Volume 11, Number 20a — May 16, 2005

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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's NewsWire.

DCA REOPENING EFFORTS CONTINUE, IN SPITE OF...
Contrary to the initially pessimistic mood of those lobbying for a return of GA to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday's airspace incursion over Washington, D.C., may not seriously damage their efforts. After taking a deep breath (or perhaps just catching it after fleeing one of the evacuated buildings) key congressional supporters of a qualified reopening for DCA told The Washington Post they see no reason to put the brakes on the initiative. "It's time to get with it," said Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee On Homeland Security, the latest of three House committees to draft bills calling for the resumption of GA flights to DCA. Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has also prepared a bill, said he doubts the incident will get in the way of passage. More...

...INCURSION FLIGHT IS DISSECTED...
There has been speculation in the mainstream media as to how the 150 got so close to the White House (less, some say much less, than three miles). The answer is that it was allowed to. Apparently those who could have blown it out of the sky much earlier decided to give the pilots every opportunity to return to earth in the conventional way. The plane crossed into the Air Defense Identification Zone at 11:28 a.m., 46 minutes before it reached the closest point to the White House. The first intercepting aircraft, a Customs Service Blackhawk helicopter (presumably armed) and a Cessna Citation, were scrambled at 11:47. Two National Guard F-16s, which joined the hunt at 11:57 a.m., each made a flare pass in front of the 150. Some time was also spent trying to establish communication. It wasn't until 12:14 p.m. that the Cessna changed course. "Perhaps it dawned on them, finally, this is no good, I've got to change something," said Lt. Col Tim Lehmann, who was flying one of the F-16s. More...

...AND ACTION THE PILOTS MAY FACE
The next round of speculation centers on the penalty the pilot(s) will face. Although some media outlets are reporting that the pilot's certificate will be revoked, FAA chief spokesman Greg Martin said that decision hasn't been made. "The seriousness of the incident merits the most thorough and careful examination possible of all pertinent information related to this incident. Once that has been completed, we will take all appropriate steps with respect to enforcement action," he told AOPA. AOPA says the consensus of members e-mailing their reaction is that he should face the highest penalty, which would be emergency revocation. He would then have to go at least a year without flying and then pass the written and flight exams again. It's been reported that his passenger, a student pilot, actually took over the controls after the intercept and got the plane to Frederick, and that may bode well for his future treatment by the FAA. More...

ENDURANCE FLIGHTS BLOSSOM...
Like peonies and petunias, endurance flights blossom in spring and there's always someone (or some group) with a fresh idea. How about launching a cross-country flight from the deck of the retired aircraft carrier Midway? The catapult can stay in mothballs, however, since Brendan Tayler won't need more than a few dozen feet to get airborne on the first leg of his eight-to-twelve week transcontinental flight in a powered parachute. There's a promotional angle to the flight. It's being coordinated through the PowerChute Education Foundation (PCEF) and is, in part, aimed at exposing "the sport of powerchuting to tens of millions of people through the mass media." But, like many such endeavors, there's also a public-service angle. More...

...SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT YOUNG EAGLES...
Spreading the joy of flight to young people in the U.S. and around the world is the goal of The Eagle Flight, which launches May 28. Over the summer, Jared Aicher will fly to almost 60 cities in all Lower 48 states and the Caribbean to give kids Young Eagles flights in a Cessna 172 provided by West Mesa Aviation, of Albuquerque. "Many children's dreams of flight are never realized," said Aicher. "The goal of the Eagle Flight is to help children around the world realize their dreams of flight, get them into the cockpit and register each one as a Young Eagles member." After the U.S. and Caribbean tour, Aicher plans to set out next year on a round-the-world junket with the same goals in mind. More...

...AND IT BEATS A BUS TOUR TO VEGAS
And then there's just for the heck of it. Two mature California pilots came close to crossing paths in the South Seas as they headed around the world in opposite directions. As AVweb told you last month, Bill Randolph, 76, of Watsonville, headed east on his adventure of a lifetime. Late last month, Dean Stahr, of Napa, set out for Hawaii on his first leg in his Cessna 182. When we last left Randolph, he had just finished battling Indian authorities for the necessary documentation to fly through the country. Trouble awaited in Phuket, Thailand, where he blew a tire on landing and damaged his RV-8. After receiving a parts shipment from Vans and some patchwork repairs (that included substituting cooking oil for brake fluid) Randolph was able get back on his flight after almost three weeks in Phuket. More...

DALEY'S CHICAGO WANTS F-16S, TOO
While the Cessna 150 was "threatening" Washington, D.C., Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wasn't taking any chances. According to the Chicago CBS affiliate, emergency officials in Chicago were "put on notice" about the Washington alert. Chicago officials took an "immediate defensive stance" (whatever that means). While his staff was manning the ramparts, the enigmatic mayor was gearing up his public-relations machine. "We need the same protection as Washington, D.C.," Daley said, and he means F-16s. "We do not have any jets here. This city does not have a military force," he said. "I mean, this is in this day and age after 9/11," he said. "That this can take place is very sad comment." Daley didn't forget to take credit for making the city safer by destroying Meigs Field. More...

