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April
13, 2012 Volume 12,
Number 15 |
THIRD
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL LEARN TO FLY DAY IS MAY 19
 Events
continue to be scheduled for EAA's third annual International Learn to
Fly Day (ILTFD), set for Saturday, May 19. Tens of thousands of future
aviators are expected to participate, taking the first step toward
discovering the fun, freedom, and accomplishment of flight. Local EAA
chapters are leading the way for this aviation community-wide effort.
Chapters will offer complementary adult orientation flights, helping to
connect aviators with those who have always wanted to discover
flight. Read
more
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NTSB
UPDATES RENO AIR RACE INVESTIGATION
 The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided an investigative
update this week on last year's crash of a highly modified P-51D
airplane at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. In
addition to the investigative update, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman
announced that the agency was issuing a total of seven safety
recommendations to make the National Championship Air Races a safer
event for pilots and spectators alike. Read
more
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FOR FUN FLYING, TRY IFR
 Stancie
and I love to sail, but we're not cruisers. We're racers. Our
objective is to use the natural action of the wind and water on
the hull and sails to beat sailors in other boats. We have
sailor friends who couldn't give a hoot about racing. They just
want to enjoy the general peace and quiet of a sailboat on a
nice day. They sail to escape, while we sail to be intensely
involved in a mission.
It's the same with flying. I love
to fly, but I fly to complete a mission, which is to travel
where I want to when I want to on the most predictable schedule
possible. Many of my pilot friends fly to enjoy the view and
spend time with friends who love airplanes, often old or unique
airplanes. Flying someplace on a predetermined schedule - except
maybe to fly to Oshkosh every July - just isn't on their radar.
Continue
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EAA
MOURNS HARRY ZEISLOFT, LONGTIME BOARD MEMBER
 Harry
Zeisloft, who was one of EAA's longest-serving board members and an
integral part of EAA's effort to create the auto fuel Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC), passed away Sunday, April 1, in Mesa, Arizona. He was
93. Zeisloft served on the EAA board of directors for 40 years - from
1957 to 1997 - and also served on the EAA Aviation Foundation board from
1972 until 1996. An accomplished engineer, he earned 25 patents for
aircraft and automotive innovations while at Bendix Corporation,
Aeronca, and GM, including automotive cruise control, anti-lock brakes,
aviation fuel systems, and other advancements. Read
more
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DAD,
CAN I BORROW THE STEARMAN?
 This
week, the Hightowers became a second-generation family of aviators, as
John Hightower - son of EAA President/CEO Rod Hightower - soloed his
dad's PT-17 Stearman on Monday, April 9, at Creve Coeur Airport near St.
Louis. Monday was also John's 16th birthday, which was the first day he
could legally fly solo in the Stearman. John's instructor was Rudy Haug.
The new pilot and the proud dad are shown after John's solo flight. Watch
the video.
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TWENTIETH
AERO NEXT WEEK IN GERMANY
Free admission for EAA members
 The
20th AERO Friedrichshafen trade show for GA is next week, April 18-21,
in Friedrichshafen, Germany. More than 500 exhibitors are expected to
attend and show off their latest offerings, including light aircraft,
avionics, aircraft maintenance, and more. New offerings in 2012 include
the Helicopter Hangar, focusing on all things rotorcraft, and the first
Engine Area, presented by fliegermagazin. Returning for its fourth year
at AERO is the e-Flight Expo highlighting the emerging electric aircraft
field. Doors are open at from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and EAA members
get free admission (a $23/day value). For more information, click
here.
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GAMA
AND IMC CLUB BRINGING SEMINARS TO AIRVENTURE
 The
General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the IMC Club will
conduct three seminars on instrument flying proficiency during
AirVenture this July. Exact dates and times for the seminars will be
announced shortly. The IMC Club is a relatively new organization
intended to bring instrument-rated pilots, and those who want to earn
the IFR rating, together regularly for "hangar flying"
sessions to share experiences. More than half of all active pilots have
an instrument rating, but only a minority of rated pilots routinely fly
IFR. Read
more
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LIMITED
SLOTS OPEN FOR 'CHEROKEES TO OSHKOSH'
 Cherokees
to Oshkosh announced that some slots have become available for their
mass arrival to AirVenture 2012, scheduled for Friday, July 20, at 1
p.m. Cherokee owners who would like to arrive at Wittman Regional
Airport with the group should click
here and register for one of the limited openings. The mandatory
mini-clinics are just beginning, so there is still plenty of time to
attend and qualify the PIC to fly the mass arrival procedure.
