July 29, 1999 Oshkosh 1999 Newswire: Day Two — Thursday, July 29

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by	The Editors of AVweb

Complete Coverage from AVweb (Links to Related Articles) Preliminary Reports: Monday & Tuesday, July 26-27 Day One: Wednesday, July 28 Day Two: Thursday, July 29 Day Three: Friday, July 30 Day Four: Saturday, July 31 Day Five: Sunday, August 1 Day Six: Monday, August 2

Warbirds Collide

Corsair Pilot Critical

EAA AirVenture officials do what they can to make their event safe, then cross their fingers and pray for luck. That luck ran low Thursday afternoon as the warbirds were taking to the air for the daily airshow. As a formation of Bearcats and Corsairs started their takeoff roll, something went terribly wrong. Thousands of airshow fans watched in horror as one of the F-4U Corsairs, piloted by 56-year-old Laird Doctor of Dallas, Texas, collided with a Bearcat fighter flown by Howard Pardue, of Breckinridge, Texas.

Two World War II-era F-8 Bearcats and two F-4U Corsairs had been cleared for takeoff by the airboss ... that we know. What happened next is not yet clear. The Bearcats may have started their takeoff roll, or may have been completing their runups when the Corsair pilots behind them added throttle for takeoff. The pilot of one of the Corsairs saw something that made him realize there was a problem and managed to swerve to avoid a Bearcat. Doctor was not able to react in time and slammed into Pardue's plane, ripping off the Bearcat's right wing. The Corsair turned into a cartwheeling, fiery tumble, breaking into several burning pieces. The cockpit, with Doctor still inside, came to rest upside down. Rescue crews were on the scene within seconds and transported the pilot to Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, and later, to Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Milwaukee, a hospital known for its trauma unit. As this went to press, Doctor was in extremely critical condition with severe internal injuries.

At the time of the accident, the warbird pilots were taking off on runway 18, which had a crosswind today, but those familiar with the warbirds say the stiff crosswind should not have been more than the planes and their pilots could handle. The plane Doctor was piloting was one of the few flying Corsairs left and was on loan from the Cavanaugh Museum in Addison, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The plane is not known as being difficult to fly, but it is tricky on takeoffs and landings because of poor forward visibility. In fact, a large number of crashes during WWII happened during takeoffs and landings and were attributed to lack of forward visibility. Had Doctor been able to see what was ahead of him, he would have been much better able to avoid it. The NTSB investigation into the accident continues.

Let Us Entertain You

Aerobatics Go Public

If you had the chance to travel to an airshow featuring the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team or Wayne Handley, which would you choose? You, being the GA-savvy AVweb reader that you are, might choose Handley. Joe and Jane Q. Public, though, would likely respond with something on the order of "Blues, great! Wayne who?" The Championship Air Show Pilots Association (CASPA) is working to meet that challenge with one of their own, called the NAVplus Challenge Series. The NAVplus Challenge is very simply that: several of the best general aviation airshow pilots giving it the best they've got in a competition in which the public decides who is best.

Over the course of several different airshows, pilots Matt Chapman, Ian Groom, Gene Soucy, Mike Goulian, Rocky Hill, and Sean Tucker will compete for points. Come Labor Day and the Cleveland National Airshow, the point total winner will be awarded a big new trophy, bragging rights, and $150,000. To win those lucrative points, the pilots must complete three segments at four different airshows. Just like in figure skating, each competitor will be required to fly pre-determined maneuvers in a compulsory round, a freestyle routine that will give them a chance to show what they've got, and finally, a head-to-head challenge that will put two of the pilots in the air at the same time in an all-out bid to wow the crowd.

Wowing the crowd is what it's all about, says CASPA's Chuck Newcombe. Newcombe told reporters at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Thursday that the organization is always looking for something new and exciting to increase interest in GA flying, and this could be it. Straight aerobatic competition is not generally considered terribly exciting or audience-friendly. The competitors fly high and concentrate on keeping their lines straight instead of entertaining the crowd. This will be something completely different. "Let's play to an audience. That will be the driving force," says Newcombe, who stresses that entertainment is the name of the game. To make certain the pilots are doing what the crowd wants to see, members of the crowd will be judging them. Earlier this year, EAA and CASPA ran a contest, and the winners — no experience necessary — will be official judges at Oshkosh. CASPA Chief Steward Clint McHenry says the pilots can use smoke, music, pyrotechnics, ribbon-cuttings — whatever they think will impress the judges — and the only instructions he will give those judges is, "You like the routine, grade the pilot high." The competition starts with six pilots. By Saturday, the number will be cut to four; on Sunday, the best two will compete head-on.

