American Tiger to make comeback?
TLM Aerospace, a subsidiary of Tong Lung Metal of Taiwan, says it has bought the rights to the American Aviation AA-5 Tiger aircraft and the AA-1 Cheetah. The firm intends to manufacture the Tiger in a year or two, and eventually the Cheetah once the Tiger is in production.
TLM says it intends to build a new factory at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Consultant John Witcher of Salt Lake City, who said he will be in charge of operations at the new factory, said there is as yet no formal plan for construction of the building and hiring or training of the work force. Therefore, Witcher said, time-tables are difficult to predict. Bob Crowley of Greenville, Mississippi, will be in charge of marketing and finance.
Tong Lung Metal is one of the largest producers of door hardware and lock sets in the world. Equipment used for the manufacture of locks is similar to that used for aircraft, the company said.
The new factory will be located at the same airport where another Taiwanese-supported venture is located — the just-completed Sino Swearingen business jet plant. The TLM deal was facilitated by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), a personal friend of high Taiwanese officials.
Record billings for GA after only third quarter
According to totals released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), billings for new general aviation aircraft by the close of the third quarter of 1997 had surpassed those for the entire year of 1996.
GAMA reported $3.19 billion in billings during the first nine months of 1997 versus the $3.12 billion reported for all of 1996. Deliveries for the first three quarters totaled 954 units — more than 30 percent higher than the same period last year.
Piston aircraft shipments, led by Cessna's 149 Skyhawks so far this year, were up nearly 47 percent to 561 units. Turboprop deliveries fell 20 percent while business jets soared to 236 deliveries — a 56-percent increase over last year's 151.
Strega won the Unlimited Gold race at the Reno Air Races this year. The P-51 was flown by Bill (Tiger) Destefani at a speed of 453 miles per hour and is powered by a Dwight Thorne Merlin engine. Mary Dilda, flying Mystical Power, became the first woman to win the AT-6 Gold race. Jon Sharp won the Formula One Gold race aboard Nemesis. Earl Allen won the Biplane Gold in his Pitts Racer called Class Action. His speed was 198.7 miles per hour.
Reigning national aerobatic glider champion Ken Hadden, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, died on October 21 in the crash of an Extra 200 aerobatic aircraft while practicing his airshow routine. He had performed in airshows nationally in powered aircraft. Hadden's family said he had owned the Extra 200 only three months and was practicing aerobatics at Packer Airport near Radnor, Ohio. He traveled the world representing the United States in international aerobatic glider competitions — most recently in Turkey in September.
BD-10 Company Sold
The Bede Jet Corporation of Chesterfield, Missouri, has risen from the ashes of bankruptcy with its sale to Vortex Aircraft Company, located in San Diego. The Bede company was undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
Vortex plans to market several versions of the BD-10 jet — to be called the PhoenixJet — after it has been redesigned. The two-passenger jet will no longer be a supersonic design, but will fly at 345 knots at 15,000 feet and have a target range of 1,000 nautical miles.
The aircraft will be certified under FAR Part 23, and will not be marketed in kit form as designer Jim Bede had originally intended. A new engine will be chosen for the aircraft, and pilot controls will be hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS), allowing the pilot to control most functions without letting go of the stick.
Initially, Vortex will concentrate on marketing the aircraft as a military trainer. The cost is expected to be less than $1 million. While Vortex purchased most Bede Jet assets, it did not purchase the one remaining BD-10 prototype.
Hartzell Working on One-Time Fix for AD
Hartzell Propeller of Piqua, Ohio, has begun an FAA certification program on a new replacement blade retention system for X- and V- shank propellers affected by Airworthiness Directive 97-18-02 (see " AOPA Action," p. 12). This fix will not require the purchase of a new propeller.
The new design uses a single blade-retention shoulder similar to those found in the company's steel-hub propellers used in larger turboprops. The upgrade is applicable to A- and D-style hubs and will require the purchase of new blade clamps and possible rework of the blades. Owners of the older 1- and 8-style hubs will have to upgrade to the A- or D-style hubs.
Hartzell has special pricing in effect for many of these components, which should be available in the first half of 1998. For more information, contact Hartzell at 937/778-4200.