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FAA
RELOCATES WILDLIFE HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM WEBSITE
 A
website launched by the FAA in November 2011 to help pioots report
aircraft wildlife strikes has been relocated, the FAA noted this week.
The new website, now located
here, makes it easy for GA pilots to report wildlife strikes, which
will help the agency help airport sponsors develop mitigation plans to
reduce their occurrence. The latest study shows that GA accounts for
only 6 percent of the total strikes 100,000-plus reported. EAA
encourages pilots who experience wildlife strikes to report them
immediately through this dedicated FAA website and help make flying
safer for all.
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STUDENTS
EARN EAA/DAHER-SOCATA SCHOLARSHIPS
 Anna
Bobrowski, of Valparaiso, Indiana, and Ryan Leeward, of Belleview,
Florida, will receive the work internships of a lifetime, as they have
been named recipients of the sixth annual EAA/DAHER-SOCATA International
Scholarships. Each recipient receives a five-week internship at
DAHER-SOCATA's Tarbes facility in France, followed by a week at the EAA
Air Academy in Oshkosh, where they'll help Socata during EAA AirVenture
2012. All travel, lodging, and work experience is included, as well as a
side trip to the Airbus facility at Toulouse. For an aspiring student
working toward a career in the aviation industry, it's a dream
situation. Read
more
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EAA
INTRODUCES NEW TIG WELDING INSTRUCTIONAL DVD
Learn step-by-step with TIG welding expert Wyatt Swaim
 The
increasingly popular TIG welding method for aircraft construction is now
easier to master than ever, with the help of a new instructional DVD
available through EAA, the leading source of knowledge and information
for homebuilders. TIG Welding: Chromoly is a 90-minute video that
features all of the necessary skills to learn and master welding of
thin-walled 4130 chrome moly steel (chromoly) tubing that is used
extensively in aircraft construction. That is an area not covered in
other TIG welding educational materials. Read
more
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FLABOB
STUDENTS TO CHAT WITH ISS NEXT WEEK
 Twelve
middle and high school students at Riverside, California's Flabob
Airport Preparatory School will gather next Thursday, April 19, at the
EAA Chapter One hangar on Flabob Airport for a far-out conversation. At
10 a.m. PDT, they'll have the chance to pitch questions to an astronaut
aboard the International Space Station. The live Q&A session will
last about 10 minutes before the station disappears beyond the horizon.
The event, organized by the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) group, is free and open to the public. The Tom Wathen
Center's Kathy Rohm is coordinating the event. To learn more, call
951-683-0142 or send an
e-mail.
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B-17
ALUMINUM OVERCAST SET TO BEGIN SPRING TOUR
 Spring
is finally here, and this month EAA's restored B-17 Aluminum Overcast
will kick off an eight-city tour of the West Coast. The tour starts with
an April 20-22 stop in Torrance, California, at Zamperini Field Airport,
followed by an April 27-29 stop at Van Nuys Airport. The Flying Fortress
will work its way up the West Coast before the last tour stop June 7-10
at Denver's Centennial Airport. Self-guided ground tours of the B-17 are
available daily from 2-5 p.m. costing $10 per individual or $20 per
family (including children up to age 17). Active military or veterans
can tour free of charge. Visitors can also book a mission flight on Aluminum
Overcast; passengers can save by pre-booking, but walk-ups are
always welcome. For more information including the full tour schedule,
history of the aircraft, and to pre-book the flight of a lifetime, visit
the B-17 website.
