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September
30, 2011 Volume 11,
Number 47 |
EYE OF
THE EXPERIMENTER
NASA Green Flight Challenge, Day 1
 The
Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, got off to a good start
Sunday as participants checked in, but today (Monday) the field has
dwindled to three contenders after California-based Feuling GFC team had
to drop with mechanical problems and Embry-Riddle's team faced
disqualification due to a conflict between contest and the team's own
operational rules. Conducted by the Comparative Aircraft Flight
Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation, the $1.65 million competition is part of
the NASA Centennial Challenge series of prize competitions to foster
technological innovation. Read
more
NASA Green Flight Challenge, Day 2
 Day
2 of NASA's Green Flight Challenge featured noise and takeoff qualifying
flights and the weather for the day was seemingly "made to
order" with deep blue skies and a brilliant sun warming everyone
nicely at Sonoma County Airport in California. The aircraft benefited
from the cooperative weather, too, with all competitors passing the
first task - that being sound, or noise if you prefer. At any point if
the wind had decided to blow more than 10 mph, the day's mission would
have been scrubbed. Read
more
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 PILOTS
BUY DREAMS, BUT NOT AIRPLANES
Human economic behavior is perverse. We buy expensive items such
as houses and stocks when prices are high, but sell them, or
don't buy, when prices go down. I thought about this while
following the saga of Cirrus, one of the most successful general
aviation startups ever. I can't think of a general aviation
company in the U.S. that was launched after World War II that
lasted long enough to build more than a handful of airplanes.
We spend millions on dream
airplanes, but when an airplane becomes real, is in production,
and is available, we object to the price and don't buy or
invest.
Continue
reading | Subscribe to Mac's Blog
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LEEWARD
MEMORIAL SERVICES FRIDAY IN OCALA, OSHKOSH
 Memorial
services for EAA board member Jimmy Leeward, who died September 16 in an
aircraft accident at the National Championship Air Races, will be held
Friday, September 30, at Ocala, Florida, and at 11:30 a.m. CDT at the
Fergus Chapel on the EAA grounds in Oshkosh. Read
more
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BARR
BATTLE HEADS TO U.S. COURT OF APPEALS DECEMBER 2
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the District
of Columbia will hear arguments on December 2 regarding a case that
seeks to overturn the dismantling of the Block Aircraft Registration
Request (BARR) program announced this summer by the U.S. Department of
Transportation. Read
more
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EAA
SEEKS NEW MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER
Are you a passionate EAA member who is actively engaged in general
aviation? Do you have a background in customer service? EAA has a unique
opportunity for you to combine your avocation and talents to provide
customer service to our diverse and knowledgeable membership.
EAA is seeking a full-time manager for
our membership services department at our headquarters in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin. This person will help transform EAA's Member Services team
into a first-class group who can provide knowledge, expertise, and
exceptional service to create meaningful experiences for our members. Read
more
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'SCALEVENTURE'
MODEL CONTEST AT EAA MUSEUM
 Plastic scale model builders of all ages are welcome to showcase their
remarkable skill and imagination as part of the inaugural EAA
ScaleVenture static model contest, which will be held this Saturday,
October 1, at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. Scaled, detailed
replications of not only aircraft, but also automobile, ship, and armor
models, will be on display and judged in several categories for adult
and junior (age 17 and under) divisions. Awards will be presented in
each category.
Read
more
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CANADIAN
AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM FACING EVICTION
 The
Canadian Air and Space Museum, located in Downsview Park, an area just
north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has consolidated a
reputation for excellence on a shoestring budget. The museum occupies
the historic 1929 de Havilland building, where the de Havilland
Chipmunk, Beaver, and Mosquito were constructed as well as the creation
of the companies responsible for the Canadarm and the Alouette 1
satellite. The present owners, a Canadian Crown Corporation operating
Downsview Park, have given the museum and multiple other tenants six
months to vacate the premises. Read
more
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CORRECTION:
EAA HALL OF FAME CEREMONY IS OCTOBER 27
 The
October 2011 edition of EAA Sport Aviation provides an incorrect
date for the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The induction
ceremony and dinner will be held on Thursday, October 27, at the EAA
AirVenture Museum. All EAA members are invited to attend, and for
tickets, please call 800-236-1025. Inductees include Jack McCornack, EAA
Ultralight Hall of Fame; Tony LeVier, International Aerobatic Club Hall
of Fame; John W. Underwood, Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame;
David B. Lindsay Jr., Warbirds of America Hall of Fame; and Ed Fisher,
EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame.
