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| GA News
| FAA PROPOSES AD ON CESSNA PLASTIC CONTROL WHEELS
On December 29 the FAA proposed Airworthiness Directive 98-CE-57-AD, requiring the inspection and testing of plastic control wheels installed on several popular models of Cessna piston airplanes. The proposed AD calls for inspection and pull testing of the control wheels at every annual inspection and requires replacement of control wheels that are cracked or fail to pass the pull-test. The proposed AD would affect about 12,592 U.S.-registered airplanes, including Cessna 150, 172, 175, 180, 182, 185, 206, 210, and 336 models. AOPA has reservations about the need for this AD, noting that there have been only four reports of control wheel cracks. AOPA has contacted concerned aircraft type clubs for technical input and will be coordinating a response to the FAA's proposal. For more information and a copy of the AD, visit AOPA Online.
LANCAIR GOES TURBINE
Kitplane manufacturer Lancair plans to offer a turbine-powered version of its popular Lancair IV-P pressurized piston single. The airplane will use a Czech-built Walter 601E turboprop engine of 700 shaft horsepower, and may be capable of hitting cruise speeds of 340 to 350 knots at 25,000 feet. Specifications have yet to be finalized, but a Lancair spokesman said that the engine–along with its 82- to 84-inch-diameter, three-blade propeller–will be offered as a $7,500 option to the existing, $102,900 Lancair IV-P kitplane. The option includes the engine and propeller, along with a different firewall, engine mounts, and cowling. The cowling will be about one foot longer than the IV-P's. The first flight is expected in six months, although Lancair is currently taking orders for the turbine option.
CONTROLLERS VECTOR CAPSTONE AIRCAFT IN ALASKA
 The FAA rang in the new year in Bethel, Alaska, with the first operational use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology as part of its Capstone program. At 3:18 p.m. Alaska time on Sunday, December 31, the Anchorage Air Traffic Route Control Center (ARTCC) began vectoring Capstone-equipped aircraft onto the ILS at Bethel, even though Bethel doesn't have radar service. The first two aircraft were a Yute Air CASA-212 and a Northern Air Cargo DC-6. AOPA is a partner in Capstone, a demonstration program that provides at an affordable price traffic, terrain, and weather information to a multifunction display in the cockpits of general aviation aircraft. Capstone-equipped aircraft broadcast GPS-derived position, speed, and altitude to a ground receiver and other equipped aircraft. That information is then transmitted back to ARTCC and displayed on the controllers' screens, just like radar targets. For more, see AOPA Online or AOPA Pilot online.
MOONEY OFFERS GARMIN AVIONICS IN NEW AIRCRAFT
Garmin International Inc. has forged an agreement with Mooney Aircraft Corporation to offer complete avionics suites as standard equipment in new Mooney Eagles, Ovations, and Bravos. All 2001 Mooney aircraft will feature the GMA 340 audio panel, GTX 327 digital transponder, GI 106A course deviation indicator, and GNS 430/GNS 530 integrated avionics systems (IFR GPS/nav/com/ILS). The Mooney M20S Eagle will come standard with a Garmin GNS 430, GMA 340, and GTX 327. Owners wishing to upgrade can add a GI 106A and a second 430 for redundancy, or exchange the original 430 for the larger-display GNS 530. Pilots flying the Mooney M20R Ovation2 or top-of-the-line turbocharged M20M Bravo will navigate using the GNS 530/430 combination. For pilots who want more situational awareness, Mooney can offer dual 530s. Garmin avionics also are standard in 2001 aircraft made by Raytheon, New Piper, Cirrus Design, Aviat, and Extra. For more about Garmin, see the Web site.
