Pilot Briefing

FAA certifies Cirrus SR22

Cirrus Design Corporation had a series of good things to report about its composite airplanes. On November 30 the company received FAA approval for its new Cirrus SR22 aircraft. Type certification came just 14 months after engineering development began and only nine months after the company submitted its application to the FAA.

The SR22, with a 310-horsepower Teledyne Continental IO-550-N engine, cruises at 180 knots at 75-percent power, climbs at 1,400 feet per minute at sea level, has a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles, and offers a useful load of 1,150 pounds. The base price is $276,600, including a leather interior and three-blade propeller.

In late December, Cirrus delivered its 100th Cirrus SR20 since the company started delivering the aircraft in mid-1999. In the same week Cirrus received an amended production certificate that allows company inspectors to issue airworthiness certificates for the SR22. Cirrus inspectors have been issuing airworthiness certificates for the SR20 since last June. The company plans to build more than 300 airplanes in 2001. Cirrus now has an order backlog of more than 640 aircraft. For more information, see the Web site ( www.cirrusdesign.com).

CAP Aviation to offer two new aircraft this year

The French sport airplane company, CAP Aviation, will offer the CAP 10C and the CAP 222 this spring. Both of the two-passenger, tailwheel aircraft are nearing production.

The first flight of the 10C is now set for March in France. The first flight has been delayed by modifications to the fuel system and windscreen that differentiate the 10C from the older model, the popular 10B. The factory-built Cap 222 is a certified model based heavily on the Giles 202 kitplane. However, the fuselage had to be modified extensively to meet the greater load-bearing requirements of fully certified production aircraft.

The CAP 222 will be built in Oregon at Composites Unlimited. No prices have been announced for either aircraft. There are 23 orders for the CAP 222, including three for the French Air Force that will be used to train military aerobatic display pilots. A progress report about both aircraft was to be posted in late December on the Cap Aviation Web site ( www.capaviation.com). — Alton K. Marsh

Stearman pilot sets record on world flight

When Robert Ragozzino touched down at Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City on November 17, 2000, it was not an average flight in a Stearman. He had flown around the world in 165 flight hours, setting a world record for open-cockpit biplanes.

The record for two-pilot circumnavigation in open-cockpit biplanes stood for more than 76 years, yet Ragozzino did it solo in 170 days.

Ragozzino, founder of the Stearman World Flight Project, is a corporate pilot and has been flying professionally for 19 years. Before he embarked on the flight he had flown 60,000 miles in open-cockpit biplanes.

To go the extra miles, the Stearman was equipped with a 150-gallon external fuel tank and a 130-gallon internal tank, giving it a range of about 1,600 miles and a 16-hour endurance limit. Most of the legs averaged 600 miles, with the longest overwater crossing at 800 miles. To read all about the flight, see the Web site ( www.stearmanworldflight.com).

Adam Aircraft moves forward on certification

Adam Aircraft Industries will be among the first U.S. aircraft manufacturers to utilize the FAA's new streamlined process for certifying the six-seat, pressurized Adam M–309.

Called Certification Process Improvement (CPI), the program involves more direction and feedback from the FAA at earlier stages in the process; increased communication during the project instead of at the end; and allows input from FAA-designated technical experts in composites, aerodynamics, and avionics. While the process is designed to be more efficient, the company said it ensures full regulatory compliance and safety. Designed by Burt Rutan, the Adam M–309 has a twin-engine centerline thrust configuration. Pending certification, the airplane is slated for production in 2003. For more information, see the Web site ( www.adamaircraft.com).

Garmin raises $147 million

Garmin Ltd. raised $147 million from its initial public offering on the Nasdaq Stock Market on December 8. The GPS maker had expected shares to go for $15 to $17 each, but they rose to $20 by the end of the first day of trading.

Garmin intends to use the proceeds from the sale for "working capital and other general corporate purposes, including possible acquisitions or strategic partnerships," according to paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Garmin Ltd. is a holding company based in the Cayman Islands. Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary based in Olathe, Kansas, where its panel-mount avionics are manufactured. For more information about the company, visit the Web site ( www.garmin.com).

