Company renamed
Tiger AG-5B rollout set for November
After a change in ownership, the Taiwanese/American-backed resurgence of the former American General Tiger AG-5B is on track. The name of the company has changed from TLM Aircraft to Tiger Aircraft LLC, with Taiwanese lock maker TLM continuing to play a role.
The factory at Martinsburg, West Virginia, is up, tooling is in and undergoing reconditioning, and electronics and engineering specialists are in place. Assembly workers will be hired in July. Chem-Fab, the Hot Springs, Arkansas, firm that last made major portions of the Tiger before production ceased, is ready to ship some of the 32 completed fuselages that were available when production stopped at American General in Greenville, Mississippi.
Chem-Fab is negotiating to build fuselages, wings, rudders, and ailerons for 165 aircraft—the first two years of production. Tiger Aircraft plans to produce only IFR-equipped aircraft outfitted with dual Garmin GNS 430 GPS moving maps, PS Engineering audio panel/intercom, S-Tec 40 autopilot, leather seats, and metallic paint. The price has yet to be determined but will be comparable to the cost of a New Piper Archer or Cirrus SR20. A company official estimated that the price for the 140-knot, four-seat aircraft will be between $215,000 and $225,000. For information, visit the Web site ( www.tigeraircraft.com) or call 877/306-8100 or 304/267-1000.
Bob Hoover cancels season
Consummate pilot and airshow performer Bob Hoover says that he has canceled airshow commitments for the year because he could not obtain as much liability insurance as he would like, according to the International Council of Air Shows. Hoover said that insurance problems affect all airshow performers.
Hoover has a current medical certificate and continues to be interested in further flying opportunities in a different type of aircraft. He said he and his family are thinking of donating his famous Shrike Commander to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.
Hoover, 78, issued a statement thanking AOPA, EAA, ICAS, and fans who supported him throughout his career, especially during his battles with the FAA over loss of his medical certificate in recent years. That experience led to the creation of a law (see "Pilot Counsel: The ‘Hoover Bill’ Becomes Law," p. 121).
Mooney Aircraft will raise the base price of all its aircraft by 5 percent beginning midyear. The company said that the price increase is necessary to keep pace with increased supplier costs and to enhance customer support. The top-of-the-line Bravo will increase from $459,000 to $481,950. The Ovation2 will jump from $399,000 to $418,950, while the entry-level Eagle (above) will increase from $329,000 to $345,450.
Notice of annual meeting of members
The annual meeting of the members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2000, at Wings Field, Ambler, Pennsylvania, for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting such other business as may properly come before the meeting, including the election of Trustees. — John S. Yodice, Secretary
Runway collision kills four in Florida
The Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Florida was the site of a deadly collision between a Cessna 152 and 172 that occurred on March 9.
According to the preliminary accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the 152 was cleared for takeoff, while the 172 was cleared to "position and hold" on the runway at an intersection. In the report, a witness stated that the 152 "got a few feet in the air and initiated a right turn, in what appeared to be an attempt to avoid collision with [the 172]. [The 152] appeared to stall and crash into [the 172]."
As with most accidents, the report indicates a chain of events that led to apparent confusion about which airplane was which. The 172 was cleared to taxi "to Runway 14." Instead, the Skyhawk taxied to Runway 14 at the intersection of the Foxtrot taxiway. The controller’s strip said that the 172 was holding short at the end of Runway 14, as the clearance from the ground controller indicated. After the 152 was cleared for takeoff, the 172 was cleared into position at what the tower controller assumed would be the end of the runway.
The two airplanes exploded, and the two occupants of each airplane were killed. To see the preliminary report on the accident, go to the NTSB Web site ( www.ntsb.gov/aviation/MIA/00A103A.htm).
Meanwhile, FAA moves to enhance runway safety
In an unrelated move the following week, the FAA announced new initiatives aimed at enhancing runway safety. A series of workshops to produce local and regional plans to reduce runway incursions will take place throughout the country over the next few months.
