|
|||||||||||
Deadline Set For Comments On FAA Medical Changes
The FAA has set a deadline of July 2 to receive comments on the exemption to pilot medical requirements proposed by AOPA and EAA in April. The advocacy groups asked the FAA to allow pilots to fly some GA aircraft without a third-class medical certificate if they take an online course and hold a driver's license. "The short comment period makes it more urgent that people submit their comments now," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety. "Make your voice heard." More than 1,800 comments already have been submitted, and the groups have set a target to reach 3,000 comments by the deadline.
The two advocacy groups have posted an online guide (PDF) to help pilots who want to file comments. The full 41-page proposal also is posted online (PDF). When the proposal was released in March, AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with Kristine Hartzell, AOPA's manager of regulatory affairs, for more details about the plan and the strategy behind it. Click here to listen to the podcast. |
|
|||||||||||
— from the company that started an aviation communication revolution.
EASA Okays LSA Certification
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified light sport aircraft for the first time, in a newly created certification category. Three airplanes have been certified as European Light Aircraft (ELA): Czech Sport Aircraft's PS-28 Cruiser, the Flight Design CTLS-ELA, and the Evektor SportStar RTC, EASA said. The new category certifies aircraft with no more than two seats and a weight of less than 600 kg (1,320 pounds). EASA said it has been working to address feedback from industry and operators that its regulatory framework for recreational aircraft is too burdensome. Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturing Association, told AVweb this week EASA's procedures are too expensive for most LSA manufacturers.
"The producers have to pay for all of these approvals, factory visits, and inspections," Johnson said. "And the question is, how does this enhance safety?" LAMA would prefer to see EASA accept the ASTM approval procedures used in the U.S., Johnson said, which already have been accepted in Australia and Brazil. EASA said it is continuing to work closely with the aviation community, and "further improvements to certification procedures for ELA are expected in the near future." Johnson said some U.S. manufacturers are delaying entry into the European market, despite the favorable exchange rate, due to continuing uncertainty about EASA's rules and regulations. In April, Cessna said it wouldn't take any orders in Europe for its Skycatcher until it had worked out a plan with EASA for certification. |
|
|||||||||||
Navy UAV Crashes In Maryland
An unmanned aircraft being tested by the U.S. Navy crashed Monday about noon on Maryland's eastern shore, about 22 miles east of the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River. The Global Hawk, about 44 feet long with a wingspan of 116 feet, was one of five UAVs being used to test maritime surveillance capabilities. "No one was injured and no property was damaged at the unpopulated swampy crash site," Navy officials said. Aerial video from WBOC-TV showed piles of burnt debris at the crash site, with scattered flames and lots of black smoke. The site is being cleaned up and Navy officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
The test program at Patuxent River has been in operation since November 2006, working to develop tactics and doctrine for the use of high-altitude unmanned patrol aircraft. The Navy's RQ-4A Global Hawk is powered by a Rolls Royce turbofan engine. It's capable of flying up to 60,000 feet at speeds up to 340 knots for more than 30 hours. Its maximum takeoff weight is 25,600 pounds. It's operated by a crew of four -- two pilots and two sensor operators.
In Pursuit Of The Less Intelligent Drone
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology are working on an autonomous flying vehicle that is not as good at avoiding crashes as it is at surviving them, for a reason. The idea is simple. An autonomous aircraft that must carry multiple onboard sensors and computer systems to avoid accidents will lose payload and endurance to those systems. It will also be bigger and cost more than a vehicle that doesn't carry those systems. As an alternate approach, the Swiss researchers are working to create a simple vehicle that is more efficient and more resilient. The design they have isn't just designed to survive crashes, it's designed to pick itself up and set off, again, after the crash.
