Pilot Briefing

New Piper Announces Turboprop Malibu

At the National Business Aviation Association's convention in Dallas, September 23 to 25, The New Piper Aircraft displayed a full-sized mock-up of the Malibu Meridian single-engine turboprop aircraft.

A 400-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine will power the pressurized six-place Meridian to a claimed 260 knots true airspeed at 30,000 feet. At a cost of $1.3 million, the new single turboprop is pegged as a low-cost alternative to light jets and other turboprops, while offering similar performance.

"For quite a while we've dreamed of creating an aircraft that offers the performance, comfort, and agility of today's light jets and turboprops, but within the financial reach of most business and personal pilots," said Chuck Suma, president and CEO of New Piper. Suma also pointed out that you could buy two Meridians for the cost of one of its closest competitors, in particular the Socata TBM 700.

Piper intends for the Meridian to be a step-up airplane for those looking for more performance than the piston-powered Malibu Mirage. The company says that so far it has 74 orders for the turboprop and will offer step-up incentives for those looking to traverse the Piper product line, eventually ending up in a Meridian. First flight is scheduled for the second half of 1998, with certification and first deliveries in 2000.

What's the next step for Piper after the Meridian? According to Larry Bardon, director of marketing, it's a new low-cost jet that will be easy to fly. As it's trying to do with the Meridian, Piper will focus on keeping the acquisition cost and operating expenses of the new jet in line, but Bardon was quick to point out that jet-powered aircraft are expensive to develop.

In the meantime, those already modifying the Malibu/ Mirage airframe with a PT6A engine were jubilant. "It validates what we have been doing," said an official of JetProp of Spokane, Washington. His company has sold five of the aircraft in the experimental category. The modification costs $589,000.

Galaxy Rolls Out

The super mid-size business jet market became a little more crowded with the early September rollout of the new Galaxy in Tel Aviv. First flight is scheduled for this month, with FAA and Israeli certification to follow in December 1998. First customer deliveries are planned for the first quarter of 1999. The Galaxy is a an outgrowth of the Astra SPX, also built by Israel Aircraft Industries. The Galaxy has a 4-foot greater wingspan than the SPX and a much larger cabin, as well as higher maximum gross weight and higher thrust engines. — Thomas B. Haines

Sino Swearingen's SJ30-2 has become the first aircraft to fly with the Williams Rolls FJ44-2A engine. Powered by a pair of the 2,300-pound-thrust fanjets, the SJ30-2 completed a 30-minute flight from San Antonio International Airport on September 4. The $3.5 million jet will be certified for single-pilot operation in the fall of 1999 — a slippage from earlier schedules — and is to be assembled at the Sino Swearingen factory under construction in Martinsburg, West Virginia. It carries six to seven people and is expected to have a 2,500-nautical-mile range. Jack Braly, president and CEO, said that the development delay was caused by engineering revisions to the fuselage and a maximum gross weight greater than 12,500 pounds, forcing the company to seek an FAA waiver to allow the jet to be certified in the commuter category of FAR Part 23.

Premier I Has Design Changes, Rollout Delayed

Raytheon Aircraft says that because of changes in the company's new Premier I business jet, the airplane's rollout will be delayed until late March 1998.

To assure that the airplane meets its advertised 1,500-nautical-mile NBAA IFR range, Raytheon expanded the airplane's wing chord. This allows a larger fuel capacity. The new fuel capacity will be 3,648 pounds, as opposed to the previously specified 3,365 pounds. In another change from original specifications, spoilers were added to augment the roll control provided by the airplane's ailerons.

There are now three Premier I test aircraft in various stages of assembly. Certification of the Premier I is expected in the second quarter of 1999. About 100 of the aircraft have been ordered. — Thomas A. Horne

The New Piper Aircraft announced at NBAA that the company's Archer III is the trainer of choice for Airline Training Center Arizona, a Phoenix-based outfit owned by Lufthansa German Airlines. ATCA trains pilots for several major airlines throughout the world. Complementing ATCA's existing fleet, the 180-horsepower Archer III will be the "ideal ab initio training platform," said Lee Walther, New Piper's director of international sales. In June, ATCA placed an order for three new Seneca Vs.

