AOPA Waco flies
The AOPA Sweepstakes Waco UPF?7 made its long-awaited first flight on December 3 at Owatonna, Minnesota. The 1940 open-cockpit biplane, used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program to train World War II pilots on Long Island, New York, was restored by Rare Aircraft. It was considered an advanced trainer when used in the government's training program and was used to teach aerobatics. Ben Redman, who piloted the restored Waco, said the aircraft maintained hands-off level flight. A winter cover was installed in the cowling to keep the engine warm during the flight. The engine break-in needed about 15 hours of additional flying. The aircraft will be awarded in January 2004 to the winner of the AOPA Centennial of Flight Sweepstakes. For more information about the airplane and the sweepstakes, visit AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/sweeps/). — Alton K. Marsh
Bush pilot dies in accident
Tim Johnson, 66, a former pilot and mechanic for missionaries in South America who was featured in the November 2002 issue of AOPA Pilot ("Pilots: Tim Johnson"), died November 30 while conducting a test flight of a Seawind aircraft, according to newspaper reports. Also killed in the crash was Fred Caron, 63, owner of the Seawind, according to a report in The Seattle Times. The aircraft crashed seven miles north of the Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington. Witnesses heard the engine sputter before the aircraft crashed, the newspaper reported. In the 1960s, Johnson flew for the Jungle and Aviation Radio Service, now known as JAARS, and was a demo pilot for GlaStar and Glasair aircraft. — AKM
Parachutes for light jets?
Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) has shown NASA that it made good use of past Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contracts the space agency awarded the St. Paul, Minnesota, firm, and now it has another. NASA granted the firm a $600,000 contract to develop parachutes for small personal jets like those conceptualized for NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). NASA started the SATS program to make use of the nation's smaller airports not served by airlines, and to address the problem of gridlock at major airports that are already in danger of exceeding their planned traffic capabilities. The aircraft are to be automated and autonomous, and are similar to personal jets now proposed or entering the market (see " Turbine Pilot: Light-Light Jets Take Flight," page 72).
BRS will use the funds to advance the technology for emergency parachutes, placing special emphasis on personal jets. Past NASA contracts allowed BRS to develop chutes for high-performance single-engine GA aircraft. The parachute BRS developed for Cirrus Design aircraft was funded in part by a past NASA contract. The technology was validated when a Texas pilot, 53-year-old Lionel Morrison, deployed his rocket-launched parachute after his Cirrus SR22 suffered an aileron failure. He was uninjured.
BRS has also developed a parachute system for the Cirrus SR20, and the Cessna 150, 152, and 172. BRS has delivered 17,000 of the chutes for ultralight and certified aircraft. — AKM
Pilot, journalist dies
Fay Gillis Wells, who was a pilot, journalist, and founding member of The Ninety-Nines, died of pneumonia on December 1. She was 94.
Wells led a colorful life as a foreign correspondent for various newspapers and mixed with the likes of Wiley Post, according to The Washington Post. She had arranged to accompany Post on the ill-fated flight that took his life in Alaska. Will Rogers, who also died in the 1935 crash, was her replacement. Instead of going on the flight she married journalist Linton Wells and they honeymooned in Ethiopia, where the couple teamed up to cover the war between Ethiopia and Italy.
After returning to America she became a demo pilot and saleswoman for the Curtiss Flying Service. During an airshow, the airplane she was flying suffered a severe structural failure. After Wells' parachute saved her life, she became a member of the Caterpillar Club. At the time of her death, Wells was one of a handful of surviving charter members of The Ninety-Nines.
Diamond TwinStar makes maiden flight
Diamond Aircraft owner and CEO Christian Dries flew the Diamond DA42 TwinStar from the Austrian factory at Wiener Neustadt in December. The first flight of the twin-engine airplane took place on schedule, only 55 weeks after the concept was established, company officials said.
With its T-tail and sharp lines, the aircraft seems to fit in well with the rest of Diamond's composite lineup. Besides the futuristic fuselage, the aircraft features turbodiesel Thielert Centurion 1.7 engines that can run on Jet-A1 and diesel fuel. The 125-horsepower engines offer half the fuel burn and twice the time between overhauls of conventional piston engines. As the company slowly expands the performance envelope during flight testing, it expects to see a miserly 10 gph total fuel burn at a cruise speed of 180 knots.
