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March
19, 2010 Volume 10, Number 11 |
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EAA
ANNOUNCES NEW AIRVENTURE WEEKEND CAMPING PACKAGE
A Great Way to Enjoy the Oshkosh
Experience
 Enjoying
the total EAA AirVenture Oshkosh experience and aviation community has
never been easier, as a new final-weekend admission and camping package
is now available for this year's fly-in at Wittman Regional Airport July
26-August 1. The "AirVenture Weekend Package" is available
exclusively through the advance ticket purchase area at
www.airventure.org. It includes a pair of two-day adult AirVenture
admissions, good for any two days from July 30 through August 1; camping
in the drive-in Camp Scholler area from July 30-August 1; and a one-year
EAA membership for $198. Additional adult and student rates at
EAA-member prices are also available for larger groups. Read more
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BARRIERS LOWERED FOR LSA
FLYING IN CANADA
A recent revision by Transport Canada (TC)
makes it more affordable and less cumbersome for light-sport aircraft
from the United States to be flown into Canada. TC's new Standardized
Validation form, the equivalent to the operating limitations for
experimental aircraft in the U.S., puts LSA on equal footing with U.S.
amateur-built aircraft flying into Canada. Before the new form was
implemented, pilots were required to call TC and receive authorization
to operate an LSA in Canada, obtain a validation form to keep in the
aircraft, and pay a $100 fee. Read
more
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JOIN US FOR 'AIRVENTURE
UPDATE WEBINAR' TONIGHT!
 There
is still time to reserve your spot for a special EAA AirVenture Update
Webinar tonight (Thursday, March 18) beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. Steve
Taylor, EAA facilities manager, will talk about the continuing
improvements on the AirVenture convention grounds. Adam Smith, vice
president of membership, will then discuss some of the features and
attractions - interesting aircraft, people, and programs - that are in
the pipeline for 2010. All you need to participate is a computer and an  Internet
connection (broadband recommended). Space is limited, so click
here to register!
Sign up For Next Week's Webinar:
'Onex-Sonex New Single-Place Kit'
On Tuesday, March 23, Sonex Aircraft Ltd, General Manager Jeremy Monnett
will provide a detailed update on one of the design company's latest
projects, the "Onex," a single-place, all-metal, folding-wing,
aerobatic aircraft. The prototype is expected to be flying at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, so sign
up here today.
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EAA MEETS WITH OTHER
SECURITY STAKEHOLDERS
The general aviation (GA) working group of
the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) met for the first time
last week in Washington, D.C., to begin examining GA security with the
goal of providing recommendations to the ASAC and the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA). EAA and other aviation groups attended
the meeting, with Brian DeLauter, TSA general manager for GA and an
AirVenture 2009 attendee, leading the discussion. Read
more
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NAFI PROVIDES UPDATED
ENDORSEMENT FOR STUDENT SIGN-OFFS
 The National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI) released an updated logbook endorsement for
instructors to use when signing their students off for practical tests.
The new endorsement addresses FAR part 61.39, which previously required
three hours of training within the preceding "60 days" from an
authorized instructor prior to signoff for a practical test. That
regulation changed on October 20, 2009, to require the training be
received within the preceding "two calendar months." The
timing of receiving the endorsement couldn't have been better; it was
approved by the FAA at last week's 2010 EAA/FAA Winter Meeting in
Oshkosh. Read
more
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CBP ISSUES REVISED
PRIVATE AIR APIS GUIDE
 The
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has issued a Revised Private Air
APIS Guide, an update to the first edition published in 2008 that
explains the requirements for pilots flying into the U.S. using the
Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). The new guide incorporates
several "real-world experience" recommendations from EAA
derived in part through the working relationship between EAA and CBP at
AirVenture's Federal Pavilion. Read
more
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A-B ACCIDENT RATE STATS
HIDE COMPLEX FACTORS
In February, AOPA released its annual Nall Report, a summary of
accidents trends and factors for general aviation. A portion of the
report focused on amateur-built aircraft and showed an increase in
accidents for the category. EAA Radio's Fareed Guyot talked with EAA
Vice President of Industry and Regulatory Affairs Earl Lawrence, who
says that, although there is a wide variance in the actual numbers, some
amateur-built areas need attention. Hear
the interview.
