Based on a report from an individual who saw the videotape, Heligoin apparently got under Mallet's aircraft during the vertical descent. At that point, the maneuver calls for both aircraft to roll in opposite directions. But when Heligoin rolled, his aircraft hit Mallet's wing, separating Heligoin's left wing from the tip to the midpoint. The leading edge of Mallet's right wing was damaged, causing her to enter a spin.
There was no time for the pilots to use their parachutes, according to an official of Mudry Aviation, the flight school and FBO owned by the couple.
FAA inspectors from Orlando were studying the videotape of the accident. It is not known if video cameras mounted on the aircraft were functioning at the time of the crash, but the tapes from those cameras have also been obtained by investigators.
Relatives of the two French natives were to arrive from France to attend memorial ceremonies and to determine the future of Mudry Aviation. Heligoin and Mallet had specialized in aerobatic training since the early 1970s.
Alton K. Marsh
New Weather System Sees, Predicts Worst Hazards
Airport weather detection systems could soon be revolutionized thanks to the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Raytheon, and the FAA.
A new system that detects and predicts movement of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and gust fronts (microbursts) 10 and 20 minutes into the future is about to be deployed. Known as the Integrated Terminal Weather System, the equipment will be installed in Houston and Kansas City in September, and then be implemented at three major airports a month. Prototypes already have been operating in Orlando, Memphis, Dallas, and the New York area.
The FAA has funding for only 43 major airports, said Darin R. Meyer, an MIT Lincoln Laboratory staff assistant who is based in Orlando. Medium-size airports that do not have a terminal weather radar on the airport will get a system that is based on Nexrad weather radar data. A test system will be installed in Memphis this summer and in Jackson, Mississippi, in the fall. Some 90 medium-sized airports are expected to get the system.
Smaller general aviation airports located near one of the advanced systems may be able to get the displays in their FBOs, along with a "cheat sheet" explaining how to interpret special markings on the radar-like display. Orlando Executive Airport is expected to be the first to borrow data from a nearby major airport for display.
Majority Of Pilots Hired By Airlines Are Civilians
Fifty-six percent of pilots hired by airlines in 1999 had a civilian flying background, according to statistics from Atlanta-based Aviation Information Resources (AIR) Inc. In the past, airlines tapped military pilots for flying talent.
Ground Broken For New Potomac Tracon
The FAA recently broke ground for the future Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (tracon) facility in Vint Hill, Virginia. The new facility, which will consolidate the Baltimore, Washington, Dulles, and Andrews AFB tracon, is expected to improve the safety and efficiency of travel in the area. The $94 million facility is scheduled to be operational by May 2002.
Vimy Bomber Makes U.S. Debut
In its first public appearance in the United States, the world's only flying Vickers Vimy bomber carried aloft eight lucky EAA Young Eagles recently.
Capt. Mark Rebholz and copilot Dan Downs used Wickenburg (Arizona) Municipal Airport as their base for the April 29 flights with the youngsters. Two students, clad in helmets and goggles, went flying at a time in the Silver Queen. One sat in the open bombardier's cockpit up front and the other in the aft gunner's seat. The aircraft is a full-scale reproduction built for re-enacting historic flights.
Piloted by owner Peter McMillan and Australian pilot Lang Kidby, the Vimy replica first duplicated the original aircraft's 1920 historic 11,000-mile London-to-Australia flight in 1994. Then, in 1999, a different crew retraced the 1920 London-to-Capetown, South Africa, flight.
Yet to be decided is whether the reproduction aircraft will attempt the most famous Vimy flight-the first nonstop crossing of the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland in 1919. A number of public Vimy appearances are planned this year. For more information, visit the Web site (www.vimy.org ).
Greg Brown
Wolf Aviation Fund Offers GA Grants
The Wolf Aviation Fund is now accepting applications for grants that are used to support general aviation-related projects. The grants cover a wide range of projects, including improvements to aircraft, navigation, teaching of aeronautical subjects, and efforts to inform the public about the benefits of general aviation.
The fund helped a number of projects in 1999. Among them, Steven A. Bachmeyer received a grant to incorporate his innovative Aerospace Education Alliance organization and translate his WINGS after-school program guidebook into Spanish. Mary Ann Turney of Arizona State University won a seed grant to help form a new statewide education council in Arizona. And as many as 2,100 students at the F.V. Festa Middle School in West Nyack, New York, will build a Rotorway helicopter as part of Project SMART (science, math, and rotorcraft technology).
To learn more about how to obtain a grant and get details about past winners, visit the Web site (www.wolf-aviation.org ).
Construction Completed On SimuFlite Wing
SimuFlite Training International Inc. has completed construction on its new training wing. The 164,000-square-foot addition at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport provides space for 12 simulator bays, 50 classrooms, and 22 briefing rooms. SimuFlite will add Gulfstream V, Citation Ultra/Bravo, and Citation Excel simulators along with pilot and maintenance technician training programs.
School Notes And News
Florida Tech Offers New Master's Degree
People interested in careers in aviation safety, accident investigation, and consulting may want to check out a new college program. Starting this fall, the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, will offer a master of science degree with an option in applied aviation safety. The 37-credit degree is also helpful for those wanting to pursue careers in government or with trade organizations.
"We believe it's one of the toughest such degree programs offered anywhere and feel that it meets a critical need in the aviation industry," said Nat Villaire, chairman of the graduate program. For more information, contact the School of Aeronautics at 321/674-8120 or visit the Web site (www.fit.edu/acadres/aero/).
UND Wins National Flying Championship
North Dakota students won the Eleventh National Intercollegiate Flying Association National Championships, besting 30 other schools.
The University of North Dakota Flying Team scored 162 points in 10 events held in Grenada, Mississippi, May 16 through May 20. Western Michigan University placed second with 130 points while Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University came in third with 101 points. Ohio State University was fourth with 56 points and the Air Force Academy finished fifth with 38 points.
Top pilot honors went to Erich Hess, first place, and Brian Visocky, second place, both representing UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.
Ag Sim Helps Pilots Come Out Spraying
Flight training for airplanes that only have one seat can be difficult - especially if they are used for crop dusting. A new simulator at the University of Louisiana at Monroe is only one of two of its kind in the nation. The $550,000 agriculture flight simulator is built around an Air Tractor 502B and comes complete with controls and instruments including a GPS unit. The 190-degree layout allows the pilot to spray simulated crops in various wind and weather conditions, day or night.
The simulator is part of the department's transition course for agricultural turbine pilots. There are also plans to do further research with the simulator to study the effect on pilots of such physiological factors as lack of sleep, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and severe changes in blood sugar. The FAA and the state of Louisiana provided funding for the program.
UND Interns To Have Airline Interviews
Fourteen aviation alumni from the University of North Dakota have been guaranteed pilot interviews following an internship program.
The interns will complete unpaid work for Atlantic Coast Airlines and Atlantic Coast Jet at company headquarters in Dulles, Virginia. Following the semester program, the interns will have interviews with Atlantic Coast once they reach 600 hours total time with 100 multiengine hours.
Atlantic Coast has similar internship programs with Purdue University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University among others.
Related Articles
