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November 5, 2010 Volume
10, Number 51
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A380
LOSES ENGINE COWLING IN-FLIGHT, FLEET GROUNDED
 A
Qantas Airlines Airbus A380 lost a portion of the No. 2 engine cowling
shortly after takeoff from Singapore's Changi Airport today (November
4). The aircraft, with 466 passengers and crew, was six minutes into the
flight to Sydney, Australia, when the engine shut down and passengers
reported hearing two loud bangs. In published photos, the aft or
"hot" section of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine is entirely
visible. The images also show that the cowling separation damaged an
area on top of the wing above where the engine is mounted. Missing
pieces of the engine were found miles from the airport. Qantas
immediately grounded the remaining A380s in its fleet until the cause of
the incident can be determined. Watch
the video
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EAA
HONORS SIX
 Nearly
300 people gathered in the Eagle Hangar of the EAA AirVenture Museum on
Friday, October 29, to honor six individuals for their contributions to
the world of aviation. Five individuals were inducted into EAA’s Halls
of Fame, while the sixth was honored with the Henry Kimberly Spirit of
Leadership Award. Read
more
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The
elections have just ended in the U.S., but the real voting has just
begun as we introduce a new regular feature in this week’s e-Hotline.
“Nose to Nose” seeks your opinion in a straight run-off between two
aviation alternatives. In this week’s competition, we’d like you to
choose a bit of advice for Burt Rutan on his just-announced retirement.
Burt - Happy Retirement! Vote
now!
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RUSSIA
LOOSENS AIR TRAFFIC RULES FOR 'SMALL AIRPLANES'
Russian Federation airspace rules for small private plane owners became
a lot less restrictive this week. Effective Monday, November 1, pilots
of small private aircraft no longer need three days of advanced
clearance from air traffic control (ATC) before flying; they simply have
to report that they are ready for takeoff before their flight, according
to reports from various news organizations including Voice of Russia and
ITAR-TASS. Read
more
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AIRCRAFT
RE-REGISTRATION EXPLAINED
 The
FAA's effort to update its national aircraft registry is underway. To
fix errors and omissions and to address security requirements, the FAA
is requiring that all aircraft be re-registered by 2013. EAA Radio's
Fareed Guyot talked with EAA's Timm Bogenhagen, who says failure to
re-register could render your aircraft "unusable"; however,
re-registration takes only a few minutes and can be completed online or
by mail and EAA is ready to help. Listen
to the interview
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BAHAMAS
LSA/GA FLY-IN UPDATE
 Pilots
who wish to participate in the first Bahamas Light-Sport and General
Aviation Fly-In December 10-12 - but whose aircraft lacks a transponder
- can still do so, according to a recent announcement from the Bahamas
Civil Aviation Authority. They'll just have to do a little more advance
planning, and with the fly-in a little more than a month away, it's
recommended they get started. Read
more
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GA
WINS IN THE NORTHWEST
 The
U.S. Forest Service has agreed to pay the Columbia Seaplane Pilots
Association $25,000 to cover legal fees incurred in CSPA's successful
defense in United States District Court of seaplanes' rights to use
Oregon's Waldo Lake. The court, calling the Forest Service's attempt to
prevent seaplanes from operating there "arbitrary, capricious and
an abuse of discretion," ruled that the federal agency has no legal
authority to regulate seaplanes on Waldo Lake, located in the
southwestern part of the state. Read
more
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EAA
GAUGING EFFECT OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS ON AVIATION
 EAA
staff members in Washington, D.C., are looking closely at results of the
midterm congressional elections in an effort to ascertain their impact
on aviation policy in the years ahead. The large turnover in the House
of Representatives means that more than one-third of the membership of
the congressional committees that govern aviation will likely change
along with the leadership switching to the Republican Party. Committee
assignments will be announced in the coming months and that will reveal
more about where the next congress may fall on user fees, FAA funding,
air traffic modernization, security, and overall support of general
aviation. Read
more
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NAVY
CROSS RECIPIENT VISITS EAA AIRVENTURE MUSEUM
 Last
week, members of EAA Chapter 241 in DeKalb, Illinois, flew Foster E.
Looney, 89, to Oshkosh to see the EAA AirVenture Museum, where he
enjoyed a private tour of the Founders Wing from EAA Founder Paul
Poberezny. Looney, who received a Navy Cross for actions during World
War II, simply indicated that he was lucky to have received the medal.
