Piston-engine altitude record too close to call
If you were in an airliner April 10 over west-central Florida, you might have zipped past a tiny one-seater painted in tiger stripes and cruising level at 34,800 feet. That would have been Bruce Bohannon trying to set another piston-engine aviation record in his 1,563-pound Exxon Flyin' Tiger during the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.
It will take weeks of data analysis by the National Aeronautic Association to tell if Bohannon captured the record. The old record of 33,732 feet was set in 1984 by a turbocharged Mooney. Bohannon had only a normally aspirated 370-horsepower Teledyne Mattituck Lab IO-555 engine, one of a kind and developed especially to attempt the record. Mattituck has received inquiries about the engine from aerobatic pilots and air racers, and is considering selling it to the public.
To get the record, Bohannon was required to better the old one by at least 3 percent: That would require flying level for a brief period at 34,744 feet. Bohannon has filed a claim to the record indicating 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 are warmer. An increase of just 1 degree C would boost his total altitude by about 120 feet and put him above his goal. An actual temperature for the calculation is yet to be determined.
The engine was the brainchild of Teledyne Mattituck Services' Phil Haponic, who used the computer-design facilities of Lab Engine to modify a Lycoming 540 engine with stock Lycoming parts. The engine didn't need an extra supply of oxygen at altitude or a shot of performance-boosting nitrous oxide.
Exxon became a sponsor of the aircraft when Bohannon discovered that Exxon's multiviscosity, semisynthetic Elite oil wouldn't foam from the high heat generated at higher altitudes where thin air inhibits engine cooling.
The hardest part of the record attempt? "Getting Bruce to quit smoking so that he wouldn't get the bends at high altitude," joked one Mattituck official. Bohannon did have to sit in the hot cockpit, breathing oxygen under pressure, for 30 minutes before beginning the attempt. — Alton K. Marsh
FAA certifies Diamond Star
FAA Acting Deputy Administrator Monte Belger presented the type certificate for the Diamond Star DA40-180 airplane at the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In in April. 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, CEO 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 information, see the Web site ( www.diamondair.com). — Steven W. Ells
Aerostar wins London-to-Sydney race
It was an air race like no other. Thirty-four aircraft competed in the 2001 London-to-Sydney Air Race over a 12,000-nautical-mile course in everything from an Aerostar to a Piper Cub.
It began at Biggin Hill Aerodrome, just outside of London, on March 11 and ended in Australia on April 7. The contestants flew over some of the most remote areas in the world, in Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, and the Northern Australia Outback.
The event was part of Australia's Centenary of Federation celebrations and marks only the fourth time such a race has taken place. In 1919, Ross Smith and his crew completed the 11,000-mile London-to-Darwin, Australia, journey in a Vickers Vimy bomber in 28 days. This year's race was a handicap event based on aircraft specifications, with entrants competing for prizes on each leg of the race. There were two divisions for speed and precision flying. GPS receivers connected to data logging devices allowed race officials to quickly calculate standings.
The biggest aircraft in the race was a Grumman Albatross. Its American owner, Lyle Campbell, said he always wanted to own one and the race gave him a good excuse to buy one. The team got into trouble at the end of the race when the amphibian landed on busy Sydney Harbour, thinking that they had clearance from the country's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. But apparently the local authorities weren't notified. Later, Australian Prime Minister John Howard took the team's side. "I hereby grant prime ministerial amnesty to the crew of the Albatross," he said.
Besides being a test of piloting skill and endurance, there was also plenty of goodwill to go around. Some of the teams flew for charities. Roy Moed and Stephen Walls of Great Britain flew a Beech Baron 58 to raise money for meningitis research. Flying a Robinson R44, Jennifer Murray, who became famous for being the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter in 1997, and Colin Bodill were raising money for Operation Smile, which provides health care to children in developing countries.