Europa Aviation Ltd., located in North Yorkshire, England, has designed a set of glider wings that are interchangeable with the kitplane's regular wings. The company promises two airplanes for the price of one. The glider wings are not in production, and no price has been established. The Europa, as the aircraft is known, can be completed in 700 hours and costs about $40,000, including the $24,000 airframe kit, a Rotax 914 engine (recommended), instruments, paint, and interior. It is available as a tri-gear model, or with a single wheel under the fuselage. Tests are in progress at Lakeland, Florida, on a Europa powered by a Continental O-200 engine. See the Web site ( www.europa-aviation.co.uk) or call Europa Aviation in Lakeland at 941/647-5355.
LASAR for Lycoming 540s
Unison, Precision Airmotive Introduce Electronic Mixture Control
Unison Industries is teaming with Precision Airmotive to offer an Electronic Mixture Control (EMC) system for piston-powered general aviation aircraft.
Through the use of Unison's LASAR electronic ignition system and Precision's RSA fuel injection system, EMC will automatically enrich or lean the fuel mixture based on atmospheric conditions, selected manifold pressure, and selected revolutions per minute. In case of a total failure of the EMC system, mixture control reverts to the standard manual operation.
Benefits include improved fuel efficiency and economy, reduced pilot workload, and, through the LASAR system, improved engine starting and operation. Price for the EMC has not been set but release of the system is scheduled for the second quarter of 1998.
Unison, maker of Slick magnetos, also has received FAA/PMA approval for the installation of the LASAR electronic ignition system on Lycoming 540-series six-cylinder engines. So far, 87 airframes powered by the -540 have been approved for the installation. LASAR monitors engine manifold pressure and rpm and automatically adjusts magneto timing for optimum efficiency and power. LASAR is claimed to increase fuel efficiency by 7.9 percent at a best-economy power setting. The $2,500 LASAR system will soon be approved to work with the electronic mixture control system. For more information, call Unison at 904/739-4123 or Precision at 206/355-6400.
FCC to Rule on Aircell Petition
Following four years of testing, AirCell, a new company in Boulder, Colorado, has asked the FCC to allow use of its aircraft-based cellular telephone on a permanent basis. The company said that it believes it has shown the system does not interfere with ground-based cellular telephones.
The FCC, in making its decision, must first weigh opposition from GTE, Bell South, AT&T, and others. The companies are concerned about possible interference. AirCell has received letters of support from AOPA and other aviation organizations for the service. The FCC's decision is expected this month, and will be posted on the AOPA Online Members Only section (www.aopa.org).
AirCell has designed a $7,000, permanently mounted aircraft telephone to use cellular frequencies in a non-interfering manner. It will provide coverage at altitudes below 5,000 feet through 150 existing cellular towers nationwide. In many areas coverage will continue to as low as 3,500 feet or lower. Once the aircraft is on the ground, the system switches over to ground-based cellular systems.
Diane Hakala Wins National Aerobatic Championship
Diane Hakala has become the U.S. national aerobatic champion during competition at Denison, Texas.
Hakala is the second woman to win the title since it was created 37 years ago. Patty Wagstaff, now devoting herself to airshow and movie flying, has won it previously. Hakala won flying a 305-horsepower Staudacher S300D. She works as a money manager for Brandywine Mutual Fund in Phoenix.
Also determined at the national championships was the makeup of the next U.S. aerobatic team (pictured below) that will compete in Slovakia next August. It comprises Diane Hakala, Debbie Rihn-Harvey, Ellen Dean, Kirby Chambliss, Matt Chapman, Mike Goulian, Phil Knight, and David Martin.
International aerobatic competitor Randy Gagne, 42, a former member of the Canadian aerobatic team, died on October 25 in the crash of an Extra 300 aerobatic aircraft north of Van Nuys Airport in California. Also killed was Laura Heide Cayouette, 36, a Southwest Airlines captain and aerobatic pilot who was getting a demonstration ride. Gagne had been her instructor when he taught at Pompano Air Center, in Pompano Beach, Florida, earlier in his career. Gagne operated an aerobatic flight school at Van Nuys Airport called Attitude Adjusters.
The Air Force has developed survival vests for air crew members that use GPS-based ELTs. The signals cannot be deciphered by enemy forces. The new vests were mandated by Congress because, as one Air Force officer said, many in Congress thought that Air Force Lt. Scott O'Grady should not have had to eat bugs for six days in June 1995 before he could be rescued from Bosnian Serbs after his F-16 was shot down.