"You put that time behind you, but then realize somebody might be
interested," Looney said. "You never thought anything about
it." Read
more
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WEBINAR
GIVES CLEAR PICTURE OF CLOUDY AVGAS ISSUE
 A
lot of people admit they're in the dark when it comes to aviation fuel
and what will ultimately replace 100LL. But illumination is now
available as close as your broadband Internet connection. Doug Macnair,
EAA vice president of government relations, recently hosted a webinar
titled "General Aviation Gasoline: Where We Have Been, Where We
Are, and Where We Are Going," and you can watch the 90-minute
online presentation anytime. This webinar helps you cut through the
clutter and get up to speed as to what the aviation community can expect
as general aviation piston-powered aircraft transition from leaded to
unleaded fuel. Read
more and watch the webinar
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RUNWAY
INCURSIONS DROP BY HALF
 The
FAA announced recently that the number of serious runway incursions at
the nation's airports dropped 50 percent from 2009, the second
consecutive year that the number of serious incursions was cut in half.
The number of serious runway incursions at the nation's airports dropped
from 12 in the 2009 fiscal year to six in the 2010 fiscal year, which
ended on Sept. 30. The new figures reflect a steady, significant
improvement in runway safety over the last decade. In the 2000 fiscal
year there were 67 serious runway incursions. Of the six incursions this
fiscal year, three involved commercial aircraft. Read
more
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VIDEO:
AIRWORTHY VULCAN BOMBER SAVED BY LAST MINUTE DONATIONS
 The
last flying Avro Vulcan XH558 bomber was saved from permanent grounding
after enthusiasts beat an October 31 deadline to raise the $650,000
required to maintain the aircraft in operational status. The
Delta-winged bomber first flew in 1952 and saw combat in the Falklands
War. The Sky Trust restored and owns the Vulcan, and wants to see the
vintage bomber to fly for two more seasons. Nearly 2 million people have
seen the restored Cold War bomber, described as a "national
treasure," in action at air shows so far this year. The last Vulcan
was withdrawn from service in 1984, but the XH558 flew on from 1986 to
1993 as the single RAF display Vulcan. Watch
the video
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EAA
URGES E-LSA OWNERS TO HANG IN THERE
Are you a pilot whose patience is running out waiting for the FAA to
issue a Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) so you can resume giving
instruction in your experimental light-sport aircraft? If you're one of
the hundreds of E-LSA owners who had a training deviation prior to
January 31, 2010, but are now considering selling your aircraft, EAA has
a piece of advice: Don't give up hope just yet. Read
more
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JOE
KITTINGER TO KEYNOTE EAA WRIGHT BROTHERS MEMORIAL DINNER
 On
December 17, EAA will celebrate the 107th anniversary of the first
successful powered flight at the 8th annual Wright Brothers Memorial
Dinner. The evening's keynote speaker is most famous for making perhaps
the most incredible unpowered flight; Joe Kittinger, Jr. Read
more
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EAA
PRESIDENT AT AOPA SUMMIT NEXT WEEK
EAA president/CEO Rod Hightower will participate at next week's AOPA
Summit in Long Beach, California. His participation in the event, which
runs November 11-13, includes an AOPA Live interview with Craig Fuller
on Friday, November 12, at 11:05 a.m. PST. Hightower's participation is
just part of EAA's presence at AOPA's annual event, which brings
together pilots and exhibitors from throughout the nation. Read
more
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WATCH
YOUR MAIL FOR 2011 SHARE THE SPIRIT SWEEPSTAKES COUPONS
 The
2011 EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes has kicked off. You have a
chance to win a Cessna 162 Skycatcher with fuel for the year courtesy of
Shell Aviation, along with other great prizes. And never before have the
other prizes been this big! Watch the mail for your November Sport
Aviation, which includes entry coupons tickets for your chance to
win. Every donation to the EAA Sweepstakes directly supports EAA
programs, which allow members to share the spirit of aviation among
fellow enthusiasts and the next generation of aviators. Click
here for more details or to enter online.
Watch part one of "Learning to
Fly in the Cessna Skycatcher," featuring Rose Pelton, who is
the wife of Cessna President/CEO Jack Pelton and is learning to fly in
her new Skycatcher. Click
here for Part 1.
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NASA
PROBE PERFORMS COMET CLOSE ENCOUNTER
 The
EPOXI spacecraft flew the closest ever a comet, skimming by Hartley 2
today (November 4) at a distance of just 435 miles. Five years ago EPOXI
fired an 800-pound projectile to break loose debris in preparation for
further study. Since that impact, the spacecraft has tracked the comet
and maneuvered for the near-miss which occurred at 27,000 mph. EPOXI is
gathering images of Hartley 2's nucleus and scientists hope that the
comet has not damaged the craft too badly. EPOXI has now visited two
different comets since it was launched. Watch
the video
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WANT
TO AVOID UNNECESSARY MAINTENANCE? WATCH THIS WEBINAR!
