Pilot Briefing

GA billings up in 2001, but deliveries drop

Billings for general aviation airplanes produced in the United States last year were up nearly 1 percent over the previous year, to a record $8.65 billion — but the number of aircraft delivered fell 6.6 percent to 2,634 airplanes. The higher billings reflect a strong market for business jets, with 600 shipped during 2001.

Deliveries of U.S. single-engine piston aircraft fell 12.8 percent to 1,581 airplanes, but shipments of multiengine piston aircraft were up 42.7 percent to 147 planes.

"2001 was not the unqualified success that we've come to expect, but we shouldn't overlook the many bright spots," General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President Ed Bolen said February 13 at the group's annual industry review and market outlook briefing in Washington, D.C.

GAMA Chairman Ray Siegfried noted that the decline in shipments has not approached the 20-percent drop seen in the past six U.S. recessions. Although he did not predict another record year for the industry this year, Siegfried said that GA's speed, flexibility, and convenience make it an alternative to airlines. "As we look beyond 2002, manufacturers are uniformly upbeat about industry prospects." New designs coming to market in the next 24 to 36 months will stimulate demand and increase new aircraft shipments, he added. — Michael P. Collins

Heli-Expo reflects a hopeful rotorcraft industry

For the first time in 10 years, Helicopter Association International (HAI) brought its burgeoning Heli-Expo to the East Coast. Early reports from manufacturers pointed to nearly normal sales in 2001, but many of the orders were placed before the September 11 terrorist attacks, raising concerns that new orders will lag.

Yet HAI President Roy Resavage saw the market rebounding. "The hall is filled up," he said, alluding to the more than 430 exhibitors at the February convention in Orlando, Florida. Attendance at Heli-Expo 2002 nearly matched that of the 2001 show in Anaheim, California.

Resavage looked back on 2001 with a mixture of pride and frustration for an industry "grounded longer than any other segment" after September 11 — pride in the aviation groups that worked together to get general aviation back on its feet, and frustration that, as a result of recent events, much work lies ahead to ensure the rotorcraft industry's health. "It took a critical mass working together" to restore flight operations in some of the nation's busiest helicopter havens, he said. Because the rotorcraft segment operates at low altitudes over congested metropolitan areas, it was among the last to see a return to nearly normal Part 91 VFR operations.

Manufacturers, meanwhile, announced new aircraft or updates to existing product lines at the show:

Eurocopter, the current Cinderella of the industry, posted sales gains that gave it 57 percent of the worldwide market share, surpassing longtime leader Bell Helicopters. Eurocopter also announced that it received a U.S. type certificate for the EC 145. The helicopter was previously certified in Europe.

Schweizer Aircraft Corporation announced the introduction of fuel injection to its 300CB helicopters, replacing the carbureted Lycoming HO-360-CIA engine in the current models. Sikorsky and Schweizer also unveiled a joint venture with Chinese partner Shanghai Little Eagle to manufacture a version of the Schweizer 269 series helicopter in China for that country's civilian market.

Robinson Helicopter Company expects to install the first of its lightweight, rooftop helipads at a car dealership in Santa Ana, California, later this spring. — Julie K. Boatman

Lindbergh grandson to re-create historic flight

Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles A. Lindbergh, has announced plans to retrace his grandfather's route from San Diego to Paris this spring. Lindbergh will fly a Lancair Columbia 300 with a modified wing that can carry additional fuel. The nonstop Atlantic crossing is expected to be completed in 17 to 19 hours and require about 300 gallons of fuel.

The Lancair Company will provide its certification testing aircraft for the flight and perform the wing modifications. The new wing is 90 percent complete, a Lancair official said. Another modification will be to remove much of the landing light equipment and use the space for fuel. A makeshift landing light will be provided. Additionally, an internal tank holding approximately 80 gallons of fuel and built in the shape of a work desk will be added to the interior. Lindbergh may use the workspace to keep in touch with mission control at the St. Louis Science Center. The headquarters for planning operations is at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport near St. Louis.

Dubbed The New Spirit of St. Louis, the flight will be followed by The History Channel, which plans to air a two-hour documentary on May 20, the seventy-fifth anniversary of Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris. The program will cover the flight from the modification of the Lancair to the landing at Le Bourget Airport in Paris.

