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The 79th edition of the Las Vegas TAC Chart was created in the wrong file format for the FAA's 8/22 chart cycle.  If you downloaded the d-VC West product or Las Vegas TAC prior to 1400 EDT on August 29, 2013 be sure you download the updated files per the FAA's Safety Alert.

The iFlightPlanner Crew has posted updated versions of the TAC downloads for this cycle to both iFlightPlanner.com and iFlightPlanner for iPad.  On iFlightPlanner for iPad simply head to the Downloads tab and tap "Check For Updates" in the lower left corner to access the new downloads.

We apologize for any inconvenience!  Have a great weekend!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™ 

By Paul Bertorelli, AVweb

In one of the bolder loss leader approaches we’ve ever seen, Redbird’s Skyport in San Marcos, Texas, will be selling avgas for a dollar a gallon throughout the month of October. What’s the catch? There really isn’t one, other than the company will ask fuel buyers to participate in a brief survey probing their views on flying habits and how—or even if—the price of avgas affects those views and, especially, flying behavior.

“The idea is to test whether the cost of flying had either a direct or indirect or even a cumulative effect on the fact that there’s a lot less flying going on,” said Redbird’s CEO Jerry Gregoire.

» More on AVweb

» Download from iTunes

The proposed airworthiness directive (AD) to limit the allowable time-in-service on cylinders produced by Engine Components International (ECi) that are in more than 6,000 Continental engines could cost GA upwards of $82.6 million.

And on what is the proposed regulation based?  Alleged problems in 30 instances out of more than 30,000 cylinders installed.  This comes out to 1/100th of 1%.  Add to this the lack of evidence that shows even one accident attributed to the alleged problem.

Not only would enactment of the proposed rule have a devastating effect on owners of today’s aircraft, it could have an even greater impact on the entire general aviation world in the future.

» Read more on GA News

Official FAA data for the 8/22/13 cycle, including airport diagrams, approach plates, sectional charts and terminal area charts, was updated today at 09:01Z.

Anytime you access iFlightPlanner.com or mobile.iFlightPlanner.com you can be confident that you are seeing the most current and accurate data available.  To ensure that iFlightPlanner for iPad is current, 'Check for Updates' in the lower-left corner of the Downloads tab.  The app will quickly tell you which files need to be updated!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™

When you check Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) after August 22, 2013 you’ll notice some changes that will bring the U.S. NOTAM System closer to ICAO compliance and make them easier for airmen to read.

The FAA's Air Traffic Plans and Publications list gives basic pilot guidance on NOTAMs and has the full details on Notice #NOTC4908.  The big differences will be in the Field Condition (FICON) NOTAMs, issued via a PIREP when field conditions are being unmonitored.

As the quest for a replacement for 100LL drags into its third decade, Aviation Consumer, is seeking opinions from owners, pilots and aircraft operators on how you think the process is going.  The FAA has established a special office devoted to a replacement for 100LL and piston fuels in general.  They would like to know if you've followed the process and, if so, what you think of it.

And what what about mogas? In some cases, it's $2 cheaper than avgas. Are you using it?  If so, what are your experiences and if you haven't used it, why not? You can take the 5-minute survey by clicking here.

We'll compile the results and compare them to the same questions we asked two years ago.

» Take the Survey

A new feature from Xsight Systems aims to improve the detection of ground-level birds in real time, in severe weather, and in the dark, the company said this week.

The feature, called BirdWize, is an add-on to a system the company sells for detecting foreign-object debris on runways. "Forty percent of all bird-related incidents happen on the ground," said Xsight CEO Alon Nitzan. "This solution provides airport personnel with a more effective way to track birds and their behavior patterns." The product employs a dual technology sensor, with millimeter-wave radar and electro-optic abilities, together with radar and image processing, to help detect ground-level threats from FOD and birds if they appear on the runway, the company said.

» More on AVweb

They had six weeks of intensive flight and ground training and endured hot and sometimes rainy weather during their training at Purdue University.  From mid-May to July Dennis Akins, Young Choi, Warren Cleary, Deirdre Dacey and Lt. Andrew Kinard  flew an average of twice a day every day that weather allowed. They attended daily ground school classes and waited out aircraft maintenance delays, but now their intensive training has come to a close and Akins, Choi, Cleary, Dacey and Kinard have all passed  their check rides to become newly licensed LSA pilots.

The five 2013 students received their pilot’s wings during Able Flight’s annual ceremony on July 30th at EAA AirVenture in Phillips 66 Plaza.

