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Vol. 5, No.
1 JANUARY 2012
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| FROM
THE EDITOR
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My EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2011 DVD arrived - did yours? I had a chance to
review it over the holidays, having failed to get to EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh because of weather this year. As well
as a really great overview of AirVenture, there are
extras which give you more footage of the night air
show, the floatplane base, and a feature about the early
air mail system in the United States and how it formed
the foundation for the first airlines. The only thing I
missed was more. I just wanted more. Read
more
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| ELECTRONICS
CORNER |
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Since you're reading this
article online, you're already in the demographic of
those pilots who are more computer savvy. This means you
probably use a computer or handheld for other things
including flying. Each month we hope to include an item
on electronic products and techniques to make your
flying easier and safer without any commercial influence
in the selection of articles. Read
more
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WINTERIZE AND HAVE WINTER
EYES!
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I prepare my aircraft for
not being flown in the winter. How about you? I've
developed my own routine, but I'd be interested in what
you do. Let us know what you do to make sure your
aircraft passes the winter with no scars. I'm sure none
of us would like to have our aircraft wind up like this
one. Read
more
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NAVCANADA MEETING REPORT
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I recently attended a
NavCanada how-goes-it (Area Operations Consultation)
meeting on behalf of the EAA Canadian Council. I
received good news and bad news. The bad news is that
NavCanada is understaffed and overworked. The good news
is that NavCanada is understaffed and overworked, so it
doesn't have time to address many concerns that aircraft
groups are likely to have. Its priority is to the
airlines because the airlines are the largest users of
the system and also are the largest financial
contributors to the system. Light aircraft concerns are
looked at when time permits. Read
more
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| BUILDING
YOUR OWN AEROPLANE
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| Amateur-built
aircraft now comprise the larger number of light
recreational aircraft seen at fly-ins, aviation
conventions, and air shows. Not surprising then that one
kit manufacturer alone has some 11 new aircraft
completing a first flight somewhere in the world every
single week. A large industry has developed serving the
needs of these aircraft builders. And although critics
will continue to argue the pros and cons of building
one's own aircraft, amateur-built aircraft are here to
stay. Read
more |
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| CANADIAN
VS. U.S. |
Ultralight
Licencing and Operations (including Sport Pilot)
In the previous article, I discussed the
differences between the U.S. ultralight vehicle and the
Canadian ultralight aeroplane. I also included
information on the U.S. light-sport aircraft (LSA)
because of the similarities with the Canadian advanced
ultralight aeroplane (AULA). Read
more |
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| MAJOR
PORTION EVALUATION - 51 PERCENT |
| Amateur-built
aircraft in Canada must consist of a "major
portion" built by the amateur or someone under
his/her direction. Obviously certain components could
never be constructed by an amateur, but the spirit of
the rule is to ensure that "amateur-built"
isn't being used as a means to sidestep certified
aircraft regulations. One major difference between
Canadian and U.S. regulations is that Canadians have the
possibility of having unlimited "professional
assistance" in constructing their aircraft. Read
more |
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| FLIGHT
FOLLOWING, NOT FLIGHT CONTROLLING |
| More
and more VFR pilots are requesting flight following with
local air traffic control, but what is it? One of the
more important aspects to remember is, you are still VFR
and must still operate under "see and be seen"
VFR rules. Flight following isn't a clearance through
any controlled or restricted airspace. Although you're
talking to a controller, he isn't controlling your
flight. Read
more |
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| FROM
THE ARCHIVES |
Aircraft
flown in to the 1963 EAA Fly-in Convention
Sport Aviation, October 1963
This month's "From
the Archives" comes from 1963, when they had the
luxury of listing every aircraft that attended the EAA
fly-in convention. As you'll notice, there are several
interesting tidbits. A previous "From the
Archives" covered the Tiger
Moth flight of Reverend J.W. McGillivray from New
Brunswick. His aircraft is listed. You can also see that
there were two de Havilland Tiger Moths and a Chipmunk
flown in from Ontario. Two recent Bits and Pieces
articles written by J. Davis related the tale of the
Johnston Special and its designer and builder including
his current attempts at rebuilding it. Evidently it was
flown to the fly-in in '63 by H. Dinnin of Wallacetown,
Ontario. Maybe someone out there has information about
these intrepid early attendees at the EAA fly-in. Read
more
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| AVIATION
WORDS |
As
Canadian as Maple Syrup and Ailerons!
Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell's Aviation
Experiment Association in Canada invented the first
successful aileron? Although M.P.W. Boulton, a British
inventor, had obtained a patent in 1868 on aileron and
in fact coined the term, which derives from the French
for "little wing", the evidence shows the
first heavier-than-air engine-driven machine that
actually flew successfully with ailerons came from the
Aviation Experiment Association. Read
more
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| MULTIMEDIA |
| Journey
back to Oshkosh and relive the best moments of EAA
AirVenture 2011 with the official highlight DVD, now 20
percent off at ShopEAA.com. Watch the Boeing 787
Dreamliner make its public debut; see the world's only
flying B-29, "FIFI", wow spectators young and
old; celebrate the aviation achievements of Bob Hoover
and Burt Rutan; and bask in the world's best examples of
aircraft of all types. Pick up the official DVD before
February 2, 2012, to receive a special price. Plus,
don't forget to check out EAA's 2011 top-selling books
and DVDs, now up to 30 percent off. You can order a copy
here,
or call toll-free, 800-564-6322, and this DVD can be
yours for the price of a couple of gallons of Canadian
avgas!
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WEBINARS
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In February there are some excellent EAA
webinars of interest to all aircraft owners. Mike Busch presents "Deciding
When to Overhaul" on February 1, then on February 8 Robert
Helms will discuss "UL
Power Aero Engines." Jeremy Monnet of Sonex talks about his
company's Onex
Kit aircraft on February 15, then Don Weaver presents, "15
Habits for Good Radio Communication," on February 22. The month
wraps up with Dick Van Grunsven leading a session about "The
History and Restoration of the Original RV-1." Learn more and
register for these great programs at the links above,
All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CST unless
otherwise noted, and they require registration. To find
out more about upcoming EAA webinars and to register, visit the webinars
page.
EAA gratefully acknowledges the
support of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. for its generous
sponsorship of the webinar programs.
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