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ISSUE 13 DECEMBER 2010
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Predictions
for 2011
By
Dan Grunloh, Editor, Light
Plane World |
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No
mortal can foresee the future with
certainty because the future is
determined by what you and I and
everyone else does today, tomorrow,
and the next. With a little
knowledge we can make some accurate
guesses. I don't need a magic
crystal ball or the skills of Carnac
the Magnificent to predict correct
answers to three questions about
ultralights and light planes that
have not yet been revealed. Those
answers are "Quicksilver,
electric, and
encouraging." Read
more
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Yes!
There Really is Sport Pilot Training
Available
By Larry Gehrig
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Greetings,
my name is Larry Gehrig and I have
been given this opportunity to
remind our fellow EAA enthusiasts
that Sport Pilot Chicago is actively
involved in daily flight training
for pilots to obtain
sport pilot
certification and we have been
actively involved with Light Sport
training since late 2005. Read
more
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You
Can Afford to Be a Pilot |
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Airplane
and gyro pilot and certificated
flight instructor Tim O'Connor has
published a new book in paperback
and e-book form. You Can Afford to
Be a Pilot explains how to become a
pilot and fly for fun on a middle
class budget. It's an excellent gift
for future ultralight and sport
pilots and provides valuable tips
for existing pilots. The paperback
is $10.95 on Amazon.com, and the
e-book version, regularly $8.99, is
25 percent off for Light Plane
World readers. Read
more
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| Electric
Aviation News in a Nutshell |
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Anyone
surprised to learn that 48 percent
of EAA members polled believe
they'll someday fly an electric
airplane may have missed the news
coming from EAA.org and EAA's
weekly member electronic
newsletter e-Hotline. |
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| The
utilization of electric aircraft
for routine flight training or for
racing would have seemed
impossible just a few years ago.
Now they may be right around the
corner. Here's a quick summary of
the latest electric airplane news.
Read
more |
| Sebring
Expo Coming Next Month |
| Mark
your calendars. The U.S. Sport
Aviation Expo will be held January
20 to 23, 2011, at Sebring
Regional Airport, Florida. The
event began in 2005 and had nearly
175 exhibitors in 2010. When icy
temperatures and snowdrifts of
winter get you down, take a few
days in warm Florida where you can
try out the latest light-sport
aircraft for size and attend some
of the 45 workshops or forums. For
a list of exhibitors and more
details, check out the U.S.
Sport Aviation Expo website. |
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| Mogas
Petition and Ethanol-Free Gas
Station List |
| An
online
petition has been started to
urge Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
to ensure that ethanol-free fuel
will continue to be widely
available. The goal is to have
10,000 signatures. Over 3,700
supporters have already signed up,
many leaving comments about how
ethanol fuel affects their
airplane, boat, auto, or small
engine. |
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| The
effort is sponsored by Sam Hokin
who has established a website that
currently lists over 2,180 gas
stations that sell alcohol-free
fuel. Read
more |
| Belite
Electronics Offers New Avionics |
| Belite
Electronics has added several
solid-state, lightweight avionic
instruments to its inventory. The
new instruments include an
airspeed indicator measuring up to
135 knots and a turn-rate
indicator utilizing a solid-state
gyro with an automatic backup
battery suitable for use as an IFR
(instrument flight rules) backup
in experimental aircraft. |
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| Belite
instruments weigh only 1/2 ounce
and are available with a round or
square bezel or in a
self-contained enclosure. These
instruments work with experimental
and Part 103 aircraft. For more
details, click
here. |
| New
Aircraft Intercept Procedures |
| The
FAA would like to remind all
aviators of the procedures used if
intercepted by air defense
aircraft. During national security
events, temporary flight
restrictions are relayed via
notices to airmen and enforced by
North American Aerospace Defense
Command (NORAD) interceptors. Due
to the dire consequences of not
following the correct procedures,
it is highly advisable to be fully
aware of what to do during an
intercept. These procedures have
been updated in the Aeronautical
Information Manual and
Aeronautical Information
Publication. However, due to
the long publication cycles, they
won't be incorporated until August
25, 2011. Please take a few
minutes to review
the procedures and make
yourself aware of what to do if
intercepted. Read
more |
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Airbike
Cross-Country Flight to Liberal,
Kansas
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There’s
no such thing as a non-event,
cross-country flight in a 342-pound
airplane. Experiences abound. Flying
from Derby, Kansas, to the Liberal,
Kansas Air Fair, this past October
and attending the one-day air show
provided many new challenges.
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I would
soon learn those challenges were
unique to the remote areas of our
state. I like to plan flights, I
like to fly, and I like multi-day
trips, so when Mary Shortridge, EAA
Chapter 377 newsletter editor,
invited me out, I began planning. Read
more
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Have
You Ever Seen a Deere Fly? Part I
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Building
what you fly is sometimes a tall
order. Especially if your building
spaces are limited to your carport
and other small places where all
your other stuff accumulates as
well. I have veteran roots in hang
gliding, beginning on the Outer
Banks of North Carolina.
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Through
the years, I observed some of my
foot-launched pilot friends
transition to early ultralights, and
I lost a few friends to what I refer
to as a "go-kart
attitude." Read
more
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From
the EAA Light Plane Community
The message forums at
Oshkosh365 are alive with
activity. Here are the latest
discussions!
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| Videos
from the light plane world |
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The
Renegade Light Sport Falcon is the
first Light Sport aircraft to fly
with the new Lycoming 233 LS
engine. View
the video
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| Sometimes
you have to play as in this
powered paraglider tandem video
from Hungary that captures the
pure fun of flying. View
the video |
| Submit
light plane videos that you just
had to watch again; and probably
forwarded to your friends. Send
them to LightPlaneWorld@EAA.org. |
| Featured
Photo Gallery |
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COPPERSTATE
2010 Fly-In
The light side of the
COPPERSTATE 2010 Fly-In at Casa
Grande Arizona included trikes,
fixed-wings, powered paragliders,
and more. Be sure to also check
out this
video by Antonios Printezis,
which includes an interview with
light-sport chairman Steve Bass. View
the COPPERSTATE gallery
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Engines
Q. I use auto gas. Is the
87 number on the pump the octane
of the gas?
Answer
Powered
Parachute
Q. Can a powered
parachute (PPC) wing exceed the
critical angle of attack and
stall? Answer
Weight
Shift Trikes
Q. Should I be
using power, or should the
throttle be at idle during
landing?
Answer
Fixed-Wing
Airplane
Q. Why
do some airplanes have a yaw
string? Answer
Rotorcraft
Q. How does thrust
act on a gyroplane? Answer |
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Mike
Makepeace's Classy Fisher Classic
Experimenter, December
1997
 Mike
Makepeace began attending EAA
Oshkosh in 1978 and has barely
missed a year since. He has built
12 to 15 airplanes, and as a demo
pilot for Fisher Flying Products,
has introduced countless
individuals to the fun of flying.
His Fisher Classic biplane with
traditional sunburst paint job is
timeless. Read
the article
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| Q. Nearly
half of EAA members polled believe
they will someday fly an electric
airplane. Have you ever seen a
manned electric airplane in
flight?
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