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May 20, 2013
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Two Great Ways to Keep Your Engine Up to Speed
Do you have a new engine core that's never been rebuilt or overhauled? Save up to $5,000 on a rebuilt engine. Do you have an original Lycoming factory engine that last left the factory as a
new, rebuilt or overhauled engine? Save up to $1,900 on a new, rebuilt or overhauled engine. For complete details, call (800) 258‑3279 to find an authorized Lycoming
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visit
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Cirrus Aircraft has sent an investigative team to Addison, Texas, to look into a report that a repacked Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) failed to deploy when a pilot pulled the handle late
last week. "We did have an incident in Texas at the end of last week that involved a repacked CAPS parachute," Cirrus spokesman Todd Simmons said in an email to AVweb. "While we understand that
an anomaly may have occurred related to extraction of the chute, it is premature to draw any specific conclusions at this point much beyond that." AVweb contacted the owner's home Sunday
evening but was told he was out for the evening.
According to FlightAware the aircraft left Addison just before 11 a.m. local time on May 16 and returned 36 minutes later.
The aircraft in question is 12 years old and as we reported in February the parachute must be repacked at 10-year
intervals at a cost of more than $10,000. Simmons said Cirrus is "in the process of working through the investigation to learn what happened" and will have further details later.
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New Terrain: Terrain and Obstacle Hazard Awareness for iPad
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Upgrade to ForeFlight Pro today and keep hazards at bay.
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A retired Air Force Lt. Colonel and a former NASA space shuttle commander have been hired to fly space tourists in Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the company has announced. Michael "Sooch" Masucci
has 30 years of civilian and military operational and test flying, according to the company, has served as a U-2 pilot with the Air Force and has flown 70 different types, including gliders. Frederick
"CJ" Sturckow has 26 years of military flight experience, flew as commander of two Space Shuttle missions and has logged 1,200 hours in space. The men are currently training to operate commercial
suborbital space flights, carrying passengers for $200,000 per ticket.
Virgin Galactic aims to be the world's first commercial spaceflight operator. The company says it has so far accepted "more than $70 million in deposits" from about 580 people. If all those people
are able to fly with the company, they will succeed in more than doubling the amount of people ever to have flown in space. Virgin Galactic passengers will be flown six at a time aboard SpaceShipTwo
in which they will experience "out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity" with views of earth and space. The company plans to operate from Spaceport America in New Mexico.
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New, Lower-Term Life Insurance Rates for Private Pilots
A healthy 45-year-old, non-tobacco-user, instrument-rated private pilot can purchase a $250,000 10-year level-term policy for less than $18/month. Available exclusively at Pilot Insurance
Center. Find out how much you can save — call PIC at (800) 380-8376 or
start your quote online at PilotInsurance.com. 
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Earlier this month, a Robinson R22 helicopter flying a photo flight successfully auto-rotated onto a downtown Honolulu street and, now, the owner of the company that inspected the helicopter says
he will pay to have it replaced. In an interview with HawaiiNewsNow.com, Brant Swigart said the pilot was "in no way" at fault for the May 9 event, and the operator "had no culpability in this." He
said he did not personally work on the helicopter prior to the accident flight, but he "was responsible for checking it." Swigart said he believes a mixture cable snapped and a backup switch failed.
"I didn't physically inspect that assembly," he said, "and if I had I would have caught it." The helicopter wasn't the only vehicle damaged in the accident and Swigart says he's stepping up for
another affected party, an Iraq war veteran.
Swigart's reaction to what he seemingly suggests was his own lack of due diligence extends beyond the aircraft. A local NBC affiliate reported that Swigart also intends to replace a car that was
damaged by the helicopter as it came to rest. A Mazda owned by a college student was struck by the aircraft and badly damaged. The college student, a veteran of three tours in Iraq, was not in the car
at the time. Swigart says he doesn't have the money to replace the car but will either take out a loan or take care of the new car payments on a monthly basis. Swigart's actions on behalf of his
company, Hawaii Air Power Labs Inc., have impressed Benjamin Fouts, owner of Mauna Loa Helicopters, which operated the accident aircraft. "He's just trying to take responsibility for what happened and
make sure he does the right thing. He's truly one of a kind," Fouts told NBC. The pilot of the helicopter, Julia Link, escaped her forced landing without serious injury and has already flown
again.