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MCCAULEY
DELIVERS COMPOSITE PROP FOR SKYCATCHER
 McCauley
has built a fixed-pitch propeller entirely from composite materials,
saving nearly 5 pounds compared to the aluminum prop originally created
for the Cessna 162 Skycatcher LSA. McCauley uses a single fiber
construction technique, making the propeller strong and lightweight. The
composite prop named 1L100 is 66 inches in diameter and weighs 9.3
pounds compared to the 14.2 pound weight of the aluminum prop it
replaces. Read
more
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AMERICAN
MAYORS URGE GREATER WHITE HOUSE SUPPORT FOR GA
 More
than 75 mayors of small- and medium-sized communities in 44 states have
written to President Obama, opposing GA user fees in the President's
budget plan and urging him to stop mischaracterizing general aviation. Read
more
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FREE
FUEL FOR CHARITY FLIGHTS
Patient Airlift Services, a volunteer medical services flight
charity, has received FAA approval allowing it to pay for the fuel for
pilots who transport patients for medical treatment. The group, which
calls itself PALS, received an exemption from the FAA rules that
restrict reimbursement that pilots may receive when flying under the
not-for-hire requirements of FAR Part 91. Read
more
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CESSNA
ANNOUNCES MUSTANG STEP UP JET
 Cessna
has announced the M2, a light business jet that the company believes
will be the step up in performance and cabin room that pilots and owners
of the entry level Mustang jet are looking for. The M2 cabin mockup
makes its first public showing at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas in
October. Read
more
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FAA
RE-REGISTRATIONS MOVING RIGHT ALONG
 With about a third of the FAA's civil aviation re-registration
process complete, the Civil Aviation Certification Branch reports that
things are going better than expected thanks to more aircraft owners
performing their re-registrations online rather than through the mail,
according Walter Binkley, branch manager. Read
more
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EAA,
AOPA ANNOUNCE PLAN TO EXPAND DRIVER'S LICENSE MEDICAL OPTION
 EAA
and AOPA jointly announced on Saturday, September 24, at AOPA Summit
that the associations would petition the FAA for an exemption allowing
pilots who have completed required aeromedical awareness training to fly
recreationally with a driver’s license medical standard in place of
the FAA Third Class medical certificate.
Read
more
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IAC
NATIONALS WRAPS UP FRIDAY
 The
2011 U.S. National Aerobatic Contest concludes Friday, September 30, at
North Texas Regional Airport (KGYI), Sherman/Denison, Texas. Gold medal
winners in the six categories of competition include Nick Timofeev -
Advanced Power, scoring 81.62 percent in his MXS; Rob Holland -
Unlimited Power, 84.14 percent, MXS-RH; Tom Adams - Intermediate
Power, 87.18 percent, Staudacher 300D; Charlie Meier -
Intermediate Glider, 73.76, Blanik L-13AC; Chet Kuhn - Sportsman
Power, 85.13 percent, Pitts S1T; and Nicholas Dona - Sportsman
Glider, 79.36, Blanik L-13AC. For complete results, click
here.
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SENATE
ASKS FAA, EPA TO 'GO SLOW' IN AVGAS LEAD ELIMINATION
More than one-quarter of the U.S. Senate signed a letter to the
administrators of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking those agencies to delay
using any regulatory process to eliminate lead in aviation fuels until a
suitable replacement can be found. Read
more
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SULLY TO
FLY YOUNG EAGLES ON SATURDAY
 Co-Chairman
of the EAA Young Eagles program Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger
will join fellow EAA pilots from EAA Chapter 663 and provide Young
Eagles flights at this weekend's 16th annual Livermore Airport Open
House in California. The first 10 kids ages 8-17 accompanied by an adult
who sign up for flights beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday will get a chance
to fly with the first officer of the 2010 "Miracle on the
Hudson" flight. After the flights, Sully will discuss and answer
questions from attendees about aviation, careers, and what it takes to
become a pilot. Read
more
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TAKE
USER FEE OPPOSITION RIGHT TO THE TOP
White House petition allows you to support GA
 A newly established petition process on the White House website
designed to encourage direct citizen input is enabling you to voice your
opposition to GA user fees directly to the Obama Administration. Any
citizen or pilot can sign the petition titled "Take Aviation User
Fees Off The Table" at "We The People" by creating a free
website account and joining the hundreds who have already signed. Read
more
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FROM
EXPERIMENTER
The Leonard Brothers Build a Pair of Thatchers
 Building
an experimental aircraft can be very rewarding, potentially doubly so if
done with a friend. That being the case, how much better could it be if
the plane was built with a brother? In the September issue of
