Departments
Inside AOPA 
On Capitol Hill 
Airport Support Network
ASF News
Quiz Me! 
ePilot Calendar 
Weekend Weather
| GA News
| EXXON TIGER GETS REVENGE
Bruce Bohannon ripped through the overcast Oshkosh sky Sunday to break one, and possibly two, world time-to-climb records. Bohannon, in his Exxon Flyin' Tiger monoplane, shattered the old record to 9,000 meters (about 30,000 feet) by seven and a half minutes at EAA AirVenture 2000. His unofficial time was 19 minutes, 47 seconds. Bohannon also may have broken the 6,000-meter record, but it was too close to call initially. The official results for both record claims are expected in a few weeks. Bohannon already holds the C1-b climb record to 3,000 meters and had tried two other times to break the 6,000-meter record. His last failed attempt was in April at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In when his nitrous oxide-injected Mattituck-Lycoming engine failed catastrophically, forcing him to make a deadstick landing. Mattituck then rushed to build a new 370-hp engine without the nitrous in time for Oshkosh. The engine performed flawlessly.
LANCAIR RELEASES COLUMBIA 400 SPECS
 The Columbia 400 may be destined to become the world's fastest fixed-gear production aircraft. The Lancair Company released figures for the new airplane at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh last week. Based on the same airframe as the normally aspirated Columbia 300, the new turbocharged plane has a 230-kt cruise speed at 18,000 feet and can hit 245 kt at 24,000 feet. But the company isn't stopping there. Inside the cockpit are two large multifunction displays from AvroTec, running software by Avidyne. Lancair expects to complete the certification process by late 2001 and begin delivering airplanes soon after. Prices start at $349,000. For more information, see the Web site.
BFGOODRICH SURPRISES GA INDUSTRY
BFGoodrich is developing a self-contained primary instrument system that integrates all flight avionics and display equipment for general aviation and business aircraft. The SmartDeck system includes flight, navigation, weather, lightning detection, traffic and terrain avoidance, and engine monitoring functions. It will replace standalone instruments now purchased separately. A working prototype was displayed at EAA AirVenture, with a highway-in-the-sky display in which navigation is accomplished by flying through a series of boxes on the screen. Small towers indicate airports, shadowed areas indicate controlled airspace near airports, and intersections are depicted by triangles. Full development should require another two years. Company officials said that they have no price estimates, but one official said it would cost little more than comparable systems found in Cessna 182s. The flexible architecture will allow information to be presented in a conventional display, or with synthetic vision using highway-in-the-sky overlay depictions. The SmartDeck is designed to fulfill aviation's "free flight" vision, making instrument flying more intuitive.
FAA ANNOUNCES STEPS TO IMPROVE RUNWAY SAFETY
The FAA has announced 10 initiatives for reducing runway incursions that will be implemented immediately. The initiatives were selected from among some 800 items by a joint industry/FAA working group (which is cochaired by Dennis Roberts, AOPA vice president of government and technical affairs) as having the highest potential to reduce runway incursions, and which could be implemented before the end of the year. Among the initiatives are repainting and doubling the size of runway hold short lines and outlining them in black to improve contrast. Also on the list is improved pilot testing and evaluation, with more questions on surface operations added to FAA knowledge tests. All check flights (new pilot certificate, biennial flight reviews, etc.) will include evaluations of pilot knowledge of airport signs, lighting, and markings. (Ironically, these items were included in the 1998 recommendations of another runway incursion advisory committee, chaired by AOPA Air Safety Foundation Executive Director Bruce Landsberg.) Other initiatives include a new advisory circular on airport surface operations, a review of pilot/controller communications phraseology, teamwork and memory enhancement training for tower controllers, and more education for foreign pilots. The FAA listed AOPA, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, and the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations as resources to be used in accomplishing the runway incursion initiatives.
GOLDIN DEFENDS NASA ROLE IN AVIATION
NASA Administrator Dan Goldin celebrated advances in general aviation during his visit to EAA AirVenture. Some of those advances resulted from Goldin's 1992 visit to Oshkosh that led to an influx of funding into aeronautics and avionics research. Many of the glass cockpits on display, especially those in Lancair aircraft, benefited from NASA research efforts, Goldin said. He said Congress chopped funding for the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) because there was an attack on all new projects. He is hopeful the funding can be restored and said many in Congress do not understand NASA's role versus that of the FAA. "The FAA doesn't have the capacity to invent," Goldin said. The SATS program would reduce air traffic congestion by bringing largely automated small aircraft to smaller communities. Teledyne Continental said that its new diesel aircraft engine, developed with NASA funding, is expected to fly soon. The French company, SMA, has completed the Snecma-Renault engine SR305 diesel engine and flew it July 16 on a Cessna 182 operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The first engines will be sold next year to a small number of customers for field testing. Another diesel by Delta Hawk could be delivered for nonaeronautical uses by the end of the year. The engines will eventually be used in aviation but are also expected to be utilized by drilling companies, hovercraft, compressors, and other users. The 200-hp engine will cost $19,000.
