Volume 11, Number 27b — July 7, 2005

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

INSIDE THE LATEST CIRRUS CHUTE DEPLOYMENT...
Ilan Reich last Thursday turned a Cirrus SR22 into a powered parachute and in doing so possibly saved his own life and perhaps those of people on the ground. He broke his back and found out he'll probably never fly again, but, given the host of much more serious potential results, he's not really complaining. In a detailed account of the short flight that ended with a parachute descent into a creek near Haverstraw, N.Y., Reich describes using power from the still-running engine to avoid dropping onto the fuel tanks that supply a conventional power plant there. "I applied right aileron and rudder, and rocked the power lever to make sure that the engine still had power. These actions caused the plane to gently veer away from the tank farm and over the water," Reich wrote. See AVweb's NewsWire for the whole story in Reich's own words. More...

...A "MASSIVE BELLY FLOP"...
Under the parachute, a Cirrus hits the ground as if it had been dropped from 10 feet so the landing jolt is considerable. That's why the landing gear is designed to absorb most of that shock. But Reich's descent ended on the placid waters of Bowline Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. "It was like a massive belly flop," he wrote. "Because I landed in water rather than solid ground, the gear did not absorb much of the impact. Instead, the wings and seat did all the work. It was at this point that the fourth lumbar vertebrae in my back cracked and compressed from the impact of the crash." It was the culmination of a wild ride that also left him with a bump on his head. More...

...BACK BRACED, TUMOR DISCOVERED
Reich's problems were far from over when he hit the water. As the plane started to slowly sink, he realized he couldn't open the doors. Using the emergency hammer supplied for just those circumstances, Reich was able to bash his way through a window and found time to sit on the wing (while donning a life jacket that he always kept in the plane), "survey the situation and collect my thoughts." He swam about 150 feet before a fire department boat picked him up and took him to a waiting ambulance. After undergoing various tests, X-rays and CT scans, an emergency-room doctor told him the source of his sore back was a cracked vertebrae. "He then left the room, but came back a moment later and casually said: 'By the way, did you know that you have a brain tumor?'" More...

DANBURY SECURITY SPARKS NATIONAL REVIEW...
The theft last month of a Cessna 172 based at Danbury, Conn., that was taken on a joyride by a non-pilot who landed with a blood alcohol level of .15 has prompted a call for a nationwide security review of GA airports. Connecticut politicians have written Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asking for a study of security at more than 19,000 GA airports across the country. "My sense is this is an issue we have at airports all over the country," Rep. Chris Shays told the Danbury News-Times. "We should get a better handle on general aviation." However, Andrew Thomas, an Ohio professor who wrote a book on the topic ("Airport Insecurity") says the government faces a tricky balancing act on the issue. More...

...SUSPECT DENIED BAIL...
And while the security debate promises to rage again, authorities in Harrison, N.Y., have the practical issues of what to do with the young man in the spotlight at center stage. Philippe Patricio has been held without bail since he allegedly stole the 172 and flew a couple of teenaged friends around the area for a couple of hours before landing on a taxiway at Westchester County Airport about 4 a.m. on June 22. Security guards at the airport reported that beer cans tumbled out of the airplane as Patricio and his friends got out of the plane. Patricio faces felony charges of possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment and the misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was denied bail in court last Friday. More...

...AND ANOTHER (YAWN) D.C. INCURSION
And there's a sense of the blasé surrounding the coverage of the latest incursion into restricted airspace near Washington last week -- even though the aircraft involved has managed two other breeches, apparently flown by different pilots, according to The Washington Post. In fact, even the FAA and security authorities seem to be tiring of explaining just why pilots regularly (almost habitually) bust the restrictions -- Airworthy Aviation Inc., which the Post says owns the errant rental aircraft, did not answer the paper's calls. In the latest case (although several days have passed and there could have been more) the pilot violated a temporary expansion of a permanent airspace restriction around Camp David, in Maryland. Most days, the restriction is 5,000 feet and three miles but, on the request of the Secret Service, the FAA can expand the zone to 10 miles and 18,000 feet. More...

SENSORS USE AIRPLANES TO GATHER WEATHER DATA
It won't be long before aircraft are not only affected by weather forecasts, they'll be helping to gather the information to make them more accurate. SpectraSensors, a high-tech spinoff company of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has developed a sensor and air sampling system that can be installed on aircraft and monitor the water vapor content of the outside air. Water vapor is a fundamental part of weather prognostication but currently forecasters rely on readings taken every 12 hours by weather balloons. "Thousands of aircraft in the near future will be able to provide comprehensive domestic and international coverage," said SpectraSensors CEO George Balogh. More...