SNJ OPERATOR WARNS AGAINST AEROBATICS
Warbird Adventures is urging all owners of T-6s, Harvards and SNJs to stop performing aerobatics in the aircraft until the results of an investigation into the loss of one of its SNJs last week are released. In a statement on its Web site, the company says it will cease operations until the results are known. The SNJ, with pilot Jonathon Hedgecock, of Kissimmee, Fla., and passenger Jim Kern, of Springer, Okla., crashed a week ago in dense woods near Lake Pierce, and an in-flight airframe failure is the suspected cause. The company says it has been told by the FAA that there will be no Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued until after the laboratory review is complete. More...

NAVY FINALLY GIVES UP ON CORSAIR
In some respects it's probably a good thing that the U.S. Navy doesn't give up easily but, in the end, even it couldn't stand up to an indomitable Minnesota mechanic and his dream ... of course, having a congressional order on his side didn't hurt. Lex Cralley pulled the wreck of a Brewster-built Corsair from the swamp and had dreams of rebuilding it until the Navy said it wanted its airplane back. Lex Cralley seems to have won his bid to keep the Navy from repossessing the wreck of an aircraft it considered "demolished" after it crashed in a North Carolina swamp in 1944. Last week a U.S. District Judge approved a settlement that ends a lawsuit filed a year ago by the U.S. Justice Department, the climax of a six-year tug of war between Cralley and the government over possession of the extremely rare Brewster-built Corsair. More...

NO WINGS, NO PROBLEM -- FLYING SNAKES
While most of us enjoy any kind of aeronautical spectacle, there's one occurring daily in the rainforests of South and Southeast Asia that many of us could happily avoid. Researchers from the University of Chicago are studying just how "flying snakes" manage to turn themselves into reasonably credible gliders. Their work is featured this month in the Journal of Experimental Biology. "Despite their lack of wing-like appendages, flying snakes are skilled aerial locomoters," said Dr. Jake Socha, who has authored a paper on the strange creatures. During eight years of research, Socha found that the paradise tree snake, one of five flying varieties, actually flattens itself from head to tail to make it more aerodynamic. Some manage to alter their flight path 90 degrees in flight and manage a best glide of about 13 degrees below horizontal. More...

AILERON TABS IMPROVE STABILITY
Engineers at Lehigh University have come up with a relatively simple device that allows pilots to custom-tailor the lateral stability of their aircraft in flight. According to PhysOrg.com, Prof. Joachim Grenestedt designed "canted tabs" that attach to ailerons. The tabs rotate around an aluminum tube inserted in the aileron. The pilot can adjust them as much as 30 degrees in flight and the effect on lateral stability is significant. The tabs were installed on an Aermacchi AM-3 Bosbok and rendered it laterally stable. "We took an unstable aircraft, fitted it with the canted tabs and made it stable. When the plane started to side slip, the tabs applied force to the ailerons, causing the plane to bank, or roll, and regain lateral stability," Grenestedt said. The innovation could help aircraft designers solve an important aerodynamic problem in creating marketable aircraft. More...

HOMEBUILT PILOTS' CURRENCY CLARIFICATION
A story in Monday's NewsWire unintentionally threw a scare into thousands of homebuilt pilots who quite legally fly their aircraft and will continue to do so without the prying eyes of the FAA determining whether they are capable. As the story noted, the FAA wants to make sure that those flying passengers in their homebuilts are properly rated for the aircraft they are flying. What we didn't say is that since most homebuilts are single-engine land planes and that's the certificate most pilots have, there's no action required for the vast majority of pilots. However, some folks who have built water-capable or multi-engine planes don't carry those endorsements. The rule is intended to ensure those pilots are proficient and current in the particular aircraft they fly before they can take passengers. More...

GOT AN AIR/OIL SEPARATOR ON YOUR AIRCRAFT ENGINE?
If so, our sister publications, Aviation Consumer and Light Plane Maintenance, would like to hear from you. Regardless of the brand or type of air/oil separator, we would like to know how the device as performed. And would you buy one again? Drop an e-mail to aviationeditorial@comcast.net for more. More...

ON THE FLY...
One of Britain's top aviation safety awards went to a glider pilot...
A dying Alaskan's last wish came true recently through flight. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Drop us a line. Heard something that 130,000 news-savvy pilots might want to know about? If it caught your eye, it would likely interest someone else. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. ... With our thanks. More...

READER FEEDBACK ON AVWEB'S NEWS COVERAGE AND FEATURE ARTICLES:
AVmail: May 16, 2005
Reader mail this week about ATC privatization and clarified rules about homebuilts, and a lot of controversy about the plane that caused the evacuation of the Capitol. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
BRAINTEASERS
Quiz #94 -- Call Me A Taxi
You may think you understood ATC's instructions, but what you thought you heard might not be what the air traffic controller meant to say. Confused? Then verify your clearance in this quiz before you taxi. More...

AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVFLASH
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST twice monthly Business AVflash? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash also focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the Business of Aviation. Business AVflash is a must read. Watch for a Business AVflash regular feature, TSA WATCH: GA IN THE "SPOTLIGHT". Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/ More...

SHORT FINAL...
Overheard and unfortunately timely...

Pilot: Unknown airport with Cessna 150 circling overhead ... Identify yourself! More...

AVflash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest aviation news, articles, products, features and events featured on AVweb, the Internet's Aviation Magazine and News Service. http://www.avweb.com

Letters to the editor intended for publication in AVmail should be sent to mailto:editor@avweb.com.com. Have a comment or question? Send it to mailto:newsteam@avweb.com.

Today's issue written by News Writer Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
AVweb's editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.

Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team: mailto:sales@avweb.com.

Fly it till every part stops.

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