AMERICAN CHAMPION BUILDS CHAMP PROTOTYPE
American Champion Aircraft has built a prototype of the Bellanca 7ACA and is considering it for a return to production. Whether the model is actually revived depends on customer response. The prototype was displayed at Oshkosh. The aircraft is priced at $62,000 and is powered by an Australian-built 80-hp Jabiru engine. The newly completed aircraft will be the smallest of the American Champion line if the decision is favorable for the certification and production route. It may also be offered as a kit, depending on market reaction. Building time is estimated to be 600 hours. Only 71 of the Bellanca 7ACA aircraft were built during production that started and ended in 1971. Perhaps part of the reason was because of the two-cylinder, 60-hp engine that provided poor performance. It originally sold for $4,995.
STEMME LAUNCHES NEW GLASS SHIPS
Stemme plans to introduce two new aircraft, both derivatives of the Stemme S10 high-performance motorglider. The S08 is a touring motorglider with the same turbocharged Rotax 914 engine as in the S10-VT; also available is a version with a normally aspirated Rotax 912 engine. Unlike the S10-VT, which has a retractable propeller for most efficient soaring, the S08's propeller will not retract, but the prop will feather, reducing drag in the glider configuration. Another difference is that the S08 will have fixed tricycle landing gear while the S10 uses a tailwheel configuration. The S08 is expected to cruise at 148 knots compared to the S10-VT's 140 knots. Glide ratios for the S10-VT, the S08, and the S07 are 50:1, 35:1, and 45:1 respectively. The S10-VT lists for about $170,000. Stemme USA, the North American distributor for the German manufacturer, expects the S08 to start at about $110,000. The S07 has a planned price of roughly $70,000. For more information, visit the Web.
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
|
Inside AOPA
| AOPA OBJECTS TO HIGHER CEILING AT CINCINNATI
AOPA is objecting to an FAA proposal to raise the ceiling of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) Class B airspace to 10,000 feet. However, AOPA is supporting another part of the proposal that would eliminate some Class B airspace east and west of the airport. "The FAA is doing some of the right things, but doing them the wrong way," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "They should implement the desirable changes now rather than dragging it out." The FAA has started the time-consuming process of making the airspace changes. AOPA contends that the law permits the FAA to make the desirable changes now without initiating yet another rulemaking process. The FAA is proposing to "notch" the Class B boundaries east and west of the airport. Eliminating these two sections of Class B airspace will improve general aviation access to outlying airports. Another part of the new proposal, however, would raise the vertical limits of the Class B airspace from 8,000 to 10,000 feet. "AOPA adamantly opposes raising the current airspace ceiling," said Boyer. "There is no safety justification for this change, and it would unnecessarily hamper general aviation access." Informal public meetings on the proposed changes are scheduled for 7 p.m. on August 16 and 17 in the Dennert's Community meeting room, Lunken Airport, 351 Wilmer Ave. in Cincinnati. AOPA is urging area pilots to attend.
PLAN SEEKS TO REDUCE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION DELAYS
Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Jon Jordan has agreed to consider a plan that could reduce the long delay in receiving special issuance medical certification. During an aviation medical summit meeting last week at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, AOPA renewed its suggestion that aviation medical examiners (AMEs) be given the authority to issue temporary special issuance medical certificates on the spot, rather than forcing pilots to wait up to four months for the FAA to process applications. As part of a 1997 proposal to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey on reducing medical certification delays, AOPA suggested giving AMEs special issuance authority. The temporary medical (much like the temporary certificate a pilot receives after passing a checkride) would be good for 120 days, pending a formal review by the FAA. Temporary issuances would be limited to third class medicals initially, but could be extended to other classes later.
AOPA HELPS TV VIEWERS UNDERSTAND GEAR-UP LANDING
AOPA was called in by MSNBC News Tuesday morning as a Beech C24R Sierra burned off fuel over Orlando, Florida, for a textbook gear-up landing at Orlando Executive Airport. Drew Steketee, AOPA senior vice president of communications, helped interpret events via a telephone link for viewers along with Ed Pinto, MSNBC aviation consultant, former FAA public affairs chief, and former AOPA communications executive. AOPA explained the emergency as relatively minor, outlining gear-up landing preparations and techniques as an airborne TV helicopter followed the Beech through final approach, landing, and egress. "I sure wouldn't have wanted my emergency landing on national TV, but this pilot did a great job," said Steketee. "I think the audience took away more respect for pilot skill and aircraft durability, counter to the 'crash a day' mentality that prevails among the public."
| On Capitol Hill
| CONGRESS FAILS TO FINISH FAA FUNDING BILLS
The House and Senate adjourned for the August recess last week without finishing work on the bills to fund the FAA in fiscal 2001. The legislation was reported out of the House and Senate in June; however, no conference has been held to resolve the differences and the bill will not be sent to President Clinton until at least September.
