The GA accident rate (accidents per 100,000 flight hours) has been declining steadily since 1994 and has decreased more than 90 percent since record keeping began in 1938.
Low-level maneuvering flight and adverse weather conditions were the two largest fatal accident categories for GA pilots in 1999, unchanged from previous years.
"Although the natural tendency is to think of all maneuvering accidents as simply pilots showing off with low-level thrill flights, some of these accidents occurred during legitimate activ- ities such as aerial application, banner towing, and law enforcement," Landsberg said. "These operations require low, slow flight and considerable mission-related division of attention. These operations carry some inherent risk and demand skill and vigilance from the pilot."
The report found a marked decrease in the number of weather-judgment accidents, from 65 in 1998 to just 36 in 1999. "While we won't call it a trend yet, the hope is that pilots are heeding the message that continuing VFR flight into instrument weather conditions is not a life-prolonging activity," Landsberg said. He also noted that flight hours, FAA certificates, and advanced ratings aren't necessarily a cure-all for bad judgment. Two of the fatal weather judgment accidents in 1999 involved professional pilots who attempted visual flight with ceilings below 100 feet.
Of the four main types of flying categorized in the 2000 report, flight for personal reasons was by far the largest single type of operation - 45 percent of all GA flights - but also accounted for 68 percent of all accidents and 67.5 percent of fatal accidents. Flight instruction had a very good year in 1999, with almost 18 percent of flying hours but only 5 percent of fatal accidents.
Mechanical and maintenance issues accounted for 15 percent of all accidents, with just under half attributable to engine or propeller problems. Fuel management issues were blamed in 3.9 percent of all general aviation accidents, but they accounted for only 1.6 percent of fatal accidents. Most occurred because the pilot allowed the aircraft to run out of fuel (fuel exhaustion) or failed to get fuel from the tank to the engine (fuel starvation). Only two accidents in 1999 were attributed to fuel contamination.
The report provides a comprehensive examination of all accidents from the previous year involving fixed-wing GA aircraft under 12,500 pounds. For a free copy, write: Nall Report, AOPA Air Safety Foundation, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. The report can be downloaded free on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asf/publications/00nall.pdf ).
Anne Lindbergh Leaves Aviation, Literary Legacies
Anne Morrow Lindbergh was the daughter of an ambassador. The shy woman, always sensitive to media attention, became an ambassador in her own right, championing aviation as a safe way to travel with her world-famous husband.
She died in her sleep on February 7 at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy of adventure and discovery. Her life changed forever in 1929 when she married America's most eligible bachelor, Charles Lindbergh, after he crossed the Atlantic.
Charles took Anne flying in a de Havilland Moth above Long Island on their first date. "I can't describe flying - it was too glorious," she wrote, according to A. Scott Berg in his 1998 biography, Lindbergh. Berg's book was based on private papers that Mrs. Lindbergh had made available to him.
In 1930, Mrs. Lindbergh became the first American woman to earn a glider pilot certificate. That same year, she and her husband set a transcontinental speed record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in just under 15 hours.
Having studied literature at Smith College in Massachusetts, Mrs. Lindbergh wrote about flying in such works as North of the Orient, her first book, in which she captured the couple's flights over uncharted routes in Canada, Alaska, Japan, and China in a single-engine airplane. Among her 11 major works, she also published Listen! The Wind about surveying air routes over the North and South Atlantic.
In the introduction to Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead, Mrs. Lindbergh wrote about what flying brought to her life: "Flying was a very tangible freedom. In those days, it was beauty, adventure, discovery - the epitome of breaking into new worlds." She won several awards for writing and flying, and she was the first woman to receive the National Geographic Society's Hubbard Gold Medal for her dedication to research and exploration. The couple had six children. Charles Lindbergh died in 1974 and was buried in Hawaii.
Thurber Wins AOPA's Sweepstakes Mooney
Alex Thurber of Portland, Oregon, a 550-hour private pilot and computer company executive, won AOPA's 2000 membership sweepstakes airplane, the Millennium Mooney. AOPA President Phil Boyer surprised Thurber on February 24 during a presentation to more than 1,000 pilots attending the Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show in Puyallap, Washington, south of Seattle. Thurber had been lured to the conference thinking he had won a $20,000 UPS Aviation Technologies avionics package.
Thurber, 40, became fascinated with flying after watching James Bond pilot a seaplane over the South China Sea in The Man with the Golden Gun. He worked a paper route to earn enough money for lessons and soloed at age 16 in a Piper Cherokee 140 from Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland, now home to AOPA headquarters. He joined AOPA, earned his private certificate at age 17, and kept flying through college. "It was great for dates," he said. Then the pressures of career and family led to a decade-long hiatus from flying. But he kept his AOPA membership active and kept dreaming. Meanwhile, he created several very successful computer, Internet, and network security consulting businesses. He returned to flying three years ago, earning an instrument rating and flying for both business and pleasure.
Thurber is the latest in a long line of AOPA sweepstakes winners. Will you be next? Work has already begun on AOPA's 2001 sweepstakes airplane, a 1966 Beech V35 Bonanza, improved with almost $200,000 in custom upgrades. Anyone who joins AOPA or renews an AOPA membership during calendar year 2001 is automatically entered in the sweepstakes. The winner, selected at random by an independent accounting firm, will be awarded the grand prize Bonanza in early 2002. Complete rules are available on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/sweeps/).