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PILOT CERTIFICATE
DEADLINE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY
 Still
haven't replaced your old paper pilot certificate with a new plastic
one? It's down to the wire, as the paper pilot certificates will expire
after March 31, 2010. FAR 61.19(h) reads: "Except for a temporary
certificate issued under §61.17 or a student pilot certificate issued
under paragraph (b) of this section, the holder of a paper pilot
certificate issued under this part may not exercise the privileges of
that certificate after March 31, 2010."
The FAA says to allow 7 to 10 days for
online processing so click
here for instructions to replace your paper airmen
certificate.
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EXPERIENCE
INDOOR FLIGHT AT EAA FAMILY FLIGHTFEST
 This
weekend will be a busy time at the EAA AirVenture Museum for the annual
EAA Family Flightfest. The celebration of flight, indoor-style, happens
all over the museum. Featured displays and activities include static
model airplanes built from plastic or paper, children's activities at
various skill levels - from paper airplanes to flight simulators - and
more. Radio control and free flight model flight demonstrations will
take place on both days.
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SIGN-UP NOW FOR EAA AIR
ACADEMY BASIC CAMP
 Students
ages 14-15, here is your chance to participate in the aviation
experience of a lifetime by enrolling in the EAA Air Academy Basic Camp
at the EAA Air Academy. The camp offers three sessions focusing on
intermediate aviation experiences through small group activities and
close counselor relationships. Aviation material is presented with a
unique combination of fun and discovery in a science camp format.
Sessions are scheduled for June 26-July 1; July 5-10; and July 12-17.
Limited space is filling up fast, so enroll today by visiting www.airacademy.org.
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EAA SPORTAIR WORKSHOPS
COMING TO OSHKOSH AND GRIFFIN, GEORGIA
 SportAir
Workshop programs return to the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh as well
as Griffin, Georgia, with several great courses scheduled in the
upcoming weeks. On April 9-11, the E-LSA Repairman Inspection course
comes to Oshkosh. This course allows you to earn your FAA
Repairman/Inspection certificate for your experimental light-sport
aircraft (E-LSA) airplane. Successfully complete this FAA-approved
workshop and you're authorized to perform the annual condition
inspection on your E-LSA airplane. The two-and-a-half day course is
limited to 16 students with openings still available. The EAA member
price is $299. Read more
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 Fee-Waived
Hertz #1 Club Gold®: EAA members can enroll in the Fee-Waived Hertz
#1 Club Gold® - a $60 value. Experience the fastest way to rent at more
than 40 of the world's busiest airports and at more than 1,000 locations
worldwide. Just get your keys and GO!
Get
Extra Savings on Hertz Rentals when
you use your EAA CDP# with Hertz Special Offers. Check out all our great
savings like $30 off a Collections Rental.
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AIRVENTURE
2010 MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE
 We're
less that 130 days away from the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration,
and you can be ready by gearing up now with our exclusive selection of
AirVenture 2010 merchandise! Choose from a variety of men's and ladies
t-shirts, polo shirts, and caps. Plus, EAA members save on select items.
See the entire AirVenture collection on EAA's
all-new online store, or call us toll-free, 800-564-6322.
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EAA Sport Aviation Magazine
Can you help?
Join the Discussions!
Post of the Week!
- NAFI member Tony Condon of Wichita, KS
is actively restoring a 1964 Cherokee II sailplane. This past
weekend, he and his wife and a couple of friends covered the wings.
But Tony doesn't get the "POTW" nod just for making good
progress and involving his family and friends in the project (though
we love to hear that) … Tony also shot a great time-lapse video of
the process that he shared on our forum. Seeing it at high-speed
like this almost … ALMOST makes it look easy, and it's sure to be
an inspiration to anyone facing a covering job. See it here.
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If you have a suggestions and/or
submission for EAA’s weekly AeroInnovations column, please send to
AeroInnovations editor Bob Waldron at aeroinnovations@eaa.org.
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Locomoskayners
Floating In The Sky
 Although
it looks like a flying saucer, the shape of the Russian Locomoskayner is
designed to minimize the aircraft's drag. The version of this airship,
already in use for geographical surveys, only has a crew of two to eight
people, but the company is hoping to build a supersize model with a capacity
of 600 metric tons, or about four times as much as an Anotov AN-124.