Traveling to Ottawa? Spend an interesting day or two at Canada's National Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe Airport near Rockcliffe and Aviation parkways. The museum is Canada's answer to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. In addition to antique aircraft, the museum also features an Avro Arrow (right) and other jets. For more information, see the museum's Web site ( www.aviation.nmstc.ca) or call 613/993-2010.
Dick Rutan, whose Voyager aircraft went to the National Air & Space Museum after circling the globe on one load of fuel, hopes to have another aircraft in that museum soon. This time it would be a lighter-than-air craft. Rutan, who is also a balloon pilot, and record-setting balloonist Richard Abruzzo hope to circle the world nonstop between January and March aboard the Global Hilton. The eight-foot-wide gondola will be pressurized to 12,000 feet, and fly at 32,000 to 36,000 feet. An envelope of heated air beneath the balloon's helium chamber will keep the balloon from losing altitude at night. If successful, the two will enter the record books as the first balloon pilots to make the flight nonstop.
Angel Flight Southeast, based in Leesburg, Florida, has received a community service award and a check for $25,000 from Walt Disney World. The volunteer pilot organization flew 510 free mercy medical missions last year to Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Vertical Aviation Technologies of Sanford, Florida, has completed a highly modified Sikorsky S-55T, powered by a 650-shaft-horsepower AlliedSignal TSE-331, for use in Alaska. It carries nine passengers and has a 3,400-pound payload and a 340-nautical-mile range. Vertical Aviation Technologies is also modifying another S-55T with a five-blade rotor for Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. The design is meant to make the aircraft as quiet as possible, and thus more environmentally acceptable.
Mooney Names New President
William J. Skibbe has become president and CEO of Mooney Aircraft Corporation, taking over from new company owner Paul S. Dopp, who remains as Mooney's chairman. Skibbe is the former president and CEO of Sargent Fletcher of El Monte, California, a manufacturer of jet refueling systems.
Prior to that position he served as general manager of operations for the Air Force C-17 transport manufacturing program at McDonnell Douglas Corporation. He also worked for Lockheed Martin and Ford Aerospace on military and commercial programs. Skibbe said his goals are to increase production of aircraft from the present eight a month to 10, and to put existing work for Boeing, Raytheon/E-Systems, and Lockheed Martin back on schedule, and seek additional similar contracts.
Dopp was a former owner and CEO of Butler Aviation before resigning in 1971, and heads AVAQ Mooney Inc., a new entity formed by Dopp to invest in and control Mooney Aircraft.
The FAA has good news for operators of aircraft using Sensenich propellers — the time between overhaul has been increased from 1,000 hours to 2,000 hours. Sensenich makes only fixed-pitch propellers. While Part 91 operators did not have to adhere to the 1,000-hour TBO, Part 135 operators in the United States and operators in Canada and most European countries were required by law to recondition the propellers every 1,000 hours. An average reconditioning costs $300 to $400. Sensenich offered data to the FAA in June showing that there has never been a failure of a Sensenich propeller prior to 2,000 hours. With regular reconditioning, most propellers last 10,000 hours.
AASI Aircraft, of Long Beach, California, has completed the first flight of its Jetcruzer 500. The 45-minute flight from Long Beach Airport included several test maneuvers. The company expects the FAA to award a type certificate by late 1998.
For the second consecutive time, Virginia Skiby of Bakersfield, California, took first place in the Copperstate Dash Air Race sponsored by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. She flew a Vari-Eze, which she and her father built, and covered the 304-nautical-mile course at an average speed of nearly 207 knots.
The Piper Tomahawk, which has been under fire from the National Transportation Safety Board since July, has received a clean bill of health from the FAA. The FAA rejected an NTSB recommendation for a new round of spin tests, and said recent stall tests prove that the aircraft meets FAA certification requirements. The NTSB said the aircraft has suffered a number of accidents caused by unintentional spins, including flat spins. "At this time, the FAA remains satisfied that the precertification spin testing of the PA-38, as well as those tests done in the fall of 1978 by both Piper and the FAA to support the installation of additional leading-edge stall strips, met FAA requirements," said FAA Administrator Jane Garvey.