The Swiss designers say they took inspiration from birds and insects that sometimes crash into things but mostly recover and continue on their way. All the key components of the Swiss design are protected by a lightweight, flexible carbon-fiber cage. The cage is designed to absorb impacts without transferring energy to the vehicle's most delicate components. The researchers have so far designed an oblong vehicle with an active recovery system. (See video at right.) That system is made up of four legs that can extend to right the vehicle if it ends up lying on its side. They hope the vehicle will prove more practical in navigating tight, uneven spaces than costlier flying vehicles. Japanese researchers have advanced a similar idea with a spherical design. |
|
|||||||||||
FlyNano Goes Electric, Starts "Airborne Test Flights"
The creators of the FlyNano sport aircraft launched from a lake in southern Finland, near Helsinki, on Monday, and posted a video at their website showing several short hops above the surface. Over the winter, the prototype was re-fitted with an all-new electric motor, which the company says is "substantially stronger" than the earlier gasoline powerplant. "Now we will continue to work on further development," the company posted at its website. "Many thanks for your support and patience. We'll be back with more flights as soon as possible." The company said it has already taken orders for 35 airplanes and hopes to start deliveries by the end of next year.
The aircraft was introduced at the Aero 2011 show in Germany last year. The single-seat carbon-fiber airplane is designed for water operations only. When it was introduced, the designers projected a delivery price of $39,000 and a weight under 254 pounds, allowing the FlyNano to qualify as an ultralight under U.S. regulations. |
|
|||||||||||
An F-22 G-Suit Problem
As part of its investigation into the cause of hypoxia-like symptoms affecting a few F-22 Raptor pilots, Air Combat Command this week released new conditions regarding what pilots can wear while flying the aircraft. Testing has apparently found problems with the pressure vests worn by F-22 pilots as the upper portion of their G-suits. Air Combat Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sholtis told Bloomberg News that the vest is "like a tight-fitting garment" and that it was not properly fitted for pilots, possibly restricting their ability to breathe. But finding a fix for the vest is not expected to resolve the hypoxia-symptom issue.
According to Sholtis, the vest has not been identified as the yet-unidentified root cause of the hypoxia problems suffered by at least 11 pilots. And the "upper pressure garment" has not been implicated as the cause of more than 10 unexplained incidents. Regarding the vests, the Air Force is looking at issues regarding the layering of clothing and flight suits while wearing the vest. The exact restrictions regarding use of the vests have not been released. The Air Force is still looking for a root cause that has led pilots to report hypoxia-like symptoms while flying the jets. |
|
|||||||||||
| What You Missed in AVwebBiz This Week | back to top |  |
||
NetJets Orders 425 Jets, "Largest Order In History"
NetJets on Monday said it has ordered up to 425 midsize business jets from Cessna and Bombardier, a deal worth up to $9.6 billion, which the company said is the "largest private aviation order in history." The deal includes firm orders for 100 jets from Bombardier -- 75 of the Challenger 300 model and 25 Challenger 605 jets -- and 25 Citation Latitudes from Cessna. NetJets also optioned another 125 each of the Challenger 300 and Latitude jets, plus 50 options for the Challenger 605. The order expands NetJets' own "Signature Series" line of aircraft, which the company helped to design.
"These aircraft are bigger, faster, quieter and offer longer range than similar aircraft of the previous generation," NetJets said in a news release. "We listened to our owners and developed the design specifications of these aircraft to ensure that our fleet meets their exacting needs." The airplanes will be deployed in NetJets' fleets in North America and Europe. Deliveries are set to take place over 10 years, starting in 2014 for the Bombardier jets and 2016 for the Cessna Latitudes.
New Twin Otters Find Ready Market
In an industry that's a little short of success stories at the moment, there's a rare exception to that playing out in some unlikely locations in Canada. Viking Air's plants in Sidney, British Columbia, a suburb of the provincial capital of Victoria, and Calgary, Alberta, are straining under the weight of a four-year backlog for their new-build Twin Otters, the 400 Series. Since reintroducing the venerable twin turboprop STOL utility hauler, Viking has racked up more than 70 orders for the $6 million aircraft and word is just now getting out that they're available. Viking, which acquired the Twin Otter type certificate, along with six other de Havilland Canada designs from Bombardier a few years ago, had never manufactured airplanes before although it was a recognized rebuilder and modifier of the various types, which include the Beaver, Otter, Caribou and Buffalo. Viking tapped Dan Tharp, a Wichita native with long experience in aircraft production, to get its facilities in shape to meet the demand.