Firefly Helicopters the new IMAX
 The
Aerospace Robotics lab and SENSEable City lab are working together create
swarms of tiny aircraft which will be able to fly in close formation. Using
up to ten small quad-rotor helicopters in a swarm, their current system can
control each vehicle's altitude to within three centimeters. The long term
goal is to precisely control individual positions with a group of 1,000
airborne units.
Zep'lin's
Solar Stairway To Heaven
 The
Zep'lin is a concept 'flying yacht' design which has an electric propulsion
system aided by solar panel sails. The aircraft was designed by an intern at
Renault to be able to land anywhere and tilt for optimum solar energy
capture.
A
Helicopter We Hope To Never Fly
 The
primary mission of the customized RMAX unmanned helicopter would be to do
damage assessment and radiation monitoring after a nuclear explosion. In
addition to cameras and radiation detectors, the 200 pound aircraft will
carry a robot it can drop down for sampling both dust and larger pieces of
bombsite material.
Rotor
Changes Blade Geometry On The Fly
 Sikorsky's
Innovations group was awarded $5.9 million to design a mission-adaptive
rotor system that changes area, chord, camber, and other blade geometry
factors in flight. The Phase 1 project goals are to reduce noise and
vibration while providing a 55 percent increase in horsepower to weight
ratio and decreasing the operational and production costs by 35 percent.
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| AeroInnovations aims to highlight developments that have potential to impact the future of aviation. EAA does not necessarily endorse the ideas, products, services or views contained therein. |
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HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS:
TIG WELDING TORCH & FILLER ROD BASICS
Scott Skrjanc of Lincoln Electric reviews torch and filler rod options.
Scott teaches TIG welding workshops at AirVenture each year. Watch
the video.
Join Scott at 7 p.m. CDT on April 8 as
he hosts a live EAA Webinar, "TIG Welding Basics."
Learn more and sign up here.
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EAA 'TIMELESS VOICE OF
THE WEEK': VERNON SWANSON
 Vernon
Swanson served as a B-29 bombardier-navigator with the 770th Bomb
Squadron (Very Heavy) of the 462nd Bomb Group during World War II. He
flew combat missions out of Piardoba Airfield in India, Kuinglai
Airfield in China, and West Field on Tinian. Watch
the video.
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WHERE ARE YOU FLYING THIS
WEEKEND?
 EAA
Chapter 1040 Wild Onions and Eggs Breakfast Fly-In - Tenkiller Air
Park, Cookson, Oklahoma
Looking for the best breakfast in Oklahoma? Fly in or drive in.
Saturday, March 20, rain or shine, 8-11 a.m.. Fuel is available (cash
or check only). For more information, contact Valerie Westedt,
918-457-4774
EAA Chapter 1310 Pancake Breakfast -
Skylark Airpark, East Windsor, Connecticut
On Saturday, March 20, enjoy all-you-can-eat hot pancakes, sausages, and
scrambled eggs. Coffee, milk and juice too, all for a $5 donation, and
served from 8:30-11 a.m. To learn more visit www.eaa1310.org, or contact
Paul Dowgewicz, 860-281-1310.
To learn more about calendar events, or
to find/submit others, visit www.EAAcalendar.org.
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Q
& A:
Question of
the Week
For EAA
Information Services
I recently purchased a flying Kitfox III from the
original builder. My first annual inspection cost a
lot of money! What must I do to perform my own
annual inspections? Are there classes? When, where,
and how much, please?
Answer: We're
sorry to hear of the costly experience with your
Kitfox. Assuming that your aircraft is certificated
as an experimental amateur-built, look at the
operating limitations document issued to the
aircraft as part of the plane's airworthiness
certificate. You'll find a paragraph that states who
may perform the annual condition inspection, and
there are only two options: the original builder who
has obtained the repairman certificate for that
airplane; and an appropriately certificated airframe
and powerplant mechanic (A&P).
Since you are not the
aircraft's original builder, you can't obtain the
repairman certificate. The only route to doing your
own annuals on that plane is to become an A&P,
but that typically requires two years of full-time
attendance at an accredited A&P school and would
be quite costly. The only other option would be to
find out if the original builder has the repairman
certificate and could do the annual for you less
expensively than an A&P. On the other hand,
maybe this last annual addressed many items that
will not show up on subsequent inspections, which
could significantly reduce the cost.