COMMANDER OWNERS TAKE OVER
The highly regarded Commander line of four-place luxury touring aircraft got a new lease on life last week with the acquisition of the type certificates, tooling and inventory of the bankrupt Commander Aircraft Corporation by an owner-based company called the Commander Premier Aircraft Corporation. Financial details of the acquisition were not released but a news release issued by company President Joel Hartstone suggests he thinks it was a bargain. "As a business, we begin life where most companies seeking to produce new aircraft find themselves after investing three to five years, and up to $100 million, in risky development and testing," he said. Hartstone said plans are to get the parts and service operations running as soon as possible with a return to aircraft production in 2006. More...

PARAGLIDERS TERNED ON
Well, we've heard those who fly motorized paragliders called a few names but "huge and noisy predators" was new to us. Unless, of course, you're a California least tern intent on ensuring there are future generations of your species. The airspace over California's Ormond Beach, near Oxnard, has become a battleground between environmentalists determined to preserve one of the terns' last nesting places and paraglider pilots who have recently discovered that it's a great place to fly. In an Op-Ed piece in the Ventura County Star, environmentalist Janet Bridgers said that in a single summer, the paragliders destroyed 16 years of work that had enabled the local tern population to grow to about 200 nesting pairs. More...

TAXIWAY OR RUNWAY
To be fair, Taxiway Tango at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport must look awfully good to a pilot on final. It's 9,500 feet long, 100 feet wide and runs parallel with SeaTac's two actual runways. And when the sun glares off the pavement wet from Seattle's not infrequent showers, it's tough to see the big yellow Xs that attempt to warn pilots that it's not really a runway. In fact, eight airline crews have been fooled in four years and three have actually landed on the taxiway, including the Air Canada Jazz flight we told you about a year and a half ago. After that incident, the airport painted the Xs, put daytime flashing lights at the end of the runways and issued notices to pilots. Then, on Jan. 30 of this year, a Southwest crew lined up for the taxiway and didn't realize the error until they were a few seconds from landing and had to go around. Now, various levels of authority are trying to put an end to the embarrassing and potentially dangerous faux pas. More...

TAX -- CONN. KEEPS GA BREAKS, N.Y. DOESN'T
Connecticut continues to be a tax haven for general aviation and there's a lobbying effort underway to do the same in New York. Connecticut legislators were considering repealing its aircraft tax exemption program but the National Business Aviation Association and the Connecticut Business Aviation Group convinced the politicians that the economic value of business aviation was worth preserving. The legislators abandoned an effort to repeal the exemptions and they remain in full force. Now, the lobbying effort switches to New York. More...

FAA, NATCA CLASH
The FAA is disputing the spin on a National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) press release that claims that the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) system at the Syracuse Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center was out for 17 hours due to FAA understaffing. In the news release, headlined "STARS Fails At Syracuse And Help From FAA Is Nowhere To Be Found," NATCA says there was a 17-hour shutdown of the STARS system. However, the FAA's Greg Martin said that's false. "STARS did not fail and the union knows that STARS did not fail," Martin said. More...

ON THE FLY...
EAA's Tony Bingelis Award goes to Mel Asberry...
Two national awards for bravery for Air Force heli pilot Capt. Steven Edwards...
An English businessman is building his own Spitfire...
A gathering of tri-motors will be at AirVenture. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Drop us a line. Heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to know about? If it caught your eye, it will probably interest someone else, too. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #20: The Most Dangerous Thing In Aviation?
Aircraft owners are increasingly involved in the maintenance of their aircraft these days, and many participate hands-on. Is such owner-performed maintenance safe, or should maintenance be left strictly to the pros?

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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...

AVWEB'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
This week, AVweb wants to know how you feel about pulling the 'chute — or at least having the option. Given the choice, would you rather fly an aircraft that has a full-aircraft parachute system? PLUS: Responses to last week's question on instrument ratings and safety. More...

AVWEB'S PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
This week saw a slight dip in submission numbers to our "Picture of the Week" contest — only forty-odd photos arrived — but, thankfully, there were some real keepers in the mix. Take this week's winning photo, for example: Jay Weise of Denver, Colorado uses composition, lighting, editing, and context to masterful effect in his contribution. The result is a nostalgic and eye-catching image — no small feat when you consider his subject is the EAA's B-17 Fuddy Duddy, which has shown up in our submission box at least two or three times a week for the past ten weeks. Kudos, Jay — your official AVweb baseball will probably be on the way by the time you read this! If you'd like to win one of these nifty AVweb hats, submit your own photos today! More...

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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

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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.

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