In another example of goodwill, Campbell made it possible for another racer to realize his dream. Maurice Kirk, a flying veterinary surgeon from Wales, flew a 1940 Piper Cub that he had stumbled upon in an old barn in eastern France more than two decades ago. Her fading name, Liberty Bell, gave its historic role away. The airplane took part in the D-Day landings at Normandy and later served as a communications platform for Gen. George S. Patton. With Campbell's sponsorship, Kirk was able to enter the race in the competition's slowest aircraft.
The entrants braved wild weather, dealt with air traffic issues, and endured disputes about event rules. Although there were no fatalities in the actual race, two American women, Gwen Bloomingdale and her copilot Barbara Gard, died in a Shrike Commander that crashed on the southern coast of Iceland on March 6 on their way to the event. Two other airplanes didn't finish because of weather damage and an engine failure.
The racers represented an interesting cross-section of the global aviation community. There were Tim Ellison, a Royal Air Force veteran who became paraplegic after a Harrier crash in 1992; Virgina Wykes and Stephen Hirvonen, Australia's first aboriginal pilots to fly a light aircraft from the United Kingdom to Australia; and Lonny McClung, a retired American fighter pilot who saw 250 missions in Vietnam and once commanded the Navy's Top Gun school. He was among Campbell's crew in the Albatross. "It was indeed the aviation adventure of a lifetime," he said after the race.
In the end, an Aerostar 601P upgraded to a Super 700CR, The Spirit of Kai Tak, representing Hong Kong and named after Kai Tak Airport, was the victor in the speed division after finishing the race at a blistering average speed of 279 knots. For more information, see the Web site ( www.airrace.com.au).
Emergency landing experiences sought
Have you ever made an emergency landing? If so, Celeste Mayer, a flight instructor and a human factors psychology student at North Carolina State University, would like your help.
Mayer is researching visual factors that may affect the outcome of emergency landings for GA pilots. A review of GA accident reports that included emergency landings inspired her research. "In many of these reports I was left wondering why the landings turned out so badly," Mayer said. "For example, the pilot had plenty of altitude to set up, or the pilot had a wide open space for the landing. I was not satisfied with the explanation that in the end it was 'fear' that got the better of the pilot."
Her research is funded by a NASA grant. The first phase — already completed — was a flight-simulation exercise in which participants viewed emergency-landing scenarios and indicated where they believed that the airplane would land. The second phase involves an online survey.
Any pilot who has made an emergency or precautionary landing is invited to participate in the online survey. For more information or to complete the questionnaire, visit the Web site ( www.ncsu.edu/landingsurvey/). — Michael P. Collins
Company to restart Glasair kitplane production
After months of legal debate in federal bankruptcy court, a new buyer emerged in April to take over the assets of the highly successful Glasair kitplane line. It's called New Glasair LLC.
The owner, Thomas W. Wathen, who will also serve as the CEO of New Glasair, plans to restart production and provide customer service as soon as possible, said his attorney, John D. Lyon. Wathen is the founder and president of The Thomas W. Wathen Foundation, which is devoted to aviation-related education. Last year the foundation bought historic Flabob Airport in Riverside, California.
The deal includes the assets of the Glasair line and the Aurora program, an airframe project under NASA's Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) program. It did not include the GlaStar kit line, which will go to another purchaser.
Wathen slected Mikael Via as the chief operating officer. Via is a private pilot who has worked as a business and litigation attorney and is nearing completion of his own Glasair Super II RG kit.
Lyon said that because the previous owner, Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft Inc., had been outsourcing most of the components it will be easier to restart production. He was not sure where the company will be headquartered, but he said Flabob is a possibility.
When Stoddard-Hamilton closed its doors on May 8 of last year there was a panic among builders, many of whom had partially completed kits. "They're very pleased and very relieved," Lyon said. But, he added, they also want to know when they can get parts.
Pilot Headliners
ePilot
Headlines pulled from the most recent edition of AOPA's email newsletter
OMF Symphony receives certification
OMF Aircraft, of Trollenhagen, Germany, announced the FAA certification of its two-place OMF-160 Symphony. It is based on the GlaStar kitplane.