U.S. Air Rally Team Competes in Turkey
The U.S. Air Rally Team placed twentieth out of 32 competing teams in the Air Rally competition of the First World Air Games held in Antalya, Turkey. It was the first time a U.S. team had competed in such an event overseas.
Air rallying is a precision-flying sport in which each team is given last-minute instructions to fly over specific checkpoints using no navigational equipment except for a compass, directional gyro, and basic dead-reckoning navigation skills. A few seconds early or late arriving at a checkpoint, and the penalties start accumulating. The Vermont-based U.S. team flew a Turkish military Cessna T-41.
The Polish team won the gold medal by being penalized only 634 points in the entire competition — versus the 6,300 that were racked up by the U.S. team. The U.S. Air Rally Team will head to Poland in 1999 and the Second World Air Games in 2001, for which the location has not yet been determined. For more information about the U.S. Air Rally Association, call 802/878-1754.
The Shell-sponsored Formula One racer, Pushy Galore, finally was defeated in a climb race to 1,000 meters during the EAA Fly-in and Convention last summer, but it took a Russian MiG-17 — and mechanical difficulties — to do it. The MiG, flown by James Rossi, was declared the winner after Shell pilot Bruce Bohannon pulled out of the race with a rough engine. During a demonstration for Reno, Nevada, elementary students, Bohannon had to prove that he actually fits in the aircraft.
Squawk Sheet
Owners of Teledyne Continental Motors E series engines and O/IO-470 series engines should obtain a copy of Airworthiness Directive 97-21-02 to get updated information and revisions to AD 97-15-01 and Continental Service Bulletin 97-10(A). The AD requires the removal from service of new cylinders coated with manganese phosphate that may be abnormally wearing piston pin plugs. A copy of the AD can be obtained on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/files/airdirect/1997/972102ad.txt [ .pdf]).
Flying the Pacific? Corporate jets can now use the airport at Midway Island for the first time in 50 years. The former military airport has been named Henderson Field, Midway Atoll (PMDY). It features new GPS approaches, automatic weather reporting service, and simplified landing slot procedures. It was transferred last year from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is operated by Midway Phoenix Corporation of Cartersville, Georgia, at 770/387-2000.
Two $1,000 aviation scholarships are available for those living or studying in New England states. One is available to men or women who are high school seniors or older. The other is available to women only; applicants must have a private pilot certificate. For information, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Karla Carroll, Scholarship Chair, Eastern New England Ninety-Nines, 14 Cooke Place, Warwick, Rhode Island 02888-4202.
Bell Helicopter Textron President Terry D. Stinson has assumed the additional role of CEO of the company.
Flight Service Stations to be Updated
Automated flight service stations will receive a $110 million software update under a contract awarded to Harris Corporation of Melbourne, Florida, by the FAA.
Harris also plans to market the software to pilots for home computers. The software, called Wings, combines weather graphics and automated flight-planning capabilities. No price has been set for the home version, although packaging has been designed. The software is used to obtain — for a small monthly fee — the same weather graphics as those used by the FAA. Intended routes could be laid directly on the weather maps.
Actor Cliff Robertson has been honored by the National Aviation Club in Alexandria, Virginia, with the Cliff Henderson Award for Achievement for his volunteer efforts supporting aviation.
Want to own a piece of an airliner? Executive Jet of Montvale, New Jersey, and Boeing Business Jets have formed a joint venture that will bring Boeing 737-700 aircraft into Executive Jet's NetJets fractional ownership program. The program allows business jet customers to share aircraft, thereby reducing costs. Financial terms were not disclosed. The first of the new aircraft will roll off the assembly line in mid-1998. First delivery to NetJets will occur in late 1999. Several of the aircraft will go to individual purchasers prior to that time.
James W. Simister has been promoted to general manager/vice president of McCauley Propeller Systems by David G. Assard, president and CEO of Textron Lycoming and McCauley Propeller Systems. Simister is now responsible for all day-to-day operations.
Larry Lee, AOPA 966029, of Atlanta, and his wife, Cathy, won the turbocharged-piston category of the Long Range Air Race to the First World Air Games in Turkey in September. The Lees were flying their Piper Malibu Mirage named The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech. The race started in Reykjavik, Iceland, meandered through Europe and the Middle East, and ended at the site of the World Air Games in Antalya, Turkey. The Wreck covered the 6,600-nautical-mile distance in 29 hours and 48 minutes. The German team, flying Rectimo, a Beech Bonanza 35, won the piston-non-turbocharged category. The Turkish teams, flying Sabiha Gokcen, a Piper Cheyenne III, and Young Turks, a Cessna CitationJet, won their respective turboprop and turbojet categories in the race.