U.S. representatives Tony P. Hall (D-Ohio) and Dave Hobson (R-Ohio) have introduced a House bill establishing a Centennial of Flight Commission to help plan the national celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic 1903 first powered flight. The commission will encourage participation in national and international activities by organizations, industries, museums, and educational institutions. It could also recommend the issuance of commemorative coins, stamps, and educational materials. A Senate version of the bill is expected to be introduced by senators John Glenn (D-Ohio) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio).

Airpower Aviation Resources, located in Los Angeles, has become the distributor for the Aermacchi F.260, better known as the SIAI Marchetti SF.260. Aermacchi acquired SIAI Marchetti in January. Widely used as an aerobatic trainer, there are 850 of the SF.260 aircraft ($400,000 new) and SF.260 TP (turboprop — $1 million) flying worldwide, with 80 of those in the United States. Contact Airpower at 310/559-7131.

In July this King Air C90B completed a successful first flight at Spokane, Washington, under Orenda V-8 engine power. The twin 600-horsepower engines are liquid-cooled and turbocharged. The engines are designed to maintain 500 hp up to 20,000 feet. Slight changes were made to the engines after the flight, and a second flight was not expected to occur before October. The engine is 18 months behind the original timetable. Transport Canada and FAA certification is expected late this year or in early 1998. Once engine certification has been obtained, testing for a supplemental type certificate to install it on an airplane can begin. Orenda Recip Inc. is developing STC installation kits for the King Air and other twin- and single-engine aircraft. The company is located in Mississauga, Ontario, and can be reached at 905/677-3250.

Lord Corporation, the same company that supplies most of the rubber engine mounts for general aviation airplanes, is now offering its NVX active noise control (ANC) system for Twin Commanders. The company already has systems available for the Beech King Air series and Cessna Conquest series. Like an active noise canceling headset, but on a much larger scale, the ANC system nearly eliminates propeller-induced noise by generating a sound 180 degrees out of phase. According to Lord, the Turbo Commander's interior noise is reduced by as much as 14 decibels, or 80 percent. For more information, call 919/859-4911, extension 6403.

Friends of Meigs Field, the organization dedicated to preserving Chicago's downtown airport, received the NBAA Grassroots Award during the organization's Dallas convention. NBAA recognized Friends of Meigs Field for its contribution to business aviation in helping to keep the lakeside airport open despite efforts by the city to close it.

AkroTech Aviation of Scappoose, Oregon, has secured new funding from the State of Oregon and private investors, allowing company owners to retire outstanding debt and support production efforts. In addition, the company has new models coming out to complement the Giles 200 and Giles 202 aerobatic kits.

Cessna Aircraft Company has appointed 19 existing service centers as single-engine sales representatives. They are in North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Florida, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Montana, and Nevada, as well as Canada. For more information, see Cessna's Web site ( www.cessna.textron.com) or call 316/941-6488.

Former President George Bush, former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Beryl A. Erickson, and Joe M. Kilgore have been inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. The four will be honored next year during a ceremony at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas. Bush was the youngest naval aviator flying in World War II. Bentsen earned the Distinguished Flying Cross as a bomber pilot in that war. Erickson was the chief test pilot for General Dynamics Corporation until 1962. Kilgore earned the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal with oak leaf clusters as a World War II bomber pilot.

Bombardier Aerospace has received FAA certification of the Learjet 45 business jet. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in November for this clean-sheet-designed bizjet. The 45 is powered by two 3,500-pounds-static-thrust AlliedSignal TFE 731-20 engines capable of pushing the eight- to nine-passenger Lear at Mach 0.81. According to Bombardier, 135 Lear 45s were on order by mid-October, at an asking price of $7.925 million each.

The Aircraft Electronics Association will award 21 scholarships totaling $63,000 for the 1998-1999 school year. They range in value from $1,000 to $16,000. To receive a scholarship application package, write to AEA Educational Foundation Scholarships, Post Office Box 1963, Independence, Missouri 64055-0963. The deadline for applications is February 2. Another scholarship — this one for flight training in the Chicago area — is available from the Aviation Scholarship Foundation, Post Office Box 246, Palos Park, Illinois 60464 (708/448-1914). The scholarship is for teenagers with the greatest financial need. Everette Motley, Jr., 18, just finished flight training with the aid of the scholarship and is now a proud private pilot. Students in the Chicago area can learn more about the scholarship on the Web (members.aol.com/kidsfly).