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Experience Aviation and the World of Sound with
Sennheiser BlueStage
Download Sennheiser's new magazine app for the iPad at no cost and dive right into a new and interactive way to experience the world of sound. In the aviation issue, the high art of aerobatics
features alongside the high art of plane building from scrap heaps. Watch Vince Neil from Mötley Crüe take his first flying lessons and learn how veteran pilots pass the torch in schools.
Also listen to our new "Live Your Dream" theme song by
Joe.e. 
In May, BlueStage is all about the sonic experience on wings. Download, swipe, and enjoy!
Learn more.
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A trip around the patch at a controlled airport in New Zealand will soon carry a $1 NZD charge under a user fee schedule announced by the Airways Corporation of New Zealand, the "state-owned
enterprise" that runs the country's airspace system. By 2015, however, that same touch and go will cost $3.55 NZD as will transiting controlled airspace and something called a "vicinity landing" that
is not defined in the Airways announcement of the fees. Fees for airliners will increase an overall
15.7 percent over the next three years.
The new fee schedule was finalized after six months of consultation with stakeholders and the airlines appeared to make their case especially well. "As a consequence of the high quality of customer
submissions, we have revised Airways' price increase from the 23 percent proposed in February to 15.7 percent over the three years of the pricing period," the company said in its release. GA, however,
is losing a discount system that presumably benefited big users of the system.
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Our Agents Are Pilots!
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A documentary based on the insights of individuals who became sole survivors of commercial aviation disasters appears set for release in August. According to the movie's creators, the film includes
commentary from at least three survivors who have never spoken publicly about the events that changed their lives. Among them is one pilot, Jim Polehinke, who acted as copilot of Comair Flight 5191,
which crashed at Lexington on August 27, 2006, killing all 49 others aboard. The NTSB found the probable cause of the accident (PDF) included multiple failures of the flight crew.
The number of people who live as the sole survivor of major commercial aviation disasters is 14, according to the filmmakers. Other sources count 15 instances since 1970. The documentary approaches
the stories of multiple sole survivors through interviews about their physical and emotional struggles after their plane crash. According to the film's director, Ky Dickens, there is a misconception
that survivors are lucky, but "the survivors are really victims, too," she told ABC News. "Their life is altered forever, and it's not easy for them to pick up and go on and there's very little of it
that feels lucky to them."
Avidyne Corporation announced the STC certification of the DFC90 plug-and-play retrofit autopilot system for Beechcraft Bonanza applications. The STC, which covers 25 models of the Bonanza, allows
the DFC90 to replace existing S-TEC autopilots when interfaced with the Aspen Evolution Pro Primary Flight Display (EFD1000Pro). Avidyne previously certified the drop-in DFC90 with the Aspen PFD in
Cessna 182 Skylane series aircraft and with the Entegra PFD in the Cirrus SR20 and SR22. It's also certified in the Piper PA-46 Matrix and Mirage.
The DFC90 digital autopilot can make for an easy retrofit, since it's designed to drive the existing S-TEC autopilot servos. It also steps the interface up to an attitude-based design, using the
Aspen AHARS for a digital roll and pitch reference. The Aspen PFD provides heading command, altitude preselect, indicated airspeed select and vertical speed select inputs to the DFC90. It also
displays autopilot mode annunciations and alerts on the Aspen display. "We have seen a considerable amount of interest in the DFC90 from Bonanza owners who are looking to enhance performance and
safety. With this STC, Envelope Protection, full-time Envelope Alerting, plus the Straight and Level button are now available to them with the DFC90, as well as Synthetic Vision with the Aspen Pro
PFD," said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne's Chief Operating Officer.