Officials question statement on Stewart crash

Aviation industry officials are challenging a statement that came out of the investigation into the death of golfer Payne Stewart. There are also questions about what regulatory changes might stem from the crash that killed six people.

The 13-month NTSB investigation showed that the Learjet 35 crash was a result of cabin depressurization and the failure of the crew to obtain supplemental oxygen. NTSB Chairman Jim Hall said that with the rapid growth in fractional and charter operations, business jets should be treated the same as commercial airliners when it comes to safety. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) found Hall's statement troubling. Citing the NTSB's own statistics, NATA said that there have only been five fatal accidents involving Part 135 jets between January 1987 and October 2000. That compares to more than 20 fatal accidents involving Part 121 airline jets during the same period.

The NTSB issued 11 safety recommendations to the FAA, mostly centering on crew training and ways to improve pressurization systems. Earlier this year, the FAA took action with what AOPA calls a "knee-jerk" airworthiness directive. AOPA opposed the AD, which required a change to flight manuals of Learjet models 35, 35A, 36, and 36A. "That was clearly a flight crew training [operational] issue and not an airworthiness concern issue," said Lance Nuckolls, AOPA director of regulatory and certification policy. "AOPA also believes that this proposed AD was precipitated by the FAA's compulsion to initiate some regulatory action in response to the Payne Stewart tragedy." For more information, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2000/00-3-022.html).

SeaStar flies turbine-powered kitplane

SeaStar Aircraft, of Weatherford, Oklahoma, says it has completed nine hours of testing on its new amphibious kitplane, the turbine-powered SeaStar Adventurer.

A 657-shaft-horsepower Walter 601M turbine engine powers the aircraft. The 235-kt aircraft can carry six and cruise 1,000 miles at 25,000 feet. The pressurized version of the Adventurer will cost $99,000 for the basic kit, while the unpressurized model will cost $90,000. The prices do not include the engine and instruments. Fully completed, the aircraft are expected to cost between $200,000 and $300,000. The Adventurer will be on display in Lakeland, Florida, during the Sun ‘n Fun EAA Fly-In this spring. — AKM

CarterCopters aims to shatter barrier

A backyard operation in Wichita Falls, Texas, has been honored by a major magazine for showing the potential to break a barrier in the world of rotorcraft.

CarterCopters LLC received an award from Popular Mechanics magazine for creating the "first significant new aircraft design of the twenty-first century." The company's heliplane transport (CCH-T) concept could reshape the face of aviation if it is able to shatter the Mu-1 barrier, where the rotor-tip speed remains slower than the forward speed of the aircraft. If stability is maintained, CarterCopters says its aircraft have the potential of being as efficient as fixed-wing aircraft in addition to not needing a runway. A prototype of the CCH-T has been flying since September 1998. It uses a rotor for vertical takeoff and landing and a small wing for high-speed cruise. For more information, see the Web site ( www.cartercopters.com).

SJ30-2 prototype takes flight

The first conforming prototype of the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 business jet made its maiden flight on November 30, 2000, in Texas. The seven-place jet flew for 45 minutes before returning to San Antonio International Airport.

The first flight marks the beginning of the SJ30-2's flight-test program for FAA certification. Company officials expect the process to take one year, with 1,400 flight hours logged on three airframes. "This is history in the making," said Sino Swearingen President and CEO Jack Braly. "The SJ30-2 will be the first business jet to be certified under FAR Part 23 Commuter category regulations, and it will be the first business jet to be certified by a new aircraft company in almost 40 years." For more information, see the Web site ( www.sj30jet.com).

NTSB chairman resigns

Acting NTSB Chairman Jim Hall announced in December that he would resign his position as a member of the NTSB on January 18.