The FAA Wichita Aircraft Certification Office is preparing to release the second airworthiness directive against the new Cessna 172R. The AD involves a manufacturing defect in the doublers below the floor at the front door post. Apparently Cessna left out four or five rivets on each side when manufacturing the aircraft. This is not an immediate safety threat but does need to be addressed before too many hours of operation accrue on the new 172s (some reportedly have more than 400 hours on them already). The FAA estimates that the AD will apply to approximately 115 aircraft, and compliance will be required within the next 100 hours or at the next annual inspection. The AD will reference Cessna Service Bulletin No. 97-53-02, which will be dated September 15, 1997. Cessna is picking up the cost of parts and 14 hours of labor for the repair under warranty. Access to the area in question is very difficult at best.

In response to the October 31, 1994, crash of an Avions de Transport Régional ATR72, the FAA has issued 24 proposed airworthiness directives that affect most general aviation and corporate aircraft equipped with pneumatic deicing boots. The ruling calls for revising the airplanes' flight manuals "to specify procedures that would prohibit flight in severe icing conditions (as determined by certain visual cues), limit or prohibit the use of various flight control devices while in severe icing conditions, and provide the flight crew with recognition cues for, and procedures for exiting from, severe icing conditions." Some 2,140 aircraft on the U.S. registry are affected by this proposed AD.

The FAA has issued a proposed airworthiness directive (97-CE-37) that will supersede AD 87-18-09, which requires a one-time inspection of the front and rear wood spars for cracks on Bellanca-built 8GCBC Scout airplanes. The type certificate is now owned by American Champion, which uses metal spars. The new AD would require the installing of inspection holes on the top and bottom wing surfaces and repetitively inspecting the spars every 12 months or 500 hours, whichever occurs first.

Falcon SST? Maybe.

Dassault Aviation announced at the NBAA convention that the company will study the idea of developing a supersonic business jet bearing the Falcon nameplate.

"What counts is to reduce the time spent traveling, such as flying from New York to Tokyo in seven hours," said Jean-Francois Georges, Dassault's senior vice president of civil aircraft, somewhat snubbing the new "global" jets such as the Gulfstream V and the Bombardier Global Express. Georges stressed at NBAA that the company was launching only a study of the idea.

Although Dassault must address numerous issues — including operational requirements, certification issues, environmental issues, and cost — the company's experience in building supersonic fighters makes it well-suited to the supersonic business jet effort, according to Bruno Revellin-Falcoz, Dassault Aviation's executive president. "We do believe that one day, if there is a market for a supersonic business jet, we should be a leader in that field," he said. An American partner would be sought for the Mach 1.8 airplane.

If all goes well, Georges said, we could see a supersonic Falcon in "a decade, or even less."

Impact Dynamics, located in Wichita, has laid off half of its 10 workers in the wake of the departure of company President Gail Brinkman. Her duties have been assumed by Bob Dwerlkotte. An official said that the company still offers its crashworthy seats for the Cessna 172 and 182 but will concentrate for the future on airline seats. No new general aviation products are planned.

Raytheon Aircraft has celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Beech Bonanza with a specially painted aircraft. Since its introduction in 1947, 17,376 Bonanza aircraft have been delivered.

Spencer Mamber, AOPA 597295, has passed his love of flying on to his son, Michael, who has soloed at age 16. That in itself is not unusual, but Michael soloed a turbocharged Beech Travel Air, skipping the usual single-engine trainer route.

Sporty's Pilot Shop has announced that its 1998 AOPA General Aviation Calendar is now available. AOPA Pilot photographer Mike Fizer shot most of the 12 aircraft, which range from the Robinson R22 helicopter to the all-new Learjet 45 business jet. The calendar costs $10.95 and can be ordered by calling 800/SPORTYS or 513/735-9000.

The American Airlines/C.R. Smith Museum has opened several new exhibits in Fort Worth, Texas, just southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, 4601 Highway 360 at FAA Road. The museum features a restored American Airlines Douglas DC-3, Flagship Knoxville; interactive audio-visual exhibits; and the wide-screen Iwerks film Dream of Flight. For information, call 817/967-1577.

Linda Finch to Receive Amelia Earhart Award

The hometown of Amelia Earhart — Atchison, Kansas — selected World Flight pilot Linda Finch as the first recipient of the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award. Earhart would have been 100 this year. A $10,000 scholarship will be named for Finch at the educational institution of her choice to encourage and support young women.

