EAA's offices will be closed on Friday, December 24, and Friday, December 31.
The EAA AirVenture Museum will be open December 24, and December 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be no e-Hotline next week. Our next issue will be January 7, 2005. 

Happy Holidays from Your EAA! As 2004 comes to a close, we can look back on the previous 12 months with a sense of pride and accomplishment for the Experimental Aircraft Association. EAA certainly lived up to its AirVenture 2004 theme, “Launching the Next Century of Flight,” by shepherding passage of sport pilot/light-sport aircraft’s final rule. Work is now focused on creating and implementing infrastructure to ensure its long-term success. EAAers innovate, and none more so than long-time members and homebuilders Burt Rutan Mike Melvill, and the team at Scaled Composites who showed that civilian space flight in our lifetime is not only possible but probable. Thanks to you, EAA’s Young Eagles volunteers and supporters, we showed that with almost 100,000 kids flown in 2004, the largest youth aviation program ever isn’t going anywhere but up in the future. On behalf of my wife, Sharon, daughter, Lesley, and the entire EAA family, we wish you and your family a joyous Christmas and a prosperous and safe New Year. Tom Poberezny, President Experimental Aircraft Association

GAO Acknowledges TFRs’ Economic Harm to GA 
The controversy over temporary flight restrictions (TFR) and their adverse effect on general aviation businesses has always been a double-edged sword. Where situations warrant - such as a presidential appearance or sensitive military installations - security against terrorist attacks is needed. But when airspace is shut down, so too are FBOs, flight schools, and other legitimate flight operations.
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Idaho Pilot Chases Around-the-World Dream
Jared Aicher, Boise, Idaho, hopes to realize a lifelong dream in 2005; to fly around the world and inspire future pilots along the way. The 33-year-old EAA member wants to give more than 400 Young Eagles airplane rides in what he’s calling, “The Eagle Flight.” Aicher plans stops in more than 60 cities in 17 different countries, while becoming the youngest pilot ever to solo circumnavigate the globe.
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Audience Journeys Into Space With Mike Melvill
at EAA Wright Dinner
In a fitting tribute to Orville and Wilbur Wright, a sellout crowd in excess of 500 people turned out to see and hear one of today’s true aviation pioneers at EAA’s Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet Friday night at EAA AirVenture Museum’s Eagle Hangar. SpaceShipOne pilot and EAA’s own Mike Melvill thrilled the audience with an exclusive pilot briefing of his September 29 space launch in Mojave, California. His was the first of two successful flights by the team at Scaled Composites, which won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for Mojave Space Ventures and his boss and fellow EAAer, Burt Rutan.
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EAA, Warbird Chapters Provide
First EAA AeroScholars Scholarship
EAA Warbird Chapter 17, along with EAA Chapters 268 and 690 are providing an EAA AeroScholars scholarship for a 16-year-old South Atlanta High School student to pursue aviation. Liz Porter, Warbird Chapter 17, coordinated the effort. The scholarship is the first EAA AeroScholars scholarship granted by EAA Chapters in Georgia and allows junior Derrick Poole to enroll in Fundamentals of Aviation Science, a web-based course for high school students that offers college credit.
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Canards to Gather at ‘New’ Texas Fly-In
One of the special events planned for the inaugural Texas Fly-In at Hondo Municipal Airport (HDO) is a mass canard fly-in on Friday, May 13. The fly-in, formally known as the Southwest Regional Fly-In, moves this year from New Braunfels to Hondo and is scheduled for May 13-15. Canard aircraft will gather at Castroville Municipal Airport (T89) and fly directly to Hondo. Anyone wishing to join the canards, contact Skip Barchfeld, 830/363-7649, or jmr3@awesomenet.net. For more information on the fly-in, visit www.swrfi.com.

More Than 2,000 Students Explore Space at EAA
During the week of December 13, EAA welcomed more than 2,000 Oshkosh-area schoolchildren to EAA AirVenture Museum’s "Exploring Space at EAA," a field trip for students to explore and experience the magic of space flight. The program also offered students the opportunity to discover more about math and science, especially how they relate to aviation and aerospace. "Exploring Space at EAA" was made possible by a generous grant from Pfizer Inc.

P&WC’s Eclipse Powerplant Makes First Flight
The turbofan engine that will power the Eclipse 500 Jet flew for the first time on December 16. Pratt & Whitney Canada’s (P&WC) PW610F engine, mounted to the company’s Boeing 720 flying test bed, powered a six-hour flight that included testing for performance characterization and altitude relight. “We are very pleased with the engine’s performance during this first flight, and we are looking forward to continuing the PW610F engine FTB program to evaluate engine and FADEC operating characteristics,” said John Wright, P&WC Vice President, Business Aviation and Military Engines. The engine, rated at 900 lbs. of thrust, had previously completed more than 500 hours of ground testing. Certification is expected in the first quarter of 2006. For more information, visit www.pwc.ca.

DA42 Twin Star Diamond is EASA IFR Certified
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted IFR certification for the turbodiesel-powered DA42 Twin Star on December 17, just two years after the aircraft’s proof-of-concept maiden flight. The four-place, composite aircraft is equipped with two Thielert Centurion 1.7 turbodiesel engines and a Garmin G1000 integrated cockpit. With the standard 52-gallon fuel tank, range is 780-1,700 nm, depending on the power setting. An optional 74-gallon tank is available. Diamond has more than 470 orders on the books worldwide and expects first European deliveries in January 2005. For more information, visit www.diamondair.com or e-mail sales@diamondair.com.

Space Station Visible Over Most Of U.S. During Holidays
If you’re up early in the mornings over the holidays, and the sky is clear, look up in the sky. The International Space Station will be visible from most continental U.S. cities, as well as Juneau, Alaska, on various days through New Year’s Day. The 200-ton plus station, which measures more than 170 feet long and 240 feet wide, flies by at five miles a second. On Christmas Eve morning in Oshkosh, for example, gazers can see ISS at 5:24 a.m. and/or at 6:56 a.m. for two minutes. Information about your location, including where and when to look, can be found at www.jsc.nasa.gov/isssightings.

New Cell Phone/Music Headset Adapter From Sporty's
With the new Cell Phone/Music Headset Adapter from Sporty’s Pilot Shop, getting clearances, speaking to Flight Service or telling a business associate or loved one you’ve landed is easy. The device works with any aviation headset, and if any transmissions come through, you won't miss them. Your cell phone will become even more useful with this Cell Phone/Music Headset Adapter. You can pick up IFR clearances or cancel flight plans on the ground, get weather briefings from FSS, conduct business on the ground, or check in with family or friends to update ETAs. By connecting it to a portable CD or MP3 player, passengers can listen to music. The adapter uses one AAA battery and works with any headset and most 2.5mm phones (Nokia phones may require an adapter). For more information contact: Jon Potts 513/735-9100 (ext 346).