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May 23, 2012
By The AVweb Editorial Staff
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Tell MIT Researchers About GA's Challenges,
Your Ideas and Concerns
The International Center for Air Transportation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is conducting a study of general aviation trends. Let them know what you think about fuel
costs, how to advance general aviation and why you fly. It takes ten minutes or less. AVweb will publish the results — so will MIT.
To take the survey,
click here.
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Cessna is offering a 40-hour training course to help the world's maintenance facilities handle new inspection requirements that came into effect in April for many of upwards of 150,000 of its
products. As the company announced and AVweb reported in December of 2011, there are concerns about fatigue
and corrosion issues in the fleet of 100 series aircraft, some of which have been in operation for 66 years. "We've set up 40-hour training classes in Wichita for mechanics to be trained on the
non-destructive inspection techniques, such as ultrasound and eddy current. These techniques will then be used to inspect high-time Cessna single engine airplanes. The intent is to not only teach them
what they are looking for, but also how to identify issues that can occur more frequently with older, high-time airframes," said Tom Ronnau, Cessna's manager of technical service propeller
products.
Cessna says it's being proactive with the program to make sure that issues that might have remained hidden in ancient-to-middle-age airframes are revealed and dealt with. "Corrosion and fatigue are
inevitable on any make and model of airframe with a high amount of hours. However, with early detection and proper maintenance, severity and effects can be minimized," said Beth Gamble, Cessna's
principal airframe structure engineer. "The 100-series inspection requirements are very simple, and begin with a visual inspection that can be done quickly by a trained inspector during an annual
inspection."
Following reports of cracked wing spar caps in several Cessna 210s in Australia and Canada, the FAA on Monday issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring 3,665
of the airplanes in the U.S. to be inspected. If cracks are found in the spar cap, wing spar, or wing, they must be reported to the FAA, and the aircraft must be grounded until the affected parts are
replaced or modified. The AD is effective on June 5. Cessna issued a service letter (PDF)
addressing the issue last month.
The procedures and deadlines for inspecting the airplanes vary depending on the number of hours in service. Airplanes with more than 10,000 hours are grounded until a visual inspection has been
completed, and if no cracks are found, a more thorough check must be done within the next five hours. No action is required for airplanes with less than 5,000 hours of accumulated flight time. Cessna
built more than 9,000 210s between 1957 and 1986. The AD affects models produced after 1967, which have a cantilever wing. The inspections should cost $255 to $510 per airplane, the FAA said, but it
had no estimate for the cost of repairs if needed. The FAA said it will accept comments on the AD until July 5.
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GippsAero announced Tuesday that its new GA10 turboprop flew for the first time on May 1. The aircraft uses a Rolls-Royce 250 engine and the company says it's "the first single turboprop to be
designed and developed in Australia." As the name implies, the GA10 has two more seats than the piston GA8 and is expected to pack the extra payload with even better performance than the
already-capable piston airplane.
The first flight went well, according to GippsAero, and the niche the company is aiming for is looking for an occupant. "The GA10 will bring an entry-level turboprop utility aircraft to the market
place enabling operators to make the not inconsiderable step of moving from piston to turboprop power," said CEO Dr. Terry Miles. "The projected low purchase price and low operating costs of the GA10,
coupled with its great versatility, will offer operators a commercially viable multi-role turboprop aircraft."
Related Content:
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The Aviators: Watch Us on TV, on DVD and Online ... Now!
The award-winning hit television series airing across the US weekly on PBS (contact your local station), in Canada on Travel+Escape, and overseas on Discovery. The Aviators covers
all-things aviation, as our pilot/hosts take you flying with the Blue Angels, on $100 hamburger runs, or exploring aircraft from warbirds to airliners. Seasons 1 and 2 now on iTunes and Hulu. Season
3 coming this fall ... and premiering at AirVenture 2012!
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Scheduled flights will likely get priority over business aviation if weather or other factors disrupt normal air traffic during the 2012 London Olympics. The Financial Times says government regulators have determined that the country's private
air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) already has the flexibility it needs to put airliners ahead of business aircraft without needing an official directive to do so.
Officially, NATS operates under a policy of first come, first served, but in unusual circumstances can pick and choose which targets get the limited number of slots. NATS was non-committal on how it
would handle those cases, telling the Financial Times only that it would run the airspace "as safely and efficiently as possible."
The country's major airlines have been pressuring the government for assurances that the big iron will get priority if weather or security events preclude normal operations. The government was able
to sidestep direct involvement, at least for now. "NATS already have the power to be relatively pragmatic in relation to prioritisation of different flights. I'm pretty confident Nats would have the
ability to deliver on what the airlines want," Transport Minister Theresa Villiers told the Financial Times. NetJets spokesman Mark Wilson rejected the notion of "simple prioritization" to cope with
overtaxed airspace. Business aircraft have already been barred from Heathrow Airport for the Olympics, leaving surrounding airports to handle the influx of about 3,000 private aircraft during the
Games.
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The FAA said on Tuesday it's ready to "reevaluate its policy" regarding the operation of historical aircraft for hire, and announced a series of public meetings on the topic. The meetings, which
are open to the public, will be held June 26, 27, and 28 at FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The FAA said its current Living History Flight Experience policy, adopted in the mid-1990s, allows
owner/operators of historic aircraft to sell passenger flights "as a way to generate funds needed to maintain and preserve these historically significant aircraft for future generations." However, the
FAA said an "increasing number of requests… [with a] clear market orientation" seek to operate types of aircraft, or offer various types of flight experiences, that aren't covered by the current
policy.
At the public meeting, the FAA hopes to address a wide array of issues, such as whether replica, turbojet, and supersonic aircraft should be allowed to operate under the LHFE policy; should
operators be allowed to modify single-seat aircraft to add a passenger seat; should "fitness standards" be set that operators must meet; should the FAA restrict or prohibit aerobatics and "aerial
combat maneuvering" in LHFE operations; and more. The discussions will also address whether current operators should be "grandfathered" if the LFHE policy is modified. The complete FAA notice about
the meeting is posted online.
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A House committee last week voted to kill the Navy and Air Force's plan to run their airplanes on a blend of biofuel and Jet A. If it stands, it's a major blow to the development of bio-based jet
fuel. On the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli points out how it's also short-sighted.
Read more and join the conversation.
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| Hariel Corsair |
Hariel Corsair is now an airline support manager for Goodrich Aerostructures in Chula Vista, California, managing accounts for multiple airlines and assisting with B787 support and entry into service.
He was formerly at Pratt and Whitney.
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff
appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference,
too.
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Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb
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Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Red Bull Wednesday shared video of one of its latest sponsored adventures -- five wingsuit skydivers joining up with and maintaining formation with two sailplanes in a dive over
Austria. The team flew two aerobatic LET L-13 Blanik sailplanes and just to complicate things, the lead flew inverted and one skydiver formed up in between the inverted and upright glider. The
skydivers and gliders came together in formation at roughly 12,000 feet. The sailplanes wore wingtip-mounted smoke canisters and one skydiver wore one on an ankle. The trick of the task was mating
airspeed and descent rates and this time all members performed flawlessly.
Generally, wingsuits manage their best glide (roughly 2.5:1) at close to 75 mph. The Blaniks are a 1950's-era metal design and manage close to 30:1 at about 55. For the stunt, the team
found a common airspeed closer to 110 mph, then found and held formation with the requisite precision.
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The Top Reporter on Our Crack Staff ... Is
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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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AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.
The AVwebBiz team is:
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Tom Bliss
Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli
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