Tharp, who came to picturesque Victoria from the Vought plant in Nashville, has 30 years of experience that includes development and production of Learjet models in Bombardier's Wichita facilities. In eight months, Viking went from producing an airplane every two months to rolling out a brand new Twin Otter every 18 working days. The goal for the end of the year is to shave that to 11 days. That will give the company a realistic output of 23 aircraft a year, enough to move the backlog into the 18- to 24-month sweet spot. Viking has developed co-op training programs with local colleges in Victoria and Calgary to provide its own skilled workforce. The Victoria facility builds wings, cockpits and other subassemblies and contractors build the empennage and other parts. Final assembly and flight testing takes place in Calgary before the aircraft is finished and delivered back in Victoria. Sales have been made all over the world, from air taxis in the Maldives to the militaries of Peru and Vietnam. The U.S. Army recently took delivery of a new Twin Otter for use by its parachute demonstration team, the Golden Knights.
Video: Viking Air Twin Otter FactoryOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos Viking Air is quickly ramping up production of its new build Twin Otter 400 series. AVweb's Russ Niles toured the Victoria, British Columbia factory with VP of Operations Dan Tharp, a Wichita aircraft production veteran recently hired by Viking to boost production.
AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.
Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions." |
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?
|
|||||||||||
| Opinion & Commentary | back to top | |
||
AVweb Insider Blog: Would You Survive a Crash?
Who can say? It so often depends on variables that no one can predict or prepare for. But sometimes, Paul Bertorelli notes on the AVweb Insider blog, even the most cursory preparation can probably make the difference. If you've had egress training, you might have a real edge.
|
|
|||||||||||
| The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is You! | back to top | |
||
Question of the Week: Oshkosh CountdownIt's a matter of mere weeks until the year's biggest aviation show, so we have a question this week for those of you who are going.
Last Week's Question: Results
Want to see the current breakdown of responses? Take a moment to answer the question yourself, and then you can view real-time results.
AVweb's Newstips Address ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part. |
|
|||||||||||
| What Have You Missed on AVwebcom? | back to top | |
||
AVweb Insider Blog: The Case for Commercialized Space
Last month, upstart rocket company SpaceX did what, heretofore, only sovereign nations have done: They launched a spacecraft into orbit, docked it with the space station and recovered it. So why are both the first man and the last man to stand on the moon opposed to this? On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli gives you a chance to tell us why.
Read more and join the conversation.
Forty-Seven Years in Aviation: A Memoir; Chapter 14: The Ohio State University AirportRichard Taylor's first full year at The Ohio State University included teaching aviation classes, flying 19 different kinds of airplanes (including a jet), and starting a flying club with a tail-dragger.
Click here to read the 14th chapter.
In 1942, The Ohio State University purchased 1,412 acres of flat farmland and forest 10 miles north of campus, the purpose of which was to develop an airport. Only those administrators with expansive imaginations could have envisioned that parcel of land becoming a significant part of the air transportation system serving central Ohio.
From two hangars (still in use today) and two runways the OSU Airport has grown into a four-runway facility (longest runway 5,000 feet) with several instrument approaches and a full range of services for local and transient aircraft. As general aviation activity peaked in the late '70s and early '80s, the airport became the third-busiest airport in Ohio; it currently ranks among the state's top 10 busiest airports.
Much of the airport traffic is generated by the OSU flight training program, which has been in continuous operation since 1945. The current fleet includes Cessna 152s and 172s, several complex singles, a state-of-the art Cirrus SR20 and a Cessna 310 for multi-engine training. One of two training devices is used primarily for instrument training, the other is a full-motion simulator with the capability to portray a Cessna 172, a Piper Arrow with a glass cockpit, or a Beechcraft Baron equipped with a G1000 avionics suite.