» More on AbleFlight.com

The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) is a government-industry group that manages efforts to reduce fatal general aviation accidents. The GAJSC meets about four times a year to review GA accident trends, establish areas for special emphasis, and share information.

The GAJSC topic of the month discusses the importance of establishing and maintaining a stabilized approach and landing to avoid a loss of control.  A stabilized approach is one in which the pilot establishes and maintains a constant angle glide path towards a predetermined point on the landing runway. It is based on the pilot’s judgment of certain visual clues, and depends on the maintenance of a constant final descent airspeed and configuration. Whether you’re a CFI, a student pilot, or anything in between the GAJSC’s Loss of Control Working Group has some teaching points to help brush up on stabilized approach and landing techniques.

Read more on FAAsafety.gov.

The August 2013 digital issue of Avionics News Magazine is now available!

In this month's issue, you'll find:

• The View from Washington: The Renaissance of General Aviation
• International News & Regulatory Updates
• Helping Aircraft Owners Upgrade Means Business
• AEA Member Profile: Mohawk College Gives Hands-on Training
• Should an iPad be in Your Toolbox?
• Conversation With Andrew Mayfield of ICG
• Meet the AEA Board: Brian Wilson of Banyan Air Service
• Before & After: Indian Hills Community College
• Seven Habits of Effective Avionics Dealers

For more information on the Aircraft Electronics Association visit http://www.aea.net/.

Launched just one year ago, SocialFlight has signed up more than 20,000 users. SocialFlight, for those unaware, is a robust calendar of aviation events. “We’ve logged more than 4,000 events in 2013 alone,” reports SocialFlight founder Jeff Simon.  “In fact, we’ve heard of events being created because of SocialFlight.”

New at AirVenture 2013, SocialFlight announced an Ambassador program to promote general aviation. More than 25 people have signed on and are actively giving presentations to pilot’s club, organizations and individuals about how general aviation can benefit from increased awareness and participation in aviation events.

» More on General Aviation News

Several iFlightPlanner for iPad members approached us last week in Oshkosh regarding a perceived connectivity issue between their Bluetooth GPS decive and iPads running iOS 6, specifically versions 6.1.2 and 6.1.3.  Know that this bug lies within the iOS 6 software and not iFlightPlanner for iPad or your third-party GPS and we expect  it to be fixed with the release of iOS 7 later this year.  In the meantime, here's a Quick Tip that walks you through the process of unparing your GPS, closing any open applications that utilize the GPS data and rebooting your iPad.

1. Power off your Bluetooth GPS device.
2. On your iPad go to Settings > Bluetooth and locate your GPS device.
3. Tap the blue arrow to the right of your device, select "Forget this Device" and then "Ok".
4. Double-click the Home Button to display your list of recently used apps.
5. From within that list only, touch and hold on iFlightPlanner until all the icons start to jiggle.
6. Tap the red,  icon to force-close each app.
7. Once all the apps are closed, touch anywhere above the now empty list to close it.
8. Press and hold the power button on the top-right corner until "slide to power off" appears.
9. Move the slider to power off your iPad.
10. Once the iPad as completely shut down, wait a few seconds, and power it back on.
11. Power on your Bluetooth GPS Device and activate its pairing mode
12. On your iPad go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap on the name of your GPS device to reconnect.

Should you continue to have connectivity issues betwen your iPad and Bluetooth GPS device, the iFlightPlanner Crew recommends contacting the respective device's customer support department.

A record crowd estimated at 15,000 AirVenture guests filled the lawn and surrounding area in front of the EAA Fly-In Theater Friday night for a special pre-premiere showing of Disney's 'Planes'.

Moviegoers were allowed to begin putting down chairs at 5 p.m. and the feature presentation began just before 9 p.m. - and the area filled quickly.  Movie director Klay Hall and producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn kicked things off by sharing footage of the fun research that went into the film, including visits to several airports in the Midwest, pilot interviews, and flying in various aircraft to make sure they were getting things right.

The movie will be in theaters this Friday, August 9.

» Watch The Trailer

Did you know that your iFlightPlanner Profile allows flight plan forms to be automatically filled with the personal details that are required by the FAA?  

Simply verify that your information at https://www.iflightplanner.com/My/MyProfile.aspx is correct on the "Addresses" tab.  The Flight Wizard™ will then use your Primary address to complete any future flight plan forms!

» Quick Tip: Filing FAA Flight Plans