With a target price of $360,000, the TwinStar is positioned as a multiengine trainer or personal traveling machine, designed to compete with high-performance singles. To make multiengine flying easier, the aircraft has single-lever power controls for each engine. There also will be an option for a glass cockpit.
European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification of the TwinStar is projected for the end of 2003, with North American certification and initial deliveries projected for mid-2004. For information, visit the Web site ( www.diamondair.com).
ePILOT Headliners
Recent news from AOPA's weekly e-mail newsletter.
Air bags for GA?
Amsafe, developer of aircraft seat belts and restraints, has contracted with two general aviation aircraft manufacturers to install air bags in their aircraft. The air bag inflates from a section of the lap belt, expanding up and out from the pilot or passenger to cushion a forward impact.
Luscombe Spartan receives TC
The FAA in December granted an amended type certificate (TC) to Luscombe Aircraft Corporation for its 11E Spartan. The single-engine, four-place Spartan is powered by a Continental IO-360 governed to 185 horsepower, with a fixed-pitch prop, tricycle gear, and a base price of $155,900. (See " Budget Buys: Silvaire Spark," page 62.)
Lancair to restart production
The new year means new airplanes rolling off the line at The Lancair Company. Supervisors and lead production staff started working in November to prepare for the restart of the production facility in Bend, Oregon.
Raytheon Aircraft awarded follow-on T-6A contract
Raytheon Aircraft has received a $169.9 million follow-on contract to provide the Air Force an additional 35 North American T-6A Texan II trainer aircraft, plus training devices and manuals.
Adam pushes the envelope
Adam Aircraft is continuing to expand the flight envelope for its twin-engine, centerline-thrust A500. So far the serial number 0001 aircraft has accumulated 100 hours in more than 50 test flights and has reached an altitude of 25,000 feet and an airspeed of 220 knots, company officials said.
Garmin improves GPS reliability
Do you ever get that pesky RAIM alarm on your GPS and have to switch to another form of navigation because something has gone wrong with the signal? Garmin has announced a software upgrade to its 400/500 series of avionics that enables you to continue using the GPS for navigation.
Now you can receive a customized version of the free AOPA ePilot e-mail newsletter tailored to your interests. To customize your weekly newsletter, see AOPA Online ( https://www.aopa.org/apps/epilot/).
Instructors can renew certificates at WAI conference
AOPA Flight Training magazine is sponsoring a flight instructor refresher clinic (FIRC) at the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference in Cincinnati in March. Completion of the course allows CFIs to renew their certificates up to three months in advance. The FIRC will be held March 19 and 20 as part of the conference, which runs from March 20 through 23.
This is the first time that a FIRC has been held in conjunction with the conference. Cost of the course is $150 for WAI members and $195 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, visit the WIA Web site ( www.wiai.org/conference/).
The FIRC is being conducted by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. For a schedule of other ASF FIRCs, see AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asf/firc/).
Squawk Sheet
The FAA in December published a final rule airworthiness directive, AD 2002-24-07, mandating replacement of oil scavenge pumps installed on certain Aerostar airplanes. The AD is intended to prevent failure of oil scavenge pumps, which may result in in-flight oil loss and possible loss of engine power. Citing a lack of service reports of failed, worn, or otherwise defective oil scavenge pumps, AOPA and the Aerostar Owners Association opposed the AD. Despite a lack of additional service information supporting the need for mandatory parts replacements, the FAA proceeded with issuance of the final AD.
Members in the news
Paul H. Poberezny, AOPA 117957, was awarded one of aviation's most prestigious honors in December. The founder and current chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) received the 2002 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Wright brothers trophy has been awarded since 1948 by the National Aeronautic Association to honor significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States. It's presented each year on or about December 17, the anniversary of the Wrights' first successful powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Previous winners have included such luminaries as Charles Lindbergh, Donald Douglas, and Neil Armstrong.