Malibu Meridian crashes
A New Piper Malibu Meridian turboprop airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Vero Beach Municipal Airport, Florida, on April 9, killing the two men aboard.
Superior announces low-octane engine
Superior Air Parts Inc. announced a factory-new, zero-time engine for the experimental aircraft market.
KLM closes academy
KLM Flight Academy, which has conducted ab initio pilot training in Arizona for European airlines, is closing its U.S. flight-training academy.
AASI struggles after stock market drop
Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures Inc. (AASI), developer of the Jetcruzer 500 single-engine turboprop, has fallen on hard times but is trying to reassure its vendors and contractors that it will certify and produce the airplane.
Van's introduces RV-7/7A
Van's Aircraft introduced its most advanced design — one that's also said to be the easiest to build.
To sign up for the free AOPA ePilot or to view the archive, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/epilot/).
'Memphis Belle' pilot recounts colorful story
Robert Morgan, one of the best-known U.S. bomber pilots in World War II — and an active pilot since then — has written his memoir, The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle.
Morgan was the first pilot in the Eighth Air Force to successfully complete 25 bombing missions, flying a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress named Memphis Belle over Europe. Morgan recounts his Army Air Corps training, the combat missions, and wartime life in England. In 1943 the crew and plane embarked on a 31-city publicity tour of the United States, and Morgan fondly recalls meeting Orville Wright, then 74.
The tour's departure from Morgan's hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, was accompanied by a low pass over downtown with a 60-degree bank that put the Belle's left wing between the courthouse and City -all. A lieutenant colonel working in a down-town office was immediately on the phone to the brand-new Pentagon, where he was promptly told that Morgan had been given permission to buzz by Lt. Gen. Henry Arnold.
Morgan then flew 26 missions as a B-29 Superfortress pilot in the Pacific Theater. He goes on to chronicle his life after the war — Morgan's struggle to put the war behind, marital problems, a drinking problem. For a time he owned a Volkswagen dealership in Virginia and traveled to Germany on business, seeing from the ground some of the same areas he had bombed during the war 20 years earlier.
The Memphis Belle had a tough time after the war, too. It became an early victim of the "not in my backyard" syndrome that affects many GA airports and almost wasn't put on display in Memphis. Finally it was, and in 1987 the airplane was moved to an open-air pavilion on Mud Island. All of the flying B-17s in the country at the time — seven of them — conducted a flyby, and Morgan logged another hour in a Flying Fortress over Memphis. He married his current wife, Linda, who also is a pilot, in front of the Belle in 1992.
But corrosion threatens the ship today, and funds are being raised to build a climate-controlled building around the airplane. If the effort falls short, Morgan hopes the Memphis Belle will go to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle, coauthored by journalist Ron Powers and published by Dutton, retails for $25.95 and is available at booksellers. — MPC
Squawk Sheet
Reminiscent of last year's Teledyne Continental crankshaft problems, Textron Lycoming recently released Service Bulletin (SB) 549 highlighting a "potential metallurgical condition" on crankshafts installed in four-cylinder 360-series engines or shipped as spare parts. The suspect crankshafts were shipped from the Lycoming factory from May 1, 1997, through April 30, 2000, and are listed by serial number in the SB. Lycoming requires that affected airplanes undergo nondestructive testing at one of several Lycoming-certified facilities listed in the SB, and will extend warranty coverage for cost of the required inspections through October 31 of this year. Lycoming has supplied AOPA with additional information not found in the SB, including the failure events leading up to this SB, the nature of the defect, and testing methods. For more, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/reglycoming_crank.html).
Links to the full text of these proposals and rulemakings can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links.shtml).
Group submerges airplanes in quarry
Normally, scuba-diving and aviation don't mix. That is unless you're talking about a dive quarry near Findlay, Ohio.
