Site Offers "Aviation Ring Tones" For Phones

A site name, appropriately enough, AVIATIONringTONES.com offers for sale cell phone ringtones of recorded cockpit sounds like the classis "whoop!, whoop!, whoop!" sound you hear just before CFIT; the Boeing altitude alert sound; auto-pilot disconnect; and even an F-16 low fuel "Bingo-Bingo" warning.

Is This the Future of General Aviation?

A consortium of European designers and companies are working on a radical redefinition of what a general aviation aircraft is. Modeled after a tuna, the SmartFish flies without slats, spoilers or flaps.

The SmartFish project intends to create a totally new kind of airplane type that can be used for everything from light sport aircraft to business jets to commercial puddle jumpers that carry up to 20 passengers. The goals include fuel economy, safety, visual beauty and a minimization of moving parts. Who's involved? According to the SmartFish web site:

The SmartFish proof of concept will be realized in collaboration with following companies: Extra (world leader in aerobatic aircraft) for system integration and test flights, Leichtwerk for interpretation statics and dynamics, LTB Borowski for composite manufacturing, Liebherr Aerospace for Landing Gear System development, DLR (German Aerospace Center) for flutter analysis and inlet optimization, RUAG Aerospace for wind tunnel testing, and EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (they did a great job for Alinghi) for overall design optimization.

The group even has a working prototype. They're also working on a fuel-cell version.

Plastic Pilot Certificate May Become Mandatory

The FAA Friday proposed a rule that would require all pilots to get a plastic certificate within two years of the rule going into effect. The new rule would also require owners to notify the FAA within five days of selling their aircraft.

Eclipse Aviation Delivers First Jet

Albuquerque, New Mexico, based Eclipse Aviation delivered its first-ever jet to Jet-Alliance today. The airplane is the Eclipse 500, a $1.5 million six-seater.

Why You Should Buy a New Airplane

Flying Magazine's Richard Collins makes the case for buying new, rather following the conventional wisdom that "you can get a comparable airplane for a lot less money" by buying a used airplane.

Warning: Runway Reports Unreliable -- NASA

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System has found that in at least 42 cases since 1995, pilots of commercial and corporate aircraft reported skidding off runways after receiving reports that the runways were safe.

Bird Hits Cessna, Breaks Windshield, Strikes Passenger

A bird broke through the windshield of a single-engine Cessna bound for Orlando Executive Airport, and struck a passenger. The airplane made a safe landing. Further details on the accident are expected shortly.

Indians Playing Cricket On Runway Force Go-Around

An airplane trying to make an emergency landing Friday in Solapur, India, had to buzz the airfield to shoo away hundreds of people watching or playing cricket. The airfield's open space is commonly enchroached upon by people who go there to play cricket or soccer.

Program Teaches Compton Kids to Fly

Plane & Pilot has a nice piece on Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which is a non-profit flight school that provides programs for inner-city kids to work and earn credit for flight lessons. They're also building an airplane. Check it out.