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November 12, 2012
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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A Life Insurance Policy That Returns All of Your Premiums? — YES
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At its Vero Beach factory headquarters Saturday, Piper celebrated its 75th anniversary as an airplane company, hosting many of the very same vintage aircraft that Piper built to establish its
legacy. More than 200 people attended the event and were given factory tours, presentations of the company's history and a look at some of Piper's latest products, including the popular M-class
aircraft that have proven popular as luxury travelers and business aircraft. During the event, Piper CEO Simon Caldecott announced that Florida Institute of Technology, a long-time Piper customer,
will soon take delivery on eight Archer TX training aircraft, with options for additional Archers and Seminole training aircraft.
The new TX's will be among the first Archers to be equipped with Garmin's G1000 avionics suite. Piper also announced that in addition to the Archer, the Seminole will also have the G1000. The
all-day event at Vero Beach on Saturday drew more than 80 aircraft, including nearly 40 J-3 Cubs and other vintage aircraft of note. AVweb was there, and we've posted this video of the event.
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
On Saturday, November 10, Piper Aircraft celebrated its 75th anniversary as an aircraft company. AVweb was there and got a look at some terrific vintage aircraft as well as
Piper's latest line of M-class airplanes.
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Two Great Ways to Keep Your Engine Up to Speed
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Video has emerged of the July 17 event that resulted in a CRJ200 taxiing at high speed into a terminal building at St. George Municipal Airport, Utah, and severing most of its wing, before its
pilot stepped back into the empty cabin and shot himself. The aircraft was operated by former SkyWest pilot Brian Hedglin, who had been placed on leave by after the carrier learned he was being
investigated by police in the killing of his former girlfriend. The video includes footage from various surveillance cameras and shows the aircraft backing away from its gate under thrust reverse,
charging past and impacting the terminal building, and then bucking wildly as it impacts obstacles in a nearby parking lot. Fourteen cars were damaged during the event. Hedglin had previously been
arrested on charges related to his former girlfriend and was out on a $10,000 bond. AVweb's prior coverage is here.
The NTSB says (PDF) it's likely a five-year-old girl's restlessness started
the chain of events that led to the crash of a helicopter that killed her and four others on Valentine's Day in 2010. Although there is no direct evidence to support the hypothesis, the board says
simulator scenarios and a biomechanical study point to the girl, who was sitting on her father's lap in the left pilot seat of the Eurocopter EC135, inadvertently stepping on the collective control
and pushing it suddenly to its bottom stop. Then, the board postulates, either the pilot in command in the right seat or the left-seat passenger (and aircraft owner) yanked up on the collective and
back on the cyclic. The violent control movements then caused the main rotor to hit the tail boom, causing the aircraft to go out of control about 2,000 feet above the Arizona desert near Cave Creek.
The board cited the pilot's failure to enforce "proper cockpit discipline" as a contributing factor in the crash.
The NTSB said aircraft owner Thomas J. Stewart, the owner of Services Group America, had previously allowed his daughter Sydney to travel on his lap in the left pilot seat. Father and daughter,
along with Stewart's wife Madena and her brother Malang Abudula, were traveling from their northern Arizona ranch to Scottsdale. The pilot was Rick Morton. The pilot's family is suing Eurocopter,
claiming a faulty repair to a rotor blade caused the accident, their lawyer told The
Associated Press. The NTSB said in the report that its investigation showed a rotor blade hit the tailrotor drive shaft and broke. "That's their interpretation, and it does not comport with what
our experienced investigators believe happened," said Gary C. Robb, a Kansas City attorney.
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Bose® A20® Aviation Headset
The Best We've Ever Made
Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly. Today, we continue to set the standard with the Bose A20
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Cessna has issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin (PDF) to beef up the wing structure of the first 228 Skycatchers delivered. The MSB, issued
in early September, requires the addition of a rib and other reinforcement at the wing attach points. The MSB was issued after Cessna found cracks in the attach point of its cyclic test aircraft.
"This modification improves the durability of the wing strut attachment structure," the bulletin says.