Experimenter we meet brothers Will and Phil Leonard, who found out that
it's especially rewarding when a few years ago they saw to completion a
pair of exceptional Thatcher CX4s. Read
more
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CIRRUS
MARKS 5,000TH AIRPLANE DELIVERY
 Last
week at the AOPA Aviation Summit in Hartford, Connecticut, Cirrus
Aircraft announced its 5,000th airplane delivery - an SR22T purchased by
Joe Whisenhunt of Little Rock, Arkansas. The milestone comes 11 years
after the company began manufacturing operations in Duluth, Minnesota,
and today Cirrus has delivered to customers in more than 60 nations. Read
more
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WWII
VETS TO SHARE EXPERIENCES SATURDAY AT AIRVENTURE MUSEUM
Hear the personal stories of heroism firsthand as a panel of World War
II veterans share their recollections of service and sacrifice during a
special forum on Saturday, October 1, at EAA AirVenture Museum in
Oshkosh. The moderated forum, which runs from 2-3 p.m., is included with
regular museum admission and will feature several veterans sharing their
own personal stories from combat in the war-torn sky over Europe. Read
more
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EAA
MEMBER JOIN WEBSITE OFFLINE FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS WEEKEND
We’re performing a systems upgrade over the weekend that will make
the EAA Membership Join website unavailable from approximately 7 p.m. on
Saturday, October 1, through 6 a.m. on Sunday, October 2.
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'CLUSTER
HOUSE' EPISODE TO AIR SUNDAY ON NATGEO
 This
Sunday on NatGeo TV, see the premier showing of the "How Hard Can
it Be?" episode featuring cluster balloonist Jonathan Trappe, who
designed a "cluster house" with helium-filled balloons that
mimics the Pixar movie Up. The episode airs at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m.
CDT. (Check your local listings.) See EAA's story about the cluster
house project from last
March here.
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SAIB
ISSUED FOR ZENAIR CH2000 NOSE GEAR WELD
The FAA has issued a special airworthiness bulletin (SAIB) for the
Zenair CH2000 series of aircraft, asking owners and maintainers to check
the nose landing gear (NLG) weld for cracking - both during scheduled
maintenance activity and following every "hard landing" as
described by the Zenair Ltd. service manual.
The SAIB comes after a report of a NLG
weld failure on a landing in which the nose gear fork exited on the left
side of the aircraft. During the incident the remaining nose gear leg
contacted the runway surface and supported the nose, but the reduced
clearance allowed the propeller blades to contact the runway. Inspection
showed the plate welded onto the bottom of the nose gear leg failed,
which caused the nose gear fork to separate from the nose gear leg. No
other reports have been reported to Zenair. To read the complete SAIB, click
here.
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 Last
week, we wanted to know how many of you would like to see a Concorde
fly once more. The answer? A lot - 87 percent, to be precise.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION is also about
preserving aviation history: In the midst of some financial turmoil, the
Canadian Air and Space Museum in Toronto, Ontario, is being evicted from
its home in the historic former de Havilland Canada factory, allegedly
so that the building can be demolished and replaced with an ice skating
rink. What do you think?
Do you want to see this building saved
and the Canadian Air and Space Museum allowed to continue?
Vote
now!
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WEBINARS: ALL ABOUT CYLINDERS
Maintenance expert and EAA Sport Aviation columnist Mike
Busch, A&P/IA, presents an informational webinar about cylinders -
construction, failure modes (head cracks and separations, exhaust valve
failure, barrel wear), maintenance-induced failures, factors affecting
longevity, repair, replacement, top overhauls, and more.
All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CDT unless
otherwise noted. 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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EAA'S
B-17 HEADS FOR WARMER CLIMBS
 After
a long stay in Wisconsin, EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast heads south for a
week-long stay in Albuquerque, New Mexico. EAA Chapter 179 will host the
bomber October 1-8 at Double Eagle II Airport (AEG), coinciding with the
nearby Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, one of the world's major ballooning
events, held October 1-9. Then it's on to Las Vegas hosted by Chapter
163 at North Las Vegas Airport (VGT) October 11-12. For complete details
on tour stops, or to make a flight reservation, click here.
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DEAL
OF THE WEEK: EAA YOUTH CLOTHING 50 PERCENT OFF
 Spark
the love of flight in every step of your child's life with adorable
onesies, cute toddler apparel, and youth clothing with aviation-related
graphics and messaging. And when you shop now, you'll save up to 50
percent on select apparel, money you can put toward your child's flight
lessons! But hurry, these savings are only available through October 6 at
the EAA Aeronautica online store. Start
shopping now.
