, we'll be sending him one of those keen AVweb baseball caps we like to hand out from time to time. If you'd like to earn one of those yourself, you know what to do, of course — submit those photos here.

The FAA is conducting a satisfaction survey to get feedback about flight services that are provided to pilots. The FAA says it will use the survey results to improve service and "to continuously advance the safety and security of civil aviation." The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, the FAA says, and is being conducted by an independent research and consulting firm. Responses are confidential and anonymous, the FAA says. Questions touch on topics such as the quality of service from Flight Service Stations, how quickly calls are answered, and the quality and usefulness of weather information. A space is provided for additional comments. The FAA says it will conduct follow-up surveys throughout the year. It appears to be an invitation-only type of survey, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Here in the U.S., it's easy to forget that our continent extends well north of the border, with vast lands stretching to the Arctic Circle and beyond. But two Seattle pilots, Mark Schoening and Doug DeVries, have set out to explore those northern lands on a 10,000-mile circumnavigation of Canada via the famed Northwest Passage. The team launched on Aug. 2 in a pair of de Havilland Beaver floatplanes, with plans to explore wild lands, wildlife, wild weather, the Magnetic North Pole, and whatever else they may encounter. Also along on the trip is a film crew with plans to create a documentary about the adventure. So far, Schoening, DeVries and crew have gone fishing, spotted some humpback whales, experienced a brief engine scare, camped under the stars, paid $8 a gallon for avgas, encountered at least one famous bush pilot, kept a count of grizzly bear and musk ox and caribou sightings, and seem to be having a great time despite temperatures in the 30s.

The FAA said on Wednesday that it has begun a 30-day special review of its certification of Eclipse Aviation's very light jet, the Eclipse 500. The review started on Aug. 11. Jerry Mack, a former Boeing safety executive, is leading an oversight team of seven FAA experts with specialties such as flight testing, avionics, and certification, all of whom are independent of the original certification group. The FAA said the review team will look at aircraft safety, certification of aircraft trim, flaps, screen blanking, and stall speeds. These issues were the subject of Service Difficulty Reports that have been filed by operators since the aircraft was certificated on Sept. 30, 2006. The team will look at whether or not any of these issues were raised during the certification process and if any of the issues are currently a threat to safety. A union grievance filed in October 2006 questioned the timing of the E500 certification and suggested possible pressure from an FAA pay-for-performance policy. Eclipse issued a statement saying that it welcomes the independent investigation and is "confident" in the outcome.

Fourteen American Eagle aircraft were damaged overnight on Monday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport when a TSA inspector used instrument probes as handholds to test the security of the aircraft from tampering, ABCNews reported. Over 40 flights were delayed on Tuesday while mechanics checked the airplanes. "Our inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac," TSA official Elio Montenegro told ABC. However, "There is a sign that clearly says don't step," Mary Frances Fagan, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, which operates American Eagle, told the Chicago Tribune. One pilot who posted on an Internet forum wrote, "The brilliant [TSA] employees used an instrument located just below the cockpit window that is critical to the operation of the onboard computers. They decided this instrument, the TAT probe, would be adequate to use as a ladder."

The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) says a pending new Transport Canada regulation that would require new emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) in private aircraft is too expensive and won't help to rescue lost pilots. The new 406 MHz gear would cost the general aviation sector $100 million -- with individual aircraft owners forking out $2,000 to $9,000 each -- and is not effective enough to justify the costs, according to COPA. "The geostationary satellites that receive the 406 alerting signal have limitations in latitude (unreliable above 70 degrees North) and mountainous terrain such that for 40 percent of Canada the ability to receive the 406 signal is degraded," says COPA. The association wants Transport Canada to allow each aircraft owner to decide what equipment is best suited to their own location and operations. The deadline for comments on the pending rule is Oct. 23. [more] As of Feb. 1, 2009, the international COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system that receives signals from the 121.5/243 MHz frequencies used in many ELTs will be discontinued. AOPA has taken a stand against making 406 MHz ELTs mandatory in the U.S. "The decisions to replace an existing ELT should be left to the discretion of the aircraft owner," says AOPA.