Most aircraft owners waste much
of their maintenance budget on doing work that doesn't need to be done
and replacing parts that don't need to be replaced. The essence of
cost-effective maintenance is learning when to say no to such
unnecessary maintenance items, thereby focusing your maintenance dollars
on the things that are really essential to safety and reliability.
Maintenance expert Mike Busch explains how to tell the difference.
All
webinars begin at 7 p.m. CDT. 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 their generous sponsorship of
our webinar programs.
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SAVE
UP TO $100 ON HERTZ PRESTIGE COLLECTION
 Save
$20 per day - up to $100 - on a Hertz Prestige Collection Rental when
you include PC#151211 in your reservation now through December 17, 2010.
Choose from a wide selection of unique vehicles, including Infiniti
G35/G37, FX35, and M35; Audi A6 Quattro; Lincoln Navigator 4WD; Audi Q7
AWD; Cadillac Escalade AWD; Volvo S80 Sedan or C70 convertible; and
Hummer H2. For details, terms, and conditions, click
here.
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GOT
A GREAT T-SHIRT IDEA? LET US KNOW AND YOU COULD WIN!
Got an original idea for a new t-shirt slogan or design for AirVenture
2011? Let us know about it on this
Oshkosh 365 forum thread and you could be the lucky winner of a $50
EAA merchandise gift card! While you're welcome to submit pictures to
help illustrate your idea, a simple text description is just fine and
we'll take it from there. Post your ideas on Oshkosh365 by Friday,
November 19. The gift card drawing will be held the week of November 22.
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RESERVE
YOUR B-17 FLIGHT CAMP SPOT, USE E-Z PAY
 Experience
the Flying Fortress with four easy payments when you use E-Z Pay. At the
B-17 Flight Camp (December 2-5 , 2010), you will get up close and
personal with one of the most famous airplanes of World War II -
including a 20-minute flight experience! Schedule - Thursday: Arrival
and Tour of B-17. Friday: Maintenance and Fireside Chat. Saturday:
History, Systems, Ground School, and Ball Turret Demo. Sunday: Fly!
Space is limited - secure your spot today. And don't forget to take
advantage of E-Z pay. Get
more details on the B-17 Flight Camp and E-Z Pay.
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WEBINAR
ALERT: YOUNG EAGLES FLIGHT PLAN - GET KIDS FLYING!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. CST
Brian O'Lena will explain the Young Eagles Flight Plan, designed to
give interested young people a pathway to their pilot certificate. This
includes the new EAA Student Membership, access to Sporty's Online
Complete Pilot Training Course, a free first flight lesson, and flight
training scholarships. Webinars are free, but you need to register.
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FIVE
STOPS LEFT ON B-17 TOUR
 EAA's
B-17 Aluminum Overcast is approaching the end of its U.S. tour
with only five stops left. Heading south for the remaining dates, the
bomber will visit Olive Branch, Mississippi, November 5-17, hosted by
EAA Chapter 182. The Flying Fortress then makes another stop in
Mississippi, this time in Jackson, hosted for a November 9-10 stay by
EAA Chapter 276. With only a handful of tour stops left, chances to tour
the B-17 are dwindling; to see the remaining tour dates and book a
flight, click here.
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DEAL
OF THE WEEK: SAVE
UP TO 40% ON MAHOGANY AIRCRAFT MODELS
 Add
the Aluminum Overcast or the Tin Goose to your model
collection. Each hand-painted airplane is finished with the authentic
markings of EAA's B-17G Boeing N5017N and Ford Tri-Motor NC8407, and is
protected with two coats of lacquer. A solid mahogany stand displays
these iconic aircraft in flight. B-17 model. Retail price $229.99.
Member sale price $137.99. Ford Tri-Motor model retail price $174.99.
Member sale price $104.99. Click
here to find out how you can save 40% on EAA's B-17 and Ford
Tri-Motor models.
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EAA MERCHANDISE: FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF $30 OR MORE FOR ONE
WEEK ONLY
 It's
easy! Go to EAA's online store and
purchase $30 in merchandise before shipping or tax. Use coupon code
FREESHIP1 on the second page of the checkout process. Offer excludes
wooden propellers. Shop now. But
hurry - offer ends November 10, 2010.
