Training Notes And News

The Air Force will require pilot candidates to earn a private pilot certificate under an expanded introductory flight training program following the termination of the T-3A Firefly program.

The Air Force has decided to stop flying the T-3A Firefly, which has been suspended from flying operations since July 1997. Since October 1998, the Air Force has been using an introductory flight screening program to prepare pilot candidates for advancement to Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. That introductory program included 40 hours of flying time and required a solo flight. The expanded version of the program will include 50 hours of flying time, require additional solo flights, and re-quire candidates to earn a private pilot certificate. Under the new program, candidates will receive flight instruction through local flight schools. As many as 150 schools nationwide could be involved in the program, which is expected to cost approximately $10 million per year, a savings of $16 million per year compared to the T-3A program.

Survey Shows Training Equipment Preferences

Mooney Aircraft Corporation recently released a survey of 350 Part 141 commercial and collegiate pilot training schools. According to the survey, more than 80 percent of commercial flight schools offer or plan to offer ab initio pilot training.

Asked about the training equipment they would prefer to use, the schools rated a more rugged interior as the most important aircraft feature, followed by more maintenance access panels, rear seats, and two doors. In terms of avionics, the schools most wanted moving-map GPS systems and two-axis autopilots.

The survey also touched on the use of flight training devices and simulators. Fifty percent of commercial Part 141 flight schools said that they did not use these devices. Forty-one percent said that simulation was useful but not critical to training, while 8 percent said that simulation was a critical component of training. That contrasted sharply with collegiate programs, 54 percent of which said simulation was critical; only 18 percent said that they did not use simulation in their programs.

CarinaStar Offers Piston Fractional Ownership

CarinaStar, a new fractional ownership company based in Hilton Head, South Carolina, has begun offering quarter-share ownership opportunities in new Beech Baron 58s and Bonanza A36s. The company hopes that the aircraft will meet the needs of companies and individuals that want to operate business aircraft but cannot justify the expense of fractional jet ownership.

A monthly service fee covers aircraft cleaning, insurance, hangar, scheduling and dispatch services, and initial and recurrent pilot training. Hourly fees cover fuel, oil, and maintenance. Other services available through CarinaStar include copilots, aircraft positioning, catering, and air charter.

DA40-180 Tests Continue

Diamond Aircraft's new four-place trainer is undergoing flight testing in an effort to receive certification by early this year. The Austrian manufacturer's DA40-180 has been flown more than 500 hours and has made more than 10,000 landings. It was expected to finish up the testing process in Canada, where it will be flown to engine TBO. Diamond expects the aircraft to enter production sometime this year.

WAI Adds Scholarships

Women in Aviation International (WAI) has announced the addition of five new scholarships to be awarded at the group's annual conference set for March 9 through 11 in Memphis, Tennessee. The scholarships bring the total value of awards scheduled to be distributed at the conference to $230,000.

The new scholarships include offerings in the fields of flight, maintenance, and management from FlightSafety International, United Airlines, and WAI.

For more information about these and other scholarships to be awarded at the Women in Aviation International conference, visit the Web site (www.wiai.org ).

Be A Pilot Hosts AOL Forum

Be A Pilot will host America On Line's monthly New Pilot Forum. The one-hour forums take place on the first Monday of each month at 9 p.m. During the popular forums, flight instructors answer questions and lead a discussion among new and aspiring pilots.

Biz Jet Forecast Bright

AlliedSignal Aerospace anticipates continued strong demand for new business aircraft. In its eighth annual Business Aviation Market Outlook, the company predicts that 6,800 new business aircraft, worth nearly $89 billion, will be delivered between 2000 and 2010. Market growth will be driven by both corporate flight departments and fractional ownership plans.