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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | GA News
| TURBOPROP EXTRA DAMAGED IN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING
Extra Flugzeugbau has suffered a setback in the flight-test program of its new turboprop Extra EA-500. The prototype aircraft experienced a "system failure" on final approach during its third test flight in Germany and landed in a field. The cause of the incident is being investigated. Ken Weaver, the U.S. sales representative for Extra, said the incident occurred on April 30 just short of the Dinslaken Airport near Dusseldorf. Weaver said the wing, engine, and fuselage were damaged but the passenger compartment was intact. Both test pilots–one of whom was Extra's founder, Walter Extra–walked away without injury. The 450-shp Rolls-Royce engine has been shipped back to England where it will be torn down and examined. Extra is currently making repairs to the six-passenger aircraft, a derivative of the piston-engine Extra 400, and expects to resume flight testing soon.
LAKELAND TO HOST WORLD AEROBATIC COMPETITION
 Lakeland, Florida, has been chosen as the site of the XXII World Aerobatic Championships (WAC). The event will take place June 25 through July 4, 2003. Three other countries had vied for the event, but after Spain and Italy dropped out, it was between the United States and Ukraine. The event has taken place twice before in the United States, at Oshkosh in 1980 and Oklahoma City in 1996.
FAA GIVES OVERSEAS PILOTS EXTRA TIME TO RENEW CERTIFICATES
CFIs and pilots whose certificates have expired or will expire while serving abroad in Operation Enduring Freedom received relief from the FAA this week. Effective immediately, the FAA has adopted a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that allows local FSDOs to accept expired flight instructor certificates and inspection authorizations for renewals from civilian and military personnel who can document their service outside of the United States. The SFAR also allows FSDOs to accept expired airman written test results from civilian and military personnel. See AOPA�Online.
LUSCOMBE TEAMS UP WITH COLORADO FIRM TO PRODUCE JET
After certifying the Luscombe 11E, Luscombe Aircraft Corporation has now partnered with a Colorado company to manufacture an airplane that is estimated to fly as much as four times faster. The production deal was inked with Aviation Technology Group Inc. (ATG), developer of the two-seat subsonic Javelin Executive Jet. Besides the civilian market, ATG is also targeting the military to use the jet as an unmanned aerial vehicle and a homeland defense interceptor in place of the much more costly F-16. While the piston-engine Luscombe and the Javelin jet may seem worlds apart, company officials say the primary structures are aluminum and the production processes are similar. Production is to take place at Luscombe's new 120,000-square-foot facility in Oklahoma. The Javelin is undergoing wind-tunnel tests and has not been test flown. FAA certification is expected to take three years with the first civilian customer delivery in 2005. For more on Javelin, see the Web site.
WORLD FLIGHT TO ASSIST TWIN TOWERS ORPHANS
This summer the 9/11 World Flight crew will travel around the globe in an effort to raise money for children who lost parents from the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Piper Geronimo will depart the United States around July 27 for the 35-day trip. Dreamed up by Mickey Russell, all proceeds beyond flight expenses will be donated to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Flight organizers are actively seeking support from local entities at the various stops. See the Web site.
FAA ISSUES HARTZELL AD
The FAA on Thursday issued a final rule AD for the Hartzell HC- and Y-model compact series, constant-speed, or feathering props. AD 2002-09-08 supersedes an existing AD and requires initial blade inspections, with no repetitive inspections; reworking all Y-shank blades; and changing the aircraft operating limitations for certain installations. The AD is effective June 13. Click here to download the full text
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
| Inside AOPA
| SPORT PILOT RULE 'NEEDED STEP FORWARD,' AOPA SAYS
The FAA's Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft proposed rule is a needed step toward a lower-cost alternative to the current Private Pilot certificate, AOPA told the agency. AOPA said that the FAA should accelerate the issuance and implementation of a final rule on the airman portion of the rule, permitting Sport Pilots to fly some seven existing certified aircraft (like a Piper Cub) that meet the Light Sport Aircraft definition, using a driver's license for a medical certificate. "AOPA believes this rule could help many lapsed pilots return to flying," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Many have quit aviation due to aircraft rental and ownership costs, as well as the expense and difficulty of maintaining a current medical certificate. The rule could also have a meaningful, positive effect on the cost of learning to fly, bringing new people into flying."
...AND THE PRIVILEGES SHOULD EXTEND TO RECREATIONAL PILOTS
AOPA said the agency should go even further and extend Sport Pilot privileges to Recreational pilots. That would mean that Recreational pilots could use a current driver's license to meet the medical requirements and that they could fly in Class B, C, and D airspace with the proper endorsement from a flight instructor. AOPA's proposal would effectively extend the benefits proposed in the Sport Pilot certificate to a much larger group of aircraft such as Cessna 172s and Piper Warriors. "The driver's license medical is a reasonable and safe standard for both sport and recreational flying," said Andy Cebula, AOPA senior vice president of Government and Technical Affairs. "Only one fifth of 1 percent of GA accidents were caused by medical issues, and glider pilots have been flying for years without medical certificates or problems." See AOPA's comments.