The DFC90 can use the existing S-TEC 55X mounting tray, servos and much of the interface wiring. When interfaced with other S-TEC models, including the popular 30/50/60-2-series, the existing
servos and bracketry are utilized. Pricing for the DFC90 autopilot starts at $9,995 plus installation. The software unlock for integrating the DFC90 to the Aspen PFD is priced at $1,995. The industry
is still waiting for the previously announced Avidyne IFD540 and IFD440-series drop-in replacement navigators. These are the plug-and-play hybrid navigators designed for replacing existing Garmin
GNS530 and 430 units. Avidyne's Tom Harper told AVweb that the units could be available later this year.
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iPads in the Cockpit — ForPilotsOnly
Find the most versatile kneeboards and mounts for your iPad and iPad mini at ForPilotsOnly.com. These patented designs are manufactured in the USA and solve the issues that face iPad pilots.
The iPro Series kneeboards are the only iPad kneeboards that include a clipboard that can be opened and closed in flight without bumping the yoke. And the iPro Navigator mount
protects your mini from direct sunlight.
Find your ideal iPad solution now.
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The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) said earlier this month that students there had created and flown a small remote control aircraft made of concrete, but their level of
success may be open to interpretation. The aircraft had a wingspan of 40 inches and weighed 18 pounds. A news release from the school notes "viral" coverage of the event. It also states that the
"flight was quick and wobbly with the landing equally erratic, but it was enough for the record books." After viewing video of the flight, it may not be clear that the vehicle's return to earth can be
categorized as a "landing." The concrete plane isn't the first of its kind.
The project follows a path initiated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and overseen by Dr. Mark Fugler, there. The ERAU aircraft, also a small remote controlled plane, was destroyed in
a crash. SDSMT is not an aeronautical university. "Ours flew and sustained some damage on landing but was not destroyed," according to Mines advisor M.R. Hansen. The school's news release also
concedes that "once the wheels were off the ground it was over in a matter of mere seconds, thanks to weight-balance issues associated with flying any plane." The concrete was made with carbon fiber
reinforcement. The wing was built hollow around a foam core and suffered a crack, along with the fuselage, upon its return to earth. "Landing wasn't as big of a priority," said the aircraft's remote
pilot David Haberman. Haberman designed and built the aircraft with fellow students Tyler Pojanowski and Seth Adams, all of whom recently graduated from the school.
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click here to visit StarrCompanies.com. 
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For months, the local pilots have been spanking Paul Bertorelli in his Cub for not having a working radio. Now, with his powerful SP400, he can fight back. And those Aunt Janes in the pattern are
wondering if his NORDO days weren't preferable.
Read more and join the conversation.
Although its service life was short, the B-29 remains one of the most fascinating airplanes ever produced -- not so much for the airplane itself but what it took to get it flying. On the AVweb
Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli recounts his own experience in his first job: taking these magnificent airplanes apart and melting them into scrap. He also observes that every serious book on World
War II in the Pacific carves out a chapter or two on the SuperFortress.
Read more and join the conversation.
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Buy a Skyway!
Help Fuel the ThinkGlobalFlight STEM Adventure
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Click here to learn more.
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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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Nominate an FBO
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Tips
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Winning FBOs
AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to St. Clair County Airport (KPLR) in Pell City, Alabama.
AVweb reader Mike Grossberg got the royal treatment there recently:
The service is "over the top" at this beautiful country airport. The airport manager, Larry, answered my airport advisory request and offered to meet me on the ramp with the rental car as I taxied in
from landing. Larry escorted us to the transient hangar, helped push the plane in, and gave us directions. This lovely airport even has a shady gazebo for watching the airplanes come and go. Real
Southern hospitality at its best.
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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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
directly to your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns.
Click now for
details.
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This gave me a little chuckle because it rhymed so well. The pilot knew too, as he said it with pauses:
Line up and wait...
Runway 28...
Cirrus 188
Shawn Byers
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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