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EAA
FORD TRI-MOTOR FLORIDA TOUR CONTINUES
 Less
than one month remains in the Ford Tri-Motor's tour of Florida, so act
fast! This weekend, the Tri-Motor is in Stuart, staying at Witham Field
Airport until April 15. Then it's off to Vero Beach Municipal Airport
April 16-18, followed by an April 19-22 stop at Orlando Executive
Airport. To find out how you can take a ride in this historic aircraft
and to see the full tour schedule, visit the Fly the Ford website.
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EAA
MERCHANDISE: GET YOUR HANGAR READY WITH UP TO 45 PERCENT SAVINGS
 Now
through April 18, receive nearly half off (45 percent) everything you
need to create the hangar of your dreams! From kits to clothing, books
and DVDs, ShopEAA.com has all the tools necessary to get your hangar
ready for action. Order
online or by calling toll-free, 800-564-6322.
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WEBINARS: SUBSONEX - A PERSONAL JET KIT
AIRCRAFT
In this webinar, Sonex Aircraft
Founder John Monnett will share his thoughts on the SubSonex concept jet
aircraft, his design philosophy, flight testing to date, and the
upcoming production kit prototype.
All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CDT unless
otherwise noted, and they require registration. 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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Monthly Photo Contest
Enter your pictures now for the June 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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Maiden
Flight for STEMME Optionally Piloted Vehicle
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The
STEMME S15 motorglider recently completed its maiden flight as an
optionally piloted vehicle. Two German universities collaborated on
the LAPAZ project, an automated flight control system, designed to be
cost effective in manned GA aircraft for computerized landings or
takeoffs and even fully autonomous start-to-finish flights - with or
without an onboard pilot. |
XLDron
Hotel Shuttle and Space Resort |
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The
XLDron Versatile Earth Window is a visionary concept system design for
a resort space hotel and the transport vehicle to take customers
between Earth and the hotel. The XLDron is a dual-craft system similar
to Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo-SpaceShipTwo combination, with a
launch aircraft and a rocket-powered spacecraft. The spacecraft has
four interchangeable modules: astronauts capsule, supplies capsule,
energy capsule, and satellite capsule. |
Smooth
to Rough With Texture-Switching Plastics |
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University
researchers have developed a new type of plastic that quickly changes
its surface texture when an electric charge is applied. The texture of
this plastic's surface can be changed from smooth to rough in just
milliseconds. Quickly altering the texture of the plastic has the
potential for dramatically changing the aerodynamics of that surface. |
Quiet
and Clean: The Super 'Sonic Star' |
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The
HyperMach Sonic Star is a new supersonic airliner project promising
quiet, clean, and very quick flights between major cities. Richard
Lugg has designed the speedster aircraft and propulsion system to
eliminate the sonic boom while burning much less fuel and reducing
emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional supersonic
aircraft. The sonic boom is prevented by projecting "a stream of
ionized gas in front of it as it flies, creating an 'electromagnetic
vacuum' that will absorb pressure waves." |
Kickstarting
Hermes Into Space |
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The
Space Transport and Recovery Systems team launched a Kickstarter
crowdfunding project for developing a full-scale rocket engine to
power the Hermes spacecraft into orbit around Earth. The Hermes team
already built a full-size prototype rocket ship and has built and
tested reduced-scale rocket engines. The Kickstarter project is for
scaling up to build and test a 10-inch full-size rocket engine for the
spacecraft. |
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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: FILLER RODS FOR GAS WELDING 4130
 Dr.
Joe Maj, AirVenture volunteer in the gas welding workshops as well as a
SportAir Workshop instructor, shows us the top filler rod choices for
gas welding 4130 alloy, and the application for each one. Watch
the video
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TIMELESS
VOICES OF AVIATION: THOMAS GRIFFIN
 Continuing
our observance of next week's 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid
(April 18, 1942), we feature an interview with Thomas Griffin, who flew
as the navigator on the No. 9 plane of the Doolittle Raid attack. After
surviving the raid and returning to the U.S., he was assigned to fly on
B-26 Marauders with the 319th Bomb Group in North Africa. After his
plane was shot down over Sicily on July 4, 1943, Tom was captured and
spent the next 22 months as a POW. He was liberated in April 1945. Watch
the video. Next week, the third of our Doolittle Raid Timeless
Voices: Dick Cole, right seat pilot in the No. 1 B-25 flown by Lt. Col.