Following the regional meetings, a national summit to be held in June will tally the results and review efforts to reduce runway incursions through human factors and technological innovations. The FAA also wants to encourage pilots who have been involved in runway incursions to discuss the incidents with FAA safety inspectors who, in plea-bargain fashion, would take no more than administrative action against the pilot. AOPA is monitoring the initiative through its involvement in the FAA’s Runway Safety Program.
The Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance has received two awards from the Vocational Education Equity Council for its work in promoting the aviation maintenance career field to women. The group previously received a special recognition award from the FAA. To learn more about the organization, call 904/424-5780 or see the Web site ( www.awam.org).
Safire Aircraft Company and Agilis Engines Inc. have reached a purchase agreement in which Agilis will supply 1,000 new turbofan engines for the Safire S–26 six-place twin jet. Safire claims more than 530 deposits for the $800,000 S–26. Agilis has been in the gas-turbine design business since 1993. Many Agilis employees have been tapped from other aerospace and turbine-engine makers. Agilis is working on a line of turbofans that will produce from 550 to 1,200 pounds of thrust. The S–26 engine is expected to be certified in 2003, as is the 330-knot S–26. For more information, contact Safire at 561/650-0830 or visit the Web site ( www.safireaircraft.com); or visit the Agilis Web site ( www.agilis.com). — Thomas B. Haines
The Weather Channel’s owners buy WSI
Landmark Communications, owner of The Weather Channel and other media properties, announced that it will acquire Weather Services International Corporation (WSI) from Litton Industries. Landmark will reportedly pay $120 million in cash for WSI.
"We’re delighted with this acquisition," Landmark Chief Executive Officer John O. "Dubby" Wynne said. "The Weather Channel and our television stations have been WSI customers for years, and we have a very high regard for their team and their products. We look forward to helping WSI to grow its technology and forecasting abilities so that it can continue to provide outstanding service and products to its customers."
WSI will continue to operate out of its suburban Boston headquarters. The sale is subject to antitrust approval. Landmark Communications, based in Norfolk, Virginia, has 5,000 employees in 20 states and in Europe. — Thomas A. Horne
Piston-engine operators can now obtain Exxgard oil sample kits from ExxonMobil. Samples are analyzed by the Exxgard lab, which prepares a report within 48 hours of receipt of the sample. Each sample analysis retails for $14. Bulk purchases lower the per-sample cost to $7.50. For more information, call 800/445-7930 or visit the Web site ( www.exxon.mobil.com).
One of the largest media mergers, valued at approximately $8 billion, transfers the ownership of aviation charting icon Jeppesen-Sanderson to the Tribune Company following a merger with Times Mirror in March. Times Mirror is the parent company of Jeppesen. The merger is not expected to have any effect on Jeppesen’s business.
Regional ATC facility to be built in D.C. area
The FAA has begun construction of a regional air traffic control facility to serve the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. It is located at a former radio signal reconnaissance spying facility in Vint Hill Farm near Manassas, Virginia. The facility will be housed in a 95,000-square-foot building located on a 33-acre site. Total cost of the facility, to be called the Potomac Tracon, is an estimated $93 million.
The facility will consolidate terminal radar control facilities at four airports—Baltimore/Washington International, Dulles International, Reagan Washington National, and Andrews Air Force Base. It will guide aircraft within about a 75-mile radius of Washington, D.C. The FAA promises that it will result in more direct routes for airlines and pilots in the area. The Potomac Tracon is planned to be fully operational in May 2002 and is proposed to be staffed by 250 controllers.
Two pilots plan to tour 48 states by homebuilt gyrocopter this summer, starting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on June 1 and ending at Oshkosh on July 25. Charles Feil and Curtiss Patten will each fly RAF 2000 GTX gyrocopters made by the Canadian company Rotary Air Force. Feil is a professional photographer whose work includes filming for the Jane Goodall World of Wildlife television series. The two are calling their tour Spirit of American Youth 2000. Follow their adventure on the Web ( www.say2000.org).