The pilots enjoy the competition, and none of them want to "lose," although CASPA is loathe to use that word. With standing and money on the line, the NAVplus Challenge promises to be a hot one.

SAMA Pushes Partners For Progress

But FAA Resource Bottlenecks Slow Progress

When the FAA was forced to take a chunk of its budget to pay a big new controllers' contract, FAA Administrator Jane Garvey told AVweb it would not affect other FAA missions. That may have been what she thought at the time, but it's not what is actually happening, according to Small Aircraft Manufacturers Association (SAMA) President Paul Fiduccia. Fiduccia says the FAA is so strapped for cash that 200 positions that have come vacant in the agency in this fiscal year have gone unfilled.

The attrition is random, and because the FAA was caught unprepared for all the retirements, medical problems and pregnancies, several areas are experiencing serious staff shortages. One Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) in Chicago, Fiduccia said, is down to just one systems worker, from three. Because of the lack of bodies, certification of everything from new airplanes to new avionics is taking much longer than it should, increasing GA manufacturers' "burn rate." The burn rate is the rate at which money goes out the door, which happens even when a manufacturer is awaiting certification. Every day that goes by, those companies have a payroll that must be met, no matter what.

There are several ways the FAA could address the problem. They could somehow find enough money to hire the people they need, get some relief from the outside, or be more open to entering into partnerships with manufacturers. Fiduccia doubts the FAA will "find" large amounts of money, but says the latter two options are easily doable.

One option that the agency is already exploring would allow manufacturers to use Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs) to do test reports. Those reports contain data to show an aircraft complies with airworthiness standards. The DERs aren't free — manufacturers pay for their time and expertise. Lately, though, the FAA has begun to question the DER reports and re-review the data, leading to just what SAMA wants to avoid: added costs and delays. Fidducia is urging the feds to find a way to identify and qualify the DERs so they feel comfortable with their reports and some of the load is taken off the agency.

Another way to speed the certification process is with a program called the FAA Partnership for Safety. Under the proposed program, the company in need of certification and the FAA would enter into a written agreement that lays out a schedule for the entire process. The beauty of the program is that the Feds have to do what they say they will do on the day they say they will do it. The company needs to stick to a schedule, too. According to Fiduccia, "Some want to do it, others think it puts the FAA on the spot. I think it makes both the FAA and industry more accountable. It's time to go forward with it. Everyone likes the idea as a concept, it's just a question of how fast the FAA is willing to put it into play." The FAA is allowing one case per ACO, but at the end of a one-year test period, SAMA wants the program put into widespread use. Will either happen? The wheels of the FAA machinery grind slowly, but SAMA and Paul Fidducia will be pushing.

Finally, FADEC?

TCM, Aerosance Bring Electronic Piston Engine Controls A Step Closer

Enter Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) and its subsidiary Aerosance Inc. The two companies are displaying a Diamond Katana C1 and a Cessna 172K at this year's EAA AirVenture, both with engines sporting — and operated by — preproduction FADEC systems. Designed specifically for piston engines and engineered in a modular fashion, TCM/Aerosance's FADEC units replace both magnetos and eliminate carburetor heat (there is no carburetor), mixture controls and priming. Both aircraft are being used as flying test beds for the technology, currently being deployed on four-cylinder engines only. Some 40 hours of operational testing has included taxi tests, service-ceiling operation, in-flight engine shutdowns and restarts, plus limited aerobatics and simulated failure of the aircraft's primary power. According to test pilot Pat Moe of Starflight Consultants, the C-172's engine installation now starts like a "modern automobile," while the FADEC also helps "prevent overspeed for these fixed propeller installations" in the Skyhawk. TCM says that testing of a six-cylinder version is planned for later this year with additions to the modular system. Turbocharged versions will follow as well.

