The fascinating world of aviation modeling hits center stage April 9-10 at EAA AirVenture Museum. Visitors can examine displays, view demonstrations, and take part in instructional sessions each day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Featured will be plastic model kits and dioramas; radio-controlled airplanes; paper aircraft modeling; and a special focus on indoor free-flight airplanes conducted in the Eagle Hangar. (read
more)
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single issue
of EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft magazine. Add
it to your membership today!
Q & A:
Question
of the Week
for
EAA Aviation Services:
Is there a lower maximum stall speed for
light-sport aircraft equipped with lift enhancing devices? I
understand the max stall speed of 45 knots is without such devices.
Answer:
The definition of a light-sport aircraft calls out only a maximum
"clean stall" speed. Regardless of whether or not the aircraft has "lift-enhancing
devices," its clean stall speed must be 45 knots or less.
How can we help you? To ask a question regarding government issues, e-mail govt@eaa.org. If you have a question
about registration, airmen, aircraft and medical certification, safety
records, performance, or any other matter, e-mail infoserv@eaa.org.
We are pleased to provide this info to EAA members as a membership
benefit. To ensure that this service continues, renew your membership or
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April
2005
EAA Desktop Calendar
Can you imagine a
better way to begin a convention? On Monday, July 25, Burt Rutan
and Mike Melvill arrive at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in White Knight
and SpaceShipOne, followed the very next day by Steve Fossett in
the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer! Then thousands of visitors get to
see all three aircraft on display together on AeroShell Square.
Add it all up and you get one of the most anticipated aviation
events ever! Dress up your desktop with a special image
collage/April 2005 calendar through the
EAA website.
SWRFI Plans Canard Flyover To Honor
Rutan Vari Eze A special Canard Flyover is planned for Day 1 of the
EAA Texas - Southwest Regional Fly-In to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Burt Rutan’s Vari
Eze. The flight will take place at 12 noon on Friday, May 13, over at the Hondo, Texas airport. After the flyover, a special ceremony emceed by popular San Antonio radio personality Bob Guthrie is planned to honor Rutan’s first moldless composite construction aircraft.
(The prototype N7EZ, pictured at left, resides at the EAA AirVenture
Museum.) Participating canard pilots will receive a T-shirt imprinted with a full color depiction of the fly over along with their N-number on the front of the shirt. Canard pilots wishing to join the tribute should e-mail Skip Barchfeld at
jmr4@awesomenet.net. SWRFI will be held May 13-15.
Copperstate EAA Fly-in
Heads to Casa Grande in '05 The Copperstate Regional EAA Fly-in lands at a new home for its 33rd annual get-together October 6-9, the Casa Grande (Arizona) Municipal Airport (CGZ). The ideally located facility lies midway between Phoenix and Tucson just a few miles west of Interstate 10. (read more)
EAAer Flying His Homebuilt Around-The-World
While not quite as widely covered as GlobalFlyer’s epic world flight in February-March, EAA Chapter 119 member Bill Randolph, Aptos, California, is currently en-route on an around-the-world solo flight in another homebuilt, his Van’s RV-8. After take-off from the Watsonville Airport on March 9, he flew down to
Fortaleza, Brazil, and crossed the Atlantic to Dakar, Senegal. The last report received was on March
23 with Bill in Rome heading for Cyprus, Dubai, and beyond. Follow the flight through Bill’s progress reports
on the Chapter’s website, www.eaa119.org.
Macnair Praises LSA Consensus Standards Process at FAA Forecast Conference
The ASTM International consensus building process that resulted in the successful creation of standards for the design and manufacture of light-sport aircraft (LSA) was unprecedented in aviation and innovative. So much so that FAA plans to broaden its application to other challenging and complex issues in the future. (read more)
Help Honor Steve Wittman’s Birthday
on
April 5 EAA
celebrates the 101st anniversary of Steve Wittman’s birth with a
special program on Tuesday, April 5, at the EAA Aviation Center,
Oshkosh. Dr. Aaron King, longtime Wittman researcher and author, will give a presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Vette Theater. Dr. King is author of the definitive biography-an extensive article, “Steve Wittman-World's Greatest Race Pilot,” contained in the book The Golden Age of Air Racing. Dr. King is
also currently working on a full-length book about Wittman. No advance reservations are required and admission is free to the public.