There will be several intermediate stops before Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic. Beginning April 14, he will depart San Diego International-Lindbergh Field for St. Louis and New York, as did his grandfather just prior to the history-making flight in 1927. The Atlantic crossing may depart from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York. The original flight departed from Roosevelt Field, New York.

Lindbergh, an Indianola, Washington, woodworking artist, has put his furniture-carving business on hold while working on commemorative activities. He is director of the Lindbergh Foundation — a group "advancing the balance between nature and technology." He is also a trustee and vice president of the X Prize Foundation, an organization offering a $10 million prize for the first private team to fly to space in a privately built spacecraft, return to Earth, and then launch back into space within two weeks.

Lindbergh said he has long dreamed of retracing his roots and flying the Atlantic. He cited three reasons for the flight: To promote the X Prize (21 teams worldwide are trying to build rockets); to support research into rheumatoid arthritis from which he once suffered; and to honor the legacy of innovation made famous by his grandfather.

He told AOPA Pilot that he plans to carry a Swiss army knife that once belonged to his grandfather on the flight. "We're doing it at the right time, a time when the country needs a boost, just as it did in 1927," Lindbergh said. — Alton K. Marsh

Van's Aircraft develops four-place kitplane

Oregon-based kit manufacturer Van's Aircraft is designing a four-place nonaerobatic airplane kit that might cost as little as $65,000 to $70,000 to build after adding avionics, a simple panel, and a used engine. The kit will be dubbed the RV-10, in keeping with the company's RV-series of aircraft.

The company cautioned that the $70,000 figure is a preliminary estimate, but noted that even if you triple it, you still have a four-place aircraft that costs much less than most new aircraft now on the market.

Company officials said they hope for cruise speeds in the range of the existing RV-8 if builders equip the RV-10 with a 260-horsepower engine, or 13 knots slower if a 180-hp engine is used. That would place the cruise speed in the 160-kt range for the larger engine, and the 150s for the 180-hp engine. The airframe will be designed to accept a variety of four- and six-cylinder engines.

Other specifications call for the aircraft to carry four adults, a reasonable amount of baggage, and about 60 gallons of fuel. It will have fixed tricycle landing gear. Building the kit may take longer than other RV models because the aircraft will have two passenger doors and a baggage door. However, newly designed ribs may speed building. Eventually, a quick-build version may be offered.

Company president Dick VanGrunsven said he is releasing details of the work while it is still in early design stages because it does not compete with other aircraft models he now offers. "People have been asking for a model like this for years," VanGrunsven said. He would not speculate on when a prototype may fly, other than to say it will not occur in time for this year's major aviation events. For more information, see the Web site ( www.vansaircraft.com). — AKM

PILOT HEADLINERS

Recent news from AOPA's weekly e-mail newsletter.

California company intends to buy Mooney

After taking over the position as senior creditor of Mooney Aircraft Corporation, Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures Inc. (AASI) said that it was planning to acquire the bankrupt company. Not only does AASI want to turn Mooney around, but it also wants to see its own design, the Jetcruzer 500, through certification.

Gulfstream announces Oklahoma plant closure

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced that it will close its Oklahoma plant and relocate the work to existing company facilities. Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, said that the closure will be in stages, starting in April and wrapping up by the end of the year.

Diamond selects Garmin for Star, Eclipse

Garmin avionics are now standard in Diamond DA40 Star and DA20-C1 Eclipse aircraft. Both aircraft come with the GNS 430 GPS/nav/com, GTX 327 digital transponder, and GMA 340 audio panel. Upgrades to dual GNS 430s or the GNS 530 are available for customers who want a more advanced panel. A Bendix/King standard avionics package is still available for the Diamond Star.

Eclipse creates friction with assembly

Calling it a "significant milestone," Eclipse Aviation Corporation said that its technique called friction stir welding has been put to use in assembling the lower cabin of the first Eclipse 500 jet. It marked the first time the welding technique has been used in production on thin-gauge aircraft aluminum, according to the company.