To date, over 5000 students have earned pilot certificates and ratings through the flight-training program. The airport has functioned as an aviation laboratory since its inception: Students who acquire flight-instructor certificates may choose to enhance their knowledge and experience by taking jobs as CFIs working with student pilots. By any measure, the most important achievement for these young people is a degree from The Ohio State University; aviation students can earn BS and BA degrees with an aviation specialization in the Engineering, Social & Behavioral Sciences or Business Colleges. 1967 was a busy, satisfying year for me. In addition to teaching several classroom courses I was flying on a near-daily basis in a challenging variety of civilian and military aircraft.
The Piper Aztec accounted for most of my pilot time that year, with various single-engine OSU trainers not far behind; I also flew the Air National Guard C-54 and the Helio Courier on frequent, if irregular, schedules. Three of my weekends were spent "on the road" for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) conducting flight training for general aviation pilots. I acquired a flight instructor certificate with ratings for single- and multi-engine airplanes, instrument instruction and advanced ground instruction; I also upgraded to instructor pilot status in the C-54. When we moved back to Columbus from the Pacific Northwest in 1965 we bought a home located near the OSU Airport (at the time I had no idea I'd be working there a year later). In August 1967, a year into my tenure at the university, several neighbors and friends expressed interest in learning to fly; we formed a small group (after a few beers and much discussion regarding combinations of names and initials, we named it simply "The Ajax Flying Club") and subsequently purchased a Cessna 140, well-used but in good condition. (See "Flying the 140" at right.)
At the end of our aerial adventure three Ajax members went on to become pilots; mission accomplished, we sold the Cessna in 1969. My investment was pro bono flight instruction, making the 140 the first and only airplane in which I have had a financial interest, so to speak; there were always friends' airplanes available to me for personal use. As 1967 entered its final quarter I experienced yet another aviation adventure, this time something that had lived in the recesses of my mind for 14 years with no reasonable expectation that it would ever be realized. In the summer of 1953, during ROTC summer camp at Turner AFB in Albany, Georgia, I was strapped into the back seat of a Lockheed T-33 for a familiarization ride; it was short and sweet but left me with the strong impression that this was something I would like to do by myself someday. At that time an Air Force career was not a serious consideration, but I thought there might be a way to retain the skills and knowledge I would acquire in flight training. Perhaps when I finished my active duty commitment following flight school I could join an Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard unit with a T-bird that I could learn to fly. The details that surround the eventual accomplishment of that dream are somewhat hazy but a logbook entry in mid-September '67 records my first ride in the T-33 that belonged to the 121st Tactical Fighter Group, owner of the C-54 I had been flying for the past 18 months. The T-bird was the Group's utility airplane, used for pilot proficiency training and the occasional miscellaneous mission that didn't require firing up an F-100—I was added to the list of pilots who were available for those missions. In the competent hands of several high-time fighter-pilot IPs I embarked on a training program in the T-33. You must understand I had neither the time nor the inclination to become a fighter pilot; given my multi-engine background, a lot of training would have been required to make me competent and safe in a combat airplane. I would be satisfied with nothing more than expanding my aviation experience to get a taste of jet propulsion, and the T-33 was the vehicle that could make it happen.
