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| GA News
| RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SALE OFF, FOR NOW
A combination of factors as reported by a variety of sources appears to have scuttled, at least for now, the anticipated sale of Raytheon Aircraft for $4 billion. Although there has been no official announcement, numerous stock analysts and industry observers told Aviation Week’s The Weekly of Business Aviation earlier this month that the price was just too high, and that efforts to sell the Wichita aircraft manufacturer appeared to be dead months ago. The Wichita Eagle newspaper was told by stock analysts that delays in certification of the Premier I business jet and the need to resell used Beech 1900D regional airliners that were under lease to two airlines are primary reasons why potential buyers walked away. But they might be contacted again in the future by Credit Suisse First Boston, the firm acting as agent for the sale. Avmark Services founder John Green told the publications that Raytheon will retrench, restructure the deal, and attempt to sell the company at a later date, and for the same price. Raytheon Company, the aircraft company’s parent, apparently wants to dump nonmilitary assets among its divisions. Except for a lucrative military trainer aircraft, Raytheon Aircraft mainly serves the civilian market.
UPSAT TO LEAD WAY IN WAAS PRECISION APPROACHES
UPS Aviation Technologies announced that it will build the world’s first GPS receiver capable of using signals from the FAA’s Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for precision instrument approaches. Using this new technology, pilots will receive vertical and horizontal guidance with three-dimensional integrity to any runway in the United States with a published procedure. "The airline experience demonstrates that stabilized instrument approaches with vertical guidance are the safest, yet the majority of general aviation airports don’t have this precision approach capability," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "This new receiver delivers on the WAAS promise of vertical approach guidance to thousands of GA airports. And it shows the decision to continue WAAS development is a good one." The system is designed to warn pilots if WAAS satellite signals become degraded or unusable. UPSAT believes it will overcome critics’ concerns about the reliability of the WAAS signal, which has not yet been approved by the FAA for precision approaches. UPSAT said that it will seek certification of its new system later this year. For more, see the Web site.
HARTZELL RECEIVES STC FOR SKYLANE PROP KIT
/Hartzell010119.jpg?w=225&h=151&as=1&hash=EAD01F598BE4E75B85E86DB0C76BA3BF) Hartzell Propeller Inc. received a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the replacement of aging propellers on Cessna 182 through 182P aircraft. The propeller is for Skylanes with the Continental O-470-L, -R, and -S engines. The complete kit with a two-blade, 82-inch propeller and polished spinner sells for $5,995. More than 10,000 182 through 182P aircraft were produced between 1956 and 1976. For more, visit the Top Prop section of the company’s Web site.
COMPANY OFFERS FREE FLIGHT TRACKING
How would you like to track general aviation and commercial aircraft on IFR flight plans anywhere in U.S. airspace? A new service offered by Aviation Data Systems Inc. allows you to do just that for free. "Future versions of the service will include live, real-time plotting of aircraft based on any number of available criteria, complete with radar and course overlays," said company President Andrew Green. For the time being, the service will be free, but there will likely be a charge for general aviation aircraft once the enhancements are in place, Green said. A number of other aviation-related services are available from the company over the Internet. For more, see the Web site.
CENTURY BUYS TRW FACILITY
Century Aerospace, developers of the Century CA-100 business jet, announced that it has bought TRW Aeronautical Systems' (Lucas Aerospace) manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia. The price was not disclosed. Century will use the facility to manufacture components and perform final assembly of the entry-level twinjet, which is scheduled to begin production in early 2003. TRW planned to close the facility, but now all 94 employees will retain their jobs and work on the Century and nonaerospace projects. The facility will operated under a newly formed company, Alliance Aerospace LLC.
HEADING TO THE SUPER BOWL?
The FAA has implemented special air traffic procedures during Super Bowl XXXV week, January 25 through 29, in the Tampa area. If you plan to fly in or near southwestern Florida during that period, check out the notam on the FAA’s Web site.
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
Changing mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
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Inside AOPA
| FAA TO IMPLEMENT RNAV ROUTES, THANKS TO AOPA
New RNAV routes through the Charlotte, North Carolina, Class B airspace will be implemented on January 30. Previously, IFR overflights were being rerouted around Charlotte by as much as 50 miles. Acting on member complaints, AOPA worked with the FAA to develop the new, more direct routes. The RNAV routes give pilots with IFR-approved GPS or FMS equipment increased access through the Charlotte terminal area. The Charlotte routes represent just a first step toward charted RNAV airways. AOPA has requested that the FAA start developing RNAV airways nationwide, with the first charted RNAV airway to appear by March 2003. New instrument RNAV airways will be more direct than the current VOR-to-VOR Victor airways. They will also provide shorter routes through Class B and C airspace. RNAV routes could also lower altitude minimums on some existing Victor airways where VOR performance (minimum reception altitude) requires higher minimums.