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
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Inside AOPA
| MEIGS FIELD FUND-RAISER TO HONOR AOPA'S BOYER
An event to raise funds to preserve and improve Meigs Field will take place on February 2 in Chicago. Friends of Meigs Field is expecting 300 to 400 guests for the second annual Touch the Sky Benefit Banquet. AOPA President Phil Boyer will be honored with the 2001 Merrill C. Meigs Spirit of Flight Award for his work on behalf of saving the airport and for being a champion of other aviation causes in the Chicago area. The keynote speakers will be Cliff Robertson and Dick Rutan. Although the lakefront airport was reopened in 1997, under the current city/state agreement it is only guaranteed to remain open until 2002. The event marks the last big chance to raise money before the agreement expires. AOPA has battled to save the beleaguered lakeside airport, including filing a federal lawsuit, placing full-page ads in Chicago newspapers, and lobbying the Illinois legislature. For more information or to make reservations, see the Web site. Contributions to the not-for-profit organization are tax deductible.
PERRY JOINS AOPA AVIATION MEDICAL BOARD
Dr. Ian Perry has been appointed to the AOPA Board of Aviation Medical Advisors. Perry joins eight other distinguished board members who will be assisting AOPA on precedent-setting aviation medicine issues as well as providing AOPA with expert medical advice. Perry also will furnish AOPA with valuable input on international medical certification issues, a growing concern as the United States and Europe move toward harmonizing aviation standards and regulations. Perry is a retired military pilot, now an active GA pilot, who practices aviation medicine in Europe. He is based in London. For more, see AOPA Online.
| On Capitol Hill
| BUSH NOMINATES TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
President-elect George W. Bush on Tuesday nominated Norman Y. Mineta to be secretary of transportation. Mineta, the first Democrat nominated for Bush's cabinet, has been President Clinton's commerce secretary since last July. Well-versed in aviation issues, Mineta served in the House of Representatives from 1974 to 1995. He served as chairman of the House aviation subcommittee from 1981 to 1988, and in 1992 he was named chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee, a position he held for two years. "Norman Mineta has been a knowledgeable and independent friend to aviation. He has always given a fair hearing to the concerns of the nation's general aviation pilots," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "As chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee, he supported taking the aviation trust fund 'off budget' so that all taxes collected could be spent on aviation. Through the years, he has worked to build a bipartisan consensus on aviation issues. We look forward to collaborating with Mineta as we all work to improve the nation's aviation infrastructure." Mineta received AOPA's Hartranft Award in 1987. He also served as chairman of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission (NCARC) and as senior vice president, special business initiatives, at Lockheed Martin Corporation. Two of Mineta's sons, Stuart and Bob, are GA pilots.
SHUSTER TO RETIRE FROM CONGRESS
Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), principal author of AIR-21, announced his retirement from Congress effective January 31. "I [have] reached the pinnacle of my congressional career… Like my boyhood baseball idol, Lou Gerhig, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth–to have realized my dream of becoming a U.S. Congressman," Shuster said. He also cited health concerns in his decision. Shuster, who served as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will be remembered for his successful efforts to guarantee that taxes collected for the improvement of the aviation and national highway systems are fully being used for their intended purposes. He received AOPA's Hartranft Award in 1999 for those efforts. Under Republican congressional rules, Shuster would have had to relinquish the transportation committee chairmanship this session.
| Airport Support Network
| VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK–MORRIS COURTRIGHT JR.
After many months of working with the state and the airport sponsor, Morris "Court" Courtright Jr. participated in a ribbon cutting on December 19 for the new runway at San Manuel Airport (E77) in Arizona. In order to get the runway constructed, Courtright spent many hours working with the state aeronautics department to ensure funding, lobbying, and educating local and state politicians on the value of the airport. He also used his engineering skills to assist in the project along the way. Thanks to his efforts, along with many others, San Manuel now has a new 4,200-by-75-foot runway and a new tiedown area.