March
2010
EAA
Desktop Calendar
Spencer Air
Car
The March 2010 issue of EAA Sport Aviation
features a story by Budd Davisson on Doug Palmer’s
beautiful Spencer Air Car, seen here flying past the
Golden Gate Bridge. The air-to-air photo was shot by
Tom Seawell. See a photo
gallery of the Spencer Air Car.
Download
this wallpaper image from the EAA
website, where you can choose among several different
resolutions to suit
your screen - including three wide-screen
sizes...or select an image from the archive. |
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HOUSE APPROVES ANOTHER
FAA FUNDING EXTENSION
With dwindling prospects for a new FAA authorization bill by the March
31, 2010 deadline, the U.S. House of Representatives passed another
temporary funding extension this week that will fund the agency through
July 3. The Senate is also expected to pass an extension prior to the
deadline. The agency has been operating on funding extensions - 12 in
all - since the end of September 2007. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill.,
chairman of the house transportation subcommittee for aviation, remarked
that the extension would continue funding for the Aviation and Airway
Trust Fund and the Airport Improvement Program; $7 billion for FAA
operations; $2.2 billion for facilities and equipment programs; and $144
million for research, engineering, and development programs.
FLIGHT
DESIGN INTRODUCES CTLS LITE
Flight Design's new CTLS Lite lowers the price and raises performance
and payload, says Tom Peghiny, Flight Design USA president. "Our
all-carbon-fiber CTLS Lite brings top performance and a greater payload,
and it does this while dropping the cost more than $20,000," he
said. The price drop is gained by using carefully chosen,
American-sourced avionics, the German company stated, giving pilots the
information they need while decreasing weight and limiting options to
reduce manufacturing costs. Learn more at http://flightdesignusa.com.
SAIB ISSUED FOR CESSNA
336 or 337
A Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-10-20 alerts
owners and operators of Cessna Models 336 or 337 series airplanes with
the wingtip extensions about several actions that should enhance the
safety of their airplanes. At this time, the airworthiness concern is
not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD)
action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR) part 39. Several recommendations are listed in the SAIB, found here.
MITCHELL BOMBERS TO
PAY TRIBUTE TO DOOLITTLE RAIDERS
One of the largest gatherings of B-25 Mitchell bombers since World War
II is set to take place as part of a tribute to the Doolittle Tokyo
Raiders during their 68th reunion at the National Museum of the U.S. Air
Force April 16-18 in Dayton, Ohio. At least 20 aircraft are scheduled to
land on the runway behind the museum on April 17. The aircraft will then
be on display from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. On April 18 at 1 p.m., the aircraft
will fly in formation prior to the Doolittle Raiders Memorial Service in
the museum's Memorial Park. To learn more, visit
www.NationalMuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp or www.ChampaignAviationMuseum.org.
CIRRUS ANTICIPATES
STRONGER-THAN-EXPECTED 2010
In comments to employees, customers, and suppliers this week, Cirrus
President/CEO Brent Wouters said the company was seeing signs of a
strengthening market for aircraft sales. He noted that a number of key
business measurements suggested stronger performance in 2010 than
previously anticipated. "Our first-quarter sales are on pace with
the results for Q1 2008, a year where we delivered 550 new
airplanes," Wouters said. "When you couple that level of sales
performance with a greatly improved business that, because of our
successful restructuring, has cut our breakeven point to less than half
its 2008 level, 2010 is on track to be much better than expected."
Read full comments at http://news.CirrusAircraft.com.
PS ENGINEERING AUDIO PANEL FOR
HOMEBUILDERS
PS Engineering has added a new audio control panel, the PMA5000EX, to
round out its Experimental Audio Panel offering, designed for the
experimental and LSA community. The PMA5000EX supports two VHF COMs, two
switched navigation receivers, and has two switched Auxiliary (AUX)
receiver inputs for any other audio sources where switch control is
desired, blending practical functionality with high-end features. Not
having to go through the expense of certification reduces cost,
resulting in a price of $995. For more information, visit www.PS-Engineering.com.