Jimmy Doolittle.
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Where
Are You Flying This Weekend?
There are 102
fly-ins and other
aviation events over
the next two weekends
listed in the EAA
Events Calendar. Find one near you or add your event! |
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Q&A:
I’m looking at purchasing a HiperBipe and have
been doing some research that showed some of them
have started to experience some delamination in the
wood wing skins. I was wondering is there any way to
repair this or are you looking at a new set of
wings?
Answer:
Repairing delaminating wood wing skins would be very
difficult without significant damage to the
underlying structures, primarily the ribs, when
removing the skin. I guess it would depend on just
how big the area affected is, and how well you can
inspect the remaining area to assure yourself that
any remaining structure is still sound.
Wood aircraft
structure repair is covered in FAA
Advisory Circular 43.13-1B, and I recommend that
you look there as well for reference.
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
April 2012
Jonathan
Apfelbaum, EAA 222561, shot this air-to-air photo of
a Bücker Jungmann belonging to Doedo and Gail
Schipper of Longmont, Colorado. This particular
Jungmann, which is technically a CASA 1.131 built
under license in Spain, is painted in Dutch Air
Force colors as a nod to Doedo's heritage.
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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DAHER-SOCATA DELIVERS FIRST G500
RETROFITTED TB 20
The keys of the first DAHER-SOCATA TB 20 Trinidad training aircraft
modernized with Garmin G500 avionics went to Marc Houlla, director of
France's Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) national aviation
school. The plane delivered is the first of a fleet of 37 TB 20 Trinidad
aircraft to be retrofitted. The contract for DAHER-SOCATA's
modernization of ENAC's TB 20 fleet was signed last year at the Paris
Air Show, and includes installation of a Garmin G500 integrated avionics
suite, two GNS 430W combined communication-navigation systems, a Garmin
GAD 43 digital autopilot, and numerous additional options. For more
information, click here.
ZENITH INCREASES SIZE OF STOL CH 750
Zenith Aircraft Company has made the STOL CH 750 bigger, raising the
cabin height by nearly 3 inches. The top front of the cabin has been
raised, and is now part of the lifting surface of the aircraft. With the
taller cabin with airfoil top, the STOL CH 750 design continues to offer
an "above-cab" wing design to maximize visibility, and the
tapered wing root and top window provides extra visibility in turns. The
wing design minimizes the frontal area in the propeller slipstream for
increased performance, and also provides direct prop blast to the tail
sections for better aircraft control in slow flight. For more
information, click here.
TECNAM'S NEW FACEBOOK PAGE
Tecnam has now established a Facebook page for Tecnam fans to be updated
with the latest developments and engage in conversation with other
Tecnam enthusiasts. With the Tecnam P Twenty-Ten about to achieve first
flight, the delivery of both the 100th Tecnam P2006T Twin and 200th
Tecnam P2002JF due at AERO Friedrichshafen on April 18, and celebrations
of the 20th anniversary of the Tecnam P92 family of single-engine
airplanes imminent, Tecnam's Facebook pages are assured of keeping both
fans and media alike up to speed on the ever-changing world of Tecnam.
For more information, click
here.
GULF/PACIFIC COAST AVIONICS ADD FLIGHT
COMPANION
Both Gulf Coast Avionics and Pacific Coast Avionics added the Flight
Companion from Matchbox to their product offerings. The FC-1 Flight
Companion is a new, lightweight, multifunctional instrument that
provides a variety of alerts to assist pilots with their flight deck
management functions. Capabilities include an altitude alert system that
alarms with change of more than plus/minus 100 feet from a preset
altitude and a tank timer that provides a 30-minute tank countdown and
an LED flash alert that the tank is being timed out. For more
information, visit the Gulf Coast
Avionics or Pacific Coast Avionics
websites.
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Experimental Aircraft
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