Michael P. Collins
French Company To Produce Diesel Engine
A French company has received Design Organization Approval in Europe for its SR 305 230-horsepower diesel engine that offers improved performance, longer time between overhauls (TBO), and the ability to run on jet fuel.
SMA, Societe de Motorisation Aeronautiques, created four years ago by Aerospatiale and Renault for the development and sales of a range of piston aircraft engines, plans to put the new engine into production soon. The engine is being flown on a Cessna 182 at the Daytona Beach, Florida, campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for evaluation.
All of the certification testing has been completed and the company was expecting Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification by the end of the March. Through a reciprocal agreement, SMA also expected to receive FAA certification in the United States later this year. No price for the engine has been announced. For more, see the Web site (www.smaengines.com ).
AOPA, ASF Unveil Runway Safety Course
In an effort to address the continuing problem of runway incursions, AOPA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation have teamed up to offer a first-of-its-kind online runway safety course. AOPA provided the funding for ASF to develop the lively, interactive ASF Runway Safety Program. The course is available free to all pilots, and it is the first industry online course accepted for FAA "Wings" safety program credit. "The growing number of runway incursions is a real 'hot button' for the FAA and Congress," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "AOPA and ASF are committed to finding simple and effective solutions that can be implemented now. Pilot education is the fastest and most effective way to reduce the chance of an incursion." Boyer previewed the course for FAA Administrator Jane Garvey in late February. She hailed the ASF Runway Safety Program as "an extraordinary training tool." She added, "This addition to the AOPA Web site is yet another excellent AOPA initiative to increase pilot awareness and improve runway safety."
The course consists of three parts: an arrival at Long Beach/Daugherty Field in California, a departure from Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania, and a quiz. Using active motion and 3-D graphics, the program takes pilots through real-life situations involving operations with high potential for runway incursions. Pilots who successfully complete the course quiz may download a graduation certificate suitable for framing. For more, see ( www.aopa.org/asf/runway_safety/).
Camp Volunteers Exchange Work For Flying
Flight Training Adventure Camps is looking for a few good volunteers who are interested in learning to fly. The program allows young people to pay for flying entirely through volunteer work.
This year FTAC has scheduled its summer camp to begin at the end of July to give volunteers more time to do work in exchange for course money. FTAC is in the process of expanding its headquarters. Last year several campers helped out with the construction.
"It's a wonderful win-win situation," said Dominik Strobel, founder and director of the camp. "Campers who have no money can learn to fly, and we get to finish our new office, classroom, and shop space, so that we can better serve more campers in the future."
What do campers get for their sweat? FTAC offers several flight training programs all the way to instrument ratings. At the core of FTAC's activities is a "Tour Camp." This year it will be four weeks and cover 4,000 miles across the western United States. The "Magic Bus," the camp's mobile classroom, will be used along with a fleet of training airplanes in which participants will receive 12 hours of instruction in preparation for soloing.
Volunteers can begin work as early as June and can possibly pay for the entire course through volunteering. The minimum age to apply as a volunteer is 16, and the application deadline is May 1. Some scholarships are also available. Applications can be printed from the Web site ( www.ftacamp.com/printouts/ ). Questions can be directed to Strobel via e-mail ( [email protected] ).
School News
UND Offers Graduate Aviation Degree
The University of North Dakota's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace is now offering a master of science degree in aviation. It gives students an educational background for solving problems in general aviation, the airlines, corporate aviation, and airport management.
Students can enroll on campus or take advantage of off-campus delivery by viewing videotapes of the lectures and participating in two chat sessions per week over the Internet throughout each semester. Off-campus students can pursue an advanced degree without leaving their jobs.
The on-campus program will begin in August 2001 and the off-campus program will begin in January 2002. The program will take two years to complete. Course subjects include aviation economics, airline labor relations, and human factors. For more information, see the Web site ( www.aero.und.edu/avitms/).
Scholarship Is Endowed For Aviation Students
The Joseph S. Vorbeck Scholarship at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College is now endowed. The endowment allows the $10,000 scholarship to be given annually to students in the college's professional pilot program.
The scholarship is named in memory of Joseph (Joe) S. Vorbeck, an aviation pioneer who invented the three-day ground school along with Sporty's Pilot Shop founder and Chairman Hal Shevers. Vorbeck was involved in aviation education at both the University of Illinois and Purdue University. He also cofounded Sporty's Academy and spearheaded the establishment of the University of Cincinnati's professional pilot program.
For more information on the scholarship, contact the Office of Community Outreach at Clermont College at 513/723-5293.
Helicopter School Adds GPS Trainer
Quantum Helicopters of Chandler, Arizona, recently added a GPS-equipped Robinson R-22 Beta II instrument trainer to its fleet. The new trainer features a Garmin GNS 430, which combines GPS, communication, moving map, and on-screen interface opportunities. To date only a few helicopter schools are using the latest technology in instrument training courses, Quantum said. The school can be reached at 480/814-8118.
Clinic Offers High-Altitude Training
Looking for an opportunity to experience the effects of hypoxia in a safe environment without leaving the ground? Try the L.B. Barometric Training Center in Melbourne, Florida. While the FAA does not mandate hypoxia training, learning to recognize the signs can be a life saver. One- and two-day aviation physiology classes are available for individual pilots and corporate flight crews. Flight schools such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and FlightSafety International are offering training through the private facility. For more, see the Web site ( www.lbhyperbarics.com ) or call 321/ 676-3200.
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