Greg Brown, AOPA 640529, has published his latest book which answers the simple question, Why do we fly? Brown drew on his experience in writing for AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training magazines to assemble Flying Carpet, a compilation of stories that follows him from a fledgling pilot to a seasoned pro. He recounts bouts with fear, bad weather, and airframe icing, among other things, all aimed at teaching the reader about flying in an entertaining way. The adventures take place in the course of every type of mission from surmounting family emergencies to visiting unusual destinations. Best-selling author and pilot Stephen Coonts provides a forward. Published by Iowa State Press, the book sells for $29.99. Brown's other titles are The Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual, The Savvy Flight Instructor, and Job Hunting for Pilots. For more information, see the author's Web site ( www.paperjet.net).
Donald A. Folz, AOPA 4261284, has published Into a Dying Sun, a novel about helicopter pilots who see a different side of the Persian Gulf War. Desert Storm wasn't the fierce war the main characters David Biedermann and Paul Sidbury had expected. Helicopter pilots had never encountered formidable resistance. But in the war's final hours, complacent David flies over concealed soldiers still loyal to Saddam Hussein and the pilots are shot down. Forced to flee into the desert with scarce supplies, David and a wounded Paul are rescued by Sa'ad Abdullah, a Shiite revolutionary en route to join the anti-Saddam rebellion. To survive, the three men must work together. Folz is a former Army aviator and a Persian Gulf War veteran. Published by Ink Foundry, the soft-cover book sells for $12.95 and is available through major online book retailers and bookstores.
Capt. Alan Fenter, AOPA 1381705, is the new commander of the Civil Air Patrol's Phantom Composite Squadron in Austin, Texas. A commercial pilot and certificated flight instructor, Fenter has been a member of the Civil Air Patrol for about 11 years. He is a systems consultant for FedEx Services, but also flies as a contract pilot with the Texas State Aircraft Pooling Board.
Mike Carroll, AOPA 1094983, has completed his twenty-fifth design in what has become known as the Carroll Collection of Eagle Rings of the United States. The patriotic jewelry features the bald eagle in various poses. Carrol is now selling the rings in 10-, 14-, and 18-carat gold or antique sterling silver. He came up with the idea more than five years ago during long instrument flights from northern Chicago to a small town in Florida. Carroll is an instrument-rated commercial pilot with more than 3,000 hours' flying time. For more information, see the Web site ( www.carrollcollection.com).
This month in GA
I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets. — John Glenn,1962
February 25, 1925. Congress passes the Air Mail Act of 1925 (also known as the Kelly Act), permitting the government to hire private air carriers to deliver the mail.
February 9, 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues an executive order canceling existing airmail contracts because of fraud and collusion. The United States Army Air Corps is designated to take over airmail operations, but the deaths of several Army pilots lead to the Air Mail Act of 1934, which restores open bidding of air routes to commercial airlines.
February 27 & March 2, 1949. Capt. James Gallagher and a U.S. Air Force crew of 13 fly a Boeing B-50A Superfortress 23,452 miles around the world nonstop in 94 hours and 1 minute with four aerial refuelings en route. The trip begins and ends in Fort Worth, Texas, and is the first round-the-world nonstop flight.
February 20, 1962. Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. becomes the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn circles the Earth three times in the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7. The spaceflight lasts four hours and 55 minutes and lands in the Atlantic Ocean.
February 1, 1977. The 10,000th Beechcraft Bonanza comes off the production line. Five years later Beechcraft discontinues production of the V-tail Bonanza to concentrate solely on the straight-tail Bonanza 36 series.
February 19, 1982. The Boeing 757 takes to the skies. Designed to replace Boeing's aging 727 fleet, the 757 is up to 80 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor.
February 18 & 21, 1995. Steve Fossett makes a flight of more than 5,430 nm from Seoul, South Korea, to Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada, in a helium-filled balloon. It is the first solo transpacific flight in a balloon and sets a distance record.
February 1, 1997. A former newsman, AOPA pioneer, association senior executive, and first editor of AOPA Pilot magazine, Max Karant dies in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at age 83.
February 7, 2001. Aviation pioneer Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of Charles Lindbergh, dies at age 94.
February 22, 2002. Joseph B. "Doc" Hartranft Jr., the first full-time president of AOPA, dies in Annapolis, Maryland, at age 86.
While we cannot list all of the significant aviation events of the past 100 years, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send letters to AOPA Pilot, This Month in GA, Attn. Julie Walker, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701.