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EAA MERCHANDISE: 'ELEVATE' YOUR
CHILD'S ROOM AND SAVE UP TO 60 PERCENT
 EAA's
aviation-inspired kids room items help introduce your future aviator to
the world of flight. From a free-standing airplane clothes hanger to a
space-themed growth chart that tracks your little one's height and
important milestones, the EAA Aeronautica online store offers items that
help plant the aviation seed in your child's life. And when you shop now,
you can save up to 60 percent on select items through October 5. Shop
online now or call 800-564-6322.
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Monthly Photo Contest
Can You Help?
Ongoing Discussions
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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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NextGen High-Speed Bomber |
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Northrup Grumman created a futuristic high-speed bomber concept that would no doubt be capable of delivering its payload to anywhere in the world in less than five hours. The F-X concept embodies the same combination of sleek speed and deadly destruction as the SR-71 Blackbird and the B-2 Spirit. |
First Turkish Attack Helicopter |
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The Turkish ATAK P6 prototype helicopter (Attack/Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter) recently had its first flight. The T129 prototype, the result of Turkish engineers combining high-tech avionic equipment, hardware, and software, has state-of-the-art features such as helmet-mounted cuing systems. |
Nylon Airbike Made With Lasers |
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The aviation industry uses advanced manufacturing techniques such as the laser-based ALM process (additive layer manufacturing). The EADS Aerospace Innovation Centre has built an Airbike entirely of fused nylon, which results in a product requiring no maintenance. |
White-Light Aircraft Scanner Makes CAD Drawings |
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A white-light 3-D scanning system was used to automatically create 3-D drawings from a full-size proof-of-concept aircraft model. The advanced scanner captures millions of relational space data points off the physical model to make the computer files for doing computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis optimization, and the CAD drawing will then be used to make physical molds for manufacturing a working prototype of the plane. |
Robots Assembling Multi-Ton Aircraft Components |
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Robotic technology from the auto industry is being applied to the aviation sector. German researchers have developed an assembly-line manufacturing process with adaptable high-precision robots that can handle multi-ton aircraft components, aligning those pieces with tolerances of 0.2 millimeters or less. |
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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. |
HINTS
FOR HOMEBUILDERS: FLY CUTTER
 Jack
Dueck demonstrates how to safely use the fly cutter to cut a large
diameter hole in aluminum. Jack is a Technical Counselor, Sportair
Workshop Instructor and Chairman of the EAA Canadian Council. Watch
the video
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TIMELESS
VOICES: DOUG MILLIN
 As
a young boy growing up in the Depression era, Doug Millin longed to be
an Army Air Corps pilot - a glamorous job in its day. When he was of
age, he enlisted in the Air Corps to become a pilot, but due to his high
marks in mathematics and science, was instead selected for navigator
school. After completing navigator school and a course in radar, Doug
was assigned to a B-29 crew. They left for the Pacific in early 1945,
and by the end of January Doug was flying missions from North Field on
Tinian. He completed 35 combat missions and was on his way home the week
before the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Watch
the video
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Where
Are You Flying This Weekend?
There are 144
fly-ins and events over
the next two weekends in the EAA
Events Calendar. Find one near you or add your event! |
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Q
& A: What
is the procedure for decertifying an existing
experimental aircraft?
Answer: To
decertify an aircraft, first remove the
airworthiness certificate and registration card (FAA
Form 8050-3) from the aircraft. Take the
registration card, turn it over, and check the box
on the back side that applies to your situation,
then return it and the airworthiness certificate to
the FAA Aircraft Registration office in Oklahoma
City at the address shown. You need to sign the
registration card in ink, and you should send both
documents by certified mail so you can track the
package to be sure it was received.
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
October
2011
Jon Apfelbaum, EAA Lifetime 222561, of Parker,
Colorado, took this photo of Todd McLoughlin’s
T-28 as a friend taxied in from his checkride. “He
commented he hadn’t done that many Cuban Eights…ever,”
Jon said.
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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2011 SPORT AIRCRAFT TOUR
The Addison, Denton, and Dallas Executive airports in Texas are hosting the 2011 Dallas-Fort Worth Sport Plane Tour. Aircraft from RANS, Remos, Legend, Sportair, and more will be on display and demonstrated at each of the locations. The tour, running October 14-16, will visit three airports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
- October 14: Addison (KADS), 2-7:30 p.m., hosted by US Sport Aircraft.
- October 15: Denton (KDTO), 8 a.m.-4 p.m., hosted by US Aviation Group.