"The men and women of the safety board serve our nation with dedication and distinction. I will miss my association with them. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the American people. Please accept my deepest gratitude for the support and confidence you have placed in me," Hall said in his resignation letter to President Clinton. Hall joined the board in October 1993 and was appointed chairman in June 1994. He was acting chairman after that appointment expired last October.

As chairman, Hall saw the two longest and most complex aviation accident investigations in the NTSB's history—the crash of USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737 near Pittsburgh in 1994, and the crash of TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 off Long Island in 1996. Hall also presided over the investigation into the death of John F. Kennedy Jr., Kennedy's wife, and his sister-in-law. Their Piper Saratoga crashed off the coast of Massachusetts in 1999.

Perhaps one of his most lasting legacies will be the change in how family members of victims of major transportation accidents are treated. In 1996, the Aviation Family Assistance Act was signed into law, which empowers the NTSB to coordinate federal services to families of major air crash victims.

Hall, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has not disclosed his future employment plans.

• The registration process has begun for the fourth annual Mooney Caravan to EAA AirVenture 2001 in Oshkosh. Last year 97 Mooneys made the trip from Madison, Wisconsin, to the fly-in. A barbecue and other events are planned. To register, see the Web site ( www.mooneycaravan.com).
• Dean Thomas, president of Commander Aircraft, in Bethany, Oklahoma, died unexpectedly on December 3. Company officials said that Thomas, 46, died in his sleep of natural causes. Thomas was formerly a vice president at Piper Aircraft in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

How many of us are there?

AOPA's 2000 Aviation Fact Card says that there were 635,472 U.S. pilots, according to data compiled in December 1999. This includes 258,749 private pilots, 124,261 commercial pilots, and 137,642 airline transport pilots. Student pilots number 97,359, while there are 79,694 flight instructors. Interestingly, there are only 343 recreational pilots. Other aviation statistics are available on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/stats/fctcrd00.html).

Robinson donates $1 million to museum

Robinson Helicopter Company recently donated $1 million to the Smithsonian Institution's expansion of the National Air and Space Museum. The funding is to ensure that the new $238 million facility at Washington Dulles International Airport will include a section devoted to rotary-wing aircraft. Two Robinson helicopters will be on display there for at least 20 years. The new museum is to open in December 2003, in time to celebrate the centennial of powered flight. For more on Robinson, see the Web site ( www.robinsonheli.com).

Carnahan family files lawsuit

The family of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against five companies in the October 16 crash of a Cessna 335 that killed the governor, his son, and a campaign aide, The Associated Press reported.

Cessna Aircraft Company; its parent company, Textron Inc.; Parker Hannifin Corporation, of Cleveland, which has a division that makes a pump and manifold system that the plaintiffs allege failed and caused the crash; Sigma Tek Inc., of Augusta, Kansas, manufacturer of the airplane's gyroscopic flight instruments; and Aeroflite Inc., of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, which serviced the airplane, were named as defendants in the case. The pilot, Roger Carnahan, the governor's son, reported problems with an attitude indicator before plunging 3,200 feet in nine seconds, the AP story said. The aircraft was then below the altitude required for radar coverage. The lawsuit lists Sen.-elect Jean Carnahan and her children as plaintiffs. Jean Carnahan was appointed to the Senate seat after her late husband won the election. Roger Carnahan had told controllers that he was switching to the copilot's attitude indicator just before the aircraft disappeared from radar. — AKM

Squawk Sheet

On December 18 the FAA published final rule Airworthiness Directive 2000-25-02, allowing alternative wing spar inspections to detect damaged wood spars in the wings of American Champion 7-, 8-, and 11- series airplanes. The highly contested AD proposal drew heavy fire from AOPA and aircraft type clubs concerned with the prospect of installing numerous inspection plates on the upper and lower wing surfaces. Industry input led to the ultimate adoption of an alternative inspection procedure created by the Citabria Owners Group. AOPA issued comments to the FAA in July 1999, encouraging the FAA to adopt the type club's alternative inspection, which utilizes a Bend-a-lite flashlight and mirrors to inspect the wood spars without the installation of numerous inspection plates. For more, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/regwingspar.html).

