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| GA News
| FAA CERTIFIES DIAMOND STAR
FAA Acting Deputy Administrator Monte Belger presented this week the type certificate for the Diamond Star DA40-180 airplane at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. The fly-in continues through Saturday. The company had been working toward the moment for more than three years. "This is not only a milestone, it's the milestone for our young company," said Christian Dries of Diamond. The Diamond Star is a four-place airplane with a maximum gross weight of 2,535 pounds. Powered by a 180-hp Lycoming engine, it cruises at 145 knots at 6,500 feet and burns 9 gallons per hour. For more, see the Web site.
BOHANNON BREAKS UNOFFICIAL RECORD
 It will take weeks of data analysis by the National Aeronautic Association before Bruce Bohannon will know whether he broke another aviation record on Tuesday in his 1,563-pound Exxon Flyin' Tiger. The old altitude record of 33,732 feet was set in 1984 by a turbocharged Mooney. Bohannon used a normally aspirated 370-hp Teledyne Mattituck Lab IO-555 engine, developed especially to attempt the record at Sun 'n Fun. Bohannon was required to better the old record by at least 3 percent. Bohannon has filed a record claim indicating that he maintained level flight at 34,800 feet, just 56 feet more than he needed. Initially, it appeared that he had missed the record by 70 feet, but a temperature taken at 7 a.m. was used for that calculation. Bohannon made the attempt at midday when temperatures were warmer. An increase of just 1 degree Centigrade would boost his total altitude, once adjusted, by about 120 feet. An actual temperature for the calculation has yet to be determined.
GARMIN OFFERS FIRST WAAS HANDHELD GPS
General aviation pilots can get even better GPS accuracy by using the Wide Area Augmentation System. Garmin International announced this week at Sun 'n Fun that owners of its GPSMap 295 handheld receivers can enjoy the benefits of WAAS via a simple software update downloaded from the company's Web site. WAAS, which corrects inherent errors in GPS signals, most dramatically improves altitude accuracy. The FAA certified WAAS for VFR use last August. Eventually, panel-mount GPS receivers with WAAS capability will provide vertical guidance in IFR conditions, allowing instrument approaches to most any runway. For more information on the WAAS system and GPSMap 295 updates, visit the Garmin Web site.
OMF SYMPHONY RECEIVES CERTIFICATION
OMF Aircraft, of Trollenhagen, Germany, announced on Monday at Sun 'n Fun the FAA certification of its two-place OMF-160 Symphony. The 160-hp, 130-knot airplane is currently certified for day VFR in Europe. The Symphony, based on the GlaStar kitplane, is designed to appeal to flying clubs and private pilots looking for a straightforward cross-country airplane. The $120,000 airplane comes either with a Bendix/King KX 125 nav/com or a KLX 135A GPS/com. It has a useful load of 639 pounds and range of 520 nautical miles. OMF Aircraft was founded in 1998, and the Symphony is its first product. Aircraft Manufacturing and Development (AMD) of Eastman, Georgia, serves as the importer and domestic contact for the Symphony under a partnership agreement with OMF.
PIPER MALIBU MERIDIAN CRASHES, TWO DIE
A New Piper Malibu Meridian turboprop airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Vero Beach Municipal Airport, Florida, on Monday, killing the two men aboard, according to sources familiar with the incident. The Vero Beach Press Journal newspaper reported that the crash occurred in trees near the Dodger Pines Golf Course. The plane came down within 25 to 50 yards of homes and burned. No one on the ground was injured. Its occupants, both from Daytona Beach, Florida, were identified by the newspaper as Leonard Korman, 43, the pilot and owner, and passenger Richard Chiavola, 44. A work crew cutting tree limbs away from power lines in the area reported smoke from the aircraft shortly before it crashed. The NTSB said the crash occurred at 12:08 p.m. EDT, a mile south-southwest of the airport, after the aircraft took off from Runway 29L. The New Piper Aircraft officials said they could not comment on the crash until the NTSB has completed its work.
Go to AOPA Online to read more Sun 'n Fun coverage or for daily news updates. |
Squawk Sheet
| AOPA SEEKS ALTERNATIVES ON PROPOSED CESSNA AD
AOPA submitted comments this week to a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) affecting Cessna 172s. The proposed AD mandates the repetitive inspection for clearance between the fuel line and map light switch and the presence of a Nomex map light switch cover, and replacement of any damaged fuel lines or switch covers. AOPA supported the proposed AD’s mandated initial inspections and any necessary parts replacements. But citing data presented by the Cessna Pilots Association, AOPA opposed the AD's repetitive inspection requirements, stating that the design of the map light switch and its insulator are such that once the initial inspection is complete, they should remain intact and in their proper position unless disturbed by other maintenance activities. AOPA recommended that a repetitive inspection only be required if the map light switch or its cover are removed. See AOPA Online.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO 100,000-PLUS
AOPA President Phil Boyer has spoken to more than 100,000 pilots in public meetings during his 10-year career as the head of AOPA. Boyer passed the 100,000 waypoint last month during a Pilot Town Meeting (PTM) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attended by more than 250 pilots. Boyer has spoken at more than 430 public events. "But the speaking isn't the most important part; it's the listening," said Boyer. "I relish the opportunity to talk to AOPA members, to find out what's on their minds, and learn how AOPA can better meet their needs." Boyer spends about a week each month traveling to cities across the nation to meet with pilots. PTMs are scheduled in Teterboro, New Jersey, and Long Island and Rochester, New York, later this month. Boyer will also be the keynote speaker at the New England Aviation Expo in Nashua, New Hampshire. For the full PTM schedule, see AOPA Online.
