The US imposes new border-crossing rules on private aircraft. An amphibious tour plane is down in Canada. And Delta partners with Alaska Air to get even bigger. Less

ANN's Jim Campbell talks with Alan Klapmeier of Cirrus Design about general aviation's future, and what's needed to reverse the third-quarter hiccup in sales numbers. FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

The US imposes new border-crossing rules on private aircraft. An amphibious tour plane is down in Canada. And Delta partners with Alaska Air to get even bigger. Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

cleantech, startups, Analysis Gregory T. Huang wrote: Two weeks ago, Xconomy broke the news of the Seattle startup EnerG2’s $8.5 million first-round venture deal with Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners and Palo Alto, CA-based Firelake Capital Management. Today, the energy storage and advanced materials company is officially announcing its approach and giving the story behind its financing. I had a chance to speak in-depth with EnerG2 chief executive Rick Luebbe and OVP venture partner Rick LeFaivre about the company, its strategy, and what it could mean for the future of cleantech ventures, particularly in the Northwest. As we reported before, EnerG2’s technology originally comes from the University of Washington. It revolves around synthetic carbon powder and “nanocomposite” materials that have novel properties on the molecular scale, such that they are extremely efficient at storing various kinds of energy—electricity, natural gas, and hydrogen, to name a few. I wanted to find out more about how the technology works and how it will be commercialized (think better batteries for tools, vehicles, and mobile devices), but I also wanted to hear the deeper story about the ideas and motivations of the key players and how the deal came about. The story goes back to 2003, when Luebbe and his business partner Chris Wheaton first got into the energy game. Luebbe had been the co-founder and CEO of the Seattle software firm Hubspan, while Wheaton had been vice president of North American operations at Silicon Valley-based Loudcloud (now part of Hewlett-Packard). “We got interested in energy storage because we recognized no matter which direction the energy economy went, storage would be a critical, critical component,” says Luebbe. And whether it was electrical storage or gas storage, local or mobile applications, the future was in energy. “I really enjoyed my previous career from a business perspective, but I didn’t have same passion I have for clean energy,” Luebbe adds. Luebbe and Wheaton began looking for renewable energy technologies at the University of Washington that were practical and could be readily commercialized. “We weren’t interested in science projects,” says Luebbe. At the same time, they thought “the most practical way to enter the space was to find a technology that was a market changer,” he says. In other words, they had to swing for the fences. So they met with various department heads at the UW, and were introduced to Guozhong Cao, a professor in the materials science and engineering department, and his graduate student, Aaron Feaver. Cao and Feaver were focused on developing novel materials to generate and store energy. It was a good match. The status quo in energy-storage technology, roughly speaking, is that you try different natural materials and see if they work. What Cao and Feaver did was use advanced nanotechnology and …Next Page » Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

Eclipse puts a shotglass under its leaking roof. NASA's space station home improvement mission is underway. And Boeing says hundreds of 737s have defective fasteners. Less

ANN's Paul Plack talks with CFII Bob Miller of Over The Airwaves about one possible memory aid for use during approaches when something interrupts our sterile cockpit. Also, what makes the passage of weather fronts so much more risky in winter? FMI: www.overtheairwaves.com Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

Eclipse puts a shotglass under its leaking roof. NASA's space station home improvement mission is underway. And Boeing says hundreds of 737s have defective fasteners. Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

LIVE from the WILDER CENTER: COMMUNITY SHARES TRANSPORTATION FORUM (NOTE: Technical Difficulties delayed the live radio airing of this program for some minutes.) The Central Corridor Light Rail Project remains the Twin Cities' primary transportation effort. Issues persist pitting community and neighborhood services against the line's projected costs and willingness to acquire the funding to meet the transportation and housing needs and demands of neighborhoods adjacent to the Corridor. TTT's ANDY DRISCOLL hosts a discussion between members of the Central Corridor Management Committee and a panel of Community Shares member representatives. GUESTS: • Ramsey County Commissioner TONI CARTER; Hennepin Comm. PETER MCLAUGHLIN; ANDREA LUBOV – Jewish Community Action; SARAH MULLINS – ISAIAH; TIM MUNGAVAN – Executive Director, West Bank Community Development Corporation. Podcasts are available for all archived Truth to Tell shows. Less

It's stout, well engineered and packed with nearly every tech trick in the book. Shoppers looking for a full sized crossover should give Pilot a look. Less

It seems every automaker wants to catch BMWs 3 Series. Add a V8, suspension modifications and a whole host of upgrades and it becomes the legendary M3. That makes this car pretty tough to keep up with. Less

Eclipse employees are told to wait at home for news. Strong general aviation sales are not expected to last. And Cessna cuts 665 jobs. Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

Eclipse employees are told to wait at home for news. Strong general aviation sales are not expected to last. And Cessna cuts 665 jobs. Less

ANN Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell discusses the General Aviation Manufacturers Association's 2008 3Q industry report with Pete Bunce, GAMA's President and CEO. FMI: www.gama.aero Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

A DOT task force wimps out on a passengers bill of rights. Boeing is dogged by the threat of another strike. And Iran rattles its sabre. Less

A DOT task force wimps out on a passengers bill of rights. Boeing is dogged by the threat of another strike. And Iran rattles its sabre. Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

ANN Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell concludes his interview with Craig Fuller, president-elect of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. FMI: www.aopa.org Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

ANN Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell interviews Craig Fuller, president-elect of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. FMI: www.aopa.org Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less

DHL delivers bad news to employees and customers. Boeing suppliers deal with a hangover from the machinists strike. And Eclipse Aviation cancels another tradeshow appearance. Less

DHL delivers bad news to employees and customers. Boeing suppliers deal with a hangover from the machinists strike. And Eclipse Aviation cancels another tradeshow appearance. Sponsored By... www.garmin.com www.diamondaircraft.com http://caravanpostcards.com/ www.cirrusdesign.com www.clarityaloft.com Less