The work has to be completed at the next 100-hour or annual inspection and it's a fairly involved modification. The skin of the leading edge has to be removed and replaced and new parts are
installed in the wing structure. Cessna says it will take about 32 man-hours to make the mod and it's covering that cost. The MSB affects serial numbers 002 to 229.
Aircraft maintenance engineers meeting at an annual congress held by Aircraft Engineers International (AEI) this year at Malta were told "a staggering amount of evidence" shows safety lapses by
airlines and regulators. The group says an ICAO safety audit results show carriers' average rate of compliance with safety regulations is "around 60 percent." At the same time, according to AEI,
safety regulator positions are manned at 24 percent of their target levels. The group says regulators and carriers are pushing for further deregulation, self-regulation and more reliance on
"transparent safety reporting" systems. But statistics suggest "the aviation industry is not yet ready" for that responsibility. AEI is not an unbiased observer.
AEI exists to support the interests of its members -- licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. The group is concerned that airlines pushing for self-regulation through open reporting programs "are
quite happy to terminate the employment of Licensed Aircraft Engineers raising safety issues." It warns that pressure on engineers "to overlook safety issues has been steadily increasing" as "the
priority for airlines shifts from safety to profit." According to AEI, "reports of disquiet among aircraft engineers" highlight "a decline in safety standards among airlines." And the group says
"stories are also emerging" of engineers threatened with job loss for reporting "malpractice." The organization advocates stronger protections for engineers who report safety problems.
The NTSB now has access to safety data gathered by the FAA, airlines and pilots thanks to an agreement signed last week. The deal will allow the NTSB to ask for information gleaned from anonymous
reports gathered by the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) program. "I am grateful to the FAA, industry and labor for their leadership," said NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman.
"Better information leads to better investigations." The NTSB will use the data to determine if an accident is an isolated event or part of a systemic problem.
ASIAS has been running since 2007, has 44 members representing 95 percent of airline operations, and is part of a broader network of databases that analysts have used to launch safety initiatives.
FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta said the anonymous reporting system, in which uses protected data from industry and government voluntary reporting systems, has helped improve flight safety.
"More than 90 percent of air carriers use voluntary reporting programs and this has led to significant training, operational and maintenance program improvements," Huerta said.
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ForeFlight Mobile —
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AIRMETs/SIGMETS, PIREPS, and more streamed effortlessly to your iPad via ADS-B. Intelligent Apps for Pilots™ backed by Fanatical Pilot Support™.
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AOPA's FlyQ Electronic Flight Bag app for iPad launches today, according to AOPA, putting flight planning tools into the hands of pilots and, according to some industry players, turning the
organization from "pilot advocacy group" to "competitor." The debut of the subscription-based app packages airport directory information, weather, moving maps, approach plates, synthetic vision, smart
"auto-routing" based on predicted winds aloft, and a host of other tools for pilots. The app last month prompted a letter that Sporty's and two other aviation companies sent to AOPA. In the letter,
the companies warned that the app was placing AOPA in competition with its own advertisers, who offer similar products and, along with AOPA members, sponsor AOPA's existence. AOPA has a different take
on things.
According to AOPA President Craig Fuller, advertising revenue has fallen for all its publications prior to the development of FlyQ, and "to somehow say we shouldn't bring revenue in by other means is not realistic." Fuller told AVweb that the organization has been involved in flight planning
products "for many years." FlyQ, says Fuller, would ultimately add as another source of revenue, presumably even if the app ultimately results in lost revenue from disgruntled and potentially former
advertisers like Sporty's. According to Sporty's CEO Michael Wolf, "They're getting into business and becoming our competitors rather than our partners." And that, he said, would be a "new direction"
for AOPA that would cause him concern.
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Introducing Bad Elf GPS Pro!