MOUNTAIN PASS VFR WAYPOINTS SET TO DEBUT
Mountain passes may soon be safer, thanks to an AOPA initiative for VFR waypoints that mark mountain-pass routes on aeronautical charts. AOPA has been pushing for such waypoints for several years. The waypoints, which can be identified by GPS receivers, are expected to begin appearing on selected sectional charts in the first half of 2002. They will indicate the beginning and end of mountain-pass routes and will be marked for VFR use only. Similar VFR waypoints now appearing on VFR terminal area charts are helping pilots navigate accurately in congested airspace. The waypoints, identified with five-letter names beginning with "VP," were first approved for terminal charts in July 1999 after an AOPA-led task force pointed out the benefits to pilots and air traffic controllers. See AOPA Online for more information, or to read AOPA's 57-page Guide to Mountain Flying
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| On Capitol Hill
| BUSH TO KEEP USER FEE OPTIONS OPEN
The Bush administration released its budget proposal Monday for the fiscal year beginning October 1. The administration has decided to keep its options open with regard to user fees by proposing to delete AOPA-supported language prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to develop user-fee plans not previously approved by Congress. The administration also reiterated its desire to "examine the success that various nations, including Canada, have experienced with individual ATC owned and operated by private companies." The administration's plan, which must be approved by Congress, would fund the FAA at $13.3 billion, the level established by last year's AIR-21 legislation that unlocked the aviation trust fund. In February, AOPA successfully turned back an effort by the Office of Management and Budget to underfund AIR-21. There is concern, as a result of last week's votes in the Senate on the budget, that a combination of the administration's proposed tax cuts and the Senate's proposed increases in discretionary spending could leave the AIR-21 funding levels vulnerable to a last-minute budget "deal." For more Capitol Hill news, see AOPA Online.
| Airport Support Network
| VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK–ED LEVINE
Airport Support Network volunteer Ed Levine of Leesburg Municipal/Godfrey Field (JYO) in Virginia said that he and fellow pilots have experienced some problems with the controllers at Washington Dulles International Airport. Levine has been in touch with the tower manager to improve services for general aviation in the future. Levine will continue to keep the lines of communication open as a conduit between air traffic control and the pilots at Leesburg.
To learn more about the Airport Support Network, visit AOPA Online. | AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| MOST MIDAIRS OCCUR ON VFR DAYS, ASF WARNS
In 1999, there were 15 midair collisions, involving 27 general aviation aircraft. Midair collisions continue to occur mainly on good VFR days, at low altitude, and close to airports, according to the 2000 Nall Report. For information about avoiding collisions, download the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Collision Avoidance Safety Advisor from AOPA Online.
| Quiz Me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: Is there any separation requirement when I'm taking off in my Cessna 182 following a heavy aircraft on the same runway? I've heard various numbers.
Answer: Section 7-3-9 of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) addresses air traffic wake turbulence separation. In the case of your Cessna 182, the AIM states that a 3-minute interval will be provided before a small aircraft takeoff when the preceding aircraft is a heavy jet on the same runway. This section also gives information on landing, intersection takeoff, and trailing separations. For more, see AOPA Online.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? Call 800/872-2672 or e-mail to [email protected]. Send comments on our Quiz Me! questions to [email protected].
| AOPA Sweepstakes Bonanza Update
|  SWEEPS BONANZA PROJECT CONTINUES
The effort to turn the 2001 AOPA Sweepstakes Bonanza into a cross-country rocket continues at a shop in West Chicago. For the latest project update, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Do you know someone who has fears about flying? Read articles that address your limits–and your passengers'–on AOPA Online.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Louisville, Kentucky. The "Thunder Over Louisville" Air Show, part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, takes place April 21 along the Ohio River downtown. The airshow begins at 3 p.m. Participating military aircraft will be on display from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base at Louisville International Airport-Standiford Field (SDF). Call 502/228-6080, or visit the Web site.
Corpus Christi, Texas. The Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi presents an Open House and Air Show April 21 and 22. Call 361/961-2332 for event information.
Maxwell AFB, Alabama. The "Wings Over Montgomery" Air Show takes place April 22. Call 334/953-2761 for event information.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see 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, Florida; Indianapolis; and Salt Lake City, April 21 and 22. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place April 29 in Atlanta. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
For comments on calendar items or to make submissions, contact Julie S. Walker at [email protected].
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Contacting ePilot
Got news tips? Contact ePilot editor Nathan A. Ferguson at [email protected]. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected]. Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
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