New Piper production growing ‘responsibly’
The New Piper Aircraft plans to continue its half-decade of what CEO Chuck Suma has dubbed "responsible growth." The company will build 427 aircraft this year, although company officials say they could sell more airplanes if they could build them. The company has purposefully ramped up production slowly after emerging from bankruptcy in 1995.
Faster growth could cause the company to find itself with too many employees and too much inventory if the currently strong market were to slow down. This year, the big seller will be the Archer, projected at 106 units. Archer production took off a couple of years ago when customers seeking a light personal airplane learned that Cessna would be reintroducing the 172 Skyhawk instead of a new model. At that point, prospective Archer buyers got off the fence and started snapping up the 180-horsepower Archer, driving deliveries into triple digits.
This year’s production also includes 35 of the new Malibu Meridian single-engine turboprops, along with 66 Malibu Mirage piston airplanes. The Saratoga II TC is projected to outsell the normally aspirated version, 75 to 28. Also in the production lineup are the Seneca V, Seminole, Arrow, and Warrior. — Thomas B. Haines
Denver pilot breaks record, raises cash for cancer
Vanessa Bethel, a private pilot in Denver with only 67 hours in her logbook, shattered a world aviation record on March 1 by completing 100 touch and goes in a single day. But more important than the record to Bethel is the $3,000 she raised to fight cancer.
Both of her parents and her older sister died of the disease, and her younger sister was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Bethel, a Northwest Airlines flight attendant, decided that aviation was an ideal way to draw attention to the ongoing cancer battle.
"I was determined to break this record to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer," said Bethel, who coordinated the event with the American Cancer Society and dubbed her endeavor "The Flight for the Fight."
Accompanied by a safety pilot, she departed Denver’s Centennial Airport at 5:30 a.m. in a borrowed Cessna. In accordance with rules provided by Guinness World Record officials, Bethel flew between two airports, Boulder Municipal and Erie Tri-County, to complete each takeoff and landing.
Sixteen hours, three tanks of fuel, and numerous media interviews later, Bethel landed back at Centennial having exceeded the standing record by 27 touch and goes. She rated 85 of her landings as nearly perfect and didn’t make a single go-around. Next year she plans to break the record for the longest inverted flight. — Kevin Corbley
VisionAire Vantage deliveries set for 2003
VisionAire CEO James O. Rice Jr. said that he expects the company’s $2.2 million Vantage single-engine business jet to be certified in three years, with deliveries set for late 2003.
The company has restructured 75 percent of its $18 million debt through use of stock options and long-term notes, Rice said in an interview from his Chesterfield, Missouri, office.
The company has slimmed down to 25 employees. Many of those are working on interior changes. Rice said the present flying Vantage prototype will be rebuilt to incorporate the latest design changes.
The factory in Ames, Iowa, has been leased for two years to American Protein, maker of livestock feed supplements, but will be reclaimed when aircraft production begins.
The years-long wait in the United States for the six-passenger, single-engine Extra 400 ended when serial number 9 arrived in Atlanta in March aboard a Lufthansa Boeing 747 freighter. Several of the aircraft have already been delivered in Germany, where it is certified for IFR flight. Full IFR certification by the FAA is expected in two to three months. The North American distributor—Aero Sport, located in St. Augustine, Florida—has 15 deposits of $10,000 each from customers. The aircraft is built by Extra-Flugzeugbau, GmbH, located in Dinslaken, Germany. The 225-kt pressurized single was designed by Walter Extra of Germany, known for his successful line of aerobatic aircraft that includes the Extra 300, 300L, and 200. The all-composite Extra 400 is expected to sell in this country for $925,000, a price that includes IFR avionics, GPS, and an EFIS. It is powered by the 350-hp Continental TSIOL-550 Voyager series engine. While the engine is oil-cooled, it also has a water/glycol-filled radiator system that further stabilizes temperatures and eliminates thermal shock. The company claims a 1,130-nm range for the aircraft.
Eclipse slips through wind-tunnel tests
Eclipse Aviation Corporation, which recently introduced the Eclipse 500 six-passenger twin jet (see "Pilot Briefing," April Pilot), reports that a 22-percent-scale model of the design has successfully completed wind-tunnel testing at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratories in Seattle.