FLIGHT 1549 FLIGHT
CREW RECEIVES 'HEROISM AWARD'
Aviation Week named the U.S. Airways 1549 flight crew as recipients of
the 2010 Heroism Award at the 53rd Annual Laureate Awards, presented
March 17 in Washington, D.C. The award reads, "U.S. Airways 1549
flight crew demonstrated professionalism and courage during the January
15, 2009 emergency landing in New York City's Hudson River, resulting in
the safety of 155 people onboard...Miraculously and skillfully, Captain
Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles
were able to land safely in the Hudson River, where the crew, Sheila
Dail, Donna Dent, and Doreen Welsh, evacuated the 150 passengers."
Congratulations to our Young Eagles co-chairmen Sully and Skiles and the
flight crew for a well-deserved award!
NAJet RECEIVES FIRST
SINGLE-PILOT CHARTER APPROVAL
North American Jet Charter Group (NAJet) announced it is the first
aircraft charter operator to receive FAA Part 135 charter approval for
operation of its fleet of Eclipse 500 very light jets (VLJ) in a
single-pilot charter configuration. The ability to operate the Eclipse
500 VLJ single pilot in commercial charter operations was made possible
by the delivery of fully upgraded Eclipse 500 aircraft from the new
Eclipse Aerospace Company. Learn more at www.NAJET.net
or call 877-536-2376.
FOXTROT 4 GOES 'DOWN
UNDER'
Team Tango, a composite aircraft kit builder, has shipped its latest
aircraft to Gordon Robinson, an Airbus 330 captain from Brisbane,
Australia. The Foxtrot 4 is a 4-place composite kit aircraft produced at
the Team Tango factory in Williston, Florida, using the latest
generation building materials such as e-glass and carbon fiber, along
with production techniques such as resin infusion. Learn more at www.TeamTango.com.
GPS GUIDE APPS FOR
IPHONE
Max Trescott, aviation author, publisher, and the 2008 National CFI of
the Year, has developed several new iPhone apps that guide users through
the Garmin 430/430W and the Aera portable GPS units. They're available
for download on the Apple iTunes store, and you can click here
to see a quick tutorial.
WIN A HDTV FROM WICKS
AT SUN 'N FUN
Going to the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In April 13-18? Wicks Aircraft Supply will
award a Vizio 32-inch LCD HDTV to a lucky customer. Stop by the Wicks
booth, located in Building D, spaces 1, 2, and 3, and register to win.
You don't have to be present to win; Wicks will ship the TV after the
show. For more information, visit www.WicksAircraft.com
or call 800-221-9425.
SEAWIND BEGINS
CERTIFICATION FLIGHT TESTING
The Seawind 300C has received its flight permit and took to the sky
recently over Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. The Seawind will
be manufactured at the company's 82,000-square-foot manufacturing and
hangar facility there. Richard Silva, Seawind president, remarked that
the powerplant and aircraft systems all worked as designed and as
expected. The aircraft will conduct the full flight-testing program in
Ottawa. For more information visit www.seawind.net,
or call 610-917-1120.
ZENAIR SHIPS FIRST LSA
AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT KIT
Zenair has resumed deliveries of its popular all-metal, light-weight
straight and amphibious floats. The Zenair 1450 floats incorporate
large, retractable main wheels that allow pilots to land their aircraft
on less-than-perfect grass fields. The first set of floats has been
delivered to Florida and will be displayed by FlightCrafters, a Tampa
builder assistance center, at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland April
13-18. Zenair Floats are available as a parts kit, quick-built kit, or
factory assembled. For more information visit www.Zenair.com
or call 705-526-2871.
LYCOMING LAUNCHES
LOYALTY PROGRAM, $5,000 DISCOUNT
Lycoming announced a new program that provides significant discounts on
returns of select engine cores. "This program is meant to reward
the loyalty of those customers whose engine core was either rebuilt or
overhauled at the Lycoming factory," said Todd Stoner, Lycoming
vice president of marketing and sales. The company also announced a
program offering up to a $5,000 discount on a zero-time, factory-rebuilt
Lycoming engine. The offer requires the return of a Lycoming factory new
engine that has never been overhauled or rebuilt, otherwise known as a
first-run core. For more information about these offers visit www.lycoming.com.
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