Open House at Aircraft Spruce East
Aircraft Spruce and Specialty will hold an open house at its Peachtree City, Georgia, facility on May 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Several manufacturers’ representatives will be on hand for product demonstrations, and Aircraft Spruce will offer special deals. Attendees can enjoy complimentary food and refreshments, prize drawings, and something special for the pilot who flies the longest distance to attend: an Icom handheld radio and Aircraft Spruce clothing. Those flying in can show a purchase invoice at the fuel pumps and receive a 20-cent/gallon discount on avgas at Falcon Field on May 21. www.aircraftspruce.com
Virtual Airspace/Airport CD-ROMs
Two training CD-ROMs from Sporty’s, Virtual Airspace and Virtual Airport, can help any pilot fly more safely. Virtual Airspace is a fully animated tutorial that transforms sectional and terminal area charts into meaningful three-dimensional motion graphics. The program covers all classes of airspace as well as special-use airspace. Virtual Airport looks to reduce runway incursions, transforming airport diagrams into three-dimensional motion graphics illustrating runway signs, markings and lighting. At $19.95 each, both can be purchased through
www.sportys.com, or by calling 800-SPORTYS.
Wright Flyer Donated to Museum of Flight
The last of three exact reproductions of the 1903 Wright Flyer created by The Wright Experience, Williamsburg, Virginia, will soon go on permanent display at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. The most famous of the three, EAA’s 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction, flew at the Wright memorial during 2003, the Centennial of Flight year. It is on permanent display at Ford Motor Company’s Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. The third reproduction is at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
FBO Receives FAA Diamond Award
L.J. Aviation, a fixed-base operator serving the mid-Atlantic region, was recently awarded the FAA’s Diamond Award Certificate of Excellence, the agency’s highest distinction for maintenance. The award, which EAA’s aircraft maintenance staff also holds, requires at least 25 percent of eligible employees to participate in FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Program. L.J. Aviation is headquartered in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with additional operations in Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; and Corpus Christie, Texas.
Embry-Riddle
Aviation Dean Wins NATA Pilot Training Award
Dr. Tim Brady, aviation dean at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, received the 2005 Excellence in Pilot Training Award from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). The award spotlights safety, professionalism, leadership, and excellence in pilot training. He was specifically cited for distinction in both the civilian and military sectors of the aviation industry as “a highly knowledgeable and experienced aviator, teacher, administrator, and writer.”
2005 Lincoln Electric Catalog Available
Finding the equipment you’re looking for is a lot easier thanks to Lincoln Electric’s new 2005 product catalog. A simple-to-follow selection guide at the front highlights each machine’s capabilities for easy comparisons. Equipment and consumable categories are also color-coded throughout the catalog for easy reference. And there’s a full-page narrative for each available power source or wire feeder. To receive a copy (brochure E1.10), call 888-355-3213 or visit
www.lincolnelectric.com.
To ensure that you
continue to receive EAA e-hotline, please add ehotline@eaa.org
EAA
celebrates the 101st anniversary of Steve Wittman’s birth with a
special program on Tuesday, April 5, at the EAA Aviation Center,
Oshkosh. Dr. Aaron King, longtime Wittman researcher and author, will give a presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Vette Theater. Dr. King is author of the definitive biography-an extensive article, “Steve Wittman-World's Greatest Race Pilot,” contained in the book The Golden Age of Air Racing. Dr. King is
also currently working on a full-length book about Wittman. No advance reservations are required and admission is free to the public.