 Members
save on decorative metal signs
Save on select metal signs like this Aeroplane Factory sign. Retail
price is $29.99. Members save $4! Check out other member-priced signs at
EAA's online store.
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EAA Sport Aviation
Magazine
Can you help?
Join the Discussions!
Post of the Week!
It's very rare, almost unheard of, in
fact, that someone posts a question on one of the Oshkosh365 discussion
forums that goes unanswered. Unfortunately, for some reason that
happened to Charley Valera, who posed a great question about how
local EAA chapters and airports find ways to connect to their community.
This is a great topic, one that should be generating a discussion that
can benefit all of us, so give it a thought and chime in!
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If you have suggestions or
submissions for EAA’s weekly AeroInnovations column, please send them to
AeroInnovations editor Bob Waldron.
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Talking Like Birds to Prevent Aircraft Bird Strikes |
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Ornithologists at Cornell University are decoding bird calls to greatly reduce the possibility of aircraft bird strikes. “What we suspect is that these are calls that the birds are actually using to communicate back and forth, to locate each other,”Ken Rosenberg at Cornell says. “‘Don’t crash into me!’” |
Laser-Beamed Power Does In-Flight ‘Refueling’ |
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It may sound like the Jetsons or Star Trek, but last week Laser Motive of Seattle re-fueled a battery powered aircraft in mid-flight for more than 12 hours by beaming power to it with a laser. The laser beam was focused on a photovoltaic cell on the aircraft, and that cell converted the laser beam into electricity to recharge batteries in the electric propulsion system. |
GA Shares Empty Seats via World Aero Club |
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“Car-pooling of the skies” has launched with the World Aero Club bringing an easy-to-use “ride board” to general aviation. This service can expand GA in America by giving pilots a good reason to fly and helping them save money because passengers help pay the cost of the flights. |
Improved Engine Performance With GE Blisk |
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The new GE TechX jet engine has a large single-piece blisk, or bladed disk, that increases propulsive efficiency and reduces vibration. The blisk greatly minimizes the balancing problems and air leakage paths that occur in conventional hub and blade rotors.
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PAV: FAA Certification for SR/C Tech |
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The
Carter Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) has received its FAA Special
Airworthiness Certificate and will begin flight-testing its
slowed-rotor/compound (SR/C) propulsion technology. SR/C is an
alternative to tilt-rotors and enables vertical takeoff while still
providing relatively efficient high-speed flight. SR/C refers to an
aircraft with a top rotor that is slowed down to reduce drag in
high-speed flight and with wings that are much smaller than usual
because they don’t need to provide takeoff and landing lift. |
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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: PROPELLER
TRACKING
 Brian
Carpenter of Rainbow Aviation Services demonstrates how to check
propeller tracking on an aircraft. Brian is an A&P aircraft mechanic
with an Inspection Authorization rating (IA), a DAR for light sport and
amateur built aircraft, a Sport Pilot Instructor Examiner, an FAA
Certified Flight Instructor, an EAA Technical Counselor and Flight
Advisor. Watch
the video
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TIMELESS VOICES OF
AVIATION: RALPH TATE
 Ralph
Tate flew troop transports and cargo planes in the Air Transport Command
during World War II. He made 55 round trips (110 missions) over the “Hump”
– the Himalaya Mountains between India and China. Immediately after
the war he flew C-54 VIP and cargo flights in the Pacific Theater before
joining the U.S. occupational forces in Austria where his father,
Brigadier General Ralph H. Tate was assigned as Deputy Commander General
of U.S. Forces Austria. In November 1946, Ralph was assigned to fly two
of General Mark Clark’s senior staff and their families from Munich,
Germany to Pisa, Italy via Marseille, France. Strangely enough, Ralph’s
mother had been in Austria with his father Brig. General Tate and was
also on the flight. They took off in a militarized DC-3 called a C-53
and started heading southwest to Marseille. With mixed radio signals
from the navigation stations in Zurich and Geneva, Ralph became
inadvertently lost and crashed into the Rosenlaui Glacier near Bern in
the Swiss Alps. Ralph and the other eleven people on board survived at
the crash site for five days before being rescued. Watch
the video
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Where
Are You Flying This Weekend?
There are 35
fly-ins and events this weekend in the EAA
Events Calendar. Find one near you or add your event! |
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Q
& A:
Question of
the Week
For EAA
Information Services
I am about to commence the Phase 1 fly-off time for
the owner of a Glastar taildragger. The
owner/builder asked if another soul can accompany
the pilot as a "crew member." I told him
no, but he is adamant that one can so long as he's
designated as a crew member. What's the real deal?