"The PiperJet has flown 12 times now," Piper spokesman Mark Miller told AVweb on Tuesday. The jet, which flew for the first time just last month, is undergoing tests to explore stability, control and handling throughout the flight envelope. In the coming months, it will typically be flown for one to three weeks, and then down for one to three weeks for systems upgrades and the installation of additional flight test equipment, Miller said. "We are just finishing a two-and-a-half-week flight test block and are about to go into a two-week maintenance/upgrade block to get ready for flutter testing and put paint stripes on the airplane," he said. Piper says the jet will hold six or seven seats, cruise at 360 knots, and carry 800 pounds of payload with full fuel and a range of 1,300 nautical miles.

Among the AVweb readers we were lucky enough to meet at Oshkosh this summer was John von Linsowe, a semi-regular contributor to our "Picture of the Week" contest and Cessna 140 owner who shares his passion for flying with fellow members of his 120/140 club. Under duress, John admitted to having a few videos of the Club doing its thing on YouTube and even agreed to send us a link after the show. While we probably won't make it to Dayton, Ohio for the group's September 25-28 shindig, this video gives us pangs of regret. (Click through to watch.)

>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDER CURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $5.58 (down 1¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $5.76 (down 9¢ 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-->Althought it's still a relatively new FBO, Air 51 in Lexington, Kentucky keeps popping up on our radar. The latest recommendation comes from AVweb reader Don Hagedorn, who calls this popular pit stop the "best FBO I have ever visited," prompting us break with tradition and make Air 51 our "FBO of the Week" for a second time.Don writes:We were delayed due to weather ... when returning to Columbia, SC from Oshkosh on 2 August. Their great staff went out of their way to take care of my 13-year-old nephew and make him feel welcome while we waited. Fine staff, great facilities, reasonable fuel prices, and wonderful amenities. Plus, my nephew was especially thrilled by the TV in the men's room. (Ah, simple pleasures!)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!

The pilot of a replica biplane died when the aircraft reportedly spun during a mock dogfight at Old Rhinebeck in upstate New York, Sunday. Witnesses said the aircraft entered a spin and crashed near the historic airfield. The pilot was not immediately identified.

An exchange overheard while flying over the Mojave Desert:Joshua Approach:"Bonanza 50Y, traffic two o'clock, five miles. Unmanned aerial vehicle has you in sight."50Y (me):"50Y looking. If he's 'unmanned,' how can he have me in sight?"Joshua Approach:"Oh. He's got a T-38 spotter plane, so really it's a flight of two ... . Now you're three o'clock, three miles."50Y:Yeah, I was kidding. I know they have cameras and instrumentation. But I still don't have them in sight."Joshua Approach:"They're passing behind you now. No factor. And we usually reserve the 'I can't see him' jokes for the F-117s that come through here."Marc Zornvia e-mail

Europe's Clean Sky initiative is targeting a 50-percent reduction in CO2 emissions, an 80-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and a 50-percent reduction in perceived noise levels (all from baseline year 2000 levels) to be met by the year 2020. The plan involves research intended to demonstrate smart wing technologies based on natural and hybrid laminar flow research, active load control and materials development to conclude in flight demonstrations. Powerplant integration will be considered with specific attention paid to the impact of airframe flow fields on propeller efficiency with "open rotor configurations on the airframe, and innovative empennage design," according to engineerlive.com. Development of the demonstration aircraft is expected to evolve, but the initial design will be a direct-drive pusher design -- a point from which to diverge. Contributing members include universities and research centers as well as the European Commission and industry names that include Rolls-Royce, EADS, Eurocopter and others. Aviation emissions account for approximately 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, according to aircraft manufacturers, and by some estimates jet engines are today 70 percent more environmentally friendly in that regard than they were 40 years ago.

Seeking full-motion video reconnaissance platforms, the Air Force "is quietly rushing to field more than three dozen" twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft to provide that capability "on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to Inside The Air Force. The report from InsideDefense.com says that according to a July briefing from Air Combat Command, the Air Force would use the aircraft in a program called "Project Liberty." Aircraft considered for the task would likely be modified Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350s carrying video and communications equipment, according to the report. However, Hawker Beechcraft this weekend told Kansas.com that the company does not have a contract to provide aircraft. The plan as reported called for collection of the aircraft at a rate of about two per month beginning in 2008 and deployable within a year.