HEINTZ IS ELECTED AOPA CHAIRMAN
Paul C. Heintz was elected chairman of the AOPA Board of Trustees last Saturday during the association's annual meeting at historic Wings Field near Philadelphia. Heintz succeeds R. Anderson Pew, who, at the board's request, will remain as an AOPA trustee. The board paid tribute to Pew, who has led the board since assuming the chairmanship from J.B. "Doc" Hartranft in 1985. Heintz is a partner with the Philadelphia law firm of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell and Hippel LLP. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, he owns a Cessna 210 and is an ATP, instrument flight instructor, and glider pilot. See AOPA�Online.
AOPA FLY-IN AND OPEN HOUSE SET FOR JUNE
AOPA's twelfth annual Fly-In and Open House is set to prove that the general aviation industry is back on its feet after massive flight restrictions following September 11. The Saturday-only event at the Frederick (Maryland) Municipal Airport (FDK) will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1. This year participants will have an opportunity to see more than 100 exhibits and aircraft on display, plus attend a wide variety of free safety and informational seminars offered throughout the day. The AOPA Fly-In has become the largest one-day fly-in on the East Coast. A temporary FAA control tower will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and arriving aircraft will be required to follow special procedures. Pilots are cautioned to check notams and avoid expanded prohibited area P-40 over Camp David, 15 nm north of FDK. See AOPA�Online.
FAA PROPOSES REDUCED VERTICAL SEPARATION RULE
Today the FAA is expected to publish a proposed rule that would reduce the vertical separation standard of aircraft flying between Flight Level 290 and FL410. Called Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (DRVSM), the rule is designed to increase airspace capacity. AOPA has been pushing for a phased in approach, instead of the FAA's one-shot deal, to allow owners more time to make expensive avionics upgrades. See AOPA�Online.
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| Airport Support Network
| AIRPORT SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
More than 1,200 Airport Support Network volunteers throughout the nation are working with AOPA headquarters to help save their airports. They act as the eyes and ears of AOPA to provide an early warning for threats to airfields. Below are just a few airports in your area where ASN volunteers are still needed.
To nominate a volunteer, which can be yourself, visit AOPA�Online.
| AOPA�Air Safety Foundation News
| TRY YOUR LUCK AT SURFING FOR ASF PRIZES
For a limited time, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has added "pop-up" prizes to its Web site. The prizes include high-quality ASF logo shirts, aviation safety videos, and more. They are awarded randomly to pilots viewing aviation safety information on the site and are designed to encourage wider pilot exploration of the free ASF courses, publications, and safety news resources. See AOPA�Online.
| Quiz Me!
| Here's a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: What are the requirements to become a Gold Seal Flight Instructor?
Answer: The procedures are outlined in Advisory Circular 61.65C. You as a flight instructor must hold a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating or an ATP certificate (glider flight instructors don't need the instrument rating). In addition, you will need to have a ground instructor certificate with an advanced or instrument rating. You must have recommended at least 10 people for practical tests within the previous 24 months, with at least eight of them passing the test on the first attempt–or you must have conducted at least 20 practical tests as a designated pilot examiner, or graduation tests as chief instructor of a Part 141 school, or a combination of the above requirements. Present all supporting documentation to a FSDO inspector. The inspector will issue you a temporary CFI certificate. Your permanent "Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate" will be mailed from the FAA Airman Certification Branch. Once issued, a gold seal flight instructor certificate will be reissued each time your instructor's certificate is renewed. The advisory circular can be downloaded from AOPA Online.
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].
| Picture Perfect
| Did you know you can create a personal e-card using the images from the AOPA Online Gallery? Send one to a friend today. See AOPA Online.
| Coming Up In 'AOPA�Pilot'
| Fly the King Air 350, make the glider transition, and read about weather tactics (as part of our ongoing "Out of the Pattern" series) in the June issue of AOPA Pilot. It will be mailed May 20.
| What's New At AOPA�Online
| When was the last time you flew? Two years ago? A decade ago? Two decades ago? Check out AOPA's updated Pilots' Guide to Getting Back into Flying. It covers everything you need to know for getting back in the pilot's seat. See AOPA�Online.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Chino, California. The Planes of Fame Museum Airshow 2002 takes place May 18 and 19 at the Chino Airport (CHO). For more information, visit the Web site.
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Airshow 2002 takes place May 18 and 19 at Lovell Field (CHA). The show features USAF Thunderbirds, B-2 and F-117 fly-bys, Patty Wagstaff, Starfighters Jet Team, and more. Visit the Web site.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see 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 Sacramento, California; Baltimore; and Houston, May 18 and 19. Clinics are scheduled in Phoenix, and San Jose, California, June 1 and 2. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place in Houston, on May 19. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Fairfax, Virginia, and Hartford, Connecticut, May 18; Lincoln, Rhode Island, May 20; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, May 21; and Burlington, Massachusetts, May 22. Topics vary–for complete information, see AOPA�Online.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
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