- October 16: Dallas Executive (KRBD), 8 a.m.-4p.m., hosted by the City of Dallas.
More information is available at the US Sport Aircraft, US Aviation, and Dallas City Hall websites.
ZAON PCAS XRX TRAFFIC NOW ON IPAD
Zaon Flight Systems’ PCAS XRX traffic detection program can now be displayed on the iPad using the new version of Airguide Publications’ Flight Guide iEFB app. Traffic information is overlayed on the moving map display; the traffic’s relative altitude is displayed next to the diamond traffic icon. The PCAS XRX can be connected to the iPad using the Flight Guide FLY-Wi GPS. For more information, click here.
WICKS HOLDS FIRST RED TAG PRE-INVENTORY
SALE
Wicks Aircraft Supply will hold its first annual Red Tag Pre-Inventory Sale November 18-19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its Will-Call Store. Discounts will be available on the entire warehouse inventory, and those who pay with cash will receive an additional 2 percent savings. There will be special bargain bins for building materials, vendors will be on hand to demonstrate products, and EAA Chapter 64 will provide lunch for donations.
Those who want to fly in can land at St. Louis Metro-East (3K6) in St. Jacob, Illinois, where shuttle vans will be available for the 10-minute drive to the factory. Everyone who makes a purchase will automatically be entered in the daily grand raffle for a new Dynon DX-15 handheld transceiver. Wicks Aircraft Supply is located at 410 Pine Street in Highland, Illinois. For more information, click here.
PIPER RECRUITING EMPLOYEES IN WICHITA
Piper Aircraft is conducting a Wichita, Kansas, career fair at Century II from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, October 7. The company seeks qualified and experienced aviation professionals for its ongoing aircraft manufacturing. “Most of our open positions are for a variety of engineering disciplines, but we also have other positions that are available,” said Piper Director of Human Resources Ellen Sobczak. “We ask applicants to submit their
resumes online prior to being interviewed by the hiring managers.”
All of the positions being recruited are located in Vero Beach, Florida, site of Piper’s manufacturing campus and on the East Coast. Many of the positions that the company seeks will be for the company’s new single-engine Altaire business jet, which is progressing toward its maiden flight in 2012, with certification and first customer deliveries in 2014. For more information, click here.
IFLIGHTPLANNER FOR IPAD COMING IN OCTOBER
At the AOPA Summit, Sennheiser and iFlightPlanner.com announced the launch of an integrated flight planning application designed for use on the iPad. IFlightPlanner for iPad enables pilots to plan their flights independent of where they are and what device they’re using. The app syncs all data from the pilot’s iFlightPlanner.com account, providing the ability to plan flights from a desktop computer, laptop, or any Web browser.
Once downloaded, pilots may view flight details, including navigation logs, VFR and IFR charts, as well as approach plates while in flight and without a data connection. After landing, iFlightPlanner for iPad allows pilots to electronically close their flight plans and automatically log their flight details into their iFlightPlanner.com logbook. The app will be available as a free download in the App Store in October. For more information, click here.
STAGGERWING SPORTY’S CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT
The 2011 Sporty’s Christmas ornament features the Beech Staggerwing. The custom-etched, limited-edition crystal ornament includes a red ribbon for hanging and is boxed for gift giving. “Sporty’s crystal Christmas ornaments have become an annual tradition for pilots, flight schools, FBOs, and aviation enthusiasts,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “The classic airplanes are well-loved by pilots, so we know the Staggerwing will be a popular ornament.”
The Staggerwing ornament is available for $24.95 and can be ordered from the Sporty’s website or by calling Sporty’s at 1-800-SPORTYS.
NATIONAL RIVET ACHIEVES AS9100C CERTIFICATION
National Rivet & Manufacturing Company in Waupun, Wisconsin, received AS9100C certification through August 3, 2014. The company manufactures rivets for aircraft, space, and defense applications, including brake, fuselage and airframe, and electronics rivets, as well as seating and cabin rivet applications, such as overhead bins. For more information, click here.
NEXT-GEN IRIDIUM SATELLITES MIGHT
CARRY ADS-B PAYLOADS Satellite communications provider Iridium is in
discussions with other aerospace companies and air navigation service
providers to equip its next generation of 66 low-Earth-orbit satellites
with ADS-B payloads, making possible global surveillance of aircraft to
include oceanic and polar regions. Iridium CEO Matthew Desch said the
addition "can basically provide real-time surveillance of every
NextGen-equipped aircraft anywhere on the planet." Iridium's
second-generation satellites are scheduled to launch from 2015 to 2017. |
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