AOPA members in the news

• John R. Hull, AOPA 1316620, has published "Takeoff": Career Adventures in General Aviation and the FAA. The 609-page book chronicles Hull's 75-year love affair with airplanes and aviation and his career working for the FAA. "The book openly shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beauty of my life in aviation. I expound on all of my many mistakes that resulted in unwanted but exciting airborne adventures from which pilots can learn and live," he said. Published by Xlibris Corporation, the paperback sells for $18, the hardback for $25, and the e-book for $8. It's available by calling 888/795-4274, on the Web site ( www.xlibris.com), or by ordering it from your local bookstore.
• Patricia Hange, AOPA 222142, was the first fully qualified woman to receive the FAA's Charles Taylor Award. The award is named after the man who made a powerplant used by the Wright brothers. Recipients must have 50 active years as an aviation maintenance technician. Hange, of Arcadia, Florida, was nominated by the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance (AWAM). She has also been nominated to the Women in Aviation Hall of Fame.
• Judy Mardorf, AOPA 3930040, has published Spare Parts, a novel about an avionics engineer who discovers a serious software anomaly that could threaten the integrity of a flight management computer system. When an airplane crashes under mysterious circumstances, she accepts the call to adventure that will change her life forever. The book is available from 1stbooks Library ( www.1stbooks.com) for $10.95 plus shipping or from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Borders bookstores for $17.95 plus shipping.
• Martha King, AOPA 1190807, was appointed by President Clinton to the First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board. The purpose of the board is to advise the Centennial Flight Commission regarding the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight. The Wright brothers' achievement will be celebrated on December 17, 2003. King is the co-owner of King Schools Inc. She is also the first woman to hold every pilot category and class rating, as well as every flight instructor and ground instructor rating offered by the FAA.
• Pierre Beaudoin, AOPA 1407084, has been named president of Bombardier Aerospace Business Aircraft. Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a leading business, regional, and amphibious aircraft manufacturer.
• Mike Meadows, AOPA 1392535, of Houston, has published GPS for VFR—A Practical GPS Guide for VFR Pilots. The book provides guidance for VFR pilots on how to get the most out of their GPS receivers. The accompanying Web site contains useful and free information, as well as downloadable GPS simulators and manuals. Anyone who already has bought a GPS, or someone who is thinking about buying one, will find this book a useful companion to the manufacturer-supplied manual. The book is available for $19.95 plus $3.99 shipping from the Web site ( www.gpsforvfr.com) or by mail at 5623 Charlestown Colony Drive, Houston, Texas 77084.
• Richard E. Smith, AOPA 1786165, an air traffic controller at Barnes Municipal Airport in Westfield, Massachusetts, draws readers into the investigation of a terrible plane crash—a crash blamed on "controller error." In his new novel Radar Contact Lost, Smith "has taken the pulse of the flying public and sent it racing," according to a recent news release. The novel can be ordered online from the publisher ( www.iUniverse.com) or through Barnes & Noble.
• Joseph Scott McArdle, AOPA 1323919, was recently elected to the board of directors of Angel Flight East. The nonprofit organization of volunteer pilots provides free air transportation on private aircraft for medically and financially needy people throughout the Northeast.
• Stanley J. Hill, AOPA 949797, has been named to the board of directors of First Aviation Services Inc. Located in Westport, Connecticut, First Aviation provides services to military, commercial, and general aviation aircraft operators throughout the world.
• Charles M. Suma, AOPA 1293364, was recently awarded the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Distinguished Service Award. Suma is president and CEO of The New Piper Aircraft Inc. He has served as GAMA's chairman for the past year.
• T.W. Anderson, AOPA 878469, was recently named manager of the Newton City-County Airport (EWK) in Kansas. He will also oversee the airport's industrial park and the fuel and hangar service, Metro North Flight Support.
• Dr. John Eagerton IV, AOPA 629540, has been elected chairman of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). He is the director of the Alabama Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Bureau.