Air & Space Ready For Wide Open Spaces

But No Decision On Engen Naming

He was not prepared, though, to state the NASM's position on naming the facility for former director Donald Engen, who died in a glider accident earlier this month. Fay said that decision would depend on the family's wishes. Fay remembered Engen as "gentleman of greatest integrity ... [who had] a stellar background in aviation." He said that the annex had been Engen's primary focus, particularly raising the funds to build the facility, which will be completed without federal funding. Plans call for groundbreaking in the spring of 2001, with completion and a "soft" opening in the spring of 2003. A formal dedication will be made in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Wrights' first flight, in December 2003.

BRS Floats "Initial Pilot Offering" For 172 Recovery System

Once a cost analysis is complete, the company will decide whether to proceed, and refund the deposits if the decision is a no-go. If it's a go, those who made deposits will owe $10,995 when their 172 BRS parachute system is ready for delivery, sometime within the next two years. During more than 20 years in business, BRS has delivered more than 15,000 emergency parachute systems to its hang-glider, ultralight and light-plane customers; more than 130 of those systems have been deployed to save the lives of the people flying. In 1993, the company certificated its first general-aviation recovery device when the FAA awarded an STC for the General Aviation Recovery Device, or GARD, a parachute installation for Cessna 150 and 152 aircraft. In the summer 1998, the FAA approved the BRS system for the SR20 after seven live deployment tests.

Aviat Flies 110 Special

Expects Oshkosh Debut Friday

The original 1932 Monocoupe was a racer powered by 145- and 185-hp radial engines; Aviat's 1999 incarnation flies behind Lycoming's AEIO-360 200-hp aerobatic engine turning a 78-inch constant-speed Hartzell prop. Beyond the powerplant differences, the old and new 110 Specials are virtually identical in size and construction, from the cloth-covered wood-spar wing to the steel-tube fuselage. Horne has priced the 110 Special at $159,000, with an IFR panel and complete avionics. With an optional all-electronic EFIS-style panel, the price goes up about $50,000. Since Aviat is working with the original 1932 CAR 3 type certificate, Horne expects Aviat's test crew to complete certification by around the end of the year, with first deliveries by early next year.

Jeppesen's New Products

For Airborne And Armchair Pilots

In an effort to reduce the cost and complexity of upgrading the ever-popular panel-mount GPS units with nav databases, Jeppesen also revealed that it is turning to the power of the Internet to disseminate timely aircraft navigation data to pilots. Starting September 1, pilots can order the new Skybound Datawriter hardware/software package, which allows them to download current navigation data directly from the Jeppesen Web site. After download, the pilot inserts the GPS data card into the Datawriter to complete the update. Jeppesen is claiming Datawriter support for all the major GPS manufacturers, including Garmin, Trimble, Northstar, Magellan, and ARNAV. Jeppesen is shooting for a price of around $350 for the Datawriter package, including North American coverage and monthly updates. For VFR pilots who don't need frequent updates, the Datawriter will sell for $295, with $95 for individual updates. If you and your buddies are thinking of buying one Datawriter and sharing your database upgrades with each other, forget it — Jeppesen has cleverly written the Datawriter software to ensure that only one GPS nav card can be updated per account. Jeppesen made it clear that using the Internet to update nav data is the future, with the goal eventually to get out of the data-card business completely.

Finally, for the armchair pilot who flys nothing more complicated than a swiveling La-Z-Boy, Jeppesen announced SIMCharts for use with the popular PC flight simulation programs. Each SIMCharts CD allows the "pilot" to sort, view, and print thousands of terminal charts for 12 different regions covering the entire planet. The CDs only cost $20 each, so practicing your white-knuckle approach into JFK on a stormy night is within reach of PC pilots everywhere.

Briefs...

First You Walk, Then You Fly

Dennis Carney, 55, of Boiling Springs, Pa., was born with spina bifida, and doctors told his parents he never would walk. But Thursday at EAA AirVenture, he walked proudly up to the dais — with a little help from a cane and a boost from friends to make a big step up — and accepted the 1999 Aviation Leadership Award, sponsored by Phillips 66. Carney has flown more than 300 children in the Young Eagles program, and also flies children from the Spina Bifida Association and the Make A Wish Foundation. Ray Stits, 77, of Riverside, Calif., also received the award this year. A founder of EAA's first chapter, Stits has designed and built 15 aircraft since he earned his pilot's license, in 1945. He's flown more than 715 Young Eagles in his 1975 Cessna 182, and subsidizes flight lessons for seven young pilots who impressed him with their enthusiasm. The two were honored by Mark Wagner, of Phillips 66, as aviation standouts. "Both men have selflessly shared their love of flight with young people who will become pilots in the next century," he said.

