Also: Schumer Attacks, XCOR Soars, 300th Phenom, Aero-Innovation, ECi A.D., Aero-Gadgets... and Hoover To The Rescue!

The week was not nearly the downer that last week was (as the GAMA numbers showed how badly GA fared in 2011), and in fact, we discovered we still have friends! The week's big stories started with the announcement of the FAA's long awaited re-write of the regs covering minimum Airline pilot experience levels (and associated issues), and was made even more intriguing as the USAF broke months of silence and killed the LAS deal... as Hawker-Beech had hoped. And best of all, we have clear proof that GA has good friend in high places... and they're all fighting those @#$%^&* user fees! All this and SO MUCH MORE in this week's edition of AIRBORNE!