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One Great-Sounding Nigerian Offer That's No
Scam |
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A Nigerian telecom company has caught the attention of the country with a promotion that has a general aviation theme. MTN will announce the winner of a new Cessna 182T on Tuesday in its Ultimate Wonder contest for customers who sign contracts with the cellphone carrier. However, it's not likely the prize will ever
land on Nigerian soil, according to commentators. Although it has at least a couple of flight schools, recreational aviation is all but unheard of in Nigeria and so is avgas. Cessna announced in July
that the turbo version of the Skylane will be replaced with the diesel-powered JT-A, but it won't be available until next year. The company says the winner can take $400,000 in cash instead of the
plane.
The prize is so unusual that consumer watchdogs initially warned customers that it was a scam. But the Nigerian government vouched for the company in September and the contest has earned a lot of
attention. For unexplained reasons, the draw date was pushed from sometime in October to Nov. 13.
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Your Personal S1 Experience
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For aviation, last week's election may represent some interesting possibilities. Unfortunately, most of them involve budget cuts and possibly the delay or elimination of programs most of us
consider important. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli observes that, to a degree most of us have never seen, aviation's outlook is tied to larger taxation and policy considerations.
Welcome to the world of the challenged special interest group.
Read more and join the conversation.
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The Biggest Aviation Show on the Planet ... Is Back!
The award-winning hit TV series The Aviators is back for an all-new third season showcasing everything from the F-22 and DC-3 to LSA and balloons. We take you dogfighting in the Nevada
desert, flying with the USAF Thunderbirds, and look on as Mötley Crue frontman Vince Neil learns to fly. Join our 10 million weekly US viewers and countless more worldwide.
Watch The Aviators on PBS, iTunes, Amazon, and Hulu.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
You! |
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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.
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Save $3,000 When You Upgrade Your C-182 to an
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Nominate an FBO
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Rules
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Tips
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Questions
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Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Maverick Air Center.
AVweb reader Clay Anderson works alongside Maverick at Joe Foss Field Airport (KFSD) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota - and has plenty of good things to say about them:
I started a flight school with one aircraft at my home airport less than a year ago. I've gotten to know [the people at Maverick Air] over the last several years as they were trying to get onto the
long-time monopolized field. When I opened up [my business], they immediately offered me a discount on gas. Last week, they towed my flat-tired Cessna Skyhawk safely to my hangar for a new tube and
tire. They jumped at the chance to let me have a nice, smoke-free ground school in their new board room. I just can't say enough about Maverick Air Center in Sioux Falls, SD. They are trying to
earn my business every day, not just on the days I need them.
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!
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GippsAero, the Australian Utility Aircraft Manufacturer
We are the only company in Australia, and one of a handful in the world, with the capability to both design and manufacture commercial aircraft from first principles. Our most popular and versatile
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(855) 247‑8269, e-mail us at
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Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Sunglasses are a must-have for pilots, but when you shove the temples under a headset for several hours, the pain isn't far behind. A new product called Flying Eyes solves that
problem. In this video by Larry Anglisano and Marc Gunther, AVweb takes a close look at this product.
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Traditional Tactics Need a Fresh Approach
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders
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Climbing out of Houston on a Sunday afternoon:
Houston Center:
"Citation 123, please see if you can contact Challenger ABCD on 128.17 and have them contact Houston Center."
[A few minutes pass.]
Challenger ABCD:
"Houston Center, this is Challenger ABCD checking in at flight level 360."
Houston Center:
"Roger, Challenger ABCD. Descend to FL 240. What was the last frequency you were on?"
Challenger ABCD:
"It was New York Center 132.05. They never handed us off."
Peter Serodino
via e-mail
Heard anything funny, unusual, or downright shocking on the radio lately? If you've been flying any length of time, you're sure to have eavesdropped on a few memorable exchanges. The ones that
gave you a chuckle may do the same for your fellow AVweb readers. Share your radio funny with us, and, if we use it in a future "Short Final," we'll send you a sharp-looking AVweb hat
to sport around your local airport. No joke.
Click here to submit your original, true, and previously unpublished story.
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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:
Publisher
Tom Bliss
Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli
Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles
Webmaster
Scott Simmons
Contributing Editors
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Glenn Pew
Contributors
Kevin Lane-Cummings
Ad Coordinator
Karen Lund
Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano
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Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.
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