Eclipse intends to take the data from the tests and incorporate it into an engineering simulator that will effectively allow test pilots to simulate flight in the Eclipse nearly three years ahead of its 2003 certification target date. The Eclipse will be powered by Williams International EJ22 turbofans. Eclipse projects a 368-kt cruise speed, 41,000-foot service ceiling, and NBAA IFR range of 1,450 nm. Price in 2000 dollars is expected to be $775,000.
For more information, call 480/348-9309 or visit the Eclipse Web site ( www.eclipseaviation.com).
Superior names new shops in Millennium Engine program
Superior Air Parts has appointed three additional manufacturing locations to the Certified Millennium Pre-Owned Engine program.
Air West Aircraft Engines in San Carlos, California; Eagle Engines in Redding, California; and Airmark Engines Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are now ready to begin manufacture of the Millennium Engine. Since October 1999, Western Skyways in Grand Junction, Colorado, was the only facility approved by Superior to manufacture Millennium Engines.
Millennium Engines are made almost entirely of parts manufactured by Superior Air Parts, including its Millennium investment-cast cylinder assemblies. The engines are covered by a five-year warranty. For more information about the Millennium Engine program, call 972/663-2627 or visit the Web site ( www.superair.com).
Squawk Sheet
The NTSB has recommended to the FAA that it require The New Piper Aircraft to develop an inspection procedure to detect corrosion in high-wing Piper airplanes. The in-flight structural failure of a PA–18-150 Super Cub prompted the recommendation, after the discovery that corrosion had completely penetrated the forward lift strut attach fitting.
Airworthiness Directive 98-21-21, which requires deactivating inflatable door seals manufactured by Bob Fields Aerocessories, has been revised to incorporate an approved modification that, if installed, allows the systems to remain in service.
Cessna 172R, 172S, 182S, 206H, and T206H airplanes are named in an airworthiness directive ( 2000-04-01) requiring the inspection of the oil-pressure switch to determine its part number. A switch with part number 77041 must be replaced with one bearing the number 83278. Failure of three oil-pressure switch diaphragms has resulted in the loss of engine oil through the vent hole.
Airplanes with Honeywell Bendix/King KFC 225 and KAP 140 autopilot systems are affected by three Honeywell service bulletins that require inspection and modification procedures for pitch, pitch trim, roll, and yaw servos. Malfunctioning servos reportedly have not disengaged properly, even when autopilot power was turned off.
Links to the full text of these proposals and rulemakings can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links/links0005.shtml).
AOPA members in the news
Daniel Knopper, AOPA 474229, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, has publicly thanked a Kissimmee, Florida, control tower operator who helped Knopper after he came down with severe pneumonia in flight. The illness caused extreme disorientation. Knopper felt fine when he left Michigan, but he had a 104-degree temperature three hours later as he arrived at Kissimmee. Controller Lindsay Payne picked up on warning signs from the initial radio contact. Knopper had difficulty locating the airport—although he was very close to it—and could not maintain altitude: His altitude fluctuated between 800 and 2,500 feet. Payne coached Knopper through landing procedures—at one point shouting, "Pull up, pull up!"—while keeping other local air traffic at a safe range. Knopper was rushed to a hospital, where he recovered after five days of treatment. He said he has no memory of the last 30 minutes of the flight.
Brian F. Finnegan, AOPA 1415431, of Dallas, was named president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association.
Carl Chance, AOPA 1396498, of Wichita, has created a Web site with current and historical information about aviation in Kansas ( www.wingsoverkansas.com).
Barry M. Rothman, AOPA 1290040, has started an air charter business, Beacon Airways, in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
Rex Peters, AOPA 996788, of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, is the new president of the First Flight Society, located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. For information, see the Web site ( www.firstflight.org).
J. Todd Winter, AOPA 1177756, has been promoted to president of Mid-Continent Instruments, located in Wichita. The announcement came from former President John W. Winter, who will serve as the company’s chief technical officer.
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