Answer: You're
right, the answer is no. Since a Glastar can
definitely be flown by a single pilot, there is no
provision for another person to be considered
"essential to the purpose of the flight,"
which is the only way another person would be
allowed in the cockpit during Phase 1 testing.
Currently, there are no amateur-built aircraft that
meet the criteria of a required two-person crew.
Have a question?
To ask a question regarding government issues,
e-mail EAA Government Relations.
For questions about registration, airmen, aircraft
and medical certification, safety records,
performance, or any other matter, e-mail EAA
Member Services.
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EAA
Desktop Calendar
November
2010
Gene Soucy’s Showcat
biplane lights the ramp during the night air show at
Oshkosh 2010. Photo by Spencer Thornton.
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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AEROLED INTRODUCES TWO
NEW LANDING LIGHTS
AeroLED announced two new landing lights: the SunSpot-46 and SunSpot-64. The SunSpot-46 draws 85 watts and produces 6,500 lumens. The Sunspot 64 draws 224 watts and produces 17,000 lumens. AeroLEDs is making the PAR 46 and 64 replacements available for certificated aircraft with a 337 form. They expect to have an STC for the products soon. For more information click here.
IBOOK EDITIONS OF ASA TITLES RELEASED
ASA has released iBook editions of six of their titles on the Apple iBookstore. Titles include Flying Carpet by Greg Brown; You Can Fly! by Greg Brown; Laurel Lippert, and Tom Lippert, The Golden Years of Flying by Captain Tex Searle; the Private Oral Exam Guide and Instrument Oral Exam Guide by Michael D. Hayes; and the Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms by Dale Crane. The iBooks can be read on a range of mobile digital devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. For more information click here.
DYNON AVIONICS ADDS AIR TRAFFIC ALERTS TO SKYVIEW
Dynon has added the ability to alert and display air traffic graphically within their SkyView products. Traffic will show up on SkyView’s moving map and synthetic vision displays using standard TCAS I symbols. SkyView will identify the location, severity of threat, distance, vertical separation, and heading of any aircraft within the traffic system range. Dynon’s traffic feature is included in Version 2.6 software, which is now available on all new SkyView units and can be downloaded free by all SkyView owners. For more information click here.
FLABOB AERO CLUB ANNOUNCED
The Wathen Foundation has created the Flabob Aero Club in Riverside, California. Activities for members will include flyouts, aviation museum visits, seminars, aviation training, and more. One of the unique features of the club is its choice of aircraft for rental. Included on the list are a 1946 J3-65 Cub, a 1962 Champion 7GC Citabria, a classic 1959 Cessna 150, and a 2007 Tecnam P92 Echo Super. Instructor members of the club will be offering training for taildragger endorsements, sport pilot, private, and higher certificates. For more information click here.
LOPRESTI CHARITY BREAKFAST TO HOST J.W. “CORKEY” FORNOF
LoPresti Aviation will host a charity breakfast at Sebastian Municipal Airport in Sebastian, Florida, hosted by famous aerobatic performer J.W. “Corkey” Fornof, on Saturday, November 6. An aerial performance by J.W. in his LoPrestiFury will be followed by a presentation on his life as an aerial director in the movies, a test pilot, and an international performer. The event begins at 9 a.m. with coffee and a full breakfast. A charity donation of $8 is requested. Proceeds benefit HALO Animal Rescue. For more information call Mimi Erskine at 772-562-4757.
PIPER PAVES WAY FOR M-CLASS UPGRADES WITH ALTAIRE ADVANCE
Piper Aircraft announced a program that will help transition pilots from its current fleet of single-engine M-Class aircraft to the new PiperJet Altaire. The Altaire Advance program will offer customers discounts on the purchase price of the Altaire or defer a portion of the initial deposit required, depending on the new M-Class airplane being purchased. The PiperJet Altaire single-engine business jet is being developed for certification and first deliveries are expected in 2014. For more information on the Altaire Advance program, click here.
GET CURRENT WITH HELP FROM YOUR IPHONE OR IPAD
Sporty’s announced the Instrument Proficiency Check app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The app is broken down into six subject areas and 26 individual video segments, and features 3D animations and in-flight video. The six topics covered are IFR Flight Review; Basic Attitude Instrument Flight; Aircraft Systems and Preflight; Navigation, Clearances, and Holding; Approaches; and Emergencies. The Instrument Proficiency Check App is available for $39.99. For more information click here.
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