To learn more about the Airport Support Network, visit AOPA Online.
| AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| AIR MOD DONATES AIRCRAFT INTERIOR TO ASF
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation received a nice Christmas gift from Dennis and Cynthia Wolter, owners of Air Mod in Batavia, Ohio. Air Mod reconstructed the interior in ASF's 1979 Piper Archer II, which is used as a research and training aircraft. Air Mod is well-known for high-end interior work and has done the honors on several of AOPA's sweepstakes aircraft, including the Better Than New Cessna 172 and the Aero SUV Cessna 206. The company will also be doing the interior of AOPA's 2001 Sweepstakes Bonanza project later this year. ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg presented Dennis Wolter with an ASF Silver Tier Corporate recognition plaque.
| Quiz Me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: I just read the (December 22) Quiz Me! about braking action. What's the difference between braking action reports and runway friction reports? And, what is a MU?
Answer: Breaking action reports and advisories are described in paragraph 4-3-8 of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), which states that they will be provided by ATC to pilots using the terminology "good," "fair," "poor," and "nil." These reports are provided to ATC by either pilots or airport management using the same terminology. Runway friction reports and advisories are provided to ATC by airport management at airports with friction measuring devices and are described in paragraph 4-3-9 of the AIM. At such airports, reports for notams and ATC advisories will be given using Greek letter MU (pronounced "myew") in values ranging from 0 to 100. The lower the MU value, the less effective braking performance becomes.
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
|  JOURNEY BEGINS FOR SWEEPSTAKES BONANZA
The winner of AOPA's 2000 Millennium Mooney sweepstakes prize will be drawn within the next few days. We'll announce the winner in an upcoming issue of ePilot, once the prize has been awarded. Meanwhile, the AOPA Pilot staff is hard at work on the 2001 project–a fully refurbished and upgraded V35 Bonanza. When completed later this year, AOPA's 2001 Bonanza Sweepstakes airplane with its 300-hp turbonormalized engine will likely be one of the fastest piston singles flying. Read all about the progress thus far on AOPA Online and look for the first installment in the year-long series in the February issue of AOPA Pilot. For more about the project, see AOPA Online.
| Coming Up In AOPA Pilot
| Learn how to make perfect landings, fly the Lancair 400, and take a winter getaway in the February issue of AOPA Pilot. It will be mailed January 20.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Grand Bahama, Bahamas. The Conch-Out Fly-In takes place January 12 through 14. Freeport International Airport (MYGF) serves the area. Call 800/327-7678 for event information.
Washington, DC. The Air Traffic Control Association Symposium takes place January 17 at the Washington Renaissance Hotel. Call 703/522-5717 for event information.
Ocean City, Maryland. The annual Nautical and Wildlife Art Festival continues through January 14. Ocean City Municipal Airport (OXB), 410/213-2471, serves the area. Call 410/524-9177 for event information.
Chico, California. The Snow Goose Festival takes place January 13 and 14. Chico Municipal (CIC), 530/895-4803, and Ranchaero Airport (O23), 530/342-5242, serve the area. Call 800/852-8570 for event information.
For more airport details, see AOPA’s Airport Directory Online . For more events, see the 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 Jackson, Mississippi; Jacksonville, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas, January 13 and 14. Clinics are scheduled in Portland, Oregon; Rochester, New York; and San Jose, California, January 20 and 21. For complete details, visit the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
The next AOPA ASF Safety Seminars are scheduled in Kansas City, Missouri, January 10; Wichita, January 11; Denver, January 16; and Colorado Springs, Colorado, January 17. For more information see Web site.
ASF PINCH HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place January 14 in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, see the Pinch Hitter Ground School Schedule.
AOPA PILOT TOWN MEETINGS
Featuring AOPA President Phil Boyer
(7:30 p.m.; admission is free)
The next Pilot Town Meetings are in Tallahassee, Florida, January 30; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 31; and Tampa, February 1. Click for more information on Pilot Town Meetings.
For comments on calendar items or to make submissions, contact Julie 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].
To subscribe to ePilot, a free weekly newsletter on general aviation, visit http://www.aopa.org/members/epilot.html. AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000
Copyright � 2001. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
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