ZELL MILLER APPOINTED TO SENATE
Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes has persuaded former governor and AOPA Presidential Citation recipient Zell Miller to replace the late Sen. Paul Coverdell as a member of the U.S. Senate. Miller was sworn in on July 27 following Coverdell's death earlier in the month. Miller received the citation in June 1998 after fighting hard to secure $35 million to improve the state's general aviation airports during his term in office.
AOPA LOBBIES FOR GA AT GOP CONVENTION
AOPA's Legislative Affairs staff was at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia this week to make the case for general aviation before GOP leaders and legislators. No other GA organization has been as visible at the convention as AOPA. Bill Deere, AOPA vice president and executive director of legislative affairs, and John Williams, director of legislative communications, discussed a range of issues from FAA management reform to the prevention of new user fees with the legislators and delegates who wrote the party's platform. AOPA will also be at the Democratic National Convention later this month in Los Angeles.
| Airport Support Network
| VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK–DAVID J. KOTKER
Newly appointed Airport Support Nework volunteer David J. Kotker from Renton Municipal Airport, Washington, reports that noise issues at the airport have resulted in airport managers proposing possible curfew restrictions on tenants. Kotker obtained documentation from the FAA stipulating that any curfew restrictions imposed on the airport users would be in violation of the grants and assurances that the airport accepted when it received Airport Improvement Program funds. He will attend city council meetings to offer suggestions and offer his support in working with the pilots and users to assure that the current voluntary noise abatement procedure is properly followed.
Click here to learn more about the Airport Support Network.
| AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| In a continuing effort to promote aviation safety and pilot education, the Air Safety Foundation's highly regarded Safety Advisor series is now available online to all pilots. Visit the Web site.
| Quiz me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: What is the meaning of the acronym "CAUS" as used in the Duats briefing listed below?
"Southern California...Lompoc CAUS [VBG] - China Lake CAUS [NID] - 60 miles north-northwest of Bishop CAUS [BIH] line southward
Coastal sections...Coastline Los Angeles CAUS [LAX] northward...1,000 feet broken to overcast, to 015. Visibility occasional 3 statute miles in mist/haze."
Answer: The "CAUS" means California, United States, further defining the location of Lompac, China Lake, Bishop, and Los Angeles.
Got a technical question? Call our technical specialists at 800/872-2672 or e-mail to [email protected]. Send comments on our Quiz Me! questions to [email protected].
| What's New At AOPA Online
| AOPA's handy 2000 Aviation Fact Card is now available online. For information, see the Web site .
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Great New England Air Show takes place August 12 and 13, featuring a military open house at Westover, the largest Air Reserve base in the United States. USAF Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Golden Knights perform. Call Metropolitan Airport (CEF), 413/593-5543, for airport information; call 413/557-3500 for event information.
Washington, Missouri. The Washington Town and Country Fair welcomes visiting pilots through August 6. Washington Airport (MO6), 636/433-5454, serves the area. Call 636/239-2715 for event information.
Fort Wayne, Indiana. Air Expo 2000 takes place at Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) August 12 and 13. Featuring B-29s, B-24s, NATO AWACS from Germany, and more. Call 800/767-7752 for event information.
Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Abbotsford Air Show takes place August 11 through 13. Fly-ins are welcome. Abbotsford Airport (CYXX), 604/855-1001, is the host airport. Call 604/852-8511 for information.
UPCOMING AOPA EVENTS
AOPA Expo 2000 takes place in Long Beach, California, October 20 through 22. Visit the Web site.
For more airport details, see AOPA’s Airport Directory Online. For more events, see the Aviation Calendar of Events.
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Tampa and Dallas on August 5 and 6. Clinics are scheduled in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Atlanta; and Norfolk, Virginia, on August 12 and 13. For complete details, visit the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
The next AOPA ASF Safety Seminars are scheduled in Milwaukee and Memphis August 14; Madison, Wisconsin, and Nashville August 15; Rochester, New York, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 16; and in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Minneapolis August 17. The seminar topic is "GPS for VFR Operations." Familiarity with GPS units is essential because it is the navigation system of the future. You will learn rules for survival in an electronic environment as well as advantages and disadvantages of using GPS; GPS capabilities; how to navigate using GPS; and traps and tricks of GPS navigation. Pilots of all skill levels and experience will benefit from this thorough review of GPS in VFR conditions. For more information about ASF Safety Seminars, visit the Web site.
ASF PINCH HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place place August 12 and 13 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. For details and a complete schedule, see the Pinch Hitter Ground School Schedule.
AOPA PILOT TOWN MEETINGS
Featuring AOPA President Phil Boyer
(7:30 p.m.; admission is free)
The next Pilot Town Meetings are in Omaha, Nebraska, August 28; Des Moines, Iowa, August 29; and Lansing, Michigan, September 11. Click for more information on Pilot Town Meetings.
|
Contacting ePilot
Got news? Having difficulty using this service? Write to ( [email protected]). To UNSUBSCRIBE: reply to this e-mail, a free weekly newsletter on general aviation, with the word "unsubscribe" as the subject. Do not include a message. To SUBSCRIBE: visit ( http://www.aopa.org/members/epilot.html).
AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000
Copyright � 2000. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
| Sponsors
        
|