Industry program nets 32K pilot prospects

Be A Pilot, the industry's national public education program to promote general aviation and learning to fly, generated 32,368 prospective pilots during 2001. Despite a brief downturn in inquiries after September 11 — and an increase to $49 in the cost of the program's introductory flying lesson — the number of prospects was the second highest in Be A Pilot's history.

Avidyne throws Cirrus a curved flight path

Cirrus Design Corporation delivered its first SR22 equipped with Avidyne's new EX5000C multifunction display (MFD) in February. Avidyne is building two specific MFDs for the Cirrus SR20 and SR22 singles.

Capstone project moves into second phase

The FAA is moving forward on the second phase of the Capstone project in Alaska that will generate real-time three-dimensional terrain information on primary flight displays. Chelton Flight Systems was selected to provide synthetic vision technology designed to reduce controlled flight into terrain accidents.

To sign up for the free AOPA ePilot newsletter or to view the archive, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/epilot/).

NASA launches flying engine-test stand

NASA has developed a new way to test small experimental aircraft engines — by taking them aloft attached to a specially equipped F-15B. Now researchers can get real performance data instead of relying on wind tunnels and ground-test stands.

Called the Propulsion Flight Test Fixture (PFTF), the device can save engineers time and money by testing concepts before major decisions are made. This is especially true in the transonic region of flight (from Mach 0.9 to around 1.2) where wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics data can be difficult to obtain, said NASA officials. With an engine mounted to the fighter's centerline attachment point, the airplane has a top speed of Mach 2.0.

Squawk Sheet

The FAA in February issued an emergency airworthiness directive calling for crankshaft replacement in Textron Lycoming TIO-540 and LTIO-540 turbocharged engines rated at 300 hp or more. This AD affects some 399 engines installed in Cessna T206; Piper Navajo, Mojave, Saratoga, and Malibu Mirage; Aerostar; and El Gavilan aircraft. Owners must comply with the AD within 10 operating hours. The AD includes the serial numbers of the affected engines and covers engines with crankshafts manufactured from March 1, 1999, through December 31, 1999. At this point, the AD only applies to turbocharged engines. However, the FAA tells AOPA that it is continuing to investigate to determine if the AD should be applied to normally aspirated engines as well.

FAA funds next-generation aircraft radio development

No, it won't force you to buy a new aircraft radio for more than a decade, but the FAA is funding new technology now slated for all aircraft, from single-engine piston airplanes to airliners.

Avidyne Corporation, located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, has received a contract from the FAA to develop for general aviation the airborne components of Nexcom (Next Generation Air/Ground Communications). Honeywell and Rockwell Collins, also recipients of FAA funding, will jointly develop new radios for commercial air carriers.

Nexcom will provide pilots and controllers with digital voice and data communications. New capabilities include antiblocking technologies, additional frequencies dedicated to general aviation operations, and controller-pilot datalink communications similar to instant-messenger technology.

A system demonstration program is scheduled for completion by 2004; implementation of the system for high-altitude airspace operations could start in late 2009. However, the demonstration program must be successful before the plan can proceed. If there are problems, implementation could be delayed. If that happens, the government may be forced to adopt another approach to modernizing aircraft radios.

Although most GA pilots won't be expected to update their radios for two to five years after the equipment first comes into use, AOPA officials are urging the FAA to maximize existing frequency use and allocations before requiring aircraft owners to purchase new radios.

An FAA official said the agency will consider GA pilots' concerns. "The FAA is committed to working with the general aviation community to determine the appropriate data messages to provide the benefits the GA community is seeking," said Carol Bell of the FAA's Office of Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems. Called VDL-3 (for VHF Digital Link Mode-3), the system is intended to replace the analog radio system currently used by air traffic controllers for both voice and data.

With VDL-3, according to a Honeywell announcement, each radio frequency will have four channels to accommodate up to four voice conversations at one time. As an alternative, one or more of the channels can be dedicated to data communication such as weather advisories, clearance
delivery, and notams. Other promised benefits include improved security mechanisms. — AKM

Airborne greyhound rescue service runs strong

Wings for Greyhounds continues to flourish in Sedona, Arizona, with support from charities, foundations, and corporations Ghat support humane treatment of animals. The group's story has generated a positive image for general aviation as well.