Earlier this year Finch completed the around-the-world flight that the world-famous aviatrix attempted in 1937. Finch was selected to receive the award because of her efforts to educate children about Earhart and her own achievements during World Flight 1997. The scholarship will be awarded annually.

Outsourcing the issue
Lycoming Workers on Strike

At press time, workers at Textron-Lycoming's Williamsport, Pennsylvania, plant had been on strike since August 5, leaving the salaried employees to build engines and fulfill customer orders.

Apparently the root of the strike started three years ago when the company began outsourcing the manufacture of many reciprocating engine components, according to Robert McHugh, a United Auto Workers spokesperson. On the other hand, a Lycoming spokesperson says that an auction of surplus equipment was rumored to be a complete selloff of the plant, leading to the unrest.

Approximately 375 workers are picketing outside the Williamsport plant, leaving engines to be assembled and shipped by salaried employees working overtime. There are slight delays in fulfilling customer requirements, said a Lycoming spokesperson. McHugh says the fact that salaried employees were working on the assembly line before the strike contributed to the falling out.

Lycoming and the UAW each claim that the other is not cooperating in the negotiation process, which leads McHugh to believe that there is no end in sight for this strike within the near future. "I think ultimately the company would like to move closer to Cessna," said McHugh. Lycoming says that it has no relocation plans.

Lycoming claims the quality of product is not an issue, given that many of the salaried employees have been previously trained to build engines.

The San Antonio, Texas, Police Department has taken delivery of two Schweizer 339SP helicopters. The staff of 10 pilots now provides a 24-hour operation. The rotorcraft are equipped with a color thermal-imaging camera, a video recorder, a searchlight, and a police radio.

The good news for Textron-Lycoming is that the company received certification of its IO-580-A1A, the engine chosen to power the new Cessna 206H. The engine, basically an IO-540 with a larger bore, is rated at 300 horsepower at 2,500 rpm. TBO for the new engine will be 2,000 hours, or 2,200 hours if the engine is consistently flown 40 hours per month. The 206 was formerly powered by Teledyne Continental's 300-hp IO-520. Future variants of the Lycoming engine will be a 310-hp turbocharged version slated for the Turbo Stationair and a 330-hp version for the Extra 330 aerobatic airplane.

Roy Norris, who recently resigned as president of Raytheon Aircraft, has formed Norris Consulting in Wichita. The firm provides management consulting for companies in the general aviation industry and also for airframe manufacturers and their suppliers. Norris has begun operations in Wichita but plans to relocate to Savannah, Georgia, before the end of the year. He can be reached at 316/733-8910.

Flight Time Publishing has just printed Aviation Scholarships, a guide to financial assistance for college and flight training. It is a 147-page workbook describing not only where to find the scholarships, but also how to apply for them. To order, call 800/243-1515 (or 215/997-2470), extension 387. Mention "Code 4B" to the operator and you'll get $2 off. The book is $24.95 plus $5 shipping. Write to Flight Time Publishing, 8526 Drexel Avenue, Suite 4B, Chicago, Illinois 60619-6210.

Arthur R. Disbrow, the head of Hartzell Propeller Inc., located in Piqua, Ohio, has retired after 16 years. He joined as vice president and general manager in 1981 when the company was acquired by TRW, and served as president when the company was sold by TRW to private interests in 1987. He helped to develop the company's first composite propeller blades and lightweight four-, five-, and six-blade propellers for the corporate and regional airline market.

NASA is wrapping up a month of tests on a vision enhancement system using the NASA Boeing 757 research aircraft at William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International. Computer-generated graphics outline the correct runway and its precise location on a glass visor mounted between the pilot and the cockpit windshield. Upon contact with the ground, aircraft position is shown on an electronic moving map on the instrument panel, and other active aircraft at the terminal are depicted. Positioning is achieved by GPS satellites and an airport layout database.

Kirby Chambliss of Tempe, Arizona, flew his Zivco Edge 540 to victory over 18 Unlimited category competitors during the International Aerobatic Club Championships in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in August. Zivco Aeronautics is located in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Fantasy of Flight, the Florida aircraft attraction at Polk City, has added a Spitfire MK 16E TE466 to its collection of historic aircraft. In its previous lives, the aircraft had served as an exhibit at the gate of the Royal Air Force Northolt base in Middex, England, and was used in the movie Battle of Britain. During the 1950s, the aircraft survived a career as a target-towing aircraft.