Mark Coleman and Mike Williams worked for more than a year to acquire an aircraft that they could sink in the Gilboa Stone Quarry to serve as both a dive attraction and a search-and-rescue trainer. They were in luck last December when the Michigan Institute of Aeronautics at Willow Run Airport donated a 24-passenger Grumman Gulfstream I.
Dubbed the "Gilboa Grumman," it was slated to go in the quarry in April, thanks to the work of a group of people. Oddly, the airplane is no stranger to water. Based on Grumman historical records, the same aircraft was used for hydrostatic testing in large water tanks.
The group has also secured a second aircraft, a DC-8, which admittedly will be an even bigger challenge to sink. For more information, see the Web site ( www.divegilboa.com).
A new Horizon dawns at Raytheon
For the second time in a month, Raytheon Aircraft unveiled a major development in its turbine fleet. In March it was the long-awaited receipt of the Premier I type certificate. On April 17, the company rolled out the Hawker Horizon, the new super-midsize business jet.
Like the Premier I, the Horizon is an all-new airplane, incorporating a composite fuselage riding on an aluminum wing. The $16.8 million Horizon was announced in November 1996 and was originally scheduled to be certified in spring 2001. Time marched on and the program was delayed while the company focused on the Premier I. Now, though, first flight is scheduled for this summer with certification and deliveries in 2003. The Horizon is 30-percent larger overall than the mid-size Hawker 800XP currently in development, and it flies 30 percent farther on a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW305 engines generating 6,500 pounds of thrust each. With the increased range, the Horizon gains intercontinental status. Up front, the pilots will control the airplane's systems point-and-click style through a sophisticated Honeywell Epic integrated avionics suite and electronic engine controls. — Thomas B. Haines
Members in the news
Mark van Benschoten, AOPA 379143, and Rick Moreau, AOPA 1182128, have produced a video, North Atlantic Crossing, which details the duo's trip across the pond in a 1968 Mooney. Van Benschoten is an airline transport-rated corporate pilot, and Moreau is an instrument-rated private pilot. The trip was van Benschoten's fifth crossing of the Atlantic, via Canada, Greenland, and Iceland, to Bergen, Norway. The video runs 60 minutes and is available in both VHS and PAL formats for $19.95 plus $3.95 shipping and handling. For more information, contact Flight Films, Post Office Box 93, Linwood, Michigan 48634; telephone 800/510-1017; or visit the Web site ( www.flightfilms.com).
Bruce McAllister, AOPA 469693, and Peter Corley-Smith have published Wings Over the Alaska Highway, a photographic history of aviation along the famous landmark. Using vintage and modern photos, the book charts the rugged history of bush flying and includes such colorful characters as Merle "Mudhole" Smith, who earned his nickname from clearing mud out of a radial engine after his airplane nosed over in a muddy field. It also covers the policymakers who made the area what it is today. Published by Roundup Press, the book sells for $34.95. For more information, visit the Web site ( www.wingsalcan.com).
Jerry Scott, AOPA 917599, has been named executive vice president of Baseops International Inc. He went to the company with more than 17 years of experience in the aviation industry, including 11 years at Universal Weather and Aviation Inc. where he served as senior manager and president of the commercial fuel division.
P. Bayard duPont, AOPA 952405, has been named director of sales for the United States and Canada for the Enstrom Helicopter Corporation. He is an A&P mechanic and is rated to fly airplanes, seaplanes, and helicopters.
Pete Fusco, AOPA 1617104, moved from one "wretched" flying job to another in the early days of his flying career. Before he could become a Boeing 737 captain, there were the Gods of Aviation Misfortune to deal with. They were aided by an ex-biker named Moondog, the Cleveland Mafia, a mythical beast known as the Curtiss C-46, and a Miami shrunken-heads smuggler. Fusco's memoir, Moondog's Academy of the Air and Other Disasters, is the "story of all pilots who ever chanced the long odds against making a living flying airplanes and lived to laugh about it." Published by Writers Club Press, it sells for $14.95. For more information, see the Web site ( www.iuniverse.com).
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