Maggie McCurry and Mark Pettijohn, both of Sedona, use their Partenavia P68 and the assistance of a small group of volunteers to fly retired greyhound (acing dogs to adoption centers throughout the Southwest. Otherwise, the dogs face an uncertain future. A dog track in Tucson generates 600 to 800 dogs a year that are no longer fast enough to earn their keep, while another track in Phoenix accounts for 400 to 500 dogs yearly.

McCurry also flies dogs in need of medical attention — broken legs are not uncommon in the racing world. "When we have injured greyhounds — usually with broken legs — we are able to get them to treatment much more quickly and with less stress than could be done by road," she said. "We can take what would be an 11-hour truck ride and turn it into a three-hour flight. We recently flew a very seriously injured dog from Tucson for emergency surgery in Phoenix. He is now an adored pet."

A greyhound she adopted, former racer Lanky Lance, assists McCurry and Pettijohn on their flights. Lance has taken on the role of mission commander, going along on flights and supervising the canine passengers. If they so much as move, Lance barks a warning to the pilots. In fact, he barks so many commands that McCurry has thrown charts in his direction to quiet him.

Her work has not gone unsung. McCurry and Lance appeared on the cover of the February edition of America's Flyways. Segments about the flights also have appeared on Animal Planet's Amazing Tails, Wild Rescues, and Petstory programs. There also has been an article in McCall's Magazine. To learn more about Wings for Greyhounds, visit the Web site ( www.wingsforgreyhounds.org). — AKM

Members in the news

Kam Majd, AOPA 4356076, has published High Wire, a fast-paced thriller about an airline pilot who is wrongly blamed for a crash on the runway that kills six people. As the first woman pilot for Jet East Airlines, the novel's main character, Kate Gallagher, has to find the cause of the crash after enduring scrutiny under media glare and being blamed by her own copilot. She sets off on an investigative and technological odyssey only to uncover a conspiracy buried in computer code. She later faces her biggest challenge, a doomed airliner with 262 passengers on board, seconds away from disaster. Published by Dell Books, High Wire is Majd's first book. It sells for $5.99 in paperback and is available in bookstores. Or see the Web site ( www.bantamdell.com). Majd is donating book royalties to the families of airline employees who died as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Max E. Shauck, AOPA 1122120, was honored by the FAA for his work in developing clean-burning aviation fuel and other contributions to aviation. Shauck, a professor of aviation sciences at Baylor University, was presented with the FAA's Excellence in Aviation Award. He started test-flying experimental airplanes powered by ethanol fuel in 1980. In 1989, Shauck and his wife, Grazia, made a 6,000-mile flight from Waco, Texas, to Paris, France, in an aircraft powered by alternative fuel. He was awarded the Harmon Trophy for his historic flight.

Miriam O. Seymour, AOPA 079944, has published The Around the Rim Flight, the story of a flight around the borders of the United States in 1919 by the crew of Glenn Martin Bomber Number One, the first American-designed-and-built medium bomber purchased by the Army Air Service. The flight was planned in part by Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, then assistant to the chief of the Army Air Service. Seymour, who amassed 5,000 hours as a private and corporate pilot, now writes an aviation-career column for America's Flyways. The book sells for $19.95 plus $4.50 for shipping. Contact Miriam O. Seymour, 4992 North Via Carina, Tucson, Arizona 85704-1548.

Larry Nazimek, AOPA 861125, carried the Olympic torch up the steps of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry to the theme song from the movie Rocky. Nazimek also gave a speech at the ceremony. He was selected for the honor because of his work with AirLifeLine Midwest.

Gene Nora Jessen, AOPA 183662, is the author of The Powder Puff Derby of 1929. The book chronicles the race where 19 women set out on the first major women's air race from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland. "Despite countless crashes, sexist critics, and one horrendous fatality, the racers captivated the nation and pioneered a new future and respect for female aviators," according to the book. The book includes never-before-published photos as well as Air Force maps that cover the 2,759-mile course. Published by Sourcebooks Inc., it sells for $16.95 and is available in bookstores.