The Shooting Star completed its first flight in 1948 with legendary Lockheed test pilot Tony Levier at the controls. It was a direct descendant of the F-80 (one of America's early jet fighters) with the fuselage stretched three feet to accommodate two pilots; it was the airplane chosen to train USAF pilots in the nuances of flying jet-powered airplanes until the Cessna T-37 came along (many of my mates in Class 56-I flew the T-bird in basic flight training). The US Air Force was not the only military component that thought well of this airplane; for almost 40 years the T-33 served the air forces of more than 20 different countries. Given its takeoff weight of 15,000 pounds and one Allison J-33 centrifugal-flow turbine engine that generates 5,400 pounds of thrust, the T-bird qualifies as a dirt-sniffer...its takeoff and climb performance is well short of skyrocket quality. If you're not in a hurry to get there, the T-33 can climb to more than 40,000 feet; its maximum speed is limited to about 500 miles per hour or the onset of "aileron buzz" (an aerodynamic phenomenon that causes the ailerons to flutter rapidly), whichever comes first. There was no one-button, computerized "auto-start" procedure for the T-33's Allison J-33 engine; working with the fuel switches and the throttle and keeping a close eye on turbine RPM and temperature, you had to supply fuel and air to the engine in the proper proportions and at the proper time to make everything work—hot starts and no-starts were potential results of mismanagement. An airborne flameout was even more critical; several airstart procedures relating to airspeed and altitude at the time of the flameout were printed in red placards on the canopy rails, and if the final procedure produced no fire in the engine room it was time to think seriously about using the ejection seat.
Thanks to some high-quality instruction, I was able to solo the T-33 after 16 hours of dual. A checkride was required, and I was sent aloft with a feisty, gray-haired F-100 jock whose first request at altitude was "show me a Lazy Eight." I hadn't done one of those for years, let alone in a jet trainer, so I dug deep into my memory bank and performed what I thought was a reasonable facsimile of that elementary maneuver. When I finished he asked rather sarcastically "Taylor, I presume those were your clearing turns?" followed by "I've got it." I'm not quite sure what he did with that airplane in the next few minutes, but it was a far cry from any Lazy Eight with which I was familiar. However, knowing I would never be required to perform air combat maneuvers, he signed me off to fly the airplane on more normal missions. Following that checkout I flew the airplane at every opportunity; some were local proficiency flights, some were cross-country trips. To be sure, the T-bird was a slow mover during takeoff and climb, but when it reached cruise altitude it motored along at a reasonable speed. One memorable December trip from Columbus, Ohio to Tampa, Florida required only 2 hours and 48 minutes...not too shabby for an old airplane. It was a great way to trade a couple of winter days in Ohio for some Florida sunshine—and get paid for it in the bargain. I had flown 600 hours in nineteen different kinds of airplanes in 1967, had acquired several additional pilot certificates and ratings and had sharpened my skills as a classroom instructor. Like most young men, I had often pondered the question "What do I want to be when I grow up?" I was 34 years old when I joined the aviation faculty and from the first day on the job I realized the combination of flying and teaching aviation answered that question. I considered 1967 a successful year and looked forward to more of the same for years to come. However, there was a situation brewing in the Far East that would explode in late January 1968 and change the lives of thousands of reservists; my involvement in that situation and its aftermath will be related in the next chapter of this memoir.
[Continued next month.]
To send a note to Richard and AVweb about this story, please click here. // --> |
|
|||||||||||
| Your Favorite FBOs | back to top | |
||
FBO of the Week: Desert Skies Executive Air Terminal (KHII, Lake Havasu, AZ)
Nominate an FBO | Rules | Tips | Questions | Winning FBOs
Our latest "FBO of the Week" is one we spotlighted a couple of years ago — Desert Skies Executive Air Terminal at Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII) in Arizona. AVweb reader Scott Brooksby told us about the usual low prices and great services but noted that little "something special" that makes Desert Skies a must-revisit destination:
Desert Skies not only has great prices for fuel, some of the lowest in the region, but they also have Waldo's BBQ. The restaurant closes at 8:00 pm but has awesome food, and for dessert, you can have a small apple crisp or sweet potato pie among other choices for only 99 cents. The fueling is quick, and the manager was there helping to park the plane and make sure all was O.K.
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! |
|
|||||||||||
| Reader-Submitted Photos | back to top | |
||
Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography Showcase
Our latest winning photo comes from Rob Farland of Rio Vista, CA. Click here for the rest of this week's
submissions.
|
| Names Behind the News | back to top | |
||
Meet the AVwebFlash Team
AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.
The AVwebFlash team is:
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481].
Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)
Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.
If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. |