AOPA members in the news
Richard H. Pearce, AOPA 362454, of Moses Lake, Washington, recently completed a dead-reckoning, around-the-continent trip in his restored 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12D. Without an electrical system or even a handheld GPS, Pearce kept his T-craft within one degree (or approximately 60 miles) of the ocean or U.S. border at all times during his trip around the perimeter of the country. His reason for making the trip was simply to experience the adventure and emotions of pioneer aviators. Pearce believes the day is fast approaching when a flight around the United States in a vintage aircraft may not be possible because of communication requirements. The trip was completed in 109.5 flight hours covering 7,932 nautical miles for an average speed of more than 72 knots. Pearce kept a journal throughout his trip and will likely write a book about it.
Fred G. DeLacerda, AOPA 809923, has become the U.S. National Intermediate Aerobatic Champion during competition in Texas. A flight instructor, he operates a school specializing in flight safety training and aerobatics at Stillwater Municipal Airport in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He has recently purchased an Extra 200 for advanced aerobatic maneuvers.
Tony Friend, AOPA 1272806, of Corte Madera, California, was recently featured in the Marin Independent Journal for his Internet aircraft sales service, Aircraft Shopper Online. The native Australian created the site, which advertises airplanes for sale and sometimes creates the perfect link between seller and buyer. For more information on ASO, log onto http://aso.solid.com or call 415/927-2255.
Lee Couch, AOPA 1283225, of Alexandria, Louisiana, won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the Million Air FBO chain. His name was drawn from among 10,000 entries at the National Business Aviation Association's convention in Dallas in September.
The husband-and-wife team of Richard Azar, AOPA 005470, and copilot Suzanne of El Paso, Texas, won the 450-mile Mile High Air Derby flying a Cessna Hawk XP. The event was sponsored by the Colorado Chapter of The Ninety-Nines.
David Wartofsky, AOPA 820787, has received an award from the Maryland Aviation Administration for airport improvements and innovation at Potomac Airfield in Friendly, Maryland. Wartofsky, a former inventor of medical devices, has invented a Super Unicom for small airports. It provides automated radio checks for pilots and is now available for purchase. For information, call 301/248-3997.
Richard A. King, AOPA 1129211, has written and published The Skies Over Rhinebeck. Coauthored with writer Stephan Wilkinson, the coffee-table book is illustrated with numerous historic black-and-white and color photos of aircraft and the airshow founded by the late Cole Palen at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, near Rhinebeck, New York. The show is a time warp in which museum pieces still fly to the amazement of the crowd. King has flown most of them. To order, send $45 plus $5 shipping to Richard A. King, R.D. 1 Box 276G, Shore Drive West, Red Hook, New York 12571. Canadian residents should send $55 plus shipping.
Art Reitnouer, AOPA 576507, a retired school teacher, and his wife, Meri, a retired librarian, recently catalogued and arranged volumes of research materials for the Vorbeck Research Library at Sporty's Academy. Joe Vorbeck's immense collection of books, articles, photos, and other research materials were left behind when he died in 1996. It took nearly a month for the Reitnouers to arrange the materials for easy access. Like Vorbeck, Reitnouer was an instructor in the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's three-day ground schools.
James (Pete) Campbell, AOPA 032831, of Union City, Tennessee; Evelyn Johnson, AOPA 033508, of Morristown, Tennessee; and Bernard Geier, AOPA 061311, of Fairfax, Virginia, were the first three flight instructors inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame administered by the National Association of Flight Instructors.
Ernest N. Thorp, AOPA 179220, of Clinton, Illinois, was named Man of the Year by the 3,500-member International Flying Farmers. Thorp has been a pilot since 1941.
H.P. (Pete) Hill, AOPA 029712, of Idaho Falls, was honored as Pioneer of the Year by the Bonneville County Historical Society for his multiple aviation achievements.
Betty Jane Faux, AOPA 193554, of Long Beach, California, died August 25 after a battle with cancer. Betty was a designated FAA examiner in the Southern California area who had given more than 4,000 checkrides.
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