AOPA TITLE REPORT REVEALS AIRCRAFT HISTORIES
An exclusive "Chain of Title" report is now part of the AOPA Service Corporation's Title and Escrow Service Comprehensive Plan, a group of services that help protect used aircraft buyers. The enhancement adds the name and address of every U.S.-registered owner for an aircraft since it was manufactured and the date of each acquisition. "A chain of title report helps assure a no-surprises purchase," said Karen Detert, AOPA senior vice president of products and services. In addition, the report can often help prospective purchasers determine the types of operations for which the aircraft was used and contact information for past owners, often useful for finding information missing from logbooks. For more, see AOPA Online.
| On Capitol Hill
| SENATE NAMES MEMBERS TO KEY COMMITTEE
Three freshmen senators will join four other senators as new members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The panel has jurisdiction over all aspects of the aviation industry, including the aviation trust fund and the reauthorization of FAA and NTSB funding. Freshman Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) will join fellow Democrats John Edwards (N.C.) and Barbara Boxer (Calif.) as new members of the committee. Freshmen Republican senators George Allen (Va.) and John Ensign (Nev.), along with senators Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), will have new seats on the committee. Smith is an aircraft owner.
| Airport Support Network
| VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK—AL NEAR
Al Near has been monitoring the master plan update process that is taking place at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) in Alaska. He alerted AOPA to the potential negative effects of the plan as voiced by local pilots. Near recently attended a user group meeting with the Alaska Department of Transportation. He reports that the efforts seem to be paying off because, at the very least, the Alaska DOT is listening and seems to be trying to make changes to mitigate the impact on general aviation. Near says he’ll stay on top of the issue and keep AOPA apprised of further changes to the plan.
To learn more about the Airport Support Network, visit AOPA Online.
| AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| GIVING CAMPAIGNS BOOST ASF SAFETY PROGRAMS
Fresh giving campaigns helped the AOPA Air Safety Foundation raise $1,472,000 last year, increasing both the quantity and quality of the foundation’s safety outreach efforts. Among the GA safety programs made possible by the funding was a new seminar on midair collision avoidance. The program debuted at AOPA Expo in October, ironically just as statistics were starting to reveal a spike in midair collisions. Also in 2000, an ASF "Partnering with Corporate America" program put a new series of ASF aircraft-specific safety reviews on Cessna 172s, 182s, and the Piper PA-28 series in the hands of all registered owners of the specific types. A new Corporate Matching Gifts program attracted support from a number of companies, which offered to match, double, or even triple the gifts of ASF donors employed by those companies and dramatically increased the effectiveness of ASF fundraising efforts.
| Quiz Me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: On a recent flight to an unfamiliar airport, I noticed a sign along the runway with the number four on it. Farther down the runway was another sign with the number three on it, then one with the number two on it, then the last sign had the number one on it. These signs had white numbers with a black background. What do they mean?
Answer: These signs are runway distance remaining signs. They are described in Chapter 2 of the Aeronautical Information Manual as "having a black background with a white numeral inscription and may be installed along one or both side(s) of the runway. The numbers on the signs indicate the distance (in thousands of feet) of landing runway remaining. The last sign, the sign with the numeral one, will be located at least 950 feet from the runway end."
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
| LEARN THE HISTORY OF AOPA'S SWEEPS BONANZA
 Peel back the history of AOPA’s 2001 sweepstakes Bonanza as technicians get set to turn it into a turbonormalized rocket ship. And read the latest on the efforts to take the 40-year-old airframe and equip it with a pilot’s wish list of upgrades. For more on this unique project, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| AOPA ONLINE OFFERS TRAVEL PLANNING SERVICE
Travel planning is now easier for AOPA members with the new AOPA Online Travel Service, provided in cooperation with TGWorldwide. Research and book airline flights, hotels, rental cars, vacations, and more. Note: When registering for TripGate, the online booking service, enter "AOPA" when asked for "company" name. For more, see AOPA Online.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
In response to member requests, destinations will be posted at least one week in advance.
Holtville, California. Holtville, where everyone can see in the dark, celebrates its annual Carrot Festival January 26 through February 4. Holtville Municipal Airport (LO4), 706/356-4641, serves the area. Call 760/356-2923 for event information.
Tampa, Florida. Southwest Airlines presents the Gasparilla Pirate Fest, a three-day event featuring an invasion of 1,000 pirates and a 2.5-mile parade. Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF), 813/251-1752; Tampa International (TPA), 813/870-8700; and Vandenberg Airport (X16), 813/626-1515 serve the area. Call 813/353-8108 for event information.
Evans Mills, New York. The Snowmobile Eastern Pro Tour Race takes place January 23 and 24. Watertown International Airport (ART), 315/639-3809, serves the area. Call 450/794-2298 for event information.
East Lansing, Michigan. The Great Lakes International Aviation Conference takes place January 26 through 28. Capital City Airport (LAN), 517/321-6121, serves the area. Call 517/335-9880 for event information.
Laverne, California. The San Gabriel 99s are sponsoring a Poker Run January 27 at Brackett Field (POC), 909/593-1395. Call 909/987-0087 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 Baltimore, Maryland, and Pensacola, Florida, January 27 and 28. Clinics are scheduled for Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, and Sacramento, California, February 3 and 4. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic .
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
The next AOPA ASF Safety Seminars are scheduled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and San Jose, California, January 22; Oakland, California, January 23; Mesa, Arizona, and Santa Rosa, California, January 24; Sacramento, California, and Tucson, January 25; Fort Worth, Texas, January 29; Oklahoma City, January 30; and Tulsa, Oklahoma, January 31. 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 February 11 in Melbourne, Florida. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see 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; Tampa, February 1; Van Nuys, California, February 20; Ontario, California, February 21; and San Diego, February 22. For more information on Pilot Town Meetings, see Pilot Town Meetings.
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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Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000
Copyright � 2001. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
| Sponsors
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