Cash, Check, Long-Term Financing?

Folks can buy anything from logbooks to decorative wall clocks at Sporty's Pilot Shop, and in the not-too-distant future, you might be able to purchase a home and hangar at Sporty's new airpark. Sporty's President Hal Shevers has his eyes on a 100-acre parcel of undeveloped land at Sporty's home field, the Claremont County (Ohio) Airport. A divorce might be in Shever's future, though, if he moves into the airpark himself. "I don't think my wife will stand for me moving any closer to the airport," he told reporters Thursday morning, "even though I would want to." In addition to hopes for an airpark, Shevers is also working to keep Claremont County Airport out of Cincinnati's Class B airspace, butting heads with the FAA over airplane rides — "I think people should be able to offer $20 airplane sightseeing flights without going full-blown Part 135" — and fighting in federal court to use Sporty's trademark as a domain name.

Phillips and EAA, Partners-A-Plenty

Phillips 66 is expanding its commitment to get more young people into aviation. The company has agreed to sponsor a number of exhibits in the EAA AirVenture Museum, including a re-creation of a fixed-base operator. Phillips and EAA want the kid-friendly FBO to promote flying while showing the relationship between pilots, airports, and aviation service businesses. Included in the FBO will be the "World's Largest Logbook," which will list the name of the more than 500,000 Young Eagles; a map with time-zone clocks noting the number of Young Eagles and pilot volunteers by state; and an electronic "current count" sign that will reflect the 300-odd Young Eagles registered each day. The EAA Aviation Foundation is obviously pleased with Phillips' increased donation, as is J. Mark Wagner, Phillips 66 aviation manager. "It is natural for Phillips 66 to support these efforts that will continue to welcome new aviators, with their energy and promise." And AVweb would be remiss if we didn't point out: future fuel consumers.

AlliedSignal Wins First Two ACAS II TSOs

Buchanan To Receive Bill Barber Award At Theater In The Woods

A Word To The Wise

Caesar Heyne, a pilot from Holland, has a warning he wants to share with pilots in America: Be careful, or what's happening to pilots now in Europe could soon happen to you. He took the dais Thursday morning in the AirVenture press tent to celebrate the virtues of the Young Eagles program, but he took the opportunity to also sound a caution: More and more restrictions make it harder and harder for European pilots to find airspace to fly in and airports to take off from. Pilots in Holland have only recently banded together in the Dutch Aviation Forum to advocate for their rights. Already they have flown 1,200 Young Eagles — including Heyne's nine-year-old son Floris — and Heyne is hopeful that the future of Dutch general aviation will look more like what we have in America — and not the other way around.

Fly Market Offers Something For Everybody

When AirVenturers tire of things that fly and feel a desire to replenish their supply of nuts and bolts — or need a camp chair or sun hat — the Fly Market is the place to go. The Market is a collection of open-air booths off in one corner of the convention grounds, where a hodgepodge of vendors sell books, aviation art, T-shirts, jewelry, tools, and small fittings and fasteners. And if aviation isn't enough of a religious experience for you, you can check out the booth for the Praise and Prayer Fly-In.

Some of the vendors said on Thursday afternoon that sales were off from last year's first two days. The intense heat — it was 98 degrees at 3:15 p.m. — seemed to be keeping down the traffic. Brad Kay, at the Billy Carr Tool Man booth, said that business was off "a good bit" from previous years. Dane Heckendorn, of Walkabout Hats, also reported slower sales than last year, which he attributed partly to the heat and partly to increased competition. Other vendors agreed the crowd was lighter, and said they were doing more business in the mornings, when the air was a bit cooler. But Elinor Howell, of Howell Press, a book vendor, said that Wednesday was one of her better opening days at Oshkosh. Some of her customers, though, asked her to hold their purchases for later pickup — trying to keep their loads light as they baked in the sun.