Purdue University's aviation technology program has developed a partnership with Chautauqua Airlines, a US Airways Express operator based in Indianapolis. The arrangement guarantees Purdue students a job after graduation. In return, Chautauqua provides $60,000 in funding and class materials to integrate its training into Purdue's curriculum.

An aviation art exhibit is open to the public through December 3 at SimuFlite Training International's center at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Included is Shootin' Stars of the 94th, painted by Stan Vosburg of California. For information, call 972/456-8278.

AOPA members in the news

Frank Mulberry, AOPA 077342, was recognized in the New Messenger in Marshall, Texas, after passing his private pilot checkride in August, at age 89. He told the paper that his accomplishment was "sort of an ego thing," just to see if he could do it.

Marilyn Moody, AOPA 1103059, has become the Northwest section governor for The Ninety-Nines organization. She succeeds Nancy Jensen, AOPA 731762, who had been in that position from 1995 to 1997. Moody recently set an NAA speed record on the Duluth-to-Sault Ste. Marie leg of the twenty-first Air Race Classic (see " Pilot Briefing," October Pilot). For more, see the Web site ( www.ninety-nines.org/racing1.html).

Don Treco, AOPA 1246635, of Auburn, California, and his 25-member big band, "Moonlight Swing," were the featured band at the first Golden West Aviation Association EAA Fly-in at Castle Airport in Atwater, California (formerly Castle Air Force Base).

Irwin Feher, AOPA 892604, of Hailey, Idaho, took first place in the Production Line Modified category of the Sixth Annual Great Cross-Country Flying Race from Denver to Oshkosh. He was flying a Rocket 305 Mooney. Gary Neal, AOPA 1166283, of St. Louis, won the Corinthian Certified Division, flying a Mooney M20K. Klaus Savier, AOPA 1253210, took first place in the Hornet Experimental Division, flying a VariEze.

Frank Augustine, AOPA 657596, has completed a video sampler that offers previews of several videos he has produced for a travel series, Flying the Americas. The $9.95 sampler includes scenes from tapes on flying to Baja, Belize, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and the Cayman Islands. For information, call 800/841-1252 or 520/776-7768.

Three-time National Aerobatic Champion Gene Soucy, AOPA 505431, of Memphis, Tennessee, was awarded the Rolly Cole Memorial Award and the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship at this year's EAA Fly-in and Convention in Oshkosh. The Cole Award is presented annually to those who have made "significant contributions to airshows and aerobatics." The Barber Award, which Soucy has won once before, was awarded for his performances in his Extra 300S and the Show Cat; the latter is used for a wing-walking act he performs with Teresa Stokes.

Charles E. Martin, AOPA 471664, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was recently given the Pennsylvania Outstanding Aeronautical Achievement Award by the governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge. The award is given to an individual who has contributed a significant aeronautical or aerospace accomplishment. Martin was on flying status with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for 33 years.

John Dale, AOPA 718810, of Canada, has written and published Snowshoes & Stethoscopes, his account of working as a flying doctor in the Canadian North. Of special interest to doctors, it can be ordered by calling 250/825-2235.

Jim Allmon, AOPA 108077, former sales manager for RAM Aircraft, has opened an aircraft refurbishment business in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Lynnette. Aurora Aviation will begin with refurbished twin Cessnas but also offers services for other aircraft. For information, call 254/714-0414.

Four members of a French flying club have returned to Paris from Oshkosh in the club's primary trainer, a French-built Robin DR400 Major (long-range model). Two of the men, Régis Masson and Yvon Bellec, brought the trainer across the Atlantic to the EAA Fly-in and Convention in nine days, while Frédéric Gilbert-Zinc, AOPA 1291817, and Didier Alix returned the aircraft to Paris. All are members of the Dassault Falcon Service aero club — a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Dassault Industries — at the Plessis Belleville Airport a few miles from Charles de Gaulle International Airport north of Paris. They said they wanted to show what French pilots and French aircraft can do, as well as inspire the students in their club. The longest leg was 720 